Publications

Farmers Shift to Climate-resilient Crop: With Rising Cyclones in Tamil Nadu

Article
| January 13, 2021

In the recent past, the Bay of Bengal has witnessed frequent cyclones. In 2011, when Cyclone Thane struck the coasts of Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu, many farmers looked for a crop that could withstand climatic fluctuations. Sharada Balasubramanian says vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides)—a hardy grass—was found to be a suitable alternative to cashew and casuarina, which were often getting toppled by cyclone. Farmers found this not just climate-resilient, but also profitable from an income perspective.

Stakeholders and Corporate Social Responsibility: Are They Interlinked and Contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Research Paper
| January 1, 2021

Freeman chose the word Stakeholder on the basis of the traditional term which takes only a look at the economic point of view, where the stakeholders are defined as “any group of individual who is affected by or can affect the achievement of organization’s objectives” (Freeman 1984). The paper provides detailed understanding of stakeholders, analysis of various models on stakeholders, stakeholders of CSR and its analysis, linkages between different stakeholders and its contribution to the SDG’s.

Development and Demonstration of Membrane to Control Potential Pathogen (Legionella sp.) Associated With Cooling Towers

Research Paper
| January 1, 2021

The presence of pathogens in industrial cooling towers has been identified as one of the causes of legionellosis, but the tangible hazard has been unrecognized. The major function of a cooling tower in the industries is to transfer heat into the environment through evaporation which leads to an unusual increment in the conductivity of water. Conductivity indicates dissolved solids of water which further facilitate the occurrence of corrosion within the cooling tower systems that may hamper the overall functioning of the cooling tower.

Climate Action: What's Next for India?

Article
| December 23, 2020

The success of a long-term strategy to build climate resilience depends not only on the lessons learnt from implementing short or medium-term development strategies, but also on international cooperation and coordination.

Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC): A technology landscape, challenges and opportunities for sustainable cooling

Policy brief
| December 22, 2020

Cooling with its wide range of applications viz residence, commercial, transport and cold chain leaves a significant carbon footprint due to its colossal energy consumption and refrigerant practices.

Green Home to Fight Environmental Degradation: To Achieve Sustainable Development Goals

Article
| December 18, 2020

'Buildings' are the most pronounced elements in the fabric of any city. The housing sector in India is growing at a rapid pace and contributing immensely to the growth of the economy. The simultaneous increase in the demand for homes has caused a significantly high pressure on natural resources causing ecological imbalances such as loss of resilience to fight climate change, loss of biodiversity, and pollution. In this article, Pratiksha Baruah discusses about the tangible and intangible benefits of green buildings.

हर घर जल: चुनौतियाँ और अवसर

Article
| December 17, 2020

पेयजल आपूर्ति में भारत का अनुभव नया नहीं है। जल जीवन मिशन कार्यक्रम से पहले, ग्रामीण घरों में पेयजल आपूर्ति प्रणाली के प्रावधान में एक बड़ी राशि खर्च की गई थी। 'जल जीवन मिशन' के लिए वित्त वर्ष 2020-21 के बजट में 11,500 करोड़ रुपये रुपए आवंटित किए हैं। इस कार्यक्रम को एक बड़ी सफलता बनाने के लिए कुछ महत्वपूर्ण मुद्दों को जल्द हल किया जाना चाहिए।

Monitoring of community wastewater for early signalling the spread of COVID-19 in Chennai City

Policy brief
| December 14, 2020

Wastewater has emerged as a good indicator for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 as confirmed by several research studies across the globe through the detection of SARSCoV-2 Ribo Nucleic Acid (RNA) in faeces of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.

Identification and probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria from camel milk

Research Paper
| December 11, 2020

In the present study, a total of 80 presumed lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from camel milk. Selected LAB were identified as Lactococcus lactis (cam 12), Enterococcus lactis (cam 14) and

Plastic Waste Management: Turning Challenges into Opportunities

Policy brief
| December 2, 2020

Plastics not only are enduring, lightweight, and available at low prices, but also have very good thermal and electrical insulation properties. The versatile properties of various plastic polymers— being water-resistant, non-porous, ductile and malleable—make them suitable for manufacturing a wide range of products that also bring medical and technological advances in our modern society.