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Dear Pandit ji,
My question is for my 9 year old son. Please help me. What is the silk route? I would like to know the details about all the places in this route and who travelled by it? What was its purpose?
Jyoti
Via email
Dear Jyoti ji,
The Silk Route earns its name from the extensive Chinese silk trade, the main reason for which this route was created. The Silk Routes (collectively known as the ‘Silk Road’) were not only conduits for trade, but also for other products. It was a trade oute across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, including North Africa and Europe.
There were two main parts of the Silk Road – the East and the West Silk Road. Both were difficult terrains. On the East Silk Road there were deserts, so people used camels to carry their goods. The West Silk Road was mountaineous; peaks reaching over 20,000 feet. People travelled by yak instead of camel to withstand the harsh weather. This route was also called “the trail of bones” since so many people and animals died en route and their remains marked the path.
Dear Pandit ji,
I am a subscriber of Down to Earth and Gobar Times. I am pursuing my environmental engineering in SJCE, Mysore (Currently in 4th semester). I would like to know:
 What is the difference between effluent n affluent?
Rajesh
Via email
Dear Rajesh ji,
The word affluent is generally used to denote wealth. When we say a person is affluent it means that he/she is wealthy or prosperous. Affluent is also a word that is used to denote a tributary to river. Effluent is used to denote liquid discharge from a process most of the times industrial. Effluent addresses both liquid discharge post and pre treatment.
Dear Pandit ji,
How is terrace farming done and which crops are grown there?
Pradeep Verma
Via email
Dear Pradeep ji,
Classic terrace farming is the terrace farming for rice cultivation that is practiced all over Asia. Terraces are made to control erosion, and to concentrate moisture for the crops in hilly regions where the land is undulating or sloping. Terrace means creation of flat land by levelling small areas of soil and stabilizing the level against a stone, or mud wall.
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| Terrace on mountain tracts: A view of a levelled section of a cultivated area |
| Photograph: www.gramvikas.org |
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Here in India we use modified terraces to control erosion and to concentrate moisture onto certain areas of the land so that a higher yield is obtained. Much of the hill tracts of India has terraces in dry land farming areas just to slow down the run off when heavy rains occur. It is also a good flood control method because the terraces hold water back.
This reduces initial stream flow, allows more water to soak into the ground locally, and stretches out the flow over a longer period of time.
The crops grown in terraces vary with climatic zone the terraces are located in.
Rice, wheat, other cereals, pulses, spices and vegetables, almost anything can be grown in terraces depending upon the temperature and moisture. India has terraces in varied climatic zones like the tropical terraces in Kerala, temperate terraces in the north east, sub-alpine and alpine terraces in the Himalayas.
Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090321085607AAPYTAG
Dear Pandit ji,
I cannot find what chemicals are used in detergents. I’ll be obliged if you help me....with my problem.
Kunal Ahuja
Via email
Dear Kunal ji,
The chemicals used in detergents are surfactants, builders, inorganic salts, oxidizers or bleaches, enzymes and numerous miscellaneous ingredients. These are examined as per their specific chemical components and their producers.
A study done to understand the Indian consumers knowledge of harmful effects of detergents on health and environment, showed
that 77.6 percent of respondents had experienced some kinds of skin irritation due to detergents. Conventional laundry detergents leave chemical residues on the clothes. These residues enter our bodies either through the skin or through the lungs. They cause many common health problems including allergies, skin infections and in rare cases, cancer. The fragrances used in laundry detergents can prove allergic and be highly irritating to lungs, causing serious health effects to people with asthma or chronic
heart problems.
The usual result of a continuous and excessive exposure of the skin to detergents is drying, fissuring and dotting of the keratin layer leading to increased permeability that causes sensitization, which may develop into dermatitis.
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Dear Pandit ji,
We have a small farm in Mahalingpur district in Karnataka, where we are planning to keep cows and would like to go in for gobar gas based electricity generation unit of 100 KW, supply gobar gas filled cylinder to near by area . Can you help us by providing names of some consultants and/or companies who can help us in this.
Punyatma Kalyan Dwivedi
Via email
Dear Dwivedi ji,
Every administrativre block in India has a Block Development Officer. It would be best if you contact the BDO of your area. He/She will help you establish the bio gas unit you want to install at your farm.
He will have information on schemes that the government is providing to promote bio gas along with the contacts of contractors who would actually install the plant at your farm.
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