Microhydro Drives Change in Rural Nepal

-By AMY YEE
BAGLUNG, NEPAL: In Rangkhani, a remote mountain village in western Nepal, a 12- hour walk on steep dirt roads from Baglung, the district’s chief town, families until a decade ago used kerosene and butter lamps to banish the darkness when dusk fell. River water is channeled to mi- crohydro facilities, providing power for villagers. The generators have little effect on the environment and the waterways are similar to irriga- tion channels already in use. Communication and health care were poor. Work, apart from traditional farming and small trade, was scarce.But since 2001, a microhydro project has harnessed the tumbling waters of the nearby Kalung Khola river to provide electricity for Rhangkhani and neighboring villages.


The World Bank estimates that Nepal’s swift-flowing torrents could supply as much as 83,000 megawatts of electricity through such projects, some without costly and environmentally damaging dams, making them one of the largest untapped hydro power resources in the world.“Nature has given us tough terrain: It’s difficult for infrastructure,” said Bhupendra Shakya, a renewable energy expert in Katmandu.“But it’s suitable for hydro,” added Mr. Shakya, who works with Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihood, a project run jointly by the Nepalese government, the U.N. Development Program and the World Bank.


When the Kalung Khola plant was built, the villagers at first did not believe that water could create electricity. Khagaraj Sharma, 48, a school teacher, recalled in a recent interview how 150 people had gathered at the small powerhouse for the startup ceremony. All eyes were fixed on a light bulb outside the one-room concrete shed housing a generator powered by running river water. When the bulb glowed, villagers cheered and danced.

CPCB fails to file report on groundwater contamination by Dow’s Bhopal plant in Supreme Court

New Delhi : In a letter to ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA), Vijay Panjwani, Supreme Court lawyer for Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has assured that “CPCB would file report (on groundwater contamination by Dow’s Bhopal plant) as soon it is ready. There is no reason for CPCB to hold back or delay filing of report on contaminated ground water in Arif Nagar,etc near UCC/UCIL/DOWCHEMICAL plant in Bhopal.” 

The report of ground water contamination by the plant of Dow Chemical Company’s Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) has not yet been filed although the deadline for filing it on June 4, 2012 is long over.

In a letter to Mira Mehrishi, Chairperson, CPCB, Additional Secretary Union Ministry of Environment & Forests, TWA had reminded CPCB about the need for filing the report on removal of contamination of ground water in UCC’s Bhopal plant area in compliance with Supreme Court Order dated April 19, 2012 and March 28, 2012. A copy of the letter was also sent to Panjwani as well. The letter dated July 14, 2012 is attached.

Panjwani added, “Even otherwise supreme court has not stopped you to go ahead and collect samples immediately for presence of toxic heavy metals.” TWA feels that after the rains the test results of the samples will not be credible due to dilution by rains.

Quebec, Canada and UK Urged to Stop Financial Support to White Asbestos Industry‏

New Delhi: In a letter to Jean Charest, Premier, Government of Quebec, Canada and Stephen Harper, Prime Minister, Government of Canada, ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA) has expressed its sense of outrage and dismay at the announcement of a $58 million loan for revival of the Jeffrey Asbestos mine under the influence of Chrysotile Institute, a white asbestos industry funded group. Canadian High Commission has confirmed that the letter dated July 6, 2012 has been sent to their offices. 


In a separate letter to Prime Minister of Government of United Kingdom his urgent intervention has been sought to stop banks, financial institutions and companies from investing in the Indian white asbestos industry. TWA has pointed out that companies like Jagjiwan Enchem Udyog Limited Company are admittedly “associated with world’s leading 150 years old reputed company M/s. Scandura Ltd., the British Belting Asbestos group of companies. Mr. Dilip J. Pandya founder promoter of the company had undergone intensive
asbestos process training at M/s. Scandura Ltd., in England.” The company reveals that its Aqua Dispersion Process technology imported from *BRITISH BELTING & ASBESTOS GROUP of U.K. *The letter dated July 10, 2012 is attached. Such involvement of British business interests in asbestos companies is unacceptable. This also reveals a manifest case of double standard given the fact that use of asbestos is banned in UK.

Beware of Campaign by POSCO and Government to create ‘Feel Good’ ambience for project

By Prashant Paikaray
Recently the government and POSCO have engaged in a media campaign aimed at confusing the entire mass.  They claim to have “downsized” the proposed steel plant, that the “people are coming around” and that the plant construction work will start in October 2012 etc. These  are apparently made to create a ‘feel good’ ambience in favour of the project. Stay cautious on such claims as many of such may simply be bewildering!   


The fact that the people still oppose this unjust project is shown by the fact that yesterday i.e. on 9th July 2012, more than 700 villagers staged a rally in Dhinkia village in spite of  heavy rains. We reiterated our strong opposition against the recent move by the Naveen Patnaik government to acquire our land for the proposed POSCO steel plant project.  The State government is preparing to take over 700 acres of government land that had more than 500 betel vines  and about one lakh cashew trees belonging to our villagers. In order to acquire this  700 acres of forest land adjacent to Govindpur village, the company and the government are using the technique of “trap and divide” our people. However we are determined to defeat such designs by proving that we stand united.


It was decided at the meeting that to hold similar meetings in some other villages of the area, such as Gobindpur, Patana, and Nuagaon during this week  and  to prepare for a bigger rally at Batatikira at a later date. As you may know that at Batatikira, our villagers have been continuing daily with dharna since June 2011. The villagers have promised to foil any attempt by the government to acquire land for the POSCO. Our people had barricaded in many places to prevent the entry of officials in these areas.

(IIM), INDORE : 5 YEAR INTEGRATED PROGRAMME

Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indore : 5 year Integrated Programme in Management (IPM) Admission-2012

Eligibility:  Candidates who have passed Higher Secondary/XII standard/+2 level/equivalent  examination and those who are likely to complete the examination by the end of 31st July, 2012. 60% aggregate marks in SSC/X standard equivalent and 60% aggregate marks in HSC/XII standard/+2 level/equivalent; or SAT-1 overall score of 1600 out of 2400 (for General/NC-OBC category) 55% aggregate marks in SSC/X std/equivalent and 55% aggregate marks in HSC/XII std/+2 level/equivalent; or SAT-1 overall score of 1475 out of 2400 (for SC/ST/PwD/DA category) SAT-1 score obtained during 01st January, 2011-20th July, 2012 are only valid

Age limit: Not more than 20 years as on 30th June, 2012 (for General/NC-OBC category); not more than 22 years as on 30th June, 2012 (for SC/ST/PwD/DA category)

How To Apply:  Admission Procedure and Selection Criteria

In Haryana, you are punished if you fight corruption!‏

Sanjiv Chaturvedi

Sanjiv Chaturvedi, an officer of Indian Forest Service in Haryana, has been forced to go on leave for unearthing several scams worth several cores in the forest department of the state. Gopal Krishna reports.


Sanjiv Chaturvedi, a Haryana cadre officer of Indian Forest Service, been forced to proceed on earned leave from June 3. Chaturvedi is a whistleblower who tried to resist and expose corruption in the Congress-led government in Haryana.It all started when Chaturvedi stopped the destruction of Saraswati wildlife sanctuary, Kurukshetra, at the hands of influential contractors of the state irrigation department in violation of Supreme Court orders and provisions of the forest and wildlife laws. The destruction would have happened due to construction of an irrigation canal through the sanctuary without statutory clearance. It is noteworthy that Haryana's share of forest cover is the lowest in the country. The Saraswati sanctuary is home to about 200 hog deer. It is believed that Saraswati, the mythical river, flows beneath the surface of the sanctuary.


Chaturvedi has been fighting back while remaining within the system but it seems he is tired now. He has been forced to go on leave in spite of his work getting support from many quarters.The ministry of environment and forest said in March: "Having regard to the advice of the Central Vigilance Commissioner and facts of the case…the issues raised (by Chaturvedi) …are worthy of an independent probe by an investigating agency."The CVC has said on December 16, 2011, that, "The Central Bureau of Investigation has now informed… that issues raised by Chaturvedi are worthy of an independent probe." Even, CBI says, it is "willing to take over the investigation of the matter… "

Sex determination rampant in J&K despite crackdown‏

Srinagar: A year after the Jammu and Kashmir government cracked down on sex determination centres, CNN-IBN has learnt that many of them have opened up again.In 2011, year when census figures had revealed the declining numbers of the girl child, the state government had come down heavily on the diagnostic centres suspected of conducting sex determination tests. A year later these clinics have started to open slowly prompting questions whether these clinic owners have been emboldened or the government has just become complacent.

More than 90 clinics were sealed when the census report suggested that sex ratio had skewed sharply from 941 to 859 per 1,000 males. In Leh, it was a dismal 583 girls to every 1,000 males.Kashmir private clinics association advisor Dr Shabir Ahmad said, "Some people got relief through the courts while other registered by paying money. There are some unregistered clinics functioning with the department's knowledge."

CNN-IBN went around and could see several clinics functioning and some were even working surreptitiously during late hours. Ironically, these clinics are in close proximity to the health department, which pleads ignorance.Health services director Saleem Rehman said, "If anyone tips us about sex selection being done at a clinic with credible proof, Rs 50,000 will be given to him and his identity won't be revealed. We will take strict action."Tough laws and strict monitoring along with government intervention can only check that the girl child does not go missing. 

CBI official V. V. Lakshminarayana in media cross-fire

In Andhra Pradesh the CBI is under the scanner for alleged selective leaking to anti-Jagan media houses. MADABHUSHI SRIDHAR ACHARYULU says neither the press nor the CBI has performed creditably. 

When the media expose the real culprits through investigative journalism, their work is criticised as “trial by media”, which the judiciary has also considered to be influencing their judgment. In cases such as Arushi murder in Delhi, it was the CBI that regularly briefed the press leaving nothing for the judiciary to decide. The media were only overenthusiastic in sensationalising the private details of the case. Although not totally innocent, the media have been wrongfully blamed for this kind of “trial”. Now the media are busy reporting press conferences and selective leaks from the CBI or police investigators much before the evidence is produced before the court of law. 

A couple of newspapers and a television channel are under trial by another section of the media in Andhra Pradesh today. Earlier, some newspapers were supporting the Congress and some the Telugu Desam Party. But now the media are passionately divided as pro- and anti-Jagan. Several hours on television channels and columns after columns in newspapers are filled with bombarding details of the questions and answers in the interrogation of Jaganmohan Reddy, MP, former Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana, industrialists, and IAS officers, as if the newspapers were allowed to witness the grilling of the accused. Continuous reporting on details of the illegal assets case of Kadapa MP Jagan has raised questions of “media trial” from a different point of view with respect to ethics and propriety.

birth centenary of father of computing celebrated‏

Alan Turing, the father of computing, whose birth centenary is being celebrated on June 23 was also a victim of homophobia. The World War Two codebreaker committed suicide after being convicted and chemically castrated for being a homosexual. Mathematician Turing led a team at Bletchley Park country House north of London which cracked the Nazis' Enigma code - regarded by the Germans as unbreakable - a move credited with helping to shorten the war and save countless lives.

However, five years after the war he was convicted of gross indecency under laws which banned homosexuality and was sentenced to chemical castration involving a series of injections of female hormones. 100 years since Alan Turing's birth: A look back at computers. The conviction meant Alan Turing, a pioneer of modern computing, losing his security clearance and being unable to continue his work. In 1954 he killed himself at the age of 41. The legislation used against the maths genius was the same as that used to prosecute and jail playwright Oscar Wilde in 1895 during a Victorian clampdown on homosexuality and it was only repealed in 2003.

In 2009 British Prime Minister Gordon Brown apologised for the treatment meted to Alan Turing.It was at the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park that Turing and fellow scientists designed and developed Colossus, a truck-sized machine which was one of the world's first programmable electronic computers. However the work was not widely known beyond academic circles as Britain kept their role in the war secret.

Then Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered that the Colossus computers and 200 so-called Bombe machines, used to crack the Enigma code, be destroyed to keep them secret from the Soviet Union. Bletchley's existence only came to light in the 1970s when the veil of secrecy was lifted.

TISS report points to anti-Muslim, ant-migrant bias of Maharashtra Police‏

A report on Muslim prisoners in Maharashtra jails by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) establishes that most of them do not have connections with criminal gangs, and points to an acute bias of the police for arresting them in some cases only because they belong to a particular community. A Study of the Socio Economic Profile and Rehabilitation Needs of Muslim Community in Prisons in Maharashtra, 2011, by Dr. Vijay Raghavan and Roshni Nair from the Centre for Criminology and Justice School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), states that 96 per cent of the respondents have not been held under preventive detention charges, thus indicating that they are not viewed as a threat to law and order.

The study which surveyed 339 Muslims, mostly between 18 and 30 years of age, in 15 prisons says this implies that most respondents do not have connections with criminal gangs or have any record which may be a threat to law and order. About 25.4 per cent of those imprisoned don’t have lawyers to represent them in their cases. The police’s bias against Muslims led to some of the arrests under the erstwhile Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA) and even under the Official Secrets Act.

Resist the silent emergency! Call for Action on June 26th 2012‏

On June 26,1975, Emergency was declared in India, robbing citizens of their basic democratic rights and ushering in a dark period of rampant human rights violations all over the country. Arrests of Indian citizens without charge or notification of families, abuse and torture of detainees, media censorship and use of public and private media institutions for government propaganda, forced sterilization of the minorities, destruction of slums and low income housing areas and authoritarianism were its main characteristics. All dissent was crushed. While the engineering student Rajan was tortured and killed in the Kakkayam torture camp, many others includingArchana Guha & Latika Guha from Calcutta who were badly tortured are still alive to tell their tales.

The nightmare of Emergency was over in 1977 when it was lifted due to large scale public protest. Political parties, institutions and individuals who defended Emergency were discredited. The sigh of relief evoked a hope for a functioning democracy in India.

But today, we are entering into a similar phase of governance without any formal declaration of Emergency. This Silent Emergency has regulated, controlled and restricted all space for democratic public protests against ruling governments. Custodial deaths and encounter killings have become a routine phenomenon. Rape, murder, loot, torture and arrests in Manipur, Nagaland and other north eastern states as well as Kashmir have even crossed the excesses of the Emergency period. Many discriminatory laws have been enacted to silence the Media without a censorship. Several discriminatory laws were enacted to enhance and strengthen the power of the State over civil society and crush dissent. State terrorism today is beyond the imagination those who were responsible for the declaration of Emergency in the seventies.

Laws to facilitate the corporate control and loot over the resources of people are being enacted. This has also become a major reason for the human rights violations against adivasis, dalits, minorities, farmers, fisher people, workers, activists and human rights movements. While the mainstream media is compelled to ignore most of the people’s movements,for reasons of commerce those who work on human rights of the people are being victimized. The human rights defenders who take up burning issues of the people are being targeted. False cases are being fabricated against activists, people’s movements, media, theatre activists, minorities, self determination movements, dalits and adivasis in a major way. Thus thousands of innocent people are languishing in Indian jails without any trial.

Human rights lovers of this country and abroad came out on streets to campaign for the release Dr. Binayak Sen in recent times. However, hundreds of innocent adivasis are still suffering in the jails in Chhattisgarh. While the anti-POSCO movement leader Abhay Sahoo was released on bail recently, he is still being tied up with 51 fabricated cases. The villagers and activists resisting the South Korean multinational giant POSCO are facing over 1500 false cases and many of them cannot move out of their villages even to go to hospital due to this. They are jailed inside their own villages. While the leader of the anti-nuclear movement in Koodamkulam is facing over 200 fabricated cases, similar charges have also been instigated against over 6000 villagers. Muslim spiritual leader Abdul Nasser Maudany who supported the struggles of adivasis and dalits in Kerala was imprisoned in Coimbatore jail with fabricated charges for nine and a half years without trial and declared innocent and released later. However, he is imprisoned again with fabricated charges and he is suffering in jail in Bangalore today without proper medical care for his health problems. Maudany is becoming blind today. He has lost vision in one eye and the second eye is also affected. Writer and human rights activistSeema Azad is also behind bars today facing fabricated charges along with her husband. Seema Azad is the organizational secretary of PUCL in Uttar Pradesh. Journalist Syed Mohammed Ahmed Kazmi, journalist K.K. Shahina, adivasi activist Soni Sori, farmers’ movement leader Dr. Sunilam, Mumbai based activist Arun Ferreira, Activists protested against Nonadanga slum evictions in West bengal ,  advocate Shahnavas, dalit group in Kerala DHRM, Mumbai based theatre group Kabir Kala Manch, adivasi activist CK. Janu and her supporters and thousands of others have become victims of fabrication by the State in the recent past. This trend is not acceptable to any citizen who believes in democracy and human rights.

Adopted Rio+20 Summit declaration reflects India's concerns‏

RIO DE JANEIRO: Reflecting the concerns of India, the Rio+20 Summit has said that developing countries needed additional resources for sustainable development and that unwarranted conditionalities on Official Development Assistance (ODA) and finance should be avoided. "We reaffirm that developing countries need additional resources for sustainable development," said the 55-page declaration adopted at the end of the Rio+20 summit officially called "United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development". 

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his address at the Summit attended by 125 world leaders had said "many countries could do more if additional finance and technology were available. Unfortunately, there is little evidence of support from the industrialised countries in these areas (reducing emissions intensity). The ongoing economic crisis has made matters worse." Describing economic development, social inclusion and environmental sustainability as all equally critical as components of sustainable development, Singh said that the task before the world community is to give practical shape and content to this architecture in a manner that allows each country to develop according to its own national priorities and circumstances. 

Left parties urge Odisha govt to scrap Posco project‏

Paradip: The Left parties on Friday urged the Odisha government to scrap the proposed Posco project near here respecting the people's sentiment. The state government should refrain from acquiring land forcibly and scrap the project. Acquiring land for a project without having any agreement is illegal, CPI leader A B Bardhan said. The local people have been agitating against the project for the last seven years. This is a clear indication that the people do not want the project here, Bardhan told a a protest rally at the proposed plant site village marking the seventh anniversary of the MoU for the mega steel plant.

Bardhan, who has been opposing the project since the Odisha government signed an MoU with the South Korean steel major for setting up a 12mtpa steel mill in June 22, 2005, said the people of Dhinkia gram panchayat, the epi-centre of anti-Posco movement, were kept in captivity in their villages as they were opposed to the project. Whoever comes out of the village is framed in a fake case, he alleged. CPM MP Basudev Acharia urged chief minister Naveen Patnaik to drive away Posco in the interest of the local people.

Paraguay’s President ousted in impeachment trial‏

AP Paraguay's former President Fernando Lugo addresses the nation after the Senate voted to remove him from office in an impeachment trial at the Presidential palace in Asuncion on Friday. Paraguay’s Senate removed President Fernando Lugo from office in a rapid
impeachment trial on Friday, and the leftist former priest said he was stepping aside even though he considered his ouster a blow to democracy.

Vice-President Federico Franco was promptly sworn in as President after tense hours during which Mr. Lugo’s supporters massed in the streets facing off with riot police. The outgoing President, who was elected on pledges of helping the poor, averted the potential for a bigger conflict by appearing on television and saying he would comply with the Senate’s vote.

“I say goodbye as President,” a smiling and gracious Mr. Lugo said shortly after the Senate vote. He said, however, that Paraguay’s democracy “has been deeply wounded.” Mr. Franco, who had parted ways with Mr. Lugo in recent years, triumphantly donned the Presidential sash and declared: “At this time, God and destiny wanted me to assume the Presidency.”

The Senate tried Lugo on five charges of malfeasance in office, including an alleged role in a deadly confrontation between police and landless farmers that left 17 dead. After the five-hour trial, 39 Senators voted to dismiss Mr. Lugo, while four Senators voted against and two were absent. It was a dramatic demise for the once-popular leader who previously had
stepped down as a popular Roman Catholic “bishop of the poor” to run for the Presidency amid a leftward swing in South America.

Information regarding IRDS Fellowship‏

1. The period of fellowship
shall be from 01 July2012 to31 December2012
2. The first honorarium shall be provided on 15July2012, second on 15October 2012and third on 15January 2013
3. There shall be no minimum Educational qualification nor any minimum or
maximum age limit for the fellowship. 
4. The language of fellowship can be Hindi or English 
5.The selected Fellow shall have to present a Progress Report on the first
date of every month. 
6. The selected
fellow shall present an Interim Report on 01 October 2012 after which the next
honorarium shall be provided.
7. The Fellow will have to present a detailed Final Report on 31 December2012 after which
the final honorarium shall be given. This Report shall not be less than Twenty
Five thousand words (25,000 words). The suggested format of the Report shall be
as follows-
(a) Introduction
(b) The Internal and External characteristics of the current Anti-corruption Movements
(c) The power of Media to affect people’s perception
(d) The role of Media in these movements- (i) Positive aspects (ii) Negative
aspects 
(This analysis shall be presented separately for the Electronic and Print
Media) 
(e)  Role of Media in Anti-corruption
Movements- Conclusion
(f) Suggestions/Recommendations for the Media   
(g) Suggestions/Recommendations for the Anti-corruption
Movements
 
The selected Fellow can remain in contact with us through email or through
Phone. In case they feel necessary, they may contact us at 5/426, Viram Khand,
Gomti Nagar, Lucknow- 226010. 
The name of the person selected for Fellowship shall be announced on 31 June. 
Those interested in this fellowship may send their Expression of Interest along
with a Concept paper (Synopsis) and the required Bio data latest by 25 June atirdslucknow@gmail.com, amitabhth@yahoo.com ornutanthakurlko@gmail.com.
They may contact us at 94155-34525 or 94155-34526 for any further details.

Dr. Kiran Bedi at Crossword, Kemps Corner, Mumbai for a book launch‏

Dr. Kiran Bedi at Crossword Kemps Corner  (L-R- Swarup Nanda,
CEO Leadstart Publishing, Nishi Malhotra (Author) and Dr. Kiran Bedi)

Mumbai : Crossword and Leadstart Publishing hosted the launch of the book 'Tejas - Love is Worship', a novel by Nishi Malhotra. The novel was released by Author, Social Activist & Highest Ranking woman in Indian Police Services, Dr. Kiran Bedi at Crossword Kemps Corner. The evening was memorable as two eminent and highly knowledgeable women were seen interacting and sharing their experiences as authors with each other. The audience was enthralled and attentive as Nishi Malhotra along with Dr. Kiran Bedi read out a few excerpts from the book.

Dr. Kiran Bedi was impressed with the plot of the book, she pointed out saying that it connects instantly with every woman and the youth in general who are experiencing the dilemma of love. She not only appreciated the author Nishi Malhotra, who has interviewed her in the past, but also encouraged her to continue to keep writing from the heart and follow her passion. Nishi Malhotra, the author of 'Tejas- Love is Worship' was elated by the incredible response that she got for her book and said, "It's a story close to my heart, a tale of two people helplessly in love who want to be together in spite of the hurdles and challenges they face. I am sure the audiences are going to enjoy the journey while reading as much as I enjoyed while writing the book."

Swarup Nanda, CEO, Leadstart Publishing, was quoted saying "Leadstart Publishing is known for supporting creative talents who wish to share their story with the world. Nishi Malhotra is an extremely talented and an insightful writer and we wish to work with her on more occasions in future."

UNESCO water report promotes privatisation narrative‏

Ahead of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development being held in June 20-22 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation published a 909-page report titled 'United Nations World Water Development Report 4: Managing Water under Uncertainty and Risk. It is envisaged as a conference at the highest possible level, including heads of state and government or other representatives. It will result in a focused global political document

Citing a World Bank document of 2009, this three volume report says: "The National Ganga River Basin Authority in India, with the financial support of the World Bank, launched a programme in 2009 to clean the Ganges, to ensure that 'no untreated municipal sewage or industrial effluents would be discharged into the river by 2020'. Previous action plans did not improve the health of the river, in which almost 95 percent of the pollution is caused by sewers and open drains (World Bank, 2011b). This time the governmental approach has moved from a town centric approach to a broader river basin approach..."

The report's treatment of Ganga Basin, the largest river basin of the country which has catchment in 11 States leaves a lot to be desired. The report fails to enlist any achievement of the authority that was set up in February 2009. It does not scrutinise whether or not the promised 'broader river basin approach' has indeed been adopted. It does not dwell on the split personality of the bank either. 

The bank has been undertaking contradictory projects in the Ganga basin without any sense of accountability. It depletes water quality of Ganga by supporting dams upstream and it provides loans for improvement of water quality in its downstream. The second volume of Environmental and Social Management Framework for Bank assisted National Ganga River Basin Project document says, "The Ganga basin (which also extends into parts of Nepal, China and Bangladesh) accounts for about 26 percent of India's landmass, 30 percent of its water resources, and more than 40 percent of its population."

Obama campaign raises more questions about Romney's wealth

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is not doing enough to ensure his political actions are not influenced by his multimillion-dollar fortune, officials with President Barack Obama's campaign said on Thursday.The Obama campaign questioned why Romney has kept his extensive investments in a blind trust administered by his longtime lawyer, rather than setting up a trust that meets more rigorous federal conflict-of-interest standards.


Obama officials periodically invoke Romney's fortune, worth as much as $250 million, to try to make the case that he is out of touch with the concerns of most Americans."It raises a host of questions of why it is that he will not abide by more rigorous standards," Obama general counsel Robert Bauer said on a conference call.The Romney campaign dismissed the questions as an effort by the Obama campaign to change the subject after a string of bad news in recent days.Romney has pulled virtually even with Obama in several polls, raised more campaign cash than the president's team did in May, and has new hope of a strong showing in Wisconsin, where Republican Governor Scott Walker survived a recall election on Tuesday.


"Another day, another tired distraction by the Obama campaign, which is frantic to avoid discussing the continued rejection of President Obama's agenda by the electorate and by members of his own party," Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said."As has been reported for years, Governor and Mrs. Romney's assets are managed on a blind basis," Saul added. "They do not control the investment of these assets, which are under the control and overall management of a trustee."

Water Privatization in Jakarta ‘Not Working’

Ezra Sihite | Residents line up for clean water in West Jakarta in this file photo. The Coalition of People Rejecting the Privatization of Water in Jakarta (KMMSAJ) and the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Jakarta said on Sunday that the privatization of Jakarta's water supply hasn't helped the city's residents, where some 40 percent of households don't have access to piped-in water. (Antara Photo) age Two groups on Sunday criticized the privatization of clean water in the capital, and received the support of a candidate for the city’s governorship.The Coalition of People Rejecting the Privatization of Water in Jakarta (KMMSAJ) and the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Jakarta expressed their opposition during a forum on the city’s clean water supplies.


“LBH Jakarta and KMMSAJ took up the water problem in Jakarta because the issue has been forgotten and marginalized,” LBH Jakarta chairman Nurkholis Hidayat said. “This is a general need that should have been fought for by those concerned, especially the government.” Nurkholis said that even with the privatization of the Jakarta clean water company — state controlled PAM Jaya subcontracts water services to private companies PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) and Aetra Air Jakarta — about 40 percent of Jakarta households do not have access to piped water. The poor have to buy water at between Rp 37,000 and Rp 85,000 per square cubic meter, he said.


Nurkholis said that since signing the 25-year contracts with the two private companies in 1997, PAM Jaya has suffered from debts of up to Rp 1.3 trillion ($142 million). Its assets dropped from Rp 1.49 trillion to Rp 204.46 billion a 2007 audit showed.Those organizing Sunday’s discussion invited all six of Jakarta’s gubernatorial candidates but independent candidate Hendardji Supandji was the only one who attended.“Privatization is not problem if it alleviates the burden of the people, but it is if it’s adding to the problem,” said Hendardji, who is in the race with running mate Riza Patriya.

Gujarat High Court Stays Ship-breaking‏

New Delhi : ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA) welcomes Gujarat High Court ruling staying ship-breaking activity at the Sachana in Jamnagar district, Gujarat. The Gujarat's forest department has raised objections against the shipbreaking yards having environment clearance.Justice S R Brahmbhatt of Gujarat High Court ordered after the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) failed to provide cogent reply to queries posed by the State Forest Department regarding the location of the yard. The dispute between Forest Department and GMB has been referred to the chief secretary, Gujarat Government. The next date of hearing is on on June 18. The High Court has also issued notice to the State Government.


The Forest Department has found that the ship-breaking activities are taking place on forest land and in the Marine National Park.The hazardous ship-breaking activity at Sachana port, a fragile coastal environment is older than the shipreaking activity at Alang beach. At Sachana the activity began in 1977. At present there are 18 yards. At Alang beach the activity began in 1982-3.


Taking cognisance of the alarming levels of pollution, the the forest authorities have ordered all ship breakers to stop the activity with immediate effect in absence of environment clearance. In the Gujarat High Court the GMB supported ship breakers contention. It disputed Forest Department's claim about the limit of the Marine National Park. The shipbreaking activities were stopped at three of the yards after the Forest Department's letter. Justice Brahmbhatt asked as to why ship-breaking activity has not been stopped in all plots. The High Court has stayed all work till further orders.  


In the Supreme Court, the ship buyer of ex Exxon Valdez (currently named MV Oriental N) has filed an application for beaching and breaking the dead vessel at Alang beach, Bhavnagar, Gujarat replying to the application filed by TWA raising objections about it.

Ex Exxon Valdez Refused Interim Relief for Entry by Supreme Court

New Delhi : Following the order of Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice J. Chelameswar bench of Supreme Court in the matter of a US hazardous end-of-life vessel ha now been renamed as M V Oriental N. Its former names include Exxon Valdez, Exxon Mediterranean, Sea River Mediterranean, S/R Mediterranean, Mediterranean, Dong Fang Ocean and 'Oriental Nicety').


Today the matter was listed before the bench of Justice Deepak Verma and Justice S J Mukhopadhyaya. The bench asked whether Basel Convention has been complied with. This in effect means that Basel Convention and its Technical Guidelines besides the Guidelines of Central Pollution Control Board has to be followed. When the bench questioned about the ownership of the applicant by drawing the attention to the letter of Gujarat Maritime Board where the name of the real owner occurs. The court also asked the applicant claiming to be ship owner to disclose complete facts about the ownership. The senior counsel for the applicant insisted on passing an interim order which the court refused and made it clear that only after replies are filed by the concerned parties that the application can be heard and issued notice on the application. It will be heard after replies are filed.


Earlier in the May 3, 2012 order, Justice Kabir headed bench said: "The respondents in the interlocutory application will be entitled to file their respective counter affidavits to the same, within six weeks. Rejoinder thereto, if any, may be filed within two weeks thereafter. Let this interlocutory application, as well as the other connected interlocutory applications, be listed on 13th August, 2012, also."


Following the order the movement of the dead vessel is under scrutiny.The matter was heard on May 11, 2012 and on May 14, 2012. The original application was filed by convener of ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA).Responding to the court's order on this application, the buyer of the ship Best Oasis Company, (a subsidiary of Priya Blue Industries Pvt Ltd) based in Bhavnagar, Gujarat filed an application that was heard today.Best Oasis Company reveals itself as Hongkong based.

Groundwater in Vadodara village scares

Contamination Villagers in state’s ‘vegetable basket’ say yield has declined; dye unit in dock 
A seismology report has indicted a multinational company’s dye production unit for groundwater contamination near Vadodara even as the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) says the company has submitted detailed remediation plans after closure notices were issued January this year. The report by Gandhinagar-based Institute of Seismological Research, which was made public by the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti (PSS) on Monday, states that chemical leakage from the captive treatment stabilisation disposal facility (TSDF) of Baroda Textile Effects Ltd, a company bought by Singapore-based Huntsman Group from Metrochem Industries 

Ltd in 2009, was contaminating groundwater in Luna village of Padra taluka in Vadodara district. Luna and surrounding villages are known for their drumstick production and the area is often referred to as Gujarat’s vegetable basket. However, water in and around 55 wells and tubewells in Luna has turned red or yellow. Sanjay Patel, the sarpanch, says yield has declined due to the groundwater contamination. The ISR, an institute under the state’s Department of Science and Technology, conducted surveys near the TSDF and detected cracks at the bottom and in the western wall of the tank. 

“It can be concluded that the chemical leakage from the western and northern sides of waste disposal tank of the TSDF site may migrate to some distance through the weak planes and contaminate the ground water. From the traces of colours or dyes present in the well water, it can be said that pollution at Luna village could be due to leakage from the waste disposal tank,” the report concluded. The TSDF, spread over 14,000 sqm with the capacity to store 80,000 cubic metres of solid waste, was constructed in 1997 with a projected life till 2003. However, the report points out the industry kept on using the tank beyond its life and also raised its height by three metres in 2006, subsequently dumping 50 per cent more waste than the capacity. 

Entry of ex US ship Oriental Nicety (ex Exxon Valdez) in Indian waters not permissible without prior decontamination‏

New Delhi : Justice Altamas Kabir headed Supreme Court’s bench heard the application against a US hazardous end-of-life vessel named 'Oriental Nicety' (formerly Exxon Valdez, Exxon Mediterranean, Sea River Mediterranean, S/R Mediterranean, Mediterranean, and Dong Fang Ocean) that has been purchased by Best Oasis Company, (a subsidiary of Priya Blue Industries Pvt Ltd) based in Bhavnagar, Gujarat on May 3, 2012. The court observed that without the prior decontamination of the ships in the country of export, no dead ship including 'Oriental Nicety' (formerly Exxon Valdez) can be allowed entry in Indian waters.


This is a dead ship for dumping in the Indian waters in the name of dismantling and recycling. This is a second such ship originally from USA that is outwitting Indian laws. The USA’s regulations and European Union regulations prohibit the entry of such vessels. There are 173 plots to carry out the ship-breaking activities for secondary steel retrieval on the Alang beach under the supervision of Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB), which has no competence in such industrial processes.


While a total of 5924 end-of-life ships were permitted between 1982 and 2012, there is no data available as to the quantity of hazardous wastes which has been dumped. How much PCBs, PCTs, asbestos wastes, radioactive and other hazardous materials have come to the country, is not known. How many workers, villagers have been affected and the extent and enormity of contamination of Alang beach is also not known.It is not understood how the ship breaking activities is continuing when there is no landfill facility available. Obviously, illegal dumping of hazardous wastes is going on, which is totally illegal.


It is noteworthy that actions and agencies identified by Court constituted Inter-ministerial committee (IMC) on shipbreaking in the pursuance of eighteen recommendations of Prof M G K Menon headed High Power Committee that were accepted by the Court has not been complied with. The minutes of IMC repeatedly underline security concerns. The annexed document underlines the need for Ministry of Defence to probe Hazardous Wastes Trade and movement of end-of-life ships in Indian wasters. The application has sought direction for compliance.

Alang beach remains a security concern, 5924 end-of-life ships beached so far

New Delhi : An application has been filed in Supreme Court in the matter of a hazardous end-of-life vessel named 'Oriental Nicety' (formerly Exxon Valdez, Exxon Mediterranean, Sea River Mediterranean, S/R Mediterranean, Mediterranean, and Dong Fang Ocean) which has been purchased by Best Oasis Company, (a subsidiary of Priya Blue Industries Pvt Ltd) in the Indian waters in the name of dismantling and recycling. The minutes of the court constituted Inter-ministerial committee (IMC) on shipbreaking and a sensitive document that has been filed in the court reveal the repeated security concerns which remain unaddressed. The hazardous wastes/shipbreaking case Writ Petition (Civil) 657/1995 is coming up for hearing on May 3, 2012.  The application is attached.


The following are the prayers in the application: A relevant sensitive document (that is corroborated by recent minutes of IMC's 14th meeting dated February 2012) is


(i) Direct the Union of India to ensure that no end-of-life ship should be allowed without prior decontamination in the country of export as per this Hon’ble Court’s order dated October 14, 2003,
(ii) Direct the Union of India to send back all hazardous wastes laden end-of-life ships entering/ or have entered the Indian territorial waters without prior informed consent and without prior decontamination keeping in view the environmental principles,
(iii) Direct inquiry by an independent trans-disciplinary investigating agency to ascertain the circumstances of the dead US ship’s arrival in Indian territorial waters, to make concerned officials accountable for their acts of omission and commission and seek a detailed report on more than 1200 ships broken in last 5 years and more than 5924 ships broken since 1982;
(iv) Direct Union of India to ensure compliance with the recommendations of the Hon'ble Court constituted Inter-ministerial committee (IMC) on ship-breaking


The illegal traffic of this dead ship must be stopped besides investigating the possibility of fake documents which came to light in the earlier case of Platinum II, a US ship.The Ministry of Environment & Forests has invoked the Precautionary Principle and directed that granting permission for beaching and breaking, purposes of the ship will not be advisable in the case of Platinum II. It may be mentioned that precautionary principle is the basis of UN conventions, such as Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade and Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). India is a signatory to these conventions and has ratified them as well.The ex-Exxon Valdez is violating these international laws besides the court's order.

Need to Save Workers in Nuclear, Shipbreaking & Asbestos Industry

New Delhi : On International Commemoration Day  for Dead and Injured or Day of Mourning, ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA) remembers all the workers workers who got killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work in the nuclear, ship breaking and asbestos industry and appeals for legal remedy and justice for these workers.


Asbestos is banned in 55 countries. Nuclear power industry is being phased out in the post Fukushima world. The workers  condition in these two industries besides shipbreaking is among the worst in the industrial sector. TWA demands that asbestos should be phased out, non-nuclear sources of energy be adopted and shipbreaking industry be taken away from the Alang beach in the interest of workers environmental and occupational health rights.


TWA seeks a register of workers who work in the hazardous industries so that they can claim compensation for the occupational injuries and diseases they suffer. The recommendations contained in the minutes of the Interministerial committee is attached. These recommendations for safety measures for Alang Workers has been ignored.


The hazardous wastes/shipbreaking case Writ Petition (Civil) 657/1995 is coming up for hearing on May 3, 2012. An application has been filed in the Supreme Court has prayed for ban on end-of-life ships without prior decontamination in the country of export as per this Hon’ble Court’s order dated October 14, 2003 and an inquiry by an independent trans-disciplinary investigating agency to ascertain the circumstances of 'Oriental Nicety' (ex-Exxon Valdez), the dead US ship’s arrival in Indian territorial waters and to make concerned officials accountable for their acts of omission and commission and seek a detailed report on more than 1200 ships broken in last 5 years and more than 5924 ships broken since 1982 and for compliance with the recommendations of the Hon'ble Court constituted Inter-ministerial committee (IMC) on ship-breaking.


TWA demands provision of asbestos free housing facilities for workers of both the unorganised and organsied sector workers.  It demands the list of workers suffering occupational diseases for enabling the struggle for occupational and environmental health justice.

Mysore ready for water rationing?‏

MYSORE: Get ready for water rationing. Faced with a faulty distribution network, Mysore City Corporation (MCC) has decided to ration the supply and will announce the schedule. The limited time supply is likely to come into force early next week. The rationing will be in place at least till May-end. 


The civic body will press five additional tankers, taking their number to 40, and start the operations from 6am. There will be an exclusive mobile squad to attend to complaints and the officials tasking with water supply will meet daily at 7pm and chalk out a strategy. MCC has Rs 1-crore special grant, while Rs 30 lakh sanctioned to each of the three city MLAs for water will be used to meet the drinking water needs of one million people. 


Armed with chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda's directive to directly handle water supply in the city, the civic body is focusing on supplying water to all 65 wards. Some pockets in 14 wards are facing problems owing to technical reasons, which has aggravated since a month, leading to street protests. While the local body was confident that the crisis could be effectively handled with the commissioning of 14 overhead tanks by mid-April, the problem has deepened with some areas going dry. With the election to the civic body nine months away, the issue has assumed political colours. 


What has made the issue tricky is the Cauvery row with the Tamil Nadu seeking the apex court to restrain Karnataka from using water in the four major dams in the Cauvery delta, including the Krishnarajasagar dam, the main source for Mysore's drinking water needs. The live storage, which is usable water at the dam, is half of what it was during the corresponding period last year. Sources told TOI that as on Friday, 8.212 tmcft of water is available at the dam, which was 16.280 tmcft last year. As against the maximum of 124.8 feet, the water level is 91.08 feet, which is 11 feet less compared to 2011. 


This is for the first time in four years that the civic body is going in for extraordinary move even as the main water source has not hit rock bottom, indicating the mess in the execution of the project to overhaul the water distribution network. 


District minister S A Ramdas blamed Jameshdpur Utilities and Services Company (Jusco), a unit of Tata, for the mess but didn't spare the MCC either. "I don't know who devised the terms of conditions for the O&M of the water distribution network before signing agreement with Jusco. We can't go back on it too, even when Jusco is ready to pack and go," Ramdas said. "For two months, we will supply water during a particular time and we will announce the schedule too," he said. MCC agreed that even when the water level had plummeted to 67 feet, it had ensured the supply, which it cannot do now. Ramdas attributed this to lack of co-ordination between the MCC and Jusco officials.

PM Manmohan's disappointing speech at the NGBRA meeting

at the 3rd National Ganga River Basin Authority meeting on April 17, 2012, it promises nothing, says the most discredited IIT Roorkee report that even the Ministry of Environment and Forests’ Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley Projects criticized and does not follow and the report of the Wildlife Institute of India that his environment minister Jayanti Natrajan refuses to follow, will be their guiding lights and a multi disciplinary group will now study them! PM also has hopes from IIT consortium to provide guidance for future! The Consortium that has no track record on either understanding the complex social, cultural, environmental, economic and governance issues that plague the issues related to the state of the river, not does it have track record of taking independent positions on these politically tough issues.


On the deficit of 1800 MLD treatment capacity of Urban sewage (it is a gross underestimate) the only thing he has to offer is MONEY: "There is adequate funding available to create additional treatment facilities under the National Mission Clean Ganga." On under utililization of existing sewage, he suggests that it is basically because lack of connection with the sewage and O&M expenses, so he offers relaxation of norms! Neither are really the key problems affecting existing STPs.On persistently polluting industries, he only has a sermon to state government to strengthen enforcement mechanisms... such sermons have come and gone hundreds of times without any impact...


“...to attend to some of the institutional, administrative and financial problems that may be coming in the way of more effective implementation of pollution control and abatement measures", he asks the states to submit reports on urban and industrial pollution and than NGBRA can consider actions! He hints that it is well known what needs to be done, but clearly does not want to do anything...And of course not a word on the issue of Dams, the biggest threat to the river and all the related problems... Not a word on addressing the governance issues... PM acknowledges, "We should remember that our efforts in the past have not been very successful." but the only thing on offer is "a renewed and sincere commitment in both thought and action to make a definite change in the situation". Unfortunately, in the entire speech there is nothing at all to suggest that he means what he says.


The Full speech:
“I am happy to be present here today at the 3rd meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority. I extend a very warm welcome to you all. The National Ganga River Basin Authority was set up as a high level body that would give focussed attention to fulfilling our sacred and solemn duty to restore the pristine glory of the Ganga and preserve its riches for future generations.  The Centre, the Ganga basin States, civil society and industry should work together to make a success of this important national endeavour. We should remember that our efforts in the past have not been very successful. Therefore, we must together show a renewed and sincere commitment in both thought and action to make a definite change in the situation.

NCTC and UID/Aadhaar projects, threat to Citizens’ Rights & States’ Autonomy‏

*Punjab & Haryana Must Stop Collection of Citizens’ Biometric Data
*Govt overwhelmed by marketing blitzkrieg of surveillance, biometric,
*communication technology companies & international financial institutions


Chandigarh: The Unique Identification (UID)/Aadhaar project is a project that has no support in law. The collection of biometrics under the project to create a National Population Register (NPR) is illegal. This has been underlined by the report of India’s Parliamentary Standing on Finance. There are good reasons why countries like the UK, Australia, Philippines and China have rejected UID/Aadhaar and NPR-like projects, but these seem to have escaped the attention of the governments of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh which are implementing them in pursuance of the MoUs they have signed with the Unique Identification Authority of India(UIDAI).
These projects are based on the biometric profiling of citizens which, as the Standing Committee on Finance has observed, is without any legal mandate. These instead represent a threat to citizens’ rights and States’autonomy. The Central Government appears to have lost its way and has embarked on projects that show a deep disrespect for citizens of this country The profiling, and the intrusion of privacy, that is a central aspect of these projects are, among other things, contrary to the Supreme Court’s judgment dated July 4, 2011 where it reiterated that the Right to Privacy is a part of the constitutional Right to Life. The central government appears to have been in disrespectful disdain of this judgment too when it launched these projects on the basis of biometrics which is untested and untried, and which have surveillance, tracking, profiling, tagging and convergence at its core.
The 5 page MoU was initially signed by Punjab Govt on 15 April, 2010 and later revised on June 23, 2010. Haryana Government signed a 7 page MoU with UIDAI on June 10, 2010. The 5 page MoU between Union Territory of Chandigarh and UIDAI was signed on June 10, 2012. The MoUs are attached.

CPCB Report Condemns Jindal Ecopolis, Reveals Disaster Management Plan Missing‏

April 12, 2012, New Delhi:* Ongoing construction of waste incineration based power plants is an irresponsible way of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi government and central government to mask today's waste problems and pass the toxic burden they release on to future generations.

Environmental, resident and labour groups demand that all governments to start eliminating all Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). This means stopping all existing POPs sources, including dioxins. To achieve this, all existing incinerators must be closed, any plans for new incinerators must be scrapped and investment made into other, safer methods of waste disposal.

The 31 page report of the Union Environment Ministry constituted Technical Experts Evaluation Committee of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the Timarpur-Okhla Waste to Energy Incinerator Plant was communicated on March 22, 2012. The which is owned by Timarpur-Okhla Waste to Energy Incinerator Plant by Prithivraj Jindal’s JITF Urban Infrastructure Limited (Jindal Ecopolis) has violated every rule in the rule book including environmental clearance conditions. It revealed to the Experts Committee in
September 2011 that it is using untested and unapproved Chinese incinerator technology in complete violation all laws and environmental clearance of 2007 including its own project design document and environment impact assessment report. The CPCB report, its critique and a Letter to the Prime Minister is attached.

During MCD elections underway, it has come to light that both Bhartiya Janta Party led MCD and Indian National Congress led Delhi government are colluding for the construction of three Dioxins emitting municipal waste incinerator based power plants for 66.9 MW power in Delhi unmindful of disastrous public health consequences disregarding bitter opposition from the residents of Okhla, Ghazipur and Narela-Bawana. In manifest contempt of Supreme Court’s order, Central government’s Ministry of New & Renewable Energy is providing Rs 1.5 crore/MW subsidy under its waste to energy policy.

PM's address at the inaugural ceremony of India Water Week‏

PM's address at the inaugural ceremony of India Water Week The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh addressed the inaugural ceremony of India Water Week today in New Delhi. Following is the text of Prime Minister's address on the occasion:

"I am very happy to have this opportunity to inaugurate the India Water Week that is focussing this year on the important themes of water, food and energy security.

With around 17% of the world's population but only 4% of its usable fresh water, India has a scarcity of water. Rapid economic growth and urbanisation are widening the demand supply gap. Climate change could further aggravate the availability of water in the country as it threatens the water cycle. Our water bodies are getting increasingly polluted by untreated industrial effluents and sewage. Groundwater levels are falling in many parts due to excess drawals leading to contamination with fluoride, arsenic and other chemicals. The practice of open defecation, which regrettably is all too widespread, contributes to contaminating potable water sources.

The Planning Commission has identified the challenge of managing our water resources in a rational and sustainable manner as one of the critical challenges in the Twelfth Five year Plan. It will require action on many fronts and coordination across different sectors of our economy.

We have launched a National Water Mission as part of our Action Plan on Climate Change. The main objective of this Mission is to achieve integrated management of water resources by conserving water, minimizing wastage and ensuring its more equitable distribution both across and within various States of our Union.

The Mission proposed a review of the National Water Policy and a draft of the new Policy has been put in the public domain for widespread public consultation.

Open Letter for Converting Siachen Glacier into Nature & Peace Park‏

An Open Letter to President of Pakistan and Prime Minister of India on Siachen Glacier, urging them to convert `world's highest battlefield' into a Nature and Peace Park 

Hon'ble President, Government of Pakistan  

Hon'ble Prime Minister, Government of India

Sir,

This is to draw your attention towards the avalanche in Siachen glacier that hit a Pakistani military camp in the area, burying at least 130 Pakistani soldiers on April 7, 2012. This avalanche underlines how governments of India and Pakistan have maintained a permanent military presence on Siachen glacier at a height of over 6,000 meters since April 1984.

It has been estimated that more than 2000 people have died in this inhospitable terrain, mostly due to weather extremes and the natural hazards of mountain warfare. several thousand Indian and Pakistan soldiers are deployed at Siachen, the site of one of the border disputes between the two countries. Bothe Indian and Pakistani soldiers have died. They suffer from sunburns and frostbites in temperatures that plunge to -40 degrees C.

It is high time both the governments withdrew the military from Siachen. The withdrawal of armed forces will be a great act of ecological sanity. The glacier's melting waters are the main source of the Nubra river in India Ladakh, which drains into the Shyok river. The Shyok in turn joins the Indus river It is thus a major source of recharge of the Indus. The glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalaya mountains east of the Line of Control between India-Pakistan is longest glacier in the Karakoram and second-longest in the world's non-polar areas.  

It is noteworthy that the visit by a US Army Chief along with the Indian Army Chief in October 2008 underlined the strategic significance of the area. What has not been underlined is its ecological significance. It has been noted that Siachen glacier has vanished by half as per geological field evidence.

As you are aware, Siachen glacier, where both Indian and Pakistani military troops are stationed for 25 years, has melted to half its earlier size. It has reduced it to 74 kilometers from 150 kilometers in length.

In such a situation, if this trend is not arrested with promptness and unity of purpose Siachen glacier might vanish in your life time. This will be a fitting tribute to the soldiers who have died to defend their motherland. History will judge you quite harshly if blind jingoism is allowed to have a field day even as the motherland melts away.       

 In view of the above facts, I earnestly and solemnly appeal to both the President of Pakistan and Prime Minister of India to convert on Siachen glacier, "world's highest battlefield" into a Nature and Peace Park which will be remembered by history as an act of statesmanship worthy of emulation by generations to come.  Yours Sincerely--Gopal Krishna

Toxic waste-to- electricity incinerators reveals betrayal by BJP and Congress‏

Citizens Must Defeat anti-environment and anti-people political forces

March 6, 2012 NEW DELHI: Residents, environmental groups and waste recycling workers are protesting against Bharaitya Janata Party (BJP)'s manifesto that promises bring municipal waste incinerators to generate electricity by burning waste in the national capital region in contravention of a Supreme Court order putting a stay on use of incinerator technology. Delhi’s waste recycling workers and environmental groups are demanding the scrapping of the waste-to-energy policy which was not only polluting but also affected their livelihoods. 

Earlier opposition party leaders of the BJP had also expressed apprehension over the location of such a plant in a densely populated areas of South Delhi. “This plant would release various types of harmful gases which will certainly pose serious helath threat to the lives of surrounding residents,” said Vijay Kumar Malhotra, BJP M.P. in a letter dated June 27, 2008 to the Lt. Governor of Delhi, Tejender Khanna. The U-turn by BJP is an act betrayal.

The toxic emissions from plants of this type have been known to cause birth deformities, caners, respiratory ailments and hormonal problems. This proposal of the BJP in collusion with the Indian National Congress will turn Delhi into a health and environment disaster zone. Residents, environmental groups, waste recycling workers and left and socialist parties have joined hands to oppose the hazardous municipal waste incinerators in Delhi's Narela-Bawana, Ghazipur and Okhla.