Undue process
<i><b>Puducherry port defies ecology, economics</b></i> <br> <br> <img src="../files/images/20070515/24.jpg" align="top"/> <br>
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Single point fuel injection
Chhattisgarh is a lesson in biodiesel realities
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In Court
Pointless: A US federal appeals court recently heard arguments on a five-year-old battle over whether the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide (CO2)
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Pathetic sanitation (Editorial)
Guwahati, the State capital and the hub of the North-East, presents a pathetic picture of public hygiene and sanitation. It is a matter of shame that the city, now being projected as the future gateway to South East Asia, should be grappling with such appalling living conditions. Heaps of garbage lying by the roadside, clogged and overflowing drains, worsening dust pollution, filthy slums, etc., have been something that the citizens have been living with for years. The occasional outbreak of diseases like gastro-enteritis, cholera, and now suspected kala azar, therefore, occasions little surprise. While nothing has been done to improve the city's crumbling civic infrastructure, its rapid and haphazard expansion has further complicated the matters. The outbreak of cholera a few months back had exposed that a major section of the citizens did not have access to safe drinking water even in the heart of the State capital. Now, the outbreak of suspected kala azar has come as yet another grim reminder about the city's abysmal levels of hygiene and sanitation. The prevailing situation raises serious questions over the functioning of the various agencies entrusted with the upkeep of the city's hygiene. Notwithstanding the high-sounding rhetoric of the State Government, the fact stands that Guwahati has miles to go before it catches up with the norms associated with a modern city. Such indispensable amenities like scientific garbage disposal system, sewerage, water supply, etc., continue to be conspicuous by their absence. And the manner in which the government authorities have been pursuing these matters of vital public interest reflects an insensitive and indifferent attitude. Of late dust pollution has assumed alarming proportions in the city, mainly due to the spurt in construction activities. The authorities, however, have totally failed to ensure that these activities are carried on in accordance with the norms that minimize pollution. While the Government and the administration have cut a sorry figure in maintaining the city, the citizens, too, have to shoulder a share of the blame for the ills plaguing the city. Civic sense is totally lacking among a major section of the citizens, for whom the roads and drains are an open dustbin. Then, spitting anywhere and everywhere is another widespread habit among many citizens. It is to be remembered that clean surroundings and personal hygiene are key to prevention of many diseases, and the people must lend a helping hand to the authorities in maintaining the norms of sanitation.
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Centre show-cause to 12 firms; talks with Goa on SEZs begin
The Centre has initiated talks with the Goa government regarding the de-notification of three special economic zones (SEZs) in the state, including the 123.2 hectare-Meditab Specialities SEZ planned by pharma major Cipla. The move follows the controversial decision of the state to scrap all SEZs within its territory following widespread public agitations against such tax-free enclaves. The developers of Meditab SEZ have already made investments of over Rs 130 crore in the project. Following a notification in April 2007, Meditab had also committed investments worth Rs 500 crore and imported machinery for its pharma plant. The law ministry has recommended addressing the issue of compensation to SEZ developers if the SEZs are de-notified. Besides Meditab SEZ, the other de-notified SEZs in the state are 20.36-hectare biotech SEZ by Penisula Pharma Research Centre and 105.91-hectare IT/ITeS SEZ by K Raheja Corp. The Centre has also issued show-cause notices to developers of 12 SEZs, which obtained formal and in-principle approvals, in the state, commerce secretary GK Pillai said here on Monday. Pillai heads the board of approval (BoA), the nodal body granting permission for establishing SEZs. "(As regards) all the formal and in-principle approval given to SEZs in Goa, the BoA will issue show-cause notices to them (developers) in the light of the recommendation of the state, following the principle of natural justice,' Pillai said. The developers will be asked why the permission granted to them should not be cancelled. On the 8 SEZ proposals that were forwarded by the state but yet to come before the BoA, Pillai said, the Centre has decided to treat them as "withdrawn'. The state had on December 31, 2007, asked the Centre to scrap all the SEZs citing representations, which said the zones would adversely affect tourism and environment. The state also said it does not have adequate water and electricity for such massive industrial activities. There was also criticism that SEZs will take away scarce land in the state. The Centre has indicated that the state government will have to compensate the developers of the SEZs for the investments made along with the interest amount to avoid litigation and further complications. Officials wonder how the land, acquired for the notified SEZs, would be returned to the original owners. At best, the government can deny the developers the status of SEZ, which entitles them for tax concessions. "Even if the SEZ status is removed, the units will remain in the domestic tariff area,' an official said.
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2.5 cr more children to be covered
Finance minister P. Chidambaram today gave a brief account of the progress made under the flagship programmes such as Bharat Nirman, which were aimed at boosting development in the rural areas. In his Budget speech, Chidambaram proposed to provide Rs 31,280 crore for Bharat Nirman as against Rs 24,603 crore in 2007-08. The minister said Bharat Nirman had made impressive progress in 2007-08. "At the current pace, on each day of the year, 290 habitations are provided with drinking water and 17 habitations are connected through an all weather road. On each day of the year 52 villages are provided with telephones and 42 villages are electrified. On each day of the year 4,113 rural houses are completed,' he said. The Budget proposed Rs 8,000 crore for the Mid-day Meal Scheme. The Mid-day Meal Scheme would now be extended to upper primary classes in government and government-aided schools in all blocks of the country. This would benefit an additional 2.5 crore children, taking the total number of children covered under the scheme to 13.9 crore. The focus of the Sarv Siksha Abhiyan would shift from access and infrastructure at the primary level to enhancing retention, improving quality of learning and ensuring access to upper primary classes. He said the model school programme, which aims at establishing 6,000 high quality model schools, would start this year and Rs 650 crore had been proposed for the scheme. Navodaya vidyalayas would be established in 20 districts that had a large concentration of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. On the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme, which was announced last year to enable students to continue their education beyond Class VIII and up to Class XII, he said 1,00,000 scholarships would be awarded and a corpus of Rs 3,000 crore built up in four years. The finance minister said pointing out that India has the opportunity become a knowledge society, he said following the Prime Minister's announcement an IIM had started functioning at Shillong, IISERs had started at Mohali, Pune and Kolkata and an IIIT at Kanchipuram. Referring to the government's promise to establish a central university in the uncovered states, he said 16 central universities would be established in 2008-09.
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Banks to identify beneficiaries
A large part of identifying the beneficiaries, crucial for the success of the Rs 60,000-crore loan waiver to farmers, will be entrusted to banks. It is felt that this would be the best option for the government as banks are expected to have records of persons they have given loans to, and in the case of farmers, would also have the size of their holdings. Having set 2 hectares or 5 acres as the size of holdings for the waiver's beneficiaries, the government has the mammoth task of getting accurate lists ready so as to facilitate a complete rollout by the June 30 deadline. Commercial and rural banks and cooperatives would have an incentive to draw up lists as they would be paid money for loans which had suffered defaults. Official sources pointed out that most of the loans being targeted were anyway "basket cases' for the banks. With little hope of recovery, the banks should be more than willing to divert resources to identify farmers who can benefit from UPA's largesse. In this way, the government would not have to depend on land and revenue records, which were not always well maintained and could be open to manipulation as well. Though payment to the banks will be staggered, in the first year, the banks will be given Rs 40,000 crore. Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar told the media that in the next three years, the figure would be Rs 8,800 crore for 2008-09 and 2009-10 while the final amount to be paid in 2010-11 was expected to be Rs 2,400 crore. While the effectiveness of the loan waiver, and its potential political benefit, is being discussed, the Congress leadership is in an upbeat mood. Scenes of farmers celebrating and dancing have helped waiver enthusiasts argue that the Budget announcement was a popular hit. The massive giveaway, along with the pro-middle class decision to raise incometax exemption limits, could deliver a formidable advantage to the ruling combine. Those who feel somewhat differently point out that most of the really distressed farmers were engaged in dry-land farming. In normal circumstances, they were not eligible for high loan amounts and in contrast, farmers in irrigated areas, with holdings of similar size, would get larger loans. Dry-land farmers had to depend on private money lenders and these debts were outside the waiver. On the other hand, farmers in irrigated areas would now benefit from the waiver while also being in a position to raise regular loans from banks.
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Farm loan waiver runs into trouble
Nath: Where Will Funds Come From? The mega loan waiver announced by the Manmohan Singh government is running into some in-house scepticism with doubts about funding for the give-away being aired in the Cabinet. On Monday, a meeting of the Cabinet saw commerce minister Kamal Nath asking whether the government had made provisions for the Rs 60,000 crore scheme it has announced in the Budget. He also seemed to argue that it would have been better if the Cabinet had been taken into confidence. Sources said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh intervened to commend finance minister P Chidambaram and the loan waiver. Foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee also said that the finance ministry has chalked out the broad direction and details will soon be worked out. This reflected doubts put forward that the waiver unfairly lumps farmers tilling irrigated lands with those in dry-land conditions and that the two hectare cut-off for beneficiaries cannot apply across the country. Wondering whether the waiver would benefit distressed farmers, minister of state for new and renewable energy Vilas Muttemwar told TOI, "The problem lies in many farmers in areas like Vidarbha owning up to 15 acres of land, but being very poorly off. It is not just the small farmer, even those with larger holdings, who actually can access credit, are suffering.' Muttemwar said he would speak to the Prime Minister and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and ask for the eligibility for the Rs 60,000 crore waiver announced by the government to be altered in a state or regionwise manner. He also said that even smaller farmers might not be able to use the waiver as they were largely indebted to private money lenders. Muttemwar disputed agriculture minister and NCP boss Sharad Pawar's call to farmers to stop paying money lenders. "This is easier said than done. These loan sharks get farmers to sign agreement to sale documents. Even those sales are being closely scrutinised, it is not easy for farmers to simply throw off the yoke of money lenders,' he said. The minister's views could be some cause for worry as he represents Nagpur, the political centre of the Vidarbha region which has been reeling from suicides by farmers. The criticism that farmers who need help might be outside the waiver also dovetails with the argument that UPA's largesse will help well-off agriculturalists in areas like western Maharashtra. Well-known agro-economist M S Swaminathan agreed that it was difficult to compare farmers from green revolution states with those in impoverished dust bowls. "Comparing farmers owning two hectares in Punjab with those with holdings of similar size in Rajasthan or Vidarbha is unfair. The size of holdings in distressed areas should be much bigger,' he said. Swaminathan said farmers in irrigated areas who used advanced methods had access to credit much in excess to what farmers in distressed areas were able to garner. Budget can't be challenged in court: SC Even before the applause for a Budget
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DAE is yet to learn lessons from Fukushima
<p>I have read with interest the article “<a href="http://www.environmentportal.in/feature-article/kudankulam-meltdown">Kudankulam Meltdown</a>” by Latha Jishnu and others. Since it is based
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Steering out of gas
A global oil crisis is just a decade away, warn geologists
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"We lack information on the effects of pollution"
JUSTICE BHAGWATI PRASAD BANERJEE of the green bench of the Calcutta high court stirred more than a hornet's nest in April 1996, when he passed an order banning the use of loudspeakers in Calcutta. In a city where political meetings are a daily affair, suc
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The discovery machine
Ultra smart software is outdoing humans, making scientific discoveries and helping drivers cope with bad driving
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Homeless blues
ECOLOGICAL and environmental changes are a common cause of migration. These changes can be sudden and unpredictable like earthquakes, or gradual like desertification or land degradation. Environment
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Why are we all falling ill
The pursuit of unsustainable economic growth, bad development policy, lack of good science, and poverty are a prescription for ill health. These result in a bad living environment which contributes significantly to morbidity. A conference on the state of
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a musician's Yantra
Violinist turned environmentalist Aubrey Meyer has coined the phrase "contraction and convergence" and set the world thinking on the lines of equitable per capita emissions, whoever we are and whichever part of the world we belong to
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"The DANGER to FORESTS is not over"
The subsidiary bodies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UN FCCC met from June 2 12 1998 in Bonn, Germany. A good part of the deliberations was spent in addressing the issue of land use change and forestry LUCF , and their tre
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Fights for space
Once harmonious, the human-elephant relationship has taken an ugly turn. Faulty forest policies and nationwide destruction of elephant habitats are forcing the animals"otrt of the forests ahd into nearby villages, where pachyderm raids are becoming increa
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Heated protests over nuclear waste
Global resentment brews as Japan plans to ferry a new consignment of radioactive waste across maritime boundaries, flattening the latest perceptions and innovations of safety
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No Headway
The just concluded international conference on climate change in Buenos Aires saw the developing countries ranged against the US which was trying to impose greenhouse gas reduction targets on them. The US also managed to win over developing countries
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The land can teach how. to use it best
UNDER the unrelenting pressure of population growth, millions of landholdings in Asia and other parts of the developing world are small - and getting smaller. India alone has at least 33