Experts
        defend CNG, slam IGL for accidents : 
        Four buses, three filling stations and now a pipeline. After the fire caused by a leak in
        Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) pipeline near Okhla Tank, you could almost be tempted to
        think that Delhi is sitting on a CNG time- bomb. "Nowhere in the world do you
        introduce a new fuel, without laying out proper guidelines for its usage and forming
        regulatory bodies," says Anumita Roy Chowdhury, co-ordinator Air Pollution
        Control, Centre for Science and Environment.  | 
      
      
        The Indian Express, New Delhi, 29th
        December 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Babble brook
        :  
        From a trickle of drought-weary villages, it's now ready to deluge kasba, city and
        metropolis alike. Water harvesting is an idea whose time has come. The first of the Jal
        Sammelans (water meetings) was organised by the Delhi-based Centre for Science and
        Environment (CSE), an organisation that has been campaigning aggressively for
        rainwater harvesting.  | 
      
      
        | Outlook, New Delhi, 14th December 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        The
        fine art of bad governance :  
        An article by Anil Agarwal & Sunita Narain which appeared in Business Standard
        says that "though India is one of the worst-governed countries in the world, cracking
        at its seams in just about every area, from social welfare and food distribution to
        environment, and riddled with rampant corruption, it is clear that the Indian media does
        not take the issue of governance seriously." Authors : Anil Agarwal & Sunita
        Narain  | 
      
      
        | Business Standard, New Delhi, 11th
        December 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Capital
        gasps as impurities are added to fuel :  
        In a city that has about 700 petrol pumps, just 24 outlets of an oil company have put up a
        hoarding ensuring people that the fuel they sell is "pure for sure". The problem
        of fuel adulteration in Delhi has acquired such dimensions that last month the Supreme
        Court had to intervene."There is no proper enforcement. We have been asking that
        results of surprise tests be made public. And that oil companies be ranked accordingly.
        Otherwise, the oil companies will continue to remain unaccountable for the petrol
        pumps," Anoumita Roy Choudhary of the Centre for Science and Environment said. | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, New Delhi, 10th December 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        'Electricity from garbage
        a wasted project' :  
        Environmentalists have said a waste treatment plant-part of a waste-to-energy project
        which is likely to be set-up by the MCD for generating power-will be economically unviable
        and environmentally unacceptable. "The wastes which contain chlorinated plastics and
        bleached products like diapers, pollute the environment on burning. They are not only
        carcinogenic, but also cause asthma and other respiratory diseases," said CSE's
        Nidhi Jamwal.  | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, New Delhi, 01st
        December 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        It pays to be clean :  
        On October 29, CSE brought out its environmental ratings of the Indian automobile
        industry-The Five Leaves Award-the result of two years of work which has been supported by
        the UNDP and the Union Environment and Forest Ministry. This final scoresheet in the car
        segment included Daewoo's small car Matiz which was judged the most environment friendly
        vehicle.  | 
      
      
        | The Pioneer, New Delhi, 01st October 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        CSE's green
        rating draws flak from Cos :  
        The Centre for Science and Environment's green rating for the Indian auto industry
        has, predictably, evoked negative reactions. Within a day of the centre announcing the
        score card for the various vehicles burning tyre on Indian auto roads, most manufacturers
        are questioning the methodolgy behind the ratings.  | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, New Delhi, 01st
        October 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Daewoo most
        eco friendly car maker in India :  
        Troubled auto maker Daewoo Motors has been rated the most environment- friendly car
        manufacturer in India by the Centre for Science and Environment. Compatriot Hyundai
        Motors has been ranked second in the ratings released in New Delhi. | 
      
      
        | The Sentinel, Guwahati, 31st October
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Daewoo rated most
        eco-friendly :  
        Daewoo Motor India Ltd is the most environment-friendly automobile manufacturer in the
        country, according to the Green Rating Project (GRP) of the Centre for Science and
        Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based NGO, released in Delhi.  | 
      
      
        | Business Standard, New Delhi, 30th
        October 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        They take you for a ride
        -and how! :  
        It was report card day for the Indian automobile industry. But the scores were far from
        excellent. In a path-breaking study on "Green Rating" of the automobile
        industry, the Science and Environment gave it a rap on its knuckles. The report,
        released by the former Union Finance Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, at India Habitat Centre
        put Daewoo Motors India Ltd., Hyundai Motors India Ltd. and General Motors India at the
        top of the class.  | 
      
      
        | The Hindu, New Delhi, 30th October 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Matiz most
        environment-friendly car :  
        An environmental audit has rated the automobile sector's performance at less than average:
        Passenger cars are ahead of the pack but two-and three wheelers trail even the mass
        transport vehicles. According to the report card, Daewoo Motor India, Hyundai Motor India
        and General Motors India top the overall performance. These are the findings of a two year
        Green Rating Project, executed by a voluntary organisation, the Centre for Science and
        Environment, but funded by the Union Environment Ministry and the UNDP.  | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, New Delhi, 30th October 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Forget CNG/Euro-II,
        India's auto industry has miles to go :  
        For all the government efforts to clean up the country's air, especially that in Delhi
        with its Euro-II norms for cars and CNG for buses in place of diesel, India's auto
        industry still has miles to go. According to ratings put out by the Centre for Science
        and Environment, top marks go to beleaguered Korean auto major Daewoo Motors-but
        Daewoo scored a mere 43.5 per cent marks, showing just how poor the automobile sector is.  | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, 30th
        October 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        A role for students in
        conserving Pink City : 
        School children will be initiated into conserving the city of Jaipur. This futuristic
        move, being initiated by INTACH Jaipur Chapter taking into account the fragile condition
        and importance of heritage fabric of the city, would also involve conservation of Amber,
        the original seat of the Jaipur's Kachchawab rulers. Mr. Rustam Vania of the
        environment education unit of the Centre for Science and Environment stressed the need
        for conservation of water in the overall perspective of heritage conservation.  | 
      
      
        | The Hindu, New Delhi, 22nd October
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Telco chalks out safety
        norms for CNG buses : 
        Following a stern warning by the Delhi Transport Minister, Mr Parvez Hashmi, over safety
        standards of CNG buses manufactured by TELCO, the vehicle manufacturing company is
        understood to have prepared a two-phase action plan not only to re-check but also
        strengthen the safety aspects of its environment friendly buses, according to sources in
        the Delhi Government. Even the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) for quite
        some time now has been calling for developing a set of guidelines and safety standards for
        the body builders. | 
      
      
        | The Hindu, New Delhi, 23rd October
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Exotic tips for a happy
        CNG journey :  
        A team of experts in compressed natural gas (CNG) technology have discovered flaws in the
        engine designs of CNG buses in India and have suggested measures to rectify these
        problems. Centre for Science and Environment had invited three experts in CNG
        technology from the USA, Sweden and Germany to evaluate the current emissions, safety
        regulations and CNG technology in India.  | 
      
      
        | The Asian Age, New Delhi, 18th October
        2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Teach us how
        to harvest water, Chicago asks Delhi :  
        While Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and her delegation were in Chicago recently to
        sign the sister city declaration, the Mayor of Chicago had showed a keen interest to learn
        about how Delhi does rainwater harvesting. However, according to water harvesting expert
        Indira Khurana of the Centre for Science and Environment, the government should
        take the schme more seriously in their own city before they advocate it to Chicago.  | 
      
      
        The Indian Express, New Delhi, 17th
        October 2001   | 
      
      
         
  | 
      
      
        The
        pesticide plot : 
        In an article written in Business Standard, Anil Agarwal and Sunita Narain talks about the
        "pesticide lobby which has launched a virulent campaign to prove that endosulfan is
        harmless. It would like to put the blame for what it calls 'strange diseases' on
        inbreeding." authors : Anil Agarwal & Sunita Narain)  | 
      
      
        | Business Standard, New Delhi, 16th
        October 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Harvest rain water :  
        Shri Ram School : Recently a seminar on rain water harvesting was organised by the Shri
        Ram School in association with Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) for the
        parents of the students. Apart from a briefing made by the students of class five on the
        occasion, Indira Khurana and Suresh Babu, both from CSE, made audio visual presentations
        on rain water harvesting, discussing its importance, benefits, models and installation. | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, New Delhi, 15th October 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        5 days to
        deadline : CNG crisis unsolved :  
        Lack of adequate provisions for the inspection of bus manufacturers to ensure they comply
        with the prescribed safety standards of CNG vehicles are the main reasons behind the
        recent incidents of fires involving CNG buses. This was pointed out by the Centre for
        Science and Environment in a statement issued.  | 
      
      
        | The Asian Age, New Delhi, 14th
        October 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Mishaps due
        inadequate inspection provisions :  
        CSE : Recent incidents of fires involving CNG buses have been caused by lack of adequate
        provisions for inspection of these vehicles, resulting in rampant non-compliance by bus
        manufacturers with the prescribed standards, the Centre for Science and Environment
        said.  | 
      
      
        | The Statesman, New Delhi, 14th
        October 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Bus accident victim dies,
        another CNG probe ordered :  
        The Delhi government ordered an inquiry into the incident in which a private CNG bus
        caught fire due to a leak in its cylinder at the Nehru Place bus terminal. The Centre
        for Science and Environment, meanwhile, expressed shock at the incident and blamed the
        government which, it said, had not plans to enforce the safety compliance standards and
        establish accountability.   | 
      
      
        | The Asian Age, New Delhi, 12th October 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Hashmi slams
        Telco over CNG bus fire :  
        Delhi's Transport Minister Parvez Hashmi met senior officials from Telco following another
        fire involving a Tata bus in Nehru Place.Reacting to the fire, the Centre for Science
        and Environment, a Delhi based environmental organisation, blamed the government for
        failing to notify adequate safety measures.  | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, 12th October 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        CNG mishap
        brings safety issue to fore : 
        Shocked over the latest incident, the fourth in three months, of a fire in a CNG run bus
        at Nehru Place in South Delhi, the Centre for Science and Environment demanded that
        the Union Government immediately begin "safety inspection programme" and
        "issue proper guidelines for installation and fittings" of CNG buses.  | 
      
      
        | The Hindu, New Delhi, 12th
        October 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Govt. flashes red card to
        Telco :  
        The Delhi Government threatened to stop the purchase of any CNG bus from Telco, tbe bus
        manufacturer giant. According to CSE's Ms. Anumita Roy Choudhary, the major problem
        was lack of guidelines with regard to CNG buses.  | 
      
      
        | The Hindu, New Delhi, 11th October 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Endosulfan
        traces found in breast milk :  
        The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) which probed the spraying of endosulfan in
        cashew plantations of the Plantation Corporation in Kasargod found traces of the organic
        pesticide in human and animal breast milk.The studies by the Centre for Science and
        Environment (CSE), a New Delhi based research institute had earlier found traces of
        endosulfan in the breast milk of a 35-year old nursing mother. | 
      
      
        | The New Indian Express, Kochi, 05th 2001, | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        CNG hopes to
        go up in smoke once again : 
        Another deadline for using compressed natural gas (CNG) in public transportation in Delhi
        has arrived with none of the crucial issues resolved. Though Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit
        claimed Rs 1,000 crore have been spent on conversion, environmentalists question this.
        "There has been consistent effort to derail the process. The Court will have to put
        its foot down again," says Centre for Science and Environment director Sunita
        Narain.  | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, New Delhi, 28th September 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        They fail to
        see eye to eye :  
        It's a clear divide. The CNG versus diesel debate has been fought on TV screens, in
        seminar rooms and in print as well. And the two main NGOs-the Centre for Science and
        Environment and the Tata Energy Research Institute differ on virtually every point. | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, New Delhi, 28th September 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Pvt vehicles entitled to
        CNG supply, say experts :  
        Can the government prevent non-commercial vehicles from not filling their vehicles with
        CNG? Going by expert opinion, no. Says, Director, Centre for Science and Environment,
        Sunita Narain : "It is our fundamental duty to protect the environment. Not
        allowing someone to fill CNG in his vehicle would be preventing the vehicle-owner from
        performing his duty."  | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, New Delhi, 25th
        September 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Private
        vehicles to run out of gas :  
        The city of Delhi gets only 0.15 million cubic metres of CNG-out of 33.4 mcum gas
        available in the pipeline-for CNG vehicles. Delhi's allocation is a nominal 3.08 mcum.
        That's not all. "Of the total allocation, a major chunk has been devoted to the
        Pragati power station, which, is yet to see the light of the day," said Centre for
        Science and Environment Director Sunita Narain. | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, New Delhi, 24th September 2001, | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        A telling
        tale :  
        The Centre for Science and Environment reports that in Orissa, the soil
        conservation department has spent more than Rs 90 crore in the past 15 years to build
        1,400 water harvesting structures.The Central government has poured huge sums into
        constructing micro-watersheds. But these projects have been poorly implemented and
        corruption charges have plagued them.  | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, New Delhi, 23rd
        September 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Issues :  
        While turning over the pages of Catchwater, a newsletter brought out by the Centre for
        Science and Environment, in New Delhi, it was impossible not to feel a dart of envy,
        or rather, several pinches of envy over what Delhi is busy doing to harvest rainwater,
        whereas Bangalore has done hardly anything to match. | 
      
      
        | Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 23rd September 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Patenting traditional knowledge :
        In an article in Business Standard, Anil Agarwal and Sunita Narain " India has made
        important contributions to the global debate on the need for recognition and protection of
        traditional knowledge and biodiversity. Yet it has been a laggard in setting up its own
        framework."  
        Authors : Anil Agarwal & Sunita Narain | 
      
      
        | Business Standard, New Delhi, 18th
        September  2001, | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Time's
        running out : 
        As the deadline for all commercial vehicles in Delhi to switch over to clean fuel draws
        near, a sense of urgency is creeping in among the parties concerned. Minister of Petroleum
        and Natural Gas Ram Naik agrees with the Delhi Government's contention that there were no
        CNG experts in the committee, which comprised the then transport commissioner Kiran
        Dhingra, Pollution Control Board chairman D.K.Biswas, Maruti Udyog CMD Jagdish Khattar,
        and Centre for Science and Environment director Anil Aggarwal. The committee had
        recommended the use of CNG as the only clean fuel for Delhi's commercial vehicles.  | 
      
      
        | Business India,
        Mumbai, September 3-16,2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        | The CNG conundrum : Delhi awaits
        with trepidation the September 30 deadline for the conversion of its public transport
        vehicles to the CNG mode. Moreover, various representations given to the EPCA by the State
        and Central Governments, transporters' associations, expert bodies such as the Tata Energy
        Research Institute (TERI) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, on the one hand
        and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on the other have made things murkier. | 
      
      
        | Frontline,
        Chennai, 14th September 2001, | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        | Which is the best : Even as the
        debate over CNG vehicle rages, the search for alternative fuels continues. In comparison
        to CNG, conversion to LPG is cheaper, costing between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000. But if you
        hope to drive around with the cooking gas cylinder, then beware of the risks. Says Anumita
        Roychowdhury, coordinator, Centre for Science and Environment: "A domestic gas
        cylinder is not meant for use while moving.Though the pressure  hazard is less than
        with CNG, the fuel is extremely volatile and burns twice as hot as petrol fire."  | 
      
      
        | Business World, Kolkata, 03rd 
        September 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        How to harvest water ?
        UGC plans courses :  
        Close on the heels of Delhi government's efforts to introduce water harvesting and water
        management measures in the city, University Grants Commission (UGC) is planning to
        introduce courses on the subject in universities. According to Suresh Babu, an engineer at
        the Centre for Science and Environment "in Delhi, we are indiscriminately extracting
        water but not replenishing it". | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, 17th September 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Cleaning up
        the air :  
        According to a report by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), vehicular
        pollution contributes to a shocking 64 per cent of the total pollution in Delhi, 52 per
        cent in Mumbai and 30 per cent in Calcutta.(The Statesman, New Delhi, 17/09/2001)  | 
      
      
        | The Statesman, New Delhi, 17th
        September 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Running on
        empty ideas :  
        Anil Agarwal, the chairperson of the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment has
        written an article that appeared in The Indian Express where he questions Ram Naik's
        seriousness about an auto fuels policy. He says that "Union Minister for Petroleum
        and natural gas, Ram Naik, does not believe that pollution or public health is an issue
        for governance." Author : Anil Agarwal,  | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, 10th
        September, /2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        CNG crisis
        haunts Mumbai's cabbies too : 
        Environmentalists who favour the use of CNG over other alternatives say it is the cleanest
        fuel. Data put out by the Centre for Science and Environment, Delhi, states that CNG is 92
        per cent more methane, which burns more efficiently. Environmental groups monitoring
        pollution in Mumbai say there has been a sharp fall in suspended particulate matter (SPM),
        an indicator of pollution, since cabs converted to CNG pollution.  | 
      
      
        | Central Chronicle, Bhopal, 10th
        September, 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        'Pesticides
        sector has Rs 10,000 cr export potential' : 
        Pradeep Dave, president of the Pesticide Manufacturers and Formulators Association of
        India (PMFAI) has defended the usage of the endosulfan chemical that is reported to have
        caused severe health problems to the residents of Padre village in Kasargode, Kerala.He
        told the Business Standard that "the endosulfan issue was exaggerated. Agricultural
        experts have already questioned the methods adopted by the New Delhi based NGO-Centre
        for Science and Environment and found their study inaccurate, contradictory in itself
        and results misleading."  | 
      
      
        | Business Standard, New Delhi, 10th
        September , 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Healthcare
        waste management :  
        An analysis by Down to Earth (May 31, 1991) says, "In 1991, in the UK, a
        hospital incinerator was believed to be the cause behind leukemia which killed a
        citizen-an incident that prompted the much discussed case against the Gateshead Health
        Authority."  | 
      
      
        | Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 09th
        September, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        He brought
        water to a parched land :  
        By conversion of 'Dark Zones' to 'White Zones', Rajendra Singh, this year's Magaysay
        Awardee has created history. By effective water management, he has paved the way for
        social uplift and development through community service. He also received the Down to
        Earth Award. The Magsayay Award will motivate Rajendra Singh to contribute more to a
        social cause.  | 
      
      
        | The Tribune, Chandigarh, 09th September,
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Air Pollution :  
        Delhi's big drive against diesel starts to run out of gas : Delhi is the most polluted
        city in the world in terms of suspended particulate matter, according to the Centre for
        Science and Environment (CSE), an independent New Delhi think-tank. Burning any
        hydrocarbon produces minute particles in the air that can cause cancer and other health
        problems. However, conventional diesel fuel when burned is 100 times more carcinogenic
        than CNG, according to figures from the CSE.  | 
      
      
        | Financial
        Times, London  27th August, 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        NGO trashes myths on
        green fuel :  
        Compressed natural gas does not cause cancer and it is the safest fuel, asserted an
        environmental group while trying to dispel "myths" surronding the gas. In an
        exhuastive report, the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment said the fuel
        was a much cleaner option than made out and rebutted various arguements against CNG.  | 
      
      
        | The Asian Age, New Delhi, 24th August 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        CNG :  
        Any takers for suggestions :  
        "The MRTH (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways) has set very poor emission norms
        for CNG vehicles, which do not help the city of Delhi get the full benefits of moving to
        CNG and allow very poor technology to come on to the roads," says Dr Anil Agarwal,
        Chairperson, Centre for Science and Environment. | 
      
      
        | The Pioneer, New Delhi, 24th August 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        CNG conversion makes a
        dent into revenue collection :  
        The continued drop in consumption of diesel and related petroleum products due to hastened
        pace of commercial and private vehicles switching to eco-friendly CNG fuel is expected to
        have a cascading effect on revenue collections of the Delhi Government which is already
        reeling under a Rs. 300 crore cut in Central assistance. Delhi's Finance Minister was also
        critical of the Centre for Science and Environment for rushing to the media on the
        imposition of sales tax issue without ascertaining the true facts.  | 
      
      
        | The Hindu, New Delhi, 24th August 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Gas station to be
        restored in 2 weeks :  
        Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) assured that the gas-run compressor that caught fire at the
        Sarai Kale Khan gas station would be restored in two weeks. IGL managing director A.K.De
        said "the damage to the compressor is not much. We would be able to restore it in 15
        days," he said. The Centre for Science and Environment has criticised the poor safety
        measures for CNG vehicles.  | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, 22th August 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        'Saathis's
        move shortsighted' :  
        The Centre for Science and Environment has criticised the Delhi Finance Minister,
        Mr. Mahender Singh Saathi, for proposing to impose sales tax on eco- friendly CNG fuel in
        the near future and termed it as a policy designed for 'shortsighted gains".  | 
      
      
        | The Hindu, New Delhi, 22th August
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        CNG tax flayed :  
        Centre for Science and Environment criticised the Delhi finance minister Mahender
        Singh Saathi's decision to impose sales taxes on compressed natural gas. "Nowhere in
        the world are environmentally cleaner products taxed highly, putting them at a
        disadvantage vis-a-vis the polluting ones." | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, New Delhi, 21th August 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        CNG :  
        Transporters queer pitch; CSE attacks Delhi govt : The Centre for Science and
        Environment (CSE) said that the Delhi Government had done nothing on its own to
        implement the CNG order. On the contrary, it was out to destroy concumer interest by
        proposing a hike in sales tax on CNG.  | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, 21th
        August 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Smell the
        air, Minister :  
        The Chairperson of Delhi based NGO Centre for Science and Environment in an article
        in The Indian Express has said that "the unseemly politicisation of the CNG issue in
        Delhi, with rival parties busy accusing each other for the ongoing mess and demanding an
        alternative fuel, shows how little our leaders care about the environment, public health
        and just plain commitment of purpose." | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, 20th
        August 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Out of steam
        :  
        From 1998, the pollution in Delhi has visibly reduced. The concentration of suspended
        particulate matter (SPM), carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide at the busy ITO intersection
        has come down by 15 per cent, 34.5 per cent and 11 per cent respectively. Says Anumita Roy
        Choudhary, coordinator, Centre for Science and Environment :"We are very late in
        stipulating fuel standards. By coverting to CNG, we have made a quantum jump." | 
      
      
        | India Today, New Delhi, 20th August 2001, | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Greens wage duel over
        clean fuel as IIT study debunks CNG :  
        The pro-CNG camp, mostly environmentalists from the Centre for Science and Environment
        say the cleanest diesel vehicle, emits five times more particulate matter than a CNG one,
        as well as more nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. Anti-CNG campaigns, they add, are
        "disinformation exercises" intended to cause confusion and delay implementation
        of the court's orders.  | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, Mumbai, 19th August
        2001 | 
      
      
         | 
      
      
        More motorists
        prefer LPG to CNG as fuel :  
        As the Delhi Government grapples with infrastructural bottlenecks thrown up by the Supreme
        Court order to convert all diesel-run vehicles into CNG- operated ones, more motorists
        seem to prefer liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as fuel for their vehicles.The market is
        dotted with vendors who have set up shops to sell LPG conversion kits, a survey by the Centre
        for Science and Environment (CSE) reveals. | 
      
      
        | Business Line, New Delhi, 6th August 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        'There is no
        safety check for CNG vehicles' : 
        In principle, CNG is a very safe fuel but then there is hardly any specific safety
        standard," says Anil Aggarwal, director of Centre for Science and Environment
        (CSE) which has been arguing for the use of CNG in public transport.  | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, 6th
        August 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Digvijay calls
        for a water revolution :  
        The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Digvijay Singh, has said that after the phenomenal
        success of the Pani Roko Abhiyan (water coservation campaign) launched earlier this year,
        all efforts should now be geared towards institutionalizing it into a state wide
        campaign.He stated this at a general body meeting for the Rajiv Gandhi Mission for
        Watershed Management in Bhopal.The Chief Minister concurred with the views of Mr. Anil
        Agrawal of the Centre for Science and Environment and said that plans should be
        prepared for building on the successes achieved on various fronts in the state. | 
      
      
        | The Hindu, New Delhi, 5th August 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        He greens the land in several
        deeper shades : 
        Rajendra Singh won this year's Ramon Magsaysay award for initiating a rainwater harvesting
        project in the remote village of Bhaonta Kolyala in Rajasthan's Alwar district. The
        project has grown to encompass the Sariska region. President K R Narayanan confered the Down
        to Earth Joseph C John Award on the people of Bhaonta Kolyala in recognition of the
        community's role in reviving the river.  | 
      
      
        | The Pioneer, New Delhi, 5th August 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Magsaysay for Water Man
        Rajendra Singh : 
        Water Man Rajendra Singh who heads the NGO Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS) involved in watershed
        management projects in Alwar district, has been given the Ramon Magsaysay Award. The award
        has come as an embarrassment to the Rajasthan government which had been threatening to
        demolish an earthen dam built by the TBS at Lawa Ka Bas, claiming it posed a danger to
        several villages. A delegation of eminent persons under the Centre for Science and
        Environment including M S Swaminathan had visited the dam site and found it to be safe,
        which forced the state government to hold its decision to demolish the dam.  | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, New Delhi, 31st
        July, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Global warming: A hoax? : 
        Sunita Narain, Director, Centre for Science and Environment on the topic of global warming
        says "our politicians have no clue that climate convention negotiations are hard
        economic negotiations. As yet developing country negotiators, including India, have shown
        little politican sagacity in these deliberations."  | 
      
      
        | The Economic Times, New Delhi, 31st
        July, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Drought in reforms, but
        who owns the rain? :  
        In March this year, Lava Ka Baas villagers, all of 500 or so in number, decided to build a
        check dam on the Ruparel river. But barely was the dam ready, when officials of the
        irrigation department from the Rajasthan government came along to demolish it, citing that
        the dam was in violation of a water sharing agreement signed in 1910 between the erstwhile
        states of Alwar and Bharatpur. At this point the Centre for Science and Environment came
        to the support of the villagers and put together a team consisting M S Swaminathan and
        other eminent people who visited the village. The dam was examined and found to be safe.  | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, New Delhi, 29th
        July, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Just a load of gas :
         
        The Bhure Lal Committee (BLC) on whose recommendations the Supreme Court ordered that all
        diesel vehicles be withdrawn from Delhi roads on March 31, 2001 include bureaucrats from
        the ministries of transport, environment and petroleum, the director of the Centre for
        Science and Environment, CPCB and the managing director of Maruti.How many of these
        gentlemen are "technically competant" to decide on pollution is not known.
        Author : Duno Roy,  | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, 18th
        July, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Call to promote rainwater
        harvesting :  
        "Intense rainwater harvesting alone can prevent cities from becoming water
        parasites," said the environmental analyst, Mr. Anilkumar Agarwal. Addressing the
        media, Mr. Agarwal who is the chairpserson of the Centre for Science and Environment, said
        the rainwater harvesting and conservation techniques would definitely meet any city's
        requirement's , particularly in the region where there is intrusion of sea water. | 
      
      
        | The Hindu, Chennai, 18th
        July, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Another monsoon to go
        down the drain : 
        It was on June 12 last year before the monsoon struck the capital that a letter from the
        Delhi Chief Minister's Office, was despatched to five residents' welfare associations
        (RWAs) who had shown "keen interest and desire to work in the field of rainwater
        harvesting in their respective areas". Since then began the "continuous
        ordeal" for the functionaries of these RWAs attending workshops regarding rainwater
        harvesting organised by the DJB, CGWC and Centre for Environment and Science (CES) at
        regular intervals.   | 
      
      
        | The Hindu, New Delhi, 9th July, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Tree-a missile against
        pollution : 
        The industries and vehicles are the main contributors of pollution load from human
        activities. According to a study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment, air
        pollution kills a person every hour and 60 per cent persons are suffering from asthma or
        other breathing problems in Delhi.  | 
      
      
        | The Tribune, Chandigarh, 9th July, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Despite officials,
        villagers' little dam to stay : 
        The construction of a check dam on one of the tributaries of the Ruparel river at
        Lawakabas, at Thanagazi Tehsil in Alwar district, Rajasthan, pitted villagers against
        local bureaucrats: the irrigation department said the dam should go, while the villagers,
        who have invested their blood, sweat and life savings on the structure, said they would
        protect it with their lives. The matter has now been resolved, following the intervention
        of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who had also inaugurated the dam. The Centre for
        Science and Environment organised a meeting of the district magistrate, engineers of the
        state irrigation department and the Chief Minisger, where it was decided that the dam
        would not be  demolished.  | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, 4th
        July, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Ethanol, the national
        brew :  
        In the article "Ethanol, the political brew (June 26) by Anil Agarwal and Sunita
        Narain, the authors have accused me of implementing ethanol pilot projects because of
        political lobbies. Iam pained that such an allegation has been made on an issue which is
        widely appreciated as it is for the benefit of the country's economy.  
        Author : Ram Naik - the author is minister of petroleum and natural gas,
        Government of India | 
      
      
        | Business Standard, New Delhi, July 4th,
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Shoddy monitoring blamed
        for vehicular pollution :  
        Despite alarmingly high levels of air pollution across the country, compliance with the
        prescribed pollution control standards continues to be lax among the public, a situation
        made worse by an poor quality of infrastructure for monitoring vehicular emissions. A
        report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) found the level of monitoring to be
        appalling throughout the country.   | 
      
      
        | Central Chronicle, Bhopal, July 2nd,
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Conserve water, says
        Governor : 
        A two-pronged strategy was needed for solving Jharkhand's drinking water problem as well
        as irrigational needs, said Bihar's Governor Mr Prabhat Kumar. The need of the hour was to
        manage the existing 400 watersheds in Jharkhand scientifically. He also called upon the
        Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) for a baseline survey for Jharkhand. He stated
        this in a function jointly organised by CSE, New Delhi and Prabhat Khabar. | 
      
      
        | The Hindustan Times, Ranchi, 17th
        June, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        | DTC will ply airconditioned buses
        : The first airconditioned bus of the Delhi Transport Corporation will be inaugurated
        soon. The experimental scheme of the luxury buses has been welcomed by the city
        environmentalists. Air pollution expert with the Centre for Science and Environment, a
        city based environment NGO, said "The air conditioned bus is a good strategy to
        control the car population of the city."  | 
      
      
        | The Asian Age, New Delhi, 22nd June,
        2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Indian rivers "dying
        a slow death" :  
        The Ganga, or Ganges, which runs through one of the most densely populated areas in the
        world, home to nearly 400 million people, is also heavily polluted. As access to sewer and
        sanitation facilities in the river basin is so scarce, dozens of cities spew millions of
        gallons of untreated human and industrial waste into its sluggish waters. "Once you
        could see river dolphins in Ganga near Varanasis city, now even fish are few in
        number," a spokesman for the Centre for Science and Environment said, adding that
        "all rivers in India are grossly over-exploited and heavily polluted."  | 
      
      
        | Edie Weekly Summaries, UK, 15th
        June, 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Parting the waters :
         
        The message of community based water harvesting is spreading not just in India but also
        globally. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) now sees "increasing water
        harvesting and conservation" as a key challenge for ensuring water and food security.
         
        Authors : Anil Agarwal & Sunita Narain | 
      
      
        | Business Standard, New Delhi, 12th
        June, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        CNG vs. diesel : 
        When lead was considered a dangerous additive to petrol, it was slowly reduced and
        removed. It was replaced by benzene. Benzene was started with a higher percentage but now
        reduced to 1 per cent for metros. As Dr. Anil Agarwal said, we start with the assumption
        that a new additive is not dangerous till we find out that new additives also create new
        problems.  | 
      
      
        | The Hindu, New Delhi, 12th June, 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Environmentalgovernance :
         
        Environment is a subject of state policy in India. Since 1974 we have enacted numerous
        environment-related legislations and have set up a number of government departments and
        institutions to oversee the implementatio of these legislations. In fact the government
        has been so much enthusiastic about environment that very soon we might see the number of
        our environment related legislations reaching that magic double century mark.  
        Author : Chandra Bhushan  | 
      
      
        | The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 5th
        June, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Watermanagement holds the
        key :  
        For understand the power of rain : the most fluid substance known. Even fewer understand
        its potential. Given Indias national average rainfall of 1,100 mm and a land area of
        300 million hectares, if the rain that falls between 1-2 per cent of Indias land
        mass is captured, this is enough to meet the  drinking water requirements of a
        billion people at a liberal 15 litres per person per day. 
        Author : Dr. Indira Khurana  | 
      
      
        | The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 5th
        June, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Greenratings must run
        deep :  
        Easily the most interesting work with Indian industry has been done by the Centre for
        Science and Environment (CSE). This NGO is known for its flaming battles with corporates
        and its willingness to name them for what it believes they may be doing wrong.  | 
      
      
        | The Financial Express, New Delhi, 5th
        Juen, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Everyones business
        :  
        Nearly four years after its fourth Citizens Report on the State of Indias
        Environment with the focus on "Dying Wisdom : Rise, Fall and Potential of
        Indias Harvesting Systems", the Centre for Science and Environment has come out
        with a follow-up that seeks to make water-harvesting everyones business.  | 
      
      
        | The Hindu, New Delhi, 3rd June, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        The good news is in the
        papers :  
        Concerned journalism pitches in for water conservation in Madhya Pradesh. Nayi Duniya and
        Dainik Bhaskar, two Hindi dailies in Indore, were already reporting diligently on the
        water crisis, from the unfortunate fallouts to plans to salvage the situation. In the
        meantime, environmentalists like Anil  Aggarwal and Centre for Science and
        Environment are all praise for the role of the two papers. In his editorial in the latest
        issue of Down to Earth, he commends the efforts by saying that the newspapers are
        campaigning "more like activists rather than the usual bickering but hands-off
        journalists. | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, 27th
        May, /2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Withwater flows social
        change :  
        The book Making Water Everybodys Business denies the politicians the
        opportunity to hijack the issue to serve their purposes. The report contains answers to
        chronic droughts in the country. The answer lies in simple water harvesting methods, which
        are cost-effective and people-oriented. The report from the Centre for Science and
        Environment comes as a sequel to Dying Wisdom: Rise, Fall and Potential of Indias
        Traditional Water Harvesting Systems published in 1997.  | 
      
      
        | The Pioneer, New Delhi, 26th May, 2001 | 
      
      
         
  | 
      
      
        'Water should be
        everybody's business' :  
        Water is too serious an issue to be left solely to the government, hence water must become
        everybody's business, and for that water movement at the grassroots is a must, says a book
        released in Kathmandu. The book-Making Water Everybody's Business: Practice and Policy of
        Water Harvesting-also asserts that where there is rainfall-however meagre-there is hope.
        Edited by Anil Agarwal, Sunita and Indira Khurana, the book is published by New Delhi
        based Centre for Science and Environment, and tells its readers "all about the people
        and communities who are celebrating the wisdom of rainwater".  | 
      
      
        | The
        Kathmandu Post, Kathmandu, 16th May, 2001  | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        The CNG conundrum :
         
        The Supreme Court in July 28, 1998 gave the ruling that all buses in the city of Delhi
        including those of the DTC will run on CNG fuel by September 30,2001. To explore the
        possibility of CNG and other fuels, a committee was set-up under the chairmanship of Bhure
        Lal, a senior bureaucrat. Other members of this committee known as Environmental Pollution
        (Pollution and Control) Authority included Jagdish Khattar, Anil Agarwal and DK Biswas.  | 
      
      
        | Rashtriya Sahara, New Delhi, May 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Lessons from Dewas :
         
        April 2, 2001 will go down as a sad day in the history of India's environmental movement.
        Four poor tribals were shot dead by the forest and district administration in Dewas
        district of Madhya Pradesh. Their crime : cutting trees for beams to support the ceilings
        of their houses. We must change our laws to allow people to participate in the management
        of their resources.  
        Authors : Anil Agarwal & Sunita Narain  | 
      
      
        | Business Standard, New Delhi, 15th
        May,2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        From brown to green :
         
        The Centre for Science and Environment a non-profit organisation based in Delhi organised
        a visit for a group of water management enthusiasts from all across India to villages in
        Rajasthan managing water sustainably.  | 
      
      
        | The Pioneer, New Delhi, 13th May, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        No fear of CNG supply
        crisis, says Indraprastha :  
        The city of Delhi will not face any CNG supply crisis, Indraprastha Gas Limited, the sole
        supplier of the fuel, has said. Supporting the IGLs claim, Ms Anumita Roy Chowdhury,
        an air pollution expert with the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi based
        environment NGO, said, "It has been observed that the present tendency is to create a
        fear of scarcity of CNG." | 
      
      
        | The Asian Age, New Delhi, 1st May,
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Incompetenceat its best :
         
        Despite the growing urban mayhem in city after city and town after town, neither the
        central government nor any of the state governments have found a way to deal with the
        problem even as urban India fast drives itself into an abyss. As a result, it is the
        courts and public-spirited citizens who are taking up the cudgels to get the government to
        clean up its act. Authors : Anil Agarwal & Sunita Narain  | 
      
      
        | Business Standard, New Delhi, 1st
        May, 2001 | 
      
      
         
  | 
      
      
        Making Water
        Everybodys Business : 
        Practice and Policy of Water Harvesting continues where the book Dying Wisdom : Rise, Fall
        and Potential of Indias Traditional Water Harvesting Systems finished. The book
        documents traditions, practices and technologies, and addresses policy issues. It also
        assesses state government efforts to deal with draught.  | 
      
      
        | The Asian Age, New Delhi, 29th April , 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        A rainwater harvesting
        tip :  
        Befriend thy neighbour : For Delhiites, harvesting water to recharge underground acquifers
        is still a novel concept. However with the level of groundwater having dropped up to six
        to eight metres at some places, it may soon be the only way out of the citys water
        crisis. For more information on rain water harvesting contact : Centre for Science and
        Environments Water Harvesting Cell : 6083394. | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, 30th
        April, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Savewater for prosperity,
        posterity :  
        According to Mr Anil Agarwal, chairperson of Centre for Science and Environment, community
        water harvesting is as much important today as it was ever. According to him, "It
        does not matter how much rain you get, if you dont capture it, you can still be
        short of water." | 
      
      
        | The Financial Express, New Delhi, 29th
        April, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        CNG accidents revive
        debate on cleaner fuel option :  
        The Center for Science and Environment, which has been very vocal about the benefits of
        CNG says "disinformation" was being spread about CNG. "The immediate
        priority was to reduce the air pollution and CNG is best suited for this. The whole
        problem started because the inaction of the Delhi government," said coordinator of
        Right to Clean Air Campaign at the CSE, Ms Anumita Roy Chowdhary.  | 
      
      
        | The Asian Age, New Delhi, 29th April,
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Water-rich village in
        arid Rajasthan :  
        Nimbi village in Rajasthan once a water-scarce village dependent solely on the vagaries of
        weather, now has a perennial water source in a reservoir restored in 1995 by its people.
        On Earth Day, a host of experts, officials and journalists were invited to Nimbi to see
        the success story themselves. The event organized by the Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS) and the
        Center for Science and Environment (CSE), was dubbed the National Water Conference.  | 
      
      
        | Central Chronicle, Bhopal, 25th
        April, 2001, | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Rajasthanvillage learns
        to harvest water again, reaps riches :  
        From being a drought-prone land Nimbi village in Rajasthan has become a source of income
        for people from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Bangladesh and Madhya
        Pradesh for six months every year and in turn they receive Rs 3,000 per bigha-this is for
        the same land which a few years earlier no one wanted to buy for Rs 1,000 per bigha.
        Behind all this is the effort of Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS) an NGO working in the field of
        water harvesting in many villages in Alwar district. They were involved in building build
        dams or johads, and repairing existing ones. | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, April 24th,
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Lessonsfor the Third
        World :  
        If the US President rejects the Kyoto Treaty in order to harm the worlds richest and
        most developed economy, then his rejection bestows on Third World countries the right to
        tell their international financiers and donors not to sacrifice further their development
        projects at the altar of environment. An excellent state-of-the-art review of natural
        sinks and their role is contained in the February 28, 2001 issue of Down to Earth, a
        fortnightly published by the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment.  | 
      
      
        | The Hindu, New Delhi, 24th April, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Neemian oasis in desert : 
        When almost all parts of Rajasthan are reeling under severe drought, Neemi village in
        Rajasthan is a veritable oasis in the desert. Water, the most precious commodity these
        days, is available at just three feet depth in the village while the ground water table is
        recedng as deep as thirty feet at other places. It is all because of the effort of the
        villagers of Neemi and Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS).  | 
      
      
        | Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 23rd April,
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Nationalwater conference
        begins in Neemi :  
        Having set an example in water harvesting, Neemi village is hoting the three day national
        conference on water, being attended by leading social activists and experts associated
        with the water conservation movement in the  country. The National Water Conference
        "rashtriya jal sammelan"  was organised in Neemi village of Rajasthan by
        Jal Biradari (Water Community), Tarun Bharat Sangh and Centre for Science and Environment,
        New Delhi.  | 
      
      
        | Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 23rd Apri,
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Waterharvesting a
        resounding success in Nimbi :  
        An initial investment of Rs 5 lakh yields over Rs. 45 lakh annually:even in terms of pure
        economics, water harvesting exercise in the Rajasthan village of Nimbi has been a
        resounding success. A host of experts, officials and media persons were invited here in
        this village to witness the success story for themselves. The event was organised  by
        Tarun Bharat Sangh and Centre for Science and Environment, was named the National Water
        Conference. | 
      
      
        | The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 23rd
        April, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Harvestingbenefits of old
        technique :  
        Barely six years ago, Nimbi was a patch of barren land, with parched land and dried up
        water sources. But now it has become a virtual oasis with enormous greenery and
        vegetation. In fact, it is the revival of the old harvesting system that has changed the
        face of the village. Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), a non-governmental organisation is the
        guiding force behind this revolution, that was instrumental in changing even the life
        style of the people of the region.  | 
      
      
        | The Pioneer, New Delhi, 23rd April, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
         | 
      
      
        Chaoson Delhis
        roads :  
        The diesel lobby which includes truck manufacturers, have launched a whispering campaign
        that CNG, while not emitting lead, sulphur dioxides or suspended particulate matter (SPM)
        is responsible for releasing tiny particles in the atmosphere which can lodge in the lungs
        and cause severe problems. They conveniently omit to mention that this is precisely what
        environmental groups like the Centre for Science and Environment have been alleging about
        diesel. | 
      
      
        | Newstime, Hyderabad, 19th April,
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Americanssupported the
        CNG campaign for cleaner air :  
        Refusing to get involved in the debate over the merits of one fuel over another, CSE chief
        Anil Agarwal said : "To my mind entering into a debate over whether Compressed
        Natural Gas was the right alternative is anti national because the highest court of the
        land has already given its verdict on the issue."  | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, 18th
        April, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Muchado about CNG :
         
        The Supreme Court order to convert public transport vehicles was given nearly three years
        ago. To implement the order would have meant grappling with technological complexities and
        taking advantage of market dynamics. But why should a disinterested bureaucracy do all
        this? When the alternative is just so much simpler! Every action to clean Delhis
        smog has happended not because of a competent government but in spite of an incompetent
        government. (Authors : Anil Agarwal & Sunita Narain)  | 
      
      
        | Business Standard, New Delhi, 17th
        April, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Greenand bear it :
         
        With Delhis high pollution levels, drastic steps are needed to prevent children
        dying from breathing foul air, says Anil Agarwal, Director, Centre for Science and
        Environment (CSE). | 
      
      
        | India Today, New Delhi, April 16th 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Wheredo we get CNG out of
        Delhi, ask tour operators :  
        The Supreme Court in its March 26 order had asked the Bhure Lal Committee to examine if
        diesel containing 0.05 per cent of sulphur could be considered as a clean fuel. Though the
        committee is yet to submit its report, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), whose
        director Anil Aggarwal is also a member of the committee, has rejected ULSD. The committee
        is supposed to submit its findings on April 27. | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, 11th
        April, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Indiancities fighting for
        clean air :  
        Chandrachur, researcher at the Centre for Science and Environment on the issue of CNG says
        that "Though many cities have not done much on controlling pollution, yet some are
        waking up to the pollution threat and a lot of locals have taken to courts. The action
        groups in Mumbai have filed public interest litigation against polluting vehicles, while
        in Calcutta the State Government took the lead in fighting noise pollution".  | 
      
      
        | Central Chronicle, Bhopal, 9th
        April, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Wakeup to the dangers of
        pollution :  
        Tavleen Singh in an article which appeared in The Sentinel on the chaos in Delhis
        public transport system caused by the CNG problem quoted Anil Aggarwal as saying
        "Fundamentally, it is the fault of the Delhi Government  but, yes, there is a
        shortage of CNG, and that is the responsibility of  the Central Government".  | 
      
      
        | The Sentinel,Guwahati, 9th April, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        CNG buses failed in
        Houston :  
        Speaking to The Hindustan Times on the CNG issue the Chief Minister of Delhi Shiela
        Dikshit said "there are lobbies working in this-one is pro-and the other is anti-CNG.
        Anil Aggarwal of Centre for Science and Environment has been pushing for CNG, and it was
        probably on the basis of his inputs to the Bhure Lal Committee that CNG was presented to
        the court as a clean fuel".  | 
      
      
        | The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 8th
        April, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        New improved diesel
        matches CNG emission standards :  
        The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has accused TERI of attempting to resurrect
        the diesel versus CNG debate to create confusion and  delay
        implementation of the Supreme Court order.  | 
      
      
        | The Telegraph, Calcutta, 8th April
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        All for a whiff of clean
        air : 
        The imbroglio in the capital over the Supreme Courts decision of mandatory
        transformation of all diesel buses to compressed natural gas mode has led to among other
        chaotic things-a crossing of swords between two leading environment groups, Tata Energy
        Research Institute (TERI) and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The evidence cited
        by one has continuously been pooh-poohed by the other confusing the people at large.  | 
      
      
        | Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 8th April,
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        SupremeCourt is the hero
        of this story : 
        Tavleen Singh in an article in The Tribune on the chaos in Delhis public transport
        system caused by the CNG problem quoted Anil Aggarwal as saying "Fundamentally, it is
        the fault of the Delhi Government but, yes, there is a shortage of CNG, and that is the
        responsibility of the Central Government".  | 
      
      
        | The Tribune, Chandigarh, 7th April,
        2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Catcha falling raindrop : 
        "The north eastern Indian village of Cherrapunji, with an annual rainfall of 15,000
        mm, is officially recorded as facing a water shortage because the torrential downpours are
        allowed to run off," points out Anil Agarwal, director of CSE, during last
        months launch of Making Water Everybodys Business, a 450-page handbook on
        water harvesting.  | 
      
      
        | The Financial Express, New Delhi, 6th
        April, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Confusionover CNG :
         
        While all those orders of the Supreme Court directed towards the corporate sector-public
        or private-have resulted largely in action, orders to the government-state or central-have
        usually resulted in total chaos. In April 1999, the Supreme Court gave the auto industry
        just about two months to move its engines to Euro and about 11 months to move to Euro II.
        The auto industry met these conditions. (Author : Anil Agarwal,  | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, New Delhi, 6th
        April, 2001 | 
      
      
          | 
      
      
        Clean fuel, stranded city
        :  
        The arson and rioting by angry Delhi commuters during the first week of April, 2001
        because of shortage of public transport was inevitable. It was brought on by the Centre
        and Delhi Governments, even after the expiry of the Supreme Court imposed March 31
        deadline for the conversion of public transport into CNG. Anil Aggarwal of Centre for
        Science and Environment (a staunch supporter of CNG) and member of the Bhure Lal Committee
        constituted by the Supreme Court to look into the matter of CNG along with other members
        gave the consent for the CNG technology. | 
      
      
        | The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 8th
        April, 2001 | 
      
      
         
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        | US stance on emissions
        angers CSE : Upset by the silence of the Indian government on the American
        refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, the Centre for Science and Environment said the US
        should be declared a rogue nation "for this act of extreme selfishness".  | 
      
      
        | The Hindu, New Delhi, 4th April, 2001 | 
      
      
         
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        | Studentsto save the
        Yamuna : Student volunteers of We For Yamuna are doing pioneering
        work to save the river from its present plight. The group had organised a seminar
        addressing the water problems of Delhi and it was also attended by Anil Aggarwal, director
        of the Centre for Science ad Enviroment.  | 
      
      
        | The Statesman, New Delhi, 3rd April,
        2001 | 
      
      
         
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        Slow poisoning :
         
        The Centre for Science and Environment, a leading organisation, has made a number of
        startling disclosures. According to their report, one out of every ten schoolchildren in
        New Delhi has asthma, thanks to vehicular air pollution. | 
      
      
        | The Statesman, New Delhi, 2nd April,
        2001 | 
      
      
         
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        Firstgreen scientist
        award :  
        Dr Vinod Prakash Sharma, a malarial scientist who uses people assisted, environment
        friendly methods to control the disease in India, has won the first green scientist
        award. The award is instituted by the science and environment fortnightly Down
        to Earth. | 
      
      
        | Newstime, Hyderabad, 1st April,
        2001 | 
      
      
         
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        Malaria expert Sharma
        wins first Green Scientist Award :  
        Dr. Vinod Prakash Sharma, a malarial scientist who uses people assisted,
        environment-friendly methods to control the disease in the country, has won the first
        Green Scientist Award. The award is instituted by Centre for Science and Environment.  | 
      
      
        | The Asian Age, New Delhi, 1st April,
        2001 | 
      
      
         
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        Green Scientist award
        presented :  
        The former union finance minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, presented the first Green Scientist
        Award instituted by the Centre for Science and Environment to Dr. Vinod Prakash
        Sharma-founder Director of Malaria Research Centre-for his pioneering work in controlling
        malaria.  | 
      
      
        | The Hindu, New Delhi, 1st April, 2001 | 
      
      
         
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        Malaria expert awarded : 
        Excessive bureaucratisation of Indian Science was becoming extremely detrimental to its
        cause," said former Union finance minister Manmohan Singh while giving away the first
        Green Scientist Award to Malaria Research Centres founder-director Dr Vinod Prakash
        Sharma. The award is instituted by the Centre for Science and Environment. | 
      
      
        | The Indian Express, New Delhi, 1st
        April, 2001 | 
      
      
         
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        Indias capital
        enforces use of clean fuel to cut pollution : 
        The Centre for Science and Environment one of leading environmental NGOs, has welcomed the
        Supreme Court verdict of 26th March that all of 12,000 buses currently on the roads and
        thousands of three-wheeled rickshaws in Delhi must be converted to CNG by 30th September.
        CSE further said that the extension of the deadline for conversion of buses to CNG should
        come with the personal accountability of the Delhi Government.  | 
      
      
        | The Statesman, New Delhi, 1st April,
        2001 | 
      
      
         
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        Who is afraid of
        pollution? : 
        Adulteration is about pure economics, the environment be damned. So prevalent is the
        malaise of fuel adulteration that vehicle owners have all but given up. Environmentalist
        and winner of Norman Borlaug award, Anil Aggarwal admits "it is indeed a big
        problem."  | 
      
      
        | The Times of India, New Delhi, 1st
        April, 2001 |