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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 000828 
 
SENSITIVE 
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 SOCI KSCA KGHG IN
SUBJECT: NEW DELHI EST OFFICE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 20 TO 
APRIL 24, 2009 
 
REF A: NEW DELHI 802 
REF B: 08 NEW DELHI 3104 
 
¶1.  (U) Below is a compilation of environment, science, and 
technology highlights from Embassy New Delhi for the week of April 
20-24, 2009, including the following: 
 
-- Tiger Deaths in Madhya Pradesh - Poaching on the Rise 
-- EST Section Celebrates Earth Day 
-- Famous Tiger Gets Lifetime Achievement Award 
-- Insight into Fight Against Drug Resistant Bacteria 
-- Transforming Biology Research in India 
-- India Unveils New Disaster Warning Kiosk 
 
------------ 
ENVIRONMENT 
------------ 
 
Tiger Deaths in Madhya Pradesh - Poaching on the Rise 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Over a three month period between January 3 and April 4, 
2009, five adult tigers have been killed in Kanha Tiger Reserve and 
one in Pench Tiger Reserve.  Madhya Pradesh (MP) Forest Department 
officials claim all six deaths were due to tigers killing each other 
due to shrinking habitat and lack of space for tiger dispersal.  The 
Forest Department is now working with the Wildlife Trust of India to 
check habitat loss and secure forest corridors to provide sufficient 
room for park tiger populations.  However, an EST section contact, 
who is one of India's foremost wildlife crime investigators and 
based in MP, suspects botched attempts at poaching as the cause of 
death in some of the cases.  Since January 2009, MP forest officials 
in the two parks have found a total of eight abandoned tiger cubs, 
all under four months of age, from three separate locations.  The 
three mothers have never been found and tiger cubs have no value for 
Indian poachers engaged in the international illegal wildlife trade. 
 The cubs that were found alive were transferred to local zoos.  Our 
contact claims wildlife management in Madhya Pradesh has become "a 
joke" and that poaching is once again on the rise. 
 
EST Section Celebrates Earth Day 
 
¶3.  (U) Acting ESTCouns spoke before a crowd of 300 high school 
students on the subject of climate change and environmental activism 
at the Indian National Science Academy.  The event was coordinated 
through the GLOBE program's Youth Forum on Climate Change and Global 
Warming.  The GLOBE program has located its regional office for 
Asia- Pacific in New Delhi and this appears to have reinvigorated 
the program in India.  The Earth Day event brought together school 
children from all over India who were engaged and well-informed on 
the subject of climate change and were far more interested in 
American leadership on the issue than historical responsibility.  In 
addition to the speaking event, the EST section issued Ref A on 
Earth Day describing Embassy New Delhi's green initiatives. 
 
 
Famous Tiger Gets Lifetime Achievement Award 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The UK-based Tour Operators for Tigers (TOFT) is awarding 
a Lifetime Achievement Award to Machli, a famous female tiger at 
Ranthambhore National Park (RNP).  The twelve year old tiger has had 
nine cubs and press reports she has been spotted by over 100 million 
tourists including dignitaries such as President Clinton and Prime 
Minister Manmohan Singh.  She was also captured on film fighting an 
 
NEW DELHI 00000828  002 OF 003 
 
 
adult crocodile (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYC_R-tsrEU&N R=1) 
and is one of the most photographed tigers in the world according to 
P.K. Sen, former director of the Government of India's Project 
Tiger.  Rajasthan Chief Wildlife Warden R.N. Mehrotra will receive 
the award on Machli's behalf at a small ceremony at the New Delhi 
British High Commissioner's residence on April 24.  EST section 
contact and TOFT member Balendu Singh, who runs a hotel near RNP, 
said the award was designed to improve relations between park 
officials nd TOFT noting the difficulty tour operators have faced 
in working with Rajasthan Forest Department officials and local 
authorities. 
 
-------- 
SCIENCE 
-------- 
 
Insight into Fight Against Drug Resistant Bacteria 
 
¶5.  (U) Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology  (IIT) 
Mumbai, reported in the Physics Review letters their identification 
through simulation studies of a possible bacterial cell division 
mechanism that could be exploited to fight drug-resistant bacteria. 
The team found a protein molecule called the "Z-ring" that appears 
to be responsible for generating a contractile force from inside a 
bacterium which causes cleavage at mid-cell and cell division. 
Disrupting the Z-ring and thus preventing the cell from dividing 
could result in a new strategy for dealing with bacteria resistant 
to antibiotics which primarily act by rupturing the bacterial cell 
wall. 
 
Transforming Biology Research in India 
 
¶6.  (U) During a keynote address at the Shriram Institute for 
Industrial Research, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) Secretary Dr. 
M.K. Bhan championed the need for an innovative, collaborative and 
cross-discipline approach to biological sciences in India and 
pointed to U.S. institutions like Stanford as role models.  He said 
the overall goal of biology research in India should be to translate 
results into the creation and marketing of useful products.  Dr. 
Bhan highlighted DBT's attempts to encourage this transformation 
through increased funding and programs including the creation of 
research clusters, financial incentives for returning scientists, 
fellowships, and post doctoral programs.  ESTOff attended the event 
which highlights a growing trend towards result oriented research in 
India. 
 
----------- 
TECHNOLOGY 
----------- 
 
India Unveils New Disaster Warning Kiosk 
 
¶7.  (U) An IIT Delhi team lead by Engineering Professor and EST 
section contact Subrat Kar, has developed a prototype multipurpose 
disaster warning kiosk.  The project was funded by the Indian 
National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and is 
intended to disseminate INCOIS information (Ref B) to the general 
public, including warnings for tsunamis and cyclones as well as 
fishing forecasts.  Professor Kar said the solar-powered kiosk 
includes a computer system with a flat panel display and has the 
capability to connect via cellular, wi-fi and dial-up networks.  In 
an emergency, the kiosk displays a warning in the local language, 
sounds an alarm audible within a five kilometer range, and sends an 
 
NEW DELHI 00000828  003 OF 003 
 
 
SMS text warning to registered users. 
 
 
BURLEIGH