NIA: Terror suspects using carbon paper to wrap explosives

U Sudhakar Reddy 
National Investigation Agency found that the terror suspects are 
using carbon paper to wrap the explosive materials like detonators to avoid being caught 
by X-ray machine scanners at airports, temples and VIP offices.
 In the petition filed in the Mecca Masjid blast case NIA said that the accused terror 
suspects were using the technique which was earlier used by the fake currency racketeers 
as the carbon absorbs x-rays and images are blurred.
 X-ray scanners at the modern airports are upgraded even to detect them but at old 
airports, small airports, temples and government offices including Chief Minister’s 
Office are old and fail detect the material wrapped in carbon paper says officials.
NIA Special Public Prosecutor Mr.P Vishnuvardhan Reddy in the petition filed in Fourth 
Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge court in Nampally regarding the cancellation of 
bail of Macca Masjid blast suspects Devendra Gupta and Lokesh Sharma stated that the 
terror suspects used carbon paper.
One of the listed witnesses Rohit Kumar Jha revealed that he had seen 10 to 15 detonators 
and some rounds of ammunition in the room of Devendra in Rajasthan.
“He has seen some detonators wrapped up in a carbon sheet in the room of accused. When he 
enquired with Devender Gupta, why he was wrapping them in carbon papers, he replied that 
machines cannot detect detonators wrapped in carbon papers,” revealed NIA in the petition.
A senior official of Intelligence department said ,”this is old technique where carbon 
paper is used by smugglers and racketeers. Terror suspects are also doing it. All the 
X-ray scanners have to be upgraded immediately,”

Iran and China earthquakes: NGRI scientists says Global seismic activity high

U Sudhakar Reddy

NGRI Chief Scientist R K Chadha

National Geographical Research Institute scientists say the global 
seismic activity is high and major earthquakes in Iran and China are no surprises. 
Similar magnitude earthquakes are possible even in Himalayan region ranging from Kashmir 
to Arunachal Pradesh which falls under active zone say experts but timing can’t be 
predicted.
Experts say the seismic shifts don’t happen overnight, it takes millions of years to 
change the direction of plates and tectonic plates move very slowly.
NGRI Chief Scientist Dr R K Chadha says,” China’s south western Sichuan Province has 
suffered major earthquake in 2008 too. It was one of the seismically active regions,”
When asked whether there is a pattern in Iran and China quakes Mr Chadha said,”that’s a 
big research question. From 2004 the seismic activity across the globe has increased. It 
will not be a surprise if it occurs in Himalayan region too. Nobody can predict the 
timing,”
Mr Chadha says ,”The tectonic plate movement is five centimetre per year towards North in 
the country.  There are four major earth quakes in Himalayan region from 1897 that 
aoccured in Shillong. Later major quakes occurred in Himachal Pradesh, Bihar-Nepal border 
and Arunachal Pradesh. We don’t have equipment to go to the depth of 30 kilometres to 
study what’s happened down.  As we can’t predict the earthquakes exactly the preparedness 
should be there. National Disaster Management Authority has taken up the programme,”

Earth Day 2013: Green cover dwindling fast in Andhra Pradesh

Udumula Sudhakar reddy 

Nallamalais st Srisailam during peak of rainy season

Nallamalais at Srisailam during peak of Summer

Green cover is dwindling fast in the State and Hyderabad is the 
worst hit when compared to other cities. Data released by Forest Survey of India and AP 
Forest department revealed that alarmingly the tree cover over the size of Vijayawada 
city has vanished in the state in a year. Around 45.34 square kilometres area of forests 
vanished due to encroachments in the State and environmentalists say the area needs an 
urgent attention. According to Forest Survey of India-2011 Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy has 
only five per cent of forest cover with only 391 square kilometres out of 7710 square 
kilometres of total area.
AP State of Forests 2012 a recent report by the State government disclosed that moderate 
dense, scrub forest and open forest areas in the State are converted into non-forest 
areas.  It is also revealed that there is degradation of forests from higher canopy 
density class to lower canopy density class to an extent of 70 square kilometres is 
reported in the State. Around 36.44 square kilometres f forest is lost due to fresh 
encroachments and 16.29 square kilometres due to clearance of jungle growth for rising of 
plantations and harvesting of matured plantations and diversion of forest land for 
non-forestry purposes.
Most negative change in green cover due to encroachments was found in Khammam Circle 
followed by Warangal and Nizamabad. Forest officials found encroachments in 34 Divisions 
of the state. The Divisions contributing most negative changes due to encroachments are: 
Bhadrachalam South, Kothagudem,  Khammam, Warangal South, Warangal North and Paloncha.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Mr S V Kumar in the report stated ,”Growing human 
population as well as cattle head exerts heavy biotic pressure on the forests leading to 
quantitative as well as qualitative degradation of the forests,”
Hyderabad Forest Division consists of Hyderabad and Rangareddy Districts has the highest 
point in the city is Banjara Hills, which is 665 M above Mean Sea Level.  “Comparison of 
the current forest cover with that of previous assessment year shows a negative change of 
184.30 hectares in Hyderabad’ says an official.
Environmentalist Mr. Devidas Mangnani says ,”Habitat loss will affect the biodiversity. 
Hyderabad should go for more green options and tree felling should be stopped 
immediately,”

AP                             2009                                                     
                                                               2010
Very Dense forest         931.73 square km                    931.73
Moderately Dense Forest    18418.53 square km                 18408.48
Open Forest                 22686.57 square km                   22651.28