Search

Background Macrostomia is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by enlargement of mouth at oral commissure. It is also known as tessier cleft 7. There are various techniques described for achieving optimal function and aesthetic results. We describe inferiorly based vermillion square flap with z plasty on the skin for correction of macrostomia. Methods A retrospective analysis of 7 patients with macrostomia operated over a period of last 9 year were included in the study. All operations were conducted by senior surgeon. Pre operative and post operative documentation was done by photography. Age at presentation, operative technique and outcome were analyzed. Parameters used for assessing outcome are position of commissure, symmetry, thickness of vermilion, scar result. Results In all the patients repaired with myoplasty and modified lower vermillion square flap, lip commissure was formed with satisfactory shape, position, thickness with no commissure contracture. One patient had hypertrophy scar. Conclusion Inferiorly based vermillion square flap with z plasty method produces satisfactory aesthetic and functional result in all patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study attempts to quantitatively understand the impact of dynamic vegetation on land-surface atmosphere interactions over spring wheat croplands in India. A new modeling tool capable of simulating these interactions was developed by incorporating the crop growth module of the Simple and Universal Crop growth Simulator (SUCROS) crop model into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model. An earlier study had calibrated and evaluated the stand-alone SUCROS crop model with observed data for spring wheat collected from an experimental site in northwestern India. The crop growth module of the calibrated SUCROS model was implemented in the Noah-MP land module of WRF to build the coupled WRF_NOAHMP_SUCROS model. Numerical experiments were conducted with WRF_SUCROS that simulates the simultaneous evolution of meteorological drivers and crop Leaf Area Index (LAI) and the two-way interactions between these processes. These experiments were compared with WRF simulations driven by observed climatological mean LAI. These experiments only simulate the effects of changes in LAI on meteorology but not the other round. Results show that the coupled WRF_NOAHMP_SUCROS model is able to simulate the LAI better than the default dynamic vegetation module in WRF. It also produces realistic simulations of the near-surface meteorological parameters. The latent heat flux (LHF) varies directly with LAI, and sensible heat flux (SHF) varies inversely with LAI. As the crop grows, the energy transfer occurs more in latent heat flux than sensible heat flux due to increased evapotranspiration. Hence the growing crops result in near-surface cooling due to decreased Bowed Ratio. The mixing ratio is also increased due to increased latent heat flux. The uncoupled WRF model also shows similar patterns except in the juvenile crop stage where it overestimates the sensible heating and temperature but underestimates latent heat fluxes and mixing ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, a ciliated parasite causing ichthyophthiriasis (white spot disease) in freshwater fishes, results in significant economic loss to the aquaculture sector. One of the important predisposing factors for ichthyophthiriasis is low water temperature (i.e., below 20°C), which affects the health and makes freshwater fishes more susceptible to parasitic infections. During ichthyophthiriasis, fishes are stressed and acute immune reactions are compromised, which enables the aquatic bacterial pathogens to simultaneously infect the host and increase the severity of disease. In the present work, we aimed to understand the parasite-bacteria co-infection mechanism in fish. Later, Curcuma longa (turmeric) essential oil was used as a promising management strategy to improve immunity and control coinfections in fish. A natural outbreak of I. multifiliis was reported (validated by 16S rRNA PCR and sequencing method) in Pangasianodon hypophthalmus from a culture facility of ICAR-CIFRI, India. The fish showed clinical signs including hemorrhage, ulcer, discoloration, and redness in the body surface. Further microbiological analysis revealed that Aeromonas hydrophila was associated (validated by 16S rRNA PCR and sequencing method) with the infection and mortality of P. hypophthalmus, confirmed by hemolysin and survival assay. This created a scenario of co-infections, where both infectious agents are active together, causing ichthyophthiriasis and motile Aeromonas septicemia (MAS) in P. hypophthalmus. Interestingly, turmeric oil supplementation induced protective immunity in P. hypophthalmus against the co-infection condition. The study showed that P. hypophthalmus fingerlings supplemented with turmeric oil, at an optimum concentration (10 ppm), exhibited significantly increased survival against co-infection. The optimum concentration induced anti-stress and antioxidative response in fingerlings, marked by a significant decrease in cortisol and elevated levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in treated animals as compared with the controls. Furthermore, the study indicated that supplementation of turmeric oil increases both non-specific and specific immune response, and significantly higher values of immune genes (interleukin-1b, transferrin, and C3), HSP70, HSP90, and IgM were observed in P. hypophthalmus treatment groups. Our findings suggest that C. longa (turmeric) oil modulates stress, antioxidant, and immunological responses, probably contributing to enhanced protection in P. hypophthalmus. Hence, the application of turmeric oil treatment in aquaculture might become a management strategy to control co-infections in fishes. However, this hypothesis needs further validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three decades before, the gillnet was the major gear in Andaman and Nicobar Islands(ANI), India, because of the less expensive and simple method of operation with non-motorised small dinghies or without craft. Earlier, the gillnet landing was 39% of the total landings and a further report said 27%, which indicated the decrease in gillnet landings. The present study was carried out from 2014 to 2018 at four main fish landing centers (FLCs) Junglighat, Dignabad, Guptapara and Wandoor of ANI to investigate the present status of major gillnet landings. Altogether 1097 visits were carried out at all FLCs and 63.1% of visits occurred at Junglighat. The total landings of all FLCs were 3880.6 tons, of which 98.6% were recorded at Junglighat. The total gillnet landings were 330.4tons, of which Driftnet covered 82.1%, followed by bottom plastic(9.8%) and bottom nylon(8%) gillnets. Significant landings (P<0.0001) of Scombridae family were recorded through Drift gillnet (182.47tons) compared to other families. The family of Carangidae(7.71tons) and Clupeidae(16.54tons) were recorded dominantly through bottom plastic and bottom nylon gillnets, respectively. The gillnetters explored 31 fishing grounds in the South, Middle, North and Little Andamans sectors. The significant (P<0.0001) fish catch was recorded from the South Andaman sector. A total of 17 validation experiments carried out in each Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) and Non-PFZ by using PFZ advisories indicated a significant(P<0.0001) catch from PFZ(3.5:1). There was a decline of 18.5% in the landings of gillnet than earlier studies. It is suggested that the fishermen may follow the PFZ forecast for a better catch. The gillnet fishing to be promoted to under-exploited pelagic fishes of these islands will benefit the gillnetters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we have analyzed 10 number of thermodynamic stability indices for the city Kolkata in India for which we have studied the upper air RSRW data of 00 UTC during the pre-monsoon season i.e. March–May of 2016–2018. We have determined the optimal threshold values and associated skill scores for those thermodynamic indices and among those, obtained the suitable indices which are more relevant for predicting thunderstorm events. Finally, we have proposed a new scheme as a tool for predicting thunderstorm in the form of a binary classifier i.e. whether thunderstorm will occur or not in a day. Verification of accuracy has been carried out for the premonsoon of 2020. Comparison of the performance of the proposed scheme with that of latest operational thunderstorm prediction methods in India reveals that the proposed scheme is showing better prediction skill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangroves are one of the most productive coastal ecosystems, which act as natural barriers against natural calamities such as cyclones, tide upsurges and tsunamis. Mangrove ecosystems provide natural habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna, whilst the economic contribution by mangroves for tourism, fisheries and other natural resources is also of paramount importance. This study focusses on the biodiversity of four major regions of Indian mangroves, namely, Bhitarkanika (Odisha), Pichavaram (Tamil Nadu), Chorao Islands (Goa) and Porlob Jig (Andaman and Nicobar Islands). The study aims to monitor the present status of mangroves in Southern and Eastern coasts of India, with the synergistic use of optical and SAR data. The aerial extents of all the Dominant vegetation spatial maps generated revealed that the Bhitarkanika mangroves had the largest extent (14425 ha) among the four mangrove regions. The second largest area recorded was by the Porlob Jig mangroves of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (9972 ha), followed by the Pichavaram mangroves (788 ha) and the mangroves of Chorao Islands of Goa (603 ha). Decision makers, for taking the necessary conservation and management actions to protect these fragile, vital habitats can ultimately use this data. This paper provides an insight into the major mangrove species of India. It gives a detailed account of the varying mangrove biodiversity in the Eastern and Western coast of India. The prevalence of various kinds of mangroves from different ecosystems were documented. Among these, Rhizophora annamalayana specious was found indigenously in Tamil Nadu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a stochastic natural hazard that is caused by intense and persistent shortage of precipitation. The initial shortage of rainfall subsequently impacts the agriculture and hydrology sectors. Marathwada region of India comes under highly drought prone area in the country. Recent times have shown the increase in occurrence of agricultural drought in the non-monsoon season. The deviation from normal rainfall in the month of October causes soil moisture deficit which triggers an agricultural drought in the early-Rabi season. The traditional remote sensing based agricultural drought monitoring indices lack in identifying the early-season (ES) drought. An attempt has been made in the present study, to map ES agricultural drought in the Aurangabad district of Marathwada region using remote sensing. The meteorological deficit in the month of October, has been assessed using Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). Impact of meteorological fluctuations on agricultural system in terms of dryness/wetness was evaluated using the Shortwave Angel Slope Index (SASI) derived using MODIS (Terra) Level-3, 8 daily, surface reflectance data for the October months of 2001–2012. It was observed that the area experiences moderate to severe drought 5 times with 12 years of study period (2001–2012). SASI and its parameters were estimated for each week of October month. SASI maps were further classified in four categories viz. moist vegetation; dry vegetation; moist soil and dry soil. The detailed analyses if these maps indicate that agricultural stress occurs in this area even if there is no meteorological stress. However, whenever, there is meteorological stress the area under agricultural stress exceeds more than 50% of the study region. A frequency distribution map of ES drought was prepared to identify the most drought prone area of the district and to alternately identify the irrigated area of the district. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, lack of knowledge on soil fertility and appropriate nutrient management practices has restricted potato production. A field trial was conducted for 5-years during 2013-14 to 2017-18 to determine the main limiting nutrient for potato (Solanum tuberosum L) and to evaluate the nutrient management practices (NMPs). Results indicated average potato yields in nutrient omission plots was in the order 0-N (29.5 t ha-1), 0-P (31 t ha-1), 0-K (17.9 t ha-1). The agronomic efficiency at 50% applied NPK for N (AEN), P (AEP) and K (AEK) was 35 kg tuber kg-1 N, 187 kg tuber kg-1 P and 53 kg tuber kg-1 K, respectively, and the partial factor productivity of N (PFPN), P (PFPP) and K (PFPK) was 349 kg tuber kg-1 N, 1846 kg tuber kg-1 P and 523 kg tuber kg-1 K, respectively. There was significant negative relationship between AE or PFP of N, P or K and the respective nutrient rate. Apparent recovery of NPK was 31, 25 and 35%, respectively. The positive relationship between yield of nutrient omission plots and PFP and AE suggests nutrient use efficiency can be affected by soil indigenous productivity. NMP produced significant higher yield (32.9 t/ha), yield response (21%) and economic net returns (Rs 47120/ha). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The length-weight relationship (LWR) of brackish water finfish Thryssa kammalensoides Wongratana, 1983 is reported for the first time during the study. Specimens (n = 862) were caught with the help of local fisherman from Chilika lagoon, east coast of India during monsoon (September-October, 2018) and post- monsoon (November, 2018-January, 2019). The maximum total length recorded in this study is the new record for the species. The data revealed that LWR of T. kammalensoides of Chilika shows a significant LWR during monsoon (r ² = 0.872) whereas moderate (r² = 0.470) during post-monsoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reports a detailed study on the ichthyofaunal diversity of Panchupada estuary for the first time. A total of 87 fish species belonging to 51 families were collected and examined from randomly selected points inside the estuarine part of the Panchupada river during the survey period. The present study gives first-hand information on the fish diversity of Panchupada estuary on the basis of collection and photographic evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was undertaken to establish the effect of different seasons (winter, summer and rainy) on hematological parameters of captive mugger crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris) at Crocodile Conservation Park, Kotmi-Sonar, Chhattisgarh, India. The blood samples were collected by supra-occipital plexus and/or ventral tail vein puncture in 18 crocodiles each during winter, summer and rainy seasons. The findings of present study revealed a significant (p<0.05) increase in Total Erythrocyte Count (TEC) and Haemoglobin (Hb) values in summer season while the eosinophil and monocyte values were significantly (p<0.05) increased during winter season. Thrombocyte count was significantly (p<0.05) increased during rainy season as compared to winter and summer season. The present study has provided base line values for changes in haematological parameters in captive muggers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice crops in South and Southeast Asian countries suffer critical yield losses due to rice tungro disease caused by joint infection with rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV) and rice tungro spherical virus (RTSV). Previously, for generating RNA interference-based transgenic resistance against tungro viruses, RTBV ORF IV was used as a transgene to develop RTBV resistance in a popular high-yielding scented rice variety. The transgene from this line was then introgressed into five popular high-yielding but tungro-susceptible rice varieties by marker-assisted backcross breeding with a view to combine the resistant trait with the agronomic traits. The present work includes a resistance assay of the BC3F5 lines of these varieties under glasshouse conditions. Out of a total of 28 lines tested, each consisting of 12 individual plants, eight lines showed significant amelioration in height reduction and 100- to 1000-fold reduction in RTBV titers. The RNAi-mediated resistance was clearly manifested by the presence of virus-derived small RNA (vsRNA) specific for RTBV ORF IV in the transgenic backcrossed lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deficiency in post-harvest infrastructure leads to loss of agricultural produce which in turn affects farmer's income and food security. So, there is a need to improve post-harvest infrastructure in the country. Potato is a major horticultural crop requiring cold storage facility. This study was carried out for Bihar state of India, which has the least ratio of storage capacity to potato production in comparison to other states. An approach has been developed to identify the suitable locations for cold storages using geospatial technology to increase accessibility to cold storage facilities. Temporal variations in vegetation profiles were used to generate crop maps and from this crop area proportions were calculated at village level. These proportions were used to identify significant village clusters contributing to horticulture production. From this priority villages were identified. These priority villages were assigned to nearest major settlement which will be the sites for positioning new cold storage facility. The approach developed in this study has identified 63 locations in 17 districts for developing new cold storage facility. The proposed new locations for cold storages will reduce the distance to nearest cold storage for 14244 villages and this reduction in distance will be more than 8 kms for 9774 villages. Thus, the study validated the role of Remote Sensing and GIS for post-harvest infrastructure planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: South Asian countries experience some of the highest levels of child undernutrition in the world, strongly linked to poor infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices. Strong and responsive policy support is essential for effective interventions to improve IYCF. This study aimed to identify opportunities for strengthening the policy environment in the region to better support appropriate infant and young child feeding.Methods: We mapped policies relevant to infant and young child feeding in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, based on a common matrix. The matrix described potentially relevant policies ranging from high-level strategic policy documents to implementation-level guidelines. We analyzed the data based on themes focused on caregiver interactions with IYCF interventions: provision of correct information to mothers, training of frontline workers, enabling mothers to engage with service providers and strategic support for IYCF.Results: Policy support for IYCF was present in relation to each of the themes assessed. In all countries, there was support for nutrition in National Development Plans, and all countries had some level of maternity protection and restrictions on marketing of breast milk substitutes. Sectoral and implementation-level policy documents contained provisions for system strengthening for IYCF and for training of frontline workers.Conclusions: The key opportunities for strengthening IYCF policy support were in relation to translating strategic directives into implementation level documents; improving multi-sectoral support and coordination; and increased clarity regarding roles and responsibilities of frontline workers interacting with mothers. These findings can support efforts to strengthen IYCF policy at the national and regional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of coastal pollution was studied using edible oysters, Crassostrea rivularis as an indicator at two sites viz., North Wandoor (NW) and Phoenix Jetty (PJ) in Port Blair, Andaman. The hydrographic parameters showed that nitrite, nitrate and phosphate concentration were less and dissolved oxygen were more at NW compared to PJ. The oysters were collected from the study sites and biochemical, microbial, mineral profiles and ATPase activities were estimated. ATPase activity was inhibited in the gill tissue of oysters ( p < 0.05) of PJ sample. Total microbial load in the water and oyster, and coliform bacteria (MPN) in the water were significantly ( p < 0.05) higher at PJ compared to the NW. There was no significant difference ( p > 0.05) in the mineral profile of water collected from both the sites. However, calcium and magnesium were more in the oysters collected from NW ( p < 0.05), and Cu, Zn and Cd were more in PJ samples ( p < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Neurocytoma (NC) is a rare benign neuronal tumor. A complete excision remains curative for most of these tumors, but atypical histology and extra-ventricular location often necessitates adjuvant therapy. We intended to explore the clinico-pathological features and treatment outcome in patients of NC in our institute.Materials and Methods: Medical records were reviewed and data collected on NC over a 6-year period (2006-2012) from the departmental archives. Disease free survival (DFS) was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method.Results: A total of 18 patients met the study criteria. Fourteen patients had intra-ventricular neurocytoma (IVNC), right lateral ventricle being the most common site of origin. Gross total resection and near total resection were achieved in eight cases each whereas tumor decompression and biopsy could be done in two cases. On post-operative histopathological examination, eight patients were found to have atypical NC while 10 patients had typical NC. All patients underwent adjuvant radiation. The median dose of post-operative radiation was 56 Gy. All patients were alive at their final follow-up. One patient had both clinical and radiological evidence of local relapse. In the evaluable patients (n = 18), after a median follow-up of 35 months the DFS rate at 2 years and 3 years are 100% and 83% respectively.Conclusion: Use of adjuvant radiation to a total dose of 56 Gy enhances the local control and achieves superior survival in patients of NC. Use of 3D conformal planning techniques may help us to achieve better therapeutic ratio in patients with NC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Aspiration pneumonia is an important cause of death in head and neck cancer patients. This study therefore aimed to evaluate the risk factors associated with aspiration pneumonia in head and neck cancer patients.Methods:Hospital death records from 12 years (2000–2012) were reviewed to obtain the number of deaths. Treatment details and cause of death were analysed. Statistical analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for aspiration pneumonia.Results:The records revealed that aspiration pneumonia was the cause of death in 51 out of 85 patients. Primary tumour site (oropharynx and hypopharynx, odds ratio 3.3; 95 per cent confidence interval 1.17–9.4, p = 0.02) and advanced tumour stage (odds ratio 4.2, 95 per cent confidence interval 1.16–15.61, p = 0.02) had significant negative impacts on aspiration pneumonia related mortality.Conclusion:Advanced pharyngeal cancer patients are at an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia related death. Investigations for the early detection of this condition are recommended in these high-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The significant impact of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) on cardiac morbidity in patients of early breast cancer (EBC) undergoing breast-conserving surgery has been shown in different studies. The present study was conducted to assess the impact of surgery and the side of involvement on radiation dose to left anterior descending artery (LAD) and Left circumflex coronary artery (LCx).Materials and Methods: Totally, 58 patients of EBC were randomly chosen for this dosimetric study and planned with tangential field technique without intensity modulation (IM). Heart, LAD, and LCx (n = 55) were contoured. Dose volume histograms were analyzed to determine the Dmax (maximum dose) and Dmean (mean dose) of LAD and LCx. Student's t-test was used for comparative analysis of the means.Results: The mean Dmax of LAD for left (L) EBC was 3.17 Gray (Gy) while for right (R) EBC it was 0.86 Gy (P = 0.007; 95% C.I, 1.14-3.48). The mean Dmean of LAD for L-EBC and R-EBC were 1.97 Gy and 0.79 Gy, respectively (P = 0.029; 95% C.I, 0.77-1.60). The mean-Dmax of LCx for patients with L-EBC (2.9 Gy; range: 1.2-4.35 Gy) was statistically higher than that for R-EBC (1.3 Gy; range: 0.7-3.2 Gy) (P = 0.045). The mean-Dmean of LCx for L-EBC (2.1 Gy; range: 0.6-3.6 Gy) was also significantly higher than that of L-EBC (0.9 Gy; range: 0.7-2.1 Gy) (P = 0.03). There was no significant impact of the pattern of surgery on LAD dose, but significance was noted for LCx dose parameters (P = 0.04 and 0.08 for m-Dmax and m-Dmean of LCx).Conclusion: This pilot dosimetric study confirms the assumption that patients with left-sided EBC are at higher risk of developing long-term cardiac morbidity when treated with PORT due to increased dose to LAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The government of India is promoting local vegetable production in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in a policy of sustainable development on tropical bay islands. There has been an increase in area and productivity of vegetables and reduced import of vegetables from the mainland. Improved technologies have been transferred to vegetable farms. However, the majority of farmers rely on private agencies for inputs and marketing activities that limit profits. Lack of cold transport, storage facilities, modern collection centers, and processing industry are still challenges to vegetable growers on islands. Use of good agricultural practices for vegetables includes limited use of synthetic chemicals in the island ecosystem. The pace of adoption of improved practices in vegetables needs to be enhanced to ensure off-season availability. Many island cultures employ organic methods by default and a small amount of effort can establish them as organic hubs for vegetable production. Rising tourism and increasing import cost of vegetables increased the necessity of structural changes in production to make islands self-sufficient in vegetable production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report here the salient features of the recently concluded International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) workshop in Koyna, India. This workshop was a sequel to the earlier held ICDP workshop in Hyderabad and Koyna in 2011. A total of 49 experts (37 from India and 12 from 8 other countries) spent 3 days reviewing the work carried out during the last 3 years based on the recommendations of the 2011 workshop and suggesting the future course of action, including detailed planning for a full deep drilling proposal in Koyna, India. It was unanimously concluded that Koyna is one of the best sites anywhere in the world to investigate genesis of triggered earthquakes from near-field observations. A broad framework of the activities for the next phase leading to deep drilling has been worked out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf litter decomposition and nutrient release patterns from five common multipurpose tree species—viz., Artocarpus heterophyllus, Mangifera indica, Areca catechu, Citrus sp., and Tamarindus indica, found in homegardens of Mizoram—were evaluated using a litter bag technique. The result of the study indicates a varying pattern of decomposition and nutrient release (N&P) among the species. Citrus sp. and T. indica were found to be the most labile species with comparatively much higher decay constant and faster nutrient release. Initial nitrogen concentration, lignin content, and lignin/N ratio of foliage litter showed significantly higher (p < .01) correlation with the decay coefficient and were found to be the important determinants in the decay process. The initial slow release and immobilization of N in A. heterophyllus and M. indica leaf litter reflect their potential as a source of nitrogen storage and effective mulching material. While litter from T. indica and Citrus sp. can provide the short-term nutrient need, foliage for the other three species may supply the long-term nutrient requirement for the understory crops in such agroforestry systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses several studies related to Indian pediatrics. A study examined evaluated the serum levels of zinc and copper in pediatric patients with idiopathic aplastic anemia. Another study assessed and compared the growth and nutritional status Tripuri tribal adolescent boys from rural and urban areas of West Tripura district. One study assessed the sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and Youden index for circumference cut-offs.

India witnessed self-sufficiency in food production due to the grand success of Green revolution introduced in 1960's. Ignoring the fact that the revolution will do nothing but rob off all the wealth of the soil, India marched off making new innovations in the agricultural sector. By the advent of the 20th century, the soil health was completely lost due to the rampant use of the agrochemicals. Instead of undertaking a new anthropogenic venture to deal with the problem, it was suggested that the farmers should go back to the arms of the nature and take up organic farming to restore the loss. While few farmers readily took up this suggestion, some of them showed a great deal of reluctance as the problems of productivity, costs and profits overshadowed their decisions. The Indian government is actively participating to promote organic agriculture. Recent statistics point India to be amongst the top 10 countries, having maximum land under organic cultivation. The organic market in India looks quite promising but it needs an additional backup from the Indian government to combat the reluctance of Indian farmers towards organic farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]