The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) on Monday signed a contract with the Council of Scientific Industrial Research–National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI) to implement a pilot project on using advanced geophysical techniques to map shallow and deep aquifers. The project is being implemented under World Bank-funded hydrology project and would be implemented in Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over a period of 15 months. The total project cost is about Rs 44.39 crore, out of which the CGWB component is about Rs 16.98 crore and NGRI's is about Rs.

National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) here has developed a compact digester for treating biomass wastes at origin.

NIITST is a constituent laboratory under the Council of Science and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The digester doesn't cause environmental pollution but recovers biogas. It also converts biomass wastes to compost slurry with a higher content of stable solids.
SOIL MANURE

The stabilised compost slurry from this biogas plant is excellent soil manure for agriculture applications.

The UK’s University of Liverpool has tied up with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to identify areas in India that are at higher risk of malaria outbreaks, following changes in monsoon rainfall patterns. The UK-based university’s School of Environmental Sciences started working on the project in January with the CSIR's Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Computer Simulation (C-MMACS) in Bangalore.

The Union Ministry of Science and Technology today announced the selections for three consortia projects under the Indo-US Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center (JCERDC).

The JCERDC is being established under an agreement signed between the Governments of India and the United States of America which commits an amount of Rs 125 crore ($25 million) in funding over five years to institutions in India and the US for taking up collaborative research in the fields of advanced bio-fuels, energy efficiency in buildings and solar energy.

- Institute to foray into production from March to make medicines available at affordable prices
The CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, which has so far concentrated on research, has decided to foray into production from March with the manufacture of two herbal medicines.

Director P.G. Rao said the institute was going in for manufacturing so that people could get medicines at affordable prices, as it was cost-effective to produce medicines that were based on aromatic herbs widely available in the region.

SHILLONG, Feb 26 – Deputy Chief Minister, in-charge of Mining and Geology, Bindo Lanong literally tore apart a recent report of a High Level Committee (HLC), stating, cements plants in Jaintia Hills have not violated State laws. The report of the HLC comprising six senior officers drawn from State Forest department and Central Ministry of Environment & Forests had recently indicted eight cement companies for allegedly flouting Meghalaya Forest Conservation Act, 1980.

JAMMU, Feb 8: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on Wednesday sought the support of Council of Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR) in the promotion of aroma, herbal and leather industry in Jammu and Kashmir. "We are also looking forward for technological intervention of CSIR to enable the State utilize huge quantity of weeds produced in Dal and other lakes", Chief Minister told the visiting team of CSIR led by Secretary Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and Director General, Prof. Samir K. Brahmachari, who called on the Chief Minister here.