The poorest people in the world will be the chief victims of the West’s failure to tackle global warning, with millions of Africans forecast to die by the end of the century, according to a new report. The potential ravages of climate change are so severe that they could nullify the efforts to end the legacy of poverty and disease, Christian Aid warns. The report highlights the fact that, despite hand-wringing in the West about the threat to its coastlines from rising temperatures, it is the poorest who look set to suffer most. Christian Aid said that a "staggering" 182 million people in sub-Saharan Africa could die of disease directly attributable to climate change by 2100. Many millions more face death and devastation from climate-induced floods, famine drought and conflict triggered, it claims. Sir John Houghton, former co-chair of the scientific assessment working group of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, has given his support to the report’s findings. "This report exposes clearly and starkly the devastating impact that human induced climate change will have on many of the world’s poorest people," he said. Its warning came as almost 200 nations, meet later this week in Bonn to try to close the gap between the US and its allies over the best way to combat climate change. While 40 nations are committed to cutting carbon emissions in line with the Kyoto Protocol, US and leading developing countries such as China have refused to sign. Kyoto obliges rich nations to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 5.2 per cent below 1990 levels by 2008 to 2012. Few experts expect the Bonn talks to break new ground. The summit of the leaders of the G-8 chaired by Tony Blair in Gleneagles last July agreed to develop markets for clean energy technologies, increase their availability in developing countries, and help vulnerable people adapt to the impact of climate change. Last week the head of environment at the World Bank, the international body that leads the fight against global poverty, said the world needed to do more to protect the poor from the threats from global warming.
The Statesman (Kolkata), 17 May 2006

The world should do more to develop drought-resistant crops or new flood controls as part of a drive to ease the damaging impact of climate change, the head of environment at the World Bank said. "As a development institution we have to focus on the fact that millions of people will suffer from climate change," Warren Evans told Reuters on the fringes of a carbon markets trade fair in Cologne, Germany. He said that countries had so far put most emphasis on trying to slow global warming without focusing enough on how to help societies adapt to the likely changes, such as more floods, droughts and rising sea levels. "We’ll focus on catching up over the next two years on impacts and adaptation," Evans said. New schemes could include planning for water shortages and extreme weather - such as developing drought-resistant crops and improved flood controls, he said. Or the world could work out new insurance facilities and improve climate modelling efforts to predict likely changes. Most scientists say that heat-trapping gases released by burning fossil fuels in factories, cars and power plants are pushing up temperatures. The Earth has warmed by an average 0.7⁰Celsius (1.3⁰F) in the past 100 years, with a forecast further 1.4-5.8⁰Celsius rise over the next 100, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which advises the United Nations. Some environmentalists are wary of focusing on adaptation, fearing it will give governments an excuse to do less to curb emissions of greenhouse gases. Evans said that leading industrial nations in the G8 should do more to help developing nations. "The last G8 pushed African development but didn’t focus on the impact of climate change on Africa. We need to catch up on our understanding of that," Evans said. Last month, the World Bank said low-lying states, China, India and sub-Saharan Africa were likely to be among the hardest hit by climate change.
The Financial Express (New Delhi), 13 May 2006

Climate change is one of the biggest environmental challenges facing humankind. For rising global temperatures result in changes in weather patterns, rising sea levels and increased frequency of extreme weather conditions. Even as global experts keep debating the factors affecting Mother Earth, Discovery Channel is now all set to premiere a special programme on the impact of climate change on the Indian environment on June 5. Titled "Climate Change and Untold Story", the one-hour programme contains four 12-minute documentaries by young and emerging Indian filmmakers. "Climate's First Orphans" made by Nila Madhab Panda tells the story of thousands of homeless villagers living around the coastal districts of Orissa, whose existence has been wiped out by the rising sea level. "The Weeping Apple Tree" by Vijay Jodha illustrates the complex issue of climate change by focusing on the shifting apple-growing belt in Himachal Pradesh, while "A Green Agony" by Geeta Singh explores the unique ecosystem of the Sundarbans and analyses the impact of global climate change on this coastal zone. To find out the implications of the climate change on glaciers and how artificial glaciers could improve water supply in Ladakh, Syed Fayaz has come out with a film titled "A Degree of Concern".
The Hindu (New Delhi), 27 May 2006

Climate change is a major threat to the European Union’s target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010, according to a British government report. The study, the report of which was published on Wednesday, found that there was already compelling scientific evidence on the impact of climate change on wild plants and animals in Europe. It warned that during the 21st century, rapidly shifting climate zones and rising sea levels would increase the pressure on several species already under threat. Hinting at a bleak future for Europe’s biodiversity, it said wild animals and plants could die out in some places unless they adapted to the rapidly changing climate. While some would be able to keep pace, other, less mobile species would find it difficult, the report said. Familiar wildlife species such as the beech tree and the curlew, a beautiful wading bird, are threatened. The report urged a more integrated approach to conservation in Europe.
The Financial Express (New Delhi), 26 May, 2006

Palaeoclimatologists have been trying to place climate observed at individual places and times into a larger global and temporal context to answer the question: What do month-to-month changes in temperature have to do with century-to-century changes in temperature?
Unifying themes A recent report published in Nature, describes how scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have found some unifying themes in the global variations of temperature at time scales ranging from a single season to hundreds of thousands of years. "Much of the work went into assembling the different types of records needed to study such diverse time scales", said Peter Huybers, a palaeoclimatologist in the Geology and Geophysics Department at WHOI and lead author on the study. "Data from instruments from around the world are available for recent periods, but it is not so easy for earlier times. We have few instrumental records before the 19th century, so we have to use measurements in corals, ice cores, and sediment cores to estimate past temperatures". Places that have a large annual cycle in temperature, like the high latitudes, for example, also have a lot of interannual and decadal temperature variability according to a WHOI press release. Mathematician Milutin Milankovitch, had argued that periodic changes in the Earth's orbit cause the advance and retreat of massive ice sheets. Temperature variations at thousands and tens of thousands of years seem to follow temperature variations at the Milankovitch cycles. The changes in Earth's orbit cause redistributions in the amount of sunlight the Earth receives at different locations and seasons. "The overall impression is that energy is put into the climate system at the annual and Milankovitch time scales, causing temperature variations at those time scales, but also at the neighbouring time scales" said Huybers.
Notable feature In the tropics the amplitude of the annual and Milankovitch cycles tends to be smaller than at high latitudes. Another fact is that the variability of temperature appears most similar globally at those time scales furthest removed from the annual and Milankovitch time periods, indicating that away from these forcing periods climate relaxes to a more uniform background state. Climate varies at all time scales. These changes are often studied independently of one another, but now there is a clearer idea of how climate change is linked across time scales.
The Hindu (New Delhi), 25 May 2006

Disease spread by global warming could kill an extra 185 million people in sub-Saharan Africa by the end of the century and turn millions more into refugees unless rich nations take action now, a report said on Monday. Christian Aid said rich developed countries had to end their dependence on fossil fuels and set aside large sums of aid to help poorer nations ride out the worst impacts of global warming and switch to energy sources like wind, solar and waves. "Rich countries must take responsibility for having largely created this problem – and cut CO₂ emissions radically," the non-governmental organization said in a report "The Climate of Poverty: facts, fears and hopes." "Climate change is taking place and will inevitably continue. Poor people will take the brunt, so we are calling on rich countries to help them adjust as the seas rise, the deserts expand, and floods and hurricanes become more frequent and intense." Most scientists agree that global warming is due to burning fossil fuels for transport and power, and new calculations suggest that having risen by 0.6 degrees Celsius in the 20th century, global temperatures could surge three degrees by 2100. Christian Aid said it based its estimate of 185 million deaths due to disease on figures from the United Nations and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Global warming should allow carriers like mosquitoes to expand their ranges. Melting ice caps and glaciers were not only eroding coast lines at a rapid rate but were also raising sea levels and reducing reliable sources of fresh water. At the same time changing weather patterns were increasing the incidence of floods and droughts, with arid regions becoming drier and wet regions getting wetter. These changes would increase tensions as key resources like water and fertile land became more scarce, the religious charity said, noting the farmers in northern Kenya were fighting over a diminishing number of waterholes to feed their cattle. "The unfolding disaster in east Africa, where 11 million people have been put at risk of hunger by years of drought, is a foretaste of what it to come," the report said. "In this sense, the environment is too important to be left to environmentalists," Christian Aid said.
The Times of India (New Delhi), 16 May, 2006

Water will be one of the most important issues for a country like India in the days to come and thus the nation needs to take the water issue in utmost priority. India’s population has increased to a whopping 102 crores, according to 2001 census from a mere 33 crores at the time of independence and this has also increased the requirement of water. Land under irrigation cover; which was only 19.5 million hectares, had increased to over 95 million hectares by the turn of the country. Production of food grains has increased from about 50 million tones in the fifties to more than 210 million tones and will have to be raised to 350 million tones by the year 2025 at the present rate of growth in population. This growth process and the expansion of economic activity has led to increasing demand for water for diverse, domestic, industrial and agricultural purpose. Thus conservation of water keeps much importance for us. There is need to take urgent steps to conserve the water. Over exploitation of ground water should be avoided and it should be so regulated that it does not exceed the recharging possibilities, as water table is going down in most parts of the country at an alarming rate. Similarly, Rainwater harvesting and ground water recharge should be encouraged through proper facilities. It should be made incumbent through legislation on Group Housing Societies, Community Housing, School buildings, Panchayati Raj Institutions and Non-governmental organizations involved in water supply and management to harness rain-water and recharge ground water to the extent it is being exploited by them. Water resources should be conserved and availability augmented by minimizing losses and maximizing retention. Both surface and ground water has to be monitored regularly for quantity. Private and community participation in the efficient use of water should be encouraged. Water conservation is the need of the hour and certainly efforts are needed in this direction, the sooner is the better.
Hindustan Times (New Delhi), 30 May, 2006

Water resources planning and their optimal and judicious utilization is an important factor in water conservation not only for meeting the needs of the ever-growing population but also to maintain a water stock for future generations. India’s population has increased to a whopping 102 crores, according to 2001 census from a mere 33 crores at the time of independence Land under irrigation cover, which was only 19.5 million hectares, had increased to over 95 million hectares by the turn of the century. Production of food grains has increased from about 50 million tones in the fifties to more than 210 million tones and will have to be raised to 350 million tones by the year 2025 at the present rate of growth in population. This growth process and the expansion of economic activity has led to increasing demand for water for diverse purposes, domestic, industrial, agriculture, hydro-power, etc.
Key action areas Some of the key areas of activities, which need a national perspective for conservation of water, are: Over exploitation of ground water should be avoided and it should be avoided and it should be so regulated as not to exceed the recharging possibilities as water table is going down in most parts of the country at an alarming rate. Rainwater harvesting and ground water recharge should be encouraged through incentives and disincentives. It should be made incumbent through legislation on Group Housing Societies, Community Housing, School building, Panchayati Raj Institutions and Non-governmental organizations involved in water supply and management to harness rainwater and recharge ground water to the extent it is being exploited by them. Water resources should be conserved and availability augmented by minimizing losses and maximizing retention. Both surface and ground water has to be monitored regularly for quality. Private and community participation in the efficient use of water should be encouraged. Panchayati Raj institutions and urban bodies should be made responsible for planning, execution and maintenance of water schemes and projects. They should be encouraged to adopt better management practices and bring in improvements in operational technology. In view of the ever-growing demand, there has to be close integration of land use and water use policies. Irrigation projects should optimize water use efficiency. Lining of canals and water channels should be undertaken wherever feasible to minimize seepage losses. Non-conventional irrigation methods, like drip and sprinkler irrigation should be encouraged to reduce wastage of water through soil absorption or evaporation. Crop pattern need to be changed with less water consumptive crops encouraged and sown in larger areas. Availability of water is very high in India during monsoon months and much of the rainwater flows down into the sea, often causing havoc by way of floods in large areas. This rain-water need to be conserved through dykes, dams and proper linking of rivers for use during the lean period and for a longer time span. A national perspective should guide water sharing of inter-state rivers. Desiltation of rivers and flood protection works like strengthening of embankments and dykes should be under-taken regularly. In drought prone areas, development of ground water potential, recharging, transfer of surplus water from affluent areas, wherever feasible, awareness about water harvesting practices, soil moisture conservation and the need to check evaporation losses should be given priority. Water conservation should be created among the masses through education, mass media, regulation, incentives and disincentives.
National Water Policy – 2002 The National Water Policy – 2002 calls for participatory approach in the planning, development, execution and maintenance of water schemes and projects. Drinking water supply is one of the six key components of the ambitious Bharat Nirman Programme being implemented in four years 2005-09 for building rural infrastructure. It envisages provision of safe drinking water for all the remaining 55,067 rural habitations in the country. As on April 1,2005, 96.1 per cent rural habitations were fully covered under water supply schemes and projects and 3.6 per cent were partially covered, leaving a gap of 0.3 per cent habitations without any source of water. Central allocation under the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission is proposed to be increased from 3,645 crores rupees to 4,680 crores. A part from non-coverage there is the persistent problem of slippages due to drying up of sources, lowering of ground water table, out-dated and outlived water supply systems and lower per capita availability of water due to population growth. The strategy to tackle both non-coverage and slippages should include conservation, capacity building, better operational management and maintaining of water quality. The centre has earmarked 213 crores rupees as assistance to states to set up water testing laboratories and provision of field level water testing kits during 2006-07.
Irrigation The central outlay under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme has been enhanced-to 7,121 crores rupees during the current financial year as against 4,500 crores in 2005-06. To give a major thrust to creating irrigation potential, the Command Area Development Programme is being revamped to allow participatory irrigation management through Water Users’ Associations. Besides, over 20,000 water bodies have been identified with a command area of 1.47 million hectares for the first phase of the programme for repair, renovation and restoration of water bodies. It is being implemented through pilot projects in 23 districts spread over 13 states.
The Himachal Times (Dehradun), 24 May, 2006

For 21 years, builders in the United Kingdom have been legally bound to construct homes that conserve energy. The building regulations tell them how much insulation they must use, what kind of windows they must fit and how good their draught-proofing will be. Guess how many builders have been prosecuted in that period for non-compliance. I won't keep you in suspense: the answer is none. There should be only one good reason for this: that they are building houses so well that enforcement is unnecessary. But a study conducted by the Building Research Establishment, looking at just one factor (the rate at which cold air leaks in) found that 43 per cent of the new houses it checked should have been failed by the inspectors. All of them had been passed. In some homes the requisite amount of insulation had been left in the lofts, but it was still tied up in bales. A new survey of the people who are supposed to enforce our building rules — building control officers — published this month by the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes found that they treat the energy rules as a joke. Part of the problem is that since their profession was deregulated, many of them are involved in a standing conflict of interest. In the past, building control officers were employed by the local municipal council. Today builders hire "approved inspectors" to certify their houses. If the inspectors are too tough, they won't be hired again. As the major parties compete to cut red tape, businesses are seldom prosecuted for anything, let alone such a petty misdemeanour as killing the planet. Even if the officers wanted to enforce the rules, it is hard to see how they could. They inspect homes only towards the end of construction, when it is too late to see what is inside the walls. But the biggest problem appears to be their attitude. Several of them told the survey that they saw energy efficiency as a "trivial" matter, and would never dream of withholding a certificate because a house was not properly insulated. They saw their real job as ensuring that houses won't fall down or catch fire. No one was going to sue them if a building they had approved leaked heat. Poor energy efficiency, some of them said, is "not life threatening."' Oh really? In a letter to the London-based Independent last week, Tadesse Dadi, an Ethiopian relief worker, said that "we have not needed to wait for graphs to prove climate change is hurting us. We have seen it in increasing floods and droughts and decreasing and less predictable rainfall. These disrupted seasonal patterns leave millions at risk of starvation ... An 82-year-old farmer in northern Ethiopia, Mr. Mengesha, recently told me that 30 years ago his harvest lasted his family for more than two years, but now erratic rains mean his sons barely harvest enough to last them seven months."
Weird reality His observations are supported by the science. Last year, a paper published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society showed that "warm sea surface temperature[s] ... in the southern equatorial Indian Ocean produce an anomalous circulation that reduces rainfall" in Ethiopia. The short rains there have "fallen off consistently since 1996" as a result. The Stern review on climate change, which the government will publish in October, will show that temperatures in Africa are likely to rise about twice as fast as those in the rest of the world. I know it still seems improbable that shoddy building work in Exeter will kill people in Ethiopia, but this is the weird reality the science of climate change forces us to accept. In fact, a failure to enforce the building rules is perhaps more consequential than any climate-changing policy. It guarantees high carbon emissions throughout the life of the buildings. Unless British building inspectors start doing their jobs, the polluting legacy of the 2,00,000 new homes the U.K. Government wants us to build every year will be far more deadly than nuclear waste. Yvette Cooper, the U.K. Housing Minister, boasted this month that "energy efficiency standards are 40 per cent higher than in 2002." That is not true. But even if it were, they are worthless if builders know they will never be enforced. She also flourishes her new voluntary "code for sustainable homes," which urges builders to go green. It is hard to think of a better means of reinforcing the impression that energy efficiency is trivial. We do not have a voluntary code to prevent our houses from falling down. More constructively, she wants inspectors to be given more time in which to prosecute. Unfortunately, as the survey shows, they won't use it. The officers still have every incentive not to uphold the law. But I can support the Government when it says it wants to "simplify and streamline" the building regulations. My suggestion is that it reduces them to one sentence: "By 2010, no house in this country shall be built with a heating or cooling system." In Germany there are now some 4,000 homes built to the Passivhaus standard. A Passivhaus is a house without radiators, fan heaters, stoves, air conditioners or any other kind of heating or cooling device. The only heat it requires is produced by sunlight coming through the windows and by the bodies of the people who live there. All that distinguishes them from other houses is that they are built properly. They are airtight (the air that enters the house comes through a heat-exchange system) and have no "thermal bridges" — material that can conduct heat from the inside of the house to the outside. The windows are matched carefully to the volume of the house. Because they have no active heating systems, they are not much more expensive to build than ordinary houses. A development of 20 homes in Freiburg, with a measured energy saving of 79 per cent, cost just 7 per cent more than a typical building of the same kind. I fail to see why the Passivhaus cannot become a universal standard. But this standard, like all those the government might propose, will be a waste of time until our building control officers are forced to do their jobs properly. What is the point in investing in nuclear power — or in any other generating technology — if we can't sort out something as simple as this? The New Statesman magazine reveals that in 1988, when Tony Blair was the (Opposition) Labour Party's energy spokesman, he launched a passionate attack on the ruling Conservatives' climate policies. "What is unbelievably depressing about the government's response," he said, "is that they see, in the evidence about greenhouse gases, not an opportunity to promote environmental concern, but a chance to make the case for nuclear power ... Having made a big issue of the greenhouse effect, it became clear that energy efficiency was the best way to deal with it, but ... the government's position has been characterised by a malign reluctance to have anything to do with the notion of energy conservation." What better description of his own legacy could there be?
The Hindu (New Delhi), 31 May 2006

The Darwin Initiative grants worth 84,876 pounds were announced by Britain’s Biodiversity Minister Barry Gardiner to support new projects and foster expertise in developing countries. A founding principle of the Darwin Initiative is the importance of maintaining and strengthening the link between people and the natural environment in developing countries," said Gardiner, according to a statement released here by the British High Commission. "The world’s poorest countries are home to some of the planet’s richest natural habitats and eco systems. The people who live there are the most dependent on natural resources for their survival, but have the fewest resources to put towards protecting them," said Gardiner. A sum of 57,076 pounds would help develop projects like "a University of Reading-backed project to use DNA tools to safeguard the sustainable trade in medicinal plants in India", the statement said. The projects also include a sea turtle hatchery project in Guatemala and Costa Rica, supported by Ambios and a project to support sustainable livelihoods in Kenya’s Rift Valley, using wood-lands to conserve biodiversity and support local communities, in association with the University of Leicester. Another project is for reviving ancient conservation systems for modern Lebanon, supported by Birdlife International. In addition, Gardiner also announced three fellowship grants totaling 27,800 pounds to support new talent in developing countries by providing the students a chance to study at British institutions. The Darwin Initiative funds collaborative projects that draw on Britain’s expertise to help countries rich in biodiversity but poor in other resources to conserve their natural heritage and use their natural resources in a sustainable way. Since 1992, the project has committed over 55 million pounds to more than 100 projects in 100 countries.
The Himachal Times (Dehradun), 24 May 2006

Kheti Virasat in association with the Lok Kalyan Samiti and the NSS Department of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) observed World Biodiversity Day here yesterday to generate awareness about depleting biodiversity. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Chander Parkash of Kheti Virasat told students and NSS volunteers that India was one of the 12 mega-diversity countries in the world. Covering 2.4 per cent of the geographical area of the total land, it accounted for 7 to 8 per cent of the reported biodiversity in the world. He said till date 1.75 million species had been described whereas Global Biodiversity Assessment estimated 13 to 14 million such species.This meant that a large number of species lay unexplored. Dr Adarsh Pal Vig, Department of Environment Sciences , held that habitat destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, introduction of exotic species, epidemics and floods were the reasons for decline in biodiversity.
The Tribune (Chandigarh), 24 May, 2006

The National Environment Policy (NEP) is intended to guide the Government in bringing about regulatory reforms, implementation of programmes and projects for environmental conservation, besides reviewing and enacting legislation. The draft policy, cleared by the Cabinet after two years, has also been described as a statement of India's commitment to making a positive contribution to international efforts. The dominant theme of the policy is to ensure that the livelihood of people dependent on forest products is secured from conservation than from degradation of the resources. It focuses on conservation of critical environmental resources, livelihood security for the poor, integration of environmental concerns in economic and social development and judicious use of the resources. To achieve sustainable development, environmental protection shall constitute an integral part of the development process and cannot be considered in isolation from it.
Review of assessment
Environmental Impact Assessment will continue to be the principal methodology for appraisal and review of new projects. The assessment processes are being revised. Under the new arrangement, there will be significant devolution of powers to the State/Union Territory level. It also seeks to revisit the Coastal Regulation Zone notifications to make the approach to coastal environmental regulation more holistic and, thereby, ensure protection to coastal ecological systems, waters and the vulnerability of some coastal areas to extreme natural events and potential sea level rise. Involvement of Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies has been highlighted in the draft NEP that will include capacity development initiatives. A large-scale exercise has been completed for providing inputs towards a national biodiversity strategy and action plan.
The Hindu (New Delhi), 26 May 2006

Fast-growing China and India helped to drive up global greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent over 1992-2002, fuelling the effects of climate change, the World Bank said on Tuesday. In its annual "Little Green Data Book", the World Bank said industrialised nations led by the United States continue to be the worst offenders for emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂). But developing nations, particularly China and India, are producing an ever-greater share of CO₂ emissions and so contributing to the trapping of heat-retaining gases in the Earth's atmosphere. "This reality shows us that we need to find creative ways to engage all major economies of the world to solve a global problem such as climate change," said acting World Bank vice-president Steen Jorgensen. The report, which was launched at a meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, said CO₂ emissions worldwide topped 24 billion tonnes in 2002, the last year for which comprehensive data are available. That is an increase of 15 per cent compared to the levels in 1992. The United States contributed 24 per cent of total emissions and the 12 nations of Europe's eurozone emitted 10 per cent. From 2000 to 2002, global CO₂ emissions increased by 2.5 per cent annually, and about two-thirds of that increase came from low- and middle-income countries. China, which is already the second largest polluter behind the United States, increased its emissions by 33 per cent between 1992 and 2002. India’s emissions grew 57 per cent in the same period.
Hindustan Times (New Delhi), 11 May 2006

Now we know why there's so much more biodiversity in the tropics than anywhere else in the world. It's the tropical heat and warmth that help life thrive and branch out via mutations into different species at a rate faster than in other regions. According to folklore, the Biblical Garden of Eden was set in the tropical paradise of Sri Lanka. For the farther you travel away from the tropics, the fewer the species you are likely to come across. In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, three scientists from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, propose the theory that heat is what has made life thrive and fast, in the warmer regions. Tropical conditions accelerate the rate of mutation, thereby creating a spectrum of genetic variation. Together with the process of natural selection, this further boosts fecundity and biodiversity. Chemical reactions take place faster in higher temperatures, in turn increasing metabolic rates, generating free radicals, oxygen-rich molecules which encourage mutation. More speciation due to natural causes in the tropical regions has given us a rich and varied flora-fauna heritage that is evolving constantly. Whether this is perceived as a God-given gift or as a Darwinian natural selection process, there is no doubt that eco-biological riches place on us an onerous responsibility. The volume and quality of inherited bio-wealth can be easily destroyed if conservation efforts and eco-attunement are given short shrift in our zeal to get ahead with development projects. Denuding forests, poaching, habitat destruction and plain insensitivity to other species could one day reverse the evolutionary process. This is happening already in the polar regions where polar bears and smaller species are facing extinction due to human-induced climate change. Climate, after all, is what nurtures life and once natural cycles are tampered with in irrevocable ways it could compromise the pace of natural evolution. Some theologists contest the premise that the Biblical Garden of Eden ever had a terrestrial existence. Be that as it may, we nevertheless need to pool our efforts to conserve not one but many gardens in order to make life worthwhile for all of us.
The Times of India (New Delhi), 09 May, 2006

Few people realise that unless there are miraculous heavy unseasonal rains in the next few weeks north India is going to face a summer of acute discontent. The water situation is reportedly bad even in north Pakistan and is likely to worsen during the next few months till the monsoons break in late June. With water scarcity, power generation, too, will be badly affected. This gloomy situation may continue even longer because the meteorological department has just declared that the 2006 monsoons are likely to be deficient as well. On April 16 while returning from a trip to the mountains I was appalled to see that the level of water in the Ganges at Garhmukteshwar was the lowest I have seen during the past 20 years. Worshippers were able to stand chest deep in the depleted channels. With the virtual failure of winter rains, the situation in other northern rivers like the Yamuna and Sutlej is likely to be just as bad. If this is the situation in mid-April, the next three months till the monsoons set in are likely to become even more critical. Nobody is taking the rapidly deteriorating water situation seriously enough. John Houghton gave a thought-provoking presentation on global warming at a seminar in Delhi recently. He reported that sea level temperatures had increased by 3.7 degrees Celsius during the past 20 years adding that this rate of change was equivalent to half an ice age in less than a 100 years. There are, unfortunately, no signs that the world is seriously doing anything to reduce global warming. Higher temperatures will cause higher evaporation from the seas and water bodies so that there will be more rains, floods and cyclones in the high rainfall areas. Paradoxically this increased heat will simultaneously cause more severe droughts in dryer areas. The weather last year had been totally unpredictable all over the world. Houghton ominously predicted that when these temperatures reach mid-ocean levels, the thermal expansion and melting icecaps could cause oceans to rise about seven metres. So the fate of Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangladesh, Maldives and all the coastal areas of the world can be well imagined. As the situation worsens people will scream at their governments to do something, but if none of the states have water to share they will only scurry around looking for scapegoats. However, there is one important thing that they can do, and must do, now. They need to crack down, on a war footing, on every household to make them much less wasteful of the water that they so carelessly consume. Apart from water leaking from broken pipes, there needs to be curbs on using water from open taps. People are used to running water and just do not realise just how wasteful they are. The example of our small guest house in the hills may be worth emulating. We found that a five-minute shave under an open tap needed about 15 litres of water and that a 10-minute shower took about 40. So last summer we closed all the taps in our four bathrooms though we provided our guests with as much water as they needed but in buckets to be used with mugs. We already had two-stage flush tanks but we asked our guests to try to use them sparingly. The results were astonishing. Our 1,000-litre overhead tank, that earlier needed to be filled every day from our rain harvest water tank, now lasted four to five days. Open taps or running hoses to water the gardens or to clean cars are very wasteful. It is an effort to use buckets or watering cans but considerable water can be saved that way. Cars need not be washed every day and can be washed with just one bucket of water. Every citizen needs to be motivated to change old habits and people should immediately report broken or leaking pipes or taps. Children in every home can be powerful influencers. Before schools close for summer, children could be encouraged to do a mini crusade as they had earlier so successfully done to curb firecrackers. In rural areas, free or cheap electricity enables farmers to draw excessive water that results in a lowering of water tables, soil salinity and over-production of grains. In July, the normally dry Punjab plains will suddenly become one of India's largest freshwater lakes with 2.6 million hectares of paddy fields covered by 22 cm of water. Only 30 per cent of this water will come from monsoon rains; about 23 per cent will come from rivers and canals and the rest from tube wells pumping up water from the rapidly depleting underground aquifers. This situation in many states is not sustainable. This is a matter that concerns everyone. Government will not achieve much by laws, rules, seminars, inquiries or inspections. Instead of words it needs to act. It must immediately introduce an awareness campaign to make every citizen in urban and rural areas actively participate in campaigns to reduce wasteful water consumption.
The Times of India (New Delhi), 09 May 2006

Record amounts of the Arctic Ocean failed to freeze during the recent winter, new figures show, spelling disaster for wildlife and strengthening concerns that the region is locked into a destructive cycle of irreversible climate change. Satellite measurements show the area covered by Arctic winter sea ice reached an all-time low in March, down some 300,000 square kilometres on last year. Scientists say the decline highlights an alarming new trend, with recovery of the ice in winter no longer sufficient to compensate for increased melting in the summer. If the cycle continues, the Arctic Ocean could lose all of its ice much earlier than expected, possibly by 2030. Walt Meier, a researcher at the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Colorado, which collected the figures, said: "It's a pretty stark drop. In the winter the ice tends to be pretty stable, so the last three years, with this steady decline, really stick out." Experts are worried because a long-term slow decline of ice around the north pole seems to have sharply accelerated since 2003, raising fears that the region may have passed one of the "tipping points" in global warming. In this scenario, warmer weather melts ice and drives temperatures higher because the dark water beneath absorbs more of the sun's radiation. This could make global warming quickly run out of control. Dr. Meier said there was "a good chance" the Arctic tipping point has been reached. "People have tried to think of ways we could get back to where we were. We keep going further and further into the hole, and it's getting harder and harder to get out of it." The Arctic is rapidly becoming the clearest demonstration of the effects of mankind's impact on the global climate. The temperature is rising twice as fast as the rest of the planet and the region is expected to warm by a further four degrees centigrade to seven degrees centigrade by 2100. The summer and winter ice levels are the lowest since satellite monitoring began in 1979, and almost certainly the lowest since local people began keeping records around 1900. The pace of decline since 2003, if continued, would see the Arctic totally ice-free in summer within 30 years — though few scientists would stake their reputations on a long-term trend drawn from only three years. Experts at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in California think the situation could be even worse. They are about to publish the results of computer simulations that show the current rate of melting, combined with increased access for warmer Pacific water, could make the summertime Arctic ice-free within a decade. Dr. Meier said: "For 800,000 to a million years, at least some of the Arctic has been covered by ice throughout the year. That's an indication that, if we are heading for an ice-free Arctic, it's a really dramatic change and something that is unprecedented almost within the entire record of human species." The winter ice has declined all around the region — bad news for polar bears, which spend summer on land before returning to the ice in spring to catch food.
The Hindu (New Delhi), 16 May 2006

The Supreme Court has held that whenever land is acquired for industrial development, the adverse impact on environment must be properly assessed. Development of the acquired land should not gravely impair ecology. A Bench consisting of Justices Ruma Pal and Dalveer Bhandari said: "While development of industry is essential for the growth of economy, at the same time, the environment and the ecosystem are required to be protected. Pollution created as a consequence of development must not exceed the carrying capacity of the ecosystem."
Serious problem Writing the judgment, Justice Bhandari said: "The entire world is facing a serious problem of environmental degradation due to indiscriminate development. Industrialisation, burning of fossil fuels and massive deforestation are leading to a degradation of environment. Today the atmospheric level of carbon dioxide, the principal source of global warming, is 26 per cent higher than pre-industrial concentration.'' The Bench said: "Global warming is expected to profoundly affect species and the ecosystem. Melting of polar ice and glaciers, and thermal expansion of seas would cause worldwide flooding and an unprecedented rise in the sea level if gas emissions continue at the present rate.'' In a sense, all development was an environmental threat. ``However, there need not necessarily be a deadlock between development, on the one hand, and environment, on the other. The objective of all laws on environment should be to create a harmony between the two since neither can be sacrificed at the altar of the other."
Rio Declaration Quoting the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the Bench said: "The right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and environmental needs of the present and future generations. In order to achieve sustainable development, environmental protection shall constitute an integral part of the development process and cannot be considered in isolation from it."
Allows appeal The Bench was allowing an appeal filed by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board against a Karnataka High Court judgment directing it to leave a one-km land as a buffer zone from the periphery of a village, where land was acquired for setting up the Gee India Technology Centre, to maintain a green area for grazing. "If the directions given by the High Court are properly implemented then perhaps, the appellant cannot acquire any land for development," the Bench said. Tracing the contribution made by the judiciary in the last four decades, the Bench said coordinated efforts by all concerned would be required to solve ecological crisis and pollution. "Unless we adopt an approach of sustainable use, the problem of environmental degradation cannot be solved."
The Hindu (New Delhi), 19 May 2006

Is human activity blocking new species from evolving? It would seem so. Researchers from the University of British Columbia, University of Bern, Switzerland, and McGill University in Montreal reportedly found three-spine stickleback fishes following the same evolutionary path in different lakes in western Canada -- with all of them sharing similar features. New species usually evolve when old species split apart and some mutate to get new physical characteristics not shared by the rest. Given the findings, scientists now fear that speciation may be running in reverse. Similar transformations found in Darwin’s finches on the Galapagos Islands also showed that the bird populations were diverging on similar lines. The latest studies also prove that the presence of human settlements at the sites discouraged speciation, making it easier for hybrids to survive. The introduction of signal crayfish into the lakes, for instance, apparently disturbed the habitats of the sticklebacks, driving them into more contact, leading to interbreeding. These findings are not surprising, but deeply disturbing since much of the world’s biodiversity is made up of fragile young species that are threatened by the successfully exploding human population. Biologically speaking, human beings have been too successful at the expense of other species. Ever since he began intensifying food production 10,000 years ago, man has just as steadily been wiping out species after species. Man has survived and prevailed by exploiting all ecosystems and other resources such as oil, natural gas and minerals. It’s only now, with six billion (and counting) people crowding Earth and driving out biodiversity that human activity’s destructive impact on the world’s food chains has been acknowledged. As the findings now suggest, human activity may also be inhibiting growth in the diversity of a species. At this rate, biologists’ worst fears that human impact could wipe out a fourth of the world’s remaining species in the next 50 years may not be misplaced.
Hindustan Times (New Delhi), 27 May 2006

Global warming is killing coral reefs, the Bush administration has formally admitted. And the admission means that, under US law, it will finally be obliged to take action to reduce the pollution that causes climate change. The US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has this month ruled that two species of coral, elkhorn and staghorn, must officially be registered as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act, partly because they are imperilled by rising sea temperatures. They are the first species ever to be listed as a result of global warming. The two corals are the main reef-building species in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Florida, but they have declined by 80 to 98 per cent throughout the region. The NMFS – part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concluded that "elevation of the sea surface temperature" was partly to blame. The ruling accepts that the corals die when the sea temperature exceeds 29 degree C, because a curious relationship between tiny algae and the coral breaks down. Corals are really colonies of billions of tiny animals called polyps. They lay down limestone skeletons that build the reef. More than a million of the algae throng each square centimeter of coral. But when the sea temperature rises, the polyps expel them into their stomachs, and then spit them out through their mouths. The coral becomes transparent, and eventually dies. This white death – virtually unknown 25 years ago, is now happening increasingly around the world. But under the Endangered Species Act, the US government is legally bound to take measures to diminish the threat, by cutting back the pollution. And environmental groups are preparing to take it to court if it continues to refuse to do.
The Statesman (Kolkata), 16 May 2006

Exxon Mobil Corp, in a report said it has cut its oil and other spills by 20% last year to the lowest level in its history, routing its environmental record, as it works to shake off its corporate villain image. In a lengthy report released on Thursday, detailing the company’s efforts to support the environment and the communities it operates in, Exxon said it spent more than $3 billion last year on expenses related to the environment. About half of that was in the area of air quality, the report said. The world’s largest public company also defended its stance on global warming in the report, saying it is responding to the issue by improving energy efficiency and cutting greenhouse gas missions. Exxon Mobil has been the favourite whipping boy among environmentalists and consumer activists ever since the Valdezoilspill in Alaska 17 years ago that left a trail of oil-drenched birds and a ruined coastline. Exxon said in the report its marine affiliates had the lowest ever number of incidents releasing oil into the water – with only one minor oil slick by a vessel operated by an affiliate and one by a leased vessel. Both incidents released less than I barrel of oil into the water. Spills at its non-marine operations also touched their lowest level despite the spills associated with the hurricanes in the US Gulf coast last year. The company continues to face a barrage of criticism for questioning the science behind global warming and choosing not to invest in cleaner energy sources such as wind and solar. The report said it was committed to improving energy efficiency by 10% by 2012 and was working on reducing flaring at its operations well as curbing other emissions into the air. Its record $36 billion in profits last year as gasoline prices topped $3 a gallon have also prompted a fresh consumer backlash in the US. For many years, Exxon’s former CEO Lee Raymond, in particular, attracted sharp criticism for his dismissal of alternative energy resources and little sympathy for global warming concerns. But the company has tried to play up a more understanding and consumer-friendly image since new CEO, Rex Tillerson, took over the reins this year. Mr. Tillerson in the past said his stance on global warming was not any different from that of his predecessor, but acknowledged that the company had done a poor job of articulating its work on the issue. The Texas oilman recently even appeared on a popular American morning-show to address concerns over rising gasoline prices.
The Financial Express (New Delhi), 19 May, 2006

विकास विकल्प संस्था दिल्ली की मुख्य सलाहकार ऊषा श्रीनिवासन ने कहा कि पर्यावरण संरक्षण के लिये सामूहिक प्रयास किये जाने की आवश्यकता है, इसके लिए व्यापक स्तर पर जनजागरण करने के लिए सभी को एकजुटता का परिचय देते हुए आगे आना होगा। आज यहां राजीव गांधी नवोदय विद्यालय के सभागार में सोसाइटी फार इंवायरमेंट, वाइल्ड लाइफ एक्शन एंड एवेरनस (सेवा) के तत्वाधान में पर्यावरण संरक्षण विषय पर आयोजित कार्यशाला में बच्चों ने जल, वायु और पर्यावरण शुद्धता में योगदान देने के साथ-साथ जनजागरूकता का भी संकल्प लिया। उन्होंने कहा कि हम भविष्य में स्वच्छ हवा-पानी ग्रहण कर पायेंगे। उन्होंने कहा कि विद्यार्थी वर्ग पर्यावरण स्वच्छ बनाये रखने के लिए स्वयं तो पहल करें ही साथ ही अपने सगे संबंधियों को भी जागरूक करें। उन्होंने कहा कि स्कूल के विद्यार्थियों को वायु व जल प्रदूषण मापन के लिए पवन तारा किट व जल तारा किट का प्रशिक्षण देते हुए बताया कि इस किट के माध्यम से बच्चे वायु व जल के प्रदूषण की जांच कर इसके खिलाफ विभाग में शिकायत कर सकते है। इन जीवन उपयोगी आवश्यक प्रकृति संसाधनों के समर्वधन व संरक्षण में भी योगदान दे सकते हैं। इस अवसर पर सेवा संस्था के चेयरमैन ब्रिग्रेडियर (सेवानिवृत) के.जी. बहल ने बढ़ते प्रदूषण पर चिन्ता जाहिर करते हुए कहा कि इस गंभीर समस्या से निपटने के लिए हमें अभी से कारगर नीति बनानी होगी। विकास के नाम पर पर्यावरण के साथ खिलवाड़ अब बर्दाश्त नहीं किया जायेगा क्योंकि इस तरह का विकास हमारी भावी पीढ़ी के लिए विनाशकारी साबित होगा। इस लिए हमें युवा पीढ़ी को पर्यावरण के प्रति जागरूक करना होगा। सेवा संस्था के जिला समन्वयक अनिल जग्गी ने कहा कि संस्था पर्यावरण संरक्षण व संवर्धन के लिए लोगों को जागरूक कर रही है साथ ही स्कूली बच्चों को इस दिशा में सकारात्मक दृष्टिकोण तैयार करने का प्रयास कर रही है। राजीव नवोदय विद्यालय के पर्यावरण विषय प्रभारी एस.एस. नेगी ने कहा कि पर्यावरण संबंधी कार्यशाला से जहां बच्चों में पर्यावरण संरक्षण व संवर्धन को लेकर जागरूकता पैदा होगी, जनता को भी इस प्रयास से लाभ होगा। उन्होंने बताया कि उन्होंने विद्यालय परिसर में 135 वृक्ष लगाये है जो भविष्य में लाभदायक होगें। कार्यशाला में अपोलो इंटरनेशनल, कारमन स्कूल, ग्रीन फील्ड स्कूल, राजकीय बालिका इंटर कालेज लक्खीबाग, गुरूनानक एकेडमी, राजकीय बालिका इंटर कालेज राजपुर रोड, विल फील्ड स्कूल, व राजीव गांधी नवोदय विद्यालय के छात्र-छात्रायें व गणमान्य व्यक्ति उपस्थित थे। कार्यशाला में विशेषज्ञों ने बच्चों को शुद्धता मापन यंत्रों का भी परीक्षण दिया।
दून दर्पण (देहरादून), 07 May, 2006

Air pollution being created by stone crushing units and plying of heavy vehicles and other goods carriers on a kuccha road linking Morni with Ambala-Kalka National Highway-22 has virtually taken over the vegetation. Thick clouds of dust have brought misery to residents of over half-a-dozen villages and their livestock. Spread over 105 acres in Burj Kotian village, about 30 crushers have functioning from the area that was declared Stone Crusher Zone by the state government in 1992. Throwing norms to winds, these stone crushers have been causing air and water pollution, thus endangering ecologically the areas in the foothills of Lower Shivaliks here for the past over two decades. Residents of the affected villages have lodged their protest many times against the negligent behaviour of the government. Demanding carpeting of the road and closure of certain stone crushers, the irate villagers have even blocked the busy Ambala-Kalka National Highway-22 a couple of times. Mrs. Janam Begum, sarpanch of Burj Kotian village, along with over 100 villagers today reached the office of the Deputy Commissioner and threatened to block the highway if their demands were not fulfilled soon. Mr. Ajmer Singh, a members of the Block Development Committee, Pinjore, said that repeated representation to the administrations had failed to yield any results in the past over 10 years. He added that not only the stone crushers but even the damaged road and mining at a large scale on the Ghaggar River bed had been causing huge air pollution. "The level of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) in this area is so high that even the sun is partially visible many times," laments Mr. Ajmer Singh. A visit by The Tribune team to the stone crushers zone revealed that a majority of the units had been lacking proper pollution control devices. Water sprinklers were hardly functional at some stone crushers. Poor plantation inside the premises of these units was dying a slow death. Mr. Rajendra Gupta, president of the Burj Kotian Stone Crushers Association, denied violation of norms by the stone crusher owners. He, however, claimed that the problem aggravated in summers and especially at the time when winds below. Taking serious note of air pollution being caused by stone crushers and plying of heavy vehicles on a kuccha road, linking Morni with Ambala-Kalka National Highway, the Haryana Pollution Control Board (HPCB) has issued notices to violators for not complying with guidelines of the board. The board authorities have also asked the violators to file their replies in 15 days from the date of issuance of the notices. Highly placed sources disclosed that a team of board officials visited the Stone Crusher Zone in Burj Kotian and Chandimandir and found two stone crushing units — KK Stone Crusher and Sandeep Stone Crusher — located in Rampur Siuri village near Chandimandir sources of massive pollution. Apart from this over six other stone crushers in Burj Kotian village were also found violating norms. Meanwhile, the team also found that a 3.5 km kuccha stretch of the Chandimandir-Morni road the main source of air pollution. Mr. Bhagwan Singh, Environment Engineer of the board, revealed that plying of heavy vehicles on the road was the main cause of air pollution in the area. Feeling the gravity of public grievances, Mr. Samir Mathur, Chairman of the Haryana Pollution Control Board, has also written to Mr. Brejindra Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Panchkula, for immediate carpeting of the road.
The Tribune (Chandigarh), 10 May 2006

European Union carbon permits had their biggest gain ever because a surplus of allowances governing pollution levels at factories and power stations in the region last year was smaller than expected. The governments of the 21 countries reporting allocated an average of 1.83 billion metric tonne of allowances in each of the three years through 2007, the European Commission, the administrative arm of the EU, said on Monday. Actual emissions last year were 2.5% lower at 1.79 billion tonne. The data excludes Poland, Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta. Europe’s market to trade carbon dioxide almost doubled to euro 205 billion ($ 265 billion) in a year. More than two-thirds of the value vanished in the past three weeks as traders began to expect a surplus instead of a deficit. The EU trading regime is designed to help the region comply with the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement among countries to curb output of greenhouse gases. France and Ploand requested and received permission to shift permits, or bank them, from the three-year first phase to phase two, which runs from 2008 through 2012.
The Financial Express (New Delhi), 16 May 2006

Industrialists will no longer have to make repeated visits for the annual renewal of "consent to operate" for their units as the state Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board has carried out administrative reforms to bring transparency and efficiency in its functioning. The consent procedures have been rationalised and simplified and the existing system of annual renewal of consent, irrespective of the size and pollution potential of the industry, has been done away with. The renewal for the "green" category of industries will now be granted for five years. Similarly, for moderately polluting industries, that fall in the "orange" category, the renewal of consent will be for three years. As a result, a wide range of industries like the food processing units will get relief. Even for the highly polluting industries like cement plants, paper mills and pharmaceutical units, which come under the "red" category, the consent will be granted for two to three years, depending upon the size. The hotels and other institutions, which are not covered under the environment impact assessment (EIA) notification, will also get renewal for five years. Mining activities falling under the EIA notification will be granted renewal for three years, depending upon the valid period for the mining permission. Mr. S.P. Vasudev, member secretary of the board, said these measures would obviate paper work. The board has also reduced the consent fee for sewerage and water treatment plants to be established by the local bodies and the Irrigation and Public Health Department.
The Tribune (Chandigarh), 09 May 2006

Energy-efficient, environment-friendly and in keeping with traditions, Mokshda Green Cremation System (MGCS) is now offering an option for cremations to be conducted the "green" way. Along with 130 cities in India and 25 sites in Delhi alone, such fuel-efficient and clean cremation grounds have also been sanctioned for Hindus in Pakistan, Greece and Afghanistan. The project, part of the Union Environment and Forests Ministry's National River Conservation Plan under implementation in 130 cities across the country, introduces the concept of cremation "without taxing nature and yet abiding by traditions". "The MGCS unit enables conservation of energy by reducing fuel-wood consumption to 100 kg only as compared to the average consumption level of 400-500 kg per cremation. The cremation time is reduced by over 50 per cent and the system ensures smoke-free emissions. Water pollution generated from the system is also minimal. Under the river-cleaning programme, the Ministry has identified cremation grounds as a source of pollution of water bodies," said Anshul Garg, executive officer of Mokshda Paryavaran Evam Van Suraksha Samiti, the NGO engaged in the project. Under the project, 42 MGCS units have been installed across the country and the system has undergone 71 modifications to suit the rural areas and metro cities. An MGCS unit costs anywhere between Rs. 90,000 and Rs. 16 lakhs, depending on area specific modification required to be carried out on it. The good news for the Capital is that under the programme the Ministry has sanctioned 25 cremation units to be set up here, with part funding from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The project that was to begin last year will see six units being put up at Nigambodh Ghat. This green technology, according to experts, also provides a viable alternative for the urban poor and works as a deterrent against rendering rivers as the repository of half-burnt or un-burnt bodies. Electric crematoria introduced earlier have been found not sustainable mainly because of high capital and running costs and the public mind-set. The cities being covered under the project include Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Allahabad, Kolkata and Hardwar. The MGCS movement, which has been launched in a phased manner, has also caught on among Hindus outside India and a non-government organisation, Anglo Asian Friendship Society, working with countries of Asia and Europe where Hindus and Sikhs have no other alternative except burial or use of electric crematoria, has managed to get sanction for funeral pyre cremation grounds. "Such grounds have been sanctioned for Hindus in Pakistan, Greece and Afghanistan where MGCS has been proposed to be set up," said Mr. Garg.
The Hindu (New Delhi), 19 May 2006

Once famous all over the world for their cool, bracing climate, Kumaon’s verdant hills now present quite the opposite pictures; thanks to an alarming increasing in the air-pollution through-out the region, say officials. They attribute the problem to the fast increasing volume of vehicle emissions all across Kumanon. The officials concerned, however, put the blame squarely on the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) for "his absolute inaction in getting the fitness of vehicles checked." Besides, the increasing dust pollution triggered by the large-scale felling of trees and construction activity, which witnessed a boom in the region in the last few years, say officials, "has been a major contributing factor." Consequently, the hills, which would once wear a clean, rain-washed look, no longer appear so. Now they look dusty all the time, not a pleasant sight to watch. Especially in the summer months. Experts call this thick layer of dust Suspended Particulate Matter or SPM, air-pollution for lay people. "SPM was not at all present in Kumaon, especially in the hills, until a few decades back. Now this menace is present almost everywhere, be it a high altitude region or a low-lying area", observes Amarjit Singh Oberoy, Regional Officer, Uttaranchal Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (UEPPCB), Haldwani. The observation is based on a study carried out in several hill as well as plain areas of Kumaon last year. Conducted in the months of May and June, the study clearly accuses the alarming rise of air pollution in Kumaon for increased temperature in the region. The SPM level is far higher than the permissible limit of 200 unit microgram per metre cube at many places in the plains and hills of Kumaon, say UEPPCB experts. For example, Haldwani’s Kaladhungi Chauraha area, which happens to be a busy crossroads has an SPM level that touching the 537-unit microgram per metre mark, higher by a huge differential of 337-units. The same is the case with Chauraha’s sprawling Awas-Vikas residential area where the SPM level is 187-unit microgram above the permissible. The district headquarters town of Rudrapur where SPM level was recorded at 306-unit microgram per metre cube, is the highest in the entire Udham Singh Nagar district. Khatima, in the same district, is a close second with the SPM level touching 244-30-unit microgram per metre cube. Some of the hilly regions have not crossed the safe mark, but, for secluded areas, their SPM levels are pretty alarming. The hill stations of Almora and Bagehwar have, for instance, been recorded at 189.8 and 85.8 units microgram respectively. "85.8 in a remote hill town like Bageshwar even if below the permissible limit, is still quite alarming considering that the vehicular traffic there is nearly zero," observed the RO, "the presence of SPM in places like Bageshwar shows that the level of air-pollution in big towns is so much that the pollution has now encroached on even the small hill areas where vehicular traffic is minimal." Oberoy attributed the problem to the RTO "not taking any action to check the fitness of vehicles." "No action", he said, "has been taken even a year after we had duly informed the official concerned about the SPM levels going abnormally high because of the high rate of vehicular emissions in the region." However; no steps has as yet been initiated despite the regional transport office being duly equipped with a state-of-the-art instrument needed to check the fitness of vehicles.
Hindustan Times (New Delhi), 08 May, 2006

हिंडन नदी में बढ़ता प्रदूषण और इससे जलीय जंतुओं की समाप्ति को पर्यावरणविंद् खतरनाक संकेत मान रहे हैं। हाल ही में हुए शोध के मुताबिक हिंडन के प्रदूषण पर नियंत्रण नहीं किया गया तो आने वाले दिनों में जलीय जीवन का अस्तित्व समाप्त हो जाएगा। बता दें कि जलीय जीव जल प्रदूषण को नियंत्रिक करने के प्रमुख कारक भी हैं। सहारनपुर के कुलेसरा तक जाने वाली हिंडन में अन्य जीव जन्तुओं के अलावा मछलियों तक के अभाव ने पर्यावरणविंदों के माथे पर चिंता की लकीरें खींच दी हैं। जल प्रदूषण पर शोध कर रही वैज्ञानिक डा. प्रसूम त्यागी के अनुसार जलीय जीवों का समाप्त होना इस क्षेत्र के लिए चिंताजनक है। वे बताती है कि अपने शोध के दौरान उन्होंने पाया कि हिंडन नदी में लगातार बढ़ रहे प्रदूषण से मछली, मेढक जैसी सामान्य प्रजातियां भी विलुप्त होती रही है। सहारनपुर से कुलेसरा तक सिर्फ की दूरी में छजारसी में मछलियों की कुछ प्रजातियां पाई गई हैं। वर्ष 2005 में अक्टूबर में हुए सहारनपुर के गगल हेरी से नदी में कुलेसरा तक में बायो मानीटरिंग की गई। टेक्सा प्रजाति की 25 टेक्सोनोकल फेमिली को आधार बनाकर किया गया। जिसमें कुलेमरा में लिबयुलिडी, नैपेडी, हाइग्रोबिंडी, हाइटीसिटी, हाइड्रोफ्लिडी की स्पीशिज पाई गई। छिजारसी में कोई स्पीशिज नहीं पाई गई। मोहननगर बैराज पर नैपेडी, चिरोनोनिडी, ओलीगोकीटा की स्पीशिज पाई गई। डालूहेरा बागपत पर ओडोनिटा (ग्रुप टेक्सा) लिब्यूलिडी (हैमेप्टेरा) कोरेकसिडी, नैपेडी (कोलियोप्टेरा) की प्रजातियां पायी गई। बागपत के परनावा पर हैमेप्टेरा की नैपेडी डाइटीसिडी, हाइड्रोफिलिडी, डाइप्टेरा (चिरोनोनिडी) की प्रजातियां पाई गई। सहारनपुर के महेशपुर प्वाइंट पर नैपेडी, हैमेप्टेरा, डाइटीसिडी, हाइड्रोफिलिडी की स्पीशिज पाई गई। गगलहेरी पर हैमेप्टेरा, नैपडी हाइटीसिडी, हाइड्रोफिलिडी की स्पीशिज पाई गई। डा. त्यागी के मुताबिक छोटे-छोटे जीव जंतुओं के अलावा कहीं भी मछलियां व बड़े जलीय जंतुओं का नामोनिशान तक नहीं है। उन्होंने बताया कि यमुना एक्शन प्लान के अंतर्गत हिंडन नदी भी आती है। इस एक्शन प्लान के तहत करोड़ों रुपए खर्च किए जा रहे हैं। मगर जब तक हिंडन नदी को प्रदूषण मुक्त नहीं बनाया जाएगा तब तक यमुना एक्शन प्लान को सफलता संभव नहीं है। डा. त्यागी का कहना है कि जलीय जीवन समाप्त होने का मुख्य कारण हिंडन नदी में शुगर मिल, पेपर मिल व भट्टे का अपशिष्ट पदार्थ के साथ मलमूत्र का विसर्जन किया जाना है। उनका दावा है कि हिंडन को प्रदूषण मुक्त न किया गया तो 10-12 वर्षों में हिंडन का अस्तित्व समाप्त हो जाएगा।
हिन्दुस्तान (देहरादून), 25 May, 2006