Research - Ministry of Environment and Forests

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Annual Report 2006-2007Environmental Research and DevelopmentIntroduction and ObjectiveMinistry has been funding research in multidisciplinaryaspects for environmental andecosystems protection, conservation andmanagement at various universities, institutions ofhigher learning, national research institutes andnon-governmental organizations in identified thrustareas under its Research & Development (R&D)Programme. The Research & Development Schemeof the Ministry is a Central Plan Scheme forconservation and management of environmentsince 1985 and is looked after by Research &Ecoregeneration (RE) Division of the Ministry.The objectives of the scheme are to generateinformation required to develop strategies,technologies and methodologies for betterenvironmental management. It also aims atattempting solutions to the practical problems ofresource management, conservation of naturalresources and eco-regeneration of degraded areas.Further, the scheme also aims at strengtheninginfrastructure to facilitate research and scientificmanpower development.Progress of Various ActivitiesDuring the year Ministry brought out newguidelines for supporting research clearly indicatingthe order of priority and broad research themes tobe supported in the identified thrust areas in thefollowing three modes:-✦✦✦Suo-moto proposals, which can be submittedat any time of the year.Competitive invited proposals to besubmitted when called for depending uponthe specific needs of policy making includinginformation required for internationalnegotiations and implementation of planschemes. Selection among the proposalsreceived in response is made competitively onthe basis of technical soundness.Non-competitive commissioned proposals tobe invited directly from one or a network ofresearch institutes depending on the specificneeds of policy making etc. Thematic ExpertGroups are being setup to examine andrecommend research proposals for fundingby the Ministry.The environmental research in RE Divisionof Ministry is being supported under various subschemesas given below:-✦✦✦✦Environment Research Programme (ERP)– Brown AgendaEcosystem Research Scheme (ERS) – GreenAgendaResearch Programme for Eastern and WesternGhats – Location SpecificPitambar Pant National EnvironmentFellowship Award✦ B.P. Pal National Environment FellowshipAward for Bio-diversityDetails about Pitambar Pant NationalEvironment Fellowship Award and B.P. Pal NationalEnvironment Fellowship Award for Bio-diversityare given in Chapter 10 under “Fellowships andAwards”.Environment Research Programme (ERP)Environment Research Programme (ERP)deals with problems related to pollution anddevelopment of suitable cost effective technologiesfor abatement of pollution. Emphasis is laid ondevelopment of eco-friendly biological and otherinterventions for prevention of pollution anddevelopment of strategies, technologies andinstruments etc. for control of pollution. Projectsare also encouraged for development ofbiodegradable plastics, epidemiological studies,ways and means to reduce impact of mining,chemical pollution of soils, and hazardoussubstances including pesticides, heavy metals etc.Projects related to waste recycling and resourcerecovery from waste along with the developmentof eco-friendly and cleaner technologies are givenpriority.During the year, three meetings of theEnvironment Research Committee (ERC) wereheld to review / monitor the ongoing projects andto consider the new proposals. One hundred and1377
Ministry of Environment & Forests138eight new projects were considered by thecommittee and based on the recommendations, 14new projects have been sanctioned during theperiod. Progress of 90 ongoing projects wasreviewed and monitored during the year. Twentythree projects have been completed under theprogramme during the period.Ecosystem Research Scheme (ERS)Ecosystem Research Scheme is an interdisciplinaryprogramme of research whichemphasizes ecological approach for studying therelationship between man and environment. Theobjective of the programme is to develop a basiswithin the field of natural and social sciences forrational use and conservation of resources forgeneral improvement of the relationship betweenman and his environment. The programme seeksto provide a scientific basis to solve the practicalproblems of resource management. The programmealso seeks to provide a scientific knowledge andtrained personnel needed to manage the naturalresources in a rational and sustainable manner.Ecosystem studies become even more important asthe Earth’s environmental ecosystems areincreasingly being affected at all levels. Ecologicalunderstanding and research in this area offertangible hope for addressing extremely complex andpotentially devastating assaults on local, regionaland global ecosystems. Under the scheme, emphasisis laid on multi-disciplinary aspects ofenvironmental conservation with emphasis on ecosystemapproach consistent with the identifiedthrust areas and orientation.During the year, Expert Committee forEcosystem Research Scheme (ERS) met four timesto consider new proposals as well as to monitor theon-going projects. Eighty five new projectsconsidered by the committee and based on therecommendations, 10 new projects have beensanctioned during the period. Progress of 41ongoing projects was reviewed and monitoredduring the year. Thirteen projects have beencompleted under the programme during the period.Eastern and Western Ghats Research Programme(E&WGRP)The Eastern and Western Ghats ResearchProgramme addresses itself to location-specificproblems of resource management in the Easternand Western Ghats regions of the country. Theregion is suffering from destruction of habitats ofits unique plant and animal life due to floods,siltation, deforestation etc. besides shortage of food,fodder and fuel for rural population and shortageof raw material for the industries. Under thisprogramme, studies relating to bio-diversity, landuse, impact of developmental activities etc. are takenup to restore the environmental quality of theregion.During the year, four meetings of the ExpertCommittee for Eastern and Western Ghats ResearchProgramme (E&WGRP) were held to consider 67new proposals as well as the monitoring of 26 ongoingproposals. Twelve new projects were initiatedand 10 projects were completed. Three new PolicyResearch proposals were also sanctioned during theyear.Details of the projects sanctioned andcompleted under various schemes during the yearare given in Annnexure-III and Annexure-IVrespectively.BudgetThe total allocation for R&D Scheme during2006-07 is Rs. 4.2 crores. The entire amount islikely to be utilized for ongoing and new projects,based on the recommendations of the ExpertCommittees.Summaries / Research finding of some of theProjects completed during the yearTechnology development for the recovery ofNickel (Ni) and Cadmium (Cd) values from spentNi-Cd batteries using an environmental friendlyhydrometallurgical routeBatteries are daily used in many portableelectronic devices such as cellular phones,computers, video recorders etc. Spent Ni-Cdbatteries are considered hazardous due to thepresence of toxic Cd. Objective of the project wasto develop a hydrometallurgical flowsheet for therecovery of Cd, Cobalt (Co) and Ni from spent
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Research - Ministry of Environment and Forests

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