Current Science

R. Chandran ¹, P. A. Azeez ¹

Affiliations
1 Division of Environmental Impact Assessment, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty, Coimbatore 641 108, IN

Abstract

Dengue is known in India since 1940s, but the disease is very limited in its spread. Dengue is becoming rampant in many states of southern India. As of now, no specific treatments (therapies) or vaccines are available against the disease. The people of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, where the dengue incidences are increasing, perceive this spurt as due to poor rainfall and power supply. We attempted to verify this perception. We also sought to find out whether these factors are in concert with the monthly surveillance reports, used to predict yearly dengue cases by formulating a prediction model. The results showed that a combination of rainfall and power supply had major effect on the spread of dengue. The prediction model, incorporating rainfall and power supply data for four seasons, could not predict the dengue outbreaks accurately. Due to poor rainfall and power supply, people resort to storing water when power is available, and this prolonged open storage of water provides habitat for the vector to breed. The present study emphasizes the need to strengthen the surveillance system for timely and effective execution of vector-control programme. It also highlights the need to improve awareness among the public about the vector's ecology. The strategy against such vector-borne diseases has to focus more on environmental health rather than only on disease management that is patient-centred, largely curative and chemical/medicine intensive.

Keywords

Aedes aegypti, Dengue, Power Cut, Rainfall Deficit.

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P. A. Azeez ¹, P. P. Nikhil Raj ²

Affiliations
1 Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty (PO), Coimbatore 641 108, IN
2 Centre for Sustainable Future, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Amrita School of Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore 641 112, IN

Abstract

World over, one of the foremost issues extensively and intensively discussed is economy and development. That is followed by issues such as environment, war and peace, human development, global governance, etc. Development, be it economic, political and social, is widely presupposed to be the meaning of growth; economic growth gets preeminence, while all the other aspects of development gets pushed on the back burner. Growth, essentially perpetual quantitative growth, is considered as the keystone of the prevailing notion of quantitative growth by almost all – the economists, policy makers and even lay public. The need to account for the national income, especially during the post World War I, brought in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), i.e. the value of all goods and services minus the wear and trear. GDP was formulated by Simon Kuznets, a Belarusian émigré, way back in 1934 for a US Congress report. Kuznets himself was not pleased with the method of its computation; he had rightly warned that the index cannot be used as a means of measuring welfare. However, GDP became the mainstay, the tapeline for discussion in the due course on development. He also argued that wars do not contribute to the welfare of people and hence should not be part of the growth measure. It is known that many a times, the measure is ironic; even damaging actions add up to the GDP. If one buys a car it adds to the GDP; if he crashes it getting seriously injured, this also adds to the GDP; however, the latter does not reflect welfare or development or growth in the real sense.

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Abey Francis ¹, B. Anjan Kumar Prusty ², P. A. Azeez ³

Affiliations
1 School of Life Sciences, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore 452 001, IN
2 Department of Natural Resources Management and Geoinformatics, Khallikote University, G-Max Building on NH-16, Konisi, Berhampur 761 008, IN
3 Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatti, Coimbatore 641 108, IN

Abstract

In view of the variety of waste items casually disposed off by humans, a survey was conducted in two cities, Indore and Coimbatore, in roosting sites of colonial birds looking for unusual items in their food. Of the 891 regurgitated pellets ofbirds examined, about 53% in Coimbatore and 14% in Indore contained rubber bands, rubber balloons and small plastic debris. Rubber bands (95.3%), balloon (2.35%), plastic bits (1.41%) and plastic cap (0.94%) were found in the pellets. Among the rubber bands, red was the predominant colour (73.1%) followed by green (25%) and yellow (1.9%). These findings show that the birds misjudge an artefact as natural prey. The highly corroded rubber bands indicate the leaching of chemicals (like plasticizers and bisphenols), many of which are potential endocrine disruptors. The potential hazard from such leachable contaminants needs to be further studied. The present study also highlights the need for managing such deceptive wastes cautiously to safeguard wildlife.

Keywords

Pellets, Prey Mimicry, Regurgitation, Rubber Band, Solid Waste Management, Wetland Birds.

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