Global Environmental Crises,

Challenges and Sustainable Solutions

from Multiple Perspectives

Edited By:

Saikat Kumar Basu

Dept. of Biological Sciences,
University of Lethbridge, Alberta
Canada

Peiman Zandi
Dept. of Agronomy, Takestan Branch,
Islamic Azad University,
Takestan, Iran
(Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, P.R. China)

Shahram Khademi Chalaras

Dept. of Agronomy, Rasht Branch,
Islamic Azad University,
Rasht, Iran

2016
Titel of the book : Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and
Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives
Edited By : Saikat Kumar Basu - Peiman Zandi- Shahram
Khademi Chalaras
Publisher : Haghshenass publication
First edition : 2016
No. of Copies : 500
ISBN : 978- 600-7304-56- 3
Cover design : Haghshenass publication
All rights reserved ; no part of this publication may be reproduced, sorted in a
retrieal, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written
permission of the publisher.
Copyright 2016 by Peiman Zandi- Saikat Kumar Basu
E-mail:Haghshenass_publication@yahoo.com
www.Haghshenass.com
_____________ Contents ___
Prologue
Foreword
Preface

A.) Environment Challenges at Multiple Perspectives

1. PESTICIDE POLLUTION RELATED TO COCOA (THEOBROMA CACAO

L.) PRODUCTION IN GHANA, WEST AFRICA 2
Saikat Kumar Basu, Ratnabali Sengupta, William Cetzal-Ix, Eliana Noguera-
Savelli and Xianping Li

2. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS PREDISPOSE OXIDATIVE STRESS AND

PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS, LEADING TO TERRORISM AND WAR
AS DISEASES OF MIND?....................................................................... 16
Toru Takahashi, Jan Fedacko, Ram B Singh, Fabien De Meester, Agnieszka
Wilczynska and Douglas Wilson

3. LOOKING AT THE ECONOMIC ANGLE FOR IMPROVING POOR

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ENFORCEMENT . 31
Valentin A. Bartra

4. COMMUNICATING ENVIRONMENT: HISTORY OF BANGLA

ENVIRONMENTAL MAGAZINES OF KOLKATA... 44
Sabyasachi Chatterjee and Malyaban Chattopadhyay

5. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT: CASE OF

CONSERVATION FROM INDONESIA 60
Minna J. Hsu and Govindasamy Agoramoorthy

6. AN ANALYSIS OF THE CHALLENGES OF ENVIRONMENTAL

EDUCATION IN INDIA FROM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES 73
Saikat Kumar Basu

7. ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION CHALLENGES FOR

CAMBODIA.. 95
Saikat Kumar Basu, William Cetzal-Ix and Peiman Zandi

i
B.) Pollution & Challenges
8. WATER DEMAND MANAGEMENT AND ITS LINKAGE TO
ECONOMICALLY WEAKER SOCIAL GROUP: AN ANALYSIS OF BASIC
ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES. 106
Prantik Chakraborty

9. PROBLEM OF DRINKING WATER SUPPLY IN THE ADJARRA, OUM,

BENIN: A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE SOURCES AND
QUALITY................................................................ 132
Elios Telemachus Vitoule; Jacques Bamikole Kouazounde and Bonnou Clement

10. INDIAS LOOMING IRRIGATION WATER CRISIS: CAN IT BE

TACKLED?............................................................................................. 187
Govindasamy Agoramoorthy

11. INTEGRATION OF MULTIPURPOSE TREES TO AGRICULTURE

SYSTEMS FOR CO2 MITIGATION THROUGH CARBON CAPTURE 200
Francisco Javier Solorio-Snchez; Baldomero Solori-Snchez; Saikat Kumar Basu;
Lucero Sarabia-Salgado; Fernando Casanova-Lugo; Jos Erales Villamil;
Eduardo Gaspar Briceo Poot and Arlindo Saul Da Rosa

12. CROP ROTATION: IMPORTANCE, ECONOMICAL EVALUATION AND

BIOENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.. 216
Peiman Zandi, Saikat Kumar Basu, Morteza Siavoshi and Mohammad Kazemzadeh

13. CHALLENGES AND MANAGEMENT OF OIL SPILL POLLUTION IN

THE COASTAL AREAS OF NIGERIA 230
Sunday Ofuegbe and Adeolu Adedapo

C.) Climate Change & Conservation Challenges

14. CONSERVATION OF ECOLOGICALLY IRREPLACEABLE INLAND

MANGROVES OF INDIA . 269
Pratiksha Patel and Govindasamy Agoramoorthy

15. BIODIVERSITY CRISIS IN INDIA: THOUGHTS AND SUGGESTIONS 278

Pallav Mukhopadhyay and Saikat Kumar Basu

16. CLIMATE CHANGE AND GREEN HOUSE GAS MITIGATION BY

BIOFUELS........................................................................................ 292
Shobha Johari and Ashwani Kumar

17. ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT, POLITICS AND THE VICTIMS WITH

ii
 SPECIAL REFERENCE TO INDIA.. 313
Rahul Ray

18. REMEDIATION OF WASTE GENERATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL

DEGRADATION IN WARRI METROPOLIS, DELTA STATE, NIGERIA: A
GEOINFORMATIC APPROACH. 340
Onosemuode Christopher and Omorogbe Osemwegie

19. THINK SMALL - LIVE BIG!!! SMALL SCALE INTERATED

AGRICULTURE SOLUTIONS. 364
Bryan Butler

20. BIODIVERSITY, AGRONOMY AND BREEDING OF IRANIAN OLIVE

(Olea europaea L.).................................................................................... 398
Shahram Khademi Chalaras, Manorma Sharma, Saikat Kumar Basu and Peiman
Zandi

21. CHANGING ROLES OF BOTANICAL GARDEN: A PARADIGM

SHIFT..................................................................................... 443
Saikat Kumar Basu and William Cetzal-Ix

22. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MUSHROOMS: BIOLOGY, LIFE CYCLE

AND THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE.. 450
Manorma Sharma and Saikat Kumar Basu

23. BIODETERIORATION OF HERITAGE MATERIALS: AN INSIGHT INTO

THE COMPLEX ISSUE OF FACTORS PROMOTING DEGRADATION
ALONG WITH THEIR RECOVERY, RESTORATIONAND
MAINTANENCE CHALLENGES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE
INDIAN SUBCONTINENT.. 460
Saikat Kumar Basu

24. GENE THERAPY: ITS TRENDS & POTENTIAL APPLICATION IN

BIOLOGICAL STRESS
Olufunke M Mogbojuri, Adeolu A Adedapo and Matthew O Abatan 474

25. A REPORT ON THE CHALLENGES OF WETLAND CONSERVATION IN

IRAN . 510
Yashar Motayagheni, Rouzbeh Zargar, Soudabe Zakavati, Saikat Kumar Basu,
Peiman Zandi, Shahram Khademi Chalaras

Epilogue

iii
44 Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives

4
Communicating Environment: History of Bangla Environmental
Magazines of Kolkata

Sabyasachi Chatterjee and Malyaban Chattopadhyay

Department of History, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, Nadia, WB, 741235 India

E mail: sabya4@klyniv.ac.in

Abstract: This chapter aims to make a preliminary probe on the initiatives

taken by Bangla environmental magazines to communicate about different
aspects of environment. For that purpose an attempt has been made to clarify
the terms, used at this paper, such as environment, communication in general
and environmental communication in particular. The study is basically limited
to the city of Kolkata; however, there are some mentions of the initiatives taken
in this manner by the periodicals of the suburbs. The study will highlight the
development of environmental communication through specific Bangla
environmental magazines. It is a humble effort to historicize the environmental
communication in West Bengal through Bangla language with special reference
to the role of Bangla environmental magazines. The problematic that is aimed to
address in this chapter is whether, the objectives and activities of these
environmental magazines are to create awareness among the masses or to
narrate the incidents of the environmental activism or to inspire the
environmental activism?

Keywords: Environment, environmental communication, environmental

magazines, environmental periodicals, environmental activism

Abbreviation: ZSI: Zoological Survey of India

4.1 Introduction
Etymologically the word environment is derived from a French word environir
meaning the encircle. As per Oxford English Dictionary (2nd edition, 1989),
 Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives 45

environment is the condition under which any person or thing, lives or is

developed; the sum-total of influences which modify and determine the
development of life or character. Since the beginning of the life on earth, nature
has changed its myriads species of flora-fauna, the climate and the whole
biosphere. Each of these performs a specific role to maintain equilibrium system
of the reciprocal interaction between matter and energy contained in the
environment. Unlike other livings beings, human being is a distinctive entity
within his or her environment that surrounds him or her. Human being
constantly interacts with his or her environment to get the natural resource.
Along with the term environment it is important to understand what
communication and specifically environmental communication means and how
far it is important in the field of historical research. International Encyclopedia
of the Social Sciences says Communication is inseparable from the social and
behavioral activities; as a consequence it has become an integral part of the
research and discussion in the social sciences (Darity Jr, 2008). In its simplest
form, the term communication refers to the process by which one person
transmits information (new knowledge) to another person or a group of people
(Darity Jr, 2008). There are numerous ways and forms of communication. It
may be social, political etc. Each aspect of communication covers a vast area. In
this chapter we will try to understand how environment was communicated
through Bangla magazines in West Bengal. So it is important to understand
what environmental communication means. Following American
environmentalist Robert Cox we would like to use the term environmental
communication to mean the pragmatic and constructive vehicle for our
understanding of the environment as well as our relationship to the natural
world; it is the symbolic medium that we use in constructing environmental
problems and negotiating societys different response to them(Cox, 2013).
Robert Cox did his research on American context; unlike him we would like to
situate this theme in geographical limit of the state of West Bengal in general
46 Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives

and the city of Kolkata, the capital of the state in particular. West Bengal is
a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It
is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91
million inhabitants. Spread over 34,267 sq. miter (88,750 km2), it is bordered by
the countries of Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, and the Indian states of Odisha,
Jharkhand, Bihar, Sikkim, and Assam. The state capital is Kolkata
(formerly Calcutta). Topographically West Bengal encompasses two
broad natural regions: the Gangetic Plain in the south and the sub-Himalayan
and Himalayan area in the north.
In this chapter an effort will be made to understand the nature of the
environmental communication through Bangla periodicals in West Bengal. We
would like to understand how environmental awareness had been created by
those specialized periodicals in indigenous language.
Communication is intimately woven into the texture of social life. Without an
exchange of information among the members of a society, social life would
have been impossible. No study on communication can skip over the
inseparable relationship between the social system and the communication
process. In fact, communication may be described as the career of the social
progress (Rives et al., 1971). In this chapter we would try to analyse
environmental communication as a career of social progress. The question is
that the magazines with the goal of communicating environment had been
concentrated only in the centre, i.e., capital city Kolkata or those had reached
the periphery, the districts of the state? In other words, the environmental
communication of West Bengal had a typical urban ribbon upon it or it had
been able to touch the mind of rural West Bengal too? We would also like to
understand how far international and environmental news of other regions of
India gained importance in Bangla environmental magazines.
 Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives 47

4.2 History of Environmental Communication

To be very precise the aim of this study is to trace the history of environmental
communication in the area-specificity of West Bengal through Bangla
environmental magazines. The study will highlight the development of
environmental communication through specific environmental magazines. And
obviously that would be confined within the Bangla language only. Thus it can
be said that it is a humble effort to historicise the environmental communication
in West Bengal through Bangla language with special reference to the role of
Bangla environmental magazines.
The first environmental magazine of Kolkata can be traced back in 1924.
Prakriti, the first of its kind was published in that year. The Prakriti (means
nature) was edited by famous ornithologist Satya Charan Laha. This bi-monthly
magazine on nature was regularly published for fourteen long years (between
1924 and 1938 A.D). It was said in the last issue of the Prakriti that the age of
writing on this theme in the mother tongue has not yet come in Bengal
(Chakraborty, 2000). That age had come after nearly five decades. It was in the
nineteen seventies, the magazines on this theme started to appear. Obviously, a
background was responsible for this appearance. That backdrop can be traced
back in the occurrence of the first ever conference on environment.
In 1972 the conference of the United Nations Conference on the Human
Environment was held at Stockholm. Before that several individual initiatives
were taken to protect the environment. Among them the name of Rachel Carson
may be mentioned for communicating environment through her book Silent
Spring (1962). But it was the Stockholm conference which raised the banner of
environmental awareness internationally. While mentioning the significance of
the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment or Stockholm
Conference, the Encyclopedia of Environmental Issues says that it was the first
international conference held to address global environmental issues and the
proceedings helped to raise awareness around the world of the importance of
48 Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives

international cooperation in the conservation of natural resources (Allin, 2011).

Heads of the state and high government officials from one hundred and thirteen
countries participated at the conference, which culminated in the adaptation of a
declaration and an action plan. There twenty six principles were adopted to
protect the environment. At the conference Prime Minister of India Indira
Gandhi was present, who delivered a lecture on 14th June, 1972. There she
mentioned that without the eradication of poverty the environment cannot be
improved (Rosencranz and Divan edited, 2001.) That conference had
influenced the environmental policy of India. Eight years after the Stockholm
Conference, on March 6, 1980 while addressing a conference on World
Conservation Strategy Indira Gandhi mentioned Eight years ago, I ended my
speech at the UN Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm, with a
stanza from the Hymn to Earth in the Atharva Veda. Today, I should like to
begin my speech with it. It indirectly proves that the prime minister of India
deeply influenced by that conference (Pande, 1989).
The twenty fourth UN General Assembly decided to convene a conference on
the human environment in 1972, and requested a report from each and every
member country on the state of environment. In India a committee on Human
Environment under the chairmanship of Pitambar Pant, member of the Planning
Commission, was set up to prepare Indias report. It is important to note that
after Stockholm conference, from fifth five year plan (1974-1979)
environmental issues started acquiring importance in the planning commission
of India. It can be treated as an important impact of Stockholm conference on
India.
Though the international and national concern for environment was started in or
after 1972, peoples awareness regarding environmental issues yet to come. At
this juncture the need for environmental magazines in common mans language
was felt. Thus a number of periodicals were published at that time. The
Banabani and the Banmahal, two periodicals on forestry were started in 1972.
 Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives 49

Along with that, an endeavor was taken to revive the Prakriti of Satya Charan
Laha, which had stopped its publication in 1938. This revival effort was taken
by Ajay Home, a nature lover, under the name of Prakritijnan (means
knowledge on nature). The first impression of this bi-monthly Prakritijnan had
come out in 1976 and it was lasted for eight years (Sen, 1985; Das, 1987; Dan,
2000).

4.3 Environmental Movements

On the other hand, some environmental movements had begun in some places
of India under the initiative of the common people basically on the issue of their
own livelihood. Basically, the Indian state, though theoretically emphasized on
the importance of environmental issues, in practice it had not done so.
According to Madhav Gadgil and Ramchandra Guha Indian state for a long time
was not interested to protect the environment which resulted several protests in
India. While the forest water and the natural resources in India were diverted to
produce energy and commodities for the rich, the poor were made to bear the
social, environmental costs of the economic development. This initiated the
communication for environment in India. They have also mentioned that it was
not the political parties but the activists outside party system in India were
interested in communicating environment in India and activists like Sunderlal
Bahuguna. Baba Amte started writing on environment. To them this process
was developed from the mid-seventies (Guha and Gadgil, 2007)
However, after Stockholm Conference several steps were taken by the
government of India to protect the environment. In 1972 India adopted a
comprehensive national law, the Wild Life Protection Act of 1972 to protect the
wild life. After that forty second amendment of the constitution moved wild life
and forests from state list to concurrent list. In 1981 the Air (Prevention and
Control of Pollution) Act of 1981 was enacted, which actually implemented the
decision taken in the Stockholm Conference in 1972 to protect the environment.
50 Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives

The water Act of 1974 also played an important role in protecting the
environment. One of the contemporary science magazines addressed the
environmental issues. The Bijnan, (means science) mouthpiece of Jadavpur
University Science Club had published articles on the energy crisis, air-
pollution of Kolkata etc. in its January-March 1981 number. Subsequently, in
September 1981 issue, article on environmental pollution in Santaldihi thermal
power plant was published.
Likewise, the Jnan O Bijnan (1948) (means Knowledge & Science), a
pioneering science magazine of Bengal, which started its sojourn under the
initiative of scientist Satyendra Nath Bose and is continuing even in today
without any break, had also published a number of articles on nature and
environment. (Ratan Mohan Khan edited, 2002.) However that was limited in
character. In the eighties a number of magazines were started with the sole goal
of addressing the environmental issues that was manifested in their names. This
decade witnessed the publication of the Paribesh O Prakriti (1982) (means
Environment & Nature), the Prithibir Pathshala (1983) (means School of the
Earth) and the Swastha O Paribesh (1989) (means Health & Environment).
After 1984, the pace of environmental communication was accelerated. It was
due to the occurrence of an industrial accident, which was the biggest
environmental disaster in India. In 1984, India witnessed Bhopal tragedy where
initially 3500 people were died. It accelerated the environmental activism in
India and compelled the Government of India to enact the Environment
(Protection) Act of 1986 under article 253 of the constitution.
Environmental issues were started to appear regularly in the Bangla science
magazines at this time. Though environmental was a global issue yet local
problems and activities were to be focused. The Bijnan O Bijnankarmi (1977)
(Science & Scientific Workers) was truly a representative of the ideal, phrased
like think globally, act locally. It always highlighted the global phenomenon.
It vividly reported the debates and issues that were taking place in different
 Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives 51

international summit on environment. As far as the movement was concerned it

had played a pivotal role in the movement against a proposed chemical fertilizer
company in the Sunderban area of the South 24 Parganas (Chatterjee, 2005B). It
had contributed significantly in the anti nuclear movement of the state. During
the period under review as many as forty-one articles/reports were published in
the Bijnan O Bijnankarmi on nuclear power and weapons (Chatterjee, 2005A).
The Prithibir Pathshala was a monthly magazine. It published news or articles
on environment but can not be regarded as environmental magazine in the true
sense of the term. Its editor was Amitabha Chakraborty and it was associated
with the Mass Education organization.
The Swastha O Paribesh, which was published for two decades (1988-2008),
had played a significant role in communicating environment. It was stated in
every numbers of this magazine that the true environment could build good
health, which eventually could create healthy body and stress-free mind. To
create a true environment and health one has to make awareness regarding
health and environment. To the editors of this magazine, its goal was to make
people conscious about health and environment.
However, communicating environment was not confined in the arena of
creating awareness only. On the contrary, Ramchandra Guha and Madav Gadgil
have mentioned that the environmental communication is the result of the
environmental activism. To them unlike the radio and television, press is not a
state controlled media in India. Print media played an important role in
communicating issue based environmental activism and publicising the nature
based conflicts in India (this was the opinion of the authors before the coming
of private radio channels in India) (Guha and Gadgil, 2007)
Here mention may be made of two magazines, which were not published from
Kolkata, but from the suburb. The first was the Pragatibarta (means News of
Progress), which was started in 1978 from Kalyani, Nadia under the editorship
of Amulya Mondal, a college-teacher. Another was the Top Quark, which was
52 Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives

started in 1992 from Jhargram, West Medinipur, under the editorship of Bijan
Sarangi, a school-teacher. These two magazines highlighted different
environmental activism. The Top Quark unearthed the problem of silicosis, a
deadly disease which affects a huge number of workers working in stone
quarry. That eventually led to a movement for the justice of workers affected by
occupational health hazards. Ultimately, with the active support from the
environmental activists, the workers got compensation for their loss, which was
a trend-setter in the labour movement. This incident was later highlighted in
different magazines.
The nineteen nineties witnessed publication of a number of environmental
magazines. Among those some were travel magazines and some were aimed at
the creation of environmental awareness and narration of environmental
activism. Among the first group mention may be made of the pioneering travel-
magazine the Bhraman (1993) that was followed by the Jara Parijayee (2000)
and others. The travel literatures had played an important role in the
environmental communication. Among the second group a number of
magazines deserve mention; these were Paribesh (1992) (means Environment),
the Sabuj Prithibi (1996) (means Green Earth), the Prakriti O Biswa (1996)
(means Nature & World), the Sabuj Barta (1996) (means Green News), the
Labtulia (1997) (means a wild flower), the Prakriti (1997) (means Nature), the
Nadi O Bhuprakriti (1997) (means River & Topography), the Prithibir Diary
(1999) (means Diary of the Earth) and the Paribesh Barta (2000) (means
Environmental News).
The Paribesh was published from the Paribesh Unnayan Parisad. This Parisad
was an organization of mainly some researchers, scientists and employees,
associated with the Zoological Survey of India (Z.S.I). However, interested
persons, not attached with the Z.S.I could become its member. Amalesh Mishra
of the Z.S.I the Z.S.I was the editor of the magazine and the secretary of the
organization. However, later, Samar Kumar Mukhopadhyay had become its
 Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives 53

editor. It was a semester magazines (published in June & December) of bangle

language; however some English write-ups were published. Though it was
declared semester magazines, generally joint issues were published annually
and those were published in January. At first it was a public affair, the price was
mentioned in it. But later (as manifested in its number published in the seventh
year) its circulation was restricted to its members only. This magazine generally
published learned article on different aspects of environment written by the
experts and write-up of the school students, who were associated with the
organization as associate members. Along with that another notable aspect of
this magazine was publication of a compilation of environmental news collected
from the newspapers throughout the year. Later an environmental non-
governmental organization Disha had started to publish a book namely Sanbade
Paribesh Paschimbanga (Environment in News, West Bengal) annually.
However, initiative of the environmental magazine Paribesh in this way can be
regarded as pioneering one. Occasionally special numbers, such as forestry
week, women & environment were published (Ray and Mukherjee, 2005).
Another environmental magazine the Sabuj Prithibi was started in 1996. It was
a registered periodical (R.N.I No. 65930/96), edited by Swagata Kar. It was
discontinued for the time being and re-started in June 2008 with the declaration
For the dream of making a new pollution-free earth, the Sabuj Prithibi, the
light-flame of yours, ours and of the new generation is being re-started once
again. Though our endeavour is a tiny one, we believe that an ocean is made of
sum total of a little drop water; likewise so little is our todays initiative it
would take a form of big tree in future.
The Sabuj Barta was started in 1996. Later, for the sake of registration its name
was changed as Prakriti Bhabnay Sabuj Barta. (D.L. No. 15/002) Its publisher
was Jadavpur Viveknagar Nature Lovers Association. Initially Kallol Basak was
the editor, later Aniruddha Jha took the task of editing. However some special
issues were edited by someone else. For example, special number on
54 Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives

Endangered Earth was edited by Sabyasachi Chattopadhyay; another special

issue was edited by Judhajit Dasgupta. The periodicity of the journal was a bit
irregular however the Kolkata Book Fair issue was published regularly. Initially
the publishers aim was to publish it thrice in the year, then six issues in a year.
But in reality it was an annual affair and that issue was published during the
Kolkata Book Fair (last week of January first week of February). Those
issues, generally with a particular cover-story, such as snakes, frogs etc, were a
collectors item.
The Labtulia was the magazine of a nature club Naturemates. Its editor was
Arjan Basuray. It had some regular columns such as Indias reserved wildlife,
Contemporary environment, News on environment etc. Though it was
bimonthly in name but in reality no periodicity was maintained. Editorial of
August-September 2001 mentioned that as they had been able to collect all the
write-ups for the publication of a single issue of Labtulia, the editor had started
to write the editorial.
The Prakriti was perhaps the first environmental magazine of Kolkata. In the
same name another endeavour was started in 1996. This Prakriti was the
mouthpiece of Breakthrough Science Society and it was a magazine on science
and society. However some writings on environment had been published it in
occasionally. The Prithibir Diary was aimed to reach the world of children. It
was a magazine on nature and environment for the children. The editor of this
monthly environmental magazine was Malabi Gupta.
The Paribesh Barta was a single-issue magazine. But because of its uniqueness
it deserves mention. It was published in March 2000 as a part of a project
funded by Department of Forest and Environment, Government of India under
the aegis of Centre for Environment Education, Ahmedabad. This project was
National Environment Education Programme in School; it was spearheaded by
Paribesh Unnayan Parishad. In this programme, students of twenty-two schools
of four districts (Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas & Hugli) of
 Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives 55

West Bengal had participated. Their writings and drawings were published in
this magazine which was edited by Sabyasachi Chattopadhyay.
In the next decade the magazines like Dharitri Sanbad (2004) (means Earth
News), the Paribesh O Bijnan (2006) (means Environment & Science), the
Dakshiner Baranda (2008) (means Balcony of the South) were published. A
number of magazines focusing on nature, forest and wildlife was published
consequently, that include the Ekhon Aranyak (2009), the Sabuj Desh (2010),
the Prakriti Bhalo Pahar (2010), the Ban (2011) etc. The Dharitri Sanbad was
published by Development Research Communication and Services Centre and
edited by Jayanta Das and Sanjib Chatterjee.The Paribesh O Bijnan is a small
environmental magazine published thrice in a year. Its editor is Amit Krishna
Dey and it is published from National Environmental Science Academy, West
Bengal Chapter. Environmental news, features and reports are published here.
The Dakshiner Baranda was a short-lived environmental magazine. Its editor
was Suman Bhattacharya and executive editor was Biswajit Ghosh. They
claimed that this monthly magazine was the only magazine on agriculture and
environment published from Bengal. However this claim was a faulty one
because Bengal had a rich heritage of publication of agriculture-magazine. This
trend can be noticed even from the nineteenth century (Ray, 1987). But as this
type of magazine is not under the purview of present paper we are not
discussing it further.
Within the span of last four-five years a number of environmental magazines
with special reference to forest and wildlife have been started to publish.
Among them bi-monthly Ekhon Aranyak is the foremost which believes in
teamwork, thats why its editor is termed as Team Ekhon Aranyak. It is
followed by Sabuj Desh; its main editor is Rahul Adak.
The Prakriti Bhalo Pahar is a magazine published by an activist Kamal
Chakraborty. He is a poet, educational, social and environmental activist. The
subject matter of this magazine is environment and tourism. However special
56 Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives

issues had been published on different subjects such as on a folk cult

bahurupee.
The Ban, means forest is another recent environmental magazine which is
registered in 2011 (D.L.No. 105/2011), however it was started in the previous
year. Its editor and publisher is Biswanath Bhattacharya. The opinion of the
magazine is the warmness of the relationship be increased, but not the global
warming. Thus we can notice emergence of an environmental magazine with a
human touch.
Beside these, a governmental initiative is to be mentioned in the sphere of
environmental magazine focusing forest. It is the mouthpiece of the Forest
Department of the Government of West Bengal, namely the Banabithi. This
magazine is not for sale; for that reason it is not easy to collect. The actual date
of its first impression and the periodicity is not clear. Regularly, a special issue
has been published on the occasion of wildlife week, generally celebrated in the
first week of October.
Another new initiative should be taken care of. It is the publication of the
Chiraharit (2010) (means Evergreen), whose target audience is the juvenile
school-students. As written in the magazine it is published for the students. The
subject matter is not only environment, but science and environment. Its joint
editors are Sharmistha Ray and Debashis Das. The Chiraharit believes in
learning by doing. It said the students should be acquainted with their nature
and surrounding along with their study. The aim of this magazine is to become a
real friend of them. That is in a way to make the new generation aware of their
environment and to motivate them to do something for the same.

4.4 Environmental Awareness through News Papers

Environment acquired importance in Bangla newspapers of Kolkata also. Few
Bangla news-daily of Kolkata, like the Kalantar, devoted a weekly page on
Prakriti O Manush (means Man & Environment). There a number of articles on
 Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives 57

different aspects of environment had been published regularly since 1995.

Along with that, we can show how different types of environmental news (local
or news from another region of Indian subcontinent) have got importance in
Bangla environmental communication. For an example it can be said that in
2003 on 21st January a news article was published in the Anandabazar Patrika
which described that migratory birds meat had been served in a party of
bureaucrats at Bhubaneswar. Here it was also mentioned that how the hunters
are doing their job avoiding the legal system in Chilka lake which is an
important rest house for migratory birds. This news is not any way related to
West Bengal but still it got the attention of the Bengali press. Even that was
followed up by a detailed report on this topic which was published on the next
day. Likewise news had been published on the initiatives taken to create
awareness regarding environmental issues. For example mention may be made
of a news article of creating three new reserved forests in Tripura. That was
published in the Anandabazar Patrika on 10th April, 2003. These kinds of
environmental news published in the daily newspapers might be lost if these
were not compiled in a periodical or in a book-form. To serve this purpose, the
periodicals like the Sanbade Paribesh O Swastha (which means environment
and health in news) (2003) were published. The name itself suggests that it was
the compilation of the news published in the newspapers on the specific themes.
It was made by just photo-copying the published materials without composing it
for the magazine once again. It was edited by Atanu Dey and published from
the Professional Institute for Development and Socio-environmental
Management. This kind of initiative was taken by Disha, as stated earlier. It
publishes this kind of compilation of environmental news in a book form. An
individual initiative may be noted. Dipak Kumar Dan published an edited book
consisting of environmental news published in the Bangla news dailies of
Kolkata, specially the Anandabazar Patrika.
58 Global Environmental Crises, Challenges and Sustainable Solutions from Multiple Perspectives

In conclusion it can be said that these periodicals had played a crucial role in the
environmental communication. These periodicals had touched several topics
related to the environment such as biodiversity, wild life protection etc. These
help us to understand the nature of literary communication on environment. If
we try to judge the impact of this communication then the questions arise: how
these magazines played a role upon the psyche of the young generation of West
Bengal? How far this communication developed environmental knowledge
among the common people of West Bengal? Did that knowledge motivated
them to do something for the preservation of environment? It is not easy to
address these questions. That needs a detailed study. However it can be said that
these environmental periodicals had played a significant role in communicating
environment in West Bengal in Bangla language. These periodicals not only
narrated the events of environmental activism, this also inspired environmental
activism in West Bengal through Bangla language.

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