Research Papers
Impact of regulated pH on proto scale hydrogen production from xylose by an alkaline tolerant novel bacterial strain, Enterobacter cloacae DT-1
Subudhi S, Nayak T, Kumar N R, Vijayananth P, Lal B
| 2013
A hydrogen producing facultative anaerobic alkaline tolerant novel bacterial strain was isolated from crude oil contaminated soil and identified as Enterobacter cloacae DT-1 based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. DT-1 strain could utilize various carbon sources; glycerol, CMCellulose, glucose and xylose, which demonstrates that DT-1 has potential for hydrogen generation from renewable wastes. Batch fermentative studies were carried out for optimization of pH and Fe2+ concentration. DT-1 could generate hydrogen at wide range of pH (5-10) at 37 °C.
Glaciers in Ganges basin: an assessment of their dimensions through inventories
Dkhar Nathaniel B, Tayal Shresth
| 2013
The objective of this paper is to analyse the data available in the glacier inventories published by Geological Survey of India and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and make a comparative assessment of the distribution and extent of Himalayan glaciers in the Ganges river system of Indian and Nepal Himalaya.Some interesting conclusions for this assessment were that majority of the estimated glacial ice volume towards the Ganges river system was from the Nepal Himalayas.
From Alage to Biofuels: Engineering Aspects
Pattarkine V M, Kannan D C
| 2013
Algae are considered the most promising third-generation biofuel feedstock, because algae can grow on wasteland, wastewater, and waste gas. Thus, they do not compete with any resources needed for other useful purposes. Understanding how to engineer algae-to-biofuel systems is critical if we have to succeed in meeting our future transportation fuel demands. This chapter presents the engineering fundamentals of the algae-to-biofuel process and also draws attention to the challenges we must overcome.
Fostering Sustainability through Education, Research and Practice: A case study of TERI University
Jain S, Aggarwal P, Sharma N, Sharma P
| 2013
This paper reflects the philosophy of TERI University of intrinsically building the concept of sustainable development (SD) through higher education and research. This has been illustrated by taking up an example of its flagship postgraduate program in Environmental Studies and Resource Management.
Forest fragmentation in India
Roy P S, Murthy M S R, Roy A, Kushwaha S P S, Singh S, Jha C S, Behera M D, Joshi P K, Jagannathan C, Karnatak H C, Saran S, Reddy C S, Kushwaha D, Dutt C B S, Porwal M C, Sudhakar S, Srivastava V K, Padalia H, Nandy S and Gupta S
| 2013
Assessment of, and mapping the extent of forest fragmentation is one of the key requirements for undertaking any eco-restoration work. Using a moving window approach on high-resolution geospatial data on vegetation, a fragmentation index was computed across the entire Indian landscape. On the basis of the index, the forests areas were categorized as high, moderate, low or intact. It was observed that almost half of the forested land is intact in spite of tremendous population pressures, indicating effective protection.
Experimental study for energy efficient cooking devices based on solid biomass fuel and its sustainability for rural India
Singh V K, Suresh R, Farzana S F
| 2013
Biomass fuelled cooking in traditional mud stoves is a widespread phenomenon especially across rural India.
Expanding Rural Energy Access and Improving Agro Industrial Energy Efficiency through Targeted Interventions
Fernandes S
| 2013
While access to low-cost, clean, safe, modern and sustainable energy technologies is a priority to farmers and agro-communities residing in villages, improving energy efficiency as a cost cutting measure is extremely important to rural agro industries, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Hence specific and targeted projects focusing on building awareness at the grass-root level, technology transfer, capacity building and fast-tracking clean energy financing to these sector are crucial growth and development drivers.
Evolution of REDD Plus: From Kyoto to Doha
Nayak B P
| 2013
REDD+ is a financial instrument to incentivize conservation and sustainable management of forests, and thereby achieve reduction in the GHG emissions resulting from deforestation and forest degradation. It aims at compensating forest owners in developing countries for conserving their forests by putting a value on the forest carbon stocks - one of the many ecosystem services that forests provide. This chapter aims at discussing this path of evolution and the current state of affairs with the REDD+ mechanism.
Evaluation of vertical accuracy of open source Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
Mukherjee Sandip, Joshi P K, Mukherjee Samadrita, Ghosh A, Garg R D, Mukhopadhyay A
| 2013
Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is a quantitative representation of terrain and is important for Earth science and hydrological applications. DEM can be generated using photogrammetry, interferometry, ground and laser surveying and other techniques. Some of the DEMs such as ASTER, SRTM, and GTOPO 30 are freely available open source products. Each DEM contains intrinsic errors due to primary data acquisition technology and processing methodology in relation with a particular terrain and land cover type. The accuracy of these datasets is often unknown and is non-uniform within each dataset.
Evaluation of bio efficacy of Tylophora indica leaf extracts, fractions and pure alkaloids against Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner)
Kathuria V, Ruhl S, Kaushik N, Edrada-Ebel R, Proksch P
| 2013
Crude extracts, fractions and pure alkaloids from Tylophora indica (Burm. f.) Merrill were tested against Helicoverpa armigera larvae and moths. Among the extracts, ethanol extract was more effective than the hexane extract in reducing larval growth with GI50 value (concentration at which 50% reduction in larval weight obtained) of 0.031. Significant reduction in pupal weight was also observed (up to 20%).