Layered coffee, fresh mountain air, hot tea on balmy afternoons…Susanna Myrtle Lazarus experiences the best of Coorg from the comfort of a resort nestled in the lush Western Ghats.

It’s so foggy over Mangalore airport that my flight is in danger of being sent back to Bangalore to wait for the skies to clear. That’s the last thing I want after an early morning flight from Chennai; mercifully, the weather gods hear my plea, and I’m soon on terra firma and on my four-hour-long journey by road to Club Mahindra’s Virajpet resort.

We only break for a cup of delicious layered coffee at K. T. Hotel in Kalladka, an institution of sorts in the area. Situated a fair distance away from Virajpet town, the sprawling property has wide open spaces and well-maintained gardens with a plethora of flowers. Yashodha, a cheerful young girl in sari draped the Coorgi way, welcomes me — she smears a touch of sandalwood paste on my forehead and places a coffee-bean garland around my neck. (Later in the day, she patiently teaches me how to drape the elegant style.) I realise right away that this is one of those places you want to just relax — sip hot tea on the balcony overlooking the swimming pool and the forests beyond and read a book, and that’s exactly what I do.

Rooms are spaced far enough that it’s easy to forget there are other people in the neighbourhood. But there’s also a well-stocked recreational centre for the socially inclined — board games, table tennis, AV room for movies, and an entire room dedicated to gaming consoles, apart from play areas for kids. Preparations are on to expand these facilities with workshops, tattoo artists, and art and craft classes. Every block of rooms is named after a type of butterfly — I’m in Clipper, and it’s one of the larger rooms with a separate sitting room, bedroom, dining table and kitchenette. I visit one of the studio rooms and find it to have the same facilities, albeit in a smaller space. Both rooms have couches that can be pulled out to from an extra bed.

The restaurant, Aromas, is multi-cuisine and serves a widespread buffet along with live counters for dosas, parathas, rotis, pastas and kebabs. Every evening, the brightly-coloured space hosts a food theatre. On day one, guests come together to create a giant pizza. The next day, diners pour juices into a huge vat to make a mocktail that’s served with dinner. It’s fun and gets everyone in the restaurant involved. One particularly boisterous gentleman is more excited than both his kids — he sings and dances along with the cartoon characters that accompany the activity.

Sanil, the in-house entertainer, welcomes the guests with song as they check in. During dinner, he moves from table to table with his guitar, mostly strumming Kishore Kumar numbers. I ask for a Tamil song for a change and he belts out Why this Kolaveri and much to my surprise, a lot of guests join in! Sightseeing is optional, and not advisable if you don’t like travelling long distances over terribly bumpy roads.

However, the travel desk is happy to organise a short trip to Kabbe Hills, Chelavara Falls and Nalknad Palace and a spa trip to Mahindra’s Madikeri resort (another beautiful property nestled within the forest itself). Although I’ve come prepared for rain and chilly weather, the temperature is balmy throughout my three-day trip. On the last night, as I go to bed after a special tasting of Kodagu cuisine, the rains lash out, making it a pleasant end to my stay. The writer was at the resort on invitation.

-The Hindu, December 1, 2014

Eight years of excavation in the Pattanam region of Kerala yielded artefacts which point towards the existence of a port city called Muziris. PJ Cherian talks to Shrabasti Mallik about their history and how Muziris disappeared

A huge installation of a female figure carved in wood is placed in the centre of the gallery at National Museum. The figurine can be identified either as the Greek Goddess Tyche or the Roman Goddess Fortuna. The installation is actually a replica of the Fortuna Intaglio which dates back to the first century BCE. There is also a range ofamphoras (elongated earthen vessels with handles attached at their necks) from different parts of the Mediterranean landscape. A huge replica of a trench and botanical remains also form the part of an exhibition called Unearthing Pattanam: Histories, Cultures, Crossing, which aims to show visitors the evidences which have been excavated from a small village, Pattanam, near Kochi (in Kerala), giving a glimpse of the existence of Muziris, a prosperous port city that was the heart of the global spice trade more than 2,000 years ago. “But the place mysteriously disappeared somewhere in the 14th century,” says PJ Cherian, director of Kerala Council of Historical Research and the curator of this exhibition.

The wordpattanam has its origin in the Prakrit language and means a ferry, a port or a commercial place. The location of Pattanam, as well as the material evidence unearthed there, point to the possibility that it could have been part of the long lost, legendary port of Murici Pattanam or Muziris, copiously mentioned in Indian and European classical sources. Cherian says that political changes that happened around the world during the beginning of the 14th century can be one of the reasons behind the disappearance of the port. He explains, “The decline of Roman Empire affected the trade between the empire and India. Political patronage is very important for the development and smooth exchange of trade.”

Over 700 exhibits on display dates back to more than 2,000 years and it took almost 300 weeks to dig them.Amphoras are the centre of attraction of the exhibition. There isaqaba (container for fish products, dates or wine from the fifth century), Southern amphora (container for fish sauce and other fish products from the late first century BCE), baetican (container for storing olive oil), koan (from the Greek island of Kos used for storing wine), gaulish (container for wine) and Egyptian amphora (it was used to transport wine along with the vessel). Cherian shares, “These are earthenware jars used by Mediterranean people to store or transport wine, olive oil and fish products. We have excavated around nine different forms of amphoras belonging to different parts of Europe — Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, France and North America.”

There is another assembling of pottery from Mesopotamia and South Arabian regions called turquoise glazed pottery, torpedo jars and ovoid jars. These are stronger and were used to transport edible or expensive products across oceans. “If history and the word of mouth are anything to go by then these jars were used to store date syrups which were sometimes exported,” adds Cherian. He believes that trade exchange is a two-way traffic and is sure about the fact that since most trade exchanges were made from the southern coast, India mostly exported spices. Cherian says, “We have historical evidences that prove it, too. There was a huge European demand for spices and it was because of the resources that South India had, in terms of both medicine and forest goods. India was also providing glass beads for export at one point.” The exhibits at the gallery stand testimony to the fact that South India was perhaps the first place in the country which was accessible for trade and therefore received a huge exposure to the international market.

The reason why South India was successful as a trading port was because of its geographical location. “South India divides the Indian Ocean into two and that benefited the trading ships which were coming from Europe and the Mediterranean land. It was easier for them to locate the land owing to the southern pointy end of the country,” the curator explains.

Each season of an excavation last for three to four months. At the end of the eighth season, Muziris has yielded about 1,29,000 artifacts and 4.5 million pottery shreds. “Whatever is displayed at the National Museum is only a fragment of the entire excavation. We have used the best possible scientific machines and the latest technology available to us. But I hope that the next generation develops tools with which no artefacts will run a chance of being broken during excavations,” said Cherian.

About the plans of beginning the next season of digging at Pattanam early next year the curator says that they do not plan to continue with their excavation and want to devote their time to studies. “We want to conserve something for the future,” he adds. Pattanam, he says, is currently a densely populated area and is in a sorry state. “The place has a whole civilisation beneath it, that, too a rich one — one that has the ability to change the history of the entire landscape and which pertains intricately to our culture. We have already spent 3,000 years without realising it,” he rounds off.

-The Pioneer, December 2, 2014

The Haryana government on Monday agreed to find a positive solution to the drinking water problem in the Capital. “We will discuss all the issues related to the water crisis and come up with a solution taking into account the interests of Delhi and Haryana,” Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khatar said after a meeting with Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu.

The drinking water problem was discussed at length at the meeting convened by Mr. Naidu which was attended by Mr. Khattar and Irrigation Minister of Haryana, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and senior officials of the Urban Development Ministry and the governments of Delhi and Haryana.

The meeting discussed allocation of waters of the Ravi-Beas and Yamuna rivers, and the proportion to be released to different water treatment plants in Delhi as also the directions of the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court regarding the availability of water in the Capital. The agreement on construction of the Munak Canal for carrying Delhi’s share of water and the contribution made by the Delhi government towards that was also discussed. “The L-G and the Chief Secretary of Delhi... sought implementation of the orders of the Delhi High Court. Factoring in an earlier order of the Supreme Court in 1996, we shall very shortly take a positive decision in the best interests of the people of Delhi and Haryana,” said Mr. Khattar.

Later, Mr. Naidu reviewed the progress of different projects and proposals pertaining to Delhi with Mr. Jung, MPs from Delhi, mayors and chief executives of municipal bodies and DDA, and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials. On the issue of the water supply problem in Dwarka , it was decided that DDA would immediately make an advance payment of Rs. 50 crore to DJB besides providing an inventory of assets after which the latter would take over water supply and sewerage in Dwarka.

-The Hindu, December 2, 2014

Nestled between two residential buildings in south Delhi's Gautam Nagar, a Lodi-era monument has served as a makeshift parking lot, dumping ground and haunt for stray dogs for decades. Ornamental designs are still visible on the exterior facade, but new buildings have hemmed in the structure completely. Portions of the tomb's parapet walls seem to have been taken over by one of the adjoining buildings. To salvage Delhi's vanishing heritage, the monument is going to be conserved for the first time by Intach Delhi in collaboration with the department of archaeology.

Under Intach's built heritage listing, the tomb has been graded 'A' in terms of archaeological significance. Located opposite the main road of the colony, the tomb is surrounded by residential buildings but the ones next to the monument have literally eaten into it. "The building has never been conserved and its history is unknown. However, it has striking Lodi architecture features placing it somewhere around 14th or 15th century. The neighbouring building on the right side has taken over some portions of the parapet wall," said an official.

Officials said that fortunately no portions of the monument have been demolished. However, inspection of the right side of the structure has not been done so far due to the new building eating into it. "Inside the monument, the facade is cracking and damaged at several points. We removed the malba that was dumped here. Conservation includes a chemical cleanup by art conservators and restoring old plaster to assess how much of the original surface still exists. This work began in late November and we expect to complete it in two months," added officials.

Local residents have been using the front portion of the tomb for parking. Officials said that this will have to be discouraged once the conservation work is completed. "We cannot allow encroachments or parking misuse around the structure. Local residents, who have been using the tomb and its surroundings for personal use for years, will need to get used to it as it will now be protected government property," said the official.

The Gautam Nagar tomb was part of the original 95 monuments identified by the government and Intach for conservation during Commonwealth Games in 2010. The first phase included protection and conservation of only those monuments located en route to the stadiums or near them. This building and several others were part of the second phase involving larger monuments in prominent locations which did not have many encroachment/legal issues. Once conservation is over, a protected building tag under the Delhi Archaeology Act will ensure the monument remains protected after conservation.

-The Times of India, December 2, 2014

In an effort to understand the early history of our country better, an exhibition on one of India’s most significant archaeological excavations — “Unearthing Pattanam: Histories, Cultures, Crossing” — is on at the National Museum here. The material evidence unearthed at the excavation site, located about 25 km north of Kochi, points to the possibility that Pattanam may have been an integral part of the legendary Port of Muziris.

The Port, which finds a mention in Indian and European classical sources and was the centre of global spice trade more than 2,000 years ago, mysteriously disappeared in the 14th Century. The chronology of the site spans three millennia from circa 1,000 BCE, with evidence of habitation across the Iron Age, the Early Historic, Medieval and the Modern cultural periods.

P.J. Cherian, the curator of the exhibition and the head of the Pattanam excavations, said evidence from the excavation indicates the intercontinental connections India had 2,000 years back. “This is 15 centuries before Vasco da Gama arrived in India, which many consider as the beginning of our contact with Europe,” he added.

Artefacts unearthed range from pottery and jewellery to coins and documents that show how the region was connected to other ports across the world. Apart from displaying the various artefacts that have been unearthed, there is an audio-visual presentation that shows the entire process of excavation. The videos show how meticulous one has to be in maintaining records and how brushing and scraping needs to be done much care or an artefact may be destroyed.

Commenting on the exhibition, Museum Director-General Venu Vasudevan said: “The exhibition is significant, as on the one hand it gives an opportunity to the academic community to critically examine what is a very important archaeological project and on the other, it is also a lively way of showcasing archaeology before a young audience.” The exhibition will kick-start a critical discussion on a range of topics like the maritime history of the Indian subcontinent and what happened to the mysterious Muziris, he added.

The exhibition has been put together by the Kerala Council of Historical Research (KCHR) at the initiative of the National Museum in collaboration with Sahapedia. The exhibition will be on till January 10.

-The Hindu, December 3, 2014

A government panel has cleared 130 projects, including mining pits, power plants and a defence testing site, close to protected wildlife areas. The go-ahead was aimed at addressing industry’s concerns over stalled projects and the panel ensured that adequate safety measures were put in place, a senior ministry official told HT Tuesday. “We have not stopped the projects for unnecessary reasons as it used to happen in the past,” the official said. “Precautions have been taken to ensure that there is minimal adverse impact on wildlife. All projects approved have national importance.”

Limestone quarrying has been allowed at five spots close to Gujarat’s Barda sanctuary — a habitat for endangered spotted eagle and crested hawk eye — in Porbandar. The mines will feed a public sector company’s unit that has come in for severe criticism for discharging affluents into a nearby water body, say the minutes of the meeting, accessed by HT.

The projects were approved on the condition that the unit would get a treatment plant and not discharge any pollutants in the water body, the official said. Three limestone mines will also come up within 6 km of Mukundra Hill Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan. Notified in 2013, Mukundra is the third tiger reserve in the desert state. Environmentalists had protested when mining was allowed in the state’s Sariska reserve.

A truncated National Board for Wildlife standing committee -- comprising two independent members -- met in August and in one sitting cleared all the projects, all of which will come within 10 km of protected areas. Some of the proposals were left undecided by the previous UPA government, often criticised for delaying decisions on projects and adversely hitting investment sentiment. Parliament was informed about the committee’s decision Friday. HT found that only a few projects that came for approval were rejected and some deferred for want of information.

Environment minister Prakash Javadekar, who heads the panel, was not available for comments but had said earlier the ministry was following the mantra of “quick decision without any delay” based on prudent appraisals. An intelligence bureau office will border the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh. In Madhya Pradesh, mining has been allowed within 10 km of Sanjay Tiger Reserve in Sidhi, Son Ghariyal Wildlife Sanctuary and Kanha National Park.

The committee also allowed diversion of forestland from the Kerala’s Periyar Tiger Reserve to increase the height of Kunnar Dam. In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, a Defence Research and Development Organisation testing facility is to come up along the Bay of Bengal coast, close to a rare olive ridley turtle nesting site. The DRDO will, however, no conduct tests between January and May, when the turtles come to nest.

-The Hindustan Times, December 3, 2014

‘The wetlands have shrunk from 68 hectares to 30.6 hectares’

The Uttar Pradesh Government continues to drag its feet on damage caused to the Dadri wetlands in Greater Noida much to the displeasure of the National Green Tribunal. The Tribunal has now asked the government to identify and examine officers in the Ghaziabad Development Authority who gave a go-ahead to Uttam Steel and Shiv Nadar University to carry out construction in the wetland area.

A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar has now sought to know the exact area of the U-shaped Dadri wetlands as they appear in the Survey of India map and who sanctioned the plan for the projects on the ecologically sensitive area.

It also directed the government to explain on what basis an 80-feet wide road is proposed to be made in and over the wetland, which is home to 200 species of rare and migratory birds, as reflected in the Master Plan 2020-21 and what is their present status. Environmental activists Akash Vashishtha and Vikrant Tongad claimed that the wetlands have shrunk from 68 hectares to 30.6 hectares. Their counsel Amit Khemka submitted that construction for a megapolis on the wetlands has damaged it.

The NGT constituted a committee to look into the matter. “We direct all the officers who had dealt with the files of the project proponent in relation to the sanction of the plans should be present before the committee for their examination,” said the Bench also comprising Justice M.S. Nambiar and expert members Dr D.K. Agrawal and professor A.R. Yousuf.

The NGT was informed by the Bulandshahar Development Authority that the plan for all the projects within and around the wetlands were approved by it and the Ghaziabad Development Authority. The BDA said it has identified the officers/persons in the GDA who had handled the file of the project proponent, but said their present postings are not exactly known.

-The Hindu, December 4, 2014

Special emphasis to be laid on green, barrier-free buildings for differently-abled

The guiding principles on which a building will be erected in Delhi are set to become simpler, with special emphasis laid on green buildings, disaster management and barrier-free designs of public buildings for the differently-abled, children and senior citizens. The Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) had recently made a presentation before Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung on Unified Building By-laws (UBBL).

The proposed UBBL have been prepared chapter-wise for better understanding of the common man. It has chapters on procedure for documents for sanction/completion of building plans, MPD-2021, development control regulations, general building requirements, structural safety, building services and regulations notified by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

A new chapter has been added on building regulations notified by the DDA for special area, unauthorised colonies, villages and regularisation of farmhouses and separate sanction process is under evaluation for plots under 100 sq. m. The Commission has stressed on qualification of professionals or contractors.

Besides this, it proposes a five-year validity period for sanction for all buildings, while the 1983 by-laws provided for two-year validity for sanction for residential, industrial and commercial building (four storeyed) and three years for larger complexes and multi-storeyed building.

Fee for alterations, revisions in plans have also been suitably updated, while the need for documents has been simplified. While earlier, provision for architectural features was restricted to a height of 1.5 m, the DUAC proposes to allow it without infringement of covered area and FAR. It has updated provisions on balcony and canopy. The DUAC had received 732 suggestions on simplifying the by-laws. It intends to draft the final UBBL by December 15.

-The Hindu, December 4, 2014

Observing that the presence of a 2-km-long “contaminated water body” in Tughlaqabad was “absolutely unacceptable”, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the authorities to take “urgent remedial measures”.

The court of Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul directed officials of the Delhi Pollution Control Board (DPCB), DDA and DJB to convene a meeting by December 10 and submit a report on possible remedial measures by the next date of hearing on December 24. The direction was issued after the DDA and DJB failed to answer the court’s queries on which agency was responsible for cleaning up the toxic water body.

A PIL was filed earlier this year by local resident Manoj Kumar, claiming that toxic water had accumulated to create an “artificial lake” in the area which was “killing birds, animals and people”. Earlier, the court had directed civic agencies to consider measures to clean up the water.

The water body begins at the southern tip of Tughlaqabad village, adjacent to a slum occupied mostly by migrants, flows under the Tughlaqabad Fort’s outer wall and into the low-lying DDA forest land on the other side. The water has submerged a number of trees in the area. The Ministry of Environment and Forests, in the last hearing, told the court that the contaminant levels in the water were “much higher than acceptable levels”. “It is an admitted position that the water is badly contaminated. This is unacceptable,” the court said, adding that “remedial measures need to be taken urgently, as the water is harmful not only for human population, but also for flora and fauna and causes soil contamination in the area”.

The court directed that a meeting be held among officials concerned “to prepare a roadmap of the remedial measures”. The court also asked for a layout plan of the area along with an aerial or satellite image to ascertain the source of the water trickling into the water body.

-The Indian Express, December 4, 2014

Special teams set up by the ministry of water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation have started submitting their reports. 120 such teams were constituted to study various aspects of 118 places along the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Ramganga.

These places were located in Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar and West Bengal. These teams were asked to find out the latest position of sewage treatment plants located at these places and the types of plantation required along the rivers. The teams were also directed to find out the latest available techniques to modernize these treatment plants to obtain quicker results. Old and non-functional treatment plants will be replaced by new ones. These teams will also recommend necessary measures to be taken immediately to contain pollution in these rivers to the Centre.

In October last, expert teams from the ministry inspected 58 big drains falling into Ganga in Uttarakhand and UP to collect samples. Bharti was herself present during the inspection of drains in Kanpur.

-The Times of India, December 7, 2014

There is a long history of human effort to ward off evil and at times inflict it upon others

“I will show you fear in a handful of dust,” wrote T.S. Eliot. This is what one finds in confirmation at the Yamuna ghat where aghories and tantrics are found, supposedly raising devils from the river sand at midnight. A man named Kapoor went to a tantric seeking help from his archrival, Gupta (both names changed).

He had learnt that the opponent was preparing to release a bloodhandi (vessel full of blood) which would go flying to cause his death. The tantric asked Kapoor to find another tantric who could ward off the fatalhandi by reciting the appropriate mantra to reverse its direction. The other long-held belief is that if a person sees such a handi (in which is a wooden liver and heart submerged in blood that keeps rotating while the handi is in motion) he should sit up and tell the occult vessel to return to the one who sent it. Then the charm is reversed and the rival has little chance of escape.

This piece of research has been done by Vijay N. Shankar of Alaknanda Apartments. Shankar has spent close to five years on such subjects and the result is his treatise, “Shadow Boxing with the Gods”. Another reference by him is to the djinns of Ferozeshah Kotla. When a businessman fell asleep in the Kotla gardens, a djinn who lived nearby appeared to him in a dream and asked the man to get a sackful of charcoal as an offering. The businessman did so and on the next day, a Thursday (sacred to djinns) felt so tired that he fell asleep. Late in the evening when he got up he found that the charcoal had turned into gold coins.

Then there was a homeopath of Gali Bathashan in the Walled City who practiced in a clinic full of dust some years ago. A patient who asked him why he didn’t clean the place was told that a djinn had appeared to him when he used to work as a tailor and told him to cure people instead with a special powder he recommended and also never to clear the dust in which the djinn said he had taken up abode. The patient was given three small sachets of the powder and assured that he would be cured, without the need of a second visit. Hard to believe but not for the one who underwent the cure.

A Tamilian astrologer Shankar chanced to meet had with him palm leaves on which were inscribed in an ancient Tamil script prophecies regarding any individual who happened to seek urgent help. Called Nadi leaf it is believed to have been written upon by Agastya (the Puranic rishi who crossed the Vindhya range into South India never to return again to the North).

Thousands of such leaves are stored in neatly stringed bundles to facilitate sifting by astrologer families in and around the Vaitheeswaram temple of Chennai. Besides fortune telling the Nadi readers also suggest curative measures to overcome problems of karma. The Ganda Nadi talks of a person’s past, present and future and is mostly concerned with material needs.

A contrast to them are the Haridwar registers. The pandas or pandits there show pilgrims who seek their help signed messages written by their forefathers during earlier visits. How they do it is a closely guarded secret of the pandas who have been living on the Ganga banks for hundreds of years. However modern-day pandas, who have taken to computers and smartphones, are sometimes willing to talk about the mystery. There are thousands of red cloth bound registers called Lal Kitab marked with symbols, noting town, family surname and address. When a visitor mentions the name of his forebear and town of origin, the panda is able to find the relevant red book and satisfy his curiosity. This indigenous and ingenious system has worked for centuries.

There is no fear of terror involved here unless one antagonises the pandas. But not so in a Kali temple, where earlier human and now animal sacrifice are made. A holy man much respected by the author, had this to say: “These things crept into religious practices because of powerful priests who have always used fear to overawe followers.

” Eliot had been much influenced by Eastern thought and precepts, ending his famous work, The Wasteland with the words, “Ahom Shanti, Shanti”. And that’s what probably banishes fear as perceived by the poet. The author is a veteran chronicler of Delhi

- The Hindu, December 8, 2014

The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) is yet to get the much-needed `30 crore fund it sought from the Centre for the restoration and conservation of the famous Pashupatinath temple dating fifth century.

Last year, the ASI had submitted a report to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) envisaging `30 crore worth restoration and conservation work at the historic temple. The ASI visited the temple on the request of the Nepal Government in 2012, which had approached the Union Culture Ministry for the restoration work at the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The ASI had pointed out that the historical wooden gates and pillars of the temple have been damaged by moisture and termites because of which they are on the verge of collapse. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the neighbouring country, first in August and then in November, had raised some hopes among the ASI officials who felt that fund will be released soon.

Additional Director General ASI BR Mani said that we have got the information the money has been released, but “we have not received it yet. Once it’s at our disposal, we will start restoration and conservation work.” In August during his visit to the neighbouring country, Modi had announced a grant of `25 crore for 400-bed dharamshala near the Pashupatinath Temple. Mani said that the ASI has nothing to do with the construction. Once the ASI receives funds for the temple restoration, it would be not be the first time that the premier conservation agency would be showcasing its acumen in the neighbouring country.

Way back in the 70s, the ASI has conducted exploration and carried out important excavation in the Terai region of Nepal. In the recent past, the ASI has successfully carried out various archaeological activities abroad including explorations and excavations of ancient sites and conservation and scientific preservation of monuments on the request of the respective countries. To name a few are the structural conservation of Ta Prohm Temple in Cambodia and Wat Phou Temple in Laos, structural conservation and chemical preservation at famous Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan, Angkor Wat in Cambodia and The Ananda Temple in Myanmar.

- The Pioneer, December 8, 2014

The Okhla Bird Sanctuary has recorded a decline in the bird population from earlier this year, say environmentalists. They have noted that the fall could be attributed to the ill-effects of global climatic change which is having an adverse impact on migration with lesser species diversity and population being sighted in Delhi/NCR.

Ecologist T. K. Roy explains: “The overall disturbance in wetland habitat and high public and vehicular thoroughfare are other reasons.” The birds at the Okhla Sanctuary were sighted, numbered and recorded this past weekend under a programme organised by the Delhi Bird Community to popularise birding and bird conservation awareness.

“A birding team participated in this popular event at Okhla Bird Sanctuary on December 6 and recorded an overall total 80 species of both water birds and terrestrial birds,” he added. The final report noted that out of the 80 bird species, 38 species of water birds (13 species of resident water birds and 25 species of winter migratory birds). included three threatened species and a few of the wader species. Forty-two species of terrestrial birds (38 species of resident birds and four species of Indian migratory bird species) were also found.

Bird lovers claimed it is difficult to watch flocks of winter migratory birds easily as most of the species stay in the middle part of the sanctuary/islands due to hyacinth cleaning work except smaller flocks of a few species like common teal, northern shoveler, common pochard, common coot, gadwal and brown-headed gulls in the eastern side during day time.

“Decreasing winter migratory water bird species could be attributed to overall disturbance in wetland habitat due to late cleaning of water hyacinth in the eastern side, heavy public and vehicular thoroughfare and large scale cattle/buffalo grazing,” said Mr Roy. Meanwhile the decrease in the terrestrial bird species is being attributed to over lopping tree canopy on the eastern side, cleaning of ground habitat and increased human activity.

- The Hindu, December 9, 2014

Following a strong letter from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) telling the Environment ministry (MoEF) that its orders violated the Forest Rights Act (FRA), the NDA government has shelved its plans to “rationalise” certain provisions of the FRA through executive orders. On November 12, the MoTA wrote to the MoEF, asking it not to meddle with the FRA and withdraw its October 28 order that allowed district collectors to unilaterally clear diversion of forest land to expedite development projects.

Seeking withdrawal of the order, MoTA secretary Hrushikesh Panda in his letter to Ashok Lavasa, secretary, MoEF, pointed out that “though the Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the nodal ministry of the FRA, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has been issuing advisories to the states relaxing certain provisions of FRA”.

Underlining that the FRA does not provide “any scope to any executive agency for any kind of relaxation” of the applicability of the Act, the MoTA said: “The letter of 28th October takes a short-cut, which can derail the projects completely… The FRA is the law of the land. The above letter violates the law.” Soon after, Panda and Lavasa met on November 17 and the issues, it is learnt, were subsequently discussed between Jual Oram and Prakash Javadekar, the two ministers concerned. The MoEF, claimed sources in the ministry, was forced to accept the MoTA’s position and is working on a face-saver to modify its order.

The MoEF’s October 28 circular had given district collectors unilateral powers to sanction diversion of forest land in areas notified as forest after 1930, the cutoff date for forest rights, and with no record of tribal population as per Census 2001 and 2011. Under the FRA, tribals and other forest dwelling communities have traditional rights over forests and the power to decide, through gram sabhas, if they want to allow diversion of forest land. In a veiled reference to the growing Left-wing extremism in the forested districts across India, the MoTA letter also pointed out: “The recent announcements… of the MoEFCC… have conveyed a message that the Government is against fair implementation of the FRA. This is not desirable in the interest of peace and governance in forest areas.”

Panda and Lavasa were unavailable for comments. At an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by the MoEF secretary on September 25, the ministry proposed exclusion of forest land outside Schedule V (tribal-dominated) areas and those notified as forests after 1930 from the consent clause of the FRA.

In response, the MoTA wrote to the MoEF on October 21, pointing out that “no agency of the government has been vested with powers to exempt application of the act in portion or in full” and any alteration of an Act other than by an amendment passed in Parliament would not be legally tenable.

That did not stop the MoEF from issuing the October 28 order. Armed with the recommendation of the TSR Subramanian committee to exempt liner projects from gram sabha approvals, the government, it is learnt, now plans to bring an amendment bill in the Budget session of Parliament.

- The Indian Express, December 9, 2014

The Centre on Monday admitted for the first time that hydropower projects had “direct and indirect impact in the aggravation of floods” that hit Uttarakhand in 2013, killing hundreds and leaving thousands homeless.

It also said that the projects caused “irreversible damage” to the environment and enhanced landslides and other disasters. Filing its affidavit in the Supreme Court on Monday, the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) conceded that “the maximum damage sites in the disaster affected areas (were) located either upstream or immediately downstream” from these projects.

This is the first such admission by the Centre in the court, which had stalled 24 of the 39 proposed projects in Uttarakhand after noting that they significantly impacted biodiversity in two sub-basins of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers. The Centre had earlier denied that the projects had played a role in escalating the 2013 disaster in the state. The government had even said that it wanted to link the projects with its ambitious Ganga rejuvenation plan.

In its latest affidavit, the MoEF said that construction of the projects overburdened the local ecology, and that there was proof of irreversible damage to to the environment in terms of loss of forests, degraded water quality, and an enhanced impact of landslides and other disasters. “The essential parameters of river connectivity have been compromised on many river stretches… construction has significantly degraded the environment while many other sites have been impacted as a result of the cumulative effect of the already existing and under-construction projects, while some others have escalated the degradation by non compliance and violation,” it said.

Expressing concerns over shrinking deltas due to change in river courses and change of river bed profile because of heavy deposition of debris, the MoEF said that it would require at least 12 more months to conduct a thorough and comprehensive study as well as critical examination of the projects.

It claimed that the thee-month time provided by the Supreme Court to the Expert Body last year was not adequate. The MoEF added that the body, with some additional members, could eventually suggest how many hydropower projects could be allowed in a sustainable manner, as well as locations, design and capacity. This reflects a major change in the stand of the NDA government from the last affidavit, wherein it sought to go ahead with the projects if they met certain criteria. The court will examine the government’s new affidavit on Tuesday.

- The Indian Express, December 9, 2014

For the first time, the ministry of environment and forests has admitted that the effect of heavy and sudden precipitation in Uttarakhand in June last year that killed hundreds of people and devastated the state was probably exacerbated by anthropogenic factors. In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on Monday, the Centre acknowledged that the construction of hydropower projects had “significantly degraded” the local ecology, causing irreversible damage to the environment. The government’s admission raises serious questions about the entire process through which environmental clearances are granted and projects approved.

After the UPA years, in which the confrontation, contrived and real, between ecological concerns and the growth imperative led to a policy paralysis that ended up stifling new ventures, this government is perceived to be tilting to the other end. These suspicions can only have been reinforced by reports that the MoEF sought to use executive orders to allow district collectors to unilaterally clear diversion of forest land so that development projects could be fast-tracked — a violation of the Forest Rights Act.

On the eve of a major overhaul of the country’s environmental regulations based on the recommendations of the T.S.R. Subramanian Committee, which submitted its report last month, the government needs to do more to convince sceptics that it is serious about protecting India’s ecological interests and that it has instituted due process towards that end. The Subramanian Committee report correctly diagnoses much of what ails India’s current ecological laws.

It has recommended a single, umbrella law to subsume the numerous statutes currently governing this area. It has also proposed that national- and state-level regulatory authorities be set up to enforce this new law, which would swallow up the existing Central and state pollution control boards, as well as the Supreme Court-appointed Central empowered committee on forestry issues. Unravelling the tangle created by the plethora of environmental regulations in the country is a good idea, especially since they are so poorly enforced. But there are also reasons to worry.

The committee suggests expediting coal and power projects by short-circuiting appraisals, which may not be a concern if not for a history of ill-advised decision-making when it comes to issuing permits. It also reduces no-go areas to only about 10 per cent of total forest cover and proposes doing away with judicial review of government decisions. These could be dangerous, especially if the state’s monitoring and surveillance capacity is not enhanced. The government must provide assurances that its stated goal to grant clearances faster will not treat environmental considerations more casually.

- The Indian Express, December 10, 2014

The world famous Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan has lost its biggest draw — the painted stork. The hugely popular and colourful birds, whose colony inside the sanctuary is touted as one of the largest in Asia, flew away last month. Environmentalists and bird watchers have called it a huge tragedy, since the entire flock of 1,500-plus painted storks abandoned the colony in the middle of their breeding season — leaving behind hundreds of eggs which were later devoured by crows and other carrion birds. The forest department of Bharatpur, though aware of the stinging loss to the world heritage site, is treading cautiously. “I came here only last month, so can’t really comment.

But if you insist, I will get a report from my staff,’’ said Field Director Bijo Joy. The Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Chief Wildlife Warden of Rajasthan, Sidhnath Singh, said he was informed about the mass departure, but the officials at Bharatpur could do precious little in the matter. Blaming the “insufficient monsoon’’, he emphasised that shortage of water seemed to be the only culprit. “Nobody can control the monsoon. 2014 was particularly bad, so the storks probably decided not to stay,’’ he said.

Singh may be technically correct, but there is another reason. By several accounts, the painted storks started leaving last month after the forest department allowed dozens of trucks and JCB machines inside the sanctuary. These were engaged to build mud platforms around the storks’ colony, so as to enable the visitors to click “better photographs’’ of the birds. Also, mounds were created in the water bodies — ostensibly to give more perching space to the storks. But all this had an opposite effect: in Bharatpur, where the only modes of transport allowed are bicycles and cycle rickshaws, the onslaught of heavy machinery scared the storks, prompting them to take flight en masse. Joy’s predecessor Khyati Mathur, who was the Field Director at the time the painted storks flew away, claimed that construction activities in and around the colony did not trigger their departure.

“I am sure the birds have evolved to a degree that they accept a fairly high level of human activities. Aren’t the birds thriving at Okhla barrage, despite the commotion from nearby Delhi and Noida?’’ she replied to a query. But bird conservation experts contested Mathur’s argument. “You do not construct mounds near trees where birds have already made their nest. They will definitely fly away,’’ said Dr K Sivakumar, senior scientist with Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) whose team members have been doing research in Bharatpur for the last 15 years. Sivakumar said there was no possibility of the painted storks coming back to Bharatpur this season.

“They may regroup next year, but you can’t be 100 per cent sure about these things,’’ he said. Dr Surya Prakash of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), another well-known ornithologist, described the recent happenings in Bharatpur as “insane’’. It’s a rule of thumb that you are not supposed to disturb birds when they are breeding, he said. “In most cases, when the birds abandon their nests and eggs, they do not come back. I sincerely hope this does not happen to Bharatpur. In February this year, I was at the colony with 60 students of IIT and clicked photos of hundreds of painted stork chicks. This is indeed shocking,’’ he said. Most experts and officials, however, also pointed out that shortage of water in Bharatpur this season could be a contributing factor. The sanctuary traditionally receives water for its wetlands from three sources: Gambhir river, Cambal river and Goverdhan dam.

Owing to insufficient monsoon, not a drop was received from Goverdhan dam this year. Gambhir river has remained more or less dry for several years now. Chambal river did come to the bird sanctuary’s rescue, but its water managed to reach only five of Bharatpur’s eight blocks. It filled the D block (the storks’ colony), but the effort was negated by subsequent construction of mud platforms and mounds. Situated in Block D of the bird sanctuary, the painted storks’ colony has been in existence for at least 200 years. Around April, the birds leave the colony for three months, and then return to nest, breed and raise the chicks during the next nine months. But of late, some 200 to 300 storks would remain in the colony throughout the year.

As the guides here often quip, “you may or may not see a tiger in Ranthambore, but you will always see painted storks in Bharatpur.’’ Former Range Officer of Bharatpur, Bholu Abrar Khan, recalled how in the winter of 1958 he and celebrated ornithologist Dr Salim Ali had counted over 10,000 painted storks in the same colony. “True, their numbers have been declining over the years, but December is the time when the painted storks’ colony is in its full glory. Most people come here only for the storks. I can’t believe this has happened,’’ Khan said. Meanwhile, over 300 painted storks arrived at the Delhi Zoo recently.

- The Indian Express, December 10, 2014

The inventory of amphibian diverstiy in the Western Ghats has just got longer with the discovery of nine new species of bush frogs in this mountain range.

Some as tiny as a thumbnail, other brightly coloured or plain slimy, each of these creatures adds important insights into the evolutionary biodiversity of the Western Ghats, says Kartik Shanker of the Indian Institute of Science and co-author of a paper published in international journal Zootaxa. Researchers trekked through the Western Ghats during the rainy season (when bush frogs are most active) training their ear to tell tale bush frog calls and scouring tree trunks for them.

Bush frogs are miniature frogs distributed throughout south and southeast Asia. They then used genetics, geography, morphology and acoustics to separate the frogs into “lineages” (descendants of a common ancestor that lived a million or more years ago).

There could be at least 15 new species of bush frogs waiting to be discovered adding to the over 50 species known from the Western Ghats, said Dr. Shanker. “What is really exciting for us is taking this forward to understand the ecological, evolutionary and biogeographic processes of diversification that have led to this spectacular diversity and endemism,” lead author and post doctoral fellow at national Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), S.P. Vijayakumar explained in a press-note.

- The Hindu, December 11, 2014

Delhi is less than six months away from getting a prospective world heritage city tag, and the government is now trying to ensure that all goes well in the scrutiny process by international agencies Unesco and Icomos.

A three-tier management and protection system announced by the government is being closely monitored by lieutenant general Najeeb Jung and chief secretary D M Spolia in which all existing and proposed projects pertaining to the nominated areas of Lutyens' Bungalow Zone and Shahjahanabad are being closely monitored. Three meetings were held last month with stakeholders like DDA, PWD and MCD.

The Delhi chapter of the consultant, Intach, which prepared the nomination dossiers, is manning the third level wherein a dedicated staff of conservationists, architects and planners have been especially asked to help with the planning process as part of an MoU with Delhi Tourism. This level includes projects like streetscaping, garbage clean-up, repair of roads, installing signages etc at Lutyens Bunglow zone and Shahjanabad. These projects are yet to be implemented. It also includes monitoring projects and reporting the same to the upper two levels as well as spreading awareness on heritage through outreach programmes, lectures and walks. Intach is bringing in staff specifically for this purpose. The level will work as "the eyes and ears of civil society".

The second protection level, which is the stakeholders' committee, will involve all agencies like PWD, MCD, DDA and Delhi Police who will work together to ensure that all works are implemented in the prescribed time. At the highest management level, the chief secretary will regularly monitor and get updates on development in the nominated zones.

"World heritage city nomination is a long-term commitment. We have put a system in place for managing these heritage zones and ensure regular maintenance of the imperial cities of Delhi. Regular monitoring of these zones is also something closely followed by Unesco,'' an official said.

- The Times of India, December 11, 2014

An oil spill from a tanker that collided with an empty cargo ship in Bangladesh-Sunderbans on Tuesday has sent a chill down the spine of wildlife officials in the Sunderbans in this country. A high alert has been sounded and forest officials along with other security agencies are closely monitoring the situation in the Sunderbans.

“Till now there are no reports that the oil spill has reached the Indian part of the Sunderbans. All our field staffs, particularly those deployed in the camps along the Indo-Bangla border, have been alerted. Patrolling has been beefed up to check if the oil spill is spreading to the Indian Sunderbans,” Ujjwal Kumar Bhattacharya chief wildlife warden of the state, told HT.

A tanker named OT Southern Star 7, carrying an estimated 350,000 litres (350 tons) of oil collided on Tuesday with another empty cargo vessel and partly sank in the Sunderbans’ Shela River in Bangladesh. The cargo ship was allegedly unable to locate the Southern Star due to heavy fog. Experts in both the countries are apprehending that the spill will cause massive ecological disaster in the biggest mangrove forest in the world.

“The oil spill will mainly affect the avifauna (animals which depend on the water) including migratory birds, the dolphins, otters, Olive Ridley Turtles and crocodiles. Many could lose their lives especially where rivers meet the sea. This is the time when migratory birds including those from Siberia frequent the Sunderbans. This is also the time when Olive Ridley Turtles come close to the beaches to lay their eggs,” said S B Mondol, former head of the state forest department. The Sunderbans forest, which covers 26,000 square kilometers in India and Bangladesh, is the habitat of famous Royal Bengal Tigers. It is also a UNESCO Heritage site.

“We have also informed all other security agencies including the BSF and the Coast Guard which patrol our borders to check if the oil spill is approaching our border. Our boats are also patrolling the Harinbhanga River and Raimangal which forms the boundary between the Indian Sunderbans and Bangaldesh,” said S Dasgupta field director of the Sunderban Tiger Reserve.

But wildlife experts and NGOs working on the Sunderbans are wary and apprehend that the spill in Bangladesh could affect the Indian part as the rivers are contiguous and the oil could reach the Indian rivers especially down south where the rivers meet the Bay of Bengal.

“The oil could easily reach this part of the Sunderbans through the rivers. The most prone would be the areas such as Baghamara and Mechua where the delta meets the sea in the southern part of the Sunderbans. If that happens it would spell doom,” said Biswajit Roy Choudhury of Nature Environment and Wildlife Society.

According to Bangladesh forest authorities the oil had spread along a 40 km (25 mile) section of the Sela River and has also affected portions of Passur river. Indian forest officials are, however, hopeful that the spill won’t affect the Indian side as each individual river drains into the sea.

- The Hindustan Times , December 12, 2014

The parliamentary estimates committee headed by BJP MP Murli Manohar Joshi, in its first report tabled on Thursday, on arsenic in ground water, has criticized the Centre for "neglecting" the serious issue that impacts at least 7 crore people across six states, according to CSIR estimates (data from different ministries and departments on the subject varies widely, the committee found).

The panel has recommended that the Centre take up the issue on war footing through a national task force that can work on mission-mode from collating date to taking remedial measures to providing for health care to affected people.

The committee has suggested that the issue be dealt with at the central level, instead of asking states alone to tackle the problem. Joshi said, "To say water is a state issue is no logic, given the scale of the problem, the Centre cannot escape its responsibility to provide safe drinking water for 7 crore people, which is their fundamental right." He was speaking at a press conference after the report was tabled.

The report has recommended that a national task force be set up on a time-bound basis that will work on mission mode on the issue that affects people, plants, animals and all else around it. The committee has also recommended for a central fund allocation for the purpose. At a press conference, Joshi said, the Centre cannot escape its responsibility to provide safe, potable water to 7 crore Indians which is there fundamental right.

- The Times of India, December 12, 2014

The AIADMK raised Katchatheevu in Parliament this week, demanding its return to Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka. Arun Janardhanan recalls the history of the disputed island. Where is Katchatheevu island?

A 285-acre uninhabited speck in the Palk Strait northeast of Rameswaram, 33 km from the Indian coast, but within the maritime boundaries of Sri Lanka. About 4,000 devotees from Rameswaram visit the 110-year-old St Anthony’s Church on the island every year on average. What is the island’s history?

The island is the product of a 14-century volcanic eruption. It was controlled by the Ramnad zamindari centred in Ramanathapuram, and became part of the Madras Presidency during the Raj. In 1921, both the Indian and Sri Lankan territories of Britain claimed Katchatheevu in order to determine fishing boundaries. A survey marked Katchatheevu in Sri Lanka, but a British delegation from India challenged this, citing ownership of the island by the Ramnad kingdom. The dispute was never settled.

Is there an official agreement now? In 1974, an agreement was signed in two parts — on June 26 in Colombo and June 28 in New Delhi. The island was ceded to Sri Lanka, but Indian fishermen were allowed access to Katchatheevu “hitherto”. The agreement did not specify fishing rights, and Sri Lanka interpreted it as the right of Indians to access the island “for rest, drying nets and for visit to the Catholic shrine without visa”. What happened after that?

After Emergency was imposed in 1975 and the Tamil Nadu government dismissed in 1976, a series of letters were exchanged between the foreign secretaries of India and Sri Lanka. Both Parliament and the state Assembly were non-functional and, without consulting either, another agreement was drafted that said, “The fishing vessels and fishermen of India shall not engage in fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Sri Lanka.” While the 1974 agreement was to settle the maritime boundary in the Palk Bay, the 1976 pact was to determine the boundary in the Gulf of Mannar and Bay of Bengal.

When did matters flare up again? In 1991, the Tamil Nadu Assembly again sought retrieval of Katchatheevu and restoration of fishing rights of Tamil fishermen. As long as Sri Lanka remained preoccupied with its war against the Tamil Tigers, things remained calm. The northern province and maritime boundaries were not guarded tightly, and Indian trawlers routinely entered Sri Lankan waters. In 2003, Sri Lanka announced that it could consider allowing licensed fishing by Indian boats, but neither Tamil Nadu nor the Centre submitted a proposal.

In 2009, the war with the LTTE ended, and things changed. Colombo beefed up its maritime defences, and when Indian fishermen — facing a depletion of marine resources on their side — entered Sri Lankan waters, arrests followed, only to trigger fresh demands in Tamil Nadu for restoration of Katchatheevu to it. How did things reach the Supreme Court? In 2008, ADMK leader J Jayalalithaa filed a petition saying Katchatheevu could not be ceded to another country without a constitutional amendment. The petition argued the 1974 agreement had affected traditional fishing rights and livelihoods of Indian fishermen.

After becoming chief minister in 2011, she moved a resolution in the Assembly and, in 2012, went back to the Supreme Court asking her petition be expedited in the wake of increasing arrests of Indian fishermen by Sri Lanka. Where do other parties stand? The Congress has always been defensive about the role of Indira Gandhi’s government in handing Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka. Before the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP endorsed the demand of Tamil parties to restore the island to the state. BJP leaders promised to take measures to revisit the agreement with Colombo.

Will the Centre keep that promise? In August 2014, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the Supreme Court that the matter was closed, and it would require “war” to get the island back. “Katchatheevu went to Sri Lanka by an agreement in 1974. It was ceded and now acts as a boundary. How can it be taken back today? If you want Katchatheevu back, you will have to go to war to get it back,” he said.

- The Indian express, December 12, 2014

The Delhi Development Authority has set up a Unified Centre for Rejuvenation of the River Yamuna (UCRRY) – to be headed by the Lieutenant-Governor – for its restoration and beautification.

The move comes on recommendations of the expert committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal to ensure conservation of the Yamuna and to promote development activities in /on / along the river and its floodplains and its watershed.

The objective of the centre is to formulate policies and guidelines and undertake projects to rejuvenate the 22-km stretch of the river passing through Delhi by sustainable practices. The idea was approved in the DDA meeting at L-G House on Friday.

The Governing Body of the centre will comprise Delhi Chief Secretary of Delhi, members from the DJB, I&FC, Environment Department, PWD, DMRC, DTTDC, MoUD, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Forest etc. The expenses for the centre will be met by the DDA and it will also be entitled to receive grants and loan from the government and local bodies.

- The Hindu, December 13, 2014

Amid reports of people in over nine villages of Greater Noida suffering from cancer due to contaminated groundwater, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) on Friday said samples of water have not revealed presence of any carcinogenic substance and that it is now checking contamination due to pesticides. The UPPCB said this in a reply filed before a National Green Tribunal Bench.

In November, the Centre for Development and Human Rights had filed a petition saying there has been a rise in the number of cancer cases in villages around Chhapraula Industrial Area in Greater Noida allegedly due to groundwater contamination and sought closure of illegal industrial activity in the area. The petitioner relied on a newspaper report stating that due to contaminated groundwater, many villagers in Sadopur, Achheja, Sadullapur, Bishnuli, Kheradharampur, Dujana, Vaidpur, Milak Lachchhi and Khedi Bhanota are suffering from cancer.

After a notice was issued by the NGT, the UPPCB said samples were collected from seven hand pumps at nine locations and from two bore wells in the industries located near the villages and sent for testing. “The tests revealed no metal having carcinogenic characteristics.”

It said samples from 13 locations in October revealed hardness above prescribed norms, and also the value of calcium, magnesium and total dissolved solids. “The characteristic of calcium and magnesium is not carcinogenic. Their higher concentration is due to geochemical properties of the area.” The board said in August, samples from hand pumps at six locations from a village on G.T. Road in Greater Noida revealed high hardness, dissolved solids, alkalinity, but metals like Hexavalent chromium and lead, which have carcinogenic characteristics, were not found. “The presence of higher values of total hardness, TDS and alkalinity may be attributed to natural presence and excessive withdrawal of groundwater in these villages,” it said.

It also said samples from bore wells at two locations at Bheel, Akbarpur, G.T. Karnal Road and Greater Noida were collected in November and they revealed higher total hardness, calcium and magnesium. “The samples so collected have been sent to the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research to detect the presence of pesticides in groundwater, That report is awaited.” The Central Ground Water Board will also conduct an investigation and submit a report by December 31.

- The Hindu, December 13, 2014

The capital’s bid to become a UNESCO-certified World Heritage city has hit a roadblock, after a UN cultural team expressed dissatisfaction over the details furnished about some of the 200 monuments that have been nominated by the government. The team was in the city last month for an official survey.

Sources told Newsline that officials had sought clarifications on the inter-linkage between various agencies involved in conservation such as Delhi Urban Arts Commission, Archaeological Survey of India and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

Officials from the Ministry of Culture — which has been entrusted with the task of presenting Delhi’s case for a World Heritage City tag — admitted that “some additional information” was sought by the UNESCO team during its Delhi visit between October 8 and 10. The response was duly submitted to the international agency on November 3, an official said. The Ministry, however, expressed its inability to share any further details.

“We were asked to provide specific details on the role of various agencies in conserving some of the listed monuments,” an official from the Delhi Tourism department said, adding, “Conservation is not the only criterion for nomination. Delhi has a lot of historical and universal value as well.” On the Ministry’s behalf, Delhi’s nomination dossier was prepared by the INTACH Delhi Chapter, under the leadership of A G K Menon, and was submitted to UNESCO earlier this year.

The two areas listed in the dossier are Shahjahanabad in Old Delhi and Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone. The 367-page document contended that Delhi is a city of “outstanding universal value” as it uniquely encompasses two stages in the country’s history — the Mughal Empire and the British rule.

-The Indian Express, December 14, 2014

History has shaped Champaner as a fascinating city,

A few faint images cross your mind when you talk of Champaner: a strategic trade route, the capital of arguably the most influential sultanate, a graceful example of urban landscaping, mesmerizing Muslim and Jain architecture. But the loudest of all images is that of a ransacked, deserted city. In Champaner, history speaks in its ruins. A city which grew from a town of moderate importance to become the capital of an influential sultanate, flourished for decades only to be attacked, ransacked and left deserted and lost to wilderness, all in one century.

Champaner has everything of the old world charm; there are mosques, an old palace, a fort, a step-well and ancient streets you can walk on. Along with the hill fort and temple of Pavagarh it is now called the Champaner and Pavagadh Archaeological Park. An hour’s journey from Vadodara, brings you to this UNESCO World Heritage site.

Champaner has a fairytale history. It was founded by the Rajput king Vanraj Chavda of the Chavda Kingdom in the 8th Century. The neighbouring city Pavagadh worked as a buffer area between Mandu and Gujarat, and a key strategic point on trade routes emanating from Gujarat to whole of India. After flourishing for years under the Rajput rulers, Champaner was captured by Mahmud Begda in 1484. He renamed the city Mohammadabad and moved the capital from Ahmedabad to here. In 1535, the city was captured by Humayun, and since the Mughals had control over both Gujarat and Malwa then, the city no longer enjoyed the status of a strategic buffer area. This marked the start of decline of Champaner and rise of Ahmedabad. When it was rediscovered by British, only 500 people inhabited the city.

Twenty years under the reign of Mahmud Begda gave this city models of urban planning to speak of. Being a capital and a strategic center, the city has huge fortifications. We entered through stoned road with huge ramparts on both sides. These ramparts led to mosques that still stand sound, with some wounds of history. The mosques of that bygone era lied unassumingly in the middle of the ruins of the citadel. One such elegant piece is the Jami Masjid. The intricate carvings in the pillars, walls and the mehrabs can give rise to many an artist. . One interesting thing about the mosque is the eclectic mix of Persian and Hindu style of design in the walls and the frescos. An evident piece is the kalash, a Hindu religious symbol on the mehrabs.

Our next halt was the Shehar ki masjid, contrary to its name which indicates it been a civilian place, it was the mosque reserved for the royal family. A little plain in design, the mosque is constructed on a raised plinth and the central arched entrance is planked by two minarets. At some distance in a secluded corner are the Nagina Masjid and the Kamani Masjid. Kamani Mosque is different from other mosques of Champaner as it follows the arcuate style (column and arch) indicating that it was built towards the end of sultanate period in Gujarat when this style had started gaining popularity.

Uphill enroute holy Pavagarh trail, is the Pavagarh Fort, located on the summit of the abrupt hills. The wide fortification walls, which once ran upto six kilometers, now stand in ruins with remains of variable height extants. Between the southern and the northern Gate, one can still find the patterns of the urban planning. In these complexes, one can find streets, civil baths, town patterns and even rows of shops, all having lived through the vagaries of time. The whole area is now an excavation site and the ASI never misses finding some rare jewels here. There are also graveyards, mausoleums and even richly decorated temples in these ruins.

As one moves uphill, following the Patha (pilgrim's route) leading to the ropeway to the Kalikamata temple, one comes across many architectural structures that were forerunners of the architectural styles adopted later. The elements indicate a fine import of Hindu design in the Muslim architectural ideology. Unlike the present mosques styles, some tombs are almost all square in plan, with a dome resting on columns. Another elegant structure on the hills is the seven arches (saat kamaan) of which only the six arches remain.

Built from yellow sandstone in arch form, this served as a military base. One thing that makes Champaner stands out among all its contemporaries is the adroit townsman-ship, which one can still trace in the ruins. Arranged in a circle with the Jami Masjid in the center, the water arteries run upto all nine gates of the city. Over hills there are evidences of large reservoirs and earthen beams which drained into these reservoirs to collect the rain water running downhill. This entire series of arteries and water reservoirs, eventually ended into the largest lake, the bada talao, on the plain below the city. The big mosques like the Jami masjid also had elaborate water harvesting structures in their compounds. We headed towards the bada talao, where another beautiful, dilapidated structure draped in bright orange of the dusk, was waiting for us. Even though only the walls remain of Khajuri mosque, this structure deserves a long stay.

With my feet tapped in the bada talao, I looked at the Pavagarh hill, and the mystery draped in the evening mist. I saw a small town spreading across the floor of valley and trailing up the bare hills, with a lake in the middle and ruins of a fort looking down at it as guardian; the setting seemed a miniature painting of a place inextricably caught in the web of history; tucked on the horizon.

-The Hindu, December 14, 2014

Connaught Place has a few islands in a sea of change that give you a chance to travel into the past and soak inthe feel of dining in the 1950s. Each hopper has a story behind their nostalgia and Jaideep Deo Bhanj listens in

Three old friends, who live in different corners of the NCR, meet at The Embassy restaurant in Connaught Place every day. Health problems and age do not come in between this ritual that has been kept alive by the patrons for decades. Now that the restaurant has been shut for a few months because of a fire that damaged it, the three friends among many other regulars are eagerly waiting for it to re-open later this month so that life can return to normal.

Such is the clientele that the market’s heritage restaurants enjoy despite the numerous newer options that have sprung up. CP that opened in 1933 has seen many restaurants come and go, but there are still a few islands in a sea of change that give you a chance to travel into the past and soak in the feel of dining in the 1950s.

Malkani, an octogenarian, who visits The Host every weekday for a cup of tea, says most of the old restaurants like Volga and Gaylord in the area have shut down, but it is nice to see that some are still around. He jogs his memory to recall the days when he used to visit Connaught Place as a college student. “There used to be bands playing at the restaurants and people would dance displaying various styles. One of the restaurants even had a skating rink in it. Those were the days we could have a good time for a few annas,” says Mr. Malkani, who switched to The Host after the waiter at his previous favourite haunt misbehaved with him.

Almost as old as the market is Madras Coffee House located opposite the Regal Building on the outer circle. The restaurant has been run by the same family since it started as a Chinese restaurant, called Shanghai, in 1935. “The restaurant was for the British soldiers and had a board outside that said dogs and Indians were not allowed,” says Anubhav Nanda, whose grandfather started the restaurant.

The restaurant was called Respo Milk Bar for a while before becoming the Madras Coffee House in the 1950s. S.B Nanda, whose wife Jyoti Nanda inherited the restaurant, says at that time, South Indian food was becoming popular, but there were no outlets. Therefore they introduced the cuisine and it has stayed that way ever since. The recipes have not been tampered with nor has the décor of the restaurant.

Mr. Nanda says some call the restaurant shabby and dilapidated but what those people don’t understand is that it is a conscious effort to keep it this way. The doors, tables and panels on the walls have been there since 1935. “It is a heritage restaurant. You can’t go to a heritage structure and call it dilapidated. Whatever damage has been done is because of customers who have defaced it just like with our monuments. If we change anything the charm will be lost forever.” Mr. Nanda says despite growing competition from other coffee shops and those selling the same cuisine in the market, people visit for a slice of nostalgia. The laid-back coffee drinking culture that had vanished is back. It is not just old timers and tourists but college students also who have become regulars. Commenting on the offers made by a number of people to buy the restaurant, Mr. Nanda says: “I tell them to first go buy Red Fort and then come to me. Heritage does not have a price.”

Savar Malhotra, partner, The Embassy Restaurant, says despite so many new places coming up they have their regulars including politicians, lawyers and people from diverse professions. “Many of our customers have the ‘The Embassy 11 a.m.-12 p.m.’ printed on their business cards for people to come meet them. That is how regular they are,” says Mr. Malhotra . He recounts an incident where he tried to change the recipe of a dish and a customer got very angry and told him not to try reinventing the wheel. “You can introduce something new, but you can’t remove something from the menu,” he adds.

Many Delhiites also have a number of personal stories associated with these restaurants. Many marriages have been fixed over dinner at these restaurants and people come back with their children and grand children to order exactly the same food they had ordered decades ago. Sitting outside Wenger’s, a group of bankers celebrate a birthday. Jayant, whose birthday it was, says as a child his birthday cake would come from Wenger’s; today even though there are so many other options, his birthday feels incomplete without cake from the bakery. The restaurant was for the British soldiers and had a board outside that said dogs and Indians were not allowed

-The Hindu, December 14, 2014

Thousands of people assembled at Qudsia Ghat in north Delhi on Sunday morning. Brooms in their gloved hands and shirts proclaiming 'make change happen, volunteer', the crowd got down to clean the Yamuna riverbed, ignoring the morning chill. Plastic cups and bags, paper plates, rotting food—the people cleared the trash.

They were part of the 25th Yamuna Shramdaan that was organized by Swechha, United Nations Volunteers, UNDP, ministry of youth affairs and a private TV channel. "We've all been around the Yamuna and it's really terrible," said Somya Singh, a college student and core team member of Swechha. "There are some really alarming facts. Delhi has only 2% of Yamuna's catchment, and we contribute to 80% of the pollution. Because of this, after Delhi, close to Agra, the water has 0% oxygen content - it's not fit for any life at all. The Yamuna water is not good even for animal bathing, it's that bad of a situation. And 75% of Delhi depends on Yamuna for their drinking water," she added.

An estimated 3,000 people turned up for the event, many of them children, said Neha Pradhan Arora, the head of programmes at Swechha. An 18-km cyclothon was also held in which there were an estimated 400 participants.

"Close to 25 schools are attending. There are also civil society organizations, NGOs and corporates. There's a lot of interaction among young people," Arora said.

A married couple came there for a holy dip, but ended up joining the drive. "I bathe in the river and I don't like that it's dirty. It's good to see it being cleaned," said D P Singh, a fertilizer vendor. The banks looked cleaner after the drive ended.

-The Times of India, December 15, 2014

Highlight was a high-powered delegation in opening session

In a workshop organised by Gurgaon First, a citizen group, in Sector 44 here over the weekend, the issue of sustainable development here was brought to the fore.

The workshop-cum-expo, titled “Eco Green Initiatives: Sustainability Solutions For City Home and Offices”, was attended by heads of residents’ welfare organisations, corporates, NGOs, architects, urban planners and city authority officials.

Citizen bodies like Clean Gurgaon, Mission Gurgaon Development and Joint Action Forum of Resident Associations were also present. The highlight of the workshop was a high-powered delegation in the opening session on “Sustainability As Way Ahead”. The session was addressed by P. Raghavendra Rao, the Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Town and Country Planning.

Sudhir Krishna, the former Secretary with the Ministry of Urban development, gave the macro scenario on sustainability. Vikas Gupta, the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon, also spoke during the opening session. All three officials agreed on the need for Gurgaon’s future development to be based on sustainable goals and priorities.

Talking about how Gurgaon can become a smart city, Dr. Krishna touched on issues like the need for a regional development framework, smart water supply with metering and rational tariff, ban on use of underground water, no trunk lines for sewerage and how garbage should not be transported from one place to another.

He also talked about the need for people to walk to work safely and quickly, enhancement of public transport and the need for sending zero waste to landfills. Mr. Rao touched on the need for waste segregation, creation of cycle tracks and designing a city so that travel time between office and homes is reduced. He said the authorities are trying to find a solution for northern and southern peripheral roads and also talked about solutions where sewer water can be treated and used for horticulture.

“The Aravalli belt can be declared an eco-sensitive zone just like the Sultanpur National Park,” he added. Mr. Gupta spoke about how each individual can make a difference by conserving energy and water. He also talked about extra incentives to promote green buildings and revised building by-laws, which will be out within a month.

He said the confusion about the multiplicity of agencies in different civic functions will be removed and there will be a single window accountable for each civic function. Need for Gurgaon’s future development to be based on sustainable goals and priorities discussed

-The Hindu, December 15, 2014

Despite several court orders and government notifications, the Aravali forest is facing decimation from both the rich and the poor. If the rich are illegally clearing forests in Aravali for their farmhouses since buying of such land is allowed in Haryana, the poor are cutting trees for fuel.

TOI saw large-scale clearing of forests in areas close to Ansals Aravali Retreat in Gurgaon, which has dozens of farmhouses. There are temporary roads through the forest and local women can be spotted chopping the kikar trees and carrying them home. "Sometimes, male members from nearby villages come and cut trees and then the women come to collect them," said a local resident. Former forest conservator R P Balwan, who had taken on the mining and land mafia in Aravalis, said the very existence of a road inside the jungle was the first sign of devastation. "You can protect forests till there is no way.

Once there is road, material can be transported that paves way for construction. Even taking wood for fuel is illegal," he said. The Aravali notification of May 1992 prohibits construction of dwelling units, farmhouse, sheds besides any mining operation and cutting of trees.

However, new boundary walls have also been built around plots and huge patches of trees and bush have been cleared in recent months. "I am concerned and worried to see this happening even as the law prohibits all such activities. Almost every week, we spot leopards in this region. If you block their natural corridor and finish the green cover, they will disappear," said Samir Thapar of Wildlife Protection Society of India. Though Thapar bought a farmhouse in Aravali Retreat last year, he planted trees in a big way and has even taken up the issue of deforestation with the forest department. "We can't let this pristine green belt go," he said.

Meanwhile, what seems to be posing a fresh threat to the Aravalis in this region is that about 3,000 acres of forests may pave road for farmhouses and other non-forest activities. Locals said the private company owning this huge patch of land was selling plots to buyers. "Obviously, people are not buying the land to maintain as forest. It also shows how there is nexus between such people with the forest department," Balwan said.

-The Times of India, December 15, 2014

The redevelopment work in Coronation Park missed its third completion deadline earlier this week. The project's initial deadline was December 2011 in keeping with the centenary of New Delhi as capital. But a number of proposals like an interpretation centre and landscaping could not be completed on time. Now, most of the work has been completed, but officials say they don't have a grip on certain things like the inauguration ceremony and refurbishing of the interpretation centre.

"Some details are yet to be worked out. For instance, each of the statues in the park has a plaque detailing the significance and concept of the statue and history. DDA wants the text to be authenticated before it is engraved on the plaques. We suggested bringing in a group of historians for it and had a meeting a while ago. But we don't know what the progress on that front is," said an Intach Delhi official.

Apart from the statue of King George V, the park also has statues of Lord Willingdon and Lord Hardinge-both viceroys of India. It's not known how many statues were originally present at the park, but as of now, there are only seven, including a few busts. Another issue that needs to be resolved is the interiors of the interpretation centre. "DDA has to invite tenders for developing the interiors as a site museum for visitors," said a source. Senior Intach officials said the last meeting they held with DDA on the park was over a year ago and even they were clueless on the status. But vandals have already struck at the park, say sources, adding that giant graffiti can be seen on the new stone slabs.

The idea for the conservation was conceived in 2005-06. "Tourists still went to the place solely because they wanted to see where the Durbar was held and New Delhi was proclaimed capital of British India," said an Intach official.

-The Times of India, December 15, 2014

The proposal for nomination of Delhi as a world heritage city has revived interest in the century-old havelis in the Walled City area. Many of these buildings are in a dilapidated state because owners don't have enough funds to maintain them. The Delhi government is now contemplating incentives and a funding scheme to help the owners restore these heritage structures.

The civic body has already come out with a list of 767 structures in Shahjahanabad (old Delhi), including havelis, mosques, schools, hospitals etc, which have been notified by the urban development department as protected heritage buildings. At least 30%-40% buildings that are on this list are privately-owned havelis, whose owners can avail the scheme once it is approved by the government.

"The idea is simple. Any haveli owners who want to restore their property can get a loan from the government and they will have to use a portion of their property for commercial purpose like museums, guesthouses, etc for a period up to five years. Only notified heritage buildings will be considered for this scheme,'' said a senior government official.

Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) has mooted the proposal and is awaiting the government's response to it. As per guidelines in the draft proposal, there will be no restrictions on the maximum capital investment on restoration of heritage buildings. "The notified heritage building assets shall be restored to its original appearance/facade in consultation with a conservation architect. It will be mandatory for the owners to commercially operate the restored heritage building for the next five years for... capital grant or concessional funding,'' said the draft proposal. A committee that will approve the capital grant or concessional funding includes the principal secretary (finance), secretary UD, secretary tourism, MD SRDC, experts from art, culture, tourism, theatre, hospitality or museum and experts from the field of conservation, archaeology or urban planning.

As per the guidelines, the feasibility of using a heritage building as guesthouse/spa/restaurant/theatre/art gallery/museum/performing arts venue will be determined on the basis of a conservation plan designed to maintain authenticity and integrity of the structure. "The heritage building owners have to make an effort to support traditional crafts, skills, food, cuisines, ethos, culture and to provide opportunity to local craftsmen and skilled labour to ensure that economic benefits are transferred to the local communities. The owners also need to establish a database that includes history of past interventions, archaeological materials, architectural details, environmental information, ownership details etc,'' the government official added.

Havelis that are restored through the scheme will be advertised by the government as tourist spots in old Delhi. "It will also give visitors a chance to stay in a heritage haveli right there in the Walled City. There is a huge number of visitors, particularly foreign visitors, who would love to have such an experience,'' said the draft guidelines.

According to officials, the scheme has also pushed another proposal to notify the second list of buildings, mostly privately-owned havelis. Identified by Intach, the second list contains 738 structures that have been pending for notification for several years. While the first list comprised important heritage buildings such as Fatehpuri Masjid and the State Bank of India building among others, the second list includes mostly the neglected havelis.

- The Times of India, December 16, 2014

Images from French painter Georges Gaste's lens capture a starkly beautiful India of the 1900s

There is something deeply fascinating about archival photographs a visual simultaneously familiar and novel. The images captured by French painter Georges Gaste presently on display at Galerie Romain Rolland, Alliance Francaise de Delhi, hailed by experts as strikingly modern in their composition, reaffirm that fascination. This series of images was captured by Gaste during his sojourn in India beginning from 1905 in Agra and culminating in his demise at Madurai in 1910.

Recalling the origin of the idea for this exhibition, curator Aude de Tocqueville shares, "I was writing the biography of Gaste four years ago, and during my research I discovered a wooden box filled with 250 photographs that he took along his visits across Algeria and India. They were these incredible 9x11 mm glass plates dating back to when he had first begun photography in 1894." What made these images particularly striking was the fact that Gaste's artistic eye as a painter contributed to the frames he composed for his photographs too, says Tocqueville. "He was an excellent painter and so his compositions for these images too were excellent.

But even more than that, what made them so very beautiful to me was the fact that I could see clearly reflected in them his love for India and its people. You see, he didn't like colonial society much to begin with. It bored him and wore him out. But he truly loved the people among whom he lived here in India and that shows in how ethnographically rich and accurate his pictures are. When I had first displayed them in Paris, in fact, people were surprised by how modern and almost journalistic they were in composition. If you look at other archival photographs dating back to the early 1900s, they do not at all look like the ones he has clicked. This made it even more important for me to show his pictures to more people, especially here in India since this is where they originally belong," she says enthusiastically.

Among the images on display, there's one depicting a little girl standing against the breathtaking backdrop of the Taj Mahal along the Yamuna riverside. The photograph titled "Sita's Terrace", Aude remarks, is one of her two favourites from the entire set. "I find the picture extremely symbolic, somehow. Also, it has been clicked near where Gaste was living at that time in Agra, during a more happy phase in his life. I visited his house last year and though it is sadly in ruins now, I could see the sky and the water, and could sense the peace he must have felt there. I understood immediately why he was so inspired to paint there too," she points out.

The second of her two favourite images is a melancholy and rather poetic snapshot of a woman crying in front of the Qutub Minar in Delhi. "She is alone before a tomb and the picture is like an actual painting. It is a beautiful and evocative work of art," she concludes.

- The Asian Age, December 17, 2014

"On the goddess Kotamma temple woollen market way there is a rocky roof shelter for shepherds and sheep to stay at night up to morning."

This innocuous sounding statement could actually be a revolutionary find linking the adivasi Gond tribe to the Indus Valley civilisation, which flourished between 2500 B.C. and 1750 BC. The sentence emerged after a set of 19 pictographs from a cave in Hampi were deciphered using root morphemes of Gondi language, considered by many eminent linguists as a proto Dravidian language.

Eleven of the Hampi pictographs resemble those of the civilisation, according to Dr. K.M. Metry, Head and Dean, Social Sciences, Kannada University, Hampi; Dr. Motiravan Kangali, a linguist and expert in Gondi language and culture from Nagpur, Maharashtra; and his associate Prakash Salame, also an expert in Gondi. They were in Utnoor to participate in the 4th National workshop on standardisation of Gondi dictionary when they spoke to The Hindu about their study of the pictographs. Though the 'discovery' is yet to be authenticated, Dr. Metry and his associates are very optimistic about their work.

"Instead of looking at the painting from an archaeological or purely linguistic point of view, we took the cultural way to decipher the pictographs. Gondi culture being totemic, has a lot of such symbols also associated with Ghotul schools," said Dr. Metry. "Gondi is a proto Dravidian language and gives enough scope for studying the pictographs though its root morphemes," observed Dr. Kangali. "Application of the root morphemes helped us in deciphering the 19 pictographs," he added.

If the discovery stands the scrutiny of experts in the field, it would mean that the Gonds living in central and southern India could have migrated from the Indus Valley civilisation. "Meanwhile, we will continue with our work applying it to other paintings in the Hampi area to establish a Gondi-Harappan link," the Professor said.

- The Hindu, December 17, 2014

Groundwater depletion is taking place at an unsustainable rate. Years of extraction has caused the water table to drop abysmally. Government must promote combined use of groundwater along with surface water in agriculture

Groundwater that was once an abundant resource, is facing a bleak future. According to the Stockholm International Water Institute, about a fifth of the water used globally comes from under the ground. Water extraction rates are expected to increase by 50 per cent by 2025 in developing countries and by 18 per cent in developed countries. Times of acute water shortages coupled with conflicts over scarce resource do not seem far off. As the world's second most populous nation, India is already exerting enormous pressure on the available natural resources. Groundwater depletion is taking place at extremely unsustainable rate. All thanks to an insatiable demand driven by a burgeoning population and excessive extraction by industries and agriculture.

Nearly 85 per cent of India's villages and half of its cities rely on wells for water. Farming accounts for about 90 per cent of the water withdrawals in India as irrigated acreage has almost tripled since 1950. At this rate, ground water resource may soon be the first casualty of a resource hungry nation. Lack of awareness and insipid replenishment practices have only sought to compound the problem. The Central Groundwater Board estimates show nearly 1,071 over exploited areas of which 217 areas have been categorised as being in critical state. Whereas, 697 areas have been deemed as semi-critical. This grave situation has spurred the Government to allocate `20.5 billion ($331 million) to map India's aquifers by March 2017.

Years of exploitation and extraction of groundwater in India has caused the national water table to drop abysmally. Considering that 85 per cent of rural drinking water and 55 per cent of urban water comes from underground resources, further compromise with this precious resources is unaffordable. It is of utmost importance that the Government undertakes urgent measures. According to a latest study by Utrecht University, Netherlands, almost a quarter of the world's population is living in places where groundwater is being used far too quickly. This is a stark reality that India has to contend and ensure that replenishment of groundwater keeps pace with extraction.

Among other measures, the authorities and departments concerned must consider artificial groundwater re-charge measures in the short-term in order to rapidly bridge the gap between extraction and replenishment. A wide spectrum of techniques can be utilised for this purpose such as flooding, stream augmentation and over irrigation. In certain circumstances, injection wells or re-charge wells, recharge pits and shafts and bore hole flooding can deliver the desired impact. These measures coupled with rainwater harvesting schemes will help re-generate groundwater aquifers and contribute to a rise in the groundwater level and a reduction of salt-water ingress.

The Government must also realise that mere legislation and quality checks will not fulfill the objective of generating abundant and clean groundwater. In fact, legislation and regulations that are complimented by local community participation driven by awareness generation can have a far-reaching effect. Community awareness will also help keep a check on overuse patterns of groundwater and prevent pollution of the water table. Community outrage generated some years ago in Kerala over the excess usage of groundwater and pollution of the water table by a soft drink manufacturing company is an apt example.

Similarly the agriculture sector needs to be sensitised for responsible groundwater management. Interactions between agricultural irrigation, surface water and groundwater resources are often very close and unconstrained use is causing serious aquifer depletion and environmental degradation. An active cross-sector dialogue, integrated vision aided by clear policy guidance and focused local action are needed to promote sustainable groundwater management.

This will help in better usage of groundwater reserves not only for agriculture but also for drought mitigation and climate-change adaptation. In order to stimulate long-term sustainability, the Government must promote combined use of groundwater along with surface water in agriculture. This will help create a greater degree of water supply security and ensure better timing of irrigation-water delivery, as groundwater can be rapidly deployed to compensate for shortfalls in canal-water at critical times in crop-growth cycle.

This will also have a positive impact on conservation of environment by counteracting land waterlogging and salinisation. Only a multi-pronged strategy that is based on legislation, traditional water harvesting systems, and smart usage of market forces will alleviate groundwater crisis in India. Additionally, the integration of conservation and development activities from water extraction to water management at the local level; making communities aware and involving them fully is critical for success. All this will ultimately pave the way for combining conservation of environment with the fulfillment of the basic needs of the people.

- The Pioneer, December 18, 2014

Particulate carbon and fine dust particles cause browning of the marble

Finally, the specific pollutants in the air that are responsible for the discolouration of the white marble of Taj Mahal have been identified. Particulate carbon and fine dust particles that are deposited on the marble are responsible for its browning. Carbon is of two types — black carbon and light absorbing organic carbon or brown carbon. The results from a study were published a few days ago in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Besides studying air samples collected from the area, the authors used marble samples on the building to collect the pollutants. They also undertook computer modelling to study the colour change brought about by reflectance of the particles. Both organic carbon and dust particles have the ability to preferentially absorb light in the blue region of the spectrum. The absorption of blue light by these pollutants in turn gives the marble surface a brown hue. "There is one group of organic carbon which absorbs light in the blue region of the spectrum and this is called brown carbon. Discolouration is because of what is happening to reflectance, and reflectance is in turn influenced by these particles," said Prof. S.N. Tripathi from the Department of Civil Engineering and Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur. He is one of the authors of the paper.

Role of dust particles The ability of fine dust particles to produce the brown hue is a well known in North India. According to him, it is the presence of haematite in the dust that is responsible for the brown hue. "If haematite is not present in the dust then the dust would be only scattering in nature," he said. Haematite is the ingredient that absorbs the blue wavelength of the spectrum.

Though the absorption of blue light by individual dust particles may be smaller than that by brown carbon, the copious amount of dust of two micron size found in the particulate matter makes the overall absorption much higher than that by brown carbon. The study revealed that particles larger than two micron in size accounted for nearly 70 per cent of the deposited particle surface area. These relatively coarse particles are by default the dust particles.

Pure dust particles per se do not have the ability to stick to surfaces. "But what we see is a potpourri of particles. The organic carbon is very sticky," Prof. Tripathy said. Unlike the dust particles, carbon particles are in the 100 nanometre to 1 micron size. Burning of biomass like wood and dung, burning of trash and crop residue are the primary sources of brown and black carbon. On studying the marble samples, the researchers found that black carbon produces a greyish discolouration, while brown carbon and dust produce yellowish-brown hues.

A combination of these two result in darker shades of yellow-brown. The sample targets were in place only for a brief period of two months. "We found the colour of surrogate marbles matched well with model results. Modelling showed the combined effect of dust and carbon in discolouration of the marble samples," he said.

- The Hindu, December 18, 2014

The ministry of tourism has sanctioned 29 tourism projects for the northeastern states in 2014, Parliament was informed Wednesday. Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply that these included nine projects in Nagaland, eight in Sikkim, five in Manipur, four in Arunachal Pradesh and three in Mizoram. "The ministry has not sanctioned any amount to Tripura this year because the state has a utilisation certificate pendency of Rs.16.63 crore under various schemes of tourism ministry," said Sharma.

- The Business Standard, December 18, 2014

"When Shah Jahan couldn't do it, how can these present politicians change the name of Delhi?" said writer and historian William Dalrymple, when asked about urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu's statement that Delhi should have been named Indraprastha or Hastinapur. Another historian, Ramachandra Guha, said the urban development minister should devote his time to improving conditions in cities rather then changing their names. He, however, added that changing the name to Dilli will be more appropriate, as has been done with Kolkata, Bengaluru and Mumbai. During the discussion on The National Capital of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill that was passed by Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Naidu said the name used for the Delhi region in Mahabharata is more suitable, but clarified: "I am not proposing anything".

Dalrymple said, "Hastinapur is nowhere near Delhi. Indraprastha is the right name, a name full of images and heroic memories. However, politicians may try but Delhi will resist any such attempt". He added, "Delhi had resisted many such attempts to rename it for centuries. The Tughlaqs wanted it to be named Firozabad and Shah Jahan tried to change it to Shahjahanabad". Guha said 'Indraprastha' would be inappropriate "as it is mythical. But it would be appropriate to call it Dilli as has been pronounced by the locals for centuries".

Historian Upinder Singh has traced the history of the name 'Delhi' in her book 'Ancient Delhi' (1999). The earliest reference to a 'Dhilli' or 'Dhillika' as a location is a 12{+t}{+h}-century inscription from Bijolia, Rajasthan. "It refers to a Chauhan king called Vigraharaj as conqueror of Dhillika." 'Killi Dhilli Katha' in Prithviraj Raso (also 12{+t}{+h}-century) links 'Dhilli' with Rajput king Anangpal and the iron pillar in Mehrauli. "In that legend, a Brahmin told Anangpal that the pillar's root goes very deep and rests on the hood of Vasuki Naag, and it can't be moved. Anangpal decided to dig it out and when it came up, it had the serpent's blood on it. He tried to put it back in but it remained dhilli (loose)," said Singh. This legend suggests the city was named after the loose base of the reinstalled pillar.

Later mentions of "Dhilli" appear in an inscription in Palam Baoli at Palam Village; it records the construction of a step-well by Uddhara, a 'householder of Dhilli'. "References to Dhilli or Dhillika are found in inscriptions from the 12th to the 14th centuries. There are also references to a king named Dhilli in Persian accounts and there's a legend that the place was founded by King Dileep," says Singh. But which part of Delhi or the region around it is referred to in these references is "very difficult to say".

Quite often the purpose of changing a name is to modify a place's history, "but that is not going to change. I am personally against it. Delhi by any other name will have the same legacy," said A G K Menon, Delhi convener of Intach.

- The Times of India, December 18, 2014

What would you do on your first trip to Kerala — go through Kochi, take a backwater break in Alleppey, or enjoy the rolling greens of Munnar? I was spared the agonising choice by an equally tempting offer — a road trip along the spice route in Kochi and parts of Ernakulum and Thrissur districts, that the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) is now promoting, with support from UNESCO.

Our first destination, like for most first-timers in the city, was Fort Kochi. It's a picturesque drive, with Dutch and Portuguese-style villas standing guard on either side. We stop next to a large football field and make our way to the St Francis Church, which houses the original tomb of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Opposite the church stands the aristocratic Cochin Club, earlier called the English Club, where, in the early 1900s, only Britishers were granted admission. The next day, we head to the Marine Drive for some sea-gazing. A Dutch cemetery built in 1720 and a Bob Marley cafe sit nestled in a corner right before the Fort Kochi beach. With its Vasco da Gama Square and famous Chinese fishing nets — or Cheena Vala, as they are locally known — it is a throwback to a different time.

There are crowds around vendors selling fresh fried fish and ice cream, while groups of men lounge on benches and old anchors, having animated discussions. From Fort Kochi, it took us less than 10 minutes to reach Mattancherry, about four km away. The spice trade in Kerala, which has its roots in the third millennium BC, still runs strong and Mattancherry, with its booming spice market, is a vibrant example.

The air is ripe with the smell of fresh cardamom and aniseed as we walk through the market on our way to the Dutch Palace, a gift from the Portuguese to the Raja of Kochi in 1555, which was later restored by the Dutch and given the name. The museum inside the palace houses extensive literature on the Kochi royal family. The palace shares a wall with the oldest active synagogue in the country — the Paradesi synagogue, built in 1568, which sits in the heart off the Jew Town, home to the local Jewish community.

Shops selling a variety of antiques dot the area. It's early evening when we reach and the Jew Town is bathed in the dying rays of the sun. The houses have colourful windows, many of them half-open, with delicious smells of freshly cooked food wafting out. A shopkeeper at a nearby store laments how the number of Jews here is dwindling. "It is becoming more difficult to complete a minyan (the quorum of 10 men required to hold a service)," he says, shaking his head. The next morning, we are up bright and early and head northwards, deeper into Ernakulum district. Our destination is Pattanam, 35 km north of Kochi, where archaeologists are conducting excavations to find the lost port city of Muziris.

Located in North Paravur in Ernakulam district, the port city served as a key link in the spice trade with the West till it was destroyed in 1341, when the Periyar river flooded. Mentioned by classical writers like Pliny and Ptolemy in their books, Muziris was thought to be the gateway to India. Artefacts discovered in the region first by the Archaeological Survey of India and then Kerala Council for Historical Research, are proof of the fact that the spice route existed around 3,000 years ago. As the car plows on, the roads are framed by lush foliage on both sides.

Earthy houses flash past, and mustachioed men in mundus go about their business in clean prosperous towns. The excavation site at Pattanam is open to the public from February to June, so when we arrive, we can see precious little, barring a few photographs of the eight excavation cycles and some fragments of pottery. The next day, we move on to Pallipuram Fort, nearly 40 km from Kochi, the oldest existing European fort in India built by the Portuguese in 1503. All around it, the countryside looks pristine and untrammelled by development. We drive further north and visit the Kottapuram fort and market before getting to the Cheraman Juma Masjid, the country's first and oldest mosque.

It was built in 629 AD at the behest of the last of the Cherai kings. The compound, which also has a pond in the backdrop, houses a museum with old artefacts and a model of the mosque. Footfall is modest at the mosque; Saraf VM, the curator, says that about 300-500 visitors come in peak season. Heading back to Kochi, we visited the Paravur synagogue in North Paravur town. Built in 1615, it was recently restored by the Kerala government and its doors opened to visitors early this year. With its symmetrical pathways and central courtyard, it's an example of typical Kerala architecture.

Of all the religious monuments we visited, I found this to be the most soul-stirring. Back at the hotel, I settle down in a bamboo grove overlooking the backwaters, my mind drifting to the many treasures I had witnessed. The spice trail lets you immerse yourself in the extensive history of the region, allowing you to see more than the idyllic paddy fields and the backwaters. Alleppey and Kumarakom could wait for the next visit. (The writer was a guest of the Kerala Tourism Department Corporation)

- The Indian Express, December 21, 2014

The foundation for the church, believed to be the oldest situated at Trimulgherry in the Cantonment area, was laid in 1853

The 162-year-old Church of South India Garrison Wesley Church, which was meant only for British Army officers before Independence, has been restored to its original shape nd is all set to regain its glory. The cornerstone for the heritage church, believed to be the oldest situated at Trimulgherry next to the post office in the Cantonment area, was laid in 1853 and completed in 1881. During last monsoon, the rafters of the church gave way prompting repairs.

Painstaking effort The church built with lime and mortar has a hoary past and its construction was taken up only after Rev. William Burgess came from Madras in 1878. A Kanyakumari-based firm that specialises in conservation architecture and worked on heritage sites was assigned the task of restoring the church to its original shape. According to Mr. Thomas, who represents the firm, a mixture of eggs, jaggery, herbs, aloe vera leaves, fine lime powder and lime mortar were ground with jute to prepare the concentrate that was used for the finishing job. An amount of Rs 1 crore was spent on restoration work.

D. Sudesh Kumar, secretary of Pastorate Committee, told The Hindu on Saturday that there is a tragic tale to its construction. Lillian Burgess and Arthur Burgess, wife and son of Rev William Burgess had set sail from London with the bell to be fixed in the newly constructed church. But the ship they were travelling sank in the sea and the bell was never installed. Even today, there is no bell in the Church, which now has over 250 families worshipping every Sunday.

Rev William Burgess was assisted by Rev Charless Walker Posnett, who later went on to oversee construction of the imposing Medak church, according to Rev Jyothy Sunder, Presbyter in charge of CSI Garrison Wesley Church. The renovated church is being re-dedicated at a ceremony on Sunday by the Moderator of Church of South India Rev Dyvaashirvadam.

- The Hindu, December 21, 2014

The National Green Tribunal has ordered rehabilitation of a pilkhan tree in West Delhi which fell in the heavy storm on May 30. A Bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar directed the NDMC to provide its tree ambulance to aid the forest department and the PWD in rehabilitating the tree in Punjabi Bagh area.

The order of the Tribunal came when lawyer-cum-environmental activist Aditya Prasad produced before it pictures showing that the tree was alive and new leaves were sprouting from it. Mr. Prasad said: "The tree is very much alive and can be rehabilitated."

Meanwhile, the Tribunal also issued bailable warrant for the president of the Delhi Cantonment Board for not complying with its directions over de-concretisation around trees. The NGT had in August formed a committee comprising the DDA and various other agencies to formulate guidelines and ensure de-concretisation of the trees in Delhi so that the trees would not die and get proper air and water.

However, on Friday, the DDA informed the Tribunal that the three corporations and the PWD had been very slow in replying to its orders that directed constitution of committees for different areas of Delhi. It said the Delhi Cantonment Board had not even nominated anyone for being the nodal officer in the committee being formed for their area. Even as other departments assured that they would report to the DDA and the work would be taken up swiftly, the Delhi Cantonment Board remained unrepresented in the court.

The Bench took strong objection to this and issued bailable warrants against the president, Delhi Cantonment Board. Mr. Prasad had moved NGT last year highlighting how trees in Delhi are forced to death by thick deposits of concrete around them. The NGT had also directed the agencies to see that a minimum of 1 metre area around the trees is left open for water to seep in.

- The Hindu, December 21, 2014

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on Saturday agreed to the Centre's proposal to build a Ganga University in the State. The Samajwadi Party government promised all help, including the land, for the setting up of the varsity in Varanasi. It will undertake research on the Ganga and provide a boost to the Centre's Swachh Ganga Abhiyan (Clean Ganga mission).

The Chief Minister's nod followed a meeting at his 5, Kalidas Marg residence here, with Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, Irrigation Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav and Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan on Saturday. Central Water Resources officials were also present.A unit of the Ganga Flood Control Commission which is currently headquartered in Patna will be set up here, according to an SP spokesperson. He saidnullah s (watercourses) draining into the river in Kanpur, Mathura and Vrindavan would be diverted and all Ganga's tributaries, including Yamuna and Gomti, would be cleaned jointly by Centre and State.

The State will send the Centre proposals for Ganga river front development programmes in Garh Mukteshwar, Kannauj, Allahabad and Varanasi. The State Chief Secretary and Central Water Resources Secretary would soon hold a meeting to finalise the proposals. Earlier, Ms. Bharti held a meeting with Mr. Shivpal Singh Yadav to confirm the U.P. government's cooperation in the implementation of the Rs.10,000-crore Ken-Betwa river linking project. Talking to reporters after their meeting, Ms. Bharti and Mr. Shivpal Singh Yadav said the Centre would assist the State in implementation of water schemes.

Akhilesh agrees to give land for Clean Ganga Mission, secures Central aid in diverting watercourses

- The Hindu, December 21, 2014

Heritage to most people is only about saving buildings of the past when it is as much about the living heritage of the people around it, says Sebastian Cortes, acclaimed photographer who has published 'Pondicherry', a photo essay book that is his visual interpretation of this coastal town.

"If we end up getting too stuck on buildings, we miss the whole idea that heritage is about both the living heritage which is mostly the memories and the people or even the longing for a place", says Cortes, who is actively engaged with the Puducherry chapter of INTACH. Heritage redevelops every day because we are "constantly building up our heritage" and heritage conservation requires a 'sense of immediacy which is looking towards the future', he said.

His personal approach to heritage has been shaped both by an 'extreme sense of history' from his mother's Venice roots, and 'contemporary history' from growing up in the U.S. Mr. Cortes has had a great deal of interactions on the concept of heritage conservation requiring a vision to 'process an idea of what these buildings would contain', with Francis Wacziarg, the founder of Neemrana Hotels, which has restored and turned many crumbling buildings into heritage hotels and the late Ajit Koujalgi, co-convenor of the Puducherry chapter of INTACH.

"It was clear to (us) all that something was needed to re-launch the city on an international level and that saving the buildings was only the start of a long process that looked to the future, involving all the stake holders." The way forward is the 'telling of an old tale in a contemporary fashion', and 'making heritage relevant and contemporary' in times when India's growth story is being celebrated, and these buildings have lost their importance in everyday life. He suggests that the government must provide support to owners of heritage houses, perhaps through tax breaks, so that these houses are not just recognised as having value, but also serve the owners' needs.

Mr. Cortes suggests making Puducherry a destination for the arts, while drawing in aspects of science and spirituality, which are linked to a larger vision for the future of Puducherry. For this, this town must make known its interest in seeking expertise from other cities which have reinvented themselves as centres for art and heritage, especially in Europe. Heritage then becomes an 'activity' which combines a variety of elements and is part of the 'vision' for the city. "Puducherry could become a place for dialogue in art. It is already a perfect place for artists," he says.

- The Hindu, December 21, 2014

The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board is yet to file its reply in the National Green Tribunal over the issue of contamination in western U.P. rivers like Kali, Krishna and Hindon. The NGT had issued a show cause notice to the pollution control body of the State after The Hindupublished a report about cancer deaths due to contaminated waters of rivers flowing in western U.P.

The NGT had also directed the U.P. Government to file a report on the issue after the petition filed by Doaba Paryavaran Samiti, a non governmental organization working in western UP. The NGT has given two weeks time for the State pollution control body to respond. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) however in its affidavit before the NGT said that the water of Hindon river does not meet the prescribed standard and is unfit for bathing.

After monitoring the water quality of river Hindon at three locations - Saharanpur, Meerut and Ghaziabad - the CPCB declared: "The analytical results of river Hindon reveals that water quality of Hindon does not meet the prescribed standard of primary water quality criteria for bathing water under Environment (Protection) rules, 1986".

The Central pollution control body also recommended that the untreated waste should not be discharged into river and sewage collection shall be done through a proper system so that the entire waste is collected and treated. The CPCB also recommended that dumping of municipal solid waste along the river embankment should be "stopped immediately" and every concerned city should manage its generated waste in accordance with the municipal solid waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000. According to the petition of the Doaba Paryavaran Samiti villagers in western U.P. districts of Baghpat and adjoining areas have been afflicted with cancer due to consumption of ground water contaminated by effluents discharged from sugar and paper mills and slaughter houses.

Dr. Chandraveer Singh, a retired scientist with Haryana pollution Control Board the petitioner from the NGO, the effluents is not only contaminating the river but also the ground water of villages traversed by it.

- The Hindu, December 22, 2014

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's return from Nepal after attending the SAARC Summit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced a mega plan for the restoration and conservation of the famous Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu.

It is learnt that the MEA approved of the project in August and had requested the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to take up the conservation work. "A draft MoU between the ASI and the Pashupatinath Temple Trust has been prepared and submitted to the MEA for approval," an official from the Ministry of Culture said.

An ASI team has visited the site of the temple to assess the requirements for its restoration and the funds required for the same. "The MoU entails a grant of Rs 24.26 crore from the MEA. Restoration work will start as soon as the funds are released," said the official. Meanwhile, the Centre has also set the ball rolling on a long-pending project to conserve the world famous Cham monuments in Vietnam. The project was proposed in 2010 after a two member ASI team inspected these monuments under a cultural exchange programme between India and Vietnam.

"An MoU in this regard was signed between the governments of Vietnam and India on October 28, 2014. The execution of the project will be taken up within three group of temples at the site. The total cost of the five-year project is pegged at Rs 14.21 crore," said the culture ministry official.

- The Indian Express, December 22, 2014

In the 1700s, Murshidabad was the capital of Mughal-ruled Bengal. Rich in art and architecture, its claim to fame was the skill of the weavers of Baluchar silks, an art found only in this eastern city. With their locally produced mulberry silks, the local artisans weaved lustrous saris with long pallus.

The 19th century, saw a decline in power of the nawab's courts and the saris lost out on to the more glamorous zari styles by the Banaras weavers. "The Naksha looms of the Baluchari saris went out of business. By 1894, there were six looms weaving the last Baluchari saris operated by the only remaining artisan, Dubraj Das. He passed away soon after, and with him the Baluchar heritage," says Shilpa Shah, who has been working with the weave for three decades.

A few of the last remaining Baluchari saris are on display at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastusanghralaya, Mumbai, as part of the show, "Sahib, Bibi, Nawab: Baluchar Silks of Bengal 1750-1900". Twenty five such rich drapes hang from the walls of the museum. In association with the TAPI (Textile & Art of the People of India) collection, they have also authored a book, by the same title that discusses the art and extinction of the Baluchar weaves. The collection was sourced by Shah and her husband Praful. "From the mid-1970s, we began collecting specimens of Indian textiles from different regions of India," she says, adding that it is always intriguing when a specific weave suddenly vanishes. "Baluchar silks of Bengal represent one such group," she says.

"What set the saris apart, besides their hand-reeled warps and wefts were the motifs," says Shah. The patterns on the Baluchar drapes, depicted the lifestyles of the nawabs and the royal ladies. One piece shows 436 horse-drawn carriages woven over the long pallu with the noblemen and nawab smoking hookahs. Another, shows the scene of the first steam locomotive train in Bengal that ran from Howrah to Hooghly, with the nawabs seated in a double decked vehicle. "The Baluchar designs in their time set a 'trend' with their distinctive, novel motifs that were vignettes of lifestyle of the rich and famous of those times — the nawabs, the European sahibs and their bibis," she says.

The origin of these motifs still baffle Shah. "We see similar decorative themes used in the carved terracotta reliefs in the brick temples of Vishnupur. But questions such as who wore these luxurious, expensive silks, specially since many of the pallus were 180 – 186 cm long. What they were worth at the time, still linger with us," she says. Through The Baluchar Project, an initiative by the curators, they have tried to address these unanswered questions. "When Eva-Marie Rakob, who has co-curated the show, was researching this subject

- The Hindu, December 22, 2014

In order to ensure that the Railway locomotive engines cause no pollution, the National Green Tribunal has ordered to set standards in this regard. The Tribunal has asked the Ministry of Railways to hold a meeting with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and an Indian Institute of Technology professor, besides a representative of the Ministry of Petroleum.

“The committee shall collect data, complete study, specify and prepare the guidelines within the period of six months, which the CPCB shall ensure are duly implemented by all agencies concerned, including Respondent No. 3 (Ministry of Railways) in order to ensure that no pollution results from the Railway locomotive engines,” said the NGT in its order. These standards should be specified without default and delay and within the stipulated schedule, said the NGT, while disposing of the petition.

The committee can approach any specialised body in the country for advice and consultation. The order of the NGT came on a petition filed by Sanjeev Goyal, who contended that “while there are set standards of emission and pollution control for vehicular traffic, non-specification of discharge standards by railway locomotives is a case of gross negligence on the part of the CPCB”.

Relying on an RTI reply, Mr. Goyal said, “The Railways has emphatically stated that its diesel locomotives are very fuel efficient and are taking all steps to reduce carbon emission. However, it is a fact that diesel locomotives deployed by it still does not undergo any pollution test.

“The Indian Railways has been using diesel locomotives over the past six decades and absence of emission standards, despite high technological advancement, only shows lack of willingness,” he said. He also said locomotive emission standards are put in practice in the U.S. and Europe, but nothing has been done about it in India.

It is to be noted that the Railways had last year brought a mobile emission test car to test emission levels of diesel locomotives at depots across the country.

- The Hindu, December 23, 2014

In an effort to promote contemporary art in areas under its jurisdiction, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has proposed the use of ‘street art’ concept — a public-private-partnership project under which painters and sculptors can produce and sell “live paintings and sculptures” in the capital. Expected to take off in the next three months, the project is likely to be launched near Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhawan in Connaught Place.

“The purpose of this project is to allow open display of live paintings or sculptures like it is done in European and American cities. The aim is to promote Indian contemporary art and display it to visitors for their effective collection in NDMC areas,” an NDMC request for the proposal reads. According to NDMC officials, three small amphitheatres constructed near Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhawan, on Baba Kharak Singh Marg, are likely to serve as the art street.

“Just outside Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhawan, three small amphitheatres have been created by the NDMC. There is ample space to execute the project. The area will be buzzing with art activity,” O P Mishra, director (Projects), NDMC, said. While the space will be provided by the council, the events will be organised by an art institute or company selected through a “competitive bidding process”, officials said.

NDMC officials maintain that the project will include visual as well as performance art works. NDMC chairperson Jalaj Srivastava said, “We want the best possible ideas to come from people and art companies. We are flexible about the ways in which this project will be executed.”

- The Indian Express, December 23, 2014

Mangroves are classified as the most sensitive to oil spills, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s environmental sensitivity index. The fragile ecosystem, with its rare flora and fauna, is sensitive to even small accidents that can irrevocably tip the ecological balance in the area.

Given this, a December 9 accident between a cargo vessel and a tanker carrying furnace oil is posing a grave threat to the Sundarbans, a Unesco-declared World Heritage Site. Unfortunately, what turned the tragedy into a catastrophe, whose impact is yet to be assessed, is that Dhaka was woefully underprepared to deal with the situation, the main being how to contain the spill. There was also a delay in the government’s reaction to the accident because of a confusion over the jurisdiction between the forest and shipping departments.

It was also ill-equipped to contain and clean up the mess. In an utter disregard for the safety of the people, the local villagers were asked to mop up the oil using sponges and pans — oil thus collected could be sold back to the company that owns the sunken oil tanker. All of these are irresponsible steps in the extreme. However, the delayed response has resulted in the slick spreading from River Shela, where the accident occurred, to River Passur and other canals clogging over 350 sq kms of the mangrove forest.

Though a bit late in the day the United Nations has sent in its team to assess the disaster and help with recovery, and has asked Dhaka to impose a ‘complete ban’ on commercial vessels in the mangroves. This might not be possible given that these channels are the major lifeline for oil supplies reaching many cities and towns in Bangladesh. But governments need to maintain a delicate — but necessary — balance between economic viability and environmental safety.

The oil spill is a wake up call — not just for Bangladesh, but also for India, which shares the Sundarbans with it. Indian officials are on high alert and though the spill has not reached the Indian side of the Sundarbans, India can lend its expertise and help to Bangladesh in its time of need.

- The Hindustan Times, December 23, 2014

Medd was a great architect who designed two landmark churches in Delhi. It is unfortunate that we do not have even a single lane named after such a great man

As Christmas is not far away, it is high time to talk about the life and times of master architect Henry Medd, who designed two landmark churches in the national capital. His class was very much evident if you visit the Cathedral Church of the Redemption and the Sacred Heart Cathedral. Apart from that, he also designed the High Court building at Nagpur. He was also the chief architect to the Government of India from 1939 to 1947.

Henry Medd was one among many young architects who came to New Delhi to assist masters like Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker when work was going on at a great pace to design a series of new buildings in the brand new capital in the early part of the 20th century. When he was barely 23, he joined the office of Lutyens. And later, he worked under the watchful eyes of Sir Herbert Baker for a very extended period from 1919-31.

Thus, he had the good fortune of working under two great architects of his time. Medd was in full flow when he was designing the two churches. Here, he was given complete freedom to practice his philosophy of integrating landscape into built form as a total environmental concept. Every part of these churches speak a different language. The environment in the courtyard gives a feel of freshness. Medd planned these churches in such a manner that they give a clean look.

If we talk about the Cathedral Church of the Redemption, it stands on a broad base and rises in massive blocks to the tower, topped by a dome. On top of that dome, a cupola stands on narrow pillars, carrying a cross soaring high above the body of the church. The buff sandstone walls contrast with the bright red tiles of the sloping roofs. Looking at the Cathedral, from outside, the lack of windows adds to its massive appearance.

As far as the Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart is concerned, it is located at the Gol Dak Khana Roundabout. It is a bold, elegant design in the Lutyens tradition with an Italianate south front enriched by an oval mosaic. In the same colour scheme as Medd's earlier Cathedral Church of the Redemption, this one is a definite improvement.

In the early days after the capital of India was moved from then Calcutta to Delhi, the chaplain of the nascent city envisaged a massive Gothic church on the lines of Westminster Abbey. Sir Edwin Lutyens, the architect of Rashtrapati Bhavan, rejected the concept. He felt that Westminster Abbey, with all its glass windows would only be fit for ‘frying bacon' in the heat of the Delhi summer. Henry Medd, who eventually designed the Cathedral, heeded Lutyens warning and that is why the Cathedral does not have many windows.

Talking about the Cathedral Church of the Redemption, it is located on north of Jaipur Column, at a shouting distance from Parliament. Though the church’s exterior is ordinary, with red sandstone roofing, the interior is very striking. The interior of this anglican church has small recessed openings that filter sunlight. It also has a fine organ as well as a striking stained glass window. The best part of Medd's work was that he gave lots of space for gardens. That you can see in both churches. It is said for him that he did extensive research before recommending to his seniors the plantation of neem, jamun and amaltas trees in New Delhi area.

Medd had helped Baker a great deal in finalising the finer details of the Council House (now Parliament) and Secretariat buildings (North and South blocks). It is sad that we do not have even a service lane named after such a great architect.

- The Pioneer, December 24, 2014

Jal Board shuts down two water treatment plants due to alarming pollution in Yamuna

Taps ran dry for lakhs of Delhiites on Tuesday as the Delhi Jal Board was forced to shut down two of its water treatment plants due to alarming pollution in the Yamuna. It shut down the plants at Chandrawal and Wazirabad on Tuesday morning as ammonia levels in the raw water at Wazirabad pond shot up to 2.6 mg/Litre against the permissible limit of 0.2 mg/L.

The two plants account for 220 million gallons per day (MGD) of the total 835 MGD treated water supplied by the water utility. According to the Jal Board, almost one-third of the Capital’s population that lives in the Walled City, the New Delhi Municipal Council area, and Central, South and North Delhi will be affected as long as the plants remain shut.

The Jal Board was able to meet the morning supply schedule through local storages, but could not supply water in the evening. For those affected, it will provide drinking water through its tanker service. “The raw water supplied by Haryana has been polluted due to release of industrial pollutants from Sonepat and Panipat drains,” said Jal Board spokesperson Sanjam Chima.

Ms. Chima added that supply will remain affected till ammonia levels come down to a safe level, and that there is no way of knowing when that will be. The Jal Board has written to the Central Pollution Control Board as well as the authorities in Haryana to come up with a solution.

- The Hindu, December 24, 2014

Forest Department officials of Gurgaon district will be collecting blood samples of nearly 200 migratory birds at Sultanpur Lake after the alleged breakout of bird flu in Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh. Last week, around 20 geese at Sukhna Lake and around 300 crows in Bagiyadi village in Tarn-Taran district of Punjab were found dead. The bird deaths are believed to have sparked avian influenza scare in Chandigarh and places nearby.

However, authorities are yet to issue an advisory regarding the flu. Samples from birds have been collected to test for a possibility of spread of H5N1 virus among migratory birds. The veterinary department has already collected excreta samples and testing is on. Blood samples will be sent to the regional diagnostic lab in Jalandhar. According to bird sanctuary officials, employees have been directed to keep a close eye on birds — especially the species that were found dead at Sukhna Lake — to monitor their physical activities. The Forest department has installed four CCTV cameras at Sultanpur Lake to monitor the movement of these migratory birds.

According to Forest department officials, round 35,000 migratory birds of 35 species are currently residing in the Sultanpur bird sanctuary. While some are resident species, others come from distant regions such as Siberia, Europe and Afghanistan. “The wildlife department has hired specialists to collect blood samples of migratory birds and test them for symptoms of bird flu. The process will start on Thursday. Collecting blood samples of all the birds generally takes about 4-5 days,” Kulwinder Singh, district wildlife officer, Gurgaon, said. He also told Newsline that the practice of collecting bird droppings was started in 2011 after a similar bird flu scare gripped the area.

“So far, no symptoms have been found in migratory birds in the sanctuary. Result of the beat samples are awaited,” Singh said. These migratory birds, until the end of winter, flock to the corridors of Sultanpur and Najafgarh in Delhi. If sources are to be believed, of the 20 geese that were found dead at Sukhna Lake, one tested positive for H5N1. After that, around 95 were culled by the Chandigarh administration as a precautionary measure.

- The Indian Express, December 25, 2014

Observing that human beings are the “biggest enemy” of the environment, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi chief secretary to convene a high-level meeting on steps to be taken to deal with “toxic” water body near the Tughlaqabad fort.

Earlier this year, a PIL had alleged that a 2-km long and 300-m wide “artificial lake” had been created due to effluent discharge in Tughlaqabad. The DPCC, in its affidavit, had admitted that lack of a sewerage system in the area had caused waterlogging. The court of Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice I S Mehta pulled up the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and other agencies after it was informed that no remedial measures had come of the meeting convened by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). An affidavit submitted by the DPCC also stated that the Delhi Development Authority was utilising the effluents for “greening and horticultural purposes”.

The DJB also came under fire from the court after its counsel claimed that a sewage treatment plant could not be set up in the area and blamed other agencies for discharge of effluents. According to the DPCC report, the DJB had claimed that it was “not in a position to provide a sewage treatment plant in the area” as there was no land available. The counsel for the DJB said the land was under authority of the municipal corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

The court noted that the issue required a “high-level consideration”. The ASI, represented by Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, was also asked to give its suggestions, as the water body is near the Tughlaqabad fort. “We are destroying the environment and monuments. We could have minted money through tourism alone,” the court said.

The Delhi chief Secretary has been directed to call a meeting with the DJB, DDA, ASI, DPCC and all authorities concerned to chalk out a proposal within three weeks. The court has directed the chief secretary to file a report on the proposal within five weeks and fixed the case for hearing in February next year.

- The Indian Express, December 25, 2014

From maps symbolising our cosmos to those of political boundaries, conquestand trade, an exhibition at Kochi-Muziris Biennale shows India through somenever-seen cartographic treasures, writes Shailaja Tripathi

Hyderabad-based Prshant Lahoti has been collecting maps for over 12 years and all these years, he was waiting for not only his collection to become robust but also a platform equally electric to showcase the rare heritage. In “Whorled Explorations”, the second edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) he found a perfect foil. So at Heritage Arts, an antique warehouse in Matancherry, Kochi, are displayed some exquisite 47 maps from 16th to 19th centuries in vegetable dyes on cotton, woodcuts, copper engravings, watercolour on paper etc.

Titled “Cosmology to Cartography”, it is divided into three sections –– “Jain Cosmic”, “Pilgrimage” and “Cartography”. The maps culled out from the 3000 maps that Prshant has, an early 18th Century Japanese map depicting India as the centre of the world because of Buddhism, pilgrimage maps of Shatrunjaya in Gujarat, Ganga, Vraj yatra, a Dutch map of the subcontinent and the first map of India, without any political divisions, showing it as a single entity. The 18th Century map of Ganga, attributed to a Rajasthani artist, charts the river’s course from Alaknanda to Badrinath marking out some key shrines on it.

A highly detailed map is the Pichwai of Vrajyatra, depicting the entire pilgrim landscape of Vraj, pilgrims visiting sacred sites and performing rituals at Mount Govardhana, Barsana, Nandgram, temples of the Vallabha sect. “These pilgrimage maps may not be cartographic maps but we felt that yet they are maps because it presents measurement of a space in some way,” says Prshant, who is exhibiting his collection in public for the first time. The exhibition also has political maps made by the Portuguese, Dutch, French and English.

The first map showing India as one was made by the leading French mapmaker Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon D’Anville, at the behest of French East India Company in 1752. Up to this point, the maps would focus on some regions, states and colonies but never presented India as one. There are Venetian maps focussing on Peninsular India, with labelled coastlines, Portuguese ship caravels representing sea routes between Europe and India. The antiques that dot the Heritage Arts, the antique warehouse in Jews Town, complement the history narrated by these maps. “Riyas (Riyas Komu, General Secretary, Kochi Biennale Foundation), Bose (Bose Krishnamachari, President, Kochi Biennale Foundation) and I, none of us wanted a gallery-gallery space for the show and thought this space to be the best,” says Prshant, who runs Kalakriti, a contemporary art space promoting art. The response to the exhibition has stimulated him to take the exhibition to different States and may be one day build a map museum.

(The exhibition, a partner project, is on at Kochi-Muziris Biennale, is on till March 29) If you are planning to visit Kochi Biennale, here are a few things which will help.

• Beginning January 2015, Mondays are going to be ticket free entry.
• If you have elderly people accompanying you, then there is a free buggy service introduced by Bangalore-based Maini industries. The six seater electric vehicle can be sighted at different venues and is exclusively for elderly people and people with special needs. The free buggy service was inaugurated by actor Mammooty a few days ago.
• In case you miss them, there are scores of autorickshaws available. More than willing to ferry you to the KMB venues, they charge anywhere between Rs.20 and 50. The autowallahs in Fort Kochi can also claim their place as the brand ambassador of the Biennale alongside P.T. Usha. Don’t be surprised if they ask you for a pass to the Biennale!

From today, if you want to visit the majestic Taj Mahal or Humayun's Tomb, you can book your ticket online. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has introduced e-ticketing at these two world heritage sites, the first in the nation, wherein one can simply print their tickets at home and then gain entry at the monument through the barcode reader.

The system will be replicated at other world heritage sites in weeks to follow. The e-ticketing system will be inaugurated by union culture and tourism minister Mahesh Kumar on Friday morning. "At Humayun's Tomb, two barcode machine readers have set up. Visitors just need to have their printed tickets with QR code scanned and they can enter the monument.'' said an official.

However, the manual ticket checking will also be in place, in case there were any technical difficulties. A separate portal will be launched for the tickets, and links will be also available at the IRCTC website, culture ministry and ASI website.

Sources said that each ticket would be valid for approximately two days and can be booked about sixty days in advance. Popular sites like Delhi's Qutub Minar and Red Fort which receive large number of footfalls are also expected to have e-ticketing in place by the first quarter of 2015.

- The Times of India, December 26, 2014

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has sent legal notice to New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) over construction of wooden huts and music in Lodi Gardens. Citing it as hindrance to Capital’s cultural heritage, ASI has lambasted the installation of open-air gyms in the heritage park. “The wooden huts are mere shades for the elderly or any other person for that matter to take shelter in case there’s rainfall. Our idea was to make things easier for people visiting the park and not to disturb the ecosystem of the Capital,” said an official in NDMC.

There are total two such huts in Lodi Gardens. The huts are gazebo-like structure with wooden shacks for people to sit and spend quality time. “We received a notice from the ASI regarding the construction of two wooden huts citing it as disturbing the peace and heritage of the area. The wooden huts in no way can disturb the heritage of a place like Lodi Gardens. What is even more startling is that there are only two such huts, which in no way are a disturbance to nature,” said Jalaj Shrivastava, NDMC Chairman.

In a similar case, NDMC planned to install music system in Lodi Gardens for morning walkers. This move faced major flak from the ASI. “NDMC was told that the music would disturb the morning walkers and also the surrounding birds. Soft soothing music during morning walks is supposed to work as a booster,” said an official in the civic body.

In July, open-air gymnasiums were set up in Lodi Gardens. Around 12 fitness equipment were installed in the park. “Objections were also raised at the installation of the gym but we have decided to get going with this. Gymnasiums will be installed in other areas too,” said Shrivastava.

- The Pioneer, December 26, 2014

An informed, transparent debate involving the public should be imperative in the implementation of either the Madhav Gadgil committee report or the Kasturirangan committee report on the Western Ghats, said R.K. Pachauri, Nobel laureate and Chairperson of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, here on Friday.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the 7th International Congress of Environmental Research, at R.V. College of Engineering here, Mr. Pachauri said it was left entirely to the public and those affected to decide on the implementation of the report.

There has been opposition from those staying along the Western Ghats for both the Gadgil report and the Kasturirangan report that had suggested identification of ‘eco-sensitive areas’ along the forests where there would be restrictions on certain development and industrial activities. “We cannot lose the biodiversity present, because if we lose it, we will not get it back. We are a democracy, and it is up to the people to decide its implementation. We have to look at the entirety of the issue,” he said.

However, Prashant Bhushan, senior Supreme Court advocate, was equivocal in his support for the Gadgil report (which suggests 64 per cent area in the Western Ghats to be protected under stringent terms) instead of the Kasturirangan report (which recommends keeping 37 per cent of the Western Ghats area out of bounds for polluting industries only). “Just as the opposition to environmental regulations, the protests against the Gadgil report have been instigated politically … the judiciary should step in,” he said. He believed the dilution of Western Ghats protection and the proposed amendments to the environmental laws undo the work of environmentalists and people’s movements.

More than 500 participants from 25 countries are expected to attend the three-day conference that would discuss the implications of climate change. ‘Anti-conversion law unconstitutional’ An anti-conversion law is unconstitutional as it goes against the fundamental right of the citizen to choose or change his/her religion, said senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan here on Friday.

Mr. Bhushan told reporters on the sidelines of a conference that the BJP and its affiliates were attempting to bring about the law by “forcibly” converting citizens. “It is illegal to convert under force or pressure. And what the VHP and the Bajrang Dal are doing across the country is just that,” he said.

- The Hindu, December 27, 2014

Religion is the opium of the masses and the tourism ministry is keen to exploit just this in India. The government is preparing a multi-pronged programme to attract tourists to the country's pilgrim sites, modeled on world famous pilgrim spots like Italy and Saudi Arabia.

"If you look at spiritual tourism throughout the world, it is very big. There is huge footfall in Rome and same is the case of Mecca and Medina... In a similar fashion, we should also explore our rich potential aspects comprising epics and spirituality," tourism and culture minister Mahesh Sharma said.

He was launching e-ticketing for Taj Mahal in Agra and Humayun's Tomb in New Delhi besides a 24x7 'Incredible India' tourist helpline along with special welcome cards for foreign tourists arriving at nine international airports.

Launching a slew of schemes for promoting tourism and cultural sites, he said 50% of the monuments in the world were in India, which is also blessed with Buddhist centres, Ganga and Himalayas. "The prime minister has earmarked Rs 500 crore for development of five tourist circuits such as Ganga, Krishna, Buddha, northeast and Kerala. This apart, seven pilgrimage destinations including Gaya, Amritsar, Mathura and Velankanni will be developed," he added.

The minister also launched Swachh Bharat Swacch Smarak E-Poster, a booklet on 'Badhte Kadam - Hunar Se Rozgar Tak', Swachh Bharat Swachh Pakwan (Hunar Zayka), Braille book on Delhi monuments and Adarsh Smarak, which aims at developing 25 monuments with wi-fi, disabled-friendly facilities and interpretation centres.

Meanwhile, the government is discussing including Malappuram, Wayanad and Kannur districts of Kerala among the 106 districts covered under the security-related expenditure reimbursement scheme.

- The Times of India, December 27, 2014

Delhi's three world heritage sites—Humayun's Tomb, Red Fort and Qutub Minar—will be further developed as 'model heritage sites'. These will be part of 25 monuments chosen for the scheme that aims to equip them with everything from Wi-Fi to interpretation centres, just like abroad.

The decision was announced by culture minister Mahesh Sharma while inaugurating e-ticketing facilities and a helpline for visitors to Taj Mahal and Humayun's Tomb on Friday. He also inaugurated a book on Delhi's monuments in Braille. As part of the project, each monument will have wheelchair access, proper signage, drinking water, CCTVs, etc.

"The 'sab chalta hai' attitude won't go on now," Sharma added at the inauguration on Good Governance Day. The other monuments to be developed are: Taj Mahal; Leh Palace in Jammu and Kashmir; Hazarduari Palace in West Bengal; Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram; Elephanta Caves and Daulatabad Fort in Maharashtra; Kumbhalgarh Fort in Rajasthan;

Rani-ki-vav in Gujarat; Fatehpur Sikri as well as Sravasti and Sarnath in UP; Hampi in Karnataka; Jageshwar temples in Uttarakhand; Vaishali-Kolhua in Bihar; Khajuraho and Mandu in Madhya Pradesh; Martand Sun Temple in Kashmir; Brihadeeswarar Temple in Tamil Nadu; St Angelo Fort in Kerala; Masrur Rock Cut Temple in Himachal Pradesh; Rang Ghar in Assam and Konark Sun Temple in Odisha.

- The Times of India, December 27, 2014

Almost all of the most polluted cities in India are located in the north with Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan dominating the list, according to a WHO report on the most polluted cities in the world published earlier this year.

Incidentally, UP, Punjab and Delhi also lie in the fog belt of northern India and there's evidence to show that air pollution is worsening the problem. Early last year, TOI had reported on a study which found that average fog hours in the month of January in Delhi had increased by as much as eight hours since 1989 — a trend attributed to rising pollution.

When the WHO report came out in May, much was made out of the fact that Indian cities dominated the list, with Delhi earning the dubious tag of the most polluted city in the world. But not as much attention was paid to which were the most polluted among Indian cities. Of the worst 30 cities, UP laid claim to nine, Punjab to five and Rajasthan to four. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra had three cities each while J&K, Bihar and Uttarakhand had one each. Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Ahmedabad in Gujarat and Delhi rounded out the list. In all, 124 Indian data stations - mostly in cities - were featured in the WHO report.

Meanwhile, the 5 cities with the cleanest air were all located in south India. Two were in Kerala - Kollam and Pathanamthitta, one in Karnataka - Hassan, one in Tamil Nadu - Madurai, and Pondicherry.

- The Times of India, December 28, 2014

Here's something for history buffs to get excited about. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), in excavations carried out at Chandyan village in Baghpat, have found remnants of a house that corresponds to the late Harappan period. The discovery is important since, according to archaeologists, this is the first time evidence of habitation pertaining to that period has been found in the Upper Doab region between Ganga and Yamuna.

The late Harappan phase pertains to the period starting around 1900-1800 BC when the Indus Valley Civilization, popularly known as the Harappan Culture, began to decline. The civilization, which is known for its superior urban planning, is believed to have flourished in the period between 3300 BC to 1300 BC in what is today Pakistan, northwest India and parts of Afghanistan and Balochistan. Earlier in August, a human skull with a copper crown corresponding to the late Harappan period, was accidentally discovered at a brick kiln site in the village. The ASI started excavating the area on November 27 and found, to its delight, a number of items that pertained to the 4,000-yr-old era.

"Till date, we have excavated around 20 burial pots, a pelvic bone of the same man whose skull we had found with a copper crown and a few beads like carnelian, faience and agate. However, the most interesting development, undoubtedly, is the evidence of habitation which was found for the first time. We excavated a mud wall with post holes where wooden pillars were probably fixed to support thatched roofs.

We also found multi-level foundations that supported structures in different times," said AK Pandey, superintending archaeologist, ASIIncidentally, the Harappan link to the area was established in 2005 when a farmer accidentally discovered a huge burial site at Sinauli village located just 40km from Chandayan. The Sinauli graves are also believed to correspond to the late Harappan period, strengthening archaeologists' conviction about the latest find. What got them further excited was finding a clue to the period's habitation, which they point out, happens very rarely.

"During excavations, we found about 50 cm of habitational deposits. The chances of finding habitational structures here is quite uncommon because this is a fertile region and over a period of time, cultivators raze structures to the ground for agricultural purposes. But since we have burial sites here, logically, there should be habitational sites as well. If we extend the area of excavation, we might find something more substantial," said DN Dimri, director of archaeology, ASI, However, historians say there is a need to exercise caution.

"This certainly looks like a habitational site but a lot more needs to be done to thoroughly establish the theories. In fact, instead of terming it a late Harappan site, I would rather call it a post-Harappan site when just a few remnants of the Harappan culture remained. Its antiquity could be anywhere between 1700 BC to 1500 BC", said RS Bisht, former joint director general, ASI.

- The Times of India, December 28, 2014

On Christmas, Tyagi Christians of Old Pataudi House sang bhajans of “Nanha Balak Yesu” and on New Year’s eve “Naye-saal-ke-geet”

New Year’s eve at Bombay House was a grand affair but the one at Old Pataudi House was no less memorable. It must have originally belonged to the Nawab but he left it when the new one was built in South Delhi.

After that it was given on rent to mostly Christian families, who had earlier lived at Turkman Gate but moved into it as they found its location more suitable for attending Sunday service at St James’ Church in Kashmere Gate. Some, however, continued to go to the Turkman Gate Holy Trinity Church, built in 1904 after the site chosen near Ajmere Gate had to be abandoned after digging revealed that there was an underground reservoir there of Mughal days which supplied water to the Shahji lake that once covered what is now the Ramlila ground. Christmas was a big celebration but New Year’s eve was no less spectacular.

Naney Joseph had a large family with sons, grandsons and great-grandsons – all of whom were married and, together with their wives and kids, filled up many rooms in Pataudi House. The old man was 90 then but still active enough to take charge on festive occasions. His ancestors had been Tyagi Brahmins from Mewat who had migrated to Delhi in mid-19th Century and faced a tough time during the Revolt of 1857 as they were Christian converts. For this they were attacked by those who considered them stooges of the British, but though some perished, the rest managed to survive by declaring their allegiance to the Mughal emperor.

Their dhoti-kurta dress and dehati lingo lent credibility to their claim that they had changed their religion but not customs, celebrating Diwali and Holi too, besides Christmas and the New Year. When the British retook Delhi and Bahadur Shah Zafar was sent into exile in Rangoon, they repaid their debt of gratitude to the men who had spared their lives by proclaiming their innocence. After that the Tyagi Christians began to be regarded as friends, particularly by the inhabitants of Turkman Gate. In the changedcircumstances they were greatly sought after by those seeking favours from the new dispensation.

Now coming into their own, they celebrated Church festivities with greater fervour. At Christmas they sang bhajans of “Nanha Balak, Yesu” and at New Year’s “Naye-saal-ke-geet”. It was in the evening that the whole community congregated to bring the sun down with singing and dancing. There was typical rural “naach-gana” and also some ballroom dances learnt by the girls from English lady teachers.

According to the late Rehmat Masih, New Year’s eve of 1947 became a glamorous event as it was the first time that it was being celebrated after Independence. Refugees from Punjab and Sindh did not quite understand what all the gaiety was about as they were not familiar with such celebrations but those were times when even old women danced at Pataudi House, which was gaily illuminated with diyas and bunting on Dec. 31. Andrew and his brother Philip, who were children then, used to talk about the post-Azadi Naya Saal. Bannu chachha, who had finished off half a bottle, decided that after the young people had enjoyed themselves, no woman would cook khana at home and stuff bought from the Jama Masjid dhabas could be eaten.

The pulao-zarda arrived, along with tandoori rotis, korma and kababs. Some ate to their heart’s content while others were still on “liquid diet”. Their wives and mothers, following the old custom of eating after the males, passed the time singing to the beat of the dholak and the tunes of the harmonium. Perpetua Bua, Kali Mumani and Ganno Bhabhi clapped as they were too old to sing because of cracked voices, but Alloo Bua and Sanno Ba’s wife added to the fun by showing off their dance thumkas in imitation of the bais of Chawri Bazar.

Then William Sahib, line operator in a CP newspaper who had had one too many, took hold of the dholak and beckoning the others staged a qawwali until he swooned away midway and Keti Ba, taking off his turban, crowed like a cock to make the others realize that it was past midnight and the New Year had begun. Everybody then sang in unison, “Naya saal phir se aya hai, mubarak ho mubarak ho”, and the assembly broke up to sleep till dawn, when it was time to go to church but before that Chhinga Bhaiyya kissed his new bride and made her blush.

- The Hindu, December 28, 2014

For the first time in India, eastern swamp deer were shifted from Kaziranga National Park to Manas National Park, both in Assam but about 400 kilometres apart, with the authorities saying translocation was the one way the sub-species, found only in Kaziranga, could be saved from a point of no return. In the last count held in May this year, it was found that Kaziranga had 854 Eastern swamp deer, including 176 adult males, 504 adult females and 174 calves.

On Saturday, 19 eastern swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii ranjitsinhi) — 3 male, 26 female — were brought to Manas National Park by road and released in a specially prepared ‘boma’ secured by a two-line power fence installed over a bamboo barrier, to deter leopards from entering the enclosure. Short grass was earlier transplanted in the ‘boma’ to ensure steady fodder supply to the animals.

Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) officials said the deer will be kept in the special enclosure for the first few months and would be later released in the National Park in batches. Some of them would be kept in the boma for breeding purposes. “Since this would be the source population for Manas National Park, stringent arrangements have been made to ensure their welfare,” a WTI official said.

While the translocation was conducted jointly by the state forest department and WTI in collaboration with ONGC, experts from College of Veterinary Science (AAU) monitored the entire translocation process. Markus Hofmyr, a renowned conservation and animal welfare biologist, was flown in specially from South Africa to help with the capturing of the deer. A team of experts from WTI and the state forest department will also monitor the deer population to see if the translocation has any adverse impact on them.

Launched in 2010, the three-year long ecological research programme called ‘Eastern Swamp Deer Conservation Project’ intends to understand the ecology of the sub-species and develop management strategies for conservation of their last surviving population in India. Findings on diet, genetic constitution and behaviour have already provided useful insight for scientific management of the deer in Kaziranga, as well as to propel the project into its current second phase of creating a second home for them in Manas National Park, the WTI official said.

- The Indian Express, December 28, 2014