Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) In the News

Pesticide list needs weeding
About 180 pesticides are registered but the list hasn't been weeded for so long that some scientists believe not more than 40 would really be in use today. Though there are "more than one lakh" registrants for these pesticides, officials don't know how many are operational. Ten months ago, the Joint Parliamentary Committee was told maximum residue limits (MRLs) had been fixed for 71 of the 181 pesticides registered, another 50 had been finalised and "only" 32 were left.

The Times of India – Dec. 20, 2004

After all the fuss, your food still isn't safe to eat
Nobody knows how safe our food is. A host of old pesticides, for which no safe residue limits have been set despite years of use, continue to be sold freely. Registration of new, possibly less toxic, pesticides in the country has come to a virtual halt. This is the situation even 10 months after the first joint parliamentary committee on pesticide residues and safety standards said urgent steps were needed to check the situation. The government decided maximum residue limits would have to be set before any pesticide was registered. Centre for Science and Environment, the Delhi-based NGO which reported pesticide residues in soft drinks last year, says MRLs have been set for just two of the 22 pesticides which may be used on coffee. For paddy, 41 of 68 pesticides have MRLs.

The Times of India – New Delhi - Dec. 20, 2004

Environment panel inspects sewage plants
Demanding a fresh approach to the Capital’s sewage treatment system, the Environmental pollution, (Prevention and Control) Authority along with experts conducted an inspection in the East Delhi area today. While the Yamuna Vihar Sewage Treatment Plant and Kondli Sewage Tretment Plant claim to lower the Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand level of wastewater to as good as 17 mg per litre and 14 mg per litre repectively, the treated directly into drains carrying sewage. ”What is the purpose of cleaning water and then disposing it back into drains that are full of sewage? These are storm water drains and should not be transporting sewage. But all the sewage from unsewered illegal colonies around the area is disposal of into these drains . And then the treated effluent is also thrown into it .This make no sense,” agrued EPCA member, Sunita Narain.

The Hindu, New Delhi, Dec. 17, 2004, Page No. 4

Film on rainwater harvesting gets award
The Capital's campaign for rainwater harvesting may have a long way to go but here is a public service film on the subject that seems to be earning worldwide recognition. Produced by the Centre for Science and Environment, the film on rainwater harvesting has recently received a nomination at Earth Vision -- the 13th Tokyo Global Environmental Film Festival 2004.The 90-second film, created by Leapfrog, has been directed by actress Nandita Das, scripted by Soumya Sen and shot by cinematographer Ravi K. Chandra. The film was also one of the four finalists in the Campaign Category of the prestigious Green Oscars. It also won the Best Documentary Award on the special theme of "Water for Life'' at the Vatavaran film festival organised annually by the Centre for Media Studies. "It was an honour to have made it to the list of finalists at the Green Oscars. It was an acknowledgement of quality. And this nomination has come as a further valediction of that,'' said Mr. Sen.

The Hindu, Delhi, Dec. 12, 2004, Page No. 4

Delhi breathe easy?
Gasp. Cough. Choke. And it’s only getting worse. A joint study conducted by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank ranks Delhi’s air as the most polluted in Asia. ‘A very serious message has emerged for Delhi. In other Asian cities listed, pollution levels came down subsequent to measures being initiated’, says Anumita Roy Choudhary of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), ‘But even after implementing Euro II norms, introducing CNG, lowering sulphur levels in fuel, and phasing out 15-year old vehicles, Delhi still tops the air pollution list’.

The Times of India – New Delhi – Dec. 11, 2004

Health Min delaying implementation: CSE
Almost two years after an NGO report revealed that soft drinks contain pesticides, allegations are flying thick and fast that the Health Ministry is delaying implementation of standards for soft drinks. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has alleged that the Health Ministry is holding the case for the soft drinks companies by forwarding their letter to the Consumers Affairs Ministry and urging that "standards should not be fixed in haste and only on a scientific basis." Health Secretary Prasanna Hota denied the allegations. The NGO might be "exaggerating" what was a routine correspondence between the two ministries. "I am not aware of the facts but we are prepared to share all papers," he said.

The Pioneer, New Delhi, Dec. 10, 2004, Page No. 5

Govt tags line of cola firms: CSE
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) today alleged that the government was slowing down the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in its bid to come out with standards for pesticides in soft drinks at the behest of the cola companies."The government is bending over backwards to accommodate the cola companies` tactics to delay the standards for soft drinks, finds CSE," the environmental watchdog said in a release issued today.In support of its allegation, CSE pasted two letters on its website (www.cseindia.org), one from PepsiCo India CEO Rajeev Bakshi to the ministry of health and the other from the ministry of health to the ministry of consumer affairs.

Business Standard, New Delhi, Dec. 10, 2004, Page No. 7

`Government decision will help cola firms`
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has welcomed the recent Supreme Court ruling which said cola companies would have to specify the quantum of pesticide and chemical residue present, on the label of their products. The apex court decision to support the ruling of the Rajasthan High Court is an important step in the cause of public health and the consumer`s right to know, a CSE release said in Delhi today.But the Government was seeking to accommodate the cola companies` tactics to delay the standards for soft drinks, it alleged. It cited correspondence between soft drink major PepsiCo India Ltd and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in this regard, the release said.

The Hindu, New Delhi Dec. 10, 2004 Page No. 13

Cola firms pressuring govt: CSE
In a new twist to the pesticides-in-cola saga, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) alleged that the government is under pressure from soft drink companies to delay implementation of standards for soft drinks. Going a step ahead, the NGO claimed that it has copies of the letters between PepsiCo and the ministry of health to prove that government is succumbing to cola majors’ pressures. “Even as the judiciary is clear that the issue of public health is not negotiable, government is bending over backwards to accommodate the cola companies’ tactics to delay the standards for soft drinks,” a CSE press release said.

The Financial Express – New Delhi – Dec. 10, 2004

Breather & death breath
The winter air in Calcutta has officially been branded the most polluted among Indian metros, with the principal blame lying with the exhaust pipes of diesel-driven vehicles.As the mercury plummets and the smog thickens, there is no respite in sight for the country’s pollution capital during cooler climes, according to a World Bank-supported study. Calcutta was found to have the highest proportion of PM 2.5 (or, particulate matter equal or less than 2.5 microns in size) with the maximum pollutant potential to cause health hazards, including cancer.The report, titled Towards Cleaner Urban Air in South Asia: Tackling Transport Pollution, Understanding Sources, covers major south Asian cities including Calcutta, Mumbai and Delhi.“Introduction of alternative fuel is the only sustainable option. CNG should be introduced in Calcutta as soon Saunita Narain of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) possible, and that can only happen on the state government’s initiative,” says S, which has been urging state environment ministe Manab Mukherjee to take the Delhi route.

The Telegraph, Calcutta, Dec. 09, 2004, Page No. 1spl.

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