Oxygen content in Ladakh up by 50 %: Scientists

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CLIMATIC SCREAMER

• Ladakh is located between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the Himalayas in the south at a height of nearly 12,000 feet and has a rarefied atmosphere.
• 'Oxygen content in the atmosphere has gone up by 50 percent. Wheat cultivation, horticulture and greenhouses are also adding to the oxygen delivery,' W. Selvamurthy, chief controller (R&D) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said.
  
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Anyone visiting Ladakh for the first time can be left gasping for breath due to low oxygen levels in the high altitude region. But a successful plantation drive has brought about environmental changes - driving up oxygen content by 50 percent and, most unusually, making it rain, say Indian scientists.

Ladakh is located between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the Himalayas in the south at a height of nearly 12,000 feet and has a rarefied atmosphere. But scientists of the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), which is behind the plantation drive, have found a marked increase in oxygen content.

'Oxygen content in the atmosphere has gone up by 50 percent. Wheat cultivation, horticulture and greenhouses are also adding to the oxygen delivery,' W. Selvamurthy, chief controller (R&D) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said.

Most of the Ladakh region is a cold desert with nearly no vegetation. The oxygen content is much lower than that in the plains.

'Most of Ladakh has been a dry cold desert. But when you go today there will be lots of greenery. The poplar and willow trees given by DIHAR are growing very well. The greenery is very important as it brings rainfall and that is good,' said Selvamurthy.

Green, yellow and orange poplar and willow trees now adorn the otherwise barren landscape of the region. The result of the plantation drive is showing up in rains - a phenomenon never witnessed in Ladakh before.

The DIHAR headquarters in Leh district and in its attachment at Partapur yearly give about 20,000 trees to local people for plantation. But due to the extreme climatic conditions, which see the mercury plummeting to minus 50 degrees Celsius, their survival rate is abysmal.

'We used to have mud houses as it never used to rain in Ladakh. But this year it rained,' said Rinchen, a local.

Buoyed by the results, DIHAR is planning to undertake organised cultivation of seabuckthorn, a plant better known here as Leh Berry that has high concentrations of vitamins A, B2 and C and grows wildly. Over 11,500 hectares in the region are covered by the shrub.

'We will be cultivating this plant (seabuckthorn). We may undertake aerial seeding. We still need to discuss the ways and means to do it,' Selvamurthy said.

For this, DIHAR has joined hands with the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC).

'Plantation and cultivation will help in the economic development of the region and LAHDC has shown a lot of enthusiasm in the project,' said the scientist.

Ladakh, which used to depend on the import of vegetables from Chandigarh, now produces 78 varieties of these and is able to meet 58 percent of its vegetable needs internally.

'We have now 78 varieties of vegetables being produced by locals here. We have given various greenhouses to the army and the locals for horticulture,' said DIHAR's director Shashi Bala Singh.

'We have been able to produce 13 types of apple here with the collaboration of scientists and local farmers.'

International workshop on climate change in Kashmir

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Three-day International Workshop on Climate Change, Glacial Retreat and Livelihoods-Access Regionally, Act locally is being organized at by J&K Government (Forest Department, SFRI) in collaboration with the University of Kashmir and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) from October 12 to 14, 2009. The proceedings of first two days of the workshop including inaugural session are being organized at SKICC Srinagar and on October 14, 2009, the workshop shall be conducted in University of Kashmir, Srinagar.

Mega festival, projecting culture heritage of Kashmir Valley begins

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*Making JK round the year global tourist destination emphasized

*Lakhs of people associated with tourist trade appreciates

“Tourism is one of the vital sector of our State, particularly in Kashmir Valley and what is required is to bring it back to its glory so that we are able to reclaim the number one position in global tourism pyramid”, said Chief Minister, Mr. Omar Abdullah while inaugurating the 2-day Kashmir Festival in order to promote heritage tourism of Kashmir.

The Festival was organized by Tourism Department in collaboration with Information and Public Relations, Handicrafts, Cultural Academy, JKTDC, Floriculture and Horticulture departments.

On this occasion, Minister for Tourism, Mr. Nawang Rigzin Jora, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture, Mr. Nasir Aslam Wani, MLA, Zadibal, Mr. Peer Afaq, Commissioner Secretary Tourism, Mrs. Tanveera Jehan, Director Tourism, Mr. Farooq Ahmad Shah, Managing Director, JKTDC, Mr. Satesh Nehru, tourism traders, trade agents and houseboat owners were present.

The presence of distinguish personalities from tourism trade, members of Chamber of Commerce, Media and artists from different parts of the valley added charm to the festival.

Mr. Omar also took stock of the progress of regaining the old glory of world famous Nigeen Lake. He inspected the tourism heritage park recently built across the Nigeen club.

On the occasion, the Minister for Tourism and Culture, Mr. Nawang Rigzin Jora and Minister of State for Tourism, PHE, H&UD and Revenue, Mr. Nasir Aslam Wani said that the main objective for organizing Kashmir Festival is to enhance the summer tourism season and showcase the culture, heritage, art, craft and beauty of Kashmir Valley.

Mr. Jora said that this year Kashmir Tourism Festival was a symbolic one and added that in future 10 to 15 days Tourism Festival would be enlisted in the tourism calendar so that all the stake holders would involve themselves in this mega event every year and will be a bonus event to the visiting tourists in month of October.

Referring to the development of Tulip garden in the lap of Zabarwan hills, the Minister said that this international recognized garden have pre-poned the summer tourist season by one month and added that the same way organizing of Tourism Festival in the month of October would also help our travel agents to extend the stay of tourists upto end of October. Recalling this experience in Ladakh region where the tourism department organized 15 days Ladakh Festival in the month of September helps the tourist travel agents to extend it upto 15th of October which helps to boost the economy of the area.

Mr. Jora said the department has already identified the areas to harness other resources fully for which Rs. 25 crore have been sanctioned for the preservation of heritage sites in Srinagar city. He said the tourists have different classes and it is our duty to provide basic infrastructure and awareness about the particular class to the tourist whosoever wants to visit J&K as per their choice. He said that we are working to take necessary steps for enhancing the winter tourism in J&K also.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Nasir said that the main thrust of coalition government is to make J&K round the year tourist destination for global tourists and added that this target should be achieved by the collective efforts of all the stake holders of the industry and people of the state. He said we have to work for reclaiming 1989 position of tourism industry in J&K when it is claimed number one tourism destination at the national and international level.

Minister said that the thrust should be given to provide world class facilities to the new tourist destinations and spots already identified by the tourism department to enhance stay of tourist in the valley from four days to twenty days. He said the other areas where we have to focus is on domestic tourism as the purchasing power of this class of tourist have increased manifold. He said for this purpose, the department has already made a comprehensive policy to divert the pilgrimage tourists from Katra to valley and other parts of the State. He said the setting up of 22 Tourism Development Authorities (TDA) would help visiting tourists to enjoy the complete tourist circuit of the state.