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INDIA’S FIRST MARINE WEATHER RADIO BROADCAST FOR FISHERMEN GOES ON AIR +  

 

Despite a 7500 km coastline and a total marine fisher folkpopulation of 3.57 million spread across 3,305 marine fishing villages in India, no media outlet, government or otherwise, broadcasts information about marine weather. All weather broadcasts are directed at farmers and the general public -- they only talk about the possibility of rain, its intensity, distribution and scarcity. It is only during the cyclone season that information on wind speeds and its direction, wave heights and direction are added to the bulletins.

Regular marine weather broadcasts are commonplace in radio stations across all developed maritime countries but India, sadly, has no stations broadcasting marine weather. Radio is the best medium for such alerts because of its wide reach particularly into the sea. Marine fishermen risk their lives daily by working in an environment that has the potential to turn hostile any time. An adverse change in the weather can become life threatening in the open sea, particularly for small boat fishermen.

by John on Sun, 07/29/2012 - 15:01

TRINet Newsletter July 2012 +  

Water security begins at home

by John on Sat, 06/30/2012 - 23:30

TRINet Newsletter June 2012 +  

Having problems reading this email? Please click here to read the online version.

Clearance to Cuddalore Thermal Plant suspended 
The National Green Tribunal in New Delhi has suspended the environmental clearance (EC) given to the Chennai-based IL&FS Tamil Nadu Power Company to set up five units of coal-fired thermal power stations with a combined capacity of 3,600 MW in Cuddalore district.

Secrets of the Western Ghats
The government's decision to keep the Gadgil Committee report under wraps has prevented an informed discussion on the competing claims of development and ecology, says Ramachandra Guha

by John on Tue, 05/29/2012 - 22:56

TRINet Newsletter May 2012 +  


Climate Conversations - Indian ashram turns to clean energy in sustainability push

Muni Seva Ashram sits near the village of Goraj in the Vadodara district of India’s state of Gujarat. The ashram houses a variety of integrated community welfare programmes including an old age home, an orphanage, a cancer hospital, a primary and secondary school and a home for mentally challenged girls.

Re-imagining public spaces 

An innovative new approach to Mumbai's open spaces is an extensive mapping survey. The same approach can be used in other cities too. Darryl D'Monte reports. 

by John on Mon, 04/30/2012 - 19:18

TRINet Newsletter April 2012 +  

Koodankulam Meltdown

by John on Sat, 03/31/2012 - 19:27

Disaster Governance - a Complex Process +  

Disaster Governance - a Complex Process

by Ahana Lakshmi 

by John on Sat, 03/31/2012 - 18:59

TRINet Newsletter March 2012 +  


Groundwater in coastal areas – a worrisome growing problem

 
Groundwater is the largest accessible freshwater reservoir. However, our increasing dependence on groundwater, withdrawal beyond recharge limits and its deteriorating quality is worrying, especially in coastal areas. This article looks briefly at groundwater related issues, pressures on groundwater and calls for integrated approaches to manage groundwater.(more)

 

Inclusion of marine biodiversity in environment studies suggested

by John on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 17:56

Groundwater in coastal areas – a worrisome growing problem +  

 
About thirty years ago, a report of the Planning Commission on the development of coastal areas in India affected by salinity indicated that the problem of salinity in coastal areas is a national problem and that coastal saline areas need to be identified as: (a) Soil salinity areas where the top soil is saline; (b) Water salinity areas where either the water strata for great depths is saline, or even if top 30 ft. has fresh water where fresh water is entirely by rainfall alone. 
 
The report went on to discuss livelihoods in coastal areas, the issue of crops and fodder varieties that can be grown in coastal lands and that “The present groundwater development in coastal tract is very limited but when the ground water withdrawals are to be increased, the existing saline and fresh water disposition may be disturbed and the process of ingress of saline water may be accelerated. Hence scientific management of the vital ground water resource will require critical evaluation of the changes, brought about consequent to withdrawals and must so regulate the draft as to prevent the ingress of saline water in fresh water bodies”.
 
by John on Wed, 02/29/2012 - 17:43

TRINet Newsletter February 2012 +  

IMD claims its radars chased ‘Thane' to the wire

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has had a mostly successful outing tracking the very severe cyclone ‘Thane' to its logical conclusion.
 
The damage caused by the havoc wreaked by cyclone Thane in the district has been pegged at Rs 4,000 crore, according to an official of a Central team that inspected the affected areas here. “In total, two lakh hectare of agricultural lands were affected, of which more than over a lakh hectare of lands are in Cuddalore district. In this district alone, the worth of damages would be pegged at Rs 4000 crore approximately,” said the official from the nine-member team led by joint secretary in Ministry of Home Affairs Lokesh Jha.
 
It could take "years" for hundreds of thousands of people in southeastern India to rebuild their livelihoods after a devastating cyclone wiped out their entire plantations of cash crops last month, aid workers warned on Tuesday.
by John on Tue, 01/31/2012 - 12:15

Cyclone Thane -- Disaster Preparedness and Response +  

Cyclone Thane --  Disaster Preparedness and Response 

By Annie George, CEO, BEDROC with additional information from Ahana Lakshmi, TRINet; based on field observations and various reports on the internet. The views are of the authors alone.

 


Banana plants destroyed by the cyclone

 

by John on Tue, 01/31/2012 - 07:13