( 1-15 )
APRIL 2016 (पाक्षिक)
GREEN
FEATURES
- जलवायु,
पारिस्थिकी
-
प्रदूषण
- आदिवासी विमर्श
- कृषि और किसानी
- जल दर्शन
- देशज ज्ञान और स्वस्थ
- विविध
Swaraj represents a genuine attempt to regain control of the
'self' - our self-respect, self-responsibility, and capacities for
self-realization - from institutions of dehumanization. As Gandhi ji states,
"It is swaraj when we learn to rule ourselves."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
विषयवस्तु
|
जलवायु
:
· Treating Soil A Little Differently Could Help It Store A Huge Amount Of
Carbon
आदिवासी विमर्श:
·
Return to Niyamgiri
·
Project in Odisha is over, says Posco
(Says current extension of
environmental clearance too short for completion and it wishes to end the entire idea)
कृषि और किसानी:
·
Lessons on ecology from the Apatani tribe in Ziro Valley
·
Gujarat to set
up first organic farming university
·
September could be the wettest during this monsoon
·
Insects
aren't the enemy, pesticides are! - Manu Moudgil, India Water
·
ताकि
खेती की विविधता बनी रहे
· Make
public biosafety info on GM mustard'
(CIC
Orders Regulator To Clear The Air)
जल दर्शन:
·
Why we must have water budgets
·
दम तोड़ती नदिया
देशज ज्ञान और स्वस्थ:
·
Indian Rotavirus Vaccine Trial Data Not Forthcoming
·
Lokavidya
Bazar and Lokavidya Dharma
विविध
·
Over 90%
of foothills out of NCZ?
·
Showcasing India’s dirty laundry
(It is predicted that India will
become the fastest producer of waste by 2050)
*****
जलवायु संकट
|
Treating Soil A Little Differently Could Help It Store
A Huge Amount Of Carbon
Climate
change is a massive problem with the potential to completely reshape the world,
both literally (with rising sea levels
and melting glaciers)
and figuratively (with the way we grow food,
or the way that we handle allergies).
And while the consequences caused by climate change could be huge, the
solutions — transitioning to a completely fossil fuel-free economy, or geoengineering
— can often seem equally daunting.
But
what if something as simple as the dirt under your feet could help mitigate
some of the worst of climate change? The Earth’s soils contain a lot of carbon, and helping to manage and restore them could be a key way
to help tackle climate change, according to a recent study in Nature.
The
study, published by a group of international scientists, suggests that using
“soil-smart” techniques for soil management could sequester as much as
four-fifths of the annual emissions released by the burning of fossils fuels.
These techniques include planting crops with deep roots, which help keep soil
intact and encourage the growth of microbial communities that help trap soil
carbon, and using charcoal-based composts. The study also calls for a wider
adoption of sustainable agriculture techniques — things like no-till farming,
which involves growing crops from year to year without disturbing the soil and
has been shown to potentially help soil retain carbon, and organic agriculture,
which also has shown some promise in restoring and maintaining soil health.
“In
the fight to avoid dangerous climate change in the 21st century we need
heavyweight allies,” Dave Reay, a professor at the University of Edinburgh and
one of the paper’s co-authors said
in a press statement. “One of the most powerful is right
beneath our feet. Soils are already huge stores of carbon, and improved
management can make them even bigger.”
The
Earth’s soils store massive amounts of carbon — more than three times the amount that is in the
atmosphere, and four and a half times as much as in all plants and animals.
When
soil or the microbes within it are disturbed, however — through things like
grassland to farmland conversion, for instance — they can release carbon into
the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change.
“If
the soil carbon reserve is not managed properly, it can easily overwhelm the
atmosphere,” Rattan Lal, director of the Carbon Management and Sequestration
Center at Ohio State University, who was not involved with the study, told
ThinkProgress last year.
आदिवासी विमर्श
|
The article traces, in
short, contextualises the appeal in the light of the various judicial decisions
that have transpired since 2004-2005. While this article was under print
the SC on 1.4.2016 has asked OMC to amend its application to include all
affected parties and the 12 gram sabhas who would need to be heard before the
matter can be decided.
Project in Odisha is over, says
Posco
(Says current extension of
environmental clearance too short for completion and it wishes to end the
entire idea)
Korean steel major Posco told the National Green
Tribunal (NGT)
on Friday that it would not pursue any more its Rs 50,000-crore integrated
steel plant project in Odisha.
In a case where Posco was defending the revised environmental clearance it had received in 2014, the court recorded the Korean giant as stating the “environmental clearance is valid only up to July 19, 2017, and they would not be able to do any work because the land has not been handed over to them and therefore the project cannot proceed any further”.
Project proponents are permitted to ask for five-year extensions to their environmental clearances and these are routinely granted in most cases by the Union environment ministry. However, Posco asked the tribunal to cancel its clearance. Instead, the court ordered: “At this stage they (Posco) are unable to carry out the project and if they plan to take advantage of the environment clearance and complete the project, they would inform the applicant and the tribunal.”
This effectively brings the curtain down on the company’s beleaguered project, stuck in environmental litigation from the start.
The project got its first ecology clearance in 2007 and the statutory forest clearance in 2010. In 2011, then Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh set up a committee to examine the validity of the clearance to what was then touted as the biggest foreign investment in the country. Ramesh cleared the project yet again but with additional conditions. This got challenged in the NGT. The green court suspended the clearance, setting up yet another committee to examine the matter. Based on this panel’s report, the ministry gave another clearance to the project in 2014. This fresh clearance was challenged again, for having allegedly violated the terms the court had imposed while asking for the re-examination.
Meanwhile, the company was charged with cutting down trees on the site without having got a formal letter from the state government affirming its forest clearance. It was given a stop-work order in this instance. Oddly, the formal letter from Odisha, a formality in the forest clearance process, never came. The case also lingered at the NGT.
On Friday, to the surprise of petitioner Prafulla Samantray and his lawyers, Ritwick Dutta and Rahul Choudhary, the company asked for its environmental clearance to be cancelled, saying it would not be able to complete the project by the deadline of the environmental clearance in 2017 – which it could have sought to extend as a routine event. It, as mentioned earlier, instead asked for cancellation of the environmental clearance. The petitioner opposed this, preferring that the company formally ask the ministry for withdrawal.
The court ordered that in the light of the company’s statements, the appeal before it had become infructuous. It said in case the company again tried to pursue the project under the existing environmental clearance, it would have to inform the court and the petitioner, and the latter would hold the right to revive his petition.
In a case where Posco was defending the revised environmental clearance it had received in 2014, the court recorded the Korean giant as stating the “environmental clearance is valid only up to July 19, 2017, and they would not be able to do any work because the land has not been handed over to them and therefore the project cannot proceed any further”.
Project proponents are permitted to ask for five-year extensions to their environmental clearances and these are routinely granted in most cases by the Union environment ministry. However, Posco asked the tribunal to cancel its clearance. Instead, the court ordered: “At this stage they (Posco) are unable to carry out the project and if they plan to take advantage of the environment clearance and complete the project, they would inform the applicant and the tribunal.”
This effectively brings the curtain down on the company’s beleaguered project, stuck in environmental litigation from the start.
The project got its first ecology clearance in 2007 and the statutory forest clearance in 2010. In 2011, then Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh set up a committee to examine the validity of the clearance to what was then touted as the biggest foreign investment in the country. Ramesh cleared the project yet again but with additional conditions. This got challenged in the NGT. The green court suspended the clearance, setting up yet another committee to examine the matter. Based on this panel’s report, the ministry gave another clearance to the project in 2014. This fresh clearance was challenged again, for having allegedly violated the terms the court had imposed while asking for the re-examination.
Meanwhile, the company was charged with cutting down trees on the site without having got a formal letter from the state government affirming its forest clearance. It was given a stop-work order in this instance. Oddly, the formal letter from Odisha, a formality in the forest clearance process, never came. The case also lingered at the NGT.
On Friday, to the surprise of petitioner Prafulla Samantray and his lawyers, Ritwick Dutta and Rahul Choudhary, the company asked for its environmental clearance to be cancelled, saying it would not be able to complete the project by the deadline of the environmental clearance in 2017 – which it could have sought to extend as a routine event. It, as mentioned earlier, instead asked for cancellation of the environmental clearance. The petitioner opposed this, preferring that the company formally ask the ministry for withdrawal.
The court ordered that in the light of the company’s statements, the appeal before it had become infructuous. It said in case the company again tried to pursue the project under the existing environmental clearance, it would have to inform the court and the petitioner, and the latter would hold the right to revive his petition.
LIFE
AND DEATH OF A STEEL PLANT PLAN
2005: Posco signs pact with Odisha govt for 12-mt steel plant
2007: Posco gets environment nod for the plant; state seeks nod from environment ministry for diversion of 1,253 ha of land to Posco
2010: Project gets forest clearance for using forestland that villagers claim as betel plantations
2011: UPA govt re-examines the green nod, puts new conditions; protesting villagers clash with police; clearance challenged in National Green Tribunal
2012: Tribunal suspends environment clearance, sets up panel to re-examine project for specific environment impact
2014: Environment ministry under UPA grants fresh clearance again with new conditions; clearance challenged for not following court orders; court stops work for lack of conveyance of forest clearance by Odisha to company
2016: Posco tells court it will not pursue the project anymore
2005: Posco signs pact with Odisha govt for 12-mt steel plant
2007: Posco gets environment nod for the plant; state seeks nod from environment ministry for diversion of 1,253 ha of land to Posco
2010: Project gets forest clearance for using forestland that villagers claim as betel plantations
2011: UPA govt re-examines the green nod, puts new conditions; protesting villagers clash with police; clearance challenged in National Green Tribunal
2012: Tribunal suspends environment clearance, sets up panel to re-examine project for specific environment impact
2014: Environment ministry under UPA grants fresh clearance again with new conditions; clearance challenged for not following court orders; court stops work for lack of conveyance of forest clearance by Odisha to company
2016: Posco tells court it will not pursue the project anymore
कृषि और
किसानी
|
Lessons on ecology from the Apatani tribe in Ziro
Valley
The
Apatani tribe in Arunachal Pradesh is known for its paddy cum fish
agriculture. They practice this as well as other sustainable water management
techniques that allow them to coexist and thrive.
Ziro
Valley, which figures in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a
unique cultural landscape, sits at a height of 5600 feet in Arunachal Pradesh.
It is inhabited by the Apatani tribe who are completely confined to the valley.
With every aspect of Apatani life deeply connected to the sacredness of their
landscape, the traditions and systems of their everyday life and livelihoods
carry great lessons on sustainable natural resource management.
Ziro
is named after one of the clans that first came to the valley about 500 years
ago and have since practiced permanent wet rice cultivation. While the
neighbouring tribes practice shifting cultivation, the Apatanis practice a
unique system of paddy cum agriculture with an intricate network of canals and
channels laid across fields in the entire valley where it is believed that
every object in nature is sacred. Keeping that firmly in mind, the entire
farming process takes place without the use of any animals or machines.
Domestic waste such as rice bran, animal excreta, decomposed straw and remains
of burnt straw after the harvest are used to enhance soil fertility and also
serve as feed to the fishes. Rituals mark the advent and closure of the
cultivation cycle.
It
is noteworthy how the Apatanis share a deep relationship with their land,
forests, water and agriculture and use their resources judiciously. It is not
just paddy and fish, but every inch of cultivable land is used to its fullest.
One can see millets grown on the bunds constructed in between paddy fields.
Also, as a single small river irrigates the paddy fields in the entire valley through
a network of irrigation channels; the system ensures that the water is given
back to the river to irrigate more fields in the valley downstream!
Organic Varsity
Business
Line,Vadodara, 29 March 2016
Gujarat
to set up first organic farming university
To
help farmers in switching to unconventional methods of farming, the state
government will set up country's first university exclusively focussing on
organic farming, Chief Minister Anandiben Patel said. Announcing this at a
farmers rally held on the outskirts of city yesterday, Patel said,
"Farmers should now switch to organic farming and its ways from
conventional method of farming. Gujarat government has decided to set up
country's first university focusing organic farming."
State
agriculture minister Babubhai Bokhiria said state government is committed to
promote organic farming and in order to achieve it, a fund of Rs 10 crore has
been earmarked towards the university in the annual 2016-17 budget, presented
recently. The location of the university is yet to be decided. The place may be
chosen near to agriculture Kamdhenu University in Gandhinagar district, he
said.
"The
university will exclusively focus on organic farming and research. Gujarat is
most suited for organic farming as a significant portion of agricultural land
in the state is rainfed," Bokhiria told. He apprised that for promoting
organic farming, state government has taken steps like setting up of a cell to
implement its new organic farming policy.
A good news for rain-fed farming and agriculture in
general,
September could be the wettest
during this monsoon
VINSON
KURIAN The HindU BusinessLine
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,
MARCH 25:
Updated March forecasts put out by
international weather agencies continue to suggest that the year 2016 monsoon
could generate normal to surplus rainfall.
The four-month season starting from
June is likely to carry a sting in the tail, latest seasonal outlooks from the
South Korean and European agencies suggested.
Pre-monsoon trend
Busan, South Korea-based Asia-Pacific Climate Centre as well as the European Centre for Medium-Term Forecasts point to September turning out to be the rainiest of all.
Busan, South Korea-based Asia-Pacific Climate Centre as well as the European Centre for Medium-Term Forecasts point to September turning out to be the rainiest of all.
The South Korean model has given
outlooks for pre-monsoon April-May-June and monsoonal July-August-September,
and individually for April, May, June, July and August.
Accordingly, the pre-monsoon season
is likely to see normal to slightly above normal rain for most of North-West
India and South Peninsula.
Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka,
which have had a rather poor start to the spring-summer, could just see
thundershowers break out over the region on a normal scale during
April-May-June.
The slight shortfall will be shared
on the West by Gujarat, west Maharashtra (including Konkan-Mumbai) and parts of
north-interior and adjoining coastal Karnataka.
September bounty
Towards the East, a less than normal season would pan out over Bihar, east Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
Towards the East, a less than normal season would pan out over Bihar, east Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
In contrast, the core monsoon months
of July-August-September could turn out to be a bumper season thanks largely
due to the rain surge projected during September.
This three-month season is likely to
generate a rather heavy rain surplus towards the West, especially over south
Rajasthan, Gujarat, west Madhya Pradesh, Konkan-Mumbai, coastal Karnataka-Goa,
Madhya Maharashtra, north interior Karnataka, and most of Kerala.
Early projections support a scenario
where rain systems led by low-pressure areas march their way in from the Bay of
Bengal and interact with monsoonal flows from the Arabian Sea to dump the
heaviest rain to the West of the country.
European forecast
The rest of the country also is expected to see normal to surplus rainfall to the sole exception of East and North-East India where the season may not be that productive. In fact, Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura could return a deficit.
The rest of the country also is expected to see normal to surplus rainfall to the sole exception of East and North-East India where the season may not be that productive. In fact, Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura could return a deficit.
Meanwhile, the European Centre
projects normal rain/thundershowers for most of country during April-May-June
though coastal Odisha may run into a deficit.
May-June-July is likely to return
surplus rain over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and adjoining Maharashtra
as well as over Rajasthan. Once again, parts of Odisha are projected to be in
deficit.
A similar forecast is maintained for
June-July-August though parts of south Kerala could witness a drier spell.
July-August-September may likely to
deliver a surplus for the entire North-West and parts of Tamil Nadu, coastal
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and adjoining Maharashtra in the South.
(This
article was published on March 25, 2016)
===============================================
A long-range forecast is not
authoritative, but sets the mood for farmers, industry
NEW DELHI, APRIL 1:
After two consecutive years of
drought, the monsoon this year promises to be above normal, going by an early
forecast.
A long-range weather forecast by
climate management company Weather Risk Management Services indicates that the
monsoon this year may end up 5 to 10 per cent above normal — with
well-distributed rainfall over the country.
However, some areas such as the
North-East may receive lower-than-normal rainfall, the forecast released on
Friday — based on the dynamic climate model CFSV2 used by the US national
weather agency NOAA — pointed out.
“We will be coming up with our
monsoon forecast every 15 days. While it is possible that the forecast based on
data collected in April will be different from that in March, I do not expect
much variation,” said K Prasad, climate scientist and consultant for Weather
Risk Management Services, at a press conference.
March data
Prasad said his optimism stems from
the absence of significant variation in the data collected through March, which
was averaged out, to arrive at the forecast.
While a long-range forecast may not
be as reliable or detailed as medium- or short-range forecasts (which are much
closer to the start of monsoon), it helps in setting the mood for farmers and
industry, and also the government to do contingency planning if required, say
experts.
“Long-range forecasts can’t be used
by farmers to take sowing decisions or by the industry to take business
decisions. But it is certainly a guiding factor and can help certain sectors,
such as juice manufacturers, take inventory decisions,” said Vanit Kathuria, an
agriculture professional.
Long-range forecast
KK Singh from the India
Meteorological Department (IMD) said that while a long-range forecast made in
the beginning of April may not be of much use at the district level, the data
would be of use at the State and national levels, especially for decisions
related to the input industry such as seed and fertilisers.
Elaborating on its forecast, Weather
Risk said that during mid-March 2016, the tropical Pacific Sea Surface
Temperature was weakening, but still at a strong El Nino level.
Most prediction models indicate
continued weakening of El Nino conditions over the coming months, returning to
neutral by late spring or early summer 2016, and a chance for La Nina
development by autumn. These signals are favourable for the above normal
monsoon rainfall.
(This
article was published on April 1, 2016)
Insects aren't the enemy, pesticides are! - Manu Moudgil,
India Water
Understanding
the life cycles of vegetarian and non-vegetarian insects is key to keeping the
natural balance in crop cycles. Farmers in Haryana who have studied this
phenomenon, explain.
Women farmers
studying insects during a class (Source: Keet Saksharta Mission)
Every night, an
incandescent bulb lights up the terrace room of a house in Lalitkhera village
in Haryana. Insects from the adjoining pond swarm to this solitary bright spot
under which Sheila Devi sits with a cup and saucer in her hand. She traps these
insects one at a time to study their physical traits while other family members
sleep.
An unlettered
woman in her late 40s, Sheila can recognise around 200 farm insects as well as
their nesting, dietary and reproductive traits. It was this knowledge that
helped her brave the onslaught of the whitefly, an insect which wiped off
cotton farms in north India last year. “We had a good harvest and also saved
money on pesticides,” she says.
A
non-violent approach
Sheila is member
of a farmers’ group in Jind district of Haryana, which believes that pesticides
do more harm than good. It is not just about environment pollution and health
impacts either. Working under the banner of Dr Surender Dalal Keet Saksharta
Pathshala, these 250 farmers are not proponents of organic or natural farming.
In fact, they do use chemical fertilizers but when it comes to insects, they
have a unique approach.
Unlike adopters of natural farming
who label insects as friends or enemies and prefer herbal pesticides and insect
traps, these farmers have taken the route of mutual coexistence. “We can’t even
see many of these small creatures with our naked eye but still believe that we
can control them. It is better to make our peace with them than waging a
never-ending war", says Manveer Singh, one of the early adopters of this
concept.
An important motto of this group is
that every insect is important for the crop. “We categorise insects as
vegetarian (who feed on crops), and non-vegetarians (who eat other insects). A
farm needs both of them. Vegetarian insects maintain the optimum level of
foliage and other parameters. They are attracted to plants by their fragrance
or by visual signals like flowers. Once the number of vegetarian insects rise,
non-vegetarians insects arrive, and that takes care of the population
explosion. By spraying pesticides, chemical or herbal, we disturb this natural
balance,” Singh points out.
Theory
of counts
It
was in 2008 that Dr Surender Dalal, a former agriculture development officer at
Nidana village, started the insect-literacy campaign after studying the
behaviour of various insects over the years. Patience and belief in nature is
the hallmark of this campaign.
Though
Dr Dalal passed away in 2013, his knowledge and accomplishments live on as the
early adopters are now spreading the message further. They never ask farmers to
stop using pesticides. “We just tell them to learn about the insects which are
supposedly harming their crops. After the training, it is up to the farmers to
decide whether they want to use pesticides or not. But we can give a guarantee
that they won’t", says Malik.
During
the training, participants are given magnifying glasses to recognise and
calculate the numbers of insects in a farm. This exercise tells them the
average insect level at one point of time. Collection of this data every week
shows the natural cycle in action as the count of vegetarian insects increases
at first and then declines with a rise in the number of non-vegetarian insects.
Among non-vegetarian insects as well, it is a particular type called
‘Parpetiya’ in local tongue that makes the real difference. These parasitoids lay their eggs in the bodies of the vegetarian insects.
Their larvae eventually grow inside the hosts feeding on their bodies and
eventually come out by killing them.
ताकि खेती की विविधता बनी रहे
जनसत्ता 4, अप्रैल 2016
`Make
public biosafety info on GM mustard'
CIC
Orders Regulator To Clear The Air
Vishwa Mohan
|
Apr 07 2016 : The Times of
India(Delhi)
 |
In an order intended to make the
decision-making process on transgenic food crops in India more transparent, the
Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Genetic Engineering
Appraisal Committee (GEAC) -the apex regulatory body for GMOs (genetically
modified organisms) -to make public the non-confidential biosafety dossier of
GM mustard and other GMOs by April 30.
Under
the CIC order, the GEAC is expected to put out all the biosafety details in
public domain after separating confidential information.
The
order was issued on April 1on the application of environment activist Kavitha
Kuruganti who sought information on field trials of GM mustard, arguing that
biosafety data could not be confidential since it pertained to results of
testing of a GMO for public safety assessment.
The
GEAC, which comes under the environment ministry, had refused to part with the
information saying sharing of data would breach the commercial confidence of
the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants of Delhi University that had
approached the regulator for clearing commercial release of the GM mustard
(DMH11).
But
the Central Information Commission rejected the central regulator's argument.
“People should know how and why GM mustard is being permitted or denied because
they have to consume that food or feed and face the consequences. It is a
policy decision by the public authority which needs to be revealed to the
public in general as mandated because they are going to be affected if GM
mustard is marketed,“ information commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said in his
order.
The
decision to release GM mustard for commercial cultivation is currently pending
with the central regulator. Though the GEAC was scheduled to meet on April 11
to examine the details, it postponed its meeting.The issue has got highly
politicised with anti-GM activists and a section of scientists locked in a
polarised debate. While UPA took a conservative line, some Sangh outfits are
also wary about the implications of GMOs.
At
present, only GM cotton is allowed for commercial cultivation in India.
जल दर्शन
|
Why
we must have water budgets
|
Veena
Srinivasan and Sharachchandra Lele, The Hindu | March
29, 2016
|
If we run out of groundwater,
millions of people will be left without any means to sustain themselves.
The protest by farmers in
Chikballapur recently, over the scarcity of drinking water, received
extensive news coverage as it halted Bengaluru in its tracks after key
highways were blocked. Interestingly, very little of that coverage was
devoted to the groundwater crisis that underpins the problem in such regions.
Groundwater plays an important
role in our lives and India’s economy, but it is disappearing fast. There is
mounting evidence that we are extracting more than can be naturally
replenished. In the hard-rock aquifers of peninsular India, drilling 800 ft
or deeper is becoming the norm. Groundwater-dependent towns and villages
spend an increasing fraction of their budgets chasing the water table. Stories
abound of farmers spending their life savings or taking loans to drill a
borewell, but failing to find water. If we “run out” of groundwater, millions
of people will be left without any means to sustain themselves.
Scientific evidence also points to
over-exploitation. The Central Ground Water Board classifies all blocks in
India based on the fraction of recharge that is extracted and trends in
long-term groundwater levels. Since 2004, almost a third of blocks have been
classified “over-exploited” or “semi-critical”. If we understand the problem
and if the consequences are so severe, why are we unable to address it? The
answer lies partly in politics, partly in the invisible nature of
groundwater, and partly in our reliance on simple techno-economic fixes.
Flawed regulatory structure
Electricity is supplied to farmers
free of cost. This policy made sense when groundwater was abundant in the
1980s. Indeed, it helped millions of farmers escape poverty. But today, where
groundwater levels have fallen hundreds of feet below the ground, the subsidy
is actually only utilised by the richest farmers who can afford to drill
deep. And even so, not all are lucky enough to strike water. Access to
groundwater in hard-rock regions has almost become a lottery. Yet in the
absence of alternative water sources, charging farmers for electricity is
seen as political suicide.
Much of the current action on the
ground is through techno-economic fixes. These have clear benefits in terms
of reducing pumping costs and using local aquifers instead of building big,
expensive dams. But what they do not do is create “new” water.
Boosting recharge through
rainwater harvesting structures such as small check dams is a popular
measure. However, any water that recharges is water that does not flow
downstream. Often users located near check dams simply extract more water,
while users further downstream wonder why their rivers and tanks are drying
up. Another technological solution is to improve efficiency through
subsidised drip irrigation or energy-saving pumps. Again, these have often
resulted in farmers increasing their irrigation area with no decrease in
water extracted. And farmers are not alone; conscientious urban dwellers take
pride in reusing wastewater for gardens and parks. But this could result in
more wasteful water use, with the additional “wastewater” used in lawns or
golf courses where none previously existed.
Science and fairness
Techno-economic fixes do not
address the underlying “zero-sum game” nature of water resource use.
Ultimately, the water management problem is that of allocating the water
available each year among users — both people and the ecosystem. Without
understanding how much water is available, how much is being used and by
whom, solving India’s water crisis is going to be a non-starter.
The way forward is comprehensive
water budgeting, simultaneously in each watershed and the river basin as a whole.
Water budgets at the watershed level will inform communities about how much
water they have, so it can be equitably shared within communities. Water
budgets for the river basin will inform communities how much must be left for
downstream users, ensuring that water resources are allocated between
communities fairly and transparently.
Given the zero-sum nature of the
game and the impossibility of creating “new” water, it is likely that we
cannot restore the water balance in severely depleted regions without painful
cuts in water use. However, there are some glimmers of hope. Water users
everywhere are worried about the disappearing resource and willing to engage.
The trick lies in combining technology (low-water-use crops, xeriscaping) and
economic incentives that reduce actual water use (“cash-for-blue” schemes)
without reducing productivity or quality of life. This needs a strong water
governance system based on awareness building, science and a commitment to
fairness and sustainability.
- Veena Srinivasan and
Sharachchandra Lele are Fellows at the Centre for Environment and
Development, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment,
Bengaluru.
|
दम तोड़ती नदिया
Dated: 7/4/2016, जनसत्ता
जल
संकट का इलाज
लगातार गहरा रहे पानी के संकट के समाधान के लिए जल विज्ञान
संबंधी नीति को एक अहम कड़ी मान रहे है - डॉ. भरत
झुनझुनवाला
|
जल संकट से बचने केई लिए समूचे देश मे भूमिगत
जलाशयो का जाल बिछाना होगा |
बरसात के पानी को उन जलाशयो मे डालना होगा जिससे वह गर्मी के समय मे उपयोग के लिए
भूमि मे सुरक्षित पड़ा रहे |
Source: Dainik
Jagaran, 12 April 2016
देशज ज्ञान
और स्वस्थ
|
Lokavidya Bazar and Lokavidya Dharma
We visited Keslaguda
village in Kerameri mandal of Adilabad District, Telangana; where a large
number of Ojha families have been 'resettled' during the past few years. Ojha
artisans are involved in designing and casting of brass lamps & vessels,
agricultural ware and other artifacts (largely used by the dominant Gond
population of the region)- this is their livelihood activity.
Brass casting in an Ojha household; source:Lokavidya
Traditionally, the
Ojhas lived in a close and inter-dependent relationship with the Gonds; in fact
the 80 odd Ojha families were distributed, one each, in the numerous Gond
villages/settlements spread across the entire (forest) region of the district.
The Ojhas produced and supplied the brassware required by the Gonds for
Puja(lamps and vesels), ornaments such as cow-bells, cart-ware etc all cast in
brass. (The Ojhas possess the knowledge and skills required for this
manufacture which has been passed down through many generations). The Gonds ,
in turn, provided the Ojhas with basic food and other needs. During the rainy
season(about 3-4 months each year) the Ojhas would help in agricultural
activities of the Gonds as 'coolies' (a practice which continues to this day).
During the 1980s, with
the advent of 'development' agenda and strict implementation of laws governing
the use of forests and forest -produce , the livelihoods and lives of the Ojhas
and Gonds were affected. The Ojhas were 'convinced' by the Integrated Tribal
Development Agency to market their products in external markets- in towns, cities
and through exhibitions in far off places. For over 30 years , the displacement
of the Ojhas (from their lives with the Gonds) was almost complete and almost
all Gond villages were bereft of the Ojhas. This process adversely affected
both the lives and livelihoods of the Ojhas and Gonds and the bonds of mutual
inter-dependence and fraternity got severely strained. The external market did
not meet the life or livelihood aspirations of the Ojhas.
The younger generation
of Ojhas(who like all others) were encouraged to go to school and get access to
modern education found the going tough and, in course of time, discovered that
this education was not going to provide them a means to an alternate
livelihood- even after 'attempting' to get classified as Scheduled Tribe
Gonds(a move that was opposed by the Gonds!). Most of the youth had also lost
touch with the traditional knowledge and skill of brass casting.
About 4-5 years ago the
Ojhas began to return to the Utnoor, Jainoor and Kerameri mandals of Adilabad district.
They were given 'pattas' for setting up homes in Keslaguda village; which now
houses many Ojha families. They then turned to the Gonds and the local market
for 'selling' their products. This apparently has been a successful venture; as
the Gonds found that the Ojhas were able to meet their long-standing need of
brassware and were happy, in turn, to 'satisfy' the food needs (through
exchange of food grains for brass ware) of the Ojhas. A new inter-dependence
has been in the making these past few years!
Livelihoods and Markets
The interaction of the
Ojhas with the local market has been fruitful in many ways.
(i) there is a constant
and assured demand for their products that has helped sustain their livelihood
(ii) there is a 'fair'
valuation of their produce as evinced by the master-craftsman of the Ojhas ,
Sri Kova Naneshwar
(iii) the youth see
opportunities for the future and have begun to take interest in their Knowledge
and learn the skills of their fathers and mothers
The interaction with the
external markets has, in contrast, been very discouraging
(i) there is always an
effective under-valuation of their products, with the surpluses always going to
the marketers/marketing agencies
(ii) the time-lines and
other aspects, imposed by the external markets, seldom helped to encourage or
sustain the livelihoods of the Ojhas( a recent 'rejection' of a large order of
ornamental brassware on 'technical' grounds) and the Gonds( a recent 'order'
banning the collection of Mahua flowers, a traditional practice and input for
the manufacture of local liquor) are instances of how livelihoods are being
adversely affected.
(iii) there was no
component of encouragement or recognition,by the external market, of the
knowledge, skills and practices possessed by this artisan community.
Lokavidya Bazar and
Dharma
Sri Kova Naneshwar at work
|
While conversing with
Sri Naneshwar about the method of value-acretion to their products, he replied
' our dharma is to produce these items and ask for a sustenence price in
return' and that , in the local market, this 'dharma' was recognised and
followed without discussion or rancour.
The embers of Lokavidya
Dharma seem to be alive even today and maybe a 'spark' of Lokavidya Bazar will
rekindle the fire of Lokavidya Dharma!
Krishnarajulu, Narayana
Rao and Lalit Kaul
विविध
|
Over
90% of foothills out of NCZ?
Bagish Jha, Gurgaon, Apr 07,2016 : The Times of India (Delhi)
NCR May Lose Major Water Recharge
Zones Due To Land-Use Change
Large tracts of land in Aravali
foothills are likely to remain out of the proposed natural conservation zone
(NCZ), mainly due to change in land use of these areas in the past decades. Out
of the 1,200 acres of bhood (a revenue term for foothills of Aravalis) in
Gurgaon, only 80 acres are expected to be incorporated in NCZ, as land use of
the rest of the land has been changed, purportedly to avoid classification as
forest land that makes its use for any commercial project impossible.
An
exercise for a fresh and scientific demarcation of NCZs has been on for months
and a committee overseeing it is expected to submit its final proposal by April
13.
According
to environmentalists, bhood areas are important water recharge zones and their
conservation is important for recharging the groundwater of the entire NCR.
They fear exclusion of bhood areas from NCZ will have a serious implication on
the ecological balance of the region.
A
government source said ownership of most of the land that may be excluded from
the demarcation exercise, lies indirectly with realtors. “Developers are
waiting for the NCZ notification to go ahead with their plan to build
residential complexes in these area after changing land use from agricultural,“
the source said.
Additional
chief secretary , department of town and country planning, P Raghvendra Rao
said on Wednesday a final decision had not been taken yet and only discussions
on definitions of certain revenue terms and how to assess areas under NCZ had
taken place.“The district-level committee will finalise things and submit the
proposal for demarcation of NCZ. There are differences of opinion on certain
issues.We will look into them once the proposal was submitted by the
district-level committee,“ said Rao.
He
added, “We have an open mind and we are very concerned about environment and
water recharge zones. So, if some issues were raised by anyone, we will
consider them.“ He said NCZ areas had almost been finalised in Haryana's NCR
districts except in some parts of Gurgaon and Mewat.
Forest
officials have objected to exclusion of foothills from NCZ. “Land use was
changes only on paper. Large tracts are still as they were decades back. These
areas should be included in NCZ,“ said a senior forest official. A forest
official clarified that areas like bhood, wasteland and paleochannels (streams
that once existed but don't any more) are not notified as forest, so they can
only suggest their inclusion.
“Nearly
11,910 hectares of land in Gurgaon is confirmed under NCZ and a large tract of
land is under `yet to be decided' NCZ,“ Gurgaon deputy commissioner T L
Satyaprakash said. Large parts of the land in the `yet to be decided' category
are owned by private individuals and some of it under litigation, he added.
According
to Satyaprakash, several years back, nearly 1,200 acres of land in Gurgaon was
under bhood. “Over a period, land use changed and today most of this land is
irrigated agriculture land in government records. Now, only 80 acres of this
land remains as bhood,“ said Satyaprakash, He added that it would be difficult
to include 1,200 acre of bhood under NCZ.
Similarly
, wasteland and palaeochannel are not record ed in revenue records. “So we are
not able to identify them.So, incorporating them in NCZ would be difficult,“ he
said.
Originally,
only land notified as forest, Aravali Plantation and land protected under
Sections 4 & 5 of Punjab and Haryana Land Protection Act, 1990, water
bodies and some other areas were to be identified as Natural Conservation Zone.
“Later, on the request of government departments and some people, more areas
were incorporated,“ said Satyaprakash. “The land use was changed illegally .
Excluding areas under foothills will lead to destruction of Aravali and it will
defeat the entire purpose of demarcating NCZ,“ said environmentalist Col SS
Oberai.
Showcasing India’s dirty laundry
It is predicted that India will
become the fastest producer of waste by 2050
Grim
reality:Nine photographers have come together to highlight the issue of
staggering urban waste in a show titled “World of Recycle”, being organised to
celebrate the fourth edition of the Neel Dongre Awards and Grants, till April
11 at the India International Centre.— Photos: Special Arrangement
In
India, recycling is traditionally carried out by kabadis who visit
various collection points, segregate, salvage and then transport waste to
landfills or recycling plants.
The
process is constant and has been taking place seamlessly for decades. However,
with the amount of urban waste being generated, recycling has become a
Herculean task.
Nine
photographers have come together to focus their lens on the issue. These
photographers are Cheena Kapoor; Manu Yadav; Monica Tiwari; Rahul Sharma;
Saumya Khandelwal; Shweta Pandey; Sidhhartha Behl; Sreedeep; and Swarat Ghosh.
The
exhibition, titled “World of Recycle”, is being organised to celebrate the
fourth edition of the Neel Dongre Awards and Grants.
The
endeavour helps focus the gaze on emerging photographers in the documentary
genre on a wide range of subjects and provides them a platform to showcase
their work and encourage dialogue.
The
exhibition, curated by Aditya Arya, is a collaboration between the Neel Dongre
Awards & Grants for Excellence in Photography and India Photo Archive
Foundation.
Mr.
Arya said: “I believe that photography in general and photographers in
particular play a seminal role in shifting the scrutiny of society by
showcasing and highlighting critical issues. The India Photo Archive Foundation
has been facilitating this very process by providing photographers a forum for
visual expression.”
Speaking
about the exhibition, he said it is predicted that India will become the
fastest producer of waste by 2050. However, judging by the pace of
urbanisation, we may well achieve this figure in the next 10 years, he added.
Solid waste is mostly an urban phenomenon. A city resident generates twice as
much waste as his/her rural counterpart and as urbanisation increases, so will
the generation of solid waste.
The
exhibition is on view till April 11 at the Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex,
India International Centre.
*****
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