Orphans of the river - Courtesy: Down to Earth Hajo Koiborto Tola, Assam. India's oldest fishing community, Koiborto, is being forced to abandon its traditional livelihood source. The government has leased the fisheries to the rich contractors. The people watch helplessly as migrants from Bihar and Bangladesh backed by political groups and moneyed contractors catch fish from rivers. Traditional riverine fisherfolk are the new endangered species. The Sentinel, Guwahati, 31st March, 2002 Kyoto: Ratify or scuttle?: Environmentalists have for long been warning us of global warming because of the release of greenhouse gases from fossil fuel use. The Kyoto Protocol intends to reduce these emissions. Sunita Narain, Director, Centre for Science & Environment, New Delhi said in a debate, "Climate negotiations are hard economic negotiations as carbon dioxide emissions - from fossil fuel used in energy to automobiles - are strongly related to economic growth. This is why Bush, in rejecting Kyoto, has proposed a plan in which his country will do nothing to cut emissions." The Economic Times, New Delhi, 26th March, 2002 Dual pipelines, water recycling mainly on paper By Saurabh Sinha: With Delhiites already confused over how to meet the Central Ground Water Authority deadline of March 31 for harvesting rainwater, there is a related order that lies almost forgotten. The ministry of urban development (Delhi division) had issued a public notice in June 2001, inviting suggestions for making provisions in the building by-laws. "While these are now part of the building by- laws 1983, these extremely important provisions are hardly being implemented ," Centre for Science and Environment director Sunita Narain said. The Times of India, New Delhi, 18th March, 2002 The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that Span Motels Pvt Ltd, a resort owned by former Union environment minister Kamal Nath's family, would have to pay an "exemplary damage" of Rs 10 lakh for construction of the Beas river in Himachal Pradesh which had damaged the environment.Voluntary environmental groups have welcomed the SC decision, Sunita Narain, director of the Centre for Science and Environment, says fining for environmental damage must be used as a tool for better governance. It needs to be used much more now, she says. The Times of India, New Delhi, 16th March, 2002 India lets US off the hook on climate change By Chandrika Mago : In a quiet turnabout that has gone largely unnoticed, India has jettisoned its earlier stand and "welcomed" US President George Bush's widely-criticised, February policy statement on global climate change. India, incidentally, is to host the eighth conference of parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) later this year."It's bizarre," says Sunita Narain, director of the Centre for Science and Environment, which first blew the whistle on this change. The Times of India, New Delhi, 14th March, 2002 Despite mounting polluting levels, Indian policy-makers don't take environmental research seriously. Sunita Narain of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) says the first important step would be to give the kind of importance environmental research deserves. For the time being, enviornmental research, despite its significance, is not considered at par with the other scientific research. The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 10th March, 2002 Confusion dogs rain harvesting order By Saurabh Sinha: Even as the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) set March 31 as the deadline for installing rain water harvesting structures in buildings with a rooftop area of over 100 sq metres in south and southwest Delhi, many remain ignorant of the order.Organisations like the Delhi Jal Board and Centre for Science and Environment which draw up harvesting plans, are planning to put the entire information related to the works - types of plans, where the structures can be put up, and contact numbers of contractors who can construct them - on their websites. The Times of India, New Delhi  09th March, 2002 Greens fear budget will fuel car rush on Capitals' roads: If the fiscal jugglery resorted to for balancing the country's Budget poses a threat to public health, environmentalists believe they have a reason to complain to Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha.The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), for instance, feels the Budget is another example of fiscal instruments acting to the detriment of public health rather than protecting it. Tribune, Chandigarh, 06th March, 2002 Endorsing a renegade plan By Sunita Narain: In a article written in Business Standard, The Centre for Science and Environment Director, Sunita Narain said, "After September 11, we need to do everything to prove out loyalty and friendship to the "big idea" to rid the world of terrorism. And because sycophancy is second nature to our politicians, it is not difficult to understand why they have jeopardised the climate negotiations." Business Standard, New Delhi  05th March, 2002 Alternative draft on water policy: A "Jal Sammelan" scheduled in Delhi's Nizamuddin for two days from March 5 will present an alternative to the draft National Water Policy, to be tabled in Parliament likely on March 16. The members of the "Jal Biradiri" (Water Brotherhood), set up sometime last year by the late Anil Agarwal, experts on water, representatives of NGOs, UN agencies and political parties besides Government officials are expected the participate in the sammelan. The Hindu, New Delhi  04th March, 2002 In Memoriam: Anil Agarwal, Chairperson of Centre for Science and Environment passed away in Dehra Dun on 2 January 2002. He had been suffering from a rare form of brain tumour for several years and had courageously fought a very painful battle against it. He was the editor of the fortnightly environmental magazine Down to Earth, which he founded in 1992. In January 2000, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the second highest civilian honour, by the President of India.He had also received the Global Environment Leadership Award for the year 2000. TigerLink News Vol.8 No. 1 February 2002 Anil Agarwal founder and leader of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), passed away on January 2, 2002, after a seven-year battle with cancer. The world has not only lost a rare thinker and advocate dedicated to improving the environment, but also a staunch supporter of the rights of the poor, and of social justice. Humanscape, February 2002 BIS norm fuel may be fixed too By Chetan Chauhan: The petrol available at filling stations may meet the Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) specifications but can still cause engine failure. And there is no foolproof method to know that the petrol is adulterated or not. "The adulterated fuel met the specifications but the adulteration was not detected in routine tests," says the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report on fuel adulteration submitted in the Supreme Court.The CSE report says similar problems were reported from Nagpur, Maharashtra in May 2001. Hindustan Times, New Delhi. 27th February 2002 Delhi dithers as water table plunges alarmingly By Saurabh Sinha It's time to ape the crow. While he threw pebbles into a pitcher to raise the water level, Delhiites need to harvest raindrops to continue quenching their thirst from ground water. If it continues to flow away as it does and extraction continues unabated, the city will just have brackish subsoil aqua reserves within 10 or 15 years. According to the Centre for Science and Environment, 11 per cent of the municipal supply is also sourced from the ground. As a result, ground water levels in the city are falling at alarming rates. The Times of India, New Delhi. 25th February 2002 Ground water depleting fast, harvesting only hope: By Saurabh Sinha Forty years back, one did not need to dig deep for water. It came brimming to the surface, even in a pit as shallow as two metre deep. But that was then. Now, the water table has fallen upto 20 metres below surface. The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has made some dire predicitons about the future of ground water, if it continues to drop at an alarming rate."If ground water extraction continues at the same pace without recharging and additional water pumps keep on getting installed, then in the next 10 to 15 years Delhi will have just brackish (hard) ground water," a Centre for Science and Environment coordinator of the natural resource unit said The Times of India, New Delhi 22nd February 2002 His human nature : Anil Agarwal, the founder and director of the Centre for Science and Environment who died at the early age of 55, was not especially powerful. Nor by the yardsticks of contemporary capitalism was he wealthy. But I can say of him, without a moment’s hesitation, that other other than Gandhi, and perhaps Jayaprakash Narayan, no single Indian has done so much for so many millions of people, mostly but not all poor, in so short a time. Anil’s mission was protection of the environment. He embarked on it instinctively in the early ‘70s, when consciousness of the threat that capitalism, masquerading as development, posed to nature was new even in the West. Outlook, New Delhi, 04th January 2002 Anil Agarwal – An appreciation : Anil Agarwal founded the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which rapidly became India’s best known research and resource centre for environmental issues. CSE’s annual report is still considered, nationally and internationally, as the most authoritative document on Indian environment matters. Anil’s legacy is a vibrant, internationally known centre; a magazine that never compromises on issues, and a corpus of efficient environmental journalists who had the good fortune to be trained by him. The World, Chennai, 10th January, 2002 A non-challenge to TRIPS : Sunita Narain in an article in Business Standard says the "the Indian Biodiversity Bill recently cleared by the parliamentary standing committee and now before the House for approval had the potential of challenging the much-hated formal intellectual property rights system of the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs). But only if it had been drafted differently. Business Standard, New Delhi, 22nd 2002 Getting worse by the day : The Centre for Science and Environment a leading non-governmental organisation has come out with a Green Rating of the automobile industry in the country with special emphasis on passenger cars and two wheelers. The ratings have been done after extensive studies carried over a period of one year. Newstime, Hyderabad, 20th 2002 Green crusader with social awareness : It was Anil Agwarwal who first drew our attention to the umbilical link between the deterioration of the environment and the burden on women. He compared the total distance that the average village woman in northern India walks to collect fuel wood every year as the mileage between Calcutta and Delhi. Newstime, Hyderabad, 18th 2002 Great visions of green : Anil Agarwal was a fundamentalist and an extremist. That’s a harsh tag for a dimunitive softspoken man who had a simple goal in life: to preserve the natural green of our environment. To that end he was a fanatic. Single mindedly and with rare preseverance, Agarwal set about tackling the gross callousness of the Indian establishment towards the environment. Business World, New Delhi, 14th 2002 Vehicular Pollution Clippings Dirty oil charges unfair? IOC, NGO slug it out By Saurabh Sinha: The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has joined issue with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on its charges of fuel adulteration.A CSE report released last week had said that adulteration was rampant. The quality of diesel and petrol collected in different parts of the National Capital Region was found to vary, at times hugely. The Times of India, New Delhi, 16th   March, 2002 Adulteration of fuel rampant in Capital: The unseen truth is out. Nearly a tenth of all fuel being sold in the Capital is adulterated and vehicle-owners are not only paying more for less, they are also inadvertently damaging their engines.And with the oil companies simply looking the other way and testing laboratories not being able to even point out the adulterations, the scenario is grim. At least this is what the Centre of Science and Environment has submitted to Environment Pollution Authority, which entrusted it to carry out a survey on fuel quality in Delhi on the directions of the Supreme Court. The Hindu, New Delhi, 14th March, 2002 Lid on fuel adulteration blown off: The green brigade has opened a can of worms on the oil industry through a recent survey done by the Centre for Science and Environment on the prevalence of adulteration at fuel outlets and depots in and around New Delhi.Adulteration goes undetected by monitoring agencies since the detection methods and standards are weak, CSE observed in its report submitted through the Environmental Pollution Authority to the Supreme Court late last month. Business Line, New Delhi, 14th March, 2002 Govt lab failed to check fuel-adulteration: CSE A mere mixing of 15 per cent of Kerosene in-a litre of diesel is enough for a petrol pump owner to make a profit of Rs 25,000 in a day. Incidentally the government owned fuel testing labarotary is unable to catch this adulteration. These and other allegations were made by the Centre for Science and Environment in a report submitted to the Bhurelal Committee. The Pioneer, New Delhi, 13th March, 2002 CSE for tighter laws to check fuel adulteration: Not enough is being done to check adulteration of fuel, says the Centre for Science and Environment in its study based on an independent assessment conducted in the National Capital Region.The study highlights the epidemic dimensions this problem has acquired -rampant fuel adulteration; its difficult detection and dilution in the punishment for adulterers. The Times of India, New Delhi, 13th March, 2002 Hidden adulteration: Adulteration of fuel in Delhi exists, but remains undetected due to weak testing methods, said the Centre for Science and Environment(CSE) on Tuesday. The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 13th March, 2002 Detection methods fail to check adulteration in petrol, fuel quality: A study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment has revealed that fuel adulteration in the city goes undetected because detection methods and standards are too weak. The Asian Age, New Delhi, 13th March, 2002 CSE demands better fuel quality standards: A non-government organisation, Centre for Science and Environment, has demanded tightening of fuel quality standards and development of alternative testing procedures to stop adulteration in petroleum products.At a press conference, CSE, released a report on the fuel quality at fuel dispensing stations, oil depots and tank lorries. The Statesman, New Delhi, 13th March, 2002 Fine Centre on CNG, says Salve: Solicitor General Harish Salve on Friday sought the imposition of an exemplary fine on the Union government for "misguiding" the court on the CNG issue as the Supreme Court reserved its judgement on the public interest litigation initiated by lawyer M C Mehta.Rohatgi also opposed the Centre for Science and Environment's fuel adulteration report and said there was no professional to conduct such tests.Salve, however, defended the report saying all the results of the tests were recorded properly. "Just because the government was caught on the wrong foot, all the test results have become suspect," Salve said. The Times of India, New Delhi  09th March, 2002 Adulteration of fuel is rampant, but hard to check: An independent assessment of the problem of fuel adulteration in the National Capital Region conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment recently confirms Deliites' worst fears -the fuel being supplied is adulterated and that it is difficult to detect it.CSE began collecting samples from Delhi and the NCR on December 20, 2001, and continued till January 18, 2002. The Times of India, New Delhi 08th March, 2002 Why can't LPG be the alternative fuel? SC asks govts: Continuing to express its displeasure towards the attitude of both the Union and state governments, the Supreme Court today advocted the use of LPG as an alternative fuel in the Capital.Mukul Rohtagi, counsel for Central government, rubbished the reports by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), calling it a "body without experts", and said that the court could not go by the Bhure Lal Committee report because "a committee of bureaucrats cannot establish what scientists the world over are debating". The Indian Express, New Delhi 08th March, 2002 Sulphur decreases as fuel leaves Mathura refinery By Sangeet Kumar: Experts analysing adulteration of fuel say that along with adulteration it is the manipulation of figures by oil companies that is equally woryying.What is extremely worrying is that that there is no explanation for this sudden drop in the sulphur level in the fuel. A report compiled by the Centre for Science and Environment, on adulteration and recently submitted to the Supreme Court, says: "If refineries are producing fuel with certain sulphur content, this sulphur content can't be reduced in the fuel at the depot." The Indian Express, New Delhi, 06th March, 2002 Tanker locking device fails to plug pilferage By Chetan Chauhan: The high security new locking system for oil tankers notwithstanding, a team from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) themselves witnessed the pilferage of petrol from tankers and adulteration. Worse still, they found that a policeman was monitoring the process.One such tanker caught at Brijwasan depot, South West Delhi. Hindustan Times, New Delhi  05th March, 2002 Fuel is anything but pure in Delhi: Study A report submitted to the Supreme Court says that massive adulteration of fuel takes place at petrol pumps in the Capital. The report has been prepared by the Centre for Science and Environment. The Indian Express, New Delhi   05th March, 2002 Budget has made CNG expensive, air dirtier: Environmentalists have protested the increase in the excise duty on CNG, which will lead to the fuel becoming expensive by 90 paise. In a report of last year's move, the Union Finance Minister has hiked the excise duty on CNG from eight to 16 per cent while the price of diesel has been slashed by 50 paise."Diesel's toxic fumes are known to cause cancer and making it cheaper will only lead to more use of diesel," said a Centre for Science and Environment press release. The Indian Express, New Delhi 02nd March, 2002 The driving policy By R. Ramachandran: The Mashelkar Committee Report on Auto Fuel Policy is seen as contracting the Supreme Court directives on vehicular emission norms and fuel specifications.The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), whose former Director Anil Agarwal, was a memeber of the Bhure Lal Committee, said: "The Report....has played into the hands of the polluters....It is so weak and uncaring about public health objectives that it virtually denies millions of urban Indians the right to clean air." Frontline, New Delhi  01st March, 2002 No let-up on CNG for city buses: Supreme Court: The Delhi government's attempt to slow down the conversion of the city's 10,000-strong bus fleet to compressed natural gas from diesel has been foiled.The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would not modify or recall its orders to that effect.Centre for Science and Environment director Sunita Narain said she was very happy with the Supreme Court's Thursday decision."Our stand has been vindicated. And I am most satisfied with the comment made by amicus curiae Harish Salve(solicitor general)," she told The Times of India.She said it was good that the court made it clear that it would not modify or recall its earlier order on conversion. The Times of India, New Delhi. 01st March, 2002 Petrol adulteration rampant by Chetan Chauhan The failure rate of the petrol samples tested for purity has been found to be seven times more than that found during tests done by the oil producing companies. All samples were taken from the National Capital Region. According to a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report on fuel adulteration, submitted in the Supreme Court on Friday, 26 per cent of the 72 petrol samples taken had solvent content - like benzene - higher than the level allowed by the Ministry of Petroleum. The Hindustan Times, New Delhi. 25th February, 2002 Sheila for multi-fuel transport system : With the Supreme Court deadline for phasing out diesel buses expiring soon, the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, declared that the situation had become confusing as various market forces and agencies concerned with the supply and distribution of CNG were misleading the Supreme Court about the ground realities. Speaking at a seminar on "Public Transport: Future Fuels and Technologies", organised at Delhi Sachivalaya, Ms. Dikshit stressed the need for having alternate, clean and safe fuels for the public transport system. The absence of a number of pro-CNG activists and groups such as the Centre for Science and Environment director Sunita Narain, who had refused participation about a fortnight ago but still found her name on the invitation card – cast a shadow over the seminar. The Hindu, New Delhi, 01st February, 2002 Bhure Lal panel gets extension : The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, known as Bhure Lal Committee, has been given an extension for another year. There is only one change in the composition of the five-member committee. Sunita Narain, Centre of Science and Environment (CSE) director has been nominated in place of Anil Agarwal, CSE founder who died recently. The Indian Express, New Delhi, 31st January, 2002 Govt to keen to talk than phase buses out : The deadline to convert diesel buses into CNG buses ends soon. Those responsible for the job should ideally be scrambling to do as much work as possible before the deadline expires. But what are they doing? Deliberating in a day-long seminar on Issues in Public Transport-Future Fuels and Technologies. The Centre for Science and Environment has already refused to attend the seminar. "We don’t have time to sit in seminars and defend our stand on CNG. This we have done ample time. It is time to move forward now," said Sunita Narain, CSE’s director. The Indian Express, New Delhi, 31st January, 2002 Bhure Lal panel gets one year extension : The Union Ministry of Environment extended the tenure of the Bhure Lal Committee, as the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority is better known as, by one year. Centre for Science and Environment director Sunita Narain has been inducted in the panel. She will take up the position in place of CSE chairperson Anil Agarwal, who passed away earlier in January. The Times of India, New Delhi, 31st January, 2002 Thinking globally acting locally : The Mashelkar Committee’s interim report, on an automobile fuel policy for the country, treated as final and accepted in five days flat by the Union Cabinet, makes for interesting reading not least because it attempts to turn the clock back on air pollution control. The Supreme Court ruled in July 1998, in response to public interest litigation brought by the late Anil Agarwal and others, that the National Capital Region should introduce stricter regulations than those then in force to combat the very poor ambient air quality in Delhi and its surrondings? The Hindu, New Delhi, 24th January, 2002 Green blues : Intensely suspicious of government’s intentions and hoping to build public pressure for clean air, Centre for Science and Environment director Sunita Narain tells Chandrika Mago of The Times of India that the problem with the Mashelkar committee’s report on a national auto fuel policy is that it proposes weak norms and does not hold the government accountable even for these. The Times of India, New Delhi, 22nd January, 2002 Euro III norms by 2005 not feasible, say experts : Experts say that alternative green fuels such as LPG, CNG, ethanol blended petrol and battery have not been able to establish themselves despite years of research because of lack of government policies that would encourage their use. Similar is the case for CNG, with the entire issue of clean fuel being reduced to CNG vs diesel debate and the safety factor of diesel compared to CNG, rues Anumita Roychoudhury, coordinator of the air pollution campaign at the Centre for Science and Environment. Newstime, Hyderabad, 21st January, 2002 Green fuels fail to receive fair chance : Even as government has endorsed the interim report of Mashelkar committee, which contains s blueprint for cleansing the country of vehicular pollution, with a basket of fuels, environmentalists say alternative green fuels are not being given a fair chance. This is the case for CNG also, with the entire issue of clean fuel, being reduced to a CNG versus diesel debate and the safety factor of diesel compared to CNG, rues Anumita Roychoudhury, co- ordinator of the air pollution camapign at the Centre for Science and Environment. Newstime, Hyderabad, 21st January, 2002 There’s poison in the air : Sunita Narain in an article in The Hindustan Times says " the Mashelkar committee report has given the auto industry a license to pollute. Public health seems to be the last priority as the committee has decided that the best option is to do as little as possible and as slowly as possible to improve fuel quality." The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 20th January, 2002 Multi-fuel policy angers greens : The Centre’s decisions to pursue a multi-fuel policy has angered greens, who are pressing for wide use of natural gas in vehicles to improve air quality in the country’s choking cities. "It is perhaps a perfect verdict for Mashelkar that the only people happy with his report are bus operators of the city who are also the polluters, " said Sunita Narain, director of the Centre for Science and Environment.   The Economic Times, New Delhi, 12th January, 2002 CNG is fine but what about vintage vehicles : "Old vehicles are a serious problem. This is why we need a strategy of fast turnover, because the vehicles fleet added today are going to stay with us for next 15 years. So if there has to be some improvement in air quality a decade later, we have to adopt a harsh standards today," says Anumita Roychowdhary, air pollution campaigner of the Centre for Science and Environment. The Pioneer, New Delhi, 12th January, 2002 Mashelkar panel flays CSE road map : A day after the Union Cabinet approved the Mashelkar Committee interim report, the committee has resorted to criticising the road map by the Centre for Science and Environment. The voluntary organisation had accusedd the road map of vehicular emissions of diluting the recommendations of the inter-ministerial task force on fuel quality and vehicle emissions, as well as the Society for Indian Automobile Manufacturers’ road map released in 2000. The Statesman, New Delhi, 10th January, 2002 Two panels that say same thing but for one paragraph : The Mashelkar Committee Report has been hailed by the bus operators of Delhi as "great work". The question remains that why was another committee set up if it has ended up prescribing exactly the same thing as was done by the task force. Experts say that it was set up primarily with the intention of inserting that paragraph. Says Sunita Narain, the director of the Centre for Science and Environment: "There is no doubt that the committee was set up so that the government could find a way to scuttle the progress made on the CNG issue." The Indian Express, New Delhi, 8th January, 2002 CNG cylinders to be placed atop bus : Environment Protection and Control Authority (EPCA) has directed CNG bus manufacturers to place the CNG kit including the cylinder on the vehicle's roof instead of keeping it below the floor as it is done presently. Sources say this is for added safety. They say the decision was arrived at an EPCA meeting in Delhi. EPCA members include Jagdish Khattar, Kiran Dhingra and the late Anil Agarwal. The Indian Express, New Delhi, 07th January, 2002 It took Centre just four days to accept Mashelkar report : Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas seems to be in a hurry. Barely four days after the submission of the Mashelkar Committee's interim report, the Ministry's acceptance of the report in its entirety has surprised environmentalists. Says Sunita Narain, director, CSE "The hurry with which the interim report has been accepted cannot but make us think that the real motive for setting up the committee was to scuttle what ever little work was being done in Delhi and not to devise an auto fuel policy." The Indian Express, New Delhi, 06th January, 2002 Groundwater recharging: key to sustainability : Ruparel which lies in the desert land of Rajasthan, does not receive a fraction of the rain in Cherrapunji, but has much more water than the latter-all thanks to proper water management and conservation techniques undertaken by the government and the NGOs in the area. Water harvesting has also been taken up at Rashtrapati Bhavan by the CGWA along with an NGO, Centre for Science and Environment. Assam Tribune, Guwahati, 6th  January, 2002

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