The IMF’s April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa presents a clear warning: regional growth is slowing, debt pressures are mounting, and donor assistance is declining. Yet the report outlines critical opportunities particularly in domestic revenue mobilization, structural reform, and private sector activation that can shape a more resilient …
The water crisis in Shahdadkot and Mirokhan villages in Pakistan has worsened posing serious threats to the rice crop. In almost all the villages, farmers carrying dried rice seeds disputed the claims of irrigation department officials that only a small area was without water. This was noted during a visit …
floods in northern India have claimed more than 321 lives in the past month. The situation is particularly alarming in Bihar where the toll has crossed 193, and property worth crores has been destroyed. The major rivers in the state like the Kosi, Bagmati, Kamala Balan, Punpun and Gandak have …
What is the status of groundwater in the industrial areas of Andhra Pradesh? Studies conducted by the State Groundwater Authority and National Geophysics Research Institute, Hyderabad, in the Bolaram and Patancheru areas, Medak district, have shown groundwater to be contaminated by high levels of toxic organics, chlorides, sulphates and arsenic. …
at a time when pollution levels in Delhi have reached alarming levels, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, which monitors pollution in the capital, says that it has neither the money nor the equipment to carry out its work. The Central Pollution Control Board ( cpcb) is supposed to have provided …
Indian industry is huge and powerful. Most environ mentalists believe that it has done little to reduce pollution. Is there, therefore, anything that the civil society can do to change the situation? I am delighted to present to the readers of Down to Earth ( dte ) the results of …
At the onset of the Green Rating Project, cse set up a project advisory panel ( pap ) comprising industry leaders, judges, research and development experts, policymakers, academicians, environmentalists, journalists and other eminent members of the civil society. pap was formed to advise, guide and steer the project and give …
A competent technical panel is vital for the Green Rating Project. Keeping this in mind, cse selected three leading technologists in the pulp and paper sector to form the Technical Consultants Panel ( tcp ) to help in the rating the industry. The tcp members are: N J Rao , …
In May/June 1997, cse 's grp team released advertisements in Down To Earth inviting professionals, students, non-governmental organisations and other sections of the civil society to become a part of the "Green Rating Network'. They would be responsible for collecting data on Indian industries. The rationale behind the setting up …
June-July 1997: The first letter sent to the 28 companies in the pulp and paper sector requesting them to send their annual reports and brief profile. By the end of August 1997, only seven got back to cse with their annual report and only one of them, the West Coast …
The difficulties some of the green inspectors had to face while assessing the industries aside, most of them seem to have enjoyed conducting the exercise. "It was challenging and at the same time it gave me first-hand knowledge of double standards,' says P Udaya Chandra, who rated West Coast Paper …
With a score of 42.75 per cent, J K Paper Mills takes the lead in environmental performance, followed by Andhra Pradesh Paper Mills Ltd with 38.50 per cent. Both these mills have been given three leaves rating. The best company would have received five leaves rating, but sadly no one …
• Environment policy/policy statement: Even if these companies do not have environment policy statements with all the details worked out, they do have formal environment policy statements. They also have environment departments with senior managers looking after their day-to-day affairs l Chemical recovery plants and lime kilns: Several companies that …
It is no surprise that the only Indian company that had an iso 14001 certificate even before the Green Ratings Project began has come out on top. But even the top-rated company has only scored 42.75 per cent. J K Paper Mills ( jkpm ) is owned by J K …
The company that has been rated second is located on the left bank of river Godavari in the pilgrim town of Rajahmundry, East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh. Not that Andhra Pradesh Paper Mills Ltd's ( appml 's) environmental performance is extraordinary. But it shows consistency. The mill is ranked above …
Two Leaves Company SCORE 33.44%RANK THREE Ballarpur Industries Ltd ( bilt ) operates an integrated pulp and paper mill on the banks of the Wardha river about two km from the town of Ballarshah in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. It has to be noted that the Ballarpur unit is the …
SIV: On the comeback trail South India Viscose ( siv ) Ltd has a factory on the banks of river Bhavani in Sirumugai village of Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu. siv 's recent history is also the story of a vigilant local community and media that taught a lesson to the …
Sinar Mas Pulp & Paper (India) Ltd is located along the Pune-Solapur highway near village Bhadalwadi of district Pune, Maharashtra. Though the company has done well in the ratings, it has not been ranked as it started operations only in 1997, and the ratings are based on performance in the …
For assessing actual environmental performance, cse decided to use the broader Life Cycle Analysis ( lca ) approach instead of the more restricted Environmental Impact Assessment ( eia ) approach used by the government to clear projects. The eia approach only assesses environmental impacts at the production site whereas the …
• Lack of environment policy/policy statement: Let alone having a comprehensive environmental policy statement, most of these companies do not even have a general environment policy statement. They have not made any effort to set up an environment department l Poor at fibre sourcing: Most of the companies source their …
Grasim Industries Ltd has a plant along the river Chaliyar at Mavoor, district Kozhikode, Kerala. It produces rayon-grade pulp and is entirely based on bamboo and wood for raw materials. The mill claims that it has an environmental policy statement, though no document has been provided to substantiate the same. …
