Dear Panditji,
The rivers and backwaters in Kerala, like elsewhere in India, have turned into garbage dumps. They are mainly used for fish breeding. Instead of using them for fish breeding, I would suggest small-scale fish breeding in ponds or oil-drums wherever possible.
Dr Peter Riefenthaler
Via e-mail

Dear Panditji,
My younger daughter is very interested in Gobar Times; the supplement with Down to Earth. She reads each issue very keenly.
Deepak Thakur
Via e-mail

Dear Panditji,
We would like to know the name of the fruit and flower photograph in the centre spread published along with the article “Going Bio” on page 70 of the March 31 st , 2006 Gobar Times issue. Kindly also let us know the address from where we can get it.

Thanking you,

Raipur Institute of Technology
Via email

Raipur Institute of Technology,The Photo on pages 70 and 71 in the March 31 st issue of Gobar Times is titled Hydrangea macrophylla Hydrangeaceae. It can be found at our website, http://www.cseindia.org/programme/eeu/gsp_net-work. htm, on our latest activity sheet.

Dear Panditji,
This is with reference to the article by Laxmi Narain Modi on the Kamdhenu Bullock Drawn Tractor (KBDT) in the March 31 st , 2006 issue of Gobar Times. I will be obliged if you will kindly furnish full address of Bharatiya Cattle Resource Development
Foundation (BCRDF) to enable me to contact them and seek full details of KBDT.

I am assisting a group of young agriculturists to promote organic farming in the draught prone district of Kutch or Gujrat state. We would very much like to intoduce KBDT in our region, of course, if its price is affordable.

I would also like to know how this programme of using KBDT, is progressing in Uttar Pradesh? I eagerly await your response.

Yours faithfully,

Lahiri Shah
Via email

Dear Lahiri,
The address for BCRDF is…
BCRDF
Ahimsa Bhawan, F-125 Lado Sarai
New Delhi – 110 030
E-mail:shakahar@vsnl.net

To find out more about the uses and progress of KBDT you can contact BCRDF for the latest news.

Dear Panditji,
Many thanks for your words of concern on disappearing urban birds. This is a serious issue and will have long lasting effect on our ecological system. We must have awareness programmes to promote the issue and to get mass support.

Vijay Joshi
Via email