Biotechnology Drives Odisha's Agricultural Future

A Nature India special on Odisha

A STATE OF GROWTH Biotechnology drives Odisha’s agricultural future

Disaster response Deep discovery Sepsis trial Data is saving lives in Diving beneath the Supplement reduces extreme weather events surface of history infant deaths by 40%

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EDITORIAL New Delhi, India [email protected] From the editor Editor-in-chief: Subhra Priyadarshini Editors: Rebecca Dargie, Sara Phillips Art and design: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay Photographic editor: Tanner Maxwell Subhra Priyadarshini introduces this special Odisha Project management: Lisa Truong Creative director: Wojtek Urbanek issue of Nature India. STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS Senior Manager, India Sonia Sharma state known for its heritage, culture and disaster management, and as an emerging hub Tel: +91 9650969959 [email protected] of scholarship and research, Odisha is making its mark. This special issue captures the aspirations of and challenges for the eastern Indian state in becoming the next national SUBSCRIPTIONS AND REPRINTS [email protected] science hub. Odisha is home to a number of large national institutes and laboratories – the Indian REGISTERED OFFICE AInstitute of Technology, the Institute of Life Sciences, the Institute of Minerals and Material Springer Nature India Pty Ltd: 7th floor, Vijaya Building, 17 Barakhamba Road Technology, the Regional Medical Research Centre, the National Institute of Science Education New Delhi, 110 001 India and Research, National Rice Research Institute, the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture Email [email protected] www.nature.com/natureindia and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. The state government-run Utkal University and the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology in capital Bhubaneswar add to its scholarly © 2020 Springer Nature Limited. All rights reserved. might. Private education conglomerates such as the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology University and the L V Prasad Eye Institute are helping produce a sizeable scientific workforce. DISCLAIMER The entrepreneurship and innovation scene is warming up with a number of technology business Nature India Special Issues are sponsored supplements incubators setting up shop in the state. A biotechnology cluster is also on the cards. The Odisha that aim to stimulate interest and debate around a subject of interest to the sponsor, while satisfying the NRG special issue takes a close look at this growth of innovation and technology in the state’s science. editorial values and our readers’ expectations. Most of our Odisha’s 460km coastline and a hot, humid agro-climate, have endowed it with rich fisheries special issues focus on affairs pertaining to science and research in India and at the same time are of significance and paddy cultivation resources. The state’s scientific legacy in both aquaculture and rice to the global scientific community. research have benefitted from these. We examine the results of years of rice and fish breeding that Odisha has gifted to the world. The state’s proximity to the Bay of Bengal and high summer The Nature India Special Issues are available freely for temperatures have also brought severe cyclones, floods and heat waves. We investigate how download at www.nature.com/nindia. Odisha is setting an example in using science and technology to cope with such extreme weather phenomena. Connect with us: Odisha’s rich culture and history draws international attention. Its many temples, monuments, facebook.com/npgindia @NatureInd ancient palm leaf manuscripts, paintings, and excavations are keenly researched by archaeologists, leading to innovative conservation methods to preserve Odisha’s past. Cover image: STRDEL/AFP via Getty Images We analyse the traditional and modern methods being deployed by scientists, and focus on another rich historical source – shipwrecks – revealing fascinating stories of historic naval wars off the coast of Odisha. India’s science and technology is well entrenched in metro areas, with institute clusters like those in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, the national capital region of Delhi, and Kolkata. Smaller, second-tier cities like Bhubaneswar are gearing up to the cluster approach, and are poised to contribute to the research and innovation scene. The Odisha special issue is an attempt to shine a light on one such state. In the near future, Nature India’s regional spotlights will chronicle more such emerging hubs of science in the country.

Subhra Priyadarshini Editor-in-chief

Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 | 1 December 2020 Contents

Biotechnological innovations How planets form around multiple Ancient zircon grains shed light of steer growth p.4 star systems p.28 Earth’s history p.29

Features 12 Peering through layers of time for 29 Zircon crystals trapped in Odisha stories of the past granite 04 Harnessing biotechnology to Odisha’s rich history, depicted tackle the Grand Challenges Probiotic trial to prevent sepsis in in monuments, manuscripts Odisha’s 2018 biotech policy infants and archaeological excavations, has been a catalyst for a start-up is further revealed through 30 Blood donors should be screened culture embracing transformative shipwrecks off its coast. twice for Hepatitis B opportunites in everything from smart farming to health From Nature Glowing nanoprobe detects interventions. mercury in fish 17 Land use and land cover change 06 Withstanding weather: effect on surface temperature Air pollution dividend during A scientific response over Eastern India lockdown Intense cyclones, severe heat waves, 31 Biofuel from food waste drought, flood, and storms are part of life in Odisha, but more robust Research highlights A metallic compound for cosmetic systems and advanced technologies therapy 28 Glimpse of planets around a are improving responses. multi-star system Shocking bacteria to death 08 Crop advances feed Mahanadi delta high-risk zone for economic gains extreme events Technological breakthroughs in rice production, livestock and Geologists revise age of Chilka rocks fisheries are among success stories in Odisha’s agricultural sector.

2 | Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 Online Course in Scientific Writing and Publishing Delivered by Nature Research journal editors, researchers gain an unparalleled insight into how to publish.

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To request a quote for your lab/institute, contact: [email protected] A80768 Feature HARNESSING BIOTECHNOLOGY TO TACKLE THE GRAND CHALLENGES

Odisha’s 2018 biotech policy has been a catalyst for a start-up culture embracing transformative opportunites in everything from smart farming to health interventions. By Namrata Misra and Mrutyunjay Suar STEVE GSCHMEISSNER / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY PHOTO GSCHMEISSNER / SCIENCE STEVE Yeast cells under scrutiny as part of studies into food grade microorganisms for fortified products.

he rapid growth of a biotechnolo- ecosystem. A number of new government Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, and the National gy-led innovation ecosystem has policies and mission programmes, including Capital Region (NCR). Now, the country’s been a major contributor to the ‘Make in India’, ‘Start-up India’, ‘Ayushman second-tier cities are plunging into the global bioeconomy in the last 20 Bharat’ and ‘Swachh Bharat’ have fuelled the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. years. In India too, innovations from development and validation of indigenous Among them is Odisha’s capital city, research institutes, entrepreneurs, sustainable technologies. Bhubaneswar, one of India’s premier education start-ups and industry are steering Through the last decade, India’s start-up hubs. A number of large institutes — Indian Tthe growth of the biotechnology culture has blossomed in the science hubs of Institute of Technology, Institute of Life 4 | Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 Sciences, Institute of Minerals and Material Bhubaneswar, on a 26-hectare site, which will and machinery for higher agriculture Technology, Regional Medical Research Centre, include a vaccine manufacturing plant. productivity. Small farmers in rural India National Institute of Science Education and There’s a surge of interest both by could benefit from affordable technology Research, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, innovators and start-ups in Odisha to apply for that allows them to rapidly analyse the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, innovative prototyping grant opportunities nutrient and soil health of their land. A LV Prasad Eye Institute and KIIT University — add in biotechnology. Many innovative projects start-up developed a soil analyser that can personnel to a substantial skilled workforce. implemented in the state are focused on test for macronutrients, micronutrients However, until recently the city had no cluster- finding fixes for societal problems. To further and fertilizer optimization and recommend based framework to maximize cross-disciplinary strengthen the ecosystem in Odisha, India’s standard systems for farmers. A similar scientific collaborations that could translate Department of Science and Technology has agricultural innovation from an Odisha their research insights into applications and granted a centre of excellence in incubation startup is a single-row multicrop seed sowing fuel a start-up ecosystem. Technology business in the area of digital health and precision machine for groundnuts, maize and pulse incubators are needed to develop a conducive agriculture at KIIT Technology Business seeds, especially for small farmers. ecosystem for technology-driven research that Incubator and and Technology Enabling can be commercialized. Centre (TEC) at KIIT University. Bhubaneswar Despite a wealth of natural resources, Odisha, is now ready to set up the Bhubaneswar City a state of 42 million people on India’s eastern knowledge and innovation cluster (BCKIC), coast, suffers from the problems of poverty. supported by the Principal Scientific Advisor The state has faced several developmental (PSA) office to the government of India. This THERE’S A SURGE OF challenges over the years, including political entity will provide a platform for various unrest, large pockets of extreme deprivation, institutions of Bhubaneswar, industries, INTEREST AMONG social disparities, and natural disasters, as well policy-makers, innovators, startups and as relatively less fiscal activity compared with NGOs to work on various local problems and INVESTORS. other Indian states. Despite these challenges, build affordable solutions. Odisha has demonstrated significant commitment in addressing many aspects of Combating malnutrition public health, such as reducing maternal and Over the past few years, Odisha has Solutions for tropical diseases child mortality rates, improving nutrition performed better than the seven other weaker Several Odisha start-ups are digitizing indices, and sustainable agriculture and socioeconomic states of India (grouped healthcare products and services through aquaculture, among many others. together as the Empowered Action Group artificial intelligence and machine learning In a visible shift towards translational States) in reducing undernutrition. However, technology, making rapid detection kits for research in Odisha, an increasing number despite progress in child and maternal emerging pathogens, accurate diagnosis of technologies are being developed mortality indicators, Odisha continues to of disease stage and prognosis and, point- into commercial products. The time has have high levels of malnutrition. of-care diagnostics with a single device for come for the state to develop affordable Many start-ups in Odisha are working on multiple infectious agents. In a digital world, sustainable technologies that can address vital questions in the area of nutrition and start-ups are connecting patients with global problems through industry-academia maternal and child health. Some successful specialist doctors at major multispecialty interaction, start-ups, and small and medium interventions include reducing anaemia and hospitals in Odisha. A technology-enabled enterprises (SMEs). developing a hydrogel-based, slow-release start-up from Odisha translating state-of- iron jelly candy, which serves as an alternative the-art interdisciplinary research into medical A growing hub for iron/folic acid (IFA) and Vitamin C tablets. devices and healthcare interventions, recently Innovation is critical to the development From food-grade microorganisms to use received global acclaim. of technologies that can find solutions to of trace metals for industrial production Despite a thriving biotechnology research national challenges and develop affordable of fortified foods, the Startup Odisha scene, Odisha has not seen many academic products for the social sectors. India’s programme is nurturing biotechnological entrepreneurs. A very small segment of the Department of Biotechnology and the innovations that have a direct effect on the biotech sector in the state is focused on Biotechnology Innovation (BIRAC) is visibly state’s food and nutrition security. Products innovative R&D, aimed at manufacturing transforming Odisha’s innovation ecosystem. such as safe baked goods developed with novel products. The state needs a stronger The Odisha government’s Biotech Policy microbial enzymes and locally manufactured co-evolving network of institutes, companies, 2018 provided a slew of incentives for the fortified foods are being considered for universities, and private capital to steer biotechnology sector. The ‘Startup Odisha’ inclusion in the Public Distribution System biotech innovation forward. programme kicked off by the state government (PDS) as well as school mid-day meal schemes. The impact of each of these innovations in 2016 has nurtured more than 780 start-ups. By making these tweaks, small innovators is significant and many have progressed Scouting for grassroots innovations, another could help provide affordable nourishment to the validation and commercialization programme has created an entrepreneurial to large underserved communities in Odisha stage. The state needs to nurture this environment for more than 10,000 scholars and pockets of rural India. growing innovation ecosystem and connect in 50 institutions of the state. New hubs at its academic clusters to similar ventures the Foundation for Technology and Business Sustainable agriculture elsewhere. Odisha’s biotechnological best Incubation (FTBI), National Institute A new generation of young researchers and practices can be extrapolated to similar low- Technology, Rourkela; SSU Innovation; the start-ups are testing innovations to reduce income settings that need technological incubation centre of Sri Sri University; and post-harvest losses, and use of organic interventions to meet their grand challenges. the IT, Bhubaneswar incubator are creating fertilizers and pesticides in farming. Some start-ups and spin-offs of global relevance. others are making interventions in preserving The authors are from the KIIT Technology Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech is nutrition quality of seasonal vegetables, Business Incubator, KIIT (Deemed to be developing a biotechnology park in the capital, smart packaging, smart farming techniques University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.

Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 | 5 Feature WITHSTANDING WEATHER: A SCIENTIFIC RESPONSE

Intense cyclones, severe heat waves, droughts, floods, and storms are part of life in Odisha, but more robust systems and advanced technologies are improving outcomes. By Sushil Kumar Dash* and Sarat Chandra Sahu**

yclones lashing Odisha’s coasts have been severe to very severe in their devastation. The height of cyclonic catastrophe in recent times came with the notorious Super Cyclone of 29 October 1999, when wind speeds hit a furious 260 kilometres an hour. It was the most powerful recorded Ccyclone of the century. Bhubaneswar saw tor- rential rains of up to 43 cm in just 24 hours. The wind was so powerful that the recorder at the coastal town of Paradip broke down after reading speeds up to 160km per hour. Power supplies failed, crippling radar observations at Paradip, and telecommunication was disrupted for a significant period, so civic administration was paralysed. Official records say 9,885 people were killed and property worth billions of rupees destroyed, though unofficial estimates put those figures way higher. In contrast, later events — very severe cyclones such as Phailin (2013), Hudhud (2014) and Titli (2018), extremely severe cyclone Fani (2019), and super cyclone Amphan (2020) – did not see similar human or livestock casualties, or property losses. Comparing situations pre- and post-1999

reveals that use of scientific and technological / GETTY IMAGES SARKAR/AFP DIBYANGSHU interventions adequately prepared the Flooding in Odisha is frequent and disruptive. administration to minimize losses.

Forecasting the available information, the Numerical Radar (CDR) at Paradip stopped recording. This Timely and accurate forecasting of any Weather Prediction (NWP) model used, and was an analogue radar with data analysed on weather related disaster is key. However, fore- the experience of its forecasters. In the late the screen by the local meteorologist and casting is not the only component that helps 90s, cyclones developing over the Indian transmitted in coded form through a telegram, cope with hazards. There are other important oceans were usually analysed using weather phone or teleprinter. Its photographic film dimensions, such as science-based early warn- information from ships, the buoys deployed was damaged and the wind speed recorders ing, disaster preparedness and response sys- by the National Data Buoy Program (NDBP), at Paradip became unserviceable. tems. Scientific awareness among the public, special radar at Paradip, INSAT-1D satellite The most significant limitation of QLM was and their involvement, are also crucial. imagery and an NWP model called the Quasi the lack of empirically generated vortex and Before the 1999 super cyclone, the weather Lagrangian Model (QLM). steering current data. As observations were agency India Meteorological Department During the 1999 super cyclone, adequate limited, crucial information on the exact (IMD) used traditional weather charts and data was unavailable from ships and ocean location and size of the storm, its central observational products to forecast the buoys, except one stationed off Paradip. On the pressure, the value of the outermost closed event. Accuracy of forecasts depends on morning of 29 October, the Cyclone Detection isobar, was compromised. Though the INSAT-lD

6 | Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 satellite images were useful in estimating Box 1. Odisha’s hazardous cyclones the eye of the system, due to limitations in SI.No. Year Category Coast crossed getting timely observations of the NWP model, meteorologists were only able to provide a 1. 9 October 1967 Severe Cyclonic Storm Between Puri and Paradeep 24-hour warning, leaving little preparation time. The IMD and other agencies were 2. 30 October 1971 Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Near Paradeep ineffective when the cyclone hit. The public communication system also 3. 29 October 1999 Super Cyclone Near Paradeep failed to either swiftly disseminate early 12 October 2013 4. Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Near Gopalpur warning to people or amp up emergency (Phailin) response. There was inadequate capacity for 11 October 2018 5. Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Near Palasa, southwest of Gopalpur evacuation. The 480-kilometre coastline of (Titli) Odisha had only 23 cyclone shelters made jointly by the Indian Red Cross Society, and 6 3 May 2019 (Fani) Extremely Severe Cycloninc Storm Close to Puri the Odisha government.

Combatting extreme weather three weather satellites provide pictures Vansadhara and Rusikulya, has traditionally Odisha is also prone to heatwaves, drought, every 15 minutes, and a series of 24 Doppler been a cause of concern. Odisha’s entire floods, intense storms, and lightning radars along the coast, the IMD is capable coastal belt is also prone to storm surges. strikes. The heatwave of 1998 was one of the of sharp predictions five days in advance of According to the National Remote Sensing most severe in recent history, killing 2,042 cyclones. The Doppler radars provide real- Centre (NRSC), about 8.96% of land in Odisha people. This event, coupled with the 1999 time information about the signature of was affected by floods during 2001-2018. super cyclone devastation sparked a shift of cyclogenesis in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Analysis of a large number of satellite images approach by the government, from disaster Bengal. Two Doppler radars function at Paradip available during this period has enabled the response to disaster prevention. A new agency, and Gopalpur. In total, 37 automatic weather Odisha government and NRSC to make a flood the Odisha State Disaster Management stations, 28 manual surface observatories, hazard atlas to guide state management. The Authority (OSDMA), was created in 1999. 177 automatic rain gauges and 314 rain gauge IMD has employed ‘now casting’ techniques Twenty units of the Odisha Disaster Rapid stations of the Odisha government provide for thunderstorm and lightning. OSDMA Action Force (ODRAF),have been established. data to predict weather extremes. Odisha uses sophisticated technology from Earth One unit of the National Disaster Rapid Action also has four pilot balloon observatories Networks USA for lightning detection. The Force (NDRF) is also stationed at Mundali in at Bhubaneswar, Gopalpur, Balasore and private Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) university Odisha’s Cuttack district. Jharsuguda and three GPS sonde stations at in collaboration with Indian Institute of The state now has 879 multipurpose cyclone Bhubaneswar, Gopalpur and Jharsuguda. The Tropical Meteorology, Pune, is issuing lighting and flood shelters, some multi-storey, to house National Knowledge Network (NKN) facility warnings by WhatsApp messages. evacuated people and cattle during a calamity. and a separate broadband connectivity to the Odisha has set a great example of public Based on the Disaster Management Act, 2005 IMD by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), involvement in effective management of of the Government of India and the subsequent a display facility of digitized weather charts at disasters in two cyclone affected villages. National Policy on Disaster Management 2009 synoptic hours, and forecast of different NWP The Intergovernmental Oceanographic (NPDM), the National Disaster Management models using three monitors simultaneously, Commission of the UNESCO has recently Plan (NDMP) provides a disaster management allow real-time predictions. declared two sites — Noliasahi and framework. NDMP is a dynamic system in line Scientists are now forecasting weather Venkatraipur – as tsunami-ready. with the United Nations’ Sendai Framework events at different time scales, from short to With advanced understanding of for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. It long-term climate projections, with a number extreme weather events, and availability encompasses all phases such as mitigation, of NWP models. India uses the multi-model of sophisticated instruments, it will preparedness, response and recovery in an ensemble technique to make forecasts closer become possible to read a 3D picture of the integrated manner by involving authorities to actual observations on the ground. Impact atmospheric situation for any given place. at the national, state, district , and local levels. based forecasts are also useful for planners. Artificial intelligence is increasingly being Speedy communication networks help in used to detect model errors. These tools are Data to the rescue evacuation of vulnerable people on priority useful in delivering timely early warnings. The Climate science has grown in the last decade basis to multipurpose cyclone-flood shelters. future looks safer with the availability of apps with improvements in observational systems Farmers are given timely advice from scientists like Mausam, Meghdoot and Damini from IMD. and developments in NWP models. The at the Orissa University of Agriculture and Although it is anticipated that climate magnitude and direction of wind at the ocean Technology (OUAT) to keep harvested crops change will cause more frequent extreme surface are used as key parameters for tracking safe, and to refrain from applying fertilizers weather events, demanding increased of cyclones. Wind data across the globe are or pesticides. alertness, scientific tools provide a silver gathered by the scatterometer payload in The 1998 heat wave, which largely affected lining. Even so, Odisha, like the rest of the world the OCEANSAT-2 satellite. India’s Ministry of the poor people, farmers and workers, must be mindful of the need to mitigate the Earth Sciences has modernized its equipment. prompted formulation of a Heat Action Plan forces behind extreme weather by embracing The IMD now has 1,350 automatic raingauge by OSDMA, in collaboration with the IMD and green energy and development practices. stations, 722 automatic weather stations and the Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH). 575 manned surface observatories. The IMD *Former Professor and Head, Centre for also has 46 upper air pilot balloons and GPS Flood hazards Atmospheric Sciences, IIT Delhi, India. sonde observations. Flooding during the monsoon months, ** Director, Centre for Environment & Twenty buoys assist with effective cyclone especially in the rivers Mahanadi, Brahmani, Climate, ITER, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA), prediction. With state-of-the-art infrastructure, Baitarani, Budhabalanga, Subarnarekha, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.

Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 | 7 Feature CROP ADVANCES FEED ECONOMIC GAINS

Technological breakthroughs in rice production and fisheries are among success stories in Odisha’s agricultural sector. By Arabinda K Padhee* and Trilochan Mohapatra**

he contribution of agriculture to cultivates in the rain-fed uplands and regions after leading a push for participatory breeding Odisha’s economy has increased with deep and semi-deep water conditions. in her village and adjoining areas that led to significantly, according to its latest These cultivars were grown for specific traits the development of Kalinga Kalajeera variety. economic survey (2019-20), which like maturity duration (usually in sync with The establishment of the Central Rice shows that about 20% of the state’s specific cultural festivals), aroma of grains, Research Institute (renamed National Rice revenue comes from crops, livestock, and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Research Institute) at Cuttack in 1946 was a fisheries and aquaculture. Some of these traditional rice varieties still milestone in India’s agricultural research, as While ‘natural shocks’ interrupted grown in limited scale are: Kakudimanji, systematic rice hybridization efforts started Tcrop production — a cyclone in 2013-14, Saruchinamali, Ratna Chudi, Cuttack Chandi, here. However, the initial indica-japonica drought in 2015-16 and pest attacks in 2017- Kedar Gauri, Kala-kartik and Pateni. hybridization program launched in 1950s to 18 — the growth in livestock and fisheries break the yield barriers in indica rice wasn’t as has risen steadily for a decade. The state’s successful. Subsequently, the indica variety, Agriculture Policy 2020 indicated the sector’s TN-1, was the basis for a series of high yielding GDP nearly doubled in real terms, clocking an dwarf varieties including IR-8. This new variety, annual growth rate of about 4.5%, higher than referred to as miracle rice, was short-statured the all-India average of 3.1% between 2000-01 and highly responsive to fertilizer application and 2016-17. RICE VARIETIES FROM — breaching the yield barrier in tropical rice. Odisha’s agricultural success can be CRRI scientists and the All-India traced back to a legacy of scientific exploration ODISHA ARE CONSUMED Coordinated Rice Improvement Program and interventions. (AICRIP) led to the development of a number of ACROSS THE WORLD. rice varieties, later released across the country. Rice science leading the way Agricultural scientists such as Krishnaswamy Rice is synonymous with Odisha’s agriculture. Ramiah, M.B.V.N. Rao, C. Challam, and S.V.S. Orissa, the English spelling of Odisha’s former Shastry laid the foundation of rice science name led to a widespread presumption that The aromatic landraces of rice in Odisha and variety development in India. The father its origin came from Oryza, from the rice have been used for generations, and of India’s green revolution, M.S. Swaminathan, genus. The Jeypore tract of Odisha has been indigenous scented varieties like Kalajeera, also started his research career at the Central described as the secondary centre of rice’s Kalikati, Jubraj, Karpura Kranti, Tulsiphoola Rice Research Institute in Odisha. origin and diversity, and covers more than and Pimpudibasa are still popular locally and A long line of other scientists and breeders 60% of its cultivated area. Odisha’s economy beyond. Many rice varieties of Odisha have contributed steadily, developing high yielding is directly linked to the production and been preserved ex situ at the National Bureau varieties for various agro-ecologies and productivity of rice. of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Delhi, agronomic traits. Jagannath, Parijat, Jajati, Rice varieties from Odisha are consumed This Indian Council of Agricultural Research Khandagiri, Surendra, Lalat, and Pratikshya are across the world. The state is home to (ICAR) body has developed 70 biofortified among popular varieties released by the Odisha numerous landraces, particularly in the earlier crop varieties, some of which are derived from University of Agriculture and Technology undivided Koraput district that includes such traditional varieties. (OUAT) in the last 50 years. Jeypore. Before the semi-dwarf, high-yielding Institutions like the Chennai-based M.S Using technology, resistant genes or paddy types were adopted by the state in Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been organised the 1960s and 70s, farmers used to grow preserve traditional varieties of rice in situ into elite genotypes to include desired traits in many traditional varieties. Over the past 20 in the tribal heartland of Koraput. Kamala rice varieties. The best example is the Swarna years, the high yielding varieties have almost Pujari, from Jeypore (Koraput) was awarded Sub 1 variety in which the submergence-tolerant replaced the diverse, locally adapted varieties, with the Padmashri honour in 2019 for her sub1 gene (isolated from the landrace FRI3A) but farmers still grow these traditional conservation of rice landraces in crop fields has been introduced through a technique called

8 | Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 PALLAVA BAGLA/CORBIS / GETTY BAGLA/CORBIS IMAGES PALLAVA Odisha produces diverse rice germplasms, and has a renowned history of scientific crop improvements. marker-assisted selection. Swarna Sub1 has tonnes in 2018-19). Exports during this period maturity, higher spawn yield and increased now been further improved at CRRI to include has seen a 7.5-fold increase (3.79 billion rupees seed survival in carp, and is used by several multiple QTL to develop new varieties like CR in 2000-01 to 28.71 billion in 2017-18). hatcheries in India. ‘CIFAX’, a chemical Dhan 801 and CR Dhan 802, which are both A major development has been the genetic formulation, developed by CIFA, is a significant drought and flood resilient. Odisha has diverse improvement of rohu (Labeo rohita) at breakthrough for prevention and cure against germplasms of rice, which could be screened to the ICAR-Central Institute of Fresh Water the ‘Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome (EUS)’ map the QTL for varieties resilient to multiple Aquaculture (CIFA), Bhubaneshwar. After 11 which has been a major disease threat in biotic and abiotic stresses. generations of systematic selection, the new freshwater aquaculture system since the Similarly, a high-protein trait from two variety, Jayanti Rohu, has a 60%-plus growth late 1980s. ‘TreatMyFish’ app for fish disease landraces of Assam was transferred to high- performance compared to normal rohu stock. treatment is serving as a tool for active yield rice varieties Naveen and Swarna through Similar improvement has yielded 30% higher interaction between farmers and scientists. systematic back cross breeding programmes growth in catla (Catla catla) after second Another development in the aquaculture The Cuttack-based National Rice Research generation of selection, and 30% higher growth sector is freshwater pearl culture technology Institute (NRRI) released its first high protein in giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium at CIFA. The institute is identifing rice variety CR Dhan 310 with 10.3 % grain rosenbergii) after 10th generation selection. suitable pearl mussel species, and defining protein content (GPC) in 2019 followed by Induced breeding, mass-scale seed production appropriate surgical implantation procedures. another variety CR Dhan 311 with 10.1% GPC and grow-out farming technologies have been The technology offers great scope for and zinc content of 20 parts per million. These developed for more than a dozen freshwater commercialization. accomplishments are significant as India finfishes, and Indian river prawn. aims to strengthen nutritional security. Technology allowing carp breeding using *Country Director-India, International Crops improved brood stock maintenance protocol Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Fisheries has resulted in multiple breeding of the same (ICRISAT). **Director General, Indian Council of Fisheries and aquaculture are among the brood fish by stretching the breeding season, Agricultural Research (ICAR). fastest growing sectors in Odisha. Production leading to a threefold-increase in spawn (from fresh water, brackish water and the production in a season. The development of The authors thank Dr S R Das, Rice Breeder ocean) has grown over the last two decades a specialized brood stock diet ‘CIFABROOD’ and Honorary Professor, OUAT, and J K Jena, (from 260,000 tonnes in 2000-01 to 759,000 has been a significant step in bringing early Deputy Director General, Fisheries, ICAR.

Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 | 9 LAYOUT #8 HEADLINE: up to 8 words BODY COPY: 800 words ADVERTORIAL: DPS INTRO: up to 25 words PULL QUOTE: up to 10 words

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“Two-thirds of India’s approvals and intellectual region, the BIRAC Regional population is below the property rights, among other Techno-Entrepreneurship age of 35 and this youthful things, says Suar. It also Promotion Centre (BRTC) environment is perfect for recognizes that new ventures housed at KIIT-TBI conducts carving out a strong position in are important to commercialize capacity building training not the global start-up ecosystem. university technologies, and only for innovators, but also But for India to leapfrog for this a Technology Transfer aspiring incubation managers to technologically, a massive O ce is being set up under the better design, run, monitor and push is needed to identify Government of India’s National scale up their activities. and support home-grown Biopharma Mission. entrepreneurs, to explore new FUNDING markets, provide cheaper and PROMOTING SCIENCE KIIT-TBI has received funding Dr. Mrutyunjay Suar, CEO KIIT-TBI better services and to make INNOVATION and support from various entrepreneurship an attractive Odisha’s start-up ecosystem government agencies such career option,” says Mrutyunjay entrepreneurship. is now growing, and KIIT-TBI as DST, the Department Suar, Director General Today, KIIT-TBI has has supported more than of Biotechnology, the (Research and Development) established itself as a major 250 ventures, 50 start-ups Biotechnology Industry of the Kalinga Institute of innovation hub for technology founded by women and 80 Research Assistance Council, Industrial Technology (KIIT) ventures and a site for pieces of intellectual property. the National Science & StopBleed, an anti-bleeding and CEO of the KIIT-Technology interfacing with the industry, Fifty-fi ve start-ups received Technology Entrepreneurship compound, can clot blood in Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology’s Technology Business Incubator has been supporting start ups for more than a decade. 40 seconds. Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI). academia, government bodies, follow on funding worth of 3.5 Development Board, the KIIT-TBI is an initiative that and cross-border agencies. billion rupees (approx. US$47 Ministry of Micro, Small and was dreamed up more than million) generating more than Medium Enterprises, the a decade ago by the founder NURTURING BUSINESS 4,000 jobs. These start-ups are Technology Development cost of less than one rupee, ing within 40 seconds with fi ve solution for early detection of enzyme formulation that of KIIT, Achyuta Samanta. Its ENTERPRISES beginning the deployment of Board, the Ministry of Food all without taking a single drop times the normal e ciency by preeclampsia, a pregnancy- decreases acrylamide, a mandate is to empower and KIIT-TBI provides holistic technologies in areas critical to Processing Industries, the of blood. combining biomaterials togeth- induced hypertensive disorder. carcinogenic toxicant found enable the innovation ecosystem support for science innovation the India’s social and economic Ministry of Electronics and Comofi Medtech o e r s er to enhance blood clotting The start-up has also developed in 40% of the average daily in the east and north-eastern and ‘techno-preneurship’. growth, such as healthcare, Information Technology and the a robotics surgical intervention and wound healing. and deployed an a ordable, dietary intake. states of India. Set up as a not- Unlike many other incubators food and agriculture, waste Government of India. platform to help provide Purple (Purplas IT Services antibody-based COVID-19 Inochi Care Private Limited for-profi t, public sector company that just provide a physical management and IoT. KIIT-TBI Some of the notable access to the kidney in one Pvt. Ltd) is an AI, computer diagnostic kit. is developing a smart plug and in 2009, with generous support space for entrepreneurs, it won the National Award for innovations and start-ups from attempt using intraoperative vision, automation and Upsoil Technologies patch system that facilitates from the Government of India’s works with budding innovators Technology Business Incubation KIIT-TBI include: puncture path planning,100% behavioural analytics R&D has developed a portable, delivering multiple therapies at Department of Science and throughout their initial in 2017 from the Union Minister EzeRx is a medtech and percutaneous nephrolithotomy company. It has developed intelligent, rapid nutrient tester the site of a wound in di cult, Technology (DST), it was entrepreneurial journey. KIIT- for Science and Technology and biotech start up developing puncture accuracy and 100% SecureSound, an a ordable for soil health called Soil-Pen. rural settings. recognized as a Centre of TBI provides holistic support Earth Sciences. and manufacturing advanced safety from ionic radiation handheld ultrasound machine It quantitatively estimates soil Excellence in 2020. The primary from incubation seed-funding, medical devices, including a exposure. providing accessible point-of- nutrients, pH, temperature and focus of KIIT-TBI has been to capacity building and market- NORTH-EASTERN contactless portable device Miraqules MedSolutions care diagnostics services in salinity in a matter of minutes. nurture start-ups, facilitate access to business mentoring, START-UP GROWTH that can detect anaemia and has developed an anti-bleeding rural and urban India. Krea Foods and Beverages industry-academia interaction investor networking, assistance To augment the innovation predict liver and lung problems compound called StopBleed to Prantae Solutions has Private Limited is developing and to promote student in obtaining regulatory ecosystem in the north-eastern in less than fi ve seconds at a treat trauma. It can stop bleed- developed a diagnostic a novel asparaginase-based

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06_NRCM Advertorial_Odisha.indd All Pages 11/12/20 10:29 AM Feature PEERING THROUGH LAYERS OF TIME FOR STORIES OF THE PAST

Odisha’s rich history, depicted in monuments, manuscripts and archaeological excavations, is further revealed through shipwrecks off its coast. Anupam Sah* and Sila Tripati**

hough much is known about how Odisha uses archaeological science to reveal history in its monuments and excavations, not much has been explored of another rich source of history, the shipwrecks off its coast. Shipwrecks provide well- preserved information on maritime Ttrade, giving a glimpse of maritime and cultural conditions of a particular period. Shipwrecks and submerged ports merit more scientific exploration and excavation. People ventured out to sea from Odisha for marine resources as far back as 4,000 years ago, and were engaged in maritime activities from 800BC. Ancient seafarers of Odisha had deep knowledge of the sea’s winds, currents, and tides, and of shipbuilding. Most rivers of Odisha and their tributaries opening into the Bay of Bengal were suitable for navigation. Ancient ports and trade centres of Odisha — Tamralipti, Adams, Kosamba (in Pipili or Balasore), Tyndis (on Brahmani river), Dosaron (on Baitarani river), Nanigaina (in Puri), Katikardama (in Cuttack), Kannagara (in Konark), mouths of the rivers Manada (river Mahanadi), Minagara , Manikapatna, Palur, Che li ta lo and Khalkatapatna — had overseas trade relations at various historical points. Archaeologists have unearthed insights from these ports and trade centres that reveal Odisha’s maritime contacts with Roman Empire figures, south-east Asian countries, and the Red Sea coast. Discovery of various types of early pottery – northern black polished ware (NBPW), rouletted ware (RW) knobbed ware (KW) along with the depiction of a giraffe on the wall of Konark temple – bear testimony to these maritime links. Various factors contributed to the decline of Identifying pigments on a pattachitra with a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. ports, and a recent study shows the migration

12 | Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 of the estuary of the River Kushabhadra National Institute of Oceanography in Goa artists, beneath the paint layers. eroding the remains of Khalkatapatna port. discovered 7th century ship anchors and The other principal pigments prepared for Meteorological records indicate that several stone memoirs dedicated to battle heroes, these paintings are from minerals – the deep ships were wrecked along the Odisha coast and pieced together an untold saga of a historic red of hingula or cinnabar, and the bright between 1832 and 1900 by cyclones and storms. naval war off the coast of Odisha. yellow of haritala orpiment, as well as the The National Maritime Archives also record In the obscure village of Kanas, an ancient earth pigments — the red and yellow ochres. the centuries-old boatbuilding technology port city 25 kilometres from Chilika Lake, Asia’s The works are created on the smooth floors of Odisha. Craft come in a large variety – the biggest water lagoon, villagers ploughing of the artists’ homes, often in the room at the reverse clinker ‘Patia’, the flat bottom boats; a paddy field unearthed peculiar longish entrance. It is a colourful spectacle, with bright similarly, catamaran and padua (masulas) are stones with large holes, and antiquities that paints in bowls made of the smooth coconut two major types in the southern coast, which look like etched milestones. Archaeologists shells, home-made brushes for creating the are still prevalent along Odisha coast. dated these stones back to between 7th and finest of lines in black that they make by burning In 2008, marine archaeologists from the 9th century AD, presumably used to anchor oil lamps and collecting the soot, called lamp ships at this once busy port. They turned out black, one of the most ancient pigments, along to be ‘hero stones’, erected in remembrance with the ochres. Prehistoric designs featuring of heroes who lost their lives in naval battles, these ochres can be seen in rock art shelters of suggesting these were remnants of a naval Sundargarh and Jharsuguda districts of Odisha. war fought around the area. The findings The lines that form the Odishan script are correlated with the historical Odia text Paika Kheda which describes the training of soldiers and has a chapter dealing with naval wars. Some records say that the Gauda king Sasanka (619-620 AD) attacked and defeated the king of Odisha in the early 7th century AD. Sasanka ODISHA’S SEAFARERS was described as a staunch worshipper of the lord Shiva, and one of the hero stones depicted HAD A DEEP KNOWLEDGE a human worshipping the phallic symbol of Shiva. Anchors found in the area point to the OF SHIP BUILDING. economic and cultural relationships among people of different regions which had maritime relationship with Chilika, the 64-kilometre rounded, with hardly any edges, as these were brackish-water inshore lake connected to the first inscribed centuries ago on palm leaf folios. Bay of Bengal through a narrow mouth. There are millions of bundles of palm leaf Odisha’s shoreline is strewn with many manuscripts, on subjects ranging from poetry shells, some smooth, some cockled, and some to astrology, astronomy to grammar, and many like conches – the type easily identified as the of them are exquisitely illustrated. The National attribute of Jagannath, Odisha’s presiding Mission for Manuscripts of the Government of deity. Traditionally, these sea shells are burned India has been attempting to catalogue the in kilns to create quick lime to make pure white contents of these manuscripts for many years. plasters of buttery consistency. This is applied Much of the history of the land is documented in as a final smooth surface layer on the walls of these folios, following the same unbroken line of the temples and matthas, and on the walls of technique of using an iron stylus and incising the humble homes and edifices. writing on the leaf, and then rendering it visible Odisha’s artists have used these lime plasters by smearing lamp black on the leaf, and wiping in beautiful paintings, visible at about 100 sites the excess from the surface. in the state, in varying stages of dilapidation. The art history of this geologically ancient Mural painting in India is exemplified in the land is most visible in its thousands of laterite 2,000-year-old world heritage site near the and sandstone temples, some mighty and some village of Ajintha, and historical continuity can tiny, but all gems of architecture, engineering, be drawn by re-establishing the art form here. and artistry in delightful sculpture, the Scientists have analysed this lime plaster with traditions of which are alive even today. From x-ray diffraction studies and helped document adding medicinal plants to create lime plasters the components of traditional mortars. to preparing pastes from plants, every aspect The other use of the sea shells is for pigment, of the art of Odisha is intrinsically linked with dhaula, or white, in the millennia-old Indian nature, the seasons, and their products. painting tradition. After grinding, the white The study of the materials and techniques that results is mixed with the binder from the of Odisha’s heritage, its deterioration, and its wood apple tree (Limonia acidissima, local conservation, must be appreciated from the name kaintha), and is used to illustrate the point of view of intangible practices, as well as profusion of artefacts. Microchemical studies from the yardstick of technical studies. coupled with X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, assist in pigment identification just as Fourier *Head of art conservation, research and

CSMVS MUSEUM ART CONSERVATION CENTRE, MUMBAI CENTRE, CONSERVATION CSMVS MUSEUM ART Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy training, CSMVS Museum, Mumbai, India. indicates the binders used. Infrared imaging **CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, reveals the hidden drawings created by the Goa, India.

Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 | 13 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

KIIT-TBI Technology Transfer north-eastern and eastern re- The Boeing University Innova- today shape their ideas into the Office (TTO) gions find each other, forge part- tion Leadership Development disruptions of tomorrow in the nerships and advance technolo- Program (BUILD) fields of aerospace, IoT, aug- KIIT-TBI TTO office is one of five gy to the market in a win-win mented and virtual reality, robot- TTOs established with the sup- partnership. KIIT-TBI TTO is Boeing India's BUILD program is ics, advanced manufacturing port of the National Biopharma managed by professionals a unique aerospace innovation, and nextgen innovations. KIIT- Mission (NBM) with a view to having skills in technology man leadership and talent develop- TBI, with its strategic geographic strengthen technology transfer agement and have the neces- ment programme designed for location has impacted the capacity across the country. KIIT- sary digital tools for patent analy- students and budding entrepre- north-eastern and eastern region TBI TTO aims to help technology sis and management, licensing neurs. The BUILD programme in and has mapped and mentored developers and technology com- transactions management and collaboration with KIIT-TBI has many promising innovators REACHING THE UNREACHED mercialization entities across post-license monitoring. helped the young innovators of under the programme. Nurturing the ENTREPRENEURIAL LANDSCAPE in North-eastern and Eastern India.

In 2009, the KIIT Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI) was set up as an initiative of KIIT University and the first TBI in the State of Odisha. Since its inception, KIIT-TBI has been playing a leading role in nurturing the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the north-eastern and eastern parts of India as well as creating partnerships and linkages. In the last year, KIIT-TBI, with the support of the Government of India, has made systematic efforts to promote entrepreneurship in the region and has launched many north-eastern and eastern focused schemes encouraging youth to embrace entrepreneurship by providing capacity building and mentoring, and also helping the organizations interested in setting up bioincubators.

BRTC: BIRAC Regional make the region a hotspot for to existing local BioNEST incu- Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Techno Entrepreneurship technology driven innovation bator networks. The first Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Promotion Centre and startups. north-eastern BIG callout re- West Bengal. More than 1,600 ceived an overwhelming re- women have been trained in the BRTC, also known as the BIRAC North-eastern focussed BIRAC sponse with 110 applications fundamentals of entrepreneur- Regional Techno Entrepreneur- Biotechnology Ignition Grant from: Assam, 75, Arunachal ship with the help of eminent ed- ship Promotion Centre, is a re- Pradesh, 2, Manipur, 12, ucators and mentors. With an gional BIRAC hub based at To augment the innovation and Mizoram, 2, Meghalaya, 9, Tripu- aim to mobilize women towards KIIT-TBI. Its vision is to promote entrepreneurship landscape, ra, 6, Sikkim, 3 and Nagaland,1, entrepreneurship, WING has BIRAC launched a special flag- entrepreneurship and innovation from a range of innovation sec- supported 1120+ women entre- A world class facility to across north-eastern and east ship programme for the tors, primarily healthcare, agri- preneurs to scale up/establish ern India. Through BRTC, north-eastern region, the Bio- culture and food biotechnolog their own enterprise. help start-ups go global. KIIT-TBI has helped more than technology Ignition Grant (BIG). 3000 innovators through road- shows, training programs and Technology Incubation and design workshops on various Development of Entrepreneur- Supported by Department of facets of innovation such as ship (TIDE 2.0) Science and Technology, product development, business Govt. of India. models, elevator pitches, patent TIDE 2.0 a startup funding pro- and regulatory compliance, and gram from MeitY, Government of social innovation. As per the India, to strengthen technology BIRAC mandate, 70% of the pro- start-ups from east and north- grammes are conducted in the eastern regions in healthcare, north-eastern region of India and education, agriculture, cleantech 30% across the eastern region. and other emerging areas. TIDE Further, although many incuba- 2.0 provides a complete guid- tors in these regions have ance including financial support evolved in the last few years with in form of EIR Rs 400,000 the support of the government, (US$5400) and grant Rs KIIT TBI has been recognized as only a few incubators have 700,000 (US$9500) for nascent a center of excellence by the Na- become self-sustaining and up- startups and innovators to fill in tional Science and Technology scaled their operations. There the gap between ideation and Entrepreneurship Development fore, KIIT-TBI BRTC also seeks prototyping. Sixty-seven applica- Board (NSTEDB), Department of to assist and guide interested or- tions were received for the TIDE Science and Technology, Gov- ganizations in the region to es- 2.0 EIR programme and four po- ernment of India. The National tablish new bioincubators. tential candidates were selected Initiative for Developing and Har- The ten best proposals will be for the fellowship. Similarly, for nessing Innovations (NIDHI) is KIIT-TBI, as a mentor incubator, WING: Women Rise Together helps other potential incubators awarded Rs 2.5 million the TIDE 2.0 Grant Program, 97 an umbrella programme con- in on-boarding their first start-ups (US$34,000) in 24 months to applications were received and ceived by the DST. The NIDHI and developing targeted pro- translate their ideas into a mini- four were awarded alongside the COE will help strengthen and grammes for them until they mal viable prototype. KIIT-TBI is grant. For the TIDE 2.0 Fellows scale-up KIIT-TBI activities and become sustainable. A strong the lone BIG implementation and Grantees, bootcamps are support potential start-ups collaboration has been forged partner and will reach out to uni- organized for the on boarded in- working in digital health and with the leading institutes in the versities and R&D institutes novators on pre-market study, precision agriculture in translat- north-east such as Tripura Uni- across the north-east to identify user-persona, product/idea vali- ing technological innovations versity, CSIR-NEIST, NEHU, potential innovators and provide dation, business modelling and into marketable products and Mizoram University and the help in the form of one-on-one pitch deck development by high-growth companies. Green Foundation hoping to mentoring and introductions domain specific experts.

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Article Land use and land cover change effect on surface temperature over Eastern India

Partha Pratim Gogoi1, V. Vinoj 1, D. Swain 1, G. Roberts2, J. Dash2 & S. Tripathy3

First published in Scientific Reports 9:8859 (2019) doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-45213-z (© Springer Nature 2019)

Land use and land cover (LULC) change has been shown to have significant effect on climate through various pathways that modulate land surface temperature and rainfall. However, few studies have illustrated such a link over the Indian region using observations. Through a combination of ground, satellite remote sensing and reanalysis products, we investigate the recent changes to land surface temperature in the Eastern state of Odisha between 1981 and 2010 and assess its relation to LULC. Our analysis reveals that the mean temperature of the state has increased by ~0.3 °C during the past three decades with the most accelerated warming (~0.9 °C) occurring during the recent decade (2001 to 2010). Our study shows that 25 to 50% of this observed overall warming is associated with LULC. Further we observe that the spatial pattern of LULC changes matches well with the independently estimated warming associated with LULC suggesting a physical association between them. This study also reveals that the largest changes are linked to changing vegetation cover as evidenced by changes to both LULC classes and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Our study shows that the state has undergone an LULC induced warming which accounts for a quarter of the overall temperature rise since 2001. With the expected expansion of urban landscape and concomitant increase in anthropogenic activities along with changing cropping patterns, LULC linked changes to surface temperature and hence regional climate feedback over this region necessitates additional investigations.

The surface temperatures are increasing emissions20,25,26 which can modify the surface globally as a consequence of anthropogenic temperature through both direct and indirect climate change. However, it is known that effects, thereby modulating rainfall which observed changes are a result of both cli- can also result in droughts or floods through mate forcing and numerous other feedbacks changes to extreme events under certain including LULC. The LULC could change as a favorable circumstances18. response to climate and also act as a feedback. Over the Indian region, there are only In addition to these natural forcing and feed- a few scientific investigations that have back cycles, there are also additional aspects attempted to discern LULC induced tem- that are linked to anthropogenic activities. perature changes, but they are either limited This results in further modification to the to the major metropolitan cities6,11,20,23,27–33 LULC and meteorological responses there- or have only focused on aspects related to upon1–10. These LULC changes and their urbanization3,4,34–38. For example, the surface effects are mostly discernible over regions temperature over western India is found to having higher population density, industrial- be warming by ~0.13 °C/decade due to the ization, urbanization, deforestation, agricul- combined effect of greenhouse gases and tural diversification etc. Thus, the most visible LULC change of which ~50% was attributed 1School of Earth, Ocean and Climate effect of anthropogenic activities regionally to LULC change27. Also, in 2001 an area cov- Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology and locally are changes in the LULC which ering 26.4% of New Delhi had a diurnal tem- Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 752050, India. 2 Geography and modifies the surface energy balance which in perature range (DTR) below 11 °C whereas in Environmental Science, University turn affects the surface temperature altering 2011 65.3% of New Delhi had a DTR below of Southampton, Southampton, the region’s micro-climate5,8,11–17. 11 °C which was attributed to the increase in SO171BJ, UK. 3Department of Geology The changes in LULC also modulate the built up area by 53%24,29,31,39,40. Furthermore, and Geophysics, Indian Institute of incidence of heat/cold waves, clouds and rain- the LULC has also been linked to Indian Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India. Correspondence and requests for fall patterns18–24. In addition, LULC change monsoon rainfall changes18,25. Studies link- materials should be addressed to V.V. have also been linked to atmospheric aerosol ing LULC to surface temperature changes are (email: [email protected])

Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 | 17 Article

Figure 1. (a) The climatological annual mean surface temperature (°C) over Odisha during the period 1981 to 2010 (Source: University of Delaware). The inset map of the study area shows Odisha state with locations of all IMD observation sites (black) along with district headquarters (blue). The striped region represents areas that lie 500 m above mean sea level (Source: NGDC, NOAA). The numbers on the spatial plot represent serial numbers of the stations. (details are given in Supplementary Table S3) (b–e) shows the time series (10 point running mean) of the maximum, minimum, mean temperature and diurnal temperature range anomaly for all stations (averaged) within the plains (Source: IMD station datasets. See Table S3). The grey shaded region in (b–e) represent standard deviation. The map was generated using MATLAB 2015b, www.mathworks.com.

limited over Eastern India though this region as LULC and those due to regional and global to have large inter-decadal variability. A sep- is among the most rapidly changing landscape climate change. aration into three decades (starting 1981, over the entire Indian region41. The region is 1991 and 2001) shows that during the first also rich in mineral deposits and its contin- Results and Discussion decade (1981 to 1990) the mean temperature ued exploitation for mineral wealth has accel- for sites below 500 m above mean sea level erated LULC change in the past few decades. Trends in surface temperature. The (amsl) decreased by ~−0.7 °C whereas, in the In addition, Odisha being one of the most Indian subcontinent is characterized by large subsequent decades (1991 to 2000 and 2001 natural disaster prone regions of India, a very spatio-temporal variability in meteorological to 2010) an increase in temperature of ~1 °C few studies have investigated the relationship parameters displaying large annual, inter-an- and ~0.8 °C respectively was found (Fig. 2 between LULC change and surface tempera- nual, seasonal and decadal variability in sur- and Table S1). Low values in the mean tem- ture, heat waves, extreme rainfall etc. face temperature. In this section, the observed perature trend are partly a consequence of In this paper, we investigate the surface trends in temperatures both on an annual differences in the maximum and minimum temperature changes over the state of Odisha and inter-decadal basis are discussed. It is temperatures. For example, though maximum using long term ground, satellite and rea- found that the state of Odisha had undergone temperature was steadily increasing over the nalysis datasets and explore its relation to a warming of ~0.3 °C during 1981 to 2010 region, minimum temperature was found to LULC changes. We investigate whether the and that the trend in surface temperature is be decreasing during 1981 to 1990. However, surface temperature has increased and, if so, positive irrespective of the meteorological within these sub-periods, both of the recent whether this is in response to changes in land station location (coastal or non-coastal) and decades show that minimum temperatures are cover and/or changes in climate. Then mul- altitude (high altitude or the plains). These increasing at different rates. It is evident that tiple line of evidences are used to link LULC trends were found to be statistically signif- the recent two decades show a clear increase to observed spatial and temporal pattern of icant at 95% confidence level in most of the in both minimum (~1.2 °C) and maximum temperature. This would help in establishing cases (Fig. 1 and Supplementary Information, (~0.13 °C) temperatures which is reflected by changes associated with local activities such Table S1). The temperatures were also found the increasing mean temperature. However,

18 | Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 Figure 2. Decadal temperature trends over Odisha (a) Annual (b) December-January-February (DJF) (c) March-April-May (MAM) (d) June- July-August (JJA) (e) September-October-November (SON) (Source: IMD station datasets below 500 m amsl). Black dots in the plot represent statistical significance at 95% confidence level. The map was generated using MATLAB 2015b, www.mathworks.com.

the most interesting aspect is that the diurnal seasonal timescales and indicate that the explore these temperature changes and their temperature range (DTR), which is observed changes in temperature are forced on large spatial patterns to assess the potential influ- to be increasing during the 1980’s by ~1.16 °C spatial and temporal scales. Figure 2 indi- ence of land use. has decreased by ~−0.46 °C and ~−1.19 °C cates that between 1981 and 1990 the tem- between the second (1991–2000) and third perature reduced by 0.3 to 0.9 °C depending Spatial pattern of trends. Using (2001–2010) decades respectively in areas on season and this is evident both on annual the IMD gridded datasets, we find that the below 500 m amsl (Table S1, Fig. 1b–e). These and seasonal scales. spatial pattern of the trends adhere to the indicate that the overall trends are larger for However, the region has warmed up since inferences made using meteorological sta- low altitude stations in comparison to those 1991 (~0.4 to 0.9 °C). It may be noted that tion datasets (Fig. 3). at higher altitudes. In order to determine analysis based on both gridded and station Overall, the major finding is that between whether these findings are spatially consistent datasets show similar trends on cooling and 1981 and 1990 a cooling trend is evident across the entire state or result from urban- warming during the first and subsequent whereas the subsequent decades show the ization/LULC signatures we have used grid- two decades respectively. However the inverse to this. The spatial patterns and their ded climate datasets from IMD, University magnitude of the trends differ. The largest temporal variability within different decades of Delaware (UDel) and NCEP/NCAR rate of increase in temperature is observed are similar for the average mean, minimum and Reanalysis–1. Also, to assess the impact of in the June to August (JJA) and September maximum temperatures. In contrast, the diur- El-Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, to November (SON) periods whilst the nal temperature range (DTR) shows oppos- years with extreme ENSO events (1982, 1983, least is observed for December to February ing trends with an increase during the decade 1997 and 1998) were removed from the anal- (DJF) period. Similar characteristics are starting 1981 and a decrease in the subsequent ysis. It may be mentioned that the results also evident in the trends in maximum and decades. In addition, the increase in minimum with and without ENSO years are consist- minimum temperatures and that, irrespec- temperature is also more widespread spatially. ent (Supplementary Information, Table S5). tive of season, the minimum temperature This may indicate that the changes to surface Overall, our analysis reveals that the surface is increasing at a much faster rate than the temperature could be driven by climate change, temperatures over the state has been increas- maximum temperature since 1991 (Fig. 2). overwhelming the LULC impacts. However, a ing since 1981 (Fig. 1b–e). Studies have shown that the rapid rate of warming trend is observed in the most recent change in minimum temperature over more decade over Odisha state and to determine Seasonality of trends in surface tem- than 70% of the global land surface could be whether this is linked to LULC change we uti- perature. We find that the observations linked to climate change40. However, those lize the widely used OMR technique which is and inferences made based on annual and changes arising out of LULC are expected to detailed in the methodology section. decadal timescales are also applicable to be more localized in space and we therefore

Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 | 19 Article

The role of LULC in the observed warming. The OMR was calculated at a spatial resolution of 0.5° for the whole state of Odisha which is shown in Fig. 4 for the different decades. The first decade since 1981 dis- plays a declining trend in OMR of ~−0.04 °C/ year over the whole state. Though positive OMR are related to either urbanization or LULC linked changes, negative values are not directly related to these changes and could result from issues associated with the development of the reanalysis datasets that assimilate observations from surface and satellite measurements. The advent of satellite measurements and its assimilation in reanalysis or changes to the instrumentation, or both these factors combined could alter reanalysis results thereby impacting the OMR calculations and hence the negative values42. We therefore do not explore this decade further which is cooling since 1981 in our analysis. However, the past two decades since 1991 show a clear increasing trend of OMR over Odisha especially over West which shifts to the East during the most recent decade (since 2001). An interesting aspect is that the highest increasing trend of OMR (~0.04 °C/ year) coincides with the location of cities such as Bhubaneswar and Cuttack (which are the densely populated cities) and are also to the East of the state (Figs 1a and 4c). The city of Bhubaneswar is among the fastest growing tier 2 cities in India and suggests that the OMR trend indicates the impact of LULC/urbanization. The OMR has been shown to be a robust method to detect urbanization/LULC impacts on surface temperatures10,43–45. To further Figure 3. Decade-wise temperature trend of: (a–c)- Mean (University of Delaware) strengthen this finding, we explore whether (d–f)- Mean (IMD) (g–i)- Maximum (IMD) (j–l)- Minimum (IMD) (m–o)- DTR (IMD). the highest OMR trends are coincident with White circles in the plot represent statistical significance at 95% confidence level. The map was the largest LULC changes. It may be noted here generated using MATLAB 2015b, www.mathworks.com. that further analysis are mostly carried out for the last decade due to availability of validated LULC dataset over the Indian region. In addition, even other supplementary datasets are expected to be better from various sources due to the availability/assimilation of data of highest quality since year 2000 from earth observ- ing system (EOS) satellites.

The LULC change analysis. Our analysis reveals that the largest LULC changes occur over the NE part of the state (Fig. 5c) which shows the number of pixels that have undergone a change from the earlier clas- Figure 4. OMR trends over Odisha during the period (a) 1981–1990 (b) 1991–2000 sification (Fig. 5c) at a spatial resolution of (c) 2001–2010. White circles in the plot represent statistical significance at 95% confidence 10 km. This was necessary due to heteroge- level. The map was generated using MATLAB 2015b, www.mathworks.com. neous land use and land cover change in the

20 | Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 region and also to highlight the spatial extent LULC classes and their changes. It is found and changing cropping patterns41,46–48. The of these changes better. We have therefore not that there is a decrease in green vegetation largest changes are associated with vegetation specifically targeted any land use/cover type, over the state of Odisha (Supplementary (Kharif, Rabi crops, Fallow lands, Grasslands, but only investigated the land cover change Information, Fig. S1). We also carried out a Plantations etc.). Table S2 details the individ- during the study period. Therefore, the detailed analysis to understand changes of dif- ual changes (in terms of area & percentages) change analysis refers to those areas (number ferent land use categories using the Advanced to each LULC class. Several studies have also of pixels) where land has undergone change Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) datasets between revealed the role of agriculture in changing over the period 2004 to 2010. Overall, we find the periods 2004 to 2010 which coincides the vegetation pattern thereby altering the that the LULC change map matches well with with the latest decade discussed in previous characteristics of local meteorological param- the OMR trends shown in Fig. 4c during the sections. Our analysis reveals (Supplementary eters19,49,50. Our analysis using the NDVI for recent decade since 2001. This provides us Information, Fig. S1, Table S2) that Rabi the period (2001 to 2010) further reveals con- an independent confirmation that the OMR Crop (October to March) cultivation has sistent patterns, with large decrease in vege- and its spatial pattern is due to temperature increased (~97%) over the state of Odisha tation (Fig. 6) especially over the eastern part changes associated with LULC change. Now, during 2004 to 2010. This has occurred at the of the state. the question is what caused these LULC cost of decrease in the Kharif Crops (July to This further confirms that the change in changes? We therefore quantified individual October) showing agricultural diversification surface temperature are mostly a consequence of LULC change which is also evidenced by our change analysis using satellite based land cover classification. It may be mentioned that the change in NDVI pattern also coincides with the OMR pattern and LULC change pattern. These multiple line of evidences support the notion that the LULC change is associated with the changes to green cover and is related to vegetation or cropping patterns.

Quantification of LULC linked temperature changes and urbanization. In the previous sections we found that the sur- Figure 5. Land Use and Land Cover during (a) 2004 (b) 2010 (c) # LULC change (2010–2004) face temperature increased due to land sur- using AWiFS. The map was generated using MATLAB 2015b, www.mathworks.com. Classes: face changes during the period 2001–2010 A-Urban/Built Up, B-Kharif Crop, C-Rabi Crop, D-Zaid Crop, E-Double Crop, F-Current and is maximum over the eastern part of Fallow, G-Plantation, H-Evergreen, I-Deciduous, J-Shurbland, K-Swamp, L-Grassland, Odisha. The pattern of OMR, LULC and M-Other Wasteland, N-Gullies, O-Scrubland, P-Water Bodies, Q-Snow, R-Shifting Cultivation. (Source: AWiFS LULC product of 1 km spatial resolution). NDVI trends are all spatially coincident suggesting that the land use changes associated with green vegetation cover have led to the observed warming. However, urban growth may also alter temperature locally and to quantify relationship between LULC induced changes to temperature trends from the overall warming and to explore the signatures of urbanization, we calculated the percentages of the OMR’s LULC induced warming trends in relation to the total observed warming for all district headquarters over Odisha. The results indicate that the percentage of temperature rise due to OMR with respect to observations is highest over the urban centres. For example, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar being the most populous cities of Odisha experience temperature increase of ~40% and ~50% respec- Figure 6. Trend of Normal Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) during 2001 to 2010 (a) tively during the period 2001–2010 (Fig. 7b) Annual (b) Winter (Dec to February, DJF) (c) Pre-monsoon (March to May, MAM) (d) followed by Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajapur. The Monsoon (June to August, JJA) and (e) Post-monsoon (September to November, SON). smaller rate of increase in the NNR dataset × Source: MODIS –Terra (5.6 5.6 km). The map was generated using MATLAB 2015b, www. as compared to observation dataset in the mathworks.com. past two decades has clearly signified that

Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 | 21 Article

the surface temperature has increased mostly because of the LULC change. The largest rise for larger cities rather than smaller towns (Fig. 7a,b) highlights the additional impact of urbanization in the OMR analysis.

Physical mechanism. The important parameters modulating LST are surface level soil moisture content and vegetation cover. Changes to these can alter the soil thermal properties and evapotranspiration. It is known that rise in the soil moisture leads to rise in the soil thermal capacity, conductiv- ity and inertia thereby slowing the rise in the LST. In addition, surface heat fluxes such as Figure 7. (a) Temperature rise during 2001–2010 due to LULC changes over Odisha (°C). the Latent Heat Flux (LHF) and Sensible Heat (b) Percentage of temperature rise during 2001–2010 due to LULC changes over Odisha. Flux (SHF) get modified with changes to land (OMR in terms of percentage with respect to station observations). The map was generated use. LHF (SHF) increases (decreases) with using MATLAB 2015b, www.mathworks.com. increasing vegetation leading to a decrease in LST3–5,7,8,17,23,25,51–56. We therefore also explored changes to LHF and SHF. Our analysis reveals that the regions in the world. This shows that more Kharif and increased Rabi crops) changes to both LHF (decreasing) and SHF detailed investigations are urgently required appears to be the leading cause for these (increasing) favors warming over Eastern part to understand land use related changes to LULC changes which exacerbates the of Odisha (Fig. 8). Thus it can be confidently local and regional climate as several regions warming trend. stated that the OMR patterns for the period are undergoing rapid transformation as a 2001 to 2010, are consistent with those of result of developmental activities exacer- Data and Methods the LULC, NDVI, SHF and LHF. Therefore, bating the effects of modern climate change. the spatial pattern of temperature changes Thus, for the first time over Eastern India this Study domain. The state of Odisha with a during the most recent decade are primarily study has integrated surface, satellite and rea- population of ~42 million59 lies in the Eastern driven by LULC changes over the Eastern part nalysis datasets to reveal that, part of India, extending approximately from of the state. However, the largest observed 81°E to 88°E and 17°N to 23°N (Fig. 1a) and LULC linked changes are over the cities where 1. The state of Odisha has warmed by about is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal to the urbanization further enhances the LULC sig- ~0.3 °C during the period 1981 to 2010 East and the Indian peninsula to the west. natures thereby showing the largest percent- with accelerated warming of ~0.9 °C The region has a tropical climate resulting in age wise increase in temperatures (Fig. 7). during the recent decade 2001 to 2010. high surface temperature during the months 2. The minimum temperature is increas- of April and May even leading to heat waves. Summary and Conclusion ing at a rate higher than that of mean On a climatological basis, most of the state and maximum temperature since 2001 has a mean temperature >26 °C annually with The LULC/urbanization induced surface irrespective of location or altitude. It is lower temperatures observed over high alti- temperature rise has become a common phe- also observed that there is a corre- tude locations (Fig. 1a). Odisha experiences nomenon all across the globe though the rate sponding decrease in DTR during the an annual average rainfall of ~1500 mm pri- of change depends upon several external fac- recent decade. marily from the south-west monsoon during tors such as latitude, forest cover, soil type, 3. A quarter of this warming is associat- June to September60. In addition, it is also mitigation practices etc. It may be noted that ed with LULC. However, over urban influenced by the monsoon depressions and LULC change has been attributed to increased centers such as Bhubaneswar and tropical cyclones that makes landfall from the surface temperatures in Eastern China, Cuttack, this fraction is as high as half Bay of Bengal both during pre-monsoon and USA, Europe, and India24,27,28,31,36,39,43–45,57,58. of the total warming. post-monsoon seasons. Despite varied locations, it is observed that 4. There has been a general decreasing the rate of increase in most of these places is trend in NDVI over the Eastern part of Datasets. A combination of station, sat- ~0.1 °C/decade which is comparable to that of the state during the period 2001 to 2010 ellite and reanalysis datasets over the past our study. Though the LULC induced warm- associated with increasing SHF and 30 years (1981 to 2010) are used to identify ing has emerged over this region only in the decreasing LHF. changes in surface temperature and its rela- past couple of decades, we find that in terms 5. Overall the LULC induced warming is a tionship to land use and land cover (LULC). of LULC induced temperature rise, Eastern result of changing vegetation cover. The The identification of LULC forced changes is India is no less than any other developed changing cropping patterns (decreased based on the widely used observation minus

22 | Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 Figure 8. Change in (a) Latent Heat Flux and (b) Sensible Heat Flux during the period 2001–2010 (in Wm−2). Source: NCEP CFSv2 forecast product (30 km × 30 km). The map was generated using MATLAB 2015b, www.mathworks.com. reanalysis (OMR) technique. To character- best available datasets which were further observations. OMR relates the change in ize the change in temperature, we have used evaluated and edited before Digital Elevation the temperature trend due to LULC by sub- measurements of daily mean, maximum and Model (DEM) generation68. tracting NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis-1 (NNR) minimum temperature at 29 stations (Fig. 1a The sensible and latent heat flux datasets from the observation. The NNR product66 and Table S3). In addition, we have also used from NCEP Climate Forecast System Version was developed without assimilating sur- daily gridded datasets from IMD61,62 and 2 (CFS v2) were used to detect changes in face parameters viz. surface temperature, University of Delaware63 to explore the spa- surface energy exchange. The NCEP CFS v2 moisture and winds13,43–45 effectively mak- tial patterns of temperature changes. The is a consistent and stably calibrated forecast ing it insensitive to local surface changes. University of Delaware gridded mean tem- product. It provides a continuity of the cli- Therefore, any trend in OMR may be attrib- perature datasets were developed using sur- mate data record with predictability of sea- uted to the impact of urbanization or change face measurements such as those from Global sonal and sub-seasonal scale features69. The in LULC27,35,37,45,53,70,71. The premise here is Historical Climate Network64,65 (GHCN). We NDVI dataset were obtained from MODIS– that observational trends are modulated by have used NCEP-NCAR Reanalysis-1 (NNR) Terra (MOD13C2) to determine changes all processes including large scale (modern surface temperature datasets66 primarily for in green vegetation cover. The MOD13C2 climate change) and local forcing such as the calculation of OMR. is derived using atmospherically corrected LULC change, but the NNR product includes The land use classification and their cloud free surface reflectance observations. large scale forcing but not LULC change. change is inferred from the Indian Remote Additional details about these datasets, their Therefore, the difference in their trends will Sensing Satellite (IRS) satellite Resourcesat-1 spatial and temporal resolution and period highlight the impact of LULC change. (P6), Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) of observation are provided in Table S4 The decadal trends in all parameters were derived gridded datasets (from ISRO’s Bhuvan (Supplementary Information). calculated using a simple linear fitting tested data portal, https://bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in/) for against parametric student t-test for statistical the period 2004 and 2010. This is a gridded Calculation of OMR and trends. To significance. The observed changes/trends in product developed and validated for use with quantify the increase in temperature due to station datasets are compared with both grid- mesoscale models67 for regional climate appli- changes in LULC we have used Observation ded and satellite retrieved products depending cations specifically over India. In addition, minus Reanalysis (OMR) technique devel- on availability and accessibility of the datasets the topography dataset was obtained from oped by Kalnay and Cai (2003)45. This during the study period for consistency. National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), technique has been widely used to discern sig- NOAA to identify stations suitable for OMR natures related to land use changes and urban- analysis. This dataset was generated from the ization on surface temperature10,17,27,43–45 from

Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 | 23 Article

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Impact of an improved WRF urban vide a link to the Creative Commons license, canopy model on diurnal air temperature and indicate if changes were made. The simulation over northern Taiwan. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 16, 1809–1822 (2016). Acknowledgements images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative 57. Chrysanthou, A., Van Der Schrier, G., Van Den The authors would like to acknowledge the Commons license, unless indicated otherwise Besselaar, E. J. M., Klein Tank, A. M. G. & India Meteorological Department (IMD), in a credit line to the material. If material is Brandsma, T. The effects of urbanization on the rise of the European temperature since 1960. Giovanni-NASA, Bhuvan-ISRO, NGDC not included in the article’s Creative Com- Geophys. Res. Lett. 41, 7716–7722 (2014). (NOAA) and NCEP-NCAR for providing mons license and your intended use is not 58. Yi-Ling, H., Bao-De, C., Xu-Chao, Y. & Ping, L. all the datasets free of cost. The authors permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds Observed Climate Change in East China during acknowledge UDel_AirT_Precip data the permitted use, you will need to obtain 1961–2007. Adv. Clim. Chang. Res. 4, 84–91 (2013). provided by the NOAA/OAR/ESRL PSD, permission directly from the copyright Boulder, Colorado, USA, from their web holder. To view a copy of this license, visit 59. Census India. Census India Report 2011. (2011). site at https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/. The http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. 60. Gouda, K., Sahoo, S., Samantray, P. & Shivappa, H. authors also thank IIT Bhubaneswar for Comparative Study of Monsoon Rainfall providing all the necessary infrastructure © The Author(s) 2019 Variability over India and the Odisha State. Climate 5, 1–16 (2017). for carrying out this study. Lastly, the authors would like to acknowledge DST- 61. Rajeevan, M. & Bhate, J. A high resolution daily UKIERI (UKIERI-DST-2014-15-046) and gridded rainfall dataset (1971-2005) for mesoscale ISRO-ARFI projects for providing financial meteorological studies. Curr. Sci. 96, 558–562 (2009). support to carry out some of the analysis used in the study. P.P.G. would like to thank 62. Srivastava, A. K., Rajeevan, M. & Kshirsagar, S. R. MHRD, Government of India for providing Development of a high resolution daily gridded fellowship for his graduate research. The temperature data set (1969 – 2005) for the Indian region. Atmos. Sci. Lett. 10, 249–254 (2009). authors also gratefully acknowledge the constructive reviews by Prof. Dev Niyogi and 63. Matsuura, K. & Wilmott, C. The Climate Data the anonymous reviewers whose comments

Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 | 25 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

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MAHANADI DELTA HIGH-RISK ZONE FOR EXTREME EVENTS

The northern part of the Mahanadi delta in eastern India is a high-risk zone for severe cyclones and heavy floods, researchers at Jadavpur

ESO/L. CALÇADA ESO/L. University have found. The densely populated GLIMPSE OF PLANETS Mahanadi delta in Odisha AROUND A is drained by three rivers — MULTI-STAR SYSTEM Mahanadi, Brahmani and Baitarani — that flow into the Astronomers have discovered Bay of Bengal. three proto-planets orbiting Floods and cyclones are the around GG Tau A, a multiple-star most common extreme events system, located about 489 light in this delta, with about 2–3 years away from Earth. flood events every year. The The researchers say the flood hazard in the study was proto-planets would eventually assessed using the flow rate

form planets, and this discovery of water and artificial neural / SHUTTERSTOCK ARTOGRAPHY may shed light on how planets networks. The probability of Chilka ferrodiorite form around multiple star the storms was also simulated systems.Scientists have detected for various time periods. numerous planets around single In the case of flood events GEOLOGISTS REVISE older,” says lead researcher, stars such as the Sun, but little that have a 1% probability of AGE OF CHILKA Nilanjan Chatterjee. is known about planets around occurrence in one year, the study The team interpreted multiple-star systems. found that a 7m storm surge (the ROCKS the 792-million-year age of Scientists, including Liton rise in sea level due to cyclone) Geologists scouring the Chilka ferrodiorite to correspond with Majumdar, an astronomer from could affect 95% of the population Lake region in Orissa have come an event related to the close the National Institute of Science and 88% cropland in the delta’s up with evidence to suggest approach of the Eastern Ghats- Education and Research in low-lying northern region. that certain igneous rocks there Rayner block and Australia Odisha, scanned the Taurus star- The northern districts have a crystallized 983 million years believed to have happened forming region using an array of high dependence on agriculture ago, about 200 million years 792-655 million years ago. radio telescopes in the Atacama (71%), and a high percentage earlier than previously thought. The ferrodiorite may have Desert of Chile. of kutcha (mud brick) houses The scientists used uranium- originated with the anorthosite They say that one of the proto- (50–70%), making them more lead zircon dating to come around 983 million years ago planets, lying at almost 10 times vulnerable to extreme events. to the conclusion that the and metamorphosed around the Sun-Neptune distance from Dykes, storm-surge barriers, Chilka anorthosite, a plutonic 792 million years ago. “Or it the star system, is sucking in gas vegetation canopy and salt- igneous rock crystallized may have originated around and dust from a surrounding tolerant crop species are among from mantle-derived magma 792 million years ago. This disk. This has created a ‘hot adaptation strategies proposed that intruded the doubly needs further investigation,” spot’ rich in carbon monoxide. by the authors. deformed crust. Both crustal Chatterjee says. They have also detected a spiral deformations took place before The finding is significant to pattern, brightest at the hot-spot the anorthosite crystallized 983 how massif type anorthosite- location, just outside the dust million years ago. ferrodiorite associations ring, probably produced by one Some previous workers had formed. Anorthosite massifs of the proto-planets. determined the age of the Chilka are unique geological features The absence of a clear gap in ferrodiorite, a rock usually that mostly formed more dust at the planet site means its associated with anorthosite, as than one billion years ago. mass is much lower than that 792 million years and presumed In the Adirondocks of New of Jupiter, but close to that of that the anorthosite was also York, anorthosite massifs Neptune, suggesting planets of the same age. “We directly and ferrodiorite seem to have around this mass may form in determined the age of the formed simultaneously. But at dense circumbinary disks orbiting anorthosite and found it is Chilka, there may be around a

binary stars, says Majumdar. / SHUTTERSTOCK ARTOGRAPHY actually about 200 million years 200-million-year interval.

28 | Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 For the latest research published by Nature visit: nature.com www.nature.com/ latestresearch

ZIRCON CRYSTALS PROBIOTIC TRIAL breast milk. The team followed the infants by tracking whether TRAPPED IN ODISHA TO PREVENT SEPSIS or not they were admitted to GRANITE IN INFANTS local hospitals for bacterial infections or other illnesses over A clinical trial on more than a 60-day period, and found that 4500 newborns in rural India the therapy reduced the risk of found that a ‘probiotic’ given sepsis or death by 40 percent in orally for one week after birth babies who took this concoction can help prevent sepsis, which for a week compared to those kills millions worldwide. on placebo. It even reduced the The trials, in villages of risk of pneumonia and other Odisha by a team of Indian and infections of the airways by US scientists, administered 34 percent, says their report, probiotics, bacteria which given suggesting that the “synbiotic in adequate amounts, can tune cocktail” may be altering the the body’s immune system and nature of the systemic immune offer protection from diseases. response, bolstering immunity The leading probiotics against infections other than commercially available are those arising from the gut. “Apart

DORLING KINDERSLEY / UIG / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY DORLING KINDERSLEYPHOTO / UIG SCIENCE generally drawn from a narrow from saving babies from sepsis Zircon crystals the oldest found in Indian soil range of organisms that may not and respiratory tract infection, work for all diseases. The key this type of intervention has is to find the right strains, and much wider ramification,” About 4.24 billion years old, and in the zircons could give us help them establish themselves Panigrahi told Nature India. “The barely the width of a human hair, valuable information about the in the gut. most relevant is its impact on tiny grains of zircon have been presence of liquid water in the For the Odisha baby trial, stunting. Stunted children are found trapped in a granite rock first few hundred million years researchers led by Pinaki Panigrahi destined to have low cognition in Odisha. Geologists say these of Earth’s history,” said lead at the University of Nebraska and chronic disease such as indestructible crystals may shed researcher of the Indian study, Medical Center in the US used a hypertention and diabetes in light on the first half-billion years Rajat Mazumder, from Curtin strain of Lactobacillus plantarum young adulthood.” of Earth’s history. University, Malaysia. isolated from the fecal matter of The affordable intervention — a The zircon crystals in the Zircons can also reveal healthy volunteers. The preventive week-long course costs just US$1 Kendujhar district of Odisha when the movement of Earth’s therapy tested on the babies, — would also reduce the use of are the oldest yet unearthed plate tectonics began. Such called synbiotic treatment, is a antibiotics, and slow the spread from Indian soil. Like Earth’s zircon-containing old rocks are combination of probiotic bacteria of drug-resistant infections, the oldest zircons — aged about being used to analyse various and fructooligosaccharide, a authors say. The Odisha trial only 4.4 billion years found in the planetary processes. plant-derived sugar chosen to included healthy full-term babies Jack Hills in Western Australia — Mazumder teamed up nourish the probiotic bacteria. and not weaker or pre-term they predate the first recorded with Trisrota Chaudhuri, a The ‘synbiotic cocktail’ was given babies, who are more prone to rocks on Earth, estimated to researcher at the Kolkata-based to the newborns two days after sepsis. Panigrahi says this needs be 3.9 billion years old. Zircon Indian Statistical Institute birth for a week in addition to to be tested in different settings. is a mix of silicon, oxygen and (and now with the Geological zirconium and can outlast the Survey of India), on a trip to magma rocks in which it is Champua, a small town in formed. Each crystal could be a Kendujhar that had previously snapshot of geological events yielded 3.6-billion-year-old from early Earth. zircon-containing rocks. They Scientists don’t fully collected samples from many understand the nature and rocks and, under microscope, composition of the Earth’s and detected the zircon earliest crust and how it evolved crystals. to form the outermost layer on With the help of Yusheng which we live. Zircons, the oldest Wan, a geologist from the minerals on Earth, preserve Chinese Academy of Geological robust records of chemical Sciences in Beijing, they were and isotopic characteristics of able to date two zircon crystals the rocks in which they form. back to 4.24 and 4.03 billion

“Studying oxygen isotopes years. PINAKI PANIGRAHI

Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 | 29 Research highlights GLOWING AIR POLLUTION NANOPROBE DETECTS DIVIDEND DURING MERCURY IN FISH LOCKDOWN Researchers have synthesised a light-emitting nanoprobe that can detect minute traces of mercury in various water samples, bacteria and small fish, and remove the toxic metal. The nanoprobe has potential for monitoring mercury levels BLOOD DONORS in fish that transport mercury to humans when eaten. SHOULD BE SCREENED Industrial processes leak TWICE FOR HEPATITIS B mercury into the environment, where it accumulates in fish and Screening blood donors only for other aquatic animals. Existing the hepatitis B surface antigen techniques for detecting mercury HBsAg, does not protect the are expensive and complex. public blood supply against Scientists from the National the hepatitis B virus (HBV), Institute of Technology in according to a study undertaken Rourkela and Orissa University in Ganjam, Odisha. of Agriculture and Technology The authors of a study by in Bhubaneswar, invented the the Indian Council of Medical nanoprobe using modified Research, National Institute of carbon quantum dots and iron Cholera and Enteric Diseases and oxide nanoparticles. They tested Jadavpur University, have called its efficiency in monitoring for a second line of screening for mercury in different water blood donors. samples and in fish. Researchers tested 729 HBsAg The researchers, led by negative or antiHBc positive Biswaranjan Paital, found that donors to detect any presence of the nanoprobe emitted a faint occult HBV infection. Occult HBV green signal in the absence of infection is potentially infectious mercury. However, the green The levels of various air Nitrogen dioxide levels, they HBV DNA in the liver, serum, signal became intense in the pollutants, particularly that found, went down by 13% during or both, in people without presence of mercury, growing of nitrogen dioxide and the lockdown period compared detectable HBsAg. AntiHBc is stronger with increasing aerosol particles, decreased with that of the pre-lockdown the only seromarker for HBV mercury concentration. considerably during the first period. They also observed a infection. Around 30% HBsAg The nanoprobe exhibited COVID-19 lockdown period in 41 19% reduction in nitrogen oxide negative donors turned out to be an insignificant signal in the Indian cities. levels during the lockdown antiHBc positive. presence of metal ions such as Analysing satellite data, period as compared with those Despite testing donors for sodium, potassium, magnesium an international team of dates in 2019. HBsAg, transfusion-linked HBV and calcium, indicating that researchers found that nitrogen The nitrogen dioxide continues to be a major problem. it could selectively bind to dioxide levels fell significantly reduction was higher in New HBV infection is detected by mercury ions in a solution. during the lockdown period Delhi, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, screening with a commercial Since the nanoprobe contains (25 March to 3 May 2020), Nagpur, Gandhinagar and enzyme immuno assay, but this magnetic nanoparticles, a compared with the three Mumbai than in coastal cities. The has sometimes failed due to the mercury-attached nanoprobe months before lockdown. cities in north-east India showed presence of occult HBV infection. could be separated using an The researchers, including an increase in nitrogen dioxide The authors used samples external magnet. scientists from the Utkal levels because of vegetation fires. from the only blood bank in At high concentrations, the University in Odisha and the Tata The nitrogen dioxide the Ganjam district, a region nanoprobe was non-toxic to Energy Research Institute in New levels, however, decreased with high HIV rates, to evaluate bacteria, showing that it is Delhi, analysed data recorded exponentially as the distance the prevalence of occult HBV biocompatible. It successfully by an instrument onboard from the city centre increased, infection among the HBsAg monitored mercury levels in the European Space Agency’s they report. negative donations. They used different fish organs such as Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite. This study could help decision- an in-house nucleic test. gills, muscles, the liver and the The instrument, designed to makers arrive at efficient “Although additional antiHBc brain. It also detected mercury quantify the levels of various air air-quality management plans testing will see a large number of levels in bacteria, and tap and pollutants, helped measure the involving local stakeholders, the donors rejected, it will eliminate river water samples. atmospheric levels of nitrogen researchers say. HBV infected donations,” the dioxide and aerosol particles authors say in their paper. over major Indian cities.

30 | Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 Research highlights BIOFUEL FROM SHOCKING BACTERIA FOOD WASTE TO DEATH

Researchers have developed a new method to extract lipids from food waste that could be used to make biodiesel. In search of a way to reuse food waste, scientists from the National Institute of Technology in Rourkela, Odisha, collected food scraps from a hostel. They A METALLIC removed the water from the waste by drying it at 105 degrees COMPOUND FOR Celsius. Using organic solvents, COSMETIC THERAPY various lipids were extracted from the dried waste. These Researchers have synthesised a fatty acids were predominantly metallic compound that mimics palmitic and oleic acids, the functions of superoxide indicating that the waste has dismutase (SOD), a metal-based great potential to yield biodiesel. enzyme known to protect cells The food waste also contained by removing oxygen free radicals metals such as calcium, iron, in the tissues of humans and magnesium and zinc that could other living organisms1. have applications in the pharma The compound, the industry. The waste also showed researchers say, has the potential traces of chromium and copper. to be used in cosmetic therapy Food waste is a free resource for removing superoxide that can be recycled in an radical anion, a free radical that eco-friendly manner, thus damages cells. increasing energy production In humans, SODs are essential and reducing landfill demands, for the prevention of various Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO- like E. coli have an additional, the researchers say. diseases. However, natural SOD NPs) (above) can shock bacteria negatively charged layer that levels drop as the body ages. to death using static electricity adds an extra negative charge Previous studies have shown that on their surface, according to a potential. This causes the specific metallic compounds new research that promises to difference in the strengths of can mimic the activities of have biosafety applications in the activity. natural SODs, indicating their the nanotech industry. “We got what we were therapeutic potential. When bacterial surface comes thinking we would get,” says To find such a novel metallic in contact with the NP surface, Manoranjan Arakha, a graduate compound, scientists from the the resultant electric play student and the first author of Odisha University of Agriculture triggers the production of free the study. & Technology, the C. V. Raman radicals leading to cell death. The charge neutralisation at College of Engineering and To test this, researchers at the the interface between the NPs the Indira Gandhi Institute National Institute of Technology and bacteria releases energy of Technology, all in Odisha, in Rourkela, Odisha synthesized that triggers the production prepared the compound ZnO-NPs with positive (pZnO- of free radicals and to release through the self-assembly of NPs) and negative (nZnO-NPs) the surface tension in the cell imidazole-containing organic surface electric potentials. They membranes. compounds in the presence of tested these nanoparticles in The cells then leak their metallic compounds containing cultures of both Gram-positive contents and lose viability. Using copper and palladium. and Gram-negative bacteria. a dye that reacted with the free The researchers, led by The pZnO-NPs greatly radicals and stained the surfaces, Biswaranjan Paital, Himansu slowed down the growth of the team confirmed that all these Sekhar Sahoo and Niladri both types of bacteria, as events were happening at the Bihari Debdata, found that the opposed to the nZnO-NPs. Zeta bacterial cell surface. compound could mimic the potential analysis showed that Suman Jha, senior author activities of natural SODs and the surface electric charges of the study, says electron that its free-radical-removing imparted greater effect against microscopy and an assay that efficiency was higher than that Gram-negative bacteria than reports the death of bacterial of the SODs found in different Gram-positive bacteria. In cells, confirmed that the NPs act tissues of a specific crab species, general, bacterial surfaces like “nanocapacitors” and shock but comparable to the SOD have negative charge potential. the bacteria to death. found in chicken liver tissues. But Gram-negative bacteria

Nature India Odisha Special | December 2020 | 31

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