CSE takes on
TERI :
Centre for Science and Environment asserted that the controversy about low sulphur diesel
being better than Compressed Natural Gas, at this juncture, is a deliberate attempt to
sabotage the Supreme Court orders for Delhi. |
| The Times of India, New Delhi, 31st
March, 2001 |
|
CNG is
better than low-sulphur diesel, says CSE :
The Centre for Science and Environment claimed that reports being cited by Tata Energy
Research Institute (TERI) to prove that Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD) had lower
emissions as compared to CNG were based on a study done on only one London transport bus
in 1997. According to CSE, a study done by the Government of Australia last year refuted
the earlier findings. |
| The Indian Express, New Delhi, 31st
March, 2001 |
|
Protestat
New Delhi air plan :
In an article appearing in the London newspaper Financial Times Chandrachur Ghose, a
research associate at the Centre for Science and Environment, a New Delhi think-tank says
"New Delhi is the most polluted city in the world in terms of suspended particulate
matter and other toxins [in the air]". |
| Financial Times, London, 30th March, 2001 |
|
Terireport
called outdated :
Environmentalists belonging to the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi based
environment NGO, blamed the Tata Energy Research Institute for having
"misinformed" the public on the safety of CNG. CSE director Sunita Narain has
blamed TERI for delay in the implementation of the Supreme Court order for switchover to
CNG. |
| The Asian Age, New Delhi, 31st March,
2001 |
|
TransportMinister
says ultra-low sulphur diesel is better than CNG :
The Centre for Science and Environment claims that diesel exhaust is toxic and can harm
foetus, ovary and thymus gland. The organisations quotes America’s Natural Resource
Defence Council study that cancer risk to school children from sustained exposure to
diesel exhaust by travelling in school bus for 1-2 hours every day for a period of 180 to
200 days in a year can be high. |
| The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 31st
March, 2001 |
|
| Makingwater
everybody’s business : ‘Making Water Everybody’s Business’ a book
brought out by the Centre for Science and Environment was released by Madhyra Pradesh
Chief Minister Digvijay Singh in Delhi who said that " in our country, we are tool
dependent on the government. This has made us helpless. But now, there is awakening among
the people and they are realising that they have to solve their problems themselves."
|
| The Times of India, New Delhi, 30th
March 2001 |
|
How
pesticides devastated their village :
Public meetings to raise awareness on a pesticide called endosulfan sprayed by Plantation
Corporation of Kerala on cashew crops held by doctors and local citizens of Padre village
in North Kerala had attracted the attention of environmental groups like Centre for
Science and Environment (CSE) in Delhi and the media. The issue was subsequently taken up
by CSE, one of the well known groups in the country. |
| Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 27th Mar 2001 |
|
‘Aerialpesticide
spraying destroys village’ :
The Centre for Science and Environment has accused the Plantation Corporation of Kerala
(PCK) of indiscriminate use of the pesticide endosulphan resulting in major health
problems for a village in Kasargode district. |
| Central Chronicle, Bhopal, 23rd
March, 2001 |
|
Fighting
for breath in India:
In India’s messy mix of petty politics, corruption and poverty, environmentalism
would seem a lost, or at least quixotic, cause. Not to Anil Agarwal, 53-years- old head of
the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, a think tank fighting for the
right to clean air in cities like New Delhi, which is among the most noxious in the world.
"The city’s a mess, an uncontrollable mess," spits Mr. Agarwal from his
office in the capital’s sprawling southern outskirts. Delhi has a higher blood cancer
rate than any other Indian city, which doctors say is Partly due to its terrible air
pollution. One in 10 school children are asthmatic. |
| The Asian Wall Street Journal Hong Kong 19th
Mar2001 |
|
CSE attacks the
Budget:
The Centre for Science and Environment termed the Budget-2001 as "visionless"
for not adequately addressing environmental issues. Addressing mediapersons, CSE director
Anil Agarwal said that the government had ignored public transport while the air quality
was fast deteriorating in all major cities. "By reducing taxes and excise duties on
automobiles, the government has ensured that there is no place for the man on the
street," he said. Mr Agarwal said that at a time when the Supreme Court was
attempting to ensure that CNG is fitted in all commercial vehicles, the government’s
decision to levy eight per cent excise duty on CNG amounts to insulting the apex court. |
| The Times of India, New Delhi 12th Mar
2001 |
|
‘Shortage of
CNG bigger problem than conversions’:
The city has to withstand the shortage of Compressed Natural Gas for many months to come.
Presently there are only 20 CNG filling station of varying dispensing capacity in the
city. While the growing demand for CNG has led the Indraprastha Gas Limited, the sole
supplier of CNG and a subsidiary concern of the Gas Authority of India Limited, to draw up
an ambitious plan of opening 73 such stations in the city, the present proposed figure is
short of seven stations from the earlier Gail target. Ms Anumita Roy Chowdhury an air
pollution expert with the Centre for Science and Environment, a city-based environment
NGO, has reportedly said both the DTC and the Gas Authority of India Limited, are
"ill equipped" to deal with the situation. Ms Roy Chowdhury has said that had
all the buses on the city roads been switched over to CNG as per the Supreme Court
deadline, transportation would have become an insurmountable problem. |
| Asian Age New Delhi 12th Mar
2001 |
|
Polluting budget:
Author: Anil Agarwal, Sunita Narain
The manner in which business editors and columnists went overboard to seek the
response of the corporate community to Yashwant Sinha’s latest hat-trick of budgetary
numbers (as if those numbers had nothing to do with anybody else in the country) is quite
appalling. Indead, the corporate community is an important member of the nation, but
surely the government’s budget is not its exclusive concern. That narrow minded
politicians of finance ministry officials and economists may think so is one thing, but
those who seek to enlighten the nation should have thought better. |
| Business Standard New Delhi 06th
Mar 2001 |
|
Card-carrying
responsibility:
After years of courts thrusting pollution check rules on a subborn government and an
uninterested public, an independent initiative from the automobile industry has come as
pleasant surprise. When the president of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, Venu
Srinivas, announced that they were introducing emission warranty for vehicles, he caught
both the campaigners and the public unawares. What this decision means is that if, within
a specified time period, a car fails emission standards, the manufacturer will be obliged
to repair the defective part free of cost. "It’s a victory to us. We’ve
been fighting for this for four years," says triumphant Anumita Roychowdhury from the
Centre for Science and Environment, who is also the coordinator of the clean air campaign. |
| The Indian Express New Delhi 04th
Mar 2001 |
|
A small step in
the right direction:
Though the auto industry agrees to provide emission warranties, more needs to be done by
other players to ensure cleaner air. SIAM has agreed to provide emission warranty to all
vehicles-be it passenger cars, multi-utility vehicles, commercial vehicles, or even
two-and-three wheelers in a phased manner starting from July 1. The move is a major
victory for the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which has been demanding this
ever since 1997. Says Ms Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE spokesperson: "Along with the
consumers, the manufacturers must also be made responsible for the tailpipe
emissions." |
| The Financial Express New Delhi 04th
Mar 2001 |
|
Plea to stop
using endosulfan:
‘ Thanal,’ a Thiruvananthapuram-based Conservation Action group, has urged
the World Cashew Congress, which began today, to exert pressure on Plantation Corporation
of Kerala to depend on organic manures instead of the aerial spraying of the
‘restricted’ pesticide endosulfan over the cashew plantations in Kasaragod
district. Addressing a news conference here today, the action group members Jayakumar and
Dr. Sripati said that the scientific analysis conducted recently by the Centre for Science
and Environmental, food and tissue samples from Kasaragod has proved that the elements
contain the deadly toxic content |
| The New Indian
Express Kochi 24th Feb 2001 |
|
‘Chennai,
highly polluted’:
Cities including Chennai were polluting the environment beyond the permissible level and
must be prepared to face enormous environmental hazard, Dr. Anil Agarwal, founder of the
Centre for Science and Environment, said today. Participating in a seminar on
‘Vehicular Emission Mitigation Options’ organised by the Tamil Nadu Pollution
Control Board (TNPCB), he said while lead in petrol was harmful, benzene in unleaded
petrol would cause serious health hazards. |
| The Hindu, New Delhi, 6th Feb 2001 |
|
Callous killings:
Disaster is currently in the news because of the earthquake in Bhuj. We seem to be
blessed with one natural disaster after another. If it is not an earthquake, it is a
flood, a drought or a cyclone. In 1999, it was the supercyclone in Orissa. And this year,
in 2001, Saurashtra and large parts of the country are reeling under a severe drought,
apart from the earthquake. The only good thing about these natural disasters is that they
come and go. They are just temporary disasters. But, what turns these temporary and highly
preventable disasters into massive calamities is the perpetual disaster that this
country’s governance system has come to represent. |
| Business Standard, New Delhi, 6th
Feb 2001 |
|
Science in our
daily lives is a political orphan:
Nothing can be more maddening than what has happened in Bhuj. An earthquake is a
natural phenomenon but the scale of death is definitely not. It is purely a
government-made disaster. Every scientist knows that the Himalayan range and the north
Indian plains are, in fact, the most seismic mountain range in the world. It has witnessed
some of the largest earthquakes ever recorded, beginning with an 8.7 Richter scale of
earthquake in Shillong in 1897, an 8.0 one in Kangra in 1905 and then the biggest ever,
one of 8.5 in Assam in 1950. Scientists predict that the Uttarakhand region, just about
300 km from Delhi, can expect a major earthquake, even bigger than the one in Bhuj, in the
near future as there has been no release of the geological pressure building up in this
region for a long time. Such an earthquake has the potential to flatten Delhi. |
| The Times of India, New Delhi, 4th
Feb 2001 |
|
Students
concerned over pollution level:
The students from Delhi blamed the short-term policies of the Government and the
lack of transparency in its functioning for the escalating pollution levels in the
Capital. The lack of awareness and the laid back attitude of Delhi’ites towards the
problem of pollution also came under fire. But the city had some faithful, too, who
claimed that the condition was not as bad as they were made out to be. Delhi, despite
being on of the most populated cities, is reactive and is taking measures to rectify the
problem. Industrial relocation, introduction of CNG vehicles and the policy to remove all
old and polluting vehicles were welcomed by the students. The competition was judged by
Mr. Ramesh Menon of rediff.com, noted advocate, K.T.S Tulsi, and Ms. Anumita Roy
Chowdhary of the Centre for Science and Environment. |
| The Hindu, New Delhi, 27th Jan 2001 |
|
'The Western
economic model in highly toxic' :
Anil Agarwal, Director, Centre for Science and Environment, and the recent recipient of
this year's prestigious Norman Borlaug Award, decided to follow the beaten path and find
an answer to the myriad problems faced by India's masses. He talks to STOI of his dream
for India. |
| The Times of India, New Delhi, 7th Jan
2001 |
|
Sunshine
yes, clean air no :
Dr Anil Agarwal of the Centre for Environment and Science quoting WHO standards says
"Regarding particulate matter, there can be no lower defining limits. Pollution
continues as it was. Even though it has not increased, the danger persists." |
| The Pioneer, New Delhi, 7th Jan 2001 |
|
Generators
add to pollution :
Though there were no statistics available about the number and type of generators, their
estimated number varies between 1.7 and four lakhs. According to the Centre for Science
and Environment (CSE), the CPCB in 1998 had estimated it at 1.7 lakh. |
| The Hindu, New Delhi, 3rd Jan 2001 |
|
Rare tribute
to a river
As a token of their gratitude to the river which brought back life to their locality,
villagers from the Arvari river basin in the Jaipur and Alwar districts of Rajasthan, have
proposed to erect its statue and construct a temple in her name. Noted environmentalist
and Borlaug Award winner, Mr. Anil Agarwal, has been invited by the Arvari Sansad to lay
the foundation of the new building at Hamirpur on January 5. |
| The Hindu, New Delhi, 1st Jan 2001 |
|
The
air we breathe, the water we drink... :
Environment and development need not, necessarily be always in conflict. But the two still
aren't seen as homogenous parts of government agenda. Take what environmentalists Anil
Agarwal and Sunita Narain have to say about the three states just created-Uttaranchal,
Chattisgarh and Jharkand. Thes largely forest states with heavily forest- dependent people
should focus on helping the poor improve their natural resource-based enterprises such as
agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry. |
The Times of India New Delhi, 1st Jan
2001 |
|
President
favours better food strategy :
The President Mr. K. R.Narayanan, linked the effort to provide adequate political
representation to women in Parliament and State legislatures to the country's battle
against poverty. He stated this after presenting the Norman E. Borlaug Award to the
environmentalist, Mr. Anil Agarwal. |
The Hindu, New Delhi, 6th Jan 2001 |
|
Science
can't ensure equity, reminds President :
President Narayanan at a function organised by Coromandel Fertilisers to honour
environmentalist Anil Agarwal with the Millennium (Norman) Borlaug Award said the future,
quoting Nehru, belongs to Science. But what's needed along with this, is adequate social
sector investment. |
The Times of India New Delhi, 6th
Dec 2000 |
|
Science
can't ensure equity, reminds President :
President Narayanan at a function organised by Coromandel Fertilisers to honour
environmentalist Anil Agarwal with the Millennium (Norman) Borlaug Award said the future,
quoting Nehru, belongs to Science. But what's needed along with this, is adequate social
sector investment. |
The Times of India New Delhi, 6th
Dec 2000 |
|
A
feather in the cap for Sariska villages
Three village communities in the neighbourhood of the
Project Tiger Sanctuary as Sariska in Alwar district of Rajasthan have been awarded for
their outstanding achievements in the field of conservation.The Ambassador of Sweden, Mr.
John Nordenfeldt, who came down to Sariska from New Delhi for the occassion, handed over
Rs. 1 lakh each and a memento to the gram sabhas of Bhanota-Kolyara, Hamirpur and Haripur
on Friday. In March this year, the President, Mr K.R. Narayanan, had visited Hamirpur in
the area to confer the Down to Earth -Joseph C John Award on the villages of
Bhanota-Kolyara for rejuvenating the Arvari river. |
| The Hindu, New Delhi, 31st Dec 2000 |
|
Ecological
poverty in the new states
by Anil Agarwal and Sunita Narain |
| Business Standard, New Delhi, 26th Dec 2000 |
|
Harvest rain water
Don’t look down, look up" is the solution offered by the Centre for
Science and Environment to Delhi’s water problem, which was reiterated by The Shri
Ram School, at their presentation on "Rain Water Harvesting" recently. The City
chief minister Shiela Dikshit, who was the guest of honour, inaugurated the water
harvesting pit at the school. |
| Times of India Education Times, New Delhi, 18th Dec
2000 |
|
Delhi reluctant to switch
over to CNG
Delhi is going to get only 640 CNG buses, instead of 10,000 as directed by the
Supreme Court, by March next year. Delhi transport minister Mr Parvez Hashmi has said that
he is not in favour of a wholesome switchover to CNG as the proposed changeover is
"investing money on an unproven technology." Mr Anil Agarwal of the Centre for
Science and Environment, a city-based NGO on environment, said: "Delhi is currently
reeling under severe air pollution. The level of particulate matter in the air is so high
that it can kill one person per hour. It is shocking that in such a situation, Mr Hashmi
is averse to a switchover to CNG." |
| Asian Age, New Delhi, 17th Dec 2000 |
|
As city awaits CNG fleet,
pollution takes its toll
The Delhi Government is slipping dangerously in implementing the Supreme Court
order to run a 1,000-strong compressed natural gas (CNG)-run bus fleet by March 31, 20001.
Meanwhile, as pollution kills one person every hour in the capital, environmentalists warn
against any slippage, deliberate or otherwise, in moving over to the CNG. Besides, the
Government does not seem to be over enthusiastic in carrying out the order. Far from it,
as CSE Chairperson Anil Agarwal alleges, Transport Minister Parvez Hashmi appears
desperate "to find excuses for the non-implementation of the order to escape the
likely chastisement from the Bench when the matter comes up for hearing close to the
deadline." This impression is strengthened by the fact that the Delhi Government is
yet to give an undertaking on the implementation of the order as required. Mr. Anil
Agarwal says, "Any slippage on the CNG strategy cannot be allowed as Delhi is already
reeling under sever particulate pollution load, killing one person per hour." |
| Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 16th Dec 2000 |
|
‘Hashmi’s
remarks against CNG buses misleading’
CSE has strongly criticised Delhi Transport Minister Parvez Hashmi’s
statement that Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) technology being introduced in DTC buses was
an untested one. Mr Hashmi has made the statement saying that he would inform the same to
the court. Anil Agarwal, director CSE, demanded that Mr Hashmi should retract his
statement and instead give a clear plan of action with a time frame for the implementation
of the order. Mr Agarwal said diesel engines, presently used in DTC buses, contribute
heavily to SPM in the air, resulting in one death every day in the Capital. |
| Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 15th Dec 2000 |
|
‘Hashmi is misleading SC
on CNG’
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has accused Transport Commissioner
Parvez Hashmi of trying to "mislead" the Supreme Court and the public about the
merits of CNG. Hashmi had recently stated that the CNG technology is an unproven one. |
| Indian Express, New Delhi, 15th Dec 2000 |
|
SSI quota
policy must be revised
by Anil Agarwal and Sunita Narain
The latest environmental fix in Delhi is the relocation of polluting industries situated
in areas in non-conformity with the city’s masterplan. For years the government did
not take any action and now that the Supreme Court is putting on the heat, nobody really
knows what to do. Managing anything becomes unrealistic if you let the wound fester too
long. There are basically two issues of importance in this case. Firstly, urban management
is in a total mess. For those who have no qualms, there are no rules. Every rule simply
creates its own price and the myhem continues to flourish till it becomes a crisis. |
| Business Standard, New Delhi, 12th Dec 2000 |
|
Different routes, same
destination: CSE and SIAM offer varied solutions to check vehicular air pollution
In a blistering attack, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has condemned the
automobile industry for not taking responsibility for the emission performance of vehicles
on the road for the duration of their useful life. The centre has also demanded that
manufacturers provide emission warranty for vehicles for their entire life cycle or face
recall of polluting vehicles manufactured by them. The CSE response came at the end of a
two-day conference on Inspection and Maintenance (I&M) of Vehicles, organised by the
Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and the Society for Automotive Fitness
and Environment (SIAM), which fixed the responsibility for high emissions from poorly
maintained vehicles on the owners, and called for the setting up of inspection and
maintenance centres for vehicles throughout the country. The SIAM is an apex body of the
automobile industry in India, and it has incorporated SAFE, in order to achieve
advancement of I&M, and increase safety on Indian roads. |
| Financial Express, New Delhi, 10th Dec 2000 |
|
Euro II pollution
certificate under cloud
Siddharth Vergis, 35, is an environment-conscious middle-class Indian
entrepreneur who, while buying his first car recently, made sure that it is eco-friendly.
"The Euro II certificate is given by the Automotive Research Institute of India, an
organisation with people from the automobile industry sitting on the accord. Then, unlike
in the US and Europe, the responsibility of car manufacturers here ends on the factory
gate," Anil Agarwal, CSE director and an acclaimed environmentalist, told India
Abroad News Service. CSE spokesperson Anumita Roychowdhury said, "Even in Mumbai it
has been reported that brand new taxis are failing the pollution under control tests. A
survey conducted in Delhi by NGO Vatavaran has shown that as much as 40 per cent of the
new cars on road failed the PUC tests." |
| Asian Age, New Delhi, 8th Dec 2000 |
|
CSE flays I&M regime
The Delhi-based non-governmental organisation Centre for Science and Environment
(CSE) yesterday denounced the auto manufactures move for an inspection and Maintenance
(I&M) regime to be enforced in the country for private vehicles just as the case is
with the commercial vehicles. |
| Business Standard, New Delhi, 6th Dec 2000 |
|
Responsibility lies with
carmaker
CSE today condemned the automobile industry for not taking responsibility for emission
performance of vehicles on road. They demanded that manufacturers provide an emission
warranty and recall system for all vehicles for the entire duration of their use. Pointing
a finger at the automobile industry, CSE spokesperson Anumita Roychowdhury said that the
manufacturers were "once again passing the buck to the consumers as they try to shift
the focus from their assembly line to the tailpipes, making the consumers pay for
manufacturing defects." |
| Indian Express, New Delhi, 6th Dec 2000 |
|
About
urban industrial pollution
by Anil Agarwal
Pollution amounts to slow murder. Regular exposure to industrial and vehicular pollutants
leads to life-threatening diseases like asthma, heart problems, cancer and various other
disorders. Therefore, nobody has the right to pollute, rich or poor. Industrial and
vehicular pollution are growing rapidly across the country. It is not just metropolitan
centres that are heavily polluted today but also small and medium towns. Pollution is
growing faster than the economy. This is because the Western technological model, built on
heavy use of energy and materials, is an inherently highly toxic model. It produces huge
amounts of toxic pollutants, which can be controlled only if there is careful choice of
technology and there is considerable discipline in its use. |
| Economic Times, New Delhi, 5th Dec 2000 |
|
Fund crunch or
mismanagement?
The government’s decision to give forests that sustain tribal communities to the
corporate sector for profit-making plantations, that too with the help of joint forest
management institutions that are supposed to protect tribal rights has irked
non-government organisations and other workers in the field no end. So far, ITC
Bhadrachalam Paper Boards has been sanctioned 300 hectare of land of Khammam district of
bamboos plantations. The reason why both the State and JFM are being compelled to do so
may be more than the "fund crunch" excuse that they are proffering, says Richard
Mahapatra of Centre for Science and Environment, an NGO is New Delhi. |
| Deccan
Chronicle, Hyderabad, 3rd Dec 2000 |
|
The Shift Rift
Even as the issue of relocation of polluting industries drags on, the argument -
for and against - shows no sign becoming less heated. ‘Industries in non-conforming
areas contribute only eight per cent to air pollution in the city. The 1.5 lakh industries
in Delhi have an investment worth 3,500 crore and produce goods annually worth 6,300
crore. Imagine what a great set back Delhi’s economy will face if all these
industries are relocated.Pollution by industries in
residential areas is localised and highly concentrated. The industrial units may be
polluting less if the whole city is taken into account. But pollution by industrial units
is highly concentrated in the areas where they are located. Residents in these areas
suffer a lot due to these polluting units. Moreover, industrialists will obviously say
that their units are not responsible for the air pollution. Their pollution is localised.
There is hardly any unity amongst them on this issue. If a finger is raised at one owner,
he in turn will point at another one saying "his unit polluted more than mine."
They do not really care for pollution or anything else but their profit. |
| Indian Express, New Delhi, 29th Nov 2000 |
|
Victory for EU
green leaders, at last
by Anil Agarwal and Sunita Narain
Smack! A pie in the face to Frank Loy, the leader of the US delegation, at the
conference on climate change in The Hague thrown by a young British girl, sent the
conference organisers into a tizzy. Immediately the civil society became a security risk.
Greenpeace rushed to apologise. But the young anarchist’s action was merely a crude
but strong reflection of the popular feeling within the 5,000-odd delegates, NGOs and
journalists present. The apology should have actually come from Loy himself. |
| Business Standard, New Delhi, 28th Nov 2000 |
|
In Defence of Forest
Conservation Act 1980
In October 15, 2000, "Down to Earth Page 10" reads: "Improve
Rules: The Supreme Court has directed the Union Government to improve its rules and
regulations covered under the Forest Conservation Act within 1 months. The Supreme Court
gave several suggestions to the Union Government for upgrading the Forest rules including
environmental audit done. In its real wording the Supreme Court is never intending to
comment on the text of the Forest Conservation Act, while the Chief Minister Shri Digvijay
Singh’s letter to the Prime Minister intends to review the Forest Conservation Act.
Though reviewing does not amount to alter, change or redraft, certainly it expresses some
managerial details. Dr. Anil Aggarwal in his editorial - October 31, 2000 "Down to
Earth" states "The CM’s letter should have in fact, asked for a review of
the entire Forest and Wild Life Management strategy of the country." |
| Central Chronicle, New Delhi, 16th Nov 2000 |
|
US media sets its face
against India
by Anil Agarwal
One of the problems (with the Kyoto Protocol, which sets limits on industrialised
countries’ emissions of gases that are leading to climate change) is that the two
most populous nations on earth, China and India, are exempt from any restrictions on the
production of greenhouse gases. The two are among the globe’s top 10 polluters, and
their industrial growth and automobile ownership are rising fast. (Presidential hopeful)
Bush has objected to this and rightly so." |
| Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 17th Nov 2000 |
|
6th round of talk on
global climate begins
by Anil Agarwal
The nations of the world opened their sixth round of negotiations yesterday in the Dutch
capital to save the world’s climate from the depredations of humankind - possibly the
biggest environmental and economic threat that they will face during the 21st
century. The negotiations will revolve around the loose ends in the Kyoto Protocol agreed
in late 1997, which the US government has said must be tied up before it will send the
protocol to the US Senate for ratification. The uncertainties in the US election leave the
Hague negotiations in a lurch as it is not clear who will preside over the US government
and what will be acceptable to him. |
| Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 16th Nov 2000 |
|
Let the road ahead
be in people's hand
Communication is vital for progress, and road links are crucial for this. A novel
and viable approach for building rural roads and maintaining them was evolved in
Madagascar in 1995. The approach advocates that the government, business institutions and
local communities jointly undertake road construction projects. The need for such approach
was felt by the government of Madagascar during a political and economic crisis, due to
which it was unable to look after roads in the rural areas. |
| Financial Express, New Delhi, 16th Nov 2000 |
|
Everybody loves a good
flood
by Anil Agarwal and Sunita Narain
British politicians are facing one disaster after another. But the way they are
facing them should be a lesson for the tribe that exists in India. As in our country, the
high level prices have become a source of major contention and with fuel blockades being
threatened there is panic buying and retail outlets are running out of fuel. The
protesters consisting of truckers and farmers are demanding and across the board cut in
fuel taxes. |
| Business Standard, New Delhi, 14th Nov 2000 |
|
Reality
check
|
| Pioneer, New Delhi, 13th Nov 2000 |
|
Cleaner
fuel arrives but is it safe enough?
On the quality of petrol supplied to Delhi, Mr. Anil Agarwal, director of CSE was
quoted as saying, “Fuel quality managers have ignored the need for controlling the
levels of total aromatics in unleaded petrol. Benzene emissions will still be high since
the combustion of other aromatics like toulene and xylene also produces benzene.” |
| Financial Express, New Delhi, 12th Nov 2000, p.
1 |
|
More
to be done for fuel quality: Watchdog
Centre for Science and Environment today welcomed the lowering of amount of
benzene in fuel to below one percent in the city and maintained that the same be applied
to the rest of the country to protect public health. In a CSE release, the Centre
criticised the public grouse over then hike in the petrol prices saying it is small price
to pay for pollution abatement measures. |
| Indian Express, New Delhi, 7th Nov 2000 |
|
Fight against pollution
It is vested interests of various kinds mixed with bad governance that have made
Indian cities among the most polluted in the world. The problem is no longer confined to
just Delhi and Mumbai, smaller towns are already on their way to serious trouble. News
from the environmental front is generally grim in India so the smallest, little good news
can seem like a beacon of hope and this week I bring you a small bit of good news. In
December 1996 when environmental groups such as the CSE (Centre for Science and
Environment) began pointing out that the number of deaths from air pollution had gone up
in Delhi from 7,500 in 1993 to 10,500 in 1995 Supreme Court decided it was time for
action. Anil Aggarwal of the CSE is member of the EPCA and believes that the most useful
contribution of the Supreme Court has been its virtually ordering the executive to provide
good governance. Delhi remains most polluted city in the world, according to Aggarwal, but
the achievement of the past few years has been that things have not got worse. |
| Newstime, New Delhi, 5th Nov,
2000 |
|
Citizen's fight for clean air
It is vested interests of various kinds mixed with bad governance that have made
Indian cities among the most polluted in the world. The problem is no longer confined to
just Delhi and Mumbai, smaller towns are already on their way to serious trouble. News
from the environmental front is generally grim in India so the smallest, little good news
can seem like a beacon of hope and this week I bring you a small bit of good news. In
December 1996 when environmental groups such as the CSE (Centre for Science and
Environment) began pointing out that the number of deaths from air pollution had gone up
in Delhi from 7,500 in 71993 to 10,500 in 1995 Supreme Court decided it was time for
action. Anil Aggarwal of the CSE is member of the EPCA and believes that the most useful
contribution of the Supreme Court has been its virtually ordering the executive to provide
good governance. Delhi remains most polluted city in the world, according to Aggarwal, but
the achievement of the past few years has been that things have not got worse. |
| Tribune, New Delhi, 4th Nov 2000 |
|
Global
warming: unequal world
by Anil Agarwal and Sunita Narain
|
| Financial Express, New Delhi, 31st Oct 2000 |
|
Dams:
big or small?
by Anil Agarwal
In the use and application of a particular technology, it is the social process which
determines whether it delivers more good than bad. Noted environmentalist Anil Agarwal
examines what it is like in the case of water harvesting structures. |
| The Hindu, New Delhi, 25th Oct 2000 |
|
Every breath you take
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s figures showing a decrease in air
pollution levels during Diwali is heartening news but are they really accurate. According
to the director of Centre for Science and Environment, Anil Aggarwal “the DPCC’s
comparison is meaningless as they fail to take into account the meteorological conditions
that have taken place between 1999 and 2000. What we can try to do is measure the weather
changes the day before Diwali in both cases and formulate a ratio of pollution change in a
day. Even this however is not accurate enough and we need better atmospheric models before
we can make such sweeping statements.” |
| The Indian Express, New Delhi, 30th Oct 2000, p.
5 |
|
Lets crack down on
crackers?
For the second year running the Capital’s environmentalists, young and old,
achieved the seemingly unachievable. Like last year, Diwali this year too saw a drop in
cracker sales and a decline in pollution levels, signalling a victory for anti-cracker
campaigners. “One must keep in mind that
the monitoring equipment being used in Delhi cannot differentiate in the source of
pollution. Also, there’s no computerised model which can make adjustments for
changing meteorological and local atmospheric conditions,” says Anil Aggarwal,
director of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), adding, “There is no way to be
sure whether the apparent drop in air pollution was on account of the anti-cracker
campaign or local weather conditions.” |
| Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 29th Oct 2000, p. 2 |
|
Pollution causes cancer
and the government is keeping silent
by Anil Agarwal
"I am not just angry but livid with the political system and the media. Our
‘capable’ politicians did some public breast beating on young
Kumaramangalam’s untimely death and the media reported this ritual without any
thought. The minister had a form of blood cancer called leukaemia. Having suffered myself
from another form of blood cancer called Lymphoma – three times in just six years. I
have some idea of what it take to deal with cancer. And as an environmentalist, I have a
deep interest in the role of pollution, lifestyles and diet in its causation." |
| Financial Express, New Delhi, 24th Oct 2000 |
|
Harvesting Solutions
While Delhiites blame the civic agencies for traffic lapses and maintaining roads
during the monsoons, experts point out that the real reason for this urban chaos lies in
the extensive concretisation of the city. Hardly any ground has been left exposed,
resulting in rainwater flowing onto roads instead of being absorbed by the soil. “The
catch lies in sustaining the momentum of the water harvesting measures. Then only will the
decline in the water table level be halted,” says Indira Khurana, project
co-ordinator, CSE. |
| Indian Express, New Delhi, 23rd Oct 2000 |
|
Killing me softly with her smog
by Anil Agarwal
There is a case for religious injunctions against crackers, feels Anil Agarwal, director
of the Centre for Science and Environment. Hindu scriptures have a lot to say about the
importance of the panchbhootas and living a life that does not defile the bhoomi. Yet
Hindu religious rites are today one of the most polluting activities. In other words, we
have and environment-friendly religion but environmentally-destructive adherens. The
pollution that Indian cities and towns, already reeling under the impact of growing
vehicular and industrial pollution, witness on Diwali day is one such example which does
not worry religious leaders. |
| Times of India, Delhi, 22nd, Oct 2000 |
|
| Letters:
Menace of Pollution |
| The Hindu, Delhi & Chennai, 20th Oct 2000 |
|
| The Forests of
the Alienated |
| Business Standard, 17th Oct 2000 |
|
| Point-Counterpoint:
A Consipiracy of Silence |
| The Hindu, Delhi, 15th Oct 2000 |
|
| Politians ignorant
of enviro issues: Jaswant |
| Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 15th Oct 2000 |
|
| Effective role mooted
for India in green talks |
| Newstime, Hyderabad, 15th Oct
2000 |
|
| 'Take
ecological issues to the people' |
| The Hindu, Delhi and Chennai, 15th Oct 2000 |
|
| Call for Third World
unity... |
| Pioneer, Delhi, 14th Oct 2000 |
|
Chamling
celebrates as Sikkim's green record blooms
If Down To Earth magazine conducts survey to find the "greenest" chief minister
this year too, Sikkim's Pawan Kumar Chamling may well walk away with the honours for the
second year running. Last year, the beat Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu
Naidu and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh. |
| Indian Express, New Delhi, 11th Oct 2000 |
|
Water: every drop counts
Conflict analysis predict increased disputes over water in the coming century. Depleting
freshwater will strain the relations between nations, between provinces and between towns
and the countryside, as its unstable stocks become spread out over more thinly over the
swelling human population. The water gap is chronic, and will grow ever wider if we do not
work out a new equation with water. 'Doing more with less', should become out watchword
with regard to water. We have to look at small ways of saving water, of using it over
again and to make the user pay the real price of water. A seminar of traditional water
harvesting systems, held under the auspices of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE),
in New Delhi concluded that individuals and families should be given rights to harvest
water that falls on their lands, but no rights to groundwater or water from any stream, or
any other body of natural surface water. The CSE even wants a scheme of water rights to be
incorporated into the Constitution. |
| Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 7th Oct 2000 |
|
Stones
unto stones
by Anil Agarwal |
| Business Standard, New Delhi, 3rd Oct 2000 |
|
Information Wires
Sustainable Societies
"Information is a key element in building sustainable societies. This was the message
driven home at the Global Reporting Initiative's (GRI) South Asia briefing session, which
was organised in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry, in New Delhi last
week." |
| Financial Express, New Delhi, 1st Oct 2000 |
|
| "The government must
enforce an auto emission warranty system for cars, of the kind that had already been put
in place for two-wheelers" said Anil Agarwal, director of the Centre for Science and
Environment while speaking at a meeting of the Global Reporting Initiatives report on
South Asia organised at Delhi. |
| Business Standard, New Delhi, 26th Sep 2000,
Page No. 3 |
|
A Conspiracy of
Silence
"Anil Agarwal, ...as a survivor of a rare form of leukaemia and as a noted
environmentalist, he details the trauma of dealing with an abysmal lack of professionalism
in the medical and health education systems, and the menace of pollution as a
carcinogen." |
| The Hindu, New Delhi, 24nd September 2000 |
|
The story repeats itself
"Probably no other group is more affected by the environmental destruction than poor
village women. Every dawn brings with it a long march in search of fuel, fodder and water.
It does not matter if the women are old, young or pregnant: crucial households needs have
to be met day after day," stated by the State of India’s Environment: The
Citizen’s Second Report, published in 1985." |
| The Pioneer, New Delhi, 22nd September 2000, Page
No. 10 |
|
| On vehicular pollution "A
study carried out by the Centre for Science and Environment found that between 1975 and
1995, the Indian economy grew by about 2.5 times but the total pollution load from
industries went up by about 4 times and from urban vehicles by about 8 times." |
| The National Medical Journal of
India,Vol.13, No.13, 2000 |
