The impacts of tourism on the environment of Mussoorie, Garhwal Himalaya, India

Mussoorie, a hill resort in the Garhwal Himalaya reveals the changing trends and impacts of tourist activity on its environment. This study was carried out during 1993–1994 and it showed that while Mussoorie had a permanent residential population of 25400 during the winter months, in the peak tourist season of May and June the population exceeded 200000 per month. Because of this huge influx of tourists the demand for lodges/hotels and other related infra-structure and super-structure facilities and amenities in the area was enormous, and it imposed a great stress on the natural environment.The data collected showed that from 1958 to 1988 the number of tourists had increased gradually but that from 1989 tourism in the town escalated following the political disturbances in the Kashmir Valley. The main purpose of the tourism was recreation (80%). It was recorded that the greatest number (60%) of the tourists were middle aged, 53% of the tourists worked in professional services. The majority of the tourists preferred to use the indigenous hotels and about 96% of the tourists used a private vehicle rather than public transport.The installation of modern tourist related facilities and infra-structure has led to the aesthetic degradation of the landscape. Tourist facility development is often disorderly and scattered. To reduce the traffic to Mussoorie town it is suggested that some nearby places like Dhanolti and Park estate should be developed for tourism.     

Biodegradation of Hexachlorocyclohexane by two species of Bacillus isolated from contaminated soil

Biodegradation of α, β, γ and δ hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers was studied in broth medium and soil microcosm by Bacillus circulans and Bacillus brevis isolated from contaminated soil. Degradation of α and γ isomers by both the bacterial isolates was higher than thermodynamically stable β and δ isomers. However, B. circulans was found more effective than B. brevis for β and δ isomers. Maximum rate of degradation was recorded at 150 mg/L followed by 100 and 50 mg/L. Soil microcosm study revealed maximum degradation of HCH isomers in the treatment containing natural soil, pesticide and bacterial inocula than the treatment having sterilised soil, pesticide and bacterial isolates. Chloride release was positively co-related with HCH degradation in broth medium as well as in soil microcosm, suggesting that B. circulans and B. brevis hold promising potential by having efficient enzyme(s) required for dechlorination of HCH from contaminated sites.     

Health monitoring of bacterial concrete structure under dynamic loading using electro-mechanical impedance technique: a numerical approach

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Health monitoring of structures using techniques based on the smart material is an innovative concept that is exploding technological revolutions in...     

Thermal supplementing soil nutrients through biocomposting of night-soil in the northwestern Indian Himalaya

Agriculture is one of the prime activities of the hill people residing in the northwestern Indian Himalaya. However, poor soil fertility in these areas is a big hurdle to sustainable farming. The effects of washout of topsoil and its nutrients, year after year, due to the abundance of snowfall, avalanches, landslides and erosion further add to the woes of the farmers. In the cold and harsh climatic conditions of the region, with grass and vegetation cover being scanty, it is not possible to maintain large herds of cattle for the adequate production of farmyard manure. Faced with this situation, the locals have relied heavily on obtaining organic manure derived from composting of human excreta. In earlier times the dire necessity of the farmers helped them overcome the revulsion associated with the practice of handling human excreta, but now with the advent of modernisation and the easy availability of chemical fertilisers, the people are distancing themselves from this age-old practice. More and more people are opting for modern toilets and leaving behind the traditional toilets that made possible the harvesting of manure from night-soil. As a result, this primitive practice is on the verge of extinction. This eco-friendly practice, that has sustained the land for so many generations, needs to be continued and strengthened as the long-term consequences of excessive and indiscriminant use of chemical fertilisers are becoming too obvious to ignore. Traditional knowledge needs to be combined with modern scientific know-how to make this practice safer and more acceptable. If the composting operation is managed properly, the handling will be less loathsome and the concerns of health and hygiene too will stand addressed. The present study attempts a detailed profile of the practice of 'supplementing soil nutrients through biocomposting of night-soil' in the cold desert region of Lahaul Valley. Four villages running from the northwestern part to the southeastern part of the valley were selected. The study is broadly based on a direct interview of heads of the various households in the selected villages of Kuthar (2600m), Hinsa (2700m), Jahlma (3000m) and Khoksar (3200m).     

Estimation of Heavy Metals in Different Berberis Species and Its Market Samples

Popularity of herbal drugs is increasing all over the world because of lesser side effects as compared to synthetic drugs. Besides, it costs less and easily available to poor people particularly in developing countries. But quality assurance of herbal drugs is very necessary prior to its use. Because in today's polluted environment, even herbal drugs are not safe. Berberis spp. is very important medicinal plant, having various medicinal properties. It is also included in Indian and British pharmacopoeias. Its demand is quite high in herbal drug market. So, to check the quality of market samples of this drug, ten different samples were procured from different drug markets of India for heavy metal estimation. Besides, genuine samples of four species of Berberis viz. B. aristata, B. chitria, B. lycium, B. asiatica were also collected from natural habitats to compare heavy metal concentration in both market and genuine samples. It was found that market samples were much more contaminated than genuine samples. Lead (Pb) concentration is far beyond from WHO permissible limit (10 ppm) for herbal drugs, reaching to maximum 49.75 ppm in Amritsar market sample. Likewise, concentration of all other metals like Cd, Cr and Ni were also very high in market samples as compared to genuine samples.     

Effects of sheep and goat grazing on the species diversity in the alpine meadows of Western Himalaya

This paper deals with effects of sheep and goat grazing on plant species diversity, species richness and species composition in two important conservation areas of the Western Himalaya; the Valley of Flowers (VOF) National Park and the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP). The VOF is a completely Protected Area as it is devoid of livestock grazing whereas, 20,000 sheep and goats annually graze in GHNP. Both the National Parks possess sub-alpine and alpine vegetation that is distributed in 13 major habitat types. Present investigations indicate that all the habitat types in VOF are higher in plant species diversity and richness compared to habitat types in GHNP. Similarly, all three eco-climatic zones in VOF are higher in species diversity and richness compared to GHNP. Species diversity also decreases with increasing altitude in both the National Parks. The findings of this study are discussed in the light of the management and conservation of alpine meadows of the Western Himalayas.     

Fuelwood and fodder consumption patterns among agroforestry-practicing smallholder farmers of the lower Himalayas,India

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Trees are important as a source of fuelwood and fodder for rural populations in the Himalayas. This paper analysed the fuelwood and fodder consumption...     

Modeling the effect of climate change on the distribution of threatened medicinal orchid Satyrium nepalense D. Don in India

It is vital to understand the distribution area of a threatened plant species for its better conservation and management planning. Satyrium nepalense (family: Orchidaceae) is a threatened terrestrial orchid species with valuable medicinal and nutritional properties. The survival of S. nepalense in wild conditions has been challenged by increasing global surface temperature. Hence, understanding the impact of climate change on its potential distribution is crucial to conserve and restore this species. In present study, Maxent species distribution modeling algorithm was used to simulate the current distribution of S. nepalense in India and predict the possible range shift in projected future climate scenarios. A set of 19 bioclimatic variables from WorldClim database were used to predict the potential suitable habitats in current climatic condition and four Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP 2.6, 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5) scenarios by integrating five General Circulation Models (GCMs) for future distribution modeling of species for the years 2050 and 2070. Furthermore, change analysis was performed to identify the suitable habitat in current and future climate for delineating range expansion (gain), contraction (loss), and stable (no change) habitats of species. The Maxent model predicted that?~?2.38% of the geographical area in India is presently climatically suitable for S. nepalense. The key bioclimatic variables affecting the distribution of studied species were the mean temperature of warmest quarter, mean temperature of wettest quarter, precipitation of warmest quarter, and temperature seasonality. Under future climate change scenarios, the total suitable habitat of S. nepalense will increase slightly in the Himalayan region and likely to migrate towards northward, but in the Western Ghats region, the suitable areas will be lost severely. The net habitat loss under four RCP scenarios was estimated from 26 to 39% for the year 2050, which could further increase from 47 to 60% by the year 2070. The finding of the predictive Maxent modeling approach indicates that warming climates could significantly affect the potential habitats of S. nepalense and hence suitable conservation measures need to be taken to protect this threatened orchid species in wild conditions.

     

Managing natural resources with eco-friendly technologies for sustainable rural development: a case of Garhwal Himalaya

Traditional Central Himalaya societies face a range of socio-economic and environmental problems. The potential of science and technology has not yet been adequately and appropriately harnessed to overcome the development constraints posed by the fragile Himalayan environment. Thus there is a need for large-scale establishment of technology resource centers. The Garhwal Unit of GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development established rural technology demonstration and training centers in three different agroecological zones between 550 and 2200 m asl and in 13–15 locations, with suitable technologies based on appropriate use and management of locally available bio-resources that ensure people participation. About 35 on-site training courses were organised for about 2329 participants. The participants were given on-site demonstrations, training and technical know-how on various technologies, to enable farmers to better understand problems faced during implementation of new technologies for sustainable management of natural resources. An action research framework and training manuals were also developed in consideration of local socio-economic condition. The documentation and analysis of research (quantitative and qualitative) and data related to cost–benefit analysis of the technologies adopted by farmers generated through this study has created wider sharing of farmer training outputs, at farm level, amongst the scientific communities and with policy planners.