Idle India
While most countries have instituted measures to ensure sustainable use of resources, India remains idle
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Plastic woes
Goa battles against the plastic menace<br>
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Nepal must learn from its past
THE GARBAGE heaps of Kathmandu, which rise in ugly mounds against the breathtaking beauty of the Himalayan ranges, tell a story -- a story of blind, lopsided, urban growth in one of the poorest
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BRAZIL
Land ownership rights continue to torment the many Indian tribes living in this country. Estranged from their own land and forced to adopt alien customs, distressed Brazilian Indians have turned to
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Big fishes in the net
A green war raging at sea is the use of driftnets by fishing fleets. Driftnets have been called "walls of deaths" by conservationists as these immense nets, at times 40 km long, strip mine the
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Farsighted plea on Pakistan's sightless dolphins
Experts have asked for a second dolphin reserve in Pakistan to house the blind river dolphin in the wake of a study on the impact of a hydroelectric station at the Tunsa barrage
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Water wonder
Buhanpur Municipal Corporation in Madhya Pradesh revives a unique underground water system of the 17th century, Khooni bhandara, to solve the city's water scarcity problems
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The spoils of tourism
Impact of tourism on Sikkim s environment
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Bamboo musings
Although termed "forest weed" or "the poor man's timber" bamboo's potential may satisfy modernity's growing needs
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INDIA
• Wireless loop technology could replace conventional cables in congested Calcutta, according to the Department of Telecommunication (DoT). • Heli-skiing has been banned in Himachal
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State Pulse: Bihar: New face of Bihar
I will stop the migration of Bihari labourers. In future, nobody will go to other states at least to fulfill the requirement of bread and butter: CM - report of Satish K Singh Now, every road of Bihar goes towards development. In every sector process of transformation is going on. Face of Bihar is changing rapidly. Citizens of Bihar are presently daring to think about daydream. You just look at some of the latest developments which are spreading its wings all over Bihar. The Nitish govt is going to provide over 24,000 dwellings to the urban poor in the ten towns of the state soon. The basic services for urban poor (BSUP) scheme under JNNURM envisages provision of 14,592 dwelling units with amenities, including light and clean environment for the urban poor. The units will be constructed in cooperation with the Centre, the state govt and Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC). Urban Development Minister Ashwini Kumar Chaubey on Feb 11 launched the first phase of the project at Mundichak in Bhagalpur. The project will be launched at Jagdeopath in Patna soon. Hudco will construct 12,596 units at an estimated cost of Rs 313 crore in Patna agglomeration area including Patna, Phulwarisharif, Danapur and Khagaul. Another 2000 housing units will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 54 crore at Bodh Gaya. Raj Bhavan will soon adopt 1000 children of Musahar community in Bhojpur and Bhagalpur dist for imparting education to them in the nearest schools and colleges besides providing them food and clothes. These children will be educated under the supervision of the universities located in those areas localities while some NGOs would extend help in different forms. People of Bihar irrespective of age and profession would soon get an opportunity to express their innovative ideas and highlight researches at five day festival to be organized in Patna University. Aimed at developing a: Discovery Park: in the state, the creativity festival would be open to all-from school teachers, professionals of organized and unorganized sectors, farmers, technicians and scientists who want to bring to light their works and ideas in different fields. Cultural programme between Bihar and Mauritius has ended recently. PM of Mauritius Navin Ramgoolam had come to Bihar for this purpose. Basically he belongs to Bihar. Now, Navin is also ready to invest a lot of money for the development of industries in Bihar. A few days ago, NRIs meet was organised at Shri Krishna Memorial Hall, Patna. A number of NRIs want to invest in Bihar. Recently, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said, I will stop the migration of Biharis labours. In future, nobody will go to other states at least to fulfill the requirement of bread and butter. The 40-year-old Lok Sabha member from Madhepura, Pappu Yadav symbolized money and brute muscle power got life term for Ajit Sarkar murder case. The special court awarded the same sentence to a former MLA from Govindganj in East Champaran district, Rajan Tiwari and history-sheeter Anil Yadav for the killing in Purnea. With the signing of an agreement between the NTPC and BSEB on Feb 14 for the Bihar Bijli Company, Nabinagar, the process for establishment of 1980 MW thermal power plant in Aurangabad district has begun. The bipartite agreement for the super project with an estimated cost of 9,000 crore was signed in the presence of CM Nitish Kumar and NTPC Chairman-Cum-MD T Sankarlingam and energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav. Announcement of opening of new Medical, Engineering, Agriculture and ITI colleges/institutes are signs of change in Bihar. Opening of new ordnance factory at Rajgir in Nalanda district, renovation of sugar mills in north Bihar and renovation of all closed industries are also indications of transformation taking place in Bihar. Perhaps due to this, the Bihar govt's thrust on reforms and good governance has been appreciated by the World Bank and ADB, which promised the CM to extend financial assistance in terms of loans and grants in the sectors of road construction, power, Panchayati Raj institutions and tourism. The state govt has sought assistance for construction of Panchayat Bhavans in all 8712 gram panchayats to strengthen the panchayati raj instiutions. The govt also asked for monetary support from the JVIC to build an expressway between Patna, Gaya and also develop tourist spots coming under the Buddhist circuit. In this connection Nitish has demanded enough funds from the Centre for the all-round development of Bihar. With a view to link 10,000 inaccessible villages with roads in the state by March 2009, the government has strengthened the Rural Development Department by transferring under it several circles and divisions from other depts. In fact Bihar has a vast reservoir of talent and there was need for their exposure. If this pace of reforms is carried in the near future too, undoubtedly Bihar will be richest state of the country once again.
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Natural economy and other myths
OPPONENTS of market economies have written many elegies to the erosion by the greed of capitalism of nature's primeval beauty. Their laments are akin to the loss of the Old World that the landed
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Forests are the main source of herbs
Meghalaya s abundant flora is the basis of its traditional healthcare system. Now, rapid urbanisation and breakdown of the community structure are disturbing the balance. JOHN F KHARSHIING, Chairperson, Khasi School of Medicine in Shillong, talks to VIB
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Monumental task
For the ASI archaeologists, the philosophy of conservation is still bound between the covers of John Marshall's handbook on the conservation of historical monuments, written in 1903. Marshall
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Heights of degradation
Himalayan conservation gets a start at a recent seminar in the Capital
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Tigers and tribals
Tigers or tribals?
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Kolkata reconnects with its riverfront
An ambitious riverfront development project has been drawing many visitors in Kolkata. The Millennium Park runs along Strand Road, for a kilometre on the eastern bank of the Hooghly river and has
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War of words
Australia vetoes UN declaration granting indigenous people the right to "self determination"
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Jaisalmer's architectural wonders beat the heat
Jaisalmer fort and the rest of the of the city was built for heat, with wind corridors and the architecture providing built-in comfort for its denizens. Jaisalmer is not unique. Cherrapunji, the
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Back to the pollution board
Industrialists in Agra and Firozabad are in a tizzy about the Supreme Court's order to close down more than 200 polluting industrial units near the Taj Mahal.