CORRESPONDENCE

While in some laboratories there are

strict protocols concerning the disposal
of the waste they produce, most others
are largely ignorant. However, we can no
longer afford to be ignorant considering
the depth of the problem. Further, while
some research institutes do have facilities
to manage or treat their laboratory waste,
the efficiency of the same is questionable.
For instance, a number of large Central
and State universities in the country
house scientific research facilities across
diverse fields such as life sciences, physical sciences, chemical sciences, biotechnology, environmental sciences, earth
sciences and so on. Waste generated
from each of the above facilities is characteristically different. Therefore, the
same laboratory waste-treatment plant
may not be able to address the diverse
waste categories. Considering that most
of the waste is extremely hazardous to
human health and the environment, we
doubt whether these universities actually
have special laboratory waste-treatment
facilities according to the characteristics

of the waste produced. The last few

years, for instance, have observed a significant growth in nanoscience and
nanotechnology research. Some nanoparticulate forms show unusually high reactivity, especially for fire, explosion and
catalytic reaction. Therefore, disposal of
waste produced from nanomaterials requires specific handling considerations.
Are research establishments in India
equipped enough to take care of such distinct waste streams? The answer to the
question remains unsatisfactory.
Laboratory waste is a complex category of waste. Considering its hazardous
nature, its management and treatment are
equally complex. Through this letter, our
aim is to attract attention of the generators of laboratory waste, policymakers
and other associated stakeholders towards addressing this grave concern in
an adequate detail. Stringent implementation of laboratory waste management
protocols is the need of the hour. We believe that the growth of scientific research should be accompanied by

responsible actions towards managing

the waste produced from various experimental activities. Otherwise, our scientific research laboratories would end up
creating a complex problem simultaneously while trying to find solution to an
issue of scientific significance.

1. http://www.uow.edu.au/context/groups/
public/@web/@sci/@chem/documents/doc/
uow016883.pdf
2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK55878/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK55878.pdf

ANWESHA BORTHAKUR1,*
PARDEEP SINGH2
1

Centre for Studies in Science Policy,

Jawaharlal Nehru University,
New Delhi 110 067, India
2
Department of Chemistry,
Indian Institute of Technology,
Banaras Hindu University,
Varanasi 221 005, India
*e-mail: anwesha227@gmail.com

Drones: new tools for natural risk mitigation and disaster response
When a natural disaster occurs (earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions,
landslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods,
avalanches, wildfires, etc.) emergency
rescue operations are critical to save
lives. Many people trapped after such
disasters, for example, under collapsed
buildings, may have a good chance to
survive if they are rescued on time. It is
well known that the probability of success of the rescue operations decreases
exponentially as function of time to be
close to zero after about a few hours. As
reported by the Tokyo Fire Fighting
Department Planning Section (New Fire
Fighting Strategies, Tokyo Horei Publ.,
2002), the survival rate reduces as time
passes; rescue in 3 h is desirable and the
survival rate becomes drastically low after 72 h (the golden 72 h).
Promptness and effectiveness of rescue operations are then essential to
minimize the number of disaster victims.
Maps of damage distribution might allow
to drastically improving the effectiveness
of rescue operations. Maps constructed
quickly in the wake of a disaster are useful tools for identifying and assessing
damage, especially when combined with
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images of the area before the disaster.

The centres for post-event emergency
management could use these maps to
decide the action priorities in order to
minimize the loss of human lives, along
with optimally managing the available
resources, thus reducing the impact of
the natural disaster on an urbanized area.
Unfortunately, in the aftermath of a
disaster, mapping may take too long
using satellites or traditional manned
aircraft. Currently, satellite imaging
technology cannot penetrate cloud cover,
often leading to delays in image capture
after extreme weather events. However,
the recent technological developments in
the field of drones might overcome the
limitations of satellites or traditional
manned aircraft, contributing to an efficient system for natural risk mitigation.
Drones, also referred to as unmanned
aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAV) or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), are aircraft without a pilot
on-board. Drones are generally remotely
controlled by a pilot located on the
ground or on-board another aircraft, or
by an autonomous piloting system. In recent years, the miniaturization of sensors

and control systems has provided a boost

in the development of aerial drones.
Aerial drones are some of the most
promising and powerful new technologies to improve disaster response and
relief operations. Drones could complement traditional manned relief operations
by helping to ensure that the operations
can be conducted in a more safer, faster
and efficient manner. Rapid deployment
of drone-based remote sensing systems
after a disaster, combined with highresolution before disaster maps, could
help the disaster relief groups to obtain
situational awareness and knowledge
about which infrastructure is at the greatest
risk. Drones could provide unique viewing angles at low altitudes, not possible
from manned aircraft.
The main benefits of drones in an
emergency are reach, speed, safety and
cost. They can provide the needed aerial
data in areas considered too hazardous
for people on the ground or for manned
aircraft operations, such as sites with
nuclear radiation contamination, or those
in close proximity to wildfires. Drones
can fly through the dark, along a programmed path that covers the whole

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 110, NO. 6, 25 MARCH 2016

CORRESPONDENCE
damaged area, using a live-stream nightvision footage to people on the ground,
locating survivors amidst the rubble.
Unlike manned helicopters, drones create
very little noise and can even be fitted with
advanced audio devices to pick up hard-tohear sounds to help locate survivors.

In conclusion, drones are able to assist

in risk assessment, mapping, and
planning and in reducing the exposure to
danger of the disaster workers. Thus
the drones could be considered as an
effective tool for future disaster response.

DALESSANDRO ANTONINO
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e
Vulcanologia,
Via di Vigna Murata 605,
00143 Rome, Italy
e-mail: antonino.dalessandro@ingv.it

Rajaji Tiger Reserve: conservation opportunities and challenges

The world-famous Rajaji National Park
(RNP; 29153031N, 77527822E)
Uttarakhand, India has recently been
notified as Rajaji Tiger Reserve (RTR).
This Protected Area is now the 48th
Tiger Reserve in the country and the
second in Uttarakhand. Declaring RNP
as a Tiger Reserve is noteworthy because
it sustains a wide range of endangered
animals in the upper Gangetic plains, especially the Asian elephants and tigers.
Besides RTR has a great conservation
value, since it is an important part of
Terai-arc landscape between the Yamuna
and Sharda rivers, which is known as
RajajiCorbett Tiger Conservation Unit
(RCTCU, c. 7500 km2). This Conservation Unit in northwest India is one of the
eleven level-I Tiger Conservation Units
identified in the Indian subcontinent for
the long-term conservation of tigers 1.
Though RNP was established in 1983,
final notification for the Park was issued
in 2013 because of non-settlement of
rights of the local people, which provided a full-fledged legal status to it and
strengthened the conservation activities.
Further, in 2002, this elephant range was
also designated as the 11th Elephant
Reserve in the country, naming it the
Shivalik Elephant Reserve (c. 5405 km2).
In addition to existing core area of
819.54 km2 of the RNP, now a few portions of Laldhang and Kotdwar forest
ranges of the Lansdowne Forest Division
(LFD) and Shyampur forest range of the
Haridwar Forest Division (HFD), which
is 255.63 km2, have been merged under
the RTR area, making it about 1075 km2
in area. This also includes some portions
of Bijni forest of the Gohri forest range
of the RNP. The LFD, which has been
merged with RTR, is now the tenth forest
range of the RTR2. All these forests are
now the buffer zones of the RTR. On one
hand, it would facilitate requisite conservation opportunities, especially in habitat
management and conservation of tigers
and other wildlife and on the other hand,

several conservation challenges would

also come forward before the frontline
staff of wildlife. Conservation challenges
would be more critical in the situation
when the RNP is holding about 11 tigers3.
The population of tigers in the RNP
during 20062010 was recorded to be
stable; in 2006 the tiger abundance was
14 (1117), whereas in 2010 it was 11
(815) (ref. 3). However, their occupancy recorded an increase from 390 km2
in 2006 to 736 km2 in 2010. Even in
2000, the estimated number of tigers on
the west bank of the Park was only 510
animals 4. A study carried out on the
status of tiger and leopard in the RCTCU
during 19992000 revealed that tigers
are not utilizing the west bank of the
Ganges, i.e. the southwestern part of the
RNP5. This study indicated that there
could be 610 adult tigers in the entire
1500 km2 habitat block, which includes
the forest divisions of Shivalik, Dehradun, Narendranagar and RajajiMotichur
area of the RNP.
Since the last two decades, the RNP
has witnessed a stable population of
tigers, though the Park has been considered as a favourable breeding ground for
tigers. As LFD and HFD adjoin the RNP,
therefore based on landscape level planning a feasible habitat management proposal could be formulated to strengthen
tiger movement across the RCTCU. Further, the RajajiCorbett wildlife corridor
could be restored, which would facilitate
the movement of tigers and elephants
across the RCTCU. Besides, few other
important connecting corridors, namely
MotichurChilla, MotichurGohri, MotichurKansraoBarkot and Rawasan
Sonanadi could also be restored within
the newly established Tiger Reserve. The
provisions of the Wildlife (Protection)
Act, 1972 could be effectively implemented through the participatory approach, which would be helpful in
monitoring the movement of tigers in
remote areas of the Reserve.

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 110, NO. 6, 25 MARCH 2016

Declaring the National Park as a Tiger

Reserve would also ensure effective
management and monitoring of tiger
population across the entire landscape
and in contributing to the country-level
assessment. Among the nine forest
ranges of the RNP, four remain open to
tourists every year for seven months (15
November to 15 June). It is clear from
the tourist influx rate that their number
has since increased, compared to that
during the last 56 years. While nearly
19,300 tourists had visited the Chilla forest of the RNP in 20082009, their number further risen to nearly 22,450.
Successful implementation of the ecotourism plan would be helpful in reducing the mananimal conflict and would
also ensure active participation of the
local community in conservation initiatives 6. While framing the activities under
the eco-tourism plan, we can also consider bird-watching as one of the components, since several migratory birds
arrive in the RTR during winter, including the ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea), common poachard (Aythya
farina), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos),
northern pintail (Anas acuta), northern
shoveler (Anas clypeata), bar-headed
goose (Anser indicus), painted stork
(Mycteria leucocephala) and blacknecked stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) 7.
Providing a natural connectivity for
frequent movement of tigers is one of the
major challenges, which has to be
addressed on a priority basis. The broadening of HaridwarDehradun national
highway (No. 72; which passes across
the RTR) to four lanes could affect the
movement of wild animals across the
MotichurChilla, MotichurGohri and
MotichurKansraoBarkot wildlife corridors. Keeping in view the importance
of biodiversity and animal movement
across these corridors, efforts are also
being made to facilitate a natural connectivity for the animals to move across
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