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Downtoearth: Climate Change Poses A Powerful Challenge To The Idea of Freedom
Downtoearth: Climate Change Poses A Powerful Challenge To The Idea of Freedom
Downtoearth: Climate Change Poses A Powerful Challenge To The Idea of Freedom
Bangladesh: Taka 58.00 / Pakistan: Rs 58.00 / Nepal: Rs 38.00 / Sri Lanka: Rs 117.00 / Maldives: Rf 28.00 Bhutan: Ngultrum 24 / Rest of the World (South): US $2.70 / Rest of the World (North): US $3.40
01Cover final.indd 3
`45.00
CLIMATE
CHANGE POSES
A POWERFUL
CHALLENGE TO
THE IDEA OF
FREEDOM
EXCLUSIVE EXCERPTS
Amitav Ghosh's
new book The Great
Derangement
INTERVIEW: `We are teetering at
11/07/16 12:17 PM
ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGERS
TRAINING PROGRAMME
August 8-12, 2016
Environmental issues like climate change, water
availability, pollution, waste generation and disposal
are commanding considerable global attention.
Industries, as a major user of raw materials
and energy and source of pollution and waste
generation, have a major role in addressing current
and emerging environmental issues. Environment
managers in industry have a challenging task to keep
industry clean, competitive and compliant with
national and international rules, Acts and treaties.
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)
had been conducting training programme to build
capacity in industry for the past two decades and has
trained hundreds of environment managers. This
year a five-day training programme is scheduled in
August, 2016 in New Delhi.
COURSE FEES
Rs 20,000
COURSE DURATION
August 8-12, 2016
TIMING
9.30 am to 4.30 pm
COURSE VENUE
CSE, 38, Tughlakabad Institutional
Area, New Delhi 62
LAST DATE FOR APPLYING
July 30, 2016
OPEN FOR ALL
Industry professionals such as
Environment Managers; Health
Safety and Environment Experts;
Environment Auditors; Environment
Consultants and Environment
Engineers
For details contact: Nivit Kumar Yadav, Environment Governance Unit
Centre for Science and Environment
41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi-110062
Ph: 91-11-2995 5124 / 6110 (Ext. 251); Fax: 91-11-2995 5879
Mobile: 9968023535 Website: www.cseindia.org
08/07/16 3:42 PM
EDITORS
PAGE
www.downtoearth.org.in/blogger/sunita-narain-3
03Editors.indd 3
plants trees, this forest-style red tape is clearly the worst disincentive. Then the forest department says the permission can be given if
the tree is exoticmainly silver oakbut not if it is indigenous. So,
what would you do as a farmer? Another opportunity to build natures wealth is lost.
This is not all the disruption. Farmers, particularly lowland
paddy growers, are finding it more lucrative to sell their land for
housing and tourism projects that are fast taking over in the region.
The ideal balance for the Cauverys birth is to keep the mosaic of forests and coffee at 30 per cent each, and paddy at least 15 per cent.
Then there is the matter of other development projects from roads
to railways. All disturb this balance. Farmers troubles are exacerbated by the success of forest and wildlife conservation. All across
the region, I also heard of how elephant attacks were making workers flee and lands unproductive.
So, what can work? Environmentalists suggest
a payment for ecosystem services Kodagu provides.
In other words, farmers would be paid for maintaining the mosaic that keeps the river alive. This would
create the economic incentive for the forest-coffeepaddy mosaic to thrive. I agree. This clearly is one
way ahead. In addition, steps must be taken to improve the productivity of this mosaic itself. This is
where tourism can play an important (and not destructive) role. If well-managed and regulated, tourism can work within this mosaic and add to farmers
income. It means deliberately promoting homestead
and nature-friendly tourism, which does not pollute
or degrade the environment. Instead it builds on its intrinsic beauty and adds to our knowledge of nature.
This becomes even more important in the age of climate change,
which is bringing extreme heat and other weather variations to the
region. Coffee is particularly touchy about extreme heat. This year,
Vietnams coffee productivity is down by 30 per cent because of extreme heat and drought. This is where shade coffee will survive.
Thats why this biodiversity-rich shade coffee should be promoted and indeed celebrated.
So next time you smell your coffee, think of this shadethe
trees, the spices, the butterflies, birds, bees, honey and all the other
biodiversity. It will keep the Cauvery flowing.
@sunitanar
www.downtoearth.org.in 3
11/07/16 1:41 PM
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letters
Porcine menace
This refers to the editorial Redefining gender issues & conservation on the
problems faced by women farmers in Uttarakhand (16-30 June, 2016). As a
resident of Kausani, it is my opinion that the
wild boar menace in the state is far worse
than the monkey problem.
I can recall visiting a village in the Nayar
Valley of Pauri Garhwal in the early 1990s
and hearing of ravages caused by wild pigs
there. Another village called Bemru had
high stone walls around fields to protect
them from the pigs. In Kausani though, I
had never heard of these animals. However,
slowly, I began to hear reports about their
destructive behaviour in the villages near
Kausani town, and in the past few years,
they have even visited my gardens at night,
digging up roots.
I recently heard another disturbing
account about wild pigs. Bhagartola, just
north of Jageshwar, is renowned for its
TARIQE AZIZ / CSE
vegetable production. However, farmers'
produce is not reaching the local market
any more. This is because wild pigs have learned to charge poly houses used for
growing vegetables and make a hole in the polythene to enter and destroy the
vegetables. Whereas collective action can be taken against monkeys during the
day, farmers are helpless against wild pigs coming at night. Clearly, wild boars are
far more harmful to farmers in Uttarakhand than monkeys.
DAVID HOPKINS
VIA EMAIL
05-07Letters.indd 5
www.downtoearth.org.in 5
11/07/16 12:18 PM
letters
Be vegetarian
This refers to Veg mute!
in the science bytes section
(16-30 April, 2016). Cornell
University's findings, which
state that a vegetarian diet
over generations among
Indians can lead to a mutation
that could increase the risk
of heart disease and colon
cancer, seem misleading.
Non-vegetarian food is not
the sole source of Omega-3
and Omega-6. Vegetarians
can avail Omega-3 from
cauliflower, walnuts, flax
seeds and soybean. Similarly,
soybean, rapeseed, sunflower,
safflower and canola are
ISTOCK PHOTO
Farm forestry:
another view
This refers to the article Open
for takeover (1-15 April,
2016). While it is true that
corporate greed will manage
to exclude people from forests
more effectively than the
forest departments have
ever been able to, there are
huge chunks of forest land"
classified as undemarcated
protected forests. These
are patches of virtually
http://www.facebook.com/down2earthindia
Not at all. We Indians have the power to destroy
every sensitive area we visit...whether done
intentionally or not.
RAVI BHANDARI
Do you think
Indian tourists
and the Indian
tourism sector are
environmentally
conscious?
6 DOWN TO EARTH
05-07Letters.indd 6
11/07/16 12:19 PM
ERRATUM
In the article Stops, too many (16-30
June, 2016), it is mentioned that in 2015,
an estimated 88.27 million vehicles were
added to the roads of the Indian capital,
according to figures from the Union
Ministry of Transport. The figure should
have been 8.82 million vehicles. We regret
the error.
NOTICE BOARD
Starting11July2016;BhoomiCampus,Bangalore
Determine MSP
Holistic Education
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moredetails
detailsvisit:
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more
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or call 9449853834 or 080 28441173
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05-07Letters.indd 7
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Comprehension of conditioning and its limiting effect on
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Email: cloaat@yahoo.com Website: sholaicloaat.org
Organic
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For trade enquiries
The United Nilgiri Tea Estates Co. Ltd.,
www.unitednilgiritea.com
Shop online at
www.chamrajtea.in
www.downtoearth.org.in 7
11/07/16 12:19 PM
contents
11
THE FORTNIGHT
`MGNREGA losing
credibility'
Delayed flow of funds is making MGNREGA
ineffective, says government report
20
Scot-free?
The government says it does
not have the power to fine
Adani for the damage at
Mundra
COVER STORY
Moral twist
Exclusive excerpts from
Amitav Ghosh's new book on
climate change, The Great
Derangement. Also:
interview with the author
Leprosy is still
around
08-09Contents.indd 8
Who's a
native
Jharkhand residents
ask the government
to amend its new
domicile policy
26
Reclaiming
Chambal
A forest drought
8 DOWN TO EARTH
28
16
22
11/07/16 12:21 PM
TECHNOLOGY
58
Too soon to
celebrate
Bio-toilets are gaining
ground. But emerging
challenges could defeat
their very purpose
44
Adversity
is the best
teacher
41
54
SCIENCE
Residents of
drought-scarred
Bundelkhand
know how to
manage
their region
Piracy's upside
48
FACTSHEET
On the edge
Climate change will hit
farmers in more than half
of the country by 2050
DEBATE
Gauging GDP's
efficacy
A new book tries to evaluate
whether Gross Domestic
Product is a true and accurate
measure of growth
and prosperity
Gender
(in)sensitive
ANALYSIS
50
46
38
OPINION
Ambiguous
perks of GI tag
Will Protected Geographical
Indication for Darjeeling tea
act as safety-net for small
growers in times of crisis?
56
42
HEALTH
Return of the
black fever
Treating kala-azar,
or visceral
leishmaniasis, is
becoming difficult due
to new complications
16-31 JULY 2016
08-09Contents.indd 9
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p10 may31,16
08/07/16 3:43 PM
THE
CROSS HAIRS
BY SORIT GUPTO
11-15The Fortnight.indd 11
FORTNIGHT
POINT
18
million
The number
of trees
Ahmedabad
needs to grow
to absorb the
volume of CO2
it releases
www.downtoearth.org.in 11
11/07/16 5:43 PM
THE
FORTNIGHT
1 ,0 0 0 WO R D S
BY VIKAS CHOUDHARY
FLEEING DROUGHT Delhi's Sarai Kale Khan flyover has become a temporary home of sorts for Suraj, 36 (in the foreground), his wife, child and two
brothers. Suraj came to Delhi in early June, fleeing drought in his village in Madhya Pradesh's Damoh district, which falls in the arid Bundelkhand
region. But life remains tough. In the past one month, Suraj has managed to get work only for five to six days. There are at least eight other families
from Suraj's village camping under the flyover. Bundelkhand, comprising 13 districts across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, has faced drought 13
times in the past 15 years. Currently, it is one of the worst drought-affected regions in the country along with Marathwada.
12 DOWN TO EARTH
11-15The Fortnight.indd 12
11/07/16 12:22 PM
THE
I N FO C U S
ISTOCK PHOTOS
In development's name
11-15The Fortnight.indd 13
I N CO U RT
SO FAR...
FORTNIGHT
Jammu &
Kashmir
Delhi
Gujarat
Uttarakhand
Bihar
Maharashtra
Kerala
Tamil Nadu
Total cases on
environment and
development tracked
since January 1, 2016, to
30 June, 2016
SUPREME
COURT
HIGH
COURTS
NATIONAL GREEN
TRIBUNAL
46
75
431
T H E B O M B AY
www.downtoearth.org.in 13
11/07/16 12:22 PM
THE
FORTNIGHT
EXTREME
Q & A
40 bn tonnes
INDIAN SCIENTISTS
ISTOCK PHOTO
14 DOWN TO EARTH
11-15The Fortnight.indd 14
11/07/16 3:26 PM
THE
FORTNIGHT
Policy to protect
Aravalli forests
Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change (moef&cc) will soon
formulate a special, separate policy to protect
and conserve the ancient Aravalli hill range.
Former Union Environment Minister Prakash
Javadekar made the announcement in Juneend, following an aerial survey of Gurgaon,
Faridabad and Mewat districts in Haryana and
neighbouring Rajasthan. There are policies
for forests, but there is a need for a separate
policy to protect and conserve these (Aravalli)
forests. They have protected Delhi-ncr from
desertification and desert storms for ages. It
is important to protect them in their natural
form, he said. The minister added that in the
past few years, several orders had been passed
by courts to protect the Aravallis from real
estate firms. The policy would be formulated
on the basis of these court orders to ensure
a balanced growth and protection of forests.
A large stretch of the Aravallis is recorded as
gair mumkin pahar (non-cultivable land) in
revenue records. The recent Draft National
Forest Policy, 2016 recognises these areas, but
suggests marking only parts of it as forest.
ISTOCK PHOTO
THE UNION
L AT I T U D E
Orange and red colours indicate higher nitrogen concentrations in tree canopies, green indicates
higher phosphorus, and blue indicates thicker and tougher leaves
16-31 JULY 2016
11-15The Fortnight.indd 15
V E R B AT I M
For long, ecologists thought
that trees in Peru's rainforests
have a similar growth pattern
as they are influenced by similar nutrients, such as nitrogen
and phosphorous, hydrology
and climate. But a study shows
otherwise. Using a high-fidelity imaging spectrometer, ecologists plotted leaf nutrients in
comparison to leaf mass per
area and prepared forest
canopy maps. It shows each
tree has a different chemical
makeup, depending on the
geology, elevation and climate.
Understanding this will help
predict forest growth under
changing climate conditions.
11/07/16 5:44 PM
DROUGHT
A forest
drought
no one
is talking
about
Severe dry spells in Indian forests
have hit the livelihood of more than
100 million people. But India simply
does not acknowledge this drought
PURSHOTTAM SINGH THAKUR | CHHATTISGARH
AJIT PANDA | ODISHA
ANUPAM CHAKRAVARTTY | DELHI
16 DOWN TO EARTH
16-18Drought.indd 16
11/07/16 12:23 PM
DROUGHT
www.downtoearth.org.in/forests
Beehives have
disappeared
from the forest
adjoining
Jabarra village
in Chhattisgarh.
Mahua flower
collection is also
dismally low
16-18Drought.indd 17
11/07/16 12:23 PM
DROUGHT
Low on supply
Drought has affected the availability
of minor forest produce
Uttarakhand |
74,000 hectares in
seven hill districts with
45% forest cover
declared drought-hit
Madhya
Pradesh | In
Mandla district, tendu
and mahua production
has dipped by 30% and
25% respectively
Kerala
| In Wayanad
district, honey
collection has
declined by up
to 90%
Source: Government of Uttarakhand, April 2016; Indian Institute of Forest Management, 2013; IGSSS, 2015
18 DOWN TO EARTH
16-18Drought.indd 18
11/07/16 12:37 PM
DownToEarth
BOOK
An environmentalist's
reflections, reactions
and arguments on
contemporary issues related
SUNITA NARAIN
On environment and
environmentalism in
the 21st century
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08/07/16 4:42 PM
SPECIAL
REPORT
REUTERS
A fine argument
The government says
it does not have the
power to fine Adani for
the damage at Mundra.
But it hints the company
may still end up
spending more than the
recommended penalty
SRESTHA BANERJEE
| new delhi
20 DOWN TO EARTH
20-21Environment.indd 20
11/07/16 12:24 PM
ENVIRONMENT
www.downtoearth.org.in/environment
with Adanis argument that there is no noncompliance or violation of environmental
clearance (ec) conditions. The ministry said,
The violations of specific conditions of all
the ecs and coastal regulation zone (crz)
clearance should be proceeded with the provisions of the Environment Protection Act,
1986, independently.
The community suspects that Adani has
used the September 2015 order as an excuse
to refrain from payment. Naran Gadhavi of
Kheti Vikas Sewa Trust and Bharat Patel of
Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan
expressed the same fear.
No response could be obtained from
Adani despite several calls.
Mundra Port
in the Kachchh
region of Gujarat
is one of the
biggest in India
20-21Environment.indd 21
Adani's violations
committee report
observed that the development of
the waterfront project and Special
Economic Zone at Mundra severely
affected the ecology of the area. Some
of the major environmental violations it
observed are:
THE EXPERT
11/07/16 5:44 PM
C O N S E R VAT I O N
Ravines around Bhindwa
village in Morena district.
Ravines along the Chambal
river are expanding and
becoming deeper
At a blind bend
The Madhya Pradesh
government has over
and again failed to
reclaim the ravines of
Chambal Valley. Will it
succeed this time?
SHREESHAN VENKATESH
22 DOWN TO EARTH
22-24Conservation.indd 22
11/07/16 5:45 PM
C O N S E R VAT I O N
www.downtoearth.org.in/environment
seeds were often dropped inadvertently on
farmland. Farmers are still trying to get rid
of the weeds, says Dwarka Singh.
So far, only a few bio-fuel companies
have set up production units in the region,
which is otherwise lying completely waste,
says Rajesh Rajora, principal secretary in
charge of the state departments for agriculture, horticulture and food processing.
Analysts say containing ravines is not an
impossible task. The problem lies in the way
the government implements the projects.
It requires sustained efforts which can
be possible only by involving local people,
says a senior forest official in Morena. The
success of community-driven projects can
be seen at Morenas Jabrol village. To protect
their farmlands from advancing ravines,
Jabrol residents built a three metre-high
mud bund around the village. Such bunds
usually give way in a year or two. But at
Jabrol, it works well even after three years
due to regular maintenance by farmers.
Analysts are particularly sceptical about
the governments latest strategy to flatten
the ravines. It is expensive and offers only
short-term benefits, says Moni Thomas,
professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi
Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur. Besides, the
Chambal ravine system harbours a sensitive
ecology (see Haven in the underbelly, p24).
Flattening it will not only destroy the ecology, but will loosen the top soil, making it
prone to erosion and susceptible to more
gullying, he says. We have seen flattening
backfire in some sites in Morrocco and
Spain, and the Chambal ravine system is
more complex than these, says Padmini
Pani, assistant professor at the Jawaharlal
Nehru University, Delhi, who has worked on
the Chambal ravine system.
But people in the valley are desperate.
With soaring land values, they are now reclaiming land wherever possible by levelling
the jagged terrain, says S K Verma, professor at Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi
Vishwavidyalaya in Gwalior. One can see
dozers and jcbs razing the stretch from
Morena to Jaunpur, along Morena-Agra
highway. A study based on satellite images,
published in the journal Environmental
Earth Sciences in February 2016, shows that
the ravine area in Chambal valley has reduced by about 20 per cent between 1970
and 2010. The reduction is over 60 per cent
16-31 JULY 2016
22-24Conservation.indd 23
Geological wonder
Bhind
Sheopur
Morena
M A D H YA P R A D E S H
Bhind
1943-44
138,000
90,300
147,700
86,400
191,300
119,400
90,992
19,532
1950-51
1975-76
2013
Sources: October-December 2015 issue of Jawaharlal
Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya Research Journal
in Bhind, Morena and Sheopur, shows another analysis of satellite images, published
in Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya Research Journal in 2015. There is a
catch. The reduction is more likely as one
moves away from the Chambal; the ravines
closer to its banks are expanding and becoming deeper, notes the Environmental Earth
Sciences paper. Containing these massive ravines would require an intelligent approach.
Its time the government learnt from communities who have reclaimed land along the
Chambal and are benefitting from it.
Wisdom in hardship
One such community is in Morenas
Bhindwa village. Ravine is the result of accelerated surface erosion. So we regulated
the flow of water, says Gabbar Singh, a resident. They built a 100 m-long concrete retention wall on a slop next to their farmland.
The wall has a 13 m-wide conduit at the centre. As the rainwater flows through the conduit, its erosive force is reduced. The soil
eroded gets deposited on the farm-side of
the wall. The result was beyond imagination. In five years, gorges have filled up and
hillocks have shrunk. We have reclaimed
100 ha of fertile land, says Singh. It has been
distributed among 18 families who built the
wall at an expense of `10 lakh.
In Morena, non-profit Sujagriti Seva
Sanstha is trying to improve soil strength by
reintroducing a thorny shrub, guggul
(Commiphora wightii) in 10 villages. The
plant, which was once endemic to the valley,
is known for the medicinal use of its resin.
But it takes three-four years to fully take
root. During this period, they require regular supervision, says Zakir Hussain, president of the non-profit. Hussain persuaded
people to take care of the plant by explaining
its economic value and by training them in
tapping the raisin. Since the project began
in 2006, guggul plants have taken root
across 100 ha of community land.
The forest department has to plant
guggul over 300 ha as part of 12th Five
Year Plan. Morena District Forest Officer
P P Tittare says poor survival of the plant is
a stumbling block in achieving the target.
Maybe he can follow Hussais strategy. This
will protect the region from ravines and provide additional income to people.
@shreeshanV
www.downtoearth.org.in 23
11/07/16 12:56 PM
C O N S E R VAT I O N
spectacle of this
landscape was far beyond what I
had expected. The view from top
of these ravines swept me off my
feet, literally. These clay mounds
are extremely fragile and start
crumbling from the edges once you
step on them. As I was enjoying the
view, Hanuman, a young village
wildlife watcher of Ranthamborebased non-profit Tiger Watch
who was my guide in this desolate
terrain, spotted some movement in a hole on the wall of a clay
mound; it was a monitor lizard.
As we walked on into the afternoon, I realised why this area is
considered hostile. The blistering sun literally burns through the
skin while the damp mounds exude moisture, making it humid.
Water is squeezed from your body in the form of sweat. On my
way, I was continuously being educated and entertained by the
knowledge and stories Hanuman was sharing about the ravines.
The Chambal is probably the only river in the country which
is considered unholy. The curse spelled upon it is believed to have
spread to its banks, making the land infertile. But it seemed that
the animals were not aware of the facts that these ravines have
been classified as wasteland. The landscape looks hostile and
inhabitable, but the diversity of animals in these ravines is no less
than in places that are classified as forests or protected areas.
I got to spend a good five days in these ravines and sighted
Indian fox, jackal, wild pig, hyena, gharial, mugger crocodile,
around 110 species of birds and numerous invertebrates. Then
there were canines like wolf and desert fox. Among the felid
species were jungle cat, desert cat and leopard. Even tigers are
known to use these ravines as corridors to move from one forest
patch to the other. But the real king of this habitat is the striped
hyena. They make this habitat their own. Being scavengers,
they are not dependent on hunting down large prey but rely on
dead cattle and other small prey, such as grebs, rodents and
scorpions. A detailed record of the diversity of vertebrates in
the Chambal and its ravines has been documented by Tarun Nair
and Y Chanatya Krishna, who published their paper in Journal of
Threatened Taxa in February 2013.
The soil type and isolation of these ravines as a result of the
myths and dacoits have proved to be a blessing for these wildlife.
The undulating terrain and the deep gullies, which are covered
with thick undergrowth, provide an ideal hideout from the blazing
sun during the day. The clay hills are apt for denning animals like
wolves, foxes, hyenas and honey badgers. The ravines are also
home to many other mammals, reptiles and birds that are interdependent on this unique ecosystem for survival.
The ravines along the Chambal act like a protective wall for
its waters, and are one of the reasons that its waters are not as
polluted. They ensure that the human waste does not enter the
MY FIRST
24 DOWN TO EARTH
22-24Conservation.indd 24
river. They also provide a secure nesting ground for reptiles like
crocodiles and gharials.
The area which was once referred to as the badlands and land
of dacoits is now frequented by vehicles that illegally mine sand
even in broad daylight. They make their presence felt through
the deafening music coming from the large speakers fixed on
board to keep the workers entertained. Rampant sand mining is
destroying the crucial nesting grounds for gharials, crocodiles
and turtles. Other than sand mining the hydrology of the river
itself is undergoing drastic change because of extraction of water
for irrigation and flattening of the ravines. The governments
of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are further
adding to the pressure by impounding the waters through various
irrigation projects.
It's time we saved the ravines that are yet to be razed. But
it is difficult as they do not have a lot of green cover and are
hence classified as wasteland. In fact, the government is actually
supporting and facilitating flattening of these geological wonders
under wasteland development programme for agriculture and
industry. Now that the government is formulating the third
National Wildlife Action Plan (2017-2031), it should reconsider and
redefine "wasteland". Considering the faunal diversity of this area
and the various environmental impacts of flattening the ravines
there is an urgent need to focus on conserving this area, before it
is too late.
Rakesh Kalva works on conservation issues in Eastern Ghats
11/07/16 12:24 PM
Advertisement
08/07/16 3:47 PM
GOVERNANCE
| ranchi
state government seems to have miscalculated the significance of the domicile issue in
rural Jharkhand, where the majority of the
population lives.
Domiciles of any state are entitled to certain privileges that are denied to other residents. For instance, reservation in government jobs. In Jharkhand, all grade 3 and
grade 4 jobs are reserved for domiciles. The
fear is that as per the new definition (see
Who is a Jharkhandi) these jobs, which
should go to the tribal (adivasi) and nontribal natives (moolvasi), would be taken up
by people who have moved to the state in recent times. The rights of indigenous people
across the state are being snatched away
with this policy. So far, all definitions of
domicile were based on either the 1932 land
registry (khatiyan) or the 1964 Bihar land
survey. But this new 1985 cut-off seems arbitrary, says T N Sahu, who heads Sadaan
Manch, a moolvasi coalition.
Protesters say the policy is an attempt to
gain votes. It seems suspicious that our chief
minister, a non-tribal from Chhattisgarh
who moved to Jharkhand in the 1970s, has
set a qualification of 30 years of residence to
LAXMI AGRAWAL
26-27Governance.indd 26
13/07/16 11:50 AM
GOVERNANCE
www.downtoearth.org.in/governance
claim domicile. How will this policy help the
natives who fought for the creation of the
state and have the first right over its natural
resources? asks Arjun Samadh, a Jamshedpur-based activist belonging to Ho tribe.
It was a similar discontent that led to the
formation of the state, say experts. Jharkhand holds a significant part of Indias
mineral wealth and has always had tribal
and non-tribal indigenous people in the majority. Though the number of adivasis has
fallenfrom two-thirds of the population in
the 1950s to one-fourth, as per Census
2011the combined population of tribal
and non-tribal natives is still around 70 per
cent of Jharkhands 31.9 million residents.
The situation is such that government
offices at all levels are filled with officials
who are not from Jharkhand. At least the
tribal population has the protection of reservation, but the moolvasis have no such
safeguards and stand to lose the most from
the influx of non-Jharkhandis, says Sahu.
Jobs are not the only reason people are
protesting. What the policy entails is actually an attack on the identity of Jharkhand,
says Salkhan Murmu, a tribal activist who
leads a popular movement for adivasi
rights, the Adivasi Sengel Abhiyan, and represents the Jharkhand Disom Party.
There are multiple languages native
"The domicile
policy was
demanded
to guarantee
the rights of
local people.
This policy has negated the
purpose of creating the state"
Salkhan Murmu, a tribal activist who leads a
popular movement for tribal rights, the Adivasi
Sengel Abhiyan, and represents the Jharkhand
Dishom Party
Who is a Jharkhandi
Jharkhand has set 1985 as the cut-off year for claiming domicile
Those who have resided in the state
Loss of trust
Protesters are
demanding that
the cut-off year
for domicile be
changed from
1985 to 1965
"This policy
is good for
the people of
Jharkhand.
It does not
weaken the
position of adivasis and
moolvasis but strengthens
it. It would encourage
integration with non-natives"
For the first 14 years of its formation, Jharkhand had tribal chief ministers from regional parties. People expected them to be sympathetic to the local demands. But no
domicile policy was formulated. The situation we find ourselves in is because of years
of failure on the part of regional leaders.
26-27Governance.indd 27
11/07/16 12:25 PM
BOOK
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TIDAL
SWIRL
BOOK
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13/07/16 11:51 AM
BOOK
N THE AFTERNOON of 17 lence. When at last I climbed out of the balcony, I was
March 1978, the weather confronted by a scene of devastation such as I had
took an odd turn in north never before beheld. Buses lay overturned; scooters
Delhi. Mid-March is usu- sat perched on treetops; walls had been ripped out
ally a nice time of year in of buildings, exposing interiors in which ceiling fans
this part of India: the chill had been twisted into tulip-like spirals. The place
of winter is gone and the where I had first thought to take shelter, the glassblazing heat of summer is fronted doorway, had been reduced to a jumble of jagyet to come; the sky is clear ged debris. The panes had shattered and many people
and the monsoon is far away. But that day dark clouds had been wounded by the shards. I realized that I too
appeared suddenly and there were squalls of rain. Then would have been among the injured had I remained
there. I walked away in a daze.
followed an even bigger surprise: a hailstorm.
Long afterwards, I am not sure exactly when or
I was then studying for an MA at Delhi University
while also working as a part-time journalist. When where, I hunted down the Times of Indias New Delhi
the hailstorm broke, I was in a library. I had planned edition of 18 March. I still have the photocopies I made
to stay late, but the unseasonal weather led to a change of it.
of mind and I decided to leave. I was on my way back
30 Dead, says the banner headline, 700 Hurt As
to my room when, on an impulse, I changed direction Cyclone Hits North Delhi.
Here are some excerpts from the accompanyand dropped in on a friend. But the weather continued to worsen as we were chatting, so after a few min- ing report: Delhi, March 17: At least 30 people were
utes, I decided to head straight back by a route that I killed and 700 injured, many of them seriously, this
evening when a freak funnel-shaped whirlwind, acrarely had occasion to take.
I had just passed a busy intersection called Mau- companied by rain, left in its wake death and devasrice Nagar when I heard a rumbling sound some- tation in Maurice Nagar, a part of Kingsway Camp,
where above. Glancing over my shoulder I saw a grey, Roshanara Road and Kamla Nagar in the Capital.
tubelike extrusion forming on the underside of a dark The injured were admitted to different hospitals in
cloud: it grew rapidly as I watched, and then all of the Capital.
The whirlwind followed almost a straight line
a sudden it turned and came whiplashing down to
. . . .Some eyewitnesses said the wind hit the Yamuna
earth, heading in my direction.
Across the street stood a large administrative river and raised waves as high as 20 or 30 feet. . . .
building. I sprinted over and headed towards what The Maurice Nagar road . . . presented a stark sight.
seemed to be an entrance. But the glass-fronted do- It was littered with fallen poles . . . trees, branches,
ors were shut, and a small crowd huddled outside, wires, bricks from the boundary walls of various inin the shelter of an overhang. There was no room for stitutions, tin roofs of staff quarters and dhabas and
me there so I ran around to the front of the building. scores of scooters, buses and some cars. Not a tree was
Spotting a small balcony, I jumped over the parapet left standing on either side of the road.
and crouched on the floor.
The report quotes a witness: I saw
The noise quickly rose to a frenzied
my own scooter, which I had abandoned
pitch, and the wind began to tug fierceon the road, during those terrifying moly at my clothes. Stealing a glance over
ments, being carried away in the wind
like a kite. We saw all this happening
the parapet, I saw, to my astonishment,
that my surroundings had been darkaround but were dumbfounded. We saw
ened by a churning cloud of dust. In the
people dying . . . but were unable to help
them. The two tea-stalls at the Maurice
dim glow that was shining down from
Nagar corner were blown out of existabove, I saw an extraordinary panoply
of objects flying pastbicycles, scootence. At least 12 to 15 persons must have
ers, lamp posts, sheets of corrugatbeen buried under the debris at this spot.
ed iron, even entire tea stalls. In that
When the hellish fury had abated in just
instant, gravity itself seemed to have
four minutes, we saw death and devasbeen transformed into a wheel spintation around.
THE GREAT
ning upon the fingertip of some unThe vocabulary of the report is evDERANGEMENT
known power.
idence of how unprecedented this disAmitav Ghosh
I buried my head in my arms and
aster was. So unfamiliar was this phePenguin Random House
lay still. Moments later the noise died
nomenon that the papers literally did
India | 276 pages | ` 399
down and was replaced by an eerie sinot know what to call it: at a loss for
30 DOWN TO EARTH
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11/07/16 12:25 PM
BOOK
28-37Book.indd 31
11/07/16 12:25 PM
BOOK
28-37Book.indd 32
11/07/16 12:26 PM
BOOK
28-37Book.indd 33
www.downtoearth.org.in 33
11/07/16 12:26 PM
BOOK
28-37Book.indd 34
11/07/16 12:26 PM
BOOK
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11/07/16 12:26 PM
BOOK
INTERVIEW
28-37Book.indd 36
You say climate change has not resulted in an outpouring of political passion in India. Why is this so,
when the country is witnessing numerous impacts of climate change?
It is simply a fact that climate change hardly ever figures in political
discussions in India. We have only
to open a newspaper, or turn on the
TV, to see that dozens of issues receive more attention than, say, the
ongoing drought, and the agrarian
crisis more generally.
One illustration of this is the recent Lok Sabha session on the
droughtonly a few MPs participated. But the same indifference
is evident also in the wider political spherethe media for instance.
Do you feel contemporary literature is increasingly using development and environmental issues like climate change as the new
plot for storytelling?
I wish this were the case, but unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Consider again the epic downpours that hit
Mumbai and Chennai in recent years. Both these cities are home
to many writers, actors, directors, poets and so on. Needless to add,
they are home also to huge film industries, some of which were badly affected by the floods. Yet, so far as I know there are no films, novels, stories or poems about the floodsnot a single one!
11/07/16 12:26 PM
BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
cepts and ideas that will make it possible to engage with the unprecedented events of this new era.
You say religion/religious groups joining the environmental movement may be our last hope to save the planet. Is there an economic-moral code/model that can be arrived at?
The problem in relation to climate change is that the window for
effective mitigatory action is very small and there is very little time
in which to mobilise people. Under the circumstances, alreadyexisting organisations have an important role to playand religious groups can certainly mobilise people in large numbers. This
28-37Book.indd 37
is evident from the example of Pope Francis who has done more to
bring climate change to the forefront of the global agenda than anyone else. He is a true visionary; a really remarkable thinker and
leader. The Dalai Lama too has spoken eloquently on the issue of
climate change.
A few Hindu and Muslim groups have also taken stands on climate change. But unfortunately in India, as in many other countriesTurkey for examplethe dominant forms of religion have
become completely enmeshed with consumerism and neo-liberal ideology.
Sadly many of those who speak for Hinduism today are gurus and godmen who seem to be mainly interested in marketing themselves and their products. But even in the recent past,
Hinduism has had some leaders and spokespersons who were cast
in a completely different mould. Consider for example the late Veer
Bhadra Mishra, the former Mahant of the Sankat Mochan temple
in Varanasi: he was passionately engaged in environmental issues,
especially in relation to the Ganga. We can only hope that someone
like him will emerge again. After all, treading lightly on Earth is
or used to beone of the core values of Hinduism.
@down2earthindia
www.downtoearth.org.in 37
11/07/16 12:26 PM
ANALYSIS
www.downtoearth.org.in/energy
the emissions from the industrial sector in the country, coalbased power plants account for 60 per cent of particulate
matter, 45 per cent of sulphur dioxide, 30 per cent of oxides
of nitrogen and 80 per cent of mercury. There are several reasons for this: dated technology, poor operating practices, inadequate investments in renovation and low quality of Indian coal.
One of the important reasons is the old age of Indias power plants, which tends to lower their efficiency and worsen their
emissions. A number of old plants use once-through-cooling
(otc) systems that consume a large amount of water. The total
capacity of Indias thermal power plants (owned by the Union
government, states and private players) is 185 GW, of which
34.3 GW comes from plants older than 25 years. This is the
commonly considered useful life cycle of a thermal power plant
(see Done and dusted).
To deal with the problem, the government on December 7,
2015, announced stricter pollution and water-use standards.
As per these, the newer plants will be held to higher standards
while the older ones have to comply with relatively lax standards. However, upgrading older plants to meet even these lax
standards may not be technologically and economically feasible, a fact acknowledged by power minister Piyush Goyal in an
international conference on coal held in Delhi this March.
Heat on Power, a report released by Delhi-based non-profit
PRATEEK
38-40Analysis.indd 38
11/07/16 3:28 PM
ANALYSIS
Done and
dusted
THE PROBLEM | Of the 185 GW of India's coal-based power capacity, 34.3 GW is contributed
by plants that have completed their useful life cycle of 25 years. Most of these plants are
extremely polluting and use large volume of water
34.3 GW
Capacity of plants
older than
25 years
185 GW
India's total
thermal power
capacity
32.8 GW
Governmentowned
1.45 GW
Privately owned
10.2%
17.3%
Over K5/unit
Less than
K2/unit
22.8%
40.2%
Efficiency
below 27%
Efficiency
33-37%
10.1%
43.8%
24.9%
K4-5/unit
K2-3/unit
24.7%
Efficiency
27-30%
K3-4/unit
Of all the
emissions from the
industrial sector in the
country, coal-based power
plants account for 60% of
particulate matter, 45% of
sulphur dioxide, 30% of
nitrogen oxide and 80%
of mercury
24%
12%
Availability
below 65%
Efficiency
30-33%
39%
Availability
over 95%
PLF below
60%
14%
11%
Availability
65-75%
40%
Availability
85-95%
13%
Number of units
Capacity in GW
78
26 3.1
PM
(mg/Nm3)
Below
100
23
100-150
14%
PLF 60-75%
3.6
150-200
14
2.5
200-300
15 2.2
300-800
4 1
Over 1000
Availability
75-85%
33%
PLF 75-90%
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Current water
consumption
Post-norm
implementation
38-40Analysis.indd 39
www.downtoearth.org.in 39
11/07/16 3:28 PM
ANALYSIS
38-40Analysis.indd 40
projects that were executed took significantly longer than planned and the improvement in performance was inadequate. There
are numerous reasons for this. There are
considerable risks in r&m project, especially when inadequate maintenance investments have been made in the past, which is
typically the case with state utilities. Also,
companies do not have sufficient technical
skills and management wherewithal to
oversee the projects. Government utilities
are uncomfortable entering into contracts
because of uncertain risks. These factors
have made contractors wary of taking these
projects, affecting market capacity to execute projects.
generation from old, inefficient and polluting plants, and enable the clean and efficient
plants to operate at optimum levels. This will
also help strengthen the power generating
companies, a large number of which are financially strained. The power companies
can invest in future capacity, needed by the
country to meet its growing power needs,
only if existing projects are viable.
11/07/16 3:28 PM
SCIENCE
BYTES
H E A LT H
www.downtoearth.org.in/science-and-technology
Utterly safe
OCEANS
ISTOCK PHOTOS
41S&T bytes.indd 41
M AT E R I A L S C I E N C E
www.downtoearth.org.in 41
11/07/16 12:27 PM
HEALTH
www.downtoearth.org.in/health
Kala-azar 2.0
Complications and new disease connections
are holding back eradication
JIGYASA WATWANI | saran and vaishali , bihar
Leishmaniasis (pkdl), a complication of kala-azar, in which the disease-causing protozoan invades the patients skin cells. These
cases act as reservoirs of the pathogen.
Kumari is a new addition to the kalaazar registry. The disease was supposed to
have been eradicated in 2010. Now, the new
deadline is 2017. The disease is transmitted by
42 DOWN TO EARTH
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13/07/16 11:51 AM
38 districts are affected. pkdl may not be lifethreatening, but it deserves attention as people suffering from pkdl are reservoirs of the
infection and can hamper eradication goals.
Though not quantified by government,
there has been a steady increase in the incidence of relapse, hiv-vl co-infection and
pkdl cases. About five per cent of primary kala-azar cases develop pkdl, according
to estimates.
We have been focusing on the primary
kala-azar, but not on the medical complications associated with it, says Gaurab Mitra
of Mdecins Sans Frontires (msf), which
runs a kala-azar ward in Vaishali Hajipur
district hospital. We dont understand these
complications as well as we understand the
primary kala-azar, says Pradeep Das, director of Rajendra Memorial Research
Institute (rmri) in Patna.
Worryingly, about 2-3 per cent of pkdl
patients did not have primary kala-azar,
says Das.
DISEASE DRAMA
There has been an increase in the incidences of relapse, HIV-VL co-infection and kalaazar complications
A patient
afflicted by
the kala-azar
infection.
It has been
observed that
nearly all drugs
administered to
treat kala-azar
are leading to
complications
42-43Health.indd 43
Hazardous puzzle
The problem with pkdl begins at the diagnosis stage itself. Unlike primary kala-azar,
pkdl cannot be diagnosed by the trademark
rapid diagnostic kits. So a skin snip examination becomes critical. For diagnosis of relapse, a bone marrow/splenic aspirate examination is required. But not all Primary
Health Centres (phc) are equipped with
such diagnostic tools.
pkdl requires a longer course and greater quantity of drugs than primary kala-azar.
At present, hospitals use 100 mg miltefosine
for 12 weeks or a total dose of 30 mg/kg body
weight of ambisome spread across three
weeks by an infusion of 5 mg/kg per day
two times per week, as per the 2012 World
Health Organization (who) guidelines on
diagnosis and management of pkdl. But it
has been observed that nearly all drugs administered to treat primary kala-azar lead to
pkdl. Even the highly-effective single-dose
ambisome leads to the development of pkdl
in 3.3 per cent of the cases, says Das. rmri
is now testing a combination of therapies to
check how many patients develop pkdl.
To counter kala-azar and its complications, state government agencies, along with
several non-profits, are implementing various strategies for early diagnosis and treatment, vector management, surveillance
and social mobilisation. Since high fever,
for more than 15 days in a patient from an
endemic area, is the primary symptom of
kala-azar, most cases are detected by being on the lookout (active case detection)
rather than by patients reporting on their
own (passive case detection). For instance,
phcs pay 300 to health workers to trace
each kala-azar patient. One of the complications arising out of kala-azar is the hiv-vl
connection. The state governments strategy is that all kala-azar patients are now tested for hiv, and hiv patients with symptoms
of kala-azar are tested for kala-azar, says
Mitra. The current treatment for co-infection is the simultaneous use of kala-azar and
Anti-Retroviral Therapy drugs.
In collaboration with msf in Hajipur,
rmri is working on a new treatment method for hiv-vl co-infection. Not many studies have been done on hiv-vl co-infection
globally. This evidence-based treatment re-
port of 120 patients will be sent to the government for consideration, adds Das.
The state government has taken some
steps to beef up its efforts. To contain the
vectorsandflythe shifting from spraying ddt to Synthetic Pyrethroid (SP) has
shown great promise. We observed that the
sandfly had become resistant to ddt, says
Das. Further, rmri has developed insecticide
quantification kits. In this, a scotch tape is
pasted on a wall sprayed with SP and then
dissolved in the solvent. In less than one
hour, the colour of the tape gives an indication of the quantity of insecticide sprayed on
the wall.
SP has allowed for greater coverage because it doesnt smell like ddt and
leaves no stains on walls. People have no
qualms getting their house sprayed with
SP, says Rekha Sinha, a medical officer
at the Bidupur phc in Vaishali. She adds
that spraying of SP had a major role to
play in reducing the number of VL cases in
her phcfrom 18 in 2015 to just three cases
until May 2016. Experts say that the pesticide should be sprayed even outside human habitations. In a paper published in
the journal Parasites and Vectors in January
2016, researchers ran mathematical models to figure out whether kala-azar could be
eradicated from the Indian subcontinent
within the new deadline of 2017. They tested the current control strategies and found
that elimination is feasible only in low and
medium endemic settings with optimal indoor residual spraying. In highly endemic
settings and settings with sub-optimal indoor residual spraying, researchers say additional interventions would be required.
Though half a dozen vaccines are in the
pipeline, only three have passed the clinical trial stage. While researchers are looking for medical solutions, the implementation of multi-strategies to contain the vector
may help reduce the number of cases. What
could also help achieve greater success is
learning from the gaps in the current models and strategies and filling in with additional interventions. Because patients such
as Nikki Kumari need to be saved from the
clutches of a disease that is changing its colour and claiming more victims.
@jigyasawatwani
www.downtoearth.org.in 43
13/07/16 11:51 AM
TECHNOLOGY
www.downtoearth.org.in/science-and-technology
CHHAVI SACHDEV
An engineer from
the Indian Railways
inspects a bio-toilet
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44-45Technology.indd 45
Dry season...
ON DECEMBER
11/07/16 12:28 PM
COLUMN
H E D G E H O G TA L E S
RAKESH KALSHIAN
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46Hedgehog Tales.indd 46
11/07/16 12:28 PM
DownToEarth
08/07/16 4:39 PM
FACTSHEET
On the edge
By 2050, India is likely to experience a temperature rise of
1-4oC; rainfall will increase by 9-16 per cent. This will have a
detrimental effect on farmers in more than half of the country.
However, severity of the impact will differ from district to
district, depending on the region's sensitivity. Their resilience
will depend on the exposure to extreme events and on their
adaptive capacity
Sensitivity
12 states
Very high
High
Medium
Low
Very low
Vulnerability
60% of rural
districts
**
High
Low
Haryana
79%
districts are
vulnerable
Rajasthan
100%
districts are
vulnerable
Gujarat
Exposure
21 states
Very high
High
Medium
Low
Very low
87
Adaptive capacity
Karnataka
17 states
48 DOWN TO EARTH
48-49Factsheet.indd 48
districts are
vulnerable
Madhya Pradesh
districts are
% vulnerable
Very low
Low
Medium
High
Very high
84%
Maharashtra
districts are
% vulnerable
61
Goa
100%
70%
districts have
low vulnerability
districts are
vulnerable
Kerala
87%
districts have
low vulnerability
Tamil Nadu
69%
districts are
vulnerable
16-31 JULY 2016
11/07/16 12:28 PM
50
Uttar Pradesh
districts are
% vulnerable
Bihar
Sikkim
Arunachal Pradesh
districts have
% low vulnerability
77
Himachal Pradesh
districts are
% vulnerable
50
100
76%
districts have
% low vulnerability
Uttarakhand
districts are
% vulnerable
62
districts are
vulnerable
100
Punjab
53%
districts are
vulnerable
Nagaland
100%
districts have
low vulnerability
Manipur
67%
districts have
low vulnerability
Mizoram
88%
districts have
low vulnerability
Tripura
100%
West Bengal
districts are
% vulnerable
53
Meghalaya
86%
Jharkhand
89%
districts are
vulnerable
67
67%
Andhra Pradesh
districts have
% low vulnerability
Chhattishgarh
districts are
% vulnerable
69
districts have
low vulnerability
Assam
87%
Odisha
Telangana
districts have
% low vulnerability
districts have
low vulnerability
districts have
low vulnerability
districts have
low vulnerability
69
100
Note: Andhra Pradesh was reorganised into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in 2014 and a part of Khammam district in Telangana was
placed in Andhra Pradesh. This change was not accounted for. *Only states with very high and high exposure and sensitivity districts
have been counted. #Only states with districts that have very low and low adaptive capacity have been counted. **Districts with
very high, high and medium levels have been considered vulnerable. Climate projections are for the period 2021-2050
Prepared by DTE/CSE Data Centre
Infographics: Raj Kumar Singh; Analysis: Kiran Pandey and Rajit Sengupta
Data source: A district level assessment of vulnerability of Indian agriculture to climate change, published in
Current Science on May 25, 2016. For more such infographics visit: www.downtoearth.org.in/infographics
16-31 JULY 2016
48-49Factsheet.indd 49
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D E B AT E
MEASURE
50 DOWN TO EARTH
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13/07/16 11:53 AM
ics, campaigners, and business folk, they recognize that gdp has
strengths but also flaws, and they want change. But they cannot
agree on what could or should change, and they are even less
certain about how change could happen.
Never heard
about GDP
MUKESH AHIRWAL
50-52Debate.indd 51
It is the least
inaccurate
method
HEN FORMER
president A P J
Abdul Kalam was
in the Central
Board of Directors of the Reserve
Bank of India, he posed a
question to the then governor,
Bimal Jalan, during a meeting:
What is this gdp business?
Sometimes it goes up and
sometimes it goes down? Jalan
responded in a lighter vein:
If you hire a maid servant and
pay her salary, the gdp will go
up. But if you get married to
the maid servant and stop
giving her salary, then the
gdp will go down.
gdp is not the perfect way to
measure growth. But among the
alternatives, it is the least
inaccurate method to compute
the growth rate of the country.
Goods and services which
cannot be valued at market
prices are not included. This
is the first major lacuna. Take
for instance the household
services of housewives. They are
not paid for the services, but the
value of the work they are
generating is not accounted.
Lets take the second lacuna.
If the vegetables and fruits a
farmer is growing in his/her
garden are for domestic
consumption, it is not added to
the gdp. Does that mean the
NARENDRA
JADHAV
Economist and
member of the
Rajya Sabha
Important to qualify
the GDP
www.downtoearth.org.in 51
13/07/16 11:53 AM
PRONAB SEN
Country Director,
International Growth
Centre, IndiaCentral Programme.
Former Chairperson,
National Statistical
Commission
52 DOWN TO EARTH
50-52Debate.indd 52
Dragging ourselves
towards ecological
oblivion
DP IS a deeply flawed
measure of economic
progress. It has three
large problems: It
miscounts costs as benefits.
Money spent to fix damage, as
from strong weather and human
accident, adds to its bottom line,
though these are costs we seek to
avoid, not benefits we want to
increase. It ignores many costs,
as when it overlooks the
healthcare costs and early deaths
wrought by air pollution or the
ERIC
ZENCEY
Renowned scholar
who developed the
Genuine Progress
Indicator, which has
been adopted by
US states, Maryland
and Vermont
decreased productivity, poorer
health, lost sleep and lost life
pleasure caused by noise
pollution. It doesnt count some
economic values at all, such as the
benefits we get from volunteer
work, do-it-yourself household
production and barter.
Simon Kuznets, the
economist who led the
development of gdps precursor
statistic, Gross National Product,
warned against mistaking it for a
measure of general economic
wellbeing. Its an estimate of the
nations gross monetary
transactions, nothing more. As
To celebrate 25 years
of Down To Earth, we
will carry a debate
every month on an
emerging issue
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PAT E N T LY A B S U R D
L AT H A J I S H N U
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OPINION
TEA TAG
TAKEAWAY
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LAST WORD
CIVIL LINES
R I C H A R D M A H A PAT R A
Bundelkhand's bravehearts
the endless sermons on protecting the environment. Discussions on environmental degradation seem to have reached the nadir for this region, which comprises 13 contagious districts of Uttar
Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh that have suffered 13
droughts in the last 15 years. Local communities, who
have endured an unprecedented human crisis, perceive
a disconnect between their own problems and the solutions being thrown at them.
I was travelling through the region recently, not as a
reporter looking for crisis stories,
but as part of a team that was assessing villages that were not affected by drought. There are many
such villages in Bundelkhand. The
villagers did not have to apply rocket science. Just common economic and ecological sense. They harvested water through traditional
tanks, enforced community regulation over water usage and abandoned water-guzzling crops.
When I spoke to the local residents and community leaders on
the formula for such a feat, the anSORIT / CSE
swer was unequivocal: dont teach
us environmental protection; for us it is all about our
economy. They pointed out that too much focus on approaching drought from an environmental perspective
had weaned away people from drought management.
Why do you need to preach water conservation to people
who are forced to migrate due to water scarcity? Rather,
one village leader said, one should approach the problem
from a purely economic point of view.
The villages that have fought drought successfully
have approached the problem from this perspective. So, a
check dam idea was not sold as a water conservation tool,
but as an instrument of economic insurance. Many told
me that the moment water conservation ideas are resold
as lucrative investment options, they are instantly bought
58 DOWN TO EARTH
58 Last Word.indd 58
11/07/16 12:30 PM
DISCOUNTS
10% on course fee for participants (Up to 25th July,
2016) Additional 10% for group registrations (four or
more participants applying together).
COURSE FEES
`9,500/- for professionals.
`8,000/- for academicians, NGOs and researchers.
`5,000/- for students.
HOW TO APPLY
The course fee should be paid in advance by
demand draft/cheque in the name of CENTRE FOR
SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT payable at New
Delhi. Registration form can be obtained from the
contact given and can be posted/faxed to CSE.
PROGRAMME SCHEDULE
Date: August 24th - 26th, 2016
Timing: 10.00 am to 6:00 pm
Venue: Centre for Science and Environment
38, Tughlakabad Institutional Area
New Delhi- 110 062
ELIGIBILITY
This course is open to students, young professionals, academicians, NGOs and researchers
from eld of environment, engineering, architecture & planning.
The programme will be conducted by eminent architects, energy and building experts and CSE
professionals.
The interactive modules are designed to encourage participants to acquire a 360 degree
understanding and hands-on experience to look for their own solutions for designing better buildings.
The programme will be conducted by eminent architects, energy and building experts and CSE
professionals.
The itinerary includes more than 15 sessions including classroom lectures, site visits, group
exercises etc. The course would cover an array of aspects which explore real sustainability
by deconstructing the green building sector; design, technologies and equipment options for
energy efcient buildings; intelligent water management; emerging building related policies
and regulations and more. The nuances of these aspects would be elaborated through case
studies and examples from across the country. To enable rooted learning across the table, the
participants would be presenting and sharing their learning and perspectives based on the visits
and lectures.
DAY 1
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: BUILDING POLICIES, CODE AND REGULATIONS
Centre for Science and Environments Sustainable Building and Habitat Programme is organizing
Building Sense, a certicate course on sustainable buildings, from 24th to 26th August, 2016.
The programme aims to enable participants to adopt a common sense approach to green
buildings, one that blends traditional wisdom with modern science.
DAY 3
THE WAY AHEAD: FIELD TRIP & BUILDINGS WASTE
08/07/16 3:51 PM
DAY 2
AGENDA FOR CHANGE AND ACTION: SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGIES
COURSE OUTLINE
Building Sense:
Sustainable Building Policies, Practices and Performance
ISSN 0971-8079. Licensed to Post without Pre-payment U(SE)-44/2015-2017 at Lodhi Road HO,
New Delhi-110003. Published on 14-15 every month. POSTED ON: 16-17 of the same fortnight.
Training
programme on
SOCIAL IMPACT
ASSESSMENT
COURSE FEES
Rs 15,000 for developers, government
officials and consultants,
Rs 10,000 for academicians, NGOs and
researchers, Rs 7,500 for students
Note: Accommodation can be arranged
nearby the training centre, would incur
extra charges
COURSE DURATION
29th August to 2nd September 2016
TIMING
10.00 am to 5.30 pm
COURSE VENUE
CSE, 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area,
New Delhi 62
LAST DATE FOR APPLYING
August 15, 2016
OPEN FOR ALL
SIA practitioners, officials from state land
department, municipality, district collector,
sub-divisional magistrate, developers,
academician, students, NGOs
Selection will
be done on first
come first
basis
entre for Science and Environment recognises Social Impact Assessment (SIA) as
an important tool to inform decision makers, regulators and stakeholders about
the possible social and economic impacts of a development project. To be effective,
SIA requires the active involvement of all concerned stakeholders. CSE has developed a
five-day training programme aimed at giving practical exposure to participants on SIA
with specific reference to infrastructure, mining and other industrial projects.
The programme is designed based on the new Act, The Right to Fair Compensation
and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013,
and will be relevant and effective for SIA practitioners, officials from state land
department, municipality, district collector, sub-divisional magistrate, developers,
academician, students, NGOs etc.
The objective of this programme is to build a cadre of trained professional who can
conduct and review SIA reports. The programme will also impart understanding of
the issues and challenges in land acquisition, enhance skills in socio-economic surveys,
public consultations, data collection, planning land acquisition and rehabilitation and
resettlement plan. The course would also discuss applicable central/state laws such as
Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), The Forest Rights Act, 2006,
and the Companies Acts, 2013.
What participants will learn
1. Land conflicts, land classification, land rights and governance
2. Better understanding of SIA
How to make Term of References (ToRs)
Reconnaissance and baseline survey data need, data collection, collation and
interpretation
Development of tools and instruments to conduct SIA surveys
Effective assessment and reporting methodologies
3. Filling the Socio-Economic survey questionnaire
4. Asset evaluation
5. Preparation of entitlement matrix
6. Review of SIA reports
7. CSR framework, its reporting and case studies
8. Post monitoring.
All this would be covered through lectures, exhaustive class exercises, discussions and role plays
For registration:
Kindly email at: digvijay@cseindia.org
For details contact: Digvijay Singh, Sr. Research Associate, Industry & Environment Unit
July 30, 16
08/07/16 4:13
PM
BC