Rabies studies in Rajasthan

In Kota city of Rajasthan, visiting the celebrated gardens now carries the risk of encountering packs of dogs. 

There was a rabies vaccination camp in Sirohi by an NGO where people got their dogs for vaccinations. 

A study in 2018 at an anti-rabies clinic in Jaipur on patients' information on rabies showed that over a fifth had good knowledge, another fifth had poor knowledge and the rest had 'fair' knowledge about rabies. But this cannnot be generalized to the general population of Rajasthan I feel, because :

• Residents of urban areas have access to greater knowledge than in rural settings. 
• Residents of big cities like Jaipur will be even more aware. 
• The patient has been bitten by animals so would have received counsel from family and friends already. 
• They had had the good sense or guidance to come to a specialized anti-rabies clinic rather than go to any doctor - so that shows a very heightened level of awareness. 

For these reasons, I feel that particularly in rural areas and among poor people in slums, the knowledge on rabies will be much lower than in this study. 

Even here with comparatively higher levels of awareness, just half the patients knew the name of the disease caused by a rabid animal. Only 40 % knew that bite from other animals (cat, monkey etc.) can also cause rabies. Over a third knew rabies is a communicable disease. Only a third knew that fear of water was one of the symptoms when rabies manifested in the patient. Only 25 % knew that once manifested, rabies isnt curable. Sadly, only 8 % knew that rabies can be transmitted via the saliva of an infected individual, dog or human. 

The good thing was, that more than 90 % of the patients knew that bite from a rabid dog caused disease. More than 80 % knew rabies could be prevented by vaccination. Over two-thirds knew that rabies was fatal. And nearly 60 %  knew that the site of the bite should be washed with soap and water.

Another study in Jodhpur stated : Dogs have to be immunised annually to maintain their immunisation status against rabies. This concept was not known to the residents it was the first time they were told about the same.

The supply of Ketamine Hydrochloride (an anesthetic agent) used for animal sterilization at veterinary clinics is inconsistent. Thus, Animal Birth Control activities are often interrupted.

Update on Locust Invasion end May-Beginning June 2020

• Last reported locations of Locust swarms in India
• Threat from Locusts to three Districts in Punjab
• These are immature locusts which pose a greater threat
• The threat from locusts is to wildlife also
• Efforts by Rajasthan against Locusts
• Natural control methods adviced by University in Maharashtra
• Why Helicopters have not been pressed into service against locusts
• Helicopter Sprayers will start arriving from Britain around mid-June

Outlook : Last reported locations of Locust swarms in India are in MP/Maharashtra : Locusts crossed into Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh from eastern Maharashtra on Thursday afternoon, a senior agriculture department official had said.
Earlier on Thursday, officials had said the swarms were moving eastwards, towards Gondia district of Maharashtra after entering Bhandara from Nagpur district on Wednesday.

Tribune : Threat from Locusts to three Districts in Punjab : Sources in the Agriculture Department said the primary threat was to areas of Fazilka, Muktsar and Bathinda districts, which are located close to Rajasthan. “At present, the locust swarms which entered India from Pakistan have caused losses in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Like Punjab, the governments of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh are also on alert,” an official said.

The Hindu : These are immature locusts which pose a greater threat : Last year, mature locusts had entered parts of India after a gap of 26 years. But the locusts that have come in this year are immature. Immature locusts are not fully grown and have the capacity to cause more harm. They also have a longer lifespan. The locusts which entered India were about 10-12 days old and were flying huge distances in search of food. Since the Rabi crop harvesting is over and the Kharif sowing season is yet to begin, they were unable to find any vegetation.

Mongabay : The threat from locusts is to wildlife also : In terms of the environmental implications, locusts impact native grazing species that rely upon grasslands and croplands for survival. Swarms consume everything in their path, leaving behind ruined cropland and barren pastures. While they are not known to impact forests or natural tree cover, their voracious consumption of most species of crop creates food scarcity for native fauna and other insects.

CNN : Efforts by Rajasthan against Locusts : State officials are using 100 tractor-mounted sprayers and 20 fire engines across 11 districts to spray water and pesticides. Drones provided by the central government were also used to spray pesticides in two districts in Rajasthan, according to an official of the State Agriculture Department. He added that about 70% of the locusts there had been destroyed. While locust invasions can be devastating for communities because they pose a threat to food security, India has so far appeared to have escaped from the worst as farmers have not yet begun to sow the new season's crops. "The locusts were sitting on barren land. The winter crops have been cut and it hasn't rained yet so the new season's crops have not been sown. Those who planted fodder crops or vegetables could chase the locusts away. This time, there wasn't much loss," said the official. Outlook : Natural control methods adviced by University in Maharashtra : The Vasantrao Naik Agriculture University at Parbhani in Marathwada said threat from swarms of locusts destroying crops and travelling long distances in search of food can be tackled by undertaking certain measures. Destroying their eggs, digging trenches of a specific size and spraying neem oil on standing crops are some of the effective methods to tackle the menace caused by locusts, it said in a statement. The department of agricultural entomology of the university published a set of guidelines on Thursday for farmers in this regard. "Female locusts lay 50 to 100 eggs in moist sandy land. The hatching period of these eggs depends on environment and may stretch from two to four weeks. Larvae cannot fly immediately when they come out," the varsity said. The university suggested destroying those eggs in groups. Farmers can dig trenches in a size of 60 centimeters wide and 75 centimeters deep which can help to catch small locusts from the flock, it said. "If a swarm of locusts is in one square km area, their weight can be up to 3,000 quintals. Their flocks can be neutralised during night time (which is their resting time) with the help of smoke. "But farmers need to be very careful and ensure their crops do not catch fire," the university said. Spraying 2.5 litres of neem oil per hectare has also proved effective in controlling swarms of locusts, it said.

Outlook : Why Helicopters have not been pressed into service against locusts : None of the six states, affected by locust attack, have pressed into service any helicopter for the aerial spray of chemicals despite a large number of crops continuously being destroyed. Parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are in the grip of large swarms of locust attack and alerts have been released for far more severe attacks in days to come. Despite that, locust control authorities are using either sprayer mounted on a vehicle or a drone for an aerial sprinkling. Experts say that both the measures have their own limitations and a helicopter is the most deadly weapon against the locusts. “There is no dearth of helicopters in the country but we don’t have Ultra Light Vehicle (ULV) spraying kit which is specially made and fitted on both sides of a helicopter,” KL Gujjar, deputy director, Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS), said. “The Ministry of Agriculture has identified five helicopters for this purpose but in the absence of ULV kit, they are of no use as of now,” Gujjar said. He further said, “There is only one UP-based company in the country which manufactures ULV spraying kit for helicopters but due to the lockdown they couldn’t manage spare parts to manufacture it. The company can deliver only in September.” Sources say that the government is trying to import kits for helicopters but it hasn’t materialised yet. So, as of now, sprayer-mounted vehicle and drone are the only options. “Even with full pressure, a sprayer-mounted vehicle cannot take the chemical for more than 15 feet high in the air. The locusts fly higher and rest on top of the tall trees of up to 30 feet of height,” GK Bunker, Assistant Director, Locust Circle Office, Bikaner, said. Bunker added, “We take the help from fire tenders but that’s not feasible every time and at all places.” Field officials also find drone an inefficient tool to fight against large swarms of locust. “A drone can take 5 to 10 litre of chemicals at one go and it can fly for only 15 to 20 minutes. It needs to be recharged after that. Where you need thousands of litres of chemicals to be sprayed to control a huge population, what can a couple of drones do,” Kamal Katiyar, deputy director, agriculture, Jhansi district, said. Katiyar adds that locusts rest at night on trees and bushes and that’s the right time to spray chemicals on them. “We start spraying from 12 in the night and continue until the early hours. But often due to varying physical features of an area, it is difficult to reach places where they rest. So, a helicopter is the most potent weapon against the locusts,” Katiyar said. Reuters : Helicopter Sprayers will start arriving from Britain around mid-June : Despite large-scale incursions by the insects, the Indian government and farm experts do not foresee major crop damage for the moment as the pests have arrived during the gap between the previous harvest and the next planting season. But experts warn that federal and state governments need to kill the pests quickly over the next few weeks to ensure they don't breed again and then devour summer crops. If the insects continue to multiply, India could see extensive losses in June and July when monsoon rains spur sowing of rice, sugarcane, corn, cotton and soybean crops, they said. The government said it was arranging drones to drop pesticides on trees and in inaccessible places to kill the insects. It also plans to use helicopters for aerial spraying. Up to 15 sprayers will start arriving from Britain over the next two weeks and 45 more in one-and-a-half months, it said. Farm experts said that while loud noises can briefly get rid of the pests, they do not amount to a sustainable plan and can make it more difficult for authorities to target and contain the pests. "It's not killing any locusts, it's just shifting the problem to the neighbours," said FAO's Cressman. He said chemical pesticides were the cheapest and most effective solution to tackle such large numbers of the insects. Farmers can also dig trenches around their fields, in an effort to trap and bury newborn hoppers that try to march in and eat their crops, he said. But he said controlling locusts is not a job for individual farmers but for well-trained government agencies equipped with technical know-how and the correct sprayers and safety gear.

The False stories about Kerala..

A relative wrote to me : ‘Kerala is going to be converted to a Muslim State just like Kashmir.’

I wrote back : I am again asking that you get out of the BJP failed classes and look up facts yourself –easily available to anyone on the net. In 2016, Kerala’s total fertility rate (TFR) was 1.8 which is not even enough to replace the present population, so it is set to shrink. 15 years BJP ruled Rajasthan’s total fertility rate is 2.7, a third more than Kerala’s. Should kerala feel threatened from Rajasthan as a result ? Are not such ideas ridiculous ?

The TFR for Kerala Muslims is 1.86, again below replacement level, which means the Kerala Muslim population is shrinking. Please note it is far below the fertility rate for Rajasthan as a whole, which is 88 % Hindu. The decadal growth rate of Kerala Muslims was 13 %, far below that of the country as a whole, at 18 %.

India’s Muslim population is growing slower than it had in the previous decades, and its growth rate has slowed more sharply than that of the Hindu population. The Muslim population still grows at a faster rate than the Hindu population, but the gap between the two growth rates is narrowing fast.

The Muslim population has grown faster as a result of higher Muslim fertility, higher child mortality among Hindus, and a greater life expectancy among Muslims. However, the Muslim community in India is expected to reach replacement levels of fertility by 2050.

Triple talaq par bhi baat karenge. But the sex ratio among Muslims is 951 females for every 1,000 males, while among Hindus, it is 939 females for every 1,000 males. This implies that Indian Muslims choose to birth more girls, and see through more of them to health and adulthood, than do Hindus.

This time of the severe dust storm..

This time of the severe dust storm is as good as any to look climate change in the face. 125 people have died in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh in the present dust storm - young men celebrating their selection for the Delhi Police.. Four young children who had just finished dinner in the cool breeze on the roof of their house.. 

Three weeks ago also, heavy rains and thunderstorms had claimed 42 lives in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on April 11-12.

Intense Rainfall

Increasingly intense cycles of droughts and floods are expected as more of a region’s precipitation falls in a single large storm rather than a series of small ones. For example, this year, Alwar district recieved 900 per cent of the normal rain usually received by it in the entire month of April, in a single day - April 11.

Last July, the normally quiet Rel river had overflown, causing havoc in Dhanera in Gujarat. In two days, the region had got twice the seasonal total of rainfall, and the water level in the river had exceeded 50 times the high water mark. 

Researchers have found that one-to-five-day extreme rains, at levels earlier found once in about 500 years, can increase by about 20-30%. On a high emissions pathway, in the latter half of this century, the probability of a once-in-a-century flood increases 1,000 times for a city like Kolkata. The probability of intense once-in-30-year floods in the Ganga basin could increase six fold — that is, it could become once in five years. 

In 2005, Mumbai received 1.5 times its normal rain for the month of July in a single day, killing 450 people in the ensuing floods. Sadly, heedless maldevelopment has continued in Mumbai, increasing the likelihood of similar events. A single day of lost productivity in Mumbai costs Rs 5,000-6,000 crore. Studies say that by 2050, the economic costs to Mumbai from climate change could be 20 % more than its entire current GDP.

Cyclones in the Arabian Sea

More heat and water in the atmosphere and warmer sea surface temperatures could provide more fuel to increase the wind speeds of tropical storms. Rising temperatures can cause more frequent and more severe storms over Indian cities also. 

Due to climate change, cyclonic activity is increasing over the Arabian Sea and decreasing over the Bay of Bengal. Mumbai was found to be the fifth coastal city in the world to be most affected by flooding in the future, measured by economic losses. The first four are Guangzhou, Miami, New York-Newark and New Orleans.

Between 1998 and 2001, three cyclones struck the west coast of the subcontinent, not far from Mumbai, claiming over 17,000 lives. Gujarat was also hit by a severe cyclone in 1998 which caused 10,000 deaths. Then in 2007, the Arabian Sea generated its strongest ever recorded storm: Cyclone Gonu, a Category 5 hurricane, which hit Oman, Iran and Pakistan in June that year, causing widespread damage. Chennai has been hit by cyclones three years running - in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

The probability of a cyclonic storm like Harvey hitting Texas is now once in 16 years, up from once in a 100 years in the 20th century. Since the mid-1970s, the number of hurricanes that reach Categories 4 and 5 in strength has roughly doubled. 

Jump-cut

Another few years' gap in my posts. We are now in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, and I am not active in my work life for now.

We have been developing a garden at our new house for the last two years. Have had a couple of Coucal's visiting. Fascinating, as they are large enough for us to observe more clearly what they do.. they seem to drink a lot of water ! They spent long minutes at the several water bowls in the garden. And hopped around on the grass, and in and out of trees. It is a treat to watch one of these birds. I see on the net that they are found in Haryana, W Bengal, Karanataka and Kerala.