The price of pollution

The Patancheru industrial belt is an industrialist's dream but an environmentalist's nightmare. Local villagers suffer the ill-effects of violation of environmental norms.
TILL tragedy strikes, doomsday scenarios remain in the realm of fiction. But what happens when man-made disasters knowingly wreak havoc in the lives of poor people?

Villagers in Kazipally, Bollaram and Patancheru in Medak district of Andhra Pradesh are dying die a slow death due to severe health problems like arthritis and bone deformities, skin cancer and tumours, visual and neural disorders, premature deliveries and abortions. This is the result of blatant violation of all environmental norms by pharmaceutical and industrial units.
Barren wasteland

Water from Kazipally and Patancheru has such a bad name that the farmers and milkmen do not find customers if they reveal their address. "Falling prey to polluted waters means we are losing health, business, livestock...everything but looks at least 20 years.From a prosperous agro-based economy, we have been reduced to paupers for no fault of ours.

how acres of green have turned into barren patches, milch animals have disappeared and aquatic life has become a thing of the past. Youngsters now suffer joint pains, kidney problems, low immunity. Gums have a blue lining (indicating mercury and lead poisoning). Many suffer burning and redness in eyes. Recently two babies were born with eyelids but no eyeballs."
Since 1971, 800 industries (including big bulk drug companies, chemical and paints units, stone cutting and polishing, welding electrodes, locomotive and mosquito repellent manufacturers) have been pumping their toxic effluents into the environment. Toxic emissions and the "coloured water fall" have found their way into rivers and ponds.

Older residents recall the area as wide green expanse with lush paddy fields interspersed with clear ponds brimming with aquatic life. Today, 2,000 acres of agricultural land has been destroyed. Long-standing tamarind, banyan and neem trees are wilting. A historic tank constructed 600 years ago in Kazipally was the pride of the village. The tank, which had sustained the village with good quality water, has also fallen victim to pollution.
Polluted waters

Similarly the numerous open and dug wells, small self-sustaining tanks and water bodies have been rendered useless due to the high concentration of hazardous chemicals like Copper, Cadmium, Chromium, Arsenic, Nitrate, Nickel, Uranium, Fluoride — five times more than the permissible limit.

Ironically, the Patancheru industrial belt, one of the 22 environmental hotspots of the country, is just 40 km from Hyderabad. The Central Pollution Control Board identified nearby Medak as one of the 22 critically polluted areas. Interventions on behalf of the people have been made but with little effect. Private individuals and NGOs conduct free medical check-ups and also keep the issue alive.

The Apex Court, in fact, ordered closure of 60 per cent of the most polluting industries, payment of compensation to villagers and installation of Effluent Treatment Plants in the rest. "But there is a huge gap between directives and implementation," laments activist Rajasekhar. Only 18 industries were closed.

Monkey business

Translocation is not the solution to the monkey menace plaguing many Indian cities. What is required is a realistic plan that is also humane.

KEEP A DISTANCE: People feeding the monkeys is what causes much of the problem.

WHICH town, village and city in India does not have a monkey problem? The monkeys of Delhi are perhaps the most notorious — caught prowling through the chambers of Parliament, ripping up records and computers. They are not mere destroyers of crops and property; they transmit serious diseases to man — like TB and rabies. Although there are flashpoints of conflict all over the country there is no national policy on how to tackle them. Since the Wildlife Protection Act protects all species of monkeys, the onus is on the Ministry of Forests and Environment .

Over the last six months, a draft action plan was circulated by the MoEF, which advocates translocation of troops and sterilisation of male monkeys. For years we believed that animals would know how to take care of themselves when released in the wild. But studies carried out in recent years have highlighted a range of problems faced by translocated monkeys. Young animals are taught which species of fruits and flowers to eat by their parents and other troop members. City born and bred simians are like fish out of water in the jungle. How would monkeys used to marriage halls and temples know the varieties of edible forest fruits? How would monkeys used to dodging dogs and humans know anything about pythons and leopards? I wasn't surprised when a monkey trapper employed by the Chennai Wildlife Warden's office narrated an anecdote of monkeys who returned after travelling at least 14 km. They would rather risk coming back home to abuses and stones than slowly starving to death in the forest.
Translocation

Although the authorities are aware that translocation merely relocates the problem and doesn't really address the issue, they continue to move large number of animals from urban areas to forest areas, from one rural area to another, from one state to another at random and arbitrarily. For decades the Delhi Municipal Corporation has been moving hundreds of monkeys out of the city every year. In 2004, about 500 monkeys (comprising several family troops) were trapped in Delhi and released in Pilibhut and Kuno National Park. Today no one knows what became of these monkeys; enquiries reveal that local authorities had no idea that any monkeys
were released in these areas under their jurisdiction.

Ban feeding

But who created the problem in the first place? We did, by wilfully feeding free-ranging monkeys. When we feed monkeys we send the message that we are subordinate to them, says Dr. Dittus. So they begin to think that every human should feed them and ones that don't have to be shown their place. That's when monkeys become aggressive and turn on people. There should be a ban on feeding of monkeys.

Dr. Mewa Singh, a primatologist at the University of Mysore, advocates the use of monkey-proof garbage bins so there is no food available for wandering freeloaders. It is ultimately up to the authorities to come up with a realistic action plan that does not merely shunt the problem around and is humane to the animals.

There is a committed group of primatologists in this country whose expertise should be sought in drafting any action plan. A plan drawn up without their involvement will be scientifically unsound and in the long run it simply won't work.

Tiger or science

An ambitious scientific project is scheduled to come up in the heart of tiger territory in the Mudumalai Sanctuary. A look at the enormous impact it will have on the delicate ecosphere.
An elephant herd inside the Mudumalai sanctuary.

One of the best kept national secrets in recent times is an eco disaster waiting to happen. Few environmentalists even are aware of the fact that a top level scientific project, the India-based Neutrino Observatory, is scheduled to be built in Singar a, in the Mudumalai Sanctuary in the heart of tiger and leopard territory. Scientists who presented the news to a shocked local audience in Ooty argued that this was a dream project which was the pride and joy of the Indian scientific world.

Questions regarding genuine environmental concerns about the impact on the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve were met with defensive reactions. The atmosphere at the Ooty Collectorate, where the presentation was made, turned into practically a pitched battle between the scientists versus the conservationists. Raised voices and unnecessarily rude comments are futile and counterproductive. However, many of the questions asked by the Nilgiris activists needed valid answers from the INO team and the Chennai-based Care Earth group, an NGO presenting the pros and cons of the project.

While few people would oppose a science , the question being asked by serious local residents and environmental scientists is whether one can really force the country to choose between Science or The Tiger? It’s a ludicrous proposition.

Explaining the Neutrino Project to lay people is a difficult and complicated task. Those interested can go to the INO website for the technical details. For the lay reader it is sufficient to know that an enormous underground observatory is planned in Singara, within the core Tiger Reserve of the Mudumalai sanctuary.Increasing the conflict

The Care Earth group observed in an interestingly understated observation that one of the drawbacks of the project was the increased traffic that would take place within the sanctuary. Currently the human-animal conflict created by the tourist traffic is catastrophic enough. Any drive through the Bandipur-Mudumalai sanctuary from Ooty to Mysore will provide evidence of devastating damage. There are always a few victims — peacocks, deer, small game and even occasionally a leopard — hit by a speeding truck, bus or car. Scientists from the Bombay Natural History Society and the Indian Institute of Science have documented the ravages. They have collected graphic, stomach-turning photographs of mangled animals.

Elephant herds complete with tiny calves are forced to wait increasingly long periods to cross the road to the waterholes. Their natural corridors are blocked. Local adivasis have noted that animal behaviour patterns have changed. The elephants are more angry and aggressive than ever before. Where earlier adivasis walked confidently through the herds, now they must be careful.

On March 24 this year, an angry elephant killed a local young man and injured a woman in Mudumalai. This is in normal times, now, before work on the project has begun.
The INO project needs 52,000 tons of iron in the first stage and another 50,000 tons in the second stage only for the detector.

Additionally, approximately another 35,000 tons of cement, steel, PVC, copper, aluminium, sand and other building materials will be needed. This huge volume of iron and other material will come from Mysore (nearest railway station) normally moved in 20 ton trucks. New roads through the forests will be essential. Normally the Forest department prohibits such disturbance of core areas.

Equally problematic is the debris and muck that will be generated. The official Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has not yet been released but rough calculations based on the dimensions and scale of the project can be taken from the latest INO report.

The tunnel will be “D” shaped, 6.5 m wide and 6.5 m tall and 2.38 km long. So, nearly 90,000 cubic metres of rock will be taken out. The cavern complex will consist of an Experiment hall (about 22 m wide, 30 m tall and 120 m long) — about 75,000 cubic metres, a smaller cavern for the control facilities of about half the size, and a loading and storage area of about another 60,000 cubic metres. So that’s 2,25,000 cubic metres totally.

Given the density of granite in the area (2.8g/cm) this translates to 6,25,000 tons of debris or about 78,000 truck loads. That means almost 95,000 trucks, and double that in terms of trips through the forest since the trucks have to go back and forth.
As the construction is scheduled to take about four years, this involves 130 truck trips going through everyday.

Although the INO scientists assured the group that they would contain the damage, local environmentalists have had a bitter experience. Masinagudi has grown from a village of a few hundred people to a town of 10,000 because of the PUSHEP (Pykara Ultimate Stage Hydro Electric Project). Cavalier attitude

When asked how such a project could possibly be located in the heart of the Tiger Reserve, replied that it was on patta land, a remark that enraged serious environmentalists who have watched the slow erosion of animal turf by the tourist and PUSHEP projects. “Does the elephant or tiger read maps to know when a patch of land in the middle of the forest is declared patta?” local conservationists ask.

Nilgiris conservationist Mohan Raj, head honcho of the Nilgiris WWF has reported the lack of transparency or information about the project to local people. He pointed out the absurdity of the scientific presumption that a Tiger Reserve could be termed the “best place” for the project. Ms. Geetha Srinivasan, Vice President, Nilgiris Wildlife and Environmental Association presented a succinct, comprehensive opposition to the project. She pointed out that local experts had not been consulted or informed. She underlined the pitfalls and glaring anomalies. And ended “Let this project be relocated to a more conducive and less controversial place where animals are not affected.”

Indeed the smug complacency of the scientists and the Care Earth presenter prompted Nilgiris Collector , “Have any of you visited the place? Have you seen it yourself? You have to bring thousands of trucks through Bandipur and Mudumalai sanctuaries. And you cannot replace or create wild life once they are finished off.”

Trash to treasures

I feels strongly about our planet earth. He shares her thoughts on planet preservation with our viewers.

There are tips that each one of us can implement, and make a difference! Trash to treasures captures the spirit of conservation. Is there an issue you feel strongly about?

Everyday we hear, through newspapers, TV channels, hoardings etc about how our planet is slowly disintegrating and we all must save the earth...but no one really elaborates ...HOWHere are a few suggestions which we could follow at home and do our bit to try and save a few trees if not the whole planet.Around Diwali/Xmas/New year every one of us receives cards.We rip open the envelope and throw it in the dustbin If we take care to open the envelopes with a paper knife, we can then use a bunch of such envelopes (the blanks inside) as telephone pads/TO DO pads, in the kitchen or even to scribble reminders to husbands/sons/ ourselves.

Most envelopes are a standard size, they bunch up to make a neat pad indeed. Think of the paper you save and the trees you prevent from being chopped down. A very simple cost-saving, paper saving method.Most kids love chips and you have a variety of them in the market. What do you do once the chips are over? Crumple the packet and throw it away...stop! Turn the packet inside out, wipe clean, then use a paper punch to punch out as many 'dots' as you can.

These silver 'dots' can be used to decorate cards that the kids make. You can stencil out "Happy Birthday" on a card, brush it with fevicol and sprinkle these dots and your card is ready! All you need is imagination to design your cards and adorn them. You can even cut out various shapes from these empty wafer packets to decorate kids rooms, cards etc. Have fun and have a go at saving mother earth.What do you do with old calendars? Have you noticed how some of them have beautiful glossy clear sides which can be utilised again to cut up and make drawing sheets for junior to doodle on?Brown paper sheets that wrap your laundry can be used to wrap gifts after decorating them with motifs from cards etc.

The glossy pamphlets that come with the newspapers every morning: give them to the kids to practice origami rather than buying more paper for the same.Plastic containers that house curd, srikhand or even cheese: when empty they can be washed clean. With the help of some cotton wool and acetone you can remove the writing/print on the surface. These containers can then be painted on and turned into pencil holders/plant holders or even as 'return gift' containers filled with sweets or knick-knacks... the possibilities are ad infintum!They say when you point a finger at someone three fingers point right back at you.

When we say the government (always the scapegoat) should do something about the environment/ pollution/garbage let us focus on the three fingers pointing at us and try and do our bit for our planet Let us all at least make a conscious beginning in our own homes first. Make a habit of conserving paper and the trees will surely survive. So will the environment! With a little thoughtfulness and 'help' from each one of us, we can preserve our planet!

Steps to stay healthy and enjoy the rains

Tips to stay healthy and enjoy the rains:


Do chlorinate wells in your houses with bleaching powder once every fortnight.Encourage a thorough de-weeding and cleaning of surroundings as a joint effort of your local civic body and the neighbourhood.Piling up of wastes should be avoided. Organise cleaning up of garbage on a daily basis.Children should be restrained from playing in rain water. Houses and premises should be kept clean.

Discarded containers, coconut shells, disposable glass, plastic cups and tyres are favoured breeding sites for the genus of mosquitoes that spread dengue fever.Stagnant water on sunshades and terraces are also habitat of the `aedes aegypti' and `aedes albopictus' mosquitoes which are carriers of dengue.Other common breeding grounds are:Saucers in flowerpots.Water tanksTrays into which water released from refrigerator flows.

These should be cleaned at least once a week. The spatiality of the dengue-spreading mosquito is that it breeds in clean water too! So make sure that all containers of water are covered and cleaned regularly.The other diseases associated with this season are gastro-enteric disorders. Fever, stomach upset, vomiting, and so on.It is best to avoid eating outside your homes or regular hygienic eating places.

If you must eat outside, do choose piping hot food. Never go for cold stored foodstuff.Keep children clean and never encourage going outdoors barefoot.Apart from the common worm related infestations, leptospirosis is a new threat that can affect a person from pet's urine, rats faeces and urine etc.Cleanliness is the key. Wash yours hands well. Keep your nails cut short. Personal hygiene, environmental hygiene and commonsense can save you from illhealth.

Environment Friendly

Environmentally friendly building; reducing indoor air pollution. Designed to create an effective building envelope; a tightly sealed structure with controlled ventilation and cost effective heating and cooling. reusability, and durability. With less negative indoor and outdoor environment impact, using the following basic principles:

1. Responsible use of land

2. Wise natural resource management of the Earth's offerings

3. Optimized use of the sun; whether active or passive solar energy these are some Basic principles. As an engineer I am suggesting this. We are celebrating Holi for the purpose of eco friendly. An eco friendly home for a healthier lifestyle that helps to protect Earth's precious natural resource commodities.

I am suggesting some of the points for eco-friendly around the house. The points for eco-friendly around the house: Clean the room, clean out your storage, Recycle smarter, Use energy more wisely, Use less water and save the water, Start composting reduce your waste and help your garden, Invest in energy-efficient appliances reduce energy output and save money on electricity bill, Start a Green Group Arrange for friends for importance of conserving, Planting a tree and few more things are also available.These are the few point to keep the home eco friendly.

Casual arrangements

MANY plant specimens have come home to be sketched, painted or to be studied. While I worked on the plants many of them, in the warm Chennai weather, wilted and ended up in the wastebasket. But for a piece of the succulent Euphorbia antiquorum with its long lasting flowers collected from the scrub jungle after identification and sketching, and kept in a terracotta pot, it was different.

A flower arrangement enthusiast who saw the plant exclaimed: ``What a beautiful arrangement!'' It was only then that I realised that placing the plant in a pot had enhanced its beauty.

While walking on the beach near Injambakkam (on the outskirts of Chennai), I picked up a dry inflorescence of the sandbinder known in Tamil as Ravanan Meesai (botanists know it as Spinifex squarrosus). The spiky globus head was rolling about in the sand like tumbleweed in the American deserts.

The flowering head set in a piece of bamboo with a dried branch of Rhododendron nilagiricum collected from Kodaikanal along with some dried Bullrushes Typha angustata from a marsh near Chennai became an intriguing dry arrangement. Many of the common roadside plants when collected and dried make excellent material for dry arrangements.

The long flower branches of the square-stemmed plant Leonotis nepetifolia, known to the gardener as ``Lion's Ear'', are also good for arrangements.
The tropical African plant arrived in our country as an ornamental and is now seen as a garden escape with its orange-red flowers standing sentinel by our roads in dry areas. After sketching, I kept a bunch of the flowering branches in a container and thus an arrangement was unintentionally created. There is abundant and beautiful material for arrangements all around us. What was the secret of forgotten plants looking so attractive when arranged?

Plants, especially the natural ones (as opposed to those artificially made) have a vibrancy of their own. They only need our help to bring out the beauty in them. Even the weed growing unnoticed in the thicket is strikingly beautiful.
Plant them, sketch them and arrange them and they become pieces of fine art. Art, whatever man may claim it to be, is nothing but his sincere effort to imitate the unattainable perfection that is Nature

Rose Health

Description :Rose Heath Erica Gracilis is a native of South Africa. A woody shrub with needle-like green leaves grows upto a height of 18 inches. The side-shoots bear bell-shaped flowers in pink, purple or white during September to December.

Care : The Rose Heath thrives in bright but indirect sunlight. The plant needs abundant water through out the year, care should be taken to keep the soil always damp. For moisture spray the foliage frequently and pace the pot in a bowl of wet gravel. A dose of liquid fertilizer every fortnight between May to September is recommended. The ideal potting mixture for Rose Heath of 2 parts peat and one part fine sand. The plant is generally grown as an annual and is discarded after flowering.

Propagation : The plant can be multiplied through cuttings in March. One to two and a half inch cuttings should be buried in a pot filled with peat, sand and crocks. Cover the pot with polythene and wait till rooting takes place. A difficult plant to propagate indoors.

look into outlook

Here's a quick and simple guide to a couple of really handy features in your Outlook Express (OE):

1. A default signature: I'm continually surprised by the number of people who ask me about how to add a signature to any email you send out. It's quite easy to do, actually. First, click on 'Tools' in the menu bar, and select 'Options'. There's a tab for 'Signatures', so click on that. Click on 'New', and then 'Edit signature'. Simply type in whatever you want to go out. The normal format is your name, organisation name's, address, and telephone number. Click OK when you're done. That's all there is to it! Try sending a blank mail to yourself or to a friend, just to see whether it's working right.

2. Direct images: You want to send the snaps you clicked at your party to a friend, and so you're busy attaching each and every one of them. Once you do send the mail, your friend will have to open each one separately through the attachment links as well. Why the long-drawn procedure? When you're composing the email, just click on any empty space in the main text box to bring your cursor there. Then, on your toolbar, click on the 'Insert picture' button – it's the one that looks like a box with mountains on it. From then, it's just like attaching any photo. Browse to wherever you have saved the pics, select them one at a time, and click OK. No need of attaching!

3. Backing up your address book: So you have a ton of email addresses in your Outlook address book at work, but you want to take it all home? Don't worry, it's easy. First, you're going to have to locate where your address book file is kept. In your OE, select 'Tools', and then 'Address Book'. Now, in your address book window, click on 'Help' and then 'About Address Book'. You should get a window which displays a path name like 'C:\Documents and Settings\Default_User\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book\default_user.wab' (Note: I'm just using 'Default User' as an example). Copy this line without the last default_user.wab. Now, click on your 'Start' button in Windows, and select 'Run'. Paste the line you just copied, which should read something like this: 'C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book\'. That should have opened up a new folder with your address book file staring at you. Now, simply copy this address book file, and paste it onto your desktop. Remember, do not cut and paste! This is your backup.If you want to take this address book for your home PC, then copy it and take it home with you – be it on a pen drive or a CD – and load it on to your PC. Open your OE, click on 'Tools', then 'Address Book'. In your menu bar, select 'File', then 'Import', followed by 'Address Book' again. Now just browse to where you loaded the backup copy of your office address book onto your PC, and select it. You're done!

4. Stationery: See the little drop-down arrow next to the icon for 'Create Mail'? Click on it, and choose any of the formats available there. You're instantly choosing stationary to customise your emails! It's actually just a background colour to go with your mails, but it adds a little zing, eh? And of course, you can always download more off the Internet.

The sage flower

SALVIA SPLENDENS (Labiatae) is called sage flower and is a native of South America. An ideal potted plant, it grows to about 30-90 cm tall. Its leaves are small to large, and are green and pointed at the tips. The flowers are bi-lipped and are white pale yellow, blue purple or scarlet. Salvia Splendens is red while Salvia Patens is blue. The blooms are produced in spikes.
The plant is commonly propagated by seeds and cuttings. The seeds germinate in about 10 days after sowing.
The seedlings are transplanted when nearly six weeks old in lines at a spacing of 10 by 10 cm for the dwarf variety and 20 by 20 cm for the tall variety. For perennial plants, cuttings may be planted in situ or in a nursery and later transplanted in spring or summer. There are several varieties. The dwarf ones are "Hussara", "Hotshot", "Scarlet pygmy", "St.John's fire" and "Blaze of fire". The tall varieties are "Scarlet cream" and "Crimson king". Salvia Coceinea is commonly grown in South India.

Tropical bloom

CHINESE hibiscus, Chinese Rose, Rose mallow — the hibiscus goes by these exotic names in the many areas it graces. A genus of herbs, shrubs and small trees belonging to the mallow family called Malvaceae, the hibiscus is native to the warm tropics, requiring ample sun and water. It varies from paper thin to thick curly double-petalled varieties that enchant the beholder in colours of white, red, pink, yellow, mauve and orange. Gardeners have a magnetic attraction for the trumpet-shaped blooms.
In California and Hawaii, over a 1,000 varieties and hybrids, popularly known as Hawaiian hibiscus, are grown. These are noted for their vibrant hues, size and shapes. Many of these are now grown in India.
The hibiscus requires watering once in three weeks. Ants and mites can spell rapid death, but they can be controlled to an extent by spraying. It is best to discard the pest affected plant, if in a pot. If in the garden, the plant develops into a hardy little tree, able to withstand pests. Cuttings and layering yield new plants.
The red jabakusum has traditionally been blended with coconut oil, with the steeped oil making for a healthy and gentle hair colourant. The single red flower is also used in hibiscus syrups, popularised by the French. It is served as a cool drink and made into tart by adding a few drops of fresh lemon juice.
Haircare products apart, the flower is used in edible sauces, and as flower salads, along with colourful nasturtiums. A single huge Hawaiian hibiscus makes for a splendid floral statement, in a glass, stone or brass bowl, as it remains fresh right through the day.
Its use in worship in India is of course, legendary.
In short, the hibiscus is a ideal symbol of warmth and life and health and vigour.

Air travel becomes paperless as e-ticketing takes off

Airlines in India are in a rush to go paperless. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), a worldwide body representing 240 airlines and 94 per cent of global air traffic, has declared that every ticket issued through its Billing and Settlement Plan — which facilitates transactions between airlines and travel agents — will be electronic by May 31, 2008.
Judging by latest trends, airlines in India are quickly on their way to making ticketing fully electronic even before the end of the year.
Electronic ticketing, or ‘e-ticketing,’ gives travel agents as well as online travel portals direct access to an airline’s reservation database. Web ticketing also allows consumers to directly make their reservations through an airline’s website from their own homes, without the hassle of dealing with paper coupons or making a trip to the office of an airline or agent. The technology delivers both economic and logistic incentives for consumers; yet, it also brings with it areas of caution that airlines, passengers, agents and airport authorities need to be aware of.
Over the last three years, the share of electronic tickets globally has increased from 16 per cent in 2004 to as much as 84 per cent today. In India, only 47 per cent of all bookings were done electronically just 12 months ago. Now, according to IATA, the figure has risen to 80 per cent.
“India is well on the way to achieving the 100 per cent target,” says Lorne Riley, an IATA representative based in Geneva. “We have no concerns at all regarding next year’s deadline, if you look at how India is doing compared to other countries in the region” (see graphic).Sharp growth
For state-carrier Indian Airlines, the share of e-ticketing had sharply risen to around 60 per cent of their total reservations since the facility was introduced last year. For private carriers, the trend is all the more evident.
Jet Airways reports more than 80 per cent electronic reservations, while Kingfisher records close to 100 per cent electronic bookings. Indian Airlines’ figures are also slated to increase once a revamp of the current reservation system — the system will be integrated with that of Air India following the merger — is completed.
Air Deccan, the first airline in India to establish a completely web-enabled reservation system, records around 40 per cent direct online reservations through its website alone, besides through the travel agent system. According to Pratyasha Singh, an Air Deccan representative, electronic ticketing has played “a significant role” in widening the airline’s consumer base.
In international sectors out of India, ticketing is largely done electronically, but only through travel agents and not directly through websites. Indian consumers still prefer to go through agents while booking international tickets. For instance, for flights out of India, Singapore Airlines records close to 100 per cent electronic reservations, but only around one per cent is done outside the travel agent system, directly on the web.
The reasons are two-fold: Higher costs involved in international travel make passengers more wary of booking tickets electronically through their credit cards, and credit card limits are another limiting factor. A second reason is the increasingly complicated and long-drawn procedures for acquiring visas.
“At the moment, people have not really switched over to the web for international travel,” confirms Indumathi Venugopal, director, Pegasus Travels. “While lack of availability is a factor, it is largely due to the complications in international travel such as the process of getting visas from consulates. For instance, for Malaysia there is a need to get immigration clearance even during the process of getting a ticket.”
The increasing trend of web ticketing has however been significant enough to force travel agents to diversify their business plans.
“Travel agents are shifting more to value-added services, like visa application, tourism packages for groups and travel insurance,” Ms. Venugopal says. “Agents cannot focus on ticketing alone as they once did.” Security concerns
How will this increasing surge for electronic ticketing ultimately impact air travel for passengers? D. Sudhakara Reddy, president, Air Passengers Association of India, believes that while technology will improve access to travel as well as costs for Indian consumers, there are a number of security issues that are yet to be answered.
“It is true that fares are becoming significantly cheaper, especially when you book through the website of an airline,” Mr. Reddy says. “There are also a number of search engines like Yatra.com, Makemytrip.com and Sprice.com that list all available fares and save you the hassle of making ten different calls to agents or airlines, though they often charge three to seven per cent extra on the fare.”
Mr. Reddy however cautions that the benefits of the technology come with certain caveats. He says that there is a need for tighter security systems in Indian airports in verifying purchases of e-tickets, as they are in the West. “For e-tickets, passengers are supposed to carry their identity card with a photograph,” Mr. Reddy says. “Many people do not, and I have personally observed that airport security is not checking up on this consistently. You are allowing anybody and everybody to go in, so this is a very dangerous thing.”

Making Office Paperless

Remember the promise of the paperless office? Anyone in front of a monitor can testify to just the opposite having taken hold. Personal computer was supposed to have freed us from the sea of paperwork washing over our desks every day.
Those of us who work from Office and home are not protected—are at times worse, letting paper stack up in every corner. And even as technology aims for the paperless ideal, that still can only be part of the solution.

Paper will likely always be with us. Similar to radio or television, it will find a way to hold its value. Currently, paper is much more conducive to sketching ideas and to working out processes than is a blank word processing document. Paper is cheap and recyclable. It has no learning curve. The key to the future of the digital home office is not so much a paper-free environment but rather one that is less paper-dependent.

As we say

Only after the last tree has been made into lumberOnly after the last fish has been caughtOnly after the last river has gone dryOnly then will you understandthat money cannot be eaten

How to save Enviroment from paper

So, you have started a business and you are enjoying watching it grow. Does the cost of paper, correspondence, letterheads and postage eat into your profits? Ever considered a “paperless” office? Now is the time for home businesses and individuals to carefully seek and execute ways to reduce the use of paper and paper products. Apart from increasing profits, it is a great way of saying you are eco-friendly at heart and a socially responsible business woman!
Consumers have become increasingly concerned with the impact of buying and using disposable paper goods.
They have begun to discern between "business as usual" and companies and corporations that offer eco-friendly alternatives to products they depend on.
Businesses that are sensitive to their customer's concerns and their own social responsibility must adapt, and there's no better time for the adaptation than NOW!
Send electronic greetings, notes, updates, office correspondence, invitations and more to co-workers, business associates, clients, friends and family. Just a few clicks of the mouse and a paperless, eco-friendly, guilt-free greeting, business note or update, or other correspondence is sent.
Harnessing the energy of this socially responsible and quickly expanding trend is an excellent way to reduce the harsh impact of paper correspondence.
You should seriously consider a paperless system for business and personal correspondence.
E-cards / E mails are an eco-friendly alternative to correspondence.
Learn to value and respect your customer’s time.
Send your Invoices online
Remember, paper is a renewable resource. It is an active waste which, when deposited as waste, can produce gas, which are harmful to the environment. Planning to minimise the amount of paper used and maximise the amount that is re-used is a sensible policy for any business, big or small!