Cries of anguish

Most Indians are defenceless against the fine toxic particles in the air -- largely products of vehicular emissions -- and scientists are finding …

India's groundwater is flooded with fluoride

Fluoride is an acute toxin, with a rating slightly higher than lead. It is, in fact, one of the most bone-seeking elements known to human beings. …

Climate is changing, and the Sundarban residents can feel it

The Sundarban delta region in the Bay of Bengal, with 10,000 square kilometres of estuarine mangrove forest and 102 islands, is the world's …

Children of a lesser State

A rare killer disease, Japanese encephalitis, has been annually and invariably breaking out in eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. This year, so far, 3,…

Deadly Particles

They are tiny and deadly. Recent research has brought to light the existence of airborne particles so tiny they defy measurement. Toxic particles …

Fat of the matter

What does 'healthy oil' really mean? It is difficult to tell. The Centre for Science and Environment studied branded edible oils to understand …

Cockpit

In early December 2007, the country prided itself on providing the world with a road map to check the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5NI.…

FIGHTING FOR AIR

Weighed down by extremely high levels of particles in the air, some Indian cities seem to be coming of age with regard to vehicular air pollution.…

Dwindle, peak and pine

"HEALTH for all by the year 2000" was the proclaimed objective of the Primary Health Care Conference held at Alma-Ata in 1978 under the aegis of …

Deafening Noise

Constant exposure to noise can make one deaf. The major culprit is road traffic. Can one avoid noise? It’s difficult. Checking it, however, …

Path lab in a tablet

Kanav Kahol, an expert on biomedical informatics, quit his teaching job in the US and came back to India to create a technology that would …

GEAC has power only to withdraw permission

Arjula R Reddy, a plant geneticist, was appointed co-chairperson of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) in 2009. At present, he …

The new obesity

A growing number of people are unable to shed those extra pounds despite strict diet regimes and long hours of workout. Evidence shows that the …

The CNG sabotage

To clean up Delhi's air, the Supreme Court ruled in July 1998 that all public transport should move away from diesel and towards compressed …

Lethal link

An expert on toxicology and a campaigner deeply concerned with the health impact of chemical pesticides, Romeo F Quijano was at the forefront …

Clear as air

The grim picture of a lung scarred by pollution is of no shock value today. An ailing populace continues to throw up a phlegm of protests. To …

Monsoon of death

Every monsoon, Baba Raghav Das Medical College of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, witnesses hundreds of children dying of viral encephalitis or Acute …

Food processing industry takes a toll on country's health

Eating at home isn’t the in thing anymore. Hanging out is hip, especially in the mushrooming fast food joints that blister the skylines of …

All You Need to Know about Your Bread

A new study by Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has shown that 84 per cent of bread and bakery samples collected …

Solving poverty

Gurdev S Khush is the principal plant breeder in the Plant breeding, genetics and biochemistry division of the International Rice Research …

What's in your honey?

Ayurveda prescribes it for a range of ailments. People eat it for rejuvenation and boosting immunity. An Indian homemaker’s kitchen shelf …

What goes down must come up

It is a crime. Numerous factories deliberately inject untreated effluents directly into the ground, contaminating underground aquifers. Down …

Debate: Are we prepared for `Resistance'?

India is the largest consumer of antibiotics in the world; we use them indiscriminately and this leads to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In this …

Everybody's a Loser

The World Trade Organization's recent ministerial meet in Seattle, USA, will be remembered more for the protestors who turned the venue into a …

Agony of the waiting

There is a strange calmness in the oncology department of government hospitals though it is more crowded that most other sections. Everybody waits.…