Order of the High Court of Uttarakhand (WPPIL No. 202 OF 2024 with WPPIL NO.174 OF 2024) in the matter of mining operations in Bageshwar district, Uttarakhand. The order was passed by the Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court Guhanathan Narendar and Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari. In compliance with the …
a storm is brewing in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. It is not one that augurs well for a state known for the progress heralded by its computer-friendly and media-savvy chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. The state government is at an advanced stage of signing a memorandum of understanding ( …
Zimbabwean soldiers are plundering the natural resources of the Democratic Republic of Congo ( drc ), alleges John Makumbe of a corruption watchdog group. Zimbabwe has deployed almost 11,000-12,000 troops in drc since August 1998 to support president Laurent Kabila's government against the rebels in the civil war. "Others countries, …
even as you enter Panipat, a small industrial town in Haryana, you are struck by a feeling that something is terribly wrong. Then, as you look around, the sight that meets your eyes is all too familiar. On the very outskirts of the city, along national highway No 1, flows …
Guess what's common to plastic wastes and India's present day politicians? Well, for one, both are non-biodegradable. They cause problems long after their utility expires. Most belong, quite rightfully, to the dustbin. Several have no utility to begin with. And both can get recycled and return in deadlier forms. Obviously, …
the floods have once again ravaged Bihar. Claims made by the government that all precautionary measures were taken, embankment and anti-erosion work completed in time and that the floods would not be allowed to occur
the tobacco industry has been secretly campaigning to wreck efforts by the World Health Organisation (who) to fight smoking, claims a recent report. Other allegations include that the industry tried to discredit the who and get its budgets cut and even that it secretly monitored meetings and obtained confidential documents. …
it all happened on a dark Sunday night. The Kannada screen idol Rajkumar was in Doddagajanur village in Erode district, Tamil Nadu, for a house-warming get together with his family and relatives. The bandit was on the prowl. Before anyone knew what was happening, he had whisked away their dear …
If you are a self-respecting Hindu, have deep religious feelings for the river Narmada, and are worried about what the Sardar Sarovar Dam might do to the river, you don't matter. At least not to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (vhp). But a dam on the river Ganga in Tehri is …
some right-wing religious groups of Pakistan have come out with statements that give an indication of a hate campaign against non-governmental organisations ( ngos). Media reports indicate that ngos are concerned about this as the Pakistan government has maintained a stony silence on the issue. A July 10 report in …
even with social activism on the increase, there are cases of powerful industry managing to circumvent rules and bypass procedures to ensure their units get governmental approval to function, regardless of their polluting and degrading natures. An example is Meta Strips Limited (msl), a copper recycling plant, which has got …
At least 21 million citizens of Nairobi are facing acute water shortage. Citizens allege that mismanagement, corruption and lack of preparedness on the part the government officials have led to the present state of affairs. The government on the other hand blames drought of the past three years. Water scarcity …
India's Union minister for petroleum, Ram Naik, lives in the dinosaur age. Only Indian politics can throw up such archaic thinkers, given the pits it has reached. At the 16th World Petroleum Congress, held recent in Calgary, where some 2,000 people were demonstrating and asking for public policies to bring …
"Nationalisation has completely failed to meet its objectives," says Ashok K Rudra, deputy director general of mines safety in Dhanbad. The government talked about welfare of workers but it failed to do justice to any of its agenda. Today, people die in same way as they did before nationalisation. They …
"Colliery is in a coma. And only a change in the policy of the government - they must believe in self reliance in the coal sector - will ensure proper growth of the industry," says A K Roy, leader of Bihar Colliery Kamgar Union, Dhanbad. Several industry experts say the …
A thin strip of land trapped between the Arabian Sea and the Kerala backwaters. This is Challanam in Ernakulam district. Freshwater used to be very scarce. Although it rains in torrents during the monsoon, the water would flow into the sea. Groundwater was useless due to ingress of saline water. …
Leftist politicians have a reputation across the world for being immensely centralised in their thinking. So, what was different in Kerala, where the major steps in the decentralisation drive have been taken by the ldf alliance? For one, the socioeconomic conditions desperately called for a change. For another, a highly …
Four years of decentralised planning have resulted in a functional division between state plans and local plans. Policy analysts say this would lead to subsequent material improvement in local life, for example, better management of agriculture and water resources. "An important change is the right focus of planning and, so, …
There are some clear indications of the air quality in Jharia and Dhanbad. The dust particles in the air contain carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons (pahs), particulate matter smaller than 10 microns (pm10), carbon compounds and trace metals that are also carcinogenic, says D N Singh, scientist at Central Fuel Research Institute …
The future of the decentralisation process is uncertain, and the real threat comes from the bureaucracy. A wide spectrum of people - from political leaders to policy planners - share such fears. "The bureaucracy is organised, and is a great problem. Earlier there was stiff resistance from the bureaucracy to …
