BioVoice News July 2017 Issue 2 Volume 2 | Page 65

The study was conducted by Krithi K.Karanth and Sahila Kudalkar of Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bengaluru. Dr. Karanth is also associated with Wildlife Conservation Society, New York and Nicolas School of Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA. AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION ROSE TO 90.54% IN 2014-15: R M SINGH The agricultural mechanisation is one of the important factors for sustainable development of the agricultural sector which helps in increasing production through agricultural works, reducing the deficit, reducing the cost of various agricultural works through the better management of costly inputs. That leads to increase in the productivity of natural resources and help reduce the difficulties related to various agricultural activities. Of the 11 sites, four were in the Aravalis of North west India – Jaisamand, Kumbalgarh, Phulwari-ki-Naal, and Sitamata, two in Central India – Tadoba- Andhari and Kanha, and rest five in the western ghats – Kali (earlier Ahshi-Dandeli), Bhadra, Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT), Bandipur and Nagarahole. This was stated by the Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Mr Radha Mohan Singh during the Inter Session Meeting of the Consultative Committee held at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Center. Mr Singh said that in the last few years there has been a shift has been towards the use of mechanical and electrical sources of power. While in 1960-61, about 92.30% farm power was coming from animate sources, in 2014- 15 the contribution of animate sources of power reduced to about 9.46% and that of mechanical and electrical sources of power increased from 7.70% in 1960-61 to about 90.54% in 2014-15. BIOVOICENEWS.COM 65