Temporary labour migration is a survival strategy of the rural poor in India—more prevalent in the country’s northern and eastern states. However, intra state differences exist with pockets of poverty even within prosperous states, from where socially and economically disadvantaged groups migrate. The phenomenon calls for effective social protection programmes to augment the inadequate livelihood opportunities and negligible access to health care for temporary labour migrants.

India is heavily dependent on import of all primary energy resources—crude oil, coal and natural gas. There is a need to use the domestic energy resources specially gas judiciously. The paper provides justification on technical, financial and strategic grounds for using domestic gas for production of fertiliser. This would ensure affordable fertiliser to the farmers and augment the fertiliser security of the country.

Using the vast resource of rooftops and kitchen gardens in urban and rural areas to promote swajaivik farming through intensive trainings.

With maximum sustainable yield in capture fisheries achieved, technological innovations to increase yields seem imperative. In a recent breakthrough cages that can withstand turbulent seas have been developed by National Institute of Ocean Technology. The organisation is also involving the fisher community of Olaikuda for a large scale culture.

The authors are scientist C, scientist F, scientist B and director, respectively, at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Hyderabad and secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences. srinivas@incois.gov.in

Sunrise at Tiger Hill, 13 km from Darjeeling was an experience to remember—for all the wrong reasons...

Sanitary napkins are indeed hygienic—eliminating a plethora of diseases for the user. However, it is a little known fact that these products are largely plastics in various synthetic combinations. As a nation with 310 million potential users unregulated rise of napkins is a humongous disposal issue. Yet, India hasn’t even begun thinking.

Fisheries provide employment to 14 million fishers—but today the highly dispersed and unorganised sector is calling out for appropriate tools to create good database to enable better planning. It is envisaged that the national policy on inland fisheries should strike a balance between aquaculture and various enhancement practices to achieve higher fish productivity, environmental sustainability and social equity.

Impacts, vulnerability and resilience of fisheries sector to climate change in India.

Wild Shrimp Seed Collection in Hoogly Estuary, West Bengal Shrimp farming, the most lucrative of aquaculture option in the east coast of India sources wild seed for its sustenance. With undiminished demand the seed collection today threatens the sustainability of a variety of species that are destroyed as bycatch. Despite the ban on collection being enacted—it remains without effect.