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Gitesh Sinha Email: [email protected] The Energy and Resources Institute Tel. 2468 2100 or 4150 4900 To purchase the book, visit our online Attn: TERI Press Fax: 2468 2144 or 2468 2145 bookstore at http://bookstore.teri.res.in Kakali Ghosh Darbari Seth Block India +91 • Delhi (0)11 or send us your demand draft or cheque Email: [email protected] IHC Complex, Lodhi Road Email: [email protected] in favour of TERI, payable at New Delhi New Delhi – 110 003/India Web: http://bookstore.teri.res.in (outstation cheques are not accepted). Sangeeta Paul Website:http://bookstore.teri.res.in Email: [email protected] Website:http://bookstore.teri.res.in/TerraGreen EDITORIAL

There are many lakes in the country that are dying a slow death. Across the country, haphazard development and urban conglomeration are seeing many lakes deteriorating and disappearing.

he need for management of our water resources had not received as much attention as hydrocarbons after the oil crises in the early 1970s. However, serious Tattention is being given for some time now to supply and demand management of water. Lakes, large or small, are one of the primary sources of providing water supply for irrigation. The lakes are also active in encouraging tourism in the country. Several gardens and Indian wildlife sanctuaries owe their magnificence to the lakes. Moreover, the lakes are the water sources for the wild species inhabiting the national parks. However, there are many lakes in the country that are dying a slow death. Across the country, haphazard development and urban conglomeration are seeing many lakes deteriorating and disappearing. The cover story in this issue focusses on the problems plaguing the Nainital Lake in , which were also listed in the plea in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the in 1995 seeking court directive for redress measures. The lake is eutrophic (i.e., when there are too many nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus caused by run-off from surrounding lands) with high nutrient accumulation and growth of . Algal blooms have caused loss of transparency. In spite of installing sewer lines to prevent sewage entering the lake, the effluents from drains, leakage, and open defecation continue to add to the . The high results in reduction of lake depth. Moreover, there is clogging of water channels (drains) in the surrounding hills because of encroachment, leading to poor drainage. from the unstable hill slopes drain into the lake and inadequate facilities from commuters, tourists, etc., compound the problem. The article gets into the very root of the matter that is ailing the Nainital Lake and brings to fore that despite the lake being in the centre of many projects (such as JNNURM), the ground realities are really quite distressing. The special report dwells on the issue of how human provisioning impacts the role of rhesus macaques as seed dispersers. The practice of provisioning of food by the humans to these creatures stands in the way of their depending on forest produce and, consequently the process of seed dispersal caused by rhesus macaques when they sustain on forest produce is seriously affected. This, in turn, affects natural growth of the flora and fauna of the forest. What is therefore needed is development of management procedures that take into account the complexity of environmental problems in India and the manner in which to achieve coordination between various functional departments and other stakeholders, such as political leaders, environmentalists, bureaucrats, and the common man. Necessary environment measures will yield optimum results only when such informed cooperation among different people is achieved.

Ajay Mathur Director General, TERI1 Editor-in-chief Ajay Mathur

Editorial Board K Ramanathan I liked reading the Pioneer section S K Sarkar Suneel Pandey `50 of the August issue that dwelled on Prabir Sengupta the widows of Varanasi. It was sad EARTH Subscriber’s copy TVOLUMEerra 9 ISSUE 5 August 2016 reenMATTERS Director, Knowledge Management to read about the condition of the Prabir Sengupta SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS old and sick widows abandoned by Chemical Fertilizers: Impact on Climate Publishing Head M N Kulkarni No More Water Woes: Solving Water their disrespectful relatives. But, at Anupama Jauhry Availability Issues Nitin Jugran Bahuguna the same time it was heartening to MAILBOX IN CONVERSATION Editorial Team Mr Rakesh Makkar note the efforts being carried out Abhas Mukherjee Fullerton India Credit Company Limited Anushree Tiwari Sharma TERRA YOUTH by some NGOs to ameliorate the Disaster Management Spandana Chatterjee Rich Forest condition of widows. They would Shilpa Mohan do well to improve the condition Cover Design and Illustration A Boon or a Bane for the State? of poor widows who are currently Santosh Gautam and Vijay Nipane living on the streets and are sick, Image Editor disabled, or have some mental Shilpa Mohan problems. This is surely a ray of Production hope for these neglected human R K Joshi beings. Many thanks for publishing Aman Sachdeva such socially germane articles. Marketing, Sales & Distribution Gitesh Sinha The Special Report published Abhay Yadav Kakali Ghosh in the August 2016 issue is an Lucknow Prashant Sharma Sanjeev Sharma inspiring article indeed. It is Satyabrata Ghosh an innovative project aimed The Cover Story, 'Rich Forest Cover' Amit Kumar at solving water availability in the current issue of TerraGreen Head office issues in remote villages of Tehri forces us to think that why should TERI Darbari Seth Block, IHC Complex district in Uttarakhand. What a rich forest cover prove itself to Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110 003 a welcome relief that women be a disadvantage rather than Tel. +91 (11) 2468 2100 or 2468 2111 Fax +91 (11) 2468 2144 or 2468 2145 can now engage themselves in being a distinct advantage for more productive activities and the concerned state! It is really Regional centres Southern Regional Centre enterprises. The story about unfortunate that the Himalayan TERI, CA Site No. 2, 4th Main, 2nd Stage Lana Bhalta, a remote village in and Northeastern states of the Domlur, Bangalore–560 071 Email: [email protected] Himachal Pradesh, is also heart- country have to be at the receiving North-Eastern Regional Centre warming! It is good to read that a end for nurturing a rich forest Chachal Hengrabari, Express Highway Guwahati- 781 036 remote village has shown the way cover. I hope good sense prevails Tel: 0361-2334790, Fax: 0361-2334869 in sanitation, waste management, sooner than later and green Email: [email protected] Western Regional Centre and people’s participation. bonus is awarded to such states House No. 233/GH-2, Vasudha Housing Colony, and hopefully then India is able Alto-St Cruz, Tiswadi, Goa-403 202 Charusmita Sharma Tel: 0832-2459306, 2459328 Chandigarh to present its case regarding Email: [email protected] environmental conservation Affiliate institutes at international forums in a TERI North America better way. 1152 15th Street NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20005 Adarsh Kumar Rastogi Email: [email protected] TERI Indore 27 Albert Grove, London SW20 8PZ, UK Email: [email protected]

Overseas representation TERI Japan C/o IGES PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER Nippon Press Centre Building (8th Floor) 2-2-1, Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyodi-ku Owned, printed, and published by Dr Ajay Mathur for The Energy and Resources Institute, Darbari Seth Block, IHC Tokyo, Japan - 100-0011 E-mail [email protected] Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110 003, Tel. +91 (11) 2468 2100 or 2468 2111, E-mail [email protected], TERI South-East Asia Fax +91 (11) 2468 2144 or 2468 2145, Web www.teriin.org, and printed by him at Batra Art Press, Unit 503, 5th Floor A-41, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase II, New Delhi-28 © The Energy and Resources Institute. All rights reserved. Menara Mutiara Majestic 15 Jalan Othman, Seksyen 3, 4600 Petaling Jaya, Selagor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Email: [email protected] TERI Gulf Centre http://www.terragreen.teriin.org Flat No. 105, Dalal Building, Al Qusais, Dubai, UAE [email protected] TERRAGREEN SEPTEMBER 2016 Contents VOLUME 9 ISSUE 6 SEPTEMBER 2016

4 NEWS 30 SPECIAL REPORT Human Provisioning of 8 TERI ANALYSIS Rhesus Macaques Design to Sustain 34 GREEN CHALLENGES 10 ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH Wildfire Smoke Elevates Geothermal Energy Ozone Levels 37 TERRA YOUTH

12 FEATURE 46 WILDLIFE Cross Boundary Sharks on the Brink of Development: Through Extinction Disciplinary Research 48 MANEKA SPEAKS and Socio-Environmental 50 PIONEER Synthesis 53 SPECIAL FEATURE 18 IN CONVERSATION 12 Prof. M S Swaminathan 56 GREEN EVENTS FEATURE Founder Chairman and Chief Mentor UNESCO Chair in Ecotechnology M S Swaminathan Research Foundation 30 22 COVER STORY SPECIAL REPORT Death Knell of Nainital Lake: A Curse or an Urban Sprawl?

ENVIRONMENTAL 10 RESEARCH 37 TERRA YOUTH

http://www.terragreen.teriin.org 22 COVER STORY Cover Story Death Knell of Nainital Lake A Curse or an Urban Sprawl?

Spread over an area of 48 ha (second largest after Bhimtal), the 4-km long and 0.45-km wide Nainital Lake in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, with a mean depth of 18.5 m has the honour of being one of the 13 national lakes of the country. Being geologically most vulnerable; subjected to utmost eutrophication, this most ill-treated and ailing lake of the Lake District, Uttarakhand, not only represents the present predicament of the remaining three lakes but also gives a peep into their sealed common fate. In this article, Rajshekhar Pant dwells on the dying lake of Nainital in the hilly state of Uttarakhand (often referred as Devbhumi) in India.

In the month of January this year, the lake took a nosedive as never before. Following the retreat of somewhat erratic monsoon in September 2015, hardly 20 mm has been recorded in the past seven months till April (this year). Cover Story

“ hildren of a culture born in a water-rich The region known as the Lake District is sprawled environment, we have never really learned over 300 sq. km of an expanse in , that Chow important water is to us. We understand has a total area of around 3,860 sq. km. Jim Corbett, the it, but we do not respect it...” Whenever I try to feel famous story-teller and naturalist speaks of there being these lines by William Ashworth (Nor Any Drop to Drink, 60 lakes in this expanse. In old revenue records also this 1982) in the context of the Lake District—the region entire region is referred to as shasthee khata (region corresponding to the region forming a descent from of 60 lakes). Quite a few nonagenarians in this region the famous hill station of Nainital to , a still have the memories—‘of massive water bodies water body sitting just above the foothills, some 25 km getting breached or gradually getting depleted’—still to the east of Nainital—I say it to myself, “Whether it green in their minds. Otherwise also the perceptible is the Oregon of Ashworth or Nainital for the Indians, physiographic details of this entire landscape have our propensity for self-aggrandizement often plays numerous suggestions that there must have once been a key role in conditioning our relationship with the an unbroken chain of sizeable water bodies across the physiognomy of the landscape that surrounds us.” It is entire length and breadth. As for now, dotting an almost true that corporate greed, political short-sightedness, straight slope of around 30 km, four major lakes, namely bureaucratic bungling, and plain old stupidity do often Nainital, Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal, and do exist combine to jeopardize the water resources of every part saving the sobriquet of this land, that is, ‘Lake District’ of the world. from becoming a misnomer. All these four lakes, over

24 TERRAGREEN SEPTEMBER 2016 the decades, have been ailing and getting degraded despite the alleged restoration under the National Lake Conservation Plan (NCLP). Nainital Lake is the most ill-treated and ailing lake of the Lake District, is geologically most vulnerable and subjected to utmost eutrophication; this does not only represent the present predicament of the remaining three lakes but also gives a peep into their sealed common fate. Cause for Concern In the month of January this year, the lake took a nosedive as never before. Following the retreat of somewhat erratic monsoon in September 2015, hardly 20 mm rain has been recorded in the past seven months till April (this year). In the month of May of course, rainfall of around 90 mm was recorded. Not that the shoreline of the lake has receded this year only; it Hardly any attempt has been made so far to find out has been by and large a regular phenomenon for the where does all the water disappear, draining the lake last four to five years. Complacent in the face of the fact considerably in summers when, unlike other lakes of that the surface runoff in monsoon would replenish the region, water from this lake is not released to the the lake again, the government machinery has never foothill settlements. been taking it seriously. In 2012 also the lake did The natural exit of the lake is at the eastern end. It recede quite alarmingly and the only investigative or is here that while raising an embankment to increase remedial measure taken was token clearing of bottom the volume of the lake, the British had put a gauge, detritus along the shoreline with JCB machines. way back in the nineteenth century. When the water level in the lake recedes low enough to touch the bottom of this gauge, it is referred to as zero level. There is no standard scale to measure the fall beyond this level. Officials in the control room just above the embankment observe the formality of measuring the fall beyond the zero level using a pipeline close by as a reference point. As has never been in the past 100 years in all probability (records available are of the last 40 years only), this year the zero level arrived at in the month of January itself. From the years 2011 to 2014, the referred level arrived at in the month of May. In 2015 with a record rainfall of 4,684.83 mm, the shoreline did not touch the zero level throughout the year. This year the shoreline (till May 2016) has gone beyond the zero level by more than 8 ft and is reported to have been receding at the rate of around six inches per day. The General Opinion For the senior citizens of the town who do not remember seeing the lake getting reduced to such an extent ever before, it is divine retribution consequent upon certain aberrations in the annual worship of the deity who is believed to be the protector of this town and is worshipped all over the Himalayan region.

TERRAGREEN SEPTEMBER 2016 25 Cover Story

Quite a few others recall the curse of a highly revered fact that the winter account for just 20 per cent saint from this region, who having hurt with a certain replenishment of the lake water. Besides, winter rains incident in this town decades back, took a vow never in this region have by and large been quite erratic. to visit it again. Besides, he is said to have revealed the In 1985, the total winter rain was to the tune of 5.5 mm, scary prognosis that in the coming hundred years this yet the lake level was 5.3 ft above the zero level in the lake would get reduced into an expanse of rocks and month of January. boulders. While the governance and bureaucracy— Scientists from the Institute Instrumentation Centre, already in shambles with a misplaced list of preferences IIT-, define Nainital Lake as, 'a flow-through lake to handle, right since the inception of the state—are with substantial groundwater inflow and lake seepage.' in a complacent mode providing quick solutions to Groundwater contribution to this lake is 50 per cent avert the immediate crisis of drinking water in the of the total inflow whereas the subsurface outflow is tourist town; the masses consisting of 41,000 of the about 55 per cent of the total outflow. The scientists permanent inhabitants of this tourist town are grim also speak of the outflow recharging the unconfined with the unabated drying of the lake. A majority of its aquifers which in turn might be discharging through inhabitants—right from a rickshaw-puller to a boat a number of downstream springs hydraulically or taxi operator to academicians, hoteliers or shop connected with the lake—like those in Balia Ravine, owners—have a livelihood and even survival stake Sipahidhara, Krishnadhara, and those feeding the in this lake. Besides being the only source of drinking Khurpatal and Sadiatal region in the peripheral region. water, this lake is a major tourist attraction of the Lake In the alleged absence of groundwater level data, District. As per the official data from the Department of scientists at IIT-Roorkee also speak of interaction Tourism, around half a million tourists from all over the between surface water and groundwater systems still world visit it annually. remaining, 'an active area of research'. Dr C C Pant, a veteran geologist from the University of Kumaon, while Getting into the Root of referring to the several fractures and faults that mark the Matter the lake basin and also of the much talked about ‘lake fault’ that dissects it, emphasizes on the standing need Toeing the line of administration it will be too of an exhaustive research before being judgemental on simplistic to conclude that the absence of winter rains this issue of seepage. Quoting Middlemis, a nineteenth alone is responsible for the dwindling water level. century geologist—that one would bring a shower of Substantiated by various researches it is an established abuse upon himself if one were to mark the dangerous

26 TERRAGREEN SEPTEMBER 2016 localities of Nainital—he speaks at length of the manmade and the natural threats this ‘precariously balanced’ town has been facing over a period of time. The possibility of the seepage taking place through the bottom of the lake has always been ruled out by the scholars as 'unlikely due to the presence of the thick layer of sedimentation'. A general apprehension of late however, has been that the submerging of nearly 30 aeration disks in the recent years, to increase the level of dissolved oxygen deep into the anoxic waters of the lake, has accelerated the seepage. This apprehension, substantiated further by the observations of those inhabiting the Naukuchiatal region—where the aeration has just been started of late—though ruled out by geologists offhandedly as 'an absolutely a far-fetched and unscientific conjecture' does need a review. In Naukuchiatal, the water level of Kamal-tal part of the lake, which is the only natural lotus biomass in the entire Central Himalayan region, has gone down drastically, following the aeration. They say, “it has never happened before…”. It will be of interest to note here that around a dozen lift pumps installed in the lake basin continue called Lake Development Authority, and several other to drain the lake of 18–22 MLD (million litres a day) departments have a collective stake in the lake, making of water every day to meet the drinking water needs it easier for them to pass on the buck when it comes to of the local and floating population. Top officials in its conservation. the department concerned, when asked that how they would meet out the ever mounting need of the drinking water supply, informed that with their The Ground Reality borings gone 25 m deep in the basin where the depth In the past 10 years the number of registered hotels of the lake is 35 m—the said supply would never be a has boomed to a whopping 150+; in addition there problem. However, on the issue of conserving the lake are hundreds of those which are not registered. There they do not have much to say. The civic body, water being no restriction on the traffic and tourist inflow, supply department, the one responsible for sewerage vehicles during the summer and autumn season and sanitation, tourism, fisheries, a government body may be seen cluttering every inch of space in this bowel-shaped town. Around 50 per cent of the total catchment area (spread over 11 sq. km) of the lake is concertized. Over 25 natural springs in the town, including the one having sulphur water, have already dried down. Only one by the name, parda-dhara is there to contribute 1 MLD in the routine supply. The 1.5 lakh feet long chain of aqueducts constructed by the British (following the catastrophic landslip of 1880 that took 151 lives) to channelize the from the perennial springs all over the seven hills surrounding the lake, and also to canalize the surface runoff during the monsoon, remain full of construction debris and household waste till they get flushed to the lake with the advent of monsoon. Interestingly, a report from the year 1889–90 shows that from April to October, these aqueducts were washed by chemicals thrice a week. On the basis of the analysis of 20 water

TERRAGREEN SEPTEMBER 2016 27 Cover Story

samples collected from the lake in the year 1900–01, concrete (RCC) pillars supporting this mammoth structure the water of Nainital was declared most conducive to have gone several feet down the ground level, thus, health and best among all hill-resorts in the country. In obliterating the flow of the subterranean channels contemporary times, a study conducted by the Indira feeding the lake. A prominent fault-line passes across Gandhi Institute for Development Research, Mumbai, the hill above which is situated at the natural exit of the shows that the pollution level in the lake has gone lake. This region known by the name Balia-ravine is the far beyond the prescribed norms of the World Health most vulnerable part of Nainital. For the past hundred Organization (WHO) and those set by the Government of years geologists have been warning that if ever the lake India. In the year 2003, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then would breach, it would be from this highly erosion-prone Prime Minister of India doled out around `49 crore for point alone. A huge bus station with shops and basement the conservation of the lake. Nothing substantial, save on RCC pillars penetrating deep into earth has been the aeration of the lake costing `5 crore has so far been constructed right at the head of this hillock. taken to hand. In the year 2008–09 the first instalment Dr G C Sharma, an artist from the town typifies the of `4,368 crore was received under the Jawaharlal prevalent cynicism of the populace with regard to this Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) lake when he refers to these two structures as 'twin project. Keeping an eye on the lake, `72 crore have monuments of folly' good enough to give one a peep been sanctioned by the Asian Development Bank for into the approach that has been ravaging this so called restructuring the water supply, the sole source of which is ‘lake town’ over the decades. He says, “I am surprised that the lake. Despite the lake being in the centre of all these the people here still expect the lake to remain brimming projects, the ground realities are so ironical that even the like the overwhelmed heart of the lovelorn maiden in a routine annual statistics of the lake has not been taken famous Kumaoni serenade—Mero heo bhari uncho, jaiso from the past 18 years. Nainitala meri chela (My heart brims up, Oh dear one! Like The Burgeoning Problem the swollen lake of Nainital).”# Close to the upper end of the lake is the flat expanse Mr Rajshekhar Pant, an amateur filmmaker, photographer, and writer, has written over a thousand write-ups, reports, etc., published known by the name Sukhatal which, through the in all the leading newspapers and magazines of the country. He has subterranean channels, is reported to have been worked as a researcher, script writer, and also as a cameraperson recharging the lake by at least 33 per cent, now has a shooting at the Himalayan Heights for over a dozen documentaries multi-storeyed parking lot. Thick reinforced cement aired by Doordarshan. Email: [email protected].

28 TERRAGREEN SEPTEMBER 2016 JUST RELEASED A Publication

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` 295

The Energy and Resources Institute This book is printed on recycled paper. • ISBN: 9788179935354 • Price: `450* 74

© Richard Bizley; www.bizleyart.com

* GEOLOGIC TIME RANGE II

252 MYA 65.5 MYA Triassic Period Cretaceous Period

First dinosaurs

First mammals

PHANEROZOIC EON 36

40 ft in length. It had an To protect itself, the Ankylosaurus Other reptiles like turtles, were MESOZOIC ERA enormous jaw with dozens of used its thick armour made up of also present, while modern forms long, sharp, saw-like teeth, a tail flat, bony plates along its body. of lizards appeared towards the that was as long as half its body, Additionally, it had a long tail end of the period. Insects like TRIASSIC PERIOD JURASSIC PERIOD CRETACEOUS PERIOD and two legs. It preyed on large that ended in a club-shaped bone, leafhoppers and beetles were herbivorous dinosaurs as well which was probably swung as present in large numbers, while as other predators, including its defence against predators. some of the world’s earliest biggest rival Ceratosaurus. Stegosaurus was instantly mammals walked the Earth. The Ceratosaurus had a recognizable due to its spiked blade-like horn on its snout tail. Sometimes growing up to AVIAN LIFE MYA MYA MYA MYA and long dagger-like teeth. Its 30 ft in length, its tail ended in Though the debate on the powerful legs and feet helped two pairs of pointed bony spikes origin of birds has not reached a it escape from predators and that most probably acted as definitive conclusion, scientists 252 201 overpower its prey. defensive weapons. 65.5 have reached consensus on the 145.5 Spinosaurus Archaeopteryx It is believed that both H. sapiens and the neanderthals descended from H. heidelbergensis

Apatosaurus Tyrannosaurus Dinosaurs First flowering © Richard Bizley; www.bizleyart.com plants First birds

Palmlike plants 31 Ocean-living reptiles Dinosaurs *The images shown here are representative life forms of the periods they refer to

At the lower left is Ardeosaurus, an early gecko. In the sky is Pterodactylus, a flying reptile. On the land are four dinosaurs, from left to right: Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Apatosaurus, and Allosaurus.

The Energy and Resources Institute Tel. 2468 2100 or 4150 4900 To purchase the book, visit our Attn: TERI Press Fax: 2468 2144 or 2468 2145 online bookstore at https:// bookstore.teri.res.in or send us Darbari Seth Block India +91 • Delhi (0)11 your demand draft or cheque IHC Complex, Lodhi Road Email: [email protected] in favour of TERI, payable at New Delhi – 110 003, India Web: https://bookstore.teri.res.in New Delhi (outstation cheques are not accepted). *Price is subject to change Postal Regn. No. DL(S)-17/3328/2014-16 Posted on 5–6 September 2016 RNI No. DELENG/2008/24157 By Lodhi Road Post Office ISSN No. 0974-5688 `50 No. of Pages 56 without Cover

Books on Environmental Research EARTH Subscriber’s copy and Sustainable Development TVOLUMEerra 9 ISSUE 6 September 2016 reenMATTERS Order your copy today

Inventions have changed our world beyond imagination—from the simple mechanical clock to the television, telephone, computer, and microscope. Learn how it all began, where, when, and who were the pioneers in That’s how things began. Other titles in the series: That’s how things work: the marvel of modern technology That’s how strange creatures live: the amazing life of bizarre animals That’s how mysterious events occur: the mind-boggling natural phenomena That’s how things travel: the wonderful ways in which the world moves the inventions that changed our world That’s how things happen: the magical mysteries of nature Death Knell of

ISBN 978-81-7993-547-7

9788179 935477 `185 The Energy and Resources Institute This book is printed on recycled paper Nainital Lake A Curse or an Urban Sprawl?

IN CONVERSATION Prof. M S Swaminathan Father of Green Revolution in India TERRA YOUTH Disaster Management: Floods

TERI publications also available at SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS .in Cross Boundary Development: Through Disciplinary Research and Socio-Environmental Synthesis For more information, log on to http://bookstore.teri.res.in Biba Jasmine Human Provisioning of Rhesus Macaques: Sharada Balasubramanian