On Wednesday, the Economic Survey acknowledged that the central question facing India was: where will the jobs come from? On Thursday, the Budget tried to answer that question: through skill training.

"My Budget for 2013-14 has before it one overarching goal: to create opportunities for our youth to acquire education and skills that will get them decent jobs or self-employment that will bring them adequate incomes that will enable them to live with their families in a safe and secure environment," said P Chidambaram.

The second of the three promises Chidambaram made to the "three faces of India" on behalf of the PM and the UPA was to its youth (the other two being women and the poor). Chidambaram said he proposed to ask the National Skill Development Corporation to set the curriculum and standards for training in different skills, and any institution would then be allowed to offer a training course. When a young person completed her training, she would have to take a test, get a certificate and a reward of Rs 10,000, Chidambaram said.

The Budget also extended the scope of the labour ministry's cashless health insurance scheme, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY). Originally started only for BPL families, the RSBY has now enrolled over 3 crore families across the country. Chidambaram further extended the scheme to rickshaw-drivers, auto-drivers, taxi-drivers, ragpickers and mine-workers.

The minister proposed that social security benefit schemes for the unorganized sector be integrated into one comprehensive package that would include life and health insurance, maternity assistance and pension benefits.

- The Times of India, 1st March 2013

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has passed a proposal to extend the deadline of the Connaught Place restoration project to June 30. Over the next four months, the exterior of some parts of the market will be renovated and the utility duct in the middle circle completed.

The council members in the monthly meeting held on Thursday took the decision after the contractor requested for an extension to complete the project. The project has been in the making for three-and-a-half years. The other important agenda in the meeting was a proposed hike in parking charges, that has been deferred in what is now being seen as a ploy before elections.

With the assembly elections ahead, chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who chaired the meeting, did not wish to upset voters by increasing parking charges, sources said.

This despite the fact that both the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) and the high court appointed Special Task Force headed by the chief secretary have been pushing for higher charges.

The council has 54 parking sites in its jurisdiction, divided into five groups.

"A study of the parking fee structure has been ordered again and the proposal has been deferred," said member Karan Singh Tanwar, MLA from Delhi Cantt.

If implemented, the parking charges will increase from the existing Rs. 10 for four hours to Rs. 50 for three hours. Tanwar said the council has, however, decided to go ahead and tender the underground parking at Palika Bazaar that has the capacity for 975 four wheelers and 450 two wheelers. The parking charges will remain unchanged until further notice.

- The Hindustan Times, 1st MArch 2013

The National Investment Board (NIB) has created a bit of a stir within the cabinet. Ministers are muttering - some not so softly - about having to cede authority to a super Cabinet on infrastructure projects headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Such misgivings are misplaced. Mr Singh is anyway the boss of the cabinet. And the board, as proposed by finance minister P Chidambaram, will merely audit project clearances, it will not get into the line function of individual ministries. The audit is needed because 17 ministries, by one estimate, are involved in issuing permits for infrastructure projects. By asking around why a particular approval is awaited and setting timelines, the NIB should be able to clear a backlog of 90-odd projects. If a ministry has valid grounds to withhold permission, the Board is unlikely to overrule it.

A fast-track mechanism for okaying infrastructure projects has been a long-standing demand of industry. India is planning to build a large chunk of its infrastructure through public-private partnerships. The 12th Five Year Plan projects a $1 trillion bill and expects private players will put up half the amount. While a facilitating Board is a move in the right direction, industry's expectations from the government have shifted. It is now seeking pre-approved projects where all the required clearances come bundled in. The government would need to collect the approvals before a project is granted instead of the private developer chasing them afterwards. The Board could play a big role if the government adopts this approach to bring infrastructure spending up to speed.

Single-window approval is already available at the Centre for foreign direct investment (FDI). The Foreign Investment Promotion Board pools inputs of the ministries concerned to clear FDI proposals. It has been a fairly successful process although involving fewer departments. A Board on the same lines for domestic investments in infrastructure might set an example for state governments, which face similar issues on project approvals. India has partly got around the funding hurdle for infrastructure by roping in private capital, but it is yet to find a way out of the permit bottleneck. One in five big infrastructure projects is delayed by 2-5 years and the cost of slipped deadlines in 567 projects the Centre tracks is an extra 20%. If the NIB makes some headway in getting Rs. 150,000 crore of projects off the ground, it could pull the economy out of the trough. It also makes political sense to push job-creating investments ahead of a general election.

- The Asian Age, 1st March 2013

The education sector today received a 17 per cent jump with an allocation Rs. 65,867 crore for 2013-14 fiscal, but HRD Minister M.M. Pallam Raju termed it as a "little" increase and said he would be asking for more to meet the goals.

He said that with the RTE deadline coming to an end on March 31 for fulfilling all provisions, States would be asking for more the central share and the Government has to be prepared for that.

"I think there has been little bit of increase. But the important factor is that the deadline for implementing the Right to Education (RTE) Act is coming up and subsequent to that, there will be a lot of demand from the States for Central share of money and I think that is what we should be prepared for," Mr. Raju told reporters outside Parliament, reacting to the Budget.

Most of the States are reportedly yet to fulfil the RTE provisions. Schools face the prospects of being derecognised in the event of not meeting the norms. Noting that capacity-building in secondary education and higher secondary education is also imperative, Mr. Raju said, "We will definitely be asking for more money" for that.

In his Budget speech, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said as education is the other high priority for the Government, "I propose to allocate Rs. 65,867 crore to HRD Ministry, which is an increase of 17 per cent over the revised estimate of the previous year.

"The Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) and the RTE are firmly in place. I propose to provide Rs. 27,258 crore for SSA," he said.

The plan expenditure for Department of School Education has been kept at Rs. 49,659 crore while the plan expenditure for Department of Higher Education has been put at Rs. 16,198 crore.

In 2012-13, the school education department had got Rs. 45,969, which was scaled down to Rs. 42,729 in the revised estimate. Similarly, the higher education department had got Rs. 15,438, but it was also cut down to Rs. 13,479 in the revised estimate.

The Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan programme, which aims at universalisation of secondary education, has got Rs. 3983 crore for 2013-14, an increase of Rs. 25.6 per cent over the revised estimate.

The mid-day meal programme has been allotted Rs. 13,215 crore.

- The Hindu, 1st March 2013

With an aim of providing support to institutions of excellence, Finance Minister P Chidambaram pledged a grant of Rs 100 crore each to Aligarh Muslim University, Banaras Hindu University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.

In his budget speech, the Finance Minister also proposed to expand private FM radio services to 294 more cities.

In a reference to Phase III expansion of FM Radio for which the Information and Broadcasting ministry is already working, Chidambaram said that about 839 new FM radio channels will be auctioned in 2013-14.

He said that after the auction, all cities having a population of more than 1,00,000 will be covered by private FM radio services.

In another important proposition, the Minister spoke of providing Rs 532 crore to modernise postal network as a result of which post offices will become part of the core banking solution and offer real time banking services.

-The Business Standard, 1st March 2013

Termed a priority sector, education has effectively been given no more than a 7.2 per cent hike in the allocation when compared to last year's budgetary estimate — though it works out to 17 per cent when compared to the revised estimate, which had been slashed from Rs 61,427 crore to Rs 56,223 crore.

With Rs 65,869 crore this year, the human resource development ministry will struggle to take up new schemes, let alone set up new institutes. The ministry's immediate challenge will be to meet expenses that will soar over the next month in the run-up to the March 31 deadline for states to fulfil norms under the Right to Education Act. The states are expected to demand more funds from the Centre.

HRD minister Pallam Raju too acknowledged the inadequacy of the budgetary hike for the education sector and said that more funds will be needed.

The slim budgetary hike could also set back the ambitious plans backed by the National Advisory Council for the education sector. The proposals are to extend the ambit of the RTE Act to cover pre-primary sections as well as secondary education besides expanding the coverage of the flagship mid-day meal programme to secondary level and private unaided schools in the tribal areas.

Of the Rs 65,869 crore, school education has been allocated Rs 49,659 crore and higher education Rs 16,210 crore. The school education budget includes Rs 27,258 crore for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, which is also the funding vehicle for RTE, and Rs 13,215 crore for the mid-day meal scheme.

In the higher education sector, the lion's share of Rs 10,213.71 crore will go to the University Grants Commission, while Rs 400 crore will go to the new scheme Rashtriya Uchchtar Shiksha Abhiyan. Rs 1,450 crore has been allocated towards student financial aid with Rs 1,100 crore going towards student loan interest subsidy and contribution to credit guarantee fund.

The Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, will get a grant of Rs 168 crore while the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Indian Institutes for Science Education & Research (IISER) will be supported with a Rs 1,092 crore grant. Special grants of Rs 100 crore each have been announced for certain institutes of national importance including Aligarh Muslim University, Banaras Hindu University, Tata Institute of Sciences (Guwahati campus) and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

The ministry's budgetary estimate for 2012-13 had been trimmed down recently from Rs 45,969 to Rs 42,729 crore for school education and from Rs 15,458 to Rs 13,494 crore for higher education. That apart, the 12th Plan document too had indicated the shape of things to come by focusing on consolidation of existing schemes and institutes rather than splurging on setting up of new institutes or launches of new schemes.

- The Indian Express, 1st March 2013

New Delhi: For connoisseurs of history, the 2013-14 Budget paves the way for a new era of heritage conservation. For the first time, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, described as an “institution of excellence”, has beengranted Rs 100 crore.

Established in 1984, Intach is India’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to conservation and preservation of the country’s natural, cultural, living, tangible and intangible heritage. Known for conservation of monuments which do not come under the umbrella protection of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) or the state government, Intach also spreads awareness on heritage.

“We had requested the government for a special allocation to protect unprotected heritage. We will use it as a corpus to keep protecting the unprotected heritage— architecture, art objects, natural and living heritage of India. While Article 51A of the Constitution says it is the duty of every Indian to protect the heritage of his country, citizens also need to have skills or someone to guide them to know how to preserve heritage,” said Intach chairman Major General (Retd) L K Gupta.

In its 172 chapters across the country, Intach takes help of a large number of volunteers and hires professionals to make people aware on heritage. Thanking the Centre for the first such grant, Gupta said the allocation would also help Intach expand this work.” Intach also works in partnership with several governments in various conservation projects.

We were earlier allotted around Rs 80 lakh to make heritage bylaws for 13 monuments but utilized the same for 47 monuments across the country. We spent around Rs 2 lakh per monument to include as many monuments as possible and even invited local people to give their views,” said Gupta.

Intach Delhi Chapter is working with the Delhi government for conservation and protection of 94 unprotected monuments in the capital. It has partnered with ASI for conserving Lodhi Garden monuments and worked extensively in Mehrauli Archaeological Park. It is also working with ASI and National Monuments Authority on heritage bylaws for over 3,600 protected monuments.

Aligarh Muslim University, Banaras Hindu University and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Guwahati, have also got a similar grant.

Times of India, 1st March 2013

Reconciling heritage and environmental imperatives with development goals calls for skills and sensitivity

Critical appraisals of Government policies by experts do not seem to count. Currently, 81-year-old GD Agarwal, now called Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand, former head of civil and environmental engineering department at IIT Kanpur, is again on fast. This time it is at Amarkantak, to protest against the Union Government's failure to launch an effective Ganga rejuvenation plan. He called off earlier fasts after being assured of concrete action. ‘Save Ganga' campaigners want a clean and free-flowing river but the National Ganga River Basin Authority, headed by the Prime Minister, has failed to address the issue seriously.

Reconciling heritage and environmental imperatives with development goals requires skills and sensitivity that our present administrators do not possess. A glaring example is the Centre's rejection of the RK Pachauri Committee's proposal for an alternate route in the Ram Setu project, in deference to cultural, environmental and cost factors. It would rather undo history by refuting the belief that Lord Ram had the setu built, en route Lanka, and engage in a destructive plan.

The ad hoc planning that typifies governance in most parts of the country is most evident in the Haryana Government heading for a confrontation with the National Capital Region Planning Board over its unsustainable model of development.

NCRPB recently submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court, stating that the State's Development Plan 2021 for the Gurgaon-Manesar belt did not conform to the Regional Plan 2021. Highlighting the problem of water scarcity in Haryana, the affidavit averred that NCR States' regional plans needed to comply with its own plan, which proposed that agricultural land be conserved, and not unnecessarily be converted for urban use.

The board, which functions under Union Ministry of Urban Development, was set up after National Capital Regional Board Act came into being in 1985, with the consent of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The rationale for instituting such a body is given on its internet site:

“National Capital Region is a unique example of inter-State regional development planning for a region, having a total area of over 33,500 sq km spanning over 15 districts in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and National Capital Territory of Delhi, with the National Capital as its core.

The National Capital Region in India was constituted under the NCRPB Act, 1985; the key rationale was to promote balanced and harmonised development of the Region and to contain haphazard and unplanned urban growth by channelising the flow and direction of economic growth (on which the urban phenomenon feeds) along more balanced and spatially-oriented paths”.

Attention to flaws in the State's plan, with regard to Gurgaon-Manesar urban complex, was drawn by a petition filed by Fertile Land Protection Movement campaigners. They objected to acquisition of farmland for commercial purposes. However, Haryana's Directorate of Town and Country Planning has stated in its reply to an RTI application, filed by a Gurgaon resident, that the board's prior approval is not mandatory for the Gurgaon-Manesar plan. This negates the very rationale of NCRPB.

The Haryana Government has also been cornered for seeking to commercialise ‘the remaining patches of natural forest and wilderness, which are critical groundwater recharge zones, as identified by Central Ground Water Board', to quote from an email sent last March by Sarvadaman Oberoi of Mission Gurgaon Development, to Director General of Forests and Special Secretary, Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. Mr Oberoi accuses the State Government of ‘directing the use of deemed forest lands for non-forest purpose by including thousands of hectares of Faridabad Aravalli forests as an agricultural zone, which allows mega recreational projects and other uses under a new master plan — Mangar DDP 2031, in prima facie direct violation of Section 2(ii) of the Forest Conservation Act'.

The Environment Ministry wrote to the State Government to stall the Mangar development plan until it had prepared the district forest map. It cited Supreme Court judgments of 1996, 2004 and 2011. States were directed to identify all forest areas, including degraded forests and areas covered by plantations. The court in 2011 directed the States to prepare geo-referenced district forest maps, detailing all such pockets. The Ministry wrote to the chief secretaries and chief conservators of forests in September of that year to prepare these maps within a given period. It has reminded the Haryana Government to expedite the work.

Activists now want other projects, entailing non-forest activities in the Aravalli hill ranges — GMUC Draft Development Plan 2031, Sohna DDP, Gual Pahari DDP — to be stalled until forests, degraded and hilly areas are fully identified. Mr Oberoi has written in this regard to the Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jayanthi Natarajan. He cites a study conducted by Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute, at the behest of Central Ground Water Board that claims that Delhi and NCR may dry up in three to five years in view of the severe depletion of the ground water recharge area, bio-diversity and forest cover in the Haryana Aravallis.

The MoEF needs to justify its raison d'être.

Pioneer, 1st March 2013

EVENT The first annual Jodhpur One World Retreat to be held next week boasts an auction and a performance by Sting

The Jodhpur Auction, an upcoming Bid & Hammer auction to be held on March 9, will help in raising funds for the Indian Head Injury Foundation (IHIF), at the first annual Jodhpur One World Retreat, through an auction of carefully selected artefacts. Fascinating heirlooms, 11th and 12th century sculptures, a dazzling collection of jewellery and other heritage treasures will go under the gavel at Umaid Bhawan Palace, under the patronage of Bid & Hammer Advisory Board member and erstwhile ruler of Marwar, Gaj Singh II.

On offer is an elaborate eight panel Verre Eglomisé mirrored and painted metal screen, executed circa 1928 by the famous French artist Etienne Drian (1890-1965) who was also a fashion illustrator active in France during the 1920s and '30s. This screen was personally bought at an exhibition in France in 1931 by the Maharaja of Indore Yeshwant Rao Holkar II, who was a Jazz aficionado, for the music room of his famed art deco Manik-Bagh Palace and is estimated between Rs.4 and 6 crores.

One of the other highlights is a recently discovered watercolour by England's iconic artist JMW Turner (1775-1851). The painting was one of a series that Turner did on the Siege of Seringapatam. Authenticated by Tate Britain and the renowned Turner experts Andrew Wilton and Ian Warell, this work depicts the 'Cullaly Deedy, watergate in the outer rampart of Seringapatam', where Tippoo Sultan resided during the siege. Executed in c.1800, it is one of the very few works to have been done by Turner on an Indian subject. This 16.5-inch x 24.2-inch pencil and watercolour is estimated between Rs.2 and 3 crores.

Besides the auction, the Jodhpur One World Retreat 2013 will also feature a concert by Sting.

- The Hindu, 2nd April 2013

As a fall-out of the tree cutting incident in Vasant Kunj's block C-6 on Saturday, the forest department filed an FIR with the Vasant Kunj (North) police station against the president of the colony resident welfare association. The accused was arrested and later released on bail.

As per FIR number 93/13, the forest department has named RWA president and some other residents of the area for cutting down 113 trees in a DDA park near Gate No. 7 of the block. The trees that were cut included a peepal, a keekar and 111 sobul trees. Forest officials said that more than 20 residents of the block had specifically complained against the RWA president and some others in the matter and one of them had independently registered a complaint with the police.

"The accused was arrested under Section 8/24 of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act of 1994 on Sunday afternoon and later released on bail. The trees were cut without any permission from the forest department ostensibly for the purpose of making a parking lot. The RWA president had earlier passed the blame on to some other residents, claiming that they wanted to clear the area as it was home to lots of snakes and mongoose," said a police source.

The unauthorized felling had come to light on Saturday when some residents called up the police helpline number and complained against the felling. An inspection by the forest department revealed that most of the trees that were cut were of a small girth of 15-18 cm while only around 20 were of a bigger girth of more than 40 cm. "On Saturday no arrests were made since the people cutting down the trees had run away before the police could reach the spot. On Sunday however, the police investigated the matter and registered a case against the RWA president," said a forest department official.

-The Hindu, 2nd March 2013

A new coffee-table book documents the tea industry

To document the built heritage of the tea gardens of Assam and preserve them for future generations, the Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has released a book, "Burra Bungalows And All That" here.

The coffee-table book, which gives a glimpse into the heritage of the tea industry of Assam through interesting historic facts and colourful pictures, has been produced by the Calcutta Regional Chapter of INTACH over a period of three years.

According to INTACH Calcutta Chapter convenor G. M. Kapur, who has edited this book, the objective behind producing it was to preserve some of the built heritage of the tea gardens for posterity.

"This is not a photo-journalistic effort. The idea behind documenting the built heritage of the tea gardens was to list all tangible and intangible records for posterity. Today in Assam there is only one tea garden bungalow with a thatched roof. Thatched roofs had to be removed from all bungalows because of cost of insurance and fire hazard. If anyone asks how a thatched roof bungalow looks like no one will have the answer," he said.

Pointing out that the book had also been produced to give fillip to tourism, Mr. Kapur said it will hopefully induce Indian as well as overseas travellers to experience and explore the heritage of tea industry in the North-Eastern State.

"Travellers can explore places of historical and green natural beauty besides getting a first-hand experience of the culture and life the local population leads," added Mr. Kapur, who plans to produce another book on the tea garden heritage of North Bengal.

Releasing "Burra Bungalows And All That", Union Tourism Ministry Joint Secretary Usha Sharma said the Ministry will be a major beneficiary of the book. "The book focuses on a subject which is close to my heart and those who work in the Ministry."

She said the Tourism Ministry was toying with the idea of conserving the tea garden bungalows built by the British and transforming them in order to lure travellers. "We can have interesting packages whether travellers can pluck cherries. Living in such places can be a really romantic experience."

Dispelling the myth that the Indian tea industry owed its existence to China, tea industry expert Praful Goradia said: "When we come to generalities, some people say that we owe our tea to China. This is a great myth. While it is true that East India Company smuggled seeds from China, the fact of the matter is that 95 per cent of Indian tea from the North to the South comes from Assam where bushes have been growing for centuries. In fact, it was Governor-General William Bentinck who decided that India must become self-reliant in tea."

- The Hindu, 2nd March 2013

For long, Delhi businessman V.K. Jain has filed PILs on a slew of issues for the public good. This includes his long battle to save the water bodies in and around Delhi

Money can't grant you everything. Well, when nobody wants to take this line at face value anymore, there is this Delhi businessman, Vinod Kumar Jain, who says his urge to fight for the city's environment stems from the thought that he has earned enough money, and "it is time to give something back to society." A successful exporter of fashion jewellery and accessories, Jain surely felt, "money can't grant you everything." At his farmhouse in Mehrauli that enfolds several acres, Jain elaborates on his thoughts which led to a slew of landmark court judgments — like the one against the use of polythene bags in Delhi and or the selling of junk food in city school canteens. So also the order to set up for setting up permanent lok adalats and theft courts to deal with pilfering of power. The list also includes the Delhi High Court directions to the city Government to restore hundreds of water bodies in and around Delhi, to promote recycling of waste water, and to practise rainwater harvesting in flyovers and city roads. Jain relates, "When I decided to do something for society, I thought of choosing to work for a better environment for the city that we live in. I thought my work would be of no significance unless I try and get some laws passed. So in 1996, I started my NGO Tapas."

As he "could afford good lawyers, the legal costs," he was obviously in a good condition to file PILs and follow up on the cases.

Jain first took up the issue of curbing Delhi's air pollution. "Newspapers were full of stories then, quoting various study reports on Delhi's rising air pollution. I filed a petition in the Delhi High Court pleading to direct the Delhi Government authorities to curb it," he recalls. The HC forwarded his petition to the Supreme Court since the highest court was hearing a case related to air pollution.

It enthused him nevertheless, prodding him to file more PILs — to stop theft of electricity, to make available safe drinking water, to augment water resources. The last of the pleas eventually led the HC to form a committee headed by the Delhi Chief Secretary to restore 629 water bodies and take measures to recycle waste water. "Then in 2004, I filed another petition; it was to promote rainwater harvesting in the flyovers and Delhi roads," he adds.

The drive to restore the water bodies was a long battle, says Jain. "The HC made various committees to make a list of water bodies based on land revenue records. The one led by the Municipal Commissioner came up with a list of only 177 water bodies. I told the court it can't be true: a few years ago, the official count was 355. I took pictures of many of them and showed them to the court. The court got concerned, set up a survey committee, involved (the NGO) INTACH too, which came up with a list of 508. I then informed the court that the areas demarcated by the committee were not right." The court asked Jain if he could do a survey. "I formed a team on my own, sent people to every village in and around Delhi. They talked to old people, rummaged through land revenue records. We then came up with a list of close to 800 water bodies. The court said, let the Government first work on 629 of them and then it will be on the Chief Secretary to take up the rest," relates Jain.

Some of the water bodies, he rues, couldn't be saved. "Mostly because of encroachments by religious bodies. Then in some cases, the Government itself had given them away to construct schools, community centres, hospitals, etc."

He mentions Neela Hauz in Vasant Kunj. "Water was being drained out of the lake to build a road. I took a stay order from the HC in 2002. The court asked the authorities to save it by making a bridge over it." Around the same time, he took a stay order from the HC on the Jahangirpuri marshes too. "Fly ash was being unloaded on it."

Though the committee formed by the HC should meet every six months, there is no sign of meeting. "I have been writing to them. Maybe I will file an RTI application to know the progress of the work," he says.

The Right to Information Act (RTI), Jain vouches, has helped him immensely. "Much information which Delhi Government officials would not give me easily was possible to get only through RTI," he says, laughing that now "whenever an officer sees an RTI application filed by me, they quickly reply, thinking, or else I will file another PIL."

On a serious note, Jain highlights an important point. "The Government thinking is skewed; it thinks a water body is restored by making just a park around it, concretising its boundary walls. They don't think about making the water quality better." No wonder then, the Hauz Khas lake was filled with sewage water that had a biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of 30 when it should have been 4-5 BOD.

"That water is not fit for bathing," warns Jain.

This swings the conversation to his PIL on the Yamuna. Last year, the HC slammed the civic authorities for failure to construct special permanent enclosures on the riverbank for immersion of idols during festivals. Jain had told the court that despite its 2006 order and the MCD's undertaking to it in 2009 for the construction of 13 permanent enclosures, only four temporary enclosures have come up so far. "The case is up for hearing on March 8," he says. He has also filed an application, in the Supreme Court, against the Delhi Jal Board's plan to use interceptors to clean sewage water and discharge it into the river. Jain's line is clear here. "Even after treating the water, it would not be safe for people to bathe in it."

He sounds frustrated, "It is not that they can't do it, but they don't care. I was told by some officials, let's agree to bring the level to 10 BOD, knowing very well that 4-5 BOD is what it should be. They say such things after spending 5-600 crores of public money." What is also frustrating is, "sometimes, it can take a lot of time in the Court for a judgment to come through. Nobody from the Government would reply, no Government representative will show up at the court; they would delay the process as much as possible."

So what keeps him going? "One success inspires me to aim for another."

"There is no water in Qutub ki baoli and Agrasen ki baoli (photo at right) because there are buildings around them. It is not that water can't be generated in them. There was a plan to promote rainwater harvesting on the rooftops of the buildings around Agrasen ki baoli but nothing has happened."

- The Hindu, 2nd March 2013

To document the built heritage of the tea gardens of Assam and preserve them for the future generations, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage on Friday released a book, “Burra Bungalows And All That”, at its Lodhi Road office here.

The coffee-table book, which gives a glimpse into the heritage of the tea industry of Assam through interesting historical facts and colourful pictures, has been produced by the Calcutta Regional Chapter of INTACH over a period of three years.

According to Calcutta Chapter of INTACH convenor G. M. Kapur, who has edited this book, the objective behind producing the book was to preserve some of the built heritage of the tea gardens for posterity.

Records for posterity

“This is not a photo-journalistic effort. The idea behind documenting the built heritage of the tea gardens was to list all tangible and intangible records for posterity. Today in Assam there is only one tea garden bungalow with a thatched roof. Thatched roofs had to be removed from all bungalows because of cost of insurance and fire hazard. If anyone asks how a thatched roof bungalow looks like no one will have the answer.”

Pointing out that the book has also been produced to give fillip to tourism, Mr. Kapur said the book will hopefully induce Indian as well as overseas travellers to experience and explore the heritage of tea industry in the North-eastern State.

“Travellers can explore places of historical and green natural beauty, besides getting a first-hand experience of the culture and life the local population leads,” added Mr. Kapur, who plans to produce another book on the tea garden heritage of North Bengal.

Releasing “Burra Bungalows And All That”, Tourism Ministry Joint Secretary Usha Sharma said her Ministry would be a major beneficiary of the book. “The book focuses on a subject which is close to my heart and those who work in the Ministry.”

She said the Tourism Ministry was toying with the idea of conserving the tea garden bungalows built by British and transforming them in order to lure travellers. “We can have interesting packages whether travellers can pluck cherries. Living in such places can be a really romantic experience.”

Dispelling the myth that Indian tea industry owed its existence to China, a tea industry expert Praful Goradia said: “When we come to generalities, some people say that we owe our tea to China. This is a great myth. While it is true that the East India Company smuggled seeds from China, the fact of the matter is that 95 per cent of Indian tea from the North to the South comes from Assam where bushes have been growing for centuries. In fact, it was Governor General William Bentinck who decided that India must become self-reliant in tea.”

The Hindu, 2nd March 2013

The Archaeological Survey of India has asked the ministry of culture to notify more organizations as expert heritage bodies to help in formulating heritage bylaws of over 3,600 centrally-protected monuments in the country. The bylaws were made mandatory by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010; but even after three years, no bylaws have been framed.

In Delhi, which has 174 protected monuments, ASI is likely to involve IIT Delhi and School of Planning and Architecture (SPA). Both these institutions have specialized departments dealing with architecture and land that can help ASI map 300 metres around protected monuments. Bylaws can then be drafted, detailing the prohibited and regulated areas.

National Monuments Authority, the nodal agency for notification, has confirmed receipt of bylaws for Sher Shah Gate and Khairul Manzil and adds these will be notified in three weeks after incorporating suggestions from various stakeholders. Heritage body Intach has been drafting bylaws for Begumpuri Masjid and Agrasen ki Baoli.

The Aga Khan Trust for Culture, which has been working on the Humayun's Tomb project, has offered to prepare heritage bylaws for all the monuments in the tomb sub-circle. "The Act says Intach be involved in framing heritage bylaws; but it also has a provision to involve more such expert agencies. There are hundreds of centrally-protected monuments and it might become a mammoth task for Intach alone," says a culture ministry official.

- The Times of India, 3rd March 2013

A golden fort framed by hot pink turbans and racing camels. Deepa Alexander visits Jaisalmer during the Desert Festival

It's a moon-drenched night and I am a star-struck wanderer lost to medieval enchantment. I trail my fingers through the cool desert sand and watch a screaming, silver-tipped MIG on a sortie. Somewhere, a peacock plaintively calls out. The skyline is pinned in place by the sand dunes of Sam on one side and the ethereal silhouette of the Sonar Qila on the other. Between the two, they define the spirit of Jaisalmer, forged by the sword in a thousand bloody battles in the heat of the Thar.

I've travelled north by northwest almost all day to arrive at this frontier town of the Bhatti Rajputs. The road from Jodhpur runs straight into the sun's eye past scrubland and tawny-coloured hills, landscape that melds stone and sand, signboards warning of camels crossing and herds of chinkara. When I arrive with the changing light, I find a town well-girded for the three-day Desert Festival that opens on the morrow.

The next morning, I'm at the Shaheed Poonam Singh Stadium that stands framed against the fort. Accompanied by the intriguingly named Raju Guide, I weave my way through the crowds to the dais where the turban-tying competition for foreigners is in full flow. The festival has just been declared open and in what seems a scene the modern world has failed to spoil, men and women from places as far flung as Holland and Argentina wrap 20 mt of hot pink cloth around their excited heads.

Competitions galore

I saunter past poly-chromed camels of the BSF and stop by one with halitosis. Two children dressed in warrior robes sit astride it and pose for pictures. Others spin away on a giant Ferris wheel. Still others gawk at the contestants lined up for the titles of Desert Prince and Desert Princess. A turbaned desert prince in white robes, cross swords and a menacing moustache glowers at me. I look away and follow the derisive laughter of women watching the pot-carrying competition. Brass pots of diminishing sizes climb all the way to the sky and the trick is to run not walk to the finish line. Camel races and camel polo follow, and the sun is searing the grounds when the men get ready to display their long moustaches. Inch after luxuriant inch of hair unravels — fed on a diet of coconut and mustard oil and egg white — but I leave such hirsute pastimes to the men and visit the fort.

Unlike the other forts of Rajasthan that are built across linear hillsides, Jaisalmer's crowns the menacing Trikuta hill. Its soft yellow sandstone is carved to dovetail together into 99 bastions and four gateways — Akhaiya, Suraj, Ganesh and Hawa Pol — that stand at angles to one another to desist sieges. Built by Maharawal Jaisal in 1156 A.D., it has been captured by Alla-ud-din Khilji and Humayun. One of the few living forts — the descendants of those who served the king continue to live here — its cobweb of narrow lanes is dotted with lovely havelis, sculptured Jain temples and interconnected palaces. Bikes whiz around this medieval township accessed through the Gopa chowk and Raju takes me past the kot, past the well of traitors, past a gate with little hands that signify sati, and up the ramparts for a view to a thrill. The city glints gold.

I stuff myself with a panchdari ladoo from the legendary shop of Dhanraj Bhatia before following a wandering cow to Patwon ki Haveli. I'm undecided whether it is my hunger or the beauty of the haveli's façade that makes my eyes swim. Jaisalmer once stood on the famed Silk Route and its merchant princes built mansions that rivalled the beauty of Alhambra. Along with Salim Singh ki haveli and Nathmalji ki haveli, the five-storied Patwon built by Gumanlal Bafna for his sons in the late 1800s, showcases the skill of Muslim stonecarvers who lent it architectural beauty not seen elsewhere. Softly lit rooms lead to carved lintels and drooping eaves and a view of the world below through latticed balconies.

Late afternoon, I take a meditative walk around the Gadsisar lake, built by Rawal Gadsi Singh in 1367. Originally a rain-fed lake dotted with chatris and temples, its catfish filled waters are now fed by the Indira Gandhi Canal.

Forty-two km from the town, it is time for the rest of the festival. The Sam dunes are filled with hordes of travellers on a mission of self-discovery and some tourists who come merely to gape at the powdery sands, carve out hearts, make merry on the camels and return unmoved. All, however, applaud the gair and kalbeliya dancers who perform to the strains of the dholak and morchang and the enchanting voices of the Manganiyars. They sing of the unrequited love of Mahendra and Moomal, of rain and drought, of life in these hardy desert lands.

The city still sleeps as I leave and the landscape transforms as the sun slowly rises. At the head of the long winding road lies the fort, colouring from ochre to yellow to gold, appearing only for those who believe in the stuff of legend, in desert princes and tales of brave adventure.

(The writer was in Jaisalmer at the invitation of Suryagarh Hotel)

-The Hindu, 4th March 2013

The first-ever bird count at one of Delhi's new city forests, Garhi Mandu, has found 90 species, including 26 species of migratory birds and several threatened ones. However, the census also revealed a number of local threats to these birds such as fishing, playgrounds, garbage dumping, besides human intrusion and disturbance.

"We found 33 species of waterbirds, including 13 migratory ones. Of the 57 species of terrestrial birds, 13 were migratory," said TK Roy, one of the team members, who did the count. Spread over 894.73 acres along the left bank of the Yamuna in northeast Delhi, Garhi Mandu is a protected forest by the Delhi government and because of adjacent wetlands, is a good habitat for birds. Though this was the first official count, during the last one year, about 100 bird species were spotted in the forest.

Roy, who is also the Delhi state coordinator of Asian Waterbird Census, said, "But because the wetlands are unprotected, the condition of the natural habitat has deteriorated. Local threats such as fishing and garbage dumping make several resident species such as the Oriental Darter, Cinnamon Bittern and Greylag Goose avoid the wetlands."

The census was conducted as part of the annual 'big bird day' celebrated at various locations in Delhi and NCR and a total of 222 bird species were recorded. Of them, 90 species were recorded at Garhi Mandu forest and the adjacent wetlands.

Top Delhi forest department officials, including GN Sinha and AK Shukla, were present during the bird count at Garhi Mandu and appreciated and thanked the team for their valuable support to explore the diversity of the various species here and creating environmental awareness.

The Big Bird Day is an annual event of the Delhi Bird Club, which is held to create awareness about birds.

- The Times of India, 4th March 2013

Two wildlife sanctuaries — Silent Valley National Park and Wayanad — have been closed to visitors since Friday following high fire risk.

Scanty summer showers and dried vegetation have heightened the fire risk in most of the protected areas of the State. The restriction on tourism activities and curbs on visitors were enforced at the sanctuaries to minimise risk of fire, said V. Gopinath, Chief Wildlife Warden, Kerala.

Though sporadic incidents of fire were reported from some forest areas in the State, the situation was under control, Mr. Gopinath said.

Fire prevention measures carried out annually, including the clearing of fire tracts and posting of fire watchers, whad been completed. However, shortage of manpower was a major problem. The department had 2,000 regular employees to protect the 11,000 sq.km of forest area in the State, said Mr. Gopinath.

221 incidents

Last year, 221 incidents of forest fire were reported in Kerala between January 1, 2012 and May 31, according to the statistics collected by the Forest Survey of India. Idukki accounted for the most number of incidents last year with 56 fire outbreaks followed by Wayanad (17) and Pathanamthitta (16). Large tracts of withered bamboo have dried up in Wayanad after their recent mass flowering. The dried-up bamboo poses high risk to wildlife as well as human habitations. A recent meeting of the State Wildlife Advisory Board had decided to approach the National Board for cutting down the bamboo. The board has estimated that there would be around 25,000 metric tonne bamboo to be harvested from there which could be sold to agencies like Hindustan Newsprint Ltd. As the bamboo groves are located inside the sanctuary, the permission of the national board is required for cutting them down, said Roy P. Thomas, Divisional Forest Officer, Wayanad.

In Silent Valley, large tracts of grass have dried up along the forest route from Mukkali to Sairandhri. Heavy dust covers the area as vehicles pass through the parched tracts. The management of the park had also suggested its closure during the summer months. The park will remain closed for two months, a park official said.As the waterholes inside the protected areas have dried up, animals have started leaving the forest area in search of water and foraying into human habitations. An elephant was spotted on a road near the sanctuary last week, the official said.

-The Hindu, 4th March 2013

Tribal development must for curbing Naxal growth: Jairam

For the residents of this tiny non-descript village in Odisha's Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput region, it was a rare celebratory occasion on Sunday when they got back the rights that had been snatched away by the British rulers nearly a century ago.

The official transit passbook for cultivation and harvest of bamboo was handed over to the Jamguda Gram Sabha by Orissa forest officials. Union Rural Development and Tribal Affairs Ministers Jairam Ramesh and Kishore Chandra Deo and Odisha Revenue minister Surjya Narayan Patra attended a Tribal Rights festival organised by the Gram Sabha to mark the event.

Jamguda became the first village in Odisha to be provided community rights to harvest and sell bamboo under the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Mendha Lekha in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra was the first village in the country to have been given bamboo transit passbooks in April 2011. A few more villages near Mendha Lekha obtained the rights subsequently.

Mr. Ramesh had earlier written to Orissa's Naveen Patnaik and the Chief Ministers of five other Maoist-affected States to hand over full control of transit passbooks to the Gram Sabhas where community forest rights were recognised.

Addressing Jamguda villagers, Mr. Ramesh and Mr. Deo said the Centre would extend full cooperation in providing tribals and other traditional forest dwellers the right over minor forest produce such as bamboo, kendu leaf and mahula flower.

Mr. Ramesh underlined the need for ensuring development of the tribal people in order to check the growth of Maoists in the tribal regions. "We have to understand why the tribal people were feeling alienated and were unhappy that benefits of development had not reached them so far and their land was being taken away by non-tribal people for different projects."

HOSTILE TREATMENT

Tribal people had been treated as enemies by Forest Department officials since the British enforced the Forest Act in 1927 and all land in tribal areas was declared forest land, said Mr. Deo. Under the present laws, granting tribals land rights should be the main priority, he said.

-The Hindu, 4th March 2013

The generation gap divides public opinion about Mirza Ghalib, finds R. V. SMITH

Mirza Ghalib's death anniversary on February 15, which coincided with Basant Panchami this year, passed without the enthusiasm witnessed on his birthday (December 27). When one visited Gali Mir Qasim Jan in the morning, one didn't find anything unusual at his haveli, part of which has been turned into a memorial. An old man was standing outside with his grandson, waiting for a rickshaw to take the boy to the madarassa. Asked about Ghalib, he knitted his brows and said, "You are talking, about someone who did not set a good example all his life. He passed his days in romantic reveries and the evenings at mushairas or in drinking and courting dancing girls. Such a Mussalman hardly needs to be remembered. Even though he lived next to a masjid, he hardly ever visited it." To show off his scholarship, made a wisecrack of a couplet: "Masjid ke zer sai ek ghar bana liya hai /Ek banda-i-qamina hamsai khuda hai". If the man thought of himself as such a wretched neighbour of God how can the world think of him otherwise? Mark me, he lost all his children at birth because of divine displeasure with his ways".

The old Mian might have gone senile, but a shopkeeper of Lal Kuan thought no better. "Sharifzade nahin thhç woh varna is ilaqe ki har masjid mein unke naam ki goonj hoti" (he was not such a gentleman after all, otherwise every mosque in the locality would have resounded to his name). Another old man waiting for breakfast at a nahari shop (probably his daughter-in-law had played truant) hit his walking stick hard on the ground and pushed up the bifocals from his nose angrily when one mentioned Ghalib to him. He was of the opinion that the present-day English educated society had started making too much of him when Delhi had produced better poets and role models.

Such sentiments, by and large, prevail in Ballimaran and its environs among people— who are either shopkeepers, vendors, artisans or retired men— whose time is passed in offering namaz five times a day. In between they count the days when they would be able to keep the Ramzan fast and celebrate Id-ul-Fitr after which the countdown for Id-uz-Zuha and the Haj associated with it would begin. Then Moharram's 10 days and the tazias would occupy their minds. Prayers, eating and religious discussions make up their days as they do not "measure life in coffee spoons" but with more spiritual things. So can you blame them for not having a high opinion of Ghalib, who himself had described himself as half-Mussalman when accosted by a British Officer in the aftermath of the revolt of 1857? "You Muslim, queried the Gora Sahib. "Half", replied Ghalib. Asked to explain, the poet said, "Though I drink wine, I don't eat pork". The officer laughed heartily at the tongue-in-cheek reply of the light-complexioned, raw-boned, bearded witty man of medium height, wearing a conical cap above his inordinately long ears and a worn-out medieval choga. He let him off with a toss of his head as though dismissing one of nature's quirks who believed in "making up in the tavern for the time lost in the mosque".

Be that as it may, one can still retrace Ghalib's walk from his haveli to the Jama Masjid, past Haveli Azam Khan and the mandir, after which the mohalla becomes predominantly Hindu, with shops of wedding card printers in between those selling chole-bhuture; also a kacchoriwallah doing brisk business with half-famished boys and girls coming home from school crowding around his cart. One must confess that the kacchoris are even better than the ones sold in Chawri Bazar.

Passing this gali in other years Ghalib used to make his way to the shop of Masita, where he ate kababs, either before or after having three pegs of Old Tom whisky. He then visited the Kotha of the "dark dancing girl" who had stolen his heart in old age. While relaxing there Ghalib sometimes heard a beggar or two sing his verses to seek alms. That made him think that he must have gained more respect in the eyes of his beloved. But the kotha visit was not an everyday affair. There were problems too because of his straitened circumstances, which once made him long to seek shelter in the mahal of the emperor's relative Mirza Elahi Bux after the roof of his own house had collapsed in heavy rain. Also, there were mushairas to be attended in the Red Fort (before Mirza Fatehullah Beg's 1910 masterpiece, Dilli ki Aakhri Shama). The reputed French scholar and linguist Garcin de Tassy kept track of them in his annual lectures on the state of Urdu literature in the 19th Century. Besides the formal ones, there were improvised mushairas in places like Haveli Sadr Sadur at Matia Mahal. Up to a few years ago one could see the elevated stone lampstand on which the shama was kept to light up the faces of the Shairs and those assembled to hear them.

Back to Gali Qasim Jan. One met a girl— tall, fair and very good-looking— returning from Rabea Girls' School nearby. She was shy but when asked about Ghalib thought better of him than the other residents. "Bahut lajawab thhe Ghalib Mian. Unke sher tau subhan Allah thhe. Ji chahata hai bas sunte jaian" (he was nonpareil. One never gets tired of listening to his verses).

The remark shows that young people have no intention of ostracizing Ghalib. Probably some of them lit a candle at the haveli that evening. But there was no euphoria as such to mark the day when Assadullah Beg Khan Ghalib, alias Mirza Nosha, joined his peers 143 years ago in the Elysian Fields. However, one little-known fact is that he had once, in a letter to his friend Hargobind Tafta, desired to be buried near the statue of the Red Horse on the Delhi-Agra Road— to which he was forever sending salaams— and near the Pir Sahib's grave close by. Had that wish been fulfilled, Ghalib's admirers would have been paying homage in the city

- The Hindu, 4th March 2013

A little known port in Kerala where Arun Bhatia finds many of India's beginnings

Former President Dr. Abdul Kalam paid a visit to a little port that the British called Cranganore, and Kodungallur got tagged on the Kerala map. But it has a history that goes way back — long before even Vasco da Gama's arrival. In 52 AD it is said that the Apostle Thomas landed here, when he arrived in India to spread Christianity soon after the death of Christ.

I have come by a rickety government bus from Kochi (35 km) and as soon as I disembark, I see a large statue of Doubting Thomas that depicts the moment when he acknowledged the rising of Christ. From then on, he was no longer Doubting Thomas. From the statue, I walk around and find that Kodungallur is almost an island attached to the mainland, with the Arabian Sea to its west. To the north and south, there are the mouths of the rivers Chetval and Azhikode, and to the east are the charming backwaters. It is strange that Kodungallur is not on any tourist map, given that it boasts of India's oldest mosque (which Kalam visited) and also boasts an ancient church. Both the buildings look like Hindu temples and both are, alas, in near ruins. Even the Portuguese fort, known as Kothapuram, is fragmented, just a bunch of jutting rocks. The town is the dilapidated remains of a once-glorious port.

How to name it

Emperor Asoka (3BC) has edicts here that mention the local dynasty, the Cheras, from whom Kerala got its name. The port was, in fact, the Chera empire capital. The first century Roman traveller Pliny has talked of how the port was a huge urban complex with trade links to the great empires of the era — Abbasid Baghdad, Byzantine Constantinople, the Holy Roman Empire, Moorish Cordova, Tang China, Cambodia and Sumatra.

It is Kodungallur now, but was the ancient city of Vanji. The Greeks called it Muziris. Sage Valmiki's Ramayana refers to this place as Murachi. Tamil poets of the Sangam period (the first five centuries of Christian era) talk of Muchiris, where "beautiful ships… bringing gold come, splashing white foam in the waters of the Periyar… and return laden with pepper". After Apostle Thomas, the Jews came in 69 AD after the fall of Jerusalem. The first Muslims reached India by sea and landed here, and the missionary Malik-ibn-Dinar introduced Islam to Kerala. The Cheran capital fell in 1012 after a sustained attack over three decades by the great Chola emperor Raja Raja.

Religious harmony

I find that almost all the sights require a lot of imagination because they have crumbled with time, conquests, neglect or all three. For instance, the palace of Cheraman Perumal, legendary Kerala king who converted to Islam, is just a few broken columns on open ground. The Cheraman Juma Masjid, 2 km north of Kodungallur on National Highway 17, is a 7th century mosque and India's first. It looks like a Kerala Hindu temple, with outer walls that rise from a tiered base. Only its wooden interiors are intact. A large Kerala oil lamp stands at the centre, and Muslims, Christians and Hindus all carry oil to light it during major family events.

On the highway heavy with traffic, I walk less than a kilometre south of the mosque to find the Shiva temple at Thiruvanchikulam, with its majestic gateway, carvings of elephants, deities, gods and goddesses and a majestic Nandi bull.

I had heard a lot about the Kali temple in the middle of town. A typical Kerala temple, it has an awe-inspiring idol of Kali as Kurumba Bhagwati, six feet high and made from a single trunk of a jackfruit tree. With gold ornaments, a Kathakali-like crown, mask, eight arms bearing weapons and icons, Kali sits with a crimson cloth around her waist. The aspect is of Kali when she had killed the demon Daruka. There is a secret chamber here, with an underground passage. Apparently, a curious carpenter once peeped inside and became blind. Since then, no one dares enter it.

Near a lamp mounted on a kurma or Vishnu's tortoise avatar is a scale used by devotees to weigh themselves against bananas, which are later auctioned as a gift to the temple kitty. A toddler cries nearby, as her hair is shorn off in ritual by the temple barber. With a sigh, I bid goodbye to an unknown port that brims with history.

- The Hindu, 4th March 2013

To document the built heritage of the tea gardens of Assam and preserve them for the future generations, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage on Friday released a book, “Burra Bungalows And All That”, at its Lodhi Road office here.

The coffee-table book, which gives a glimpse into the heritage of the tea industry of Assam through interesting historical facts and colourful pictures, has been produced by the Calcutta Regional Chapter of INTACH over a period of three years.

According to Calcutta Chapter of INTACH convenor G. M. Kapur, who has edited this book, the objective behind producing the book was to preserve some of the built heritage of the tea gardens for posterity.

Records for posterity

“This is not a photo-journalistic effort. The idea behind documenting the built heritage of the tea gardens was to list all tangible and intangible records for posterity. Today in Assam there is only one tea garden bungalow with a thatched roof. Thatched roofs had to be removed from all bungalows because of cost of insurance and fire hazard. If anyone asks how a thatched roof bungalow looks like no one will have the answer.”

Pointing out that the book has also been produced to give fillip to tourism, Mr. Kapur said the book will hopefully induce Indian as well as overseas travellers to experience and explore the heritage of tea industry in the North-eastern State.

“Travellers can explore places of historical and green natural beauty, besides getting a first-hand experience of the culture and life the local population leads,” added Mr. Kapur, who plans to produce another book on the tea garden heritage of North Bengal.

Releasing “Burra Bungalows And All That”, Tourism Ministry Joint Secretary Usha Sharma said her Ministry would be a major beneficiary of the book. “The book focuses on a subject which is close to my heart and those who work in the Ministry.”

She said the Tourism Ministry was toying with the idea of conserving the tea garden bungalows built by British and transforming them in order to lure travellers. “We can have interesting packages whether travellers can pluck cherries. Living in such places can be a really romantic experience.”

Dispelling the myth that Indian tea industry owed its existence to China, a tea industry expert Praful Goradia said: “When we come to generalities, some people say that we owe our tea to China. This is a great myth. While it is true that the East India Company smuggled seeds from China, the fact of the matter is that 95 per cent of Indian tea from the North to the South comes from Assam where bushes have been growing for centuries. In fact, it was Governor General William Bentinck who decided that India must become self-reliant in tea.”


The Hindu, 2nd March 2013

ASI, Intach not on same page over cost

New Delhi: About four years after the Lodhi Garden conservation project hit rough waters, a meeting was held between Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Intach Delhi Chapter to reach a consensus. While Intach has indicated it is interested in resumption of the project, sources reported there is still some disagreement over project cost escalation.

In 2009, Intach signed an MoU with ASI to conserve five monuments in phases with funding of Rs 1 crore coming from Steel Authority of India via National Culture Fund. In the first phase, Bara Gumbad, Shish Gumbad and Mohammed Shah’s tomb were to be conserved. Though the entire project was meant to be completed in a year’s time, it was halted in 2010. Till it hit stalemate, ASI had released just Rs 25 lakh. Sources said ASI withheld funds as it was “unsatisfied” with the quality of work undertaken in Phase I, finding it to be “sub-standard”.

While Intach has verbally agreed to resume the project, the issue of cost escalation has not been sorted out. “Intach will have to bear the cost escalation burden as the project has not moved for over four years. It is the responsibility of Intach, not ASI,” NCF director A K Sinha said. However, AGK Menon from Intach said, “We have agreed to restart the work in principle... If cost escalation is not factored, we will not be able to do the work.”

Times of India, 4th March 2013

Seize vehicles carrying it there, Green Tribunal directs Delhi authorities including DDA, DMRC and CPWD

The National Green Tribunal has reiterated its direction to authorities to ensure that no debris of any kind, including from construction, is thrown on the banks of the Yamuna.

A Bench also directed the public authorities to get the debris removed and to maintain proper log/records. “All Municipal Corporations, the Delhi Development Authority, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the Central Public Works Department and other authorities shall duly act upon this order.”
The Tribunal had on January 31 ordered constitution of a high-power committee under the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. In its report, the committee, which held its first meeting, admitted that there was indiscriminate dumping. It was suggested that debris be removed and used for filling up low-level areas such as the Chilla Sports Complex here. However, “the suggestion was not accepted as it was likely to have an adverse impact on the environment. After some discussions, the meeting was adjourned to the first week of March.”

The Bench — comprising Chairperson Swatanter Kumar, judicial member P. Jyothimani and expert members Dr. D. K. Agrawal, Prof. A. R. Yousuf and Dr. R. C. Trivedi — said the committee “shall positively hold its meeting in the first week of March and put up a complete comprehensive report before the Tribunal on the next date of hearing” -- March 20.

The Bench issued notice to the DMRC Managing Director, the CPWD Director-General and the Director of the Horticulture Department, New Delhi, requiring them to show cause why they were throwing debris on the river banks.

The Tribunal directed the Delhi Police Commissioner and the Director General of the Uttar Pradesh Police to deploy a proper force at various places, including the wall between the roads and the river banks, to remove materials dumped and even from other entry points for vehicular traffic.

“No vehicle, particularly heavy vehicle, carrying any kind of debris is permitted to enter the banks of the Yamuna…” The police should seize such vehicles. However, those carrying debris from the river banks to outside sites would be permitted. “We see no reason why the Delhi Police have not permitted trucks bearing Haryana and UP registration numbers to carry debris to different sites which may be located in Delhi or even outside,” the Tribunal said.

Hindu, 4th March 2013

Several efforts have been made in the past to green the State's drylands. Among them is the joint forest planning and management programme implemented in 1993. Funds have also been channelised into these greening efforts, but eventually, social forestry programmes should be of the people, by the people and for the people, observes Manjunath Sullolli .

India is the second largest World Bank borrower in the forest sector next to China. Over the decade, India has received around US$ 830 million in 16 projects. Many a time, courts have advised the government and concerned departments to undertake plantations programmes on a large scale.

Towards greening the dry lands and conserving the Western Ghats, Karnataka has received a loan of nearly Rs 1,200 crore from Japan in the last decade. A new project called National Mission for a Green India is being implemented all over the country wherein anybody can raise plantations for which the Central government would assist financially.

The Green India Mission (GIM) with a planned investment of $10.3 billion over the next 10 years can have a major development impact in more ways than one. Such a massive exercise can raise fresh natural capital that is so vital for the tens of millions of people who depend on degraded forests. It can meet the twin objectives of assigning forest land to tribal and other forest-dwelling communities to enable livelihoods, and relieving extractive pressures on core dense forests to aid conservation of wildlife and biodiversity.

Although lots of funds have been pumped into greening the drylands, the question that still looms is whether the common man, NGOs and other institutions are really involved enough. The time has come when social forestry programmes should become programmes of the people, by the people and for the welfare of the people in the rural areas.

There are many good examples in Karnataka where various institutions, farmers and the common man, have all grown thousands of trees without any financial assistance. Saalu Marada Timmakka is one great example, for planting hundreds of saplings.

The government realised that the involvement of local communities around the forest was vital to arrest the decline in forest cover. The Joint Forest Planning and Management (JFPM) programme was implemented in 1993 all over the State. The first village forest committee (VFC) in the State was formed in 1993 at Talagadde village of Ankola in Karwar forest division. But the first VFC to actually sign an MoU with the Forest Department was Kangod of Sirsi in 1995.

Two major foreign funded programmes which supported JFPM are the Western Ghats Environmental and Forestry Project (WGEFP) and Japan-funded Forestry and Environment Project for Eastern Plains (FEPEP). The FEPEP, started in 1996 in 16 districts of eastern plains and dry regions, has shown the importance of participation of NGOs and institutions in raising plantations.

But the success rate of these two programmes varies from district to district. There are several VFCs which have become models in raising plantations and greening their villages. Mugali and Chikkamalligwad of Dharwad have succeeded in raising around 200 hectares of plantations in degraded land.

Japan has funded Rs 500 crore in 1995 and Rs 740 crore in 2008 towards greening the drylands of 12 districts of northern Karnataka.

The Forest Department has grown lakhs of plantations in these parts. Today, after a decade, much of the land is under green cover. Because of the Krishna, Malaprabha and Ghataprabha river irrigation projects, most of the land looks green. From 1995, greening the plains of eastern parts was begun. This covered Kolar, Chitradurga, Bellary, Raichur, Gulbarga, Bidar, Koppal, Bijapur and Bagalkot districts.

Greening areas with scrub forests and dry lands with rocky strata has been a major challenge. Village forest committees have been formed through which plantations were raised. The conflict between foresters and shepherds is a continued problem in the region.

As Rajendra Potdar, an associate professor of Agriculture College in Bijapur points out, "There is an urgent need to create awareness among the villagers about the need of growing and conserving the trees. There is need for NGOs and other institutions to take up planting programmes on a large scale."

5 March 2013, Deccan Herald

Butterflies are the potential umbrella group for biodiversity conservation. They are good subjects for dispersal studies and have enormous ecological importance.

India harbours butterflies of Ethiopian and Oriental sub regions of the world. Butterflies are suitable subjects for the study of community response to disturbance, and they may also be used as environmental bio-indicators. They serve as food for predators at various levels. The larvae, which feed on foliage, are primary herbivores in the ecosystem and are important in the transfer of energy fixed by plants, making them available to the other organisms in the ecosystem.

After bees, butterflies are the second category of insects which are very specific to their food plants. Some plants are shared by a number of butterflies as food. The faunistic survey of butterflies, their occurrence and characteristics provide crucial information on the ecology of a particular region. Based on the flora of an area, one can easily predict the existing butterfly fauna of that region. The presence of grass butterflies indicates complete conversion of forests into an agricultural ecosystem.

Like birds, butterflies also migrate. Generally, migration occurs for want of food, mate and shelter. Nature of vegetation and climatic factors like temperature, wind, moisture and humidity play an important role in their distribution, feeding and reproductive behaviour. In addition, a butterfly population also regulates their natural enemies (parasitoids, pathogens and predators). The number of butterfly species in the world is 17,200. In India, 1,500 species of butterflies have been recorded.

There has been an alarming rise in industrial and automobile pollution in Indian metropolitan cities. In spite of the fast growth, Indian cities still have diverse serene habitats such as several small and large parks and gardens. The country still has forest areas with mixed deciduous and non-deciduous trees, shrubs, scrubs, bamboos, wild and ornamental flowering plants, streams and marshes, serving as ideal habitats for various types of insects, especially butterflies.

They play a major role in pollination of various flowering plants in the country besides a major component of food chain.

India is a vast country with a rich diversity of biotic resources and is ranked one of the 12-mega diversity countries in the tropics. Due to unscientific management of natural resources, much of our native butterflies are fast disappearing. Owing to various reasons such as habitat destruction for 'development' (homes and other infrastructure), fire, grazing and scarcity of both larval and adult food plants, butterfly populations may be severely affected in near future.

In addition to these, a variety of threats from human recreational activities, trampling, run-off from roads, litter deposition and weeds are common factors which affect butterfly populations. Weeds displace plants butterflies feed on. A number of butterfly species may already be extinct as a result of habitat destruction during the past several years in India and about 350 Indian butterfly species are included in the red data book.

By regulating humidity and temperature, it is possible to manipulate local population of butterflies. Establishment of butterfly gardens helps to maximise butterfly diversity and its abundance in urban and suburban areas. By careful protection of larval host and adult nectar plants and restoration of habitats, a diverse assemblage of butterflies could be sustained. Alternative host plants should be maintained.

Periodic survey to evaluate the status of butterflies, demography and predator parasite relationship have to be taken up for conservation of butterflies. The control of fire and grazing in green landscapes may be the best step to enhance or maintain butterfly diversity.

5 March 2013, Deccan Herald

Bangalore owes a lot of its development to the British who promoted education and provided healthcare facilities. A railway line from Bangalore to Jolarpet was laid in 1859, and the City was soon on the fast track to growth, writes S Srinivas.

The British connection with Bangalore began in 1809 when they established a cantonment here for stationing their troops. Soon Bangalore began to grow and within a century was ranked next to Madras among the cities of South India. In this transition from a small town to a city, the role of the British is conspicuous. The importance attached to Bangalore even in the very early days of British rule is evidenced by the remark of Lord William Bentinck, the then Governor General of British India.

In his secret dispatch dated April 4, 1834, he proposed that Bangalore and the surrounding areas should be ceded to the British government in full sovereignty, because of its central and commanding position and salubrious climate, it was the best place to be the capital of South India. Twenty four years later, in a letter from the Government of India to the Governor of Madras dated December 20, 1858 Bangalore is being alluded to as "that great C&M Station" (Civil and Military Station as Bangalore cantonment was called) from which it is apparent that even in those days Bangalore was something more than an ordinary cantonment. Hence when the British began their rule in Mysore after deposing Krishnaraja Wodeyar III for maladministration, they chose Bangalore as the capital in 1831.

Schools and infrastructure

As a capital city with the Commissioner's Secretariat working from here, the British developed Bangalore's infrastructure, promoted education and provided health facilities. Roads were laid connecting Bangalore with all headquartered towns. The laying of a railway line from Bangalore to Jolarpet began in 1859. Later this track was extended up to Madras. Progress in infrastructural development attracted merchants, artisans and labourers.

In 1858, the Bangalore High School was started, which in 1875 became a first grade college and was designated Central College. Earlier, in 1842, the Wesleyan Mission had started an English school; by 1852 there were five such schools in Bangalore. In the cantonment area, the Bishop Cotton School and the St. Joseph's College were started in 1865 and 1882 respectively. A philanthropist, Rao Bahadur Arcot Narayanaswamy Mudaliar, started a school (the Present RBANM Institutions) in 1873, where Bipin Chandra Pal, the famous Congressman worked as Principal.

In 1880, a number of leading gentlemen of Bangalore town started the Arya Balika Patasala. In January 1891, it was converted into a government girls' school. The first dispensary was opened in June 1835 in Bangalore fort, and a hospital and dispensary in Bangalore pete in 1839 which in 1846 was extended to accommodate 70 inpatients. After 1881, when power was transferred to the Maharaja, the capital of the State was shifted to Mysore.

But Bangalore still retained its power status because the British Resident lived here. All British dignitaries who visited Mysore State used to pay a visit to Bangalore to review the imperial troops stationed at the cantonment. There was more population and trade activity in the British-ruled cantonment than Bangalore town. For instance, in 1862, when Municipal Boards were established in both Bangalore pete and cantonment, the population of the former was 36,302 while that of the latter was 57,193. While Bangalore pete occupied an area of 8¼ sq miles, cantonment covered an area of 12½ sq miles.

The annual fund allotted to the municipality of Bangalore pete was Rs 21,681 while a fund of Rs 37,509 was allotted to the municipality of cantonment. Then, there is the question of octroi — the amount of octroi collected indicates the volume of business done. The cantonment municipality used to collect octori both from its limits and also that of the pete limits and credited one third of it to the pete municipality. This shows that octroi collection was more in cantonment as more business was carried out there when compared to the pete area and hence the cantonment municipality used to retain two-thirds of the amount.

Even after the formation of Basavanagudi and Malleshwaram extensions, the pete area was 9.7 sq miles during 1903-04. Gradually the pete expanded and during 1914, its area was 10.72 sq miles. During 1923, it was extended to 11.82 sq miles. In 1943, it had outgrown the area of cantonment and stood at 14.8 sq miles. Even the population of the pete increased relatively to that of cantonment only from the late 1920s.

Decline in population

The probable reasons for the decline in the population in the cantonment could be due to the fact that the administration there was in the hands of the British and rules and regulations were strictly enforced. This may have inhibited immigrants, especially Indians who were then increasingly exposed to national movements, to relocate to the cantonment. Area-wise, Bangalore cantonment could not be expanded unlike Bangalore town and the ongoing talks between the State government and British authorities over the question of retrocession of C&M Station to Mysore State during 1930s made Europeans wary of migrating to the Cantonment due to the uncertainty over the future status of the said place and their position.

In the early phase of its existence, the municipality of Bangalore pete used to adopt various bye-laws framed by the cantonment municipality. By establishing a cantonment here and developing the City, the British offered an opportunity for enterprising people from elsewhere to migrate to the City in search of a calling. If Bangalore has retained its cosmopolitan flavour, a part of the credit should go to the British.

5 March 2013, Deccan Herald

The Delhi Jal Board has advocated a rating system for water-using appliances similar to the one that is used to denote energy efficiency for an electrical appliance. On Monday, Debashree Mukherjee, the Chief Executive Officer of the DJB, said there needs to be a rating system that will allow consumers to choose the efficiency of a water-using appliance like a washing machine.

"As on date consumers can choose a refrigerator or an air-conditioner based on the star ratings that it gets for energy efficiency, but there is no way of telling how much water is being consumed by a washing machine for example. This is an area the government needs to work on," she said.

Speaking at a water utilities conference, Ms. Mukherjee said the Jal Board is keen to initiate a water audit of big consumers and agrees that there should be a third party audit to check consumption. She said the availability of raw water in the city is assuming crisis proportion and there is no significant increase in the allocation of water for the city from both the Ganga and the Yamuna rivers.

"The reservoirs are 500-600 km away, there are possibilities of both inter and intra-State conflicts about water. Therefore, it is important to have water management. The city gets about 740 million gallons a day of raw water from the Ganga and the Yamuna, about a 100 MDG from ground water sources and generates 840 MGD for consumption, though the demand is 1100 MGD; the deficit is met through private ground water sources," she said.

The DJB CEO said there was a need to expand water supply coverage since only 75 per cent of the population is supplied piped water. Under utilisation of the sewage treatment facilities in the city is another area that needs attention, she said, adding only 64 per cent of the total installed capacity of sewage treatment is utilised. "Sewer facility is limited to just 55 per cent of the city and the rest goes through storm water drains into the river [Yamuna]," Ms. Mukherjee pointed out. She said the challenges before the DJB are how to extend sewer facility to the city and manage the demand for water.

The city tariff system designed on the principles of equity can play a crucial role in water conservation, she said at the summit that was attended by representatives of other utilities and organisations including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board , Kolkata Metropolitan Water and Sanitation Authority and the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. The two-day conference has been organised with the aim to create a platform for knowledge sharing amongst the water utilities in the country.

-The Hindu, 5th March 2013

Slums account for a quarter of the urban population, but get only one twentieth of the total water supply, said Vice-President Hamid Ansari on Monday, referring to the sharp inequity in water supply in the country.

Expressing concern over the quality of water and the declining water table, he said: "Even the lucky one's who are connected to the regular water supply system, get water of dubious quality, in an erratic manner. The solution being pursued is to bore wells, which is in turn is leading to an alarming decline in the water table, engendering a possible national groundwater crisis."

Speaking at the second Anil Agrawal Dialogue on 'Excreta does Matter' organised by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) here, Mr. Ansari said the country needs to work on the twin challenges of water conservation and waste water minimisation.

"Cities have used up or have polluted their water resources. India's burgeoning cities have started sourcing water from far, outlying areas, to quench their thirst for water. Consequently, the cost of water has gone up due to the need for building expensive water supply infrastructure; leakages have increased to around 40%; and water-related conflicts between competing consumers are a distinct possibility. Besides the shortfall of water supply, stark inequity in access to water in our cities is also a reality," he said.

Referring to the report 'Excreta Matters', a two-volume report provides details about the water and sewage situation in 71 cities across the country, Mr. Ansari said: "…waste and water are two sides of a coin. Indian cities produce nearly 40,000 million litres of sewage per day, enough to irrigate 9 million hectares. However, barely 20 per cent of this is treated, which is an enormous waste of a critical resource. Our cities have still not understood that wherever there is water, there will be waste. This waste needs to be collected, treated and then disposed. However, sewage and sewerage still remain one of the most neglected and flawed part of urban planning in India."

The Vice-President said pollution load coupled with overexploitation has killed many rivers. Simultaneously, urban lakes and wetlands have steadily disappeared under 'development' or have become cesspools. These water bodies are crucial to the survival of our cities, as they maintain the groundwater balance, absorb and store water from rainfall and moderate the climate.

Urging people to conserve water, Mr. Ansari said minimising water usage also helps in cutting down generation of waste water. He said only with a judicious combination of water supply and waste water management can water crisis be addressed.

-The Hindu, 5th March 2013

With entry of private players in safeguarding museums world over, art and culture have finally started reaching out to the common man

The museum of the future is one of connections. The role of the museum and archives is expanding in their scope from conventional repositories and display platforms for arts and culture to a more activity-oriented playground for experimentation and viewers' engagement with a pro-people spotlight.

The entry of private players in the art space is contributing to the change in a significant way. The transformation is difficult. But nations are gradually reconciling to the opening up of archives and making room for new ones to generate greater intellectual debates.

If the challenge for western museums is to remain connected to the people 20 years after opening up with new state-of-the-art technology, museums in China too, have begun detaching themselves from the centralised Soviet-style control of the 1990s, says Liu Yingjiu, deputy director of Shanghai's Rockbund Art Museum. "China may have got its museums long ago, but till 1990s they were institutionalised bodies. The new private museums of this decade are exploring the possibility of defining themselves to society and catering to the people's needs. Museums and archives, especially in cities like Shanghai, have started reaching out to the older community and villagers," told Liu during a visit here to address a seminar,The Museum of the 21st century: A Working Model?

"People suspect objective of the private museums is to achieve some measure of commercial gain. This makes the task of a private museum in China even more difficult to establish itself as a socially-relevant cultural centre, producer and facilitator of quality art and as education centre," he said, referring to his own institution as an example.

The debate, they say, hinges on whether the mandates of the museum should be revised to accommodate information change like technology and new media. And with a "global decline in levels of public acquisitions and museum crew, how does the old repository reinvent itself?" asked Barbara London, associate curator of the department of performance art and media at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. "We have been constantly upgrading our collection at the department of media and performance art at the Museum of Modern Art in New York to keep pace with changing mediums in art and yet continue to relate to people," she asserted.

-The Pioneer, 5th March 2013

With Assembly elections due later this year, the Delhi government has decided to fast track the regularisation of unauthorised colonies. The Cabinet is preparing to approve the regularisation of at least another 200 unauthorised colonies in the Capital — it will take the total number to 1,200 — within the next 10 days along with land rights for 42 resettlement colonies.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who prioritised the regularisation of unauthorised colonies after the party lost the municipal elections last year, chaired a meeting of all relevant departments on Monday to determine government's progress.

"We are ready to approve at least another 200 unauthorised colonies in the next meeting of the Cabinet, which will happen in another week or 10 days," Dikshit said.

With 895 colonies already approved and notified by Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna last year, the government hopes to bring that figure up to 1,200 shortly.

In the run-up to the 2008 elections, the government had granted 1,638 provisional regularisation certificates (PRC). "Soon the number will go up to 1,200 but we hope we can complete all 1,638 colonies this year. Based on surveys, we determined that the last lot of colonies will be a complicated process," Dikshit said.

Senior officials in the government said clearances for the last few hundred unauthorised colonies would be harder. "Many of these colonies are fully within ridge boundaries, ASI protected zones and, in some cases, both. Other colonies do not satisfy the eligibility criteria. We are working on ways to try and get clearances for these colonies as well," an official said.

According to Dikshit, the next meeting of the Delhi Cabinet will also include approving land rights for 42 resettlement colonies, which were also regularised in 2012.

"Though these colonies have been notified as regularised, the process will not be complete till land ownership is finally handed over to residents. The Cabinet has to decide the rates that residents of these colonies have to pay before handing over land deeds," Dikshit said.

She said these rates would be discussed and decided in the next cabinet meeting and that relevant departments had been directed to start working on the proposals.

-The Indian Express, 5th March 2013

Move aimed at replenishing the landmark water body

Halasur Lake Residents' Welfare Association (HRWA)?will join hands with Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike and United Way Bangalore, a non-profit organisation to revive Halasur Lake.The landmark water body is marred by various problems such as lack of proper pathway and filth.The construction of a swimming pool nearby has also come to an abrupt halt.

The members of the Association will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Palike and United Way this month and take up the activities jointly to restore the lake.

V Purushotham, President, HRWA, said: "Our main objective is to restore the lake to its grandeur immediately. Hence, we have decided to tie up with the civic agency and the non-profit organisation?for the effective improvement of the place. We have roped in a contractor who can execute the project successfully."

Besides the lake maintenance, the association will also chalk out plans to construct a children's park, badminton court, weather-proof chairs, amphitheatre, drip irrigation and other facilities, near the lake.

Sources, said most of the proposed projects will be financially supported by private companies and the Palike will just fine-tune the project.

But the members of the Association said that they would need at least Rs 30 lakh per year for the maintenance of the lake and would approach the Palike for the monetary assistance.

Chief Conservator of Forest and Lakes, BBMP, Brijesh Kumar said: "We have tried our best to stop sewage water coming into the lake. The civic body has enough financial resources, but has certain limitations. It becomes difficult, at times, to keep an eye over the lake all the time. The decision of the HRWA is good and we will extend all kinds of support which they need from our end."

Lax security

The water body has lax security. Currently there are around four security personnel, but sometimes only two are present and they hardly patrol the lake. The HRWA will also tackle this issue.

The BBMP recently started desilting, deweeding and cleaning of the sediment in the tank bed area spread over six acres and 30 guntas.

It will take up construction of a bridge for walkers and gravel pathway soon. The entire project is estimated to cost around Rs 1.11 crore, a Palike official said.

6 March 2013, Deccan Herald

The Central Industrial Security Force is set to take over the security of Victoria Memorial in Kolkata. It will be guarded by about 125 CISF personnel following a sanction by the Ministry of Home Affairs that came last week. The monument, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1906, was built in the memory of Queen Victoria. It was opened to the public in 1921.

The CISF was asked to take over the monument after a PIL filed in the Supreme Court raised questions over its security. The PIL, filed by activist Subhash Datta, said there was no inventory of the artefacts present in the museum and many were feared to have been missing in the absence of any foolproof security system. The museum is said to have a major collection of paintings, sculptures and manuscripts from the British period.

"The MHA sanctioned the deployment of the CISF at the Victoria Memorial a few days ago. We will be taking over the security soon," said CISF DG Rajiv.

A few years ago, the CISF had even done a security audit at the museum and found several loopholes in the system.

Apart from Victoria Memorial, the CISF will also move in to secure Steel Authority of India Limited plant at Jagdishpur in Amethi district of Uttar Pradesh.

"Around 150 men will be securing the SAIL plant in Jagdishpur. The authorities had asked for a security cover and the MHA has sanctioned this also," said the officer. The CISF will also take over the security of the Port Blair port as well as Jawaharlal Nehru Bhavan in Delhi, which houses the office of the MEA.

6 March 2013, Indian Express

Administration's notification protects Jarawa tribes

The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the decks for opening the Andaman Nicobar Trunk Road to tourists going to the Limestone Cave on the island. The trunk road remained a prohibited zone. Taking note of the island administration's notification to protect the interests of Jarawa tribes, a Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi, H.L. Gokhale and Ms. Ranjana Desai disposing of as infructuous a special leave petition on banning all kinds of tourist and commercial activities in Andaman and Nicobar.

The January 2013 notification has declared an area up to a five-km radius of and contiguous to the Jarawa Tribal Reserve Area, starting from Constance Bay in South Andaman to Lewis Inlet bay in Middle Andaman, a buffer zone except 30 villages notified in the schedule. No person shall operate any commercial and or tourist establishment in the buffer zone. There should be no activity which might be prejudicial to the safety, security and interests of the Jarawas in any of the settlement villages. At the last hearing on January 21, the Bench banned entry of private vehicles on the Trunk Road but permitted movement of government vehicles. The original notification, dated October 30, 2007, imposing the ban was quashed by the Calcutta High Court. On appeal, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court order and asked the administration to strictly enforce the notification until it was considered by it (the Supreme Court). The administration issued the January 17, 2013 notification in compliance with this order.

Vital link to hospital

During the resumed hearing on Tuesday, an application was filed on behalf of local inhabitants stating the Andaman Trunk Road was a vital link covering 400 villages from Baratang to Diglipur and it was being used to reach the only government hospital on the island. While taking safeguards like preventing photography of Jarawas and giving them food, the tribal population could be protected, the application said.

6 March 2013, Hindu

I must begin by complimenting Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on his promise of support for converting urban waste to energy. This is the first time any finance minister has turned to look at the urban mess in our country. And what a mess that is!

As the FM pointed out, India tosses out several thousand tonnes of garbage each day. Delhi alone generates 7,700 tonne per day, Mumbai 7,025, Chennai 5,200, Ahmedabad 3,500 and Pune 1,500. Altogether, around 60 to 65 million tonne of garbage is generated in Indian cities and towns from households, offices, shops, hotels, hospitals, construction debris and street cleaning every year. By 2047, this is projected to increase to 260 million tonne. Plastic waste in India has increased fourfold since 1999, and is projected to increase tenfold by 2030.

The Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules of the Government of India had laid down the norms for collection, segregation, processing and disposal of waste in 2000. Thirteen years have elapsed, but the rules are still observed more in the breach. Door-to-door collection of municipal waste covers at most only about a half of the total waste, and segregation at the household level is a rarity. Collection from the community bins is not regular, and scientific processing is limited to a very small portion of the waste.

Overflowing community bins at street corners is a sight we are all familiar with. As and when the garbage is transported from the bins to the transfer stations, it is left there in open yards to rot and for rag-pickers to rummage through the rubbish. The waste slowly finds its way to the final dumpsite, where it is piled into land-hills. With cities and towns expanding at the periphery, the land-hills of garbage move closer, and so does the danger to our health.

The municipal waste crisis is crying out for multiple solutions. There were 100 projects sanctioned for solid waste management under JNNURM with a total cost of Rs 2,315 crore, of which only 25 have been completed so far. Most of these projects have only addressed the challenges of door-to-door collection. But there is growing awareness of the need for scientific disposal, including converting waste to energy.

The RDF and the fuel pelletisation were the first generation waste-to-energy products, which were not environment friendly and therefore not welcome. Burning these products in an uncontrolled manner (without requisite pollution control equipments for energy) released harmful gases in the environment. The second round of waste-to-energy plants faced the challenge from the mixed nature of Indian waste, which had very low calorific value. The Timarpur plant in the 1980s failed mainly because the technology was designed for segregated waste but it had to handle mixed waste. The Lucknow biomethanation plant in the 1990s failed because, again, it could handle only wet segregated waste but had to cope with mixed waste. Fortunately, in more recent years, the technology options in converting Indian solid waste into energy have expanded.

These columns have highlighted the variety of ways in which a number of cities have been grappling with the challenges of solid waste management and its scientific disposal. Pammal is a shining example of how to reduce, recycle and process the waste, emphasising all along segregation and community participation. Pune's 14 decentralised biomethanation plants also prove the advantages of segregation at the household level and of doing away with the need for unnecessary transportation of waste, while organising rag-pickers for the purpose of recycling what is recyclable, and generating manure and electricity for the purpose of lighting streets in the neighbourhood. The 14 plants taken together use 70 tonne per day of segregated kitchen waste and generate 22 kilowatt hour (kWh) of net electricity after using some for running the plants themselves. Their dependence on land and on segregated waste limits their scope of operations.

Pune's large-scale non-incineration-based thermal gasification plant, at the other end, has been designed to generate 10 megawatt (MW) electricity. Based on public-private partnership and state-of-the-art technology for Indian conditions of mixed waste, this plant uses patented thermal gasification technology to generate electricity. As of now, the plant uses 70 tonne of mixed (unsegregated) waste per day and generates 1 MW of electricity on an hourly basis, which is sufficient to meet its own power needs. Once regulatory clearances from the Maharashtra Energy Development Agency arrive, the plant can generate the balance quantum of electricity, which can be evacuated to the grid.

There have also been advances in incineration technology, whereby a waste-to-energy plant in Kanpur (reported in an earlier column) has been set up to produce 15 MW of electricity using RDF produced in-house while meeting the pollution control standards of CPCB. This plant was in operation for a number of months, and the electricity generated was being evacuated to the grid. More recently, problems have arisen because of the inability to maintain the quality of RDF being used in the boiler. Then there is the waste-to-energy plant in Timarpur Okhla, which uses the mass-burning method of incineration using unsegregated waste as the fuel, and has caused a lot of controversy for the need for mitigation of emissions to the atmosphere.

It is clear that technology options for waste-to-energy are increasing and there will be teething problems. Appropriate incentives and regulatory frameworks can provide scope for experimentation and application of technology to find environment-friendly ways of converting waste to energy. The FM's proposed support for waste-to-energy helps generate a competitive and yet accountable environment for addressing this challenge. To quote what he said, "I propose to support municipalities that will implement waste-to-energy projects in PPP mode which would be neutral to different technologies... through different instruments such as viability gap funding, repayable grant and low-cost capital."

By encouraging municipal waste-to-energy projects, the government can kill two birds with one stone. We can clean our cities by scientifically disposing of solid waste and generating electricity and at the same time, help reduce the large electricity deficit in the country. It has the added advantage of saving land. P. Chidambaram has provided an opening, but a lot more has to happen before we can convert the FM's support into outcomes on the ground. At the same time, a lot more is expected from the FM to extend his support and encouragement to other ways of scientific disposal of municipal waste. The writer is chairperson of ICRIER and former chairperson of the high-powered expert committee on urban infrastructure services

6 March 2013, Indian Express

Hyder Ali, the Sultan of Mysore introduced the first iron-cased metal-cylinder rocket, with 1,200 specialised troops. His son, Tipu Sultan (1750-99) further expanded on the use of artillery and was the first to utilise successfully modern-style rocket artillery. Only scanty information is available on Tipu Sultan's forces from the writings of contemporary British historians who appear prejudiced with the ingenuity and initiative of a native, who dared oppose their Raj.

Fateh-ul-mujahidden (Triumph of the Holy Warrior) by Zainul-abidin Shustari is the only work which deals with the organisation and administration of his forces, which included foot infantry, cavalry and artillery, divided into Kuchurries of Piadeh Uskur (Infantry Division) and Sawar Uskur (Cavalry Division); Kushoons (Brigades) and Teeps (Battalions), though not on a standard brick-organisation.

William McLeodi says that Tipu was the only Prince who persevered in disciplining and organising his army after a regular plan; he would welcome any change without prejudice. While making good use of French military advisers, he changed French words of command to Persian and Turkish and also the names of weapons: Banduk (matchlock) to Tufang; Tope (Cannon) to Daraksh (Lightning) and Ban (Rocket) to Shihab (Falling Star). He never allowed a large body of troops to be away from his immediate supervision nor the same commander remain with the same troops for a long time (inherent fear of a coup?) He generally tried to improve the quantity and quality of Infantry and Artillery, between 1791 and 99 at the cost of Irregular Cavalry.

Hukmnameh (Ordinance) dated March 25, 1793 addressed by Tipu to the Meer Meeran (Military Department) and his subsequent hand-written notes are the main sources of information. Artillery was not a separate Arm nor on a standard organisation but was mostly made integral to the Kushoons and to Cavalry, though some were retained as a battering ram (siege weapon). "Mahomedan arms of the Deccan and Mysore may be traced to the time of Hyder Ali and his successor (son) Tipu, both of whom.....were at great pains to get the best possible arms and to adopt the European improvements in them. The confidence of Sultan Tipu was placed chiefly on his artillery and muskets. His manufactories called Tara Mandal were established in four places: Seringapatam (Srirangapatna), Bengaluru, Chitaldurg (Chitradurga) and Nagar..... At the capture of Seringapatam, a great variety of arms were taken. These were sent home by the East India Company and many of them presented as trophies to distinguished persons." For this reason alone, many of Tipu's guns cannot be traced in India. In fact, only three of them are in the Tipu Museum in Darya-e-daulat (summer palace of Tipu) in Srirangapatna: while a six-pounder brass gun is displayed, a nine-pounder iron gun lies outside facing west; and a 24'-long iron gun is in a place called the dungeon. Very recently on November 22, 2012, two iron guns 12' long and an iron shot were found while digging for Metro track in Bengaluru and have been moved to Venkatappa Art Gallery where they lie in the open! Tipu's Artillery Weapons mainly consisted of: Guns, Mortars, Howitzers and Rockets; but only a passing reference is available of Mortars, Rockets and Howitzers, in some books, as follows:

"Tipu possessed large quantities of British and French arms, but he gave preference to the things made in Mysore, though they were not always so good....His field guns were generally cast in Mysore with the help of French artificers and being larger than those of English and having a much longer range, had a great effect in action. This gave ... Tipu considerable advantage over the English in cannonades."

"Most of the cannon cast during the reign of Tipoo were ornamented with the representation of a tiger devouring a European."

"The cannon ...were very numerous, all his brass six pounders, 51 in number, were said to be English. The others in general were cast in his foundry and curiously ornamented: one brass 42 pounder and one brass six inch howitzer and a great number of his iron ordnance were likewise English. It was said he did not succeed in casting iron so well as brass. He employed British and French mechanics, in the manufacture of cannon. ... 30 artisans were sent from France, two of each trade/profession—-founders, glass-blowers, armourers, watch-makers and so on. Some of his guns had lion-mouth and his muskets with two or three barrels."

"In Mysore iron is made from the black sand found in the channels of all the rivers. After being smelted, the iron was being used by Tipoo for making into shot by hammering. Near Seringapatam, there are five forges where steel is made."

"Tipu took the tiger as his emblem. His soldiers' uniform and his cannon were decorated with tiger stripes, the same device being shown on his guns and other paraphernalia." A study of the Table on "Abstract of Ordnance, Ammunition and Carriages found in the Fort Island of Seringapatam on May 20, 1799" (not being reproduced here due to its enormous volume) enabled me to arrive at certain deductions as follows:

Guns were made of Iron or Brass and were named according to their shell-weight from Half-pounder, to a 42- pounder.

Mortars, also made of Iron or Brass, were named according to their calibre from 2.5 to 15 inches; but iron ones did not exist below seven inches. Howitzers were made only of brass and were named according to their calibre from eight to 16 inches.

Rockets: Tipu deployed as many as 5,000 rocketeers at a time. "The rocket, a weapon hitherto held almost in derision because, seen in small numbers, it is easily avoided, performed perhaps better service to the Sultan than any other instrument." He successfully used them against the British during the Battle of Pollilur, 1780 and Anglo-Mysore Wars. The Mysore rockets of this period were much more advanced than what the British had seen, chiefly because of the use of iron tubes that tightly packed the gunpowder propellant, enabling higher thrust and longer range (1.5 km) for the missile. Rocket artillery cannot usually match the accuracy and sustained rate of fire of conventional gun-artillery, but a large mass of explosives simultaneously is delivered by modern day MBRL. Tipu provided the precursor to it and had even fixed swords to small rockets of which many reached the target in a lot in one go, to cause not only mayhem but also severe casualties! This is depicted in murals in British Military Museum. 'The motor casing of this rocket is made of steel with multi nozzle holes with the sword blade as the warhead. The propellant used was packed gunpowder. The rocket weighed about two kg, with about one kg of propellant. Fifty mm in diameter and about 250 mm length, the range performance is reported 900 metre to 1.5 km. Designers analysed and confirmed their performance. What a simple and elegant design effectively used in war"!

Tipu's foundries had the capability of producing a large variety of artillery weapons and ammunition. This can be gauged from the 929 weapons (176 of which were 12 pounders and over); 4,89,400 rounds of ammunition (of which were 4,12,000 round iron shots of four to 42 lbs) and 421 carriages, found in the Fort, after his defeat at Seringapatam in 1799.

As per the Hukmnameh, "The (two) guns (six pounders in the Jowk of Shurkh Andaz) were drawn each by 12 bullocks, having three men each (drivers) attached.... The two tumbrils were drawn by 40 bullocks with 10 drivers attached... There was an ammunition cart to each kushoon, drawn by 20 bullocks."

It also refers to seven elephants attached to heavy guns... (It might have been 10 battering guns @one elephant per two guns, with two spare).

As seen from a table in McKenzie's book, bombshells had various weights but were tightly packed with similar quantity of powder. While Jumaadars and Privates of Jowk of rocketmen attached to the kushoon carried two each; reserve of 108 rockets was carried by two camels.

Brig. N. Suryanarayanan (Retd) was an instructor at the School of Artillery, Devlali, and at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington Tumbrils and carts drawn by bullocks were used for other ammunition; but the quantity carried is not known, except that "... each bullock could carry one-and-a-half maunds (144 lbs)... each bullock could carry eight x 19 pounder (152 lbs) or six x 25 pounder(150 lbs) shots".

While laying down duties of Officers and NCOs, Chapter 4, Section 4 in Fateh-ul-mujahidden also laid down responsibility for holding & maintenance of guns: "No exercises will be held on Thursdays; instead, these days will be used for the inspection of arms, guns and equipment." The Sultan had also laid down that "the Sipahdar/commander of a kushoon shall give the charge of guns, tumbrils and ammunition stores belonging to the kushoon in particular charge to the Risaldaar, who was to take care that they were in readiness for service. Repairs and deficiencies were to be reported to the Sipahdar. Guns and tumbrils on a march and in action were to be attached to Risalas....'

Being a part of Infantry/Cavalry, uniform of the gunners was the same: "...a jacket of cotton of mixed purple colour, with spots in imitation of those of a tiger, turban of green (for those enrolled in Mysore, called Zumra)/ red/yellow (for Ghair-Zumra) and short loose trousers. In a not-so-clear and only painting, this can be seen in Darya-e-daulat. Pay-scales varied depending on the type of weapon on which employed from three Cantarai Pagodas and nine Fanams for a Gunner; four pagodas to a Jumadar and up to six or nine Pagodas for Surkheels and 17 for a Jowkdar. No information available on the higher-level officers.

During Ceremonials and Festivities, 31 Gun Salute was given to the Sultan on Birthday and on ascension to the throne; and 21 on Sultan's victories and Id days.

Sultan and his Gunners held guns in high esteem and regarded them as Colours, as we do today. "...ascending the next height... guns began to relax but the infantry... covering their cannon, according to the uniform policy of the Dynasty, which never risked guns against the enemy. ...Tipoo who was in the rear, was anxiously urging the escape of his guns, of which many had been abandoned but were soon recovered.... and only one fell into the hands of the British. (But) only in the final assault on Seringapatam ... 929 pieces were lost." But, neither the Sultan nor the bulk of his army lived to see it. His artillery also captured and put to use 37 guns at Travancore, six with detachments at Sattimungalam (Sathyamangalam), two or three at Perumal Koil and a few with detachments at Coimbatore. He had 20 'Line of Battle Ships' (with 10 of 72 guns each; and nine of 62 each: no details of the 20th) and 20 Frigates (13 of them with 46 each) distributed in Jumalabad (Mangalore), Wajibabad and Majidabad (Sadashivgarh).

Tipu made use of the tactics of Harassing Fire by Rockets and Mortars by night to disturb enemy camps. In defence, his frontline was defended by 100 guns and three times that number in the Fort and the Island. In attack, he placed his guns such that while firing enfilade, they could destroy the whole of the enemy trenches. Knowing the importance of astronomy and meteorology to Artillery, Tipu had stacked his library with 2,000 books in Arabic, Persian and Hindustani, mostly in manuscript.

Tipu is stated to have said that he would "rather live two days as a tiger than 200 years as sheep." He had declared many times that it was his guns and aggressive spirit that gave him victory over the British.

-The Asian Age, 6th March 2013

Year after year, female turtles return by the thousands to the beaches of Odisha, where they were born, to lay their own eggs. These then grow in the beaches' sandy belly until they are ready to hatch and return to the sea. It's an ancient natural process, but is now in danger

It was early February and I was hoping to film the 'Arribada' in Odisha. Hope plays a fair part in this, as no one can really predict the exact date. Something happens… the wind shifts, the earth tilts just a little more and the skies are clear for the mass nesting of Olive Ridley Turtles known as the Arribada to begin. Arribada literally means 'arrival from the sea'. But what took place this February went beyond any mass nesting that had taken place in the last 20 years.

The turtles usually come in thousands during the night, lay their eggs and leave. What happened this time was a rare occurrence of mass nesting during the day. With thousands of turtles pulling themselves up onto the beach, we were left spell-bound and unable to even begin filming. It took me a good while to soak in what was happening and start capturing this once-in-a-lifetime event. How do you even begin to film a phenomenon that involves 70,000 female turtles who have left the sea, their natural element, and are on land to lay their eggs?

The turtles mate in the sea. Then, only the females come onto land, indeed the very same beach that they were born on, to lay their own eggs. The female turtles silently repeat this phenomenon each year, generation after generation.

As the turtles, still wet and glistening from the sea, painstakingly pushed themselves up the slope of the beach, others covered in sand made their way back past them having already laid their eggs. Once at the top of the slope, the turtles dig their faces into the sand and move around to find the perfect spot to lay their eggs. What is at work here? What makes one turtle pick one particular spot that to us looks like any other spot, is anybody's guess.

Once a spot is picked, the digging begins. Using all her flippers, the female turtle clears the area and then uses her rear flippers to scoop out 'handfuls' of sand. Humans with their five fingers and dexterity couldn't have done a better job. Once the hole reaches a depth that the turtle is happy with, she goes into an almost trance-like state. With tears streaming down her eyes to keep the sand out, the Olive Ridley begins the process of laying around a 100 perfectly spherical eggs. The eggs are soft and simply bounce off each other as they land.

This year, over a period of three days, approximately 3,00,000 turtles visited a single stretch of 3.2 km in Rushikulya — one of the three mass nesting sites in Odisha. However, given the dense population that extends onto the edge of the coast, the the challenges in this situation are obvious. For example, dirty beaches, plastic packaging and toxic waste are a reality here that must be dealt with. Plastic pouches of drinking water that have recently become popular are littered all over the place. This, of course, is typical of our use-and-throw culture of convenience.

Plastic is a known killer of turtles who easily mistake floating plastic bags for jellyfish, their natural food. Ravindranath Sahua, a local who has grown up witnessing the mass nesting phenomenon each year, felt the plight of the turtles and inspite of little resources and support has been working towards the conservation of the turtles. Olive Ridley Turtles are protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. This gives them the same status as that of the tiger and the elephant. Any killing or trade of a protected species is a non-bailable offence.

Till 1998, turtle eggs were being eaten and sold by locals. Some were even killing the turtle for its meat. It took seven years of persistent and committed efforts by Mr Sahua and others like him to alter the mindset of the people. Working with the Forest Department to conduct surprise checks and awareness campaigns to convince the locals that the turtles are visitors to their shore and that they should be treated as guests, has helped turn the tide drastically. Today the villagers are not only involved in the conservation efforts but are also able to earn an additional income by guiding and ferrying tourists who want to see turtles.

This year the turtles came a little earlier than they usually do. But as soon as the volunteers noticed the first signs of nesting, a massive cleaning drive began on the site. Tonnes of plastic and garbage that littered the beach were collected and taken away. Trawler Fishing is also banned during this time as the turtles are allowed the right of path as they travel from the sea to the very beach they were born on.

Yet, we found turtles caught in discarded fishing nets. They had managed to reach the shore but were struggling to climb up to the beach. We did cut them free but it showed what the consequences of even a bit of discarded net can be. Divisional Forest Officer Sudhanshu Sekhar Mishra is acutely aware of this problem and has already begun a cleaning drive. He also wants to ban the use of plastic around a wide radius of the nesting areas in the Ganjam district.

As nesting continued and turtle density on the beach reached incredible proportions, the horizon was a visual symphony of flippers and sand flying through the air. With so many nests being dug, the entire beach was turned inside out and inevitably the turtles ended up destroying some of each others nests as well.

With eggs now lying exposed, another drama begun as sea eagles, crows, sea gulls and jackals came in for this high protein meal and gorged themselves on the eggs. This year an estimated three crore eggs were laid just at the single beach that we were at.

As the nesting season ended and the last turtles were laying their eggs, another wave of turtles, even if a lot smaller, came in. These were the stragglers with missing flippers and injuries who had finally managed to reach their beach. The following day the only traces left of the mass nesting were the turtle tracks. Soon the waves will wash over these as well and the beach will hold the turtles' millions of eggs in its belly for 45 days. After this, hatchlings will pour out of the sand and into the sea — answering an ancient and pre-historic instinct which, inspite of all odds and challenges, must complete itself year after year.

(The writer is a wildlife film-maker)

-The Pioneer, 6th March 2013

Huge spending to control pollution in the Ganga and Yamuna with no tangible results is proving to be a huge worry, triggering a debate on the need for stringent norms at an academic meet on Tuesday.

"The water quality of the Yamuna has not shown the desired improvement owing to a large gap between the demand and sewage treatment capacity and the lack of fresh water in the river," the government said in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

"(For Ganga) Levels of bacterial contamination in terms of fecal coliform are reported to be exceeding the maximum permissible limit at a number of locations.

"Also the water quality in terms of BOD (bio-chemical oxygen demand) values is reported to have improved compared to the pre-Ganga Action Plan water quality at major monitoring locations," Jayanti Natarajan, the environment minister, said.

The cost of the ongoing Yamuna Action Plan III is Rs.1,656 crore in Delhi and Rs.217.87 crore in Haryana. Her ministry had earlier claimed that Rs.1,436 crore had been spent on the Ganga Action Plan phase I and II and the National Ganga River Basin Authority till 2012.

At the 2nd Anil Agarwal dialogue titled 'Excreta Does Matter' organised by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a presentation by RM Bhardwaj from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) confirmed, "Fecal coliform levels in Ganga have risen by alarming levels since 2007 till 2011."

The biological oxygen demand saw a spike in the range of more than 10 mg/litre in the area near the Uttar Pradesh-Bihar border while the dissolved oxygen level has shown a decreasing trend along the downstream locations on the Ganga banks.

Asked why the CPCB has not laid more stringent norms, Bhardwaj said it is a long drawn process with continuous development. However, CSE's Sunita Narain said, "We don't need stringent norms as it requires more technology. The need is to first ensure more flow in the rivers."

Manu Bhatnagar, environmentalist, countered: "Let them first implement the existing norms and then gradually keep raising the bar."

-The Hindustan Times, 6th March 2013

Two exhibitions on Amir Khusrau celebrate the pluralist philosopher.

Poet, scholar, Sufi, statesman, musician and a man of science. Amir Khusrau Dehlvi was, as Shakeel Hossain says, a Renaissance Man. "What Mozart was to Austria or da Vinci was to Italy, Khusrau was to India," says Hossain, curator of two exhibitions on Amir Khusrau in Delhi.

The idea, says Hossain, is to show the context in which the 13th-14th century poet lived, and elaborate on the subjects of his work and link it to contemporary culture. While much of his writings may be in Persian, the culture that informs it is Indian. So, for instance, in one of his writings, he mentions India as a paradise where Adam was banished to. "It was the beginning of the Indo-Islamic culture what today we call Hindustani," says Hossain, a consultant with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and curator for Jashn-e-Khusrau, the month-long festival that hosted seminars, musical performances and exhibits on the poet.

"Life and Works of Khusrau", the exhibition at the National Archives displays digital copies sourced from various museums to piece together the story of Khusrau — the devout Sufi, the poet who served sultans and the icon of plurality who spoke about the importance of Sanskrit and talked about learning from Hindus at a time when the rulers were Muslims.

"He was having a dialogue with the Persianate world. It was a time when destruction of the Muslim world by Chengiz Khan brought the best of those regions to India with whom he interacted," says Hossain. The exhibition cites such interactions in Khusrau's work. It also sheds light on lesser known interests of his: astrology and astronomy.

A short walk away from the National Archives, the National Museum is displaying its Khusrau collection for the first time. "The World of Khusrau" displays seven manuscripts — I'jaz-i- Khusravi, Qiran us-Sa'dain and the Khamsas (quintet poems) of Khusrau.

From Majnun-o-Layla to Shirin-o-Khusrau (Prince Khusrau and not the poet), the manuscripts give a peep into the versatility of Khusrau, who wrote the khamsas in response to the khamsas of the great Persian poet, Nizami. "While Nizami took 27 years to write his khamsas, Khusrau took three," says Hossain.

In times when Sufism is a term much in circulation, it is perhaps befitting to revisit one of its greatest exponents, one whose legacy survives in the bustling lanes of Nizamuddin, in the rousing qawwalis and in the strains of his poetry. "When young people want to carve out a regional identity, they go to Khusrau," says Hossain. The exhibitions are a good place to meet him.

Know the poet
Life and Works of Khusrau,
National Archives, Janpath: Laid out in various sections with illustrations from his manuscripts and visuals from contemporary sources. One section deals with his understanding of scientific thoughts on astronomy and astrology, another explores his spiritual evocations, while a third has his dedications to his sultans and patrons. Digital copies, sourced from various museums across the world.

On till March 27, 10 am to 5 pm, Sat-Sun closed
The World of Khusrau, National Museum, Janpath: Exhibition has seven illustrated manuscripts of Khusrau from the collection of the National Museum that have been displayed for the first time. Also on display are miniature paintings, musical instruments and other objects to illustrate the works and times of Khusrau. On till March 24, 10 am to 5 pm, Monday closed.

- The Indian Express, 7th March 2013

A lush vegetable garden in the cramped confines of your balcony is not impossible. The ongoing Krishi Vigyan Mela organized by Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) has some interesting ideas for the 'apartment farmer', too. Vegetables believed to grow only in farms have been cultivated in pots. Cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts are just some of the possibilities with a little guidance from IARI scientists.

Growing flowers on terraces or balconies is also possible. "We have kept in mind the space crunch in Delhi. At the institute we have developed 30 varieties of gladiolus that are much cheaper and suited to Indian conditions," said senior scientist, IARI, JPS Dabas. The institute is also preparing new mango varieties that can be grown in small spaces with less chemical use.

-The Times of India, 7th March 2013

People prefer living in a house that promises good ventilation and abundant sunlight -- a luxury in Delhi, where houses exist cheek by jowl.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), however, plans to bring about a change. The DDA, along with the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), is planning transit-oriented development (TOD) in the capital.

This means intense mixed land use development along Metro corridors. According to the draft TOD policy, all residential buildings in the two kilometre-wide TOD zone should have maximum possible access to sunlight and proper ventilation.

"All residential buildings should be oriented to face the north-south direction so that all dwelling units in a building should get at least two hours of sunlight in at least one room even on the shortest winter day of December 21 (winter solstice)," said a senior DDA official, who did not wish to be named. Also, no building should block sunlight to neighbouring buildings.

The policy suggests energy efficient glasses to be used in buildings and shade from trees and building enclosures to be used to minimize 'urban heat island effect'.

The TOD aims intense development around transit corridors for easy public transport accessibility for a maximum number of people, which will mean lesser dependence on private vehicles. The intense development, however, is also planned to be completely 'green' development.

For the Phase I of TOD, five Metro corridors, including the Karkardooma pilot project, have been chosen - Chhattarpur to Arjangarh, Peeragarhi to Tikri Kalan, Dwarka Mor to Dwarka Sector-21 and Nehru Place to Badarpur.

The green initiatives planned in the TOD zones include recycling and reuse of wastewater, better water management for both potable and non-potable water and rainwater harvesting.

Rainwater harvesting has been made mandatory for all buildings, irrespective of project size. Even rainwater from roads would be reused after primary treatment.

-The Hindustan Times, 7th March 2013

NTERNET Coming soon is an exhaustive website on art and culture. It claims to have in-depth and well-researched information. SHAILAJA TRIPATHI

It is like Wikipedia and yet not quite like it, claim those behind Sahapedia, an upcoming online interactive encyclopedia on the arts, cultures and histories of India (and broadly South Asia). For all those who felt the absence of one single platform where all the information related to art and culture could be accessed, it could probably turn out to be a very positive development. According to Yashaswini Chandra, researcher and coordinator, Sahapedia offers layers of information, from something really basic to in-depth information researched and put together by experts on board.

Saha stands for Stirring Action on Heritage and the Arts, a not-for-profit society based in Delhi which has joined hands with CMC Limited, a TATA enterprise, and the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad, to develop Sahapedia. The website is expected to launch by the end of this year.

On March 12, through a talk at the India International Centre, the website will introduce itself through a presentation of a prototype. "We have made a case study of the Gwalior gharana, which we will be presenting that day. So somebody who wants to have some basic knowledge can get that. If a student of classical music wants more researched information, she/he can move on to the PDFs of scholarly articles, digitised books, archival material, maps, timelines, lineage trees, and audio-video recordings. After that if she wants to travel to Gwalior, the necessary information required to travel like the important tips are also there," says Chandra.

The website has 12 domains — arts and crafts, oral traditions, culinary traditions, film, history, cultural practices, literature and languages, built heritage, museums and institutions, knowledge systems, natural and performing arts. Chandra feels that bringing such a wide range of topics will make accessing information really easy for the reader, who otherwise finds the information scattered in segments.

Being a complicated subject which allows for misinterpretations and can have serious repercussions in case of wrong or half-baked information, Chandra says, it calls for strict monitoring. "That's why we will only have registered users. The material will be developed by in-house researchers and most of the articles will be written by experts, and the list includes the likes of Jasleen Dhamija, Leela Samson, Kapila Vatsyayan, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, T.M. Krishna." A mandatory policy for authentication is also in place to keep a check on the credibility of the information.

To ensure quality and depth of the content, Sahapedia has also collaborated with the Archaeological Survey of India to document in multimedia format the Taj Mahal and the living Chola temples. There is also a tie-up with the Indian Institute of Advanced Study in Shimla to document for research purposes oral histories and traditions. -The Hindu, 8th March 2013

If the government does not take action immediately to clean the Yamuna of toxic pollutants, there will be no Holi celebrations in Braj, the Yamuna Rakshak Dal threatened on Thursday. They said they are ready for 'jail bharo' if the government did not agree to their demands.

Thousands of people under the banner of the Yamuna Rakshak Dal have started a 'march-to-Parliament' from Vrindavan on March 1. Scores of volunteers walking towards Delhi found support for their cause of saving the Yamuna in Vijender Gupta (BJP) and Bhanu Pratap Singh, president of Kisan Union.

Addressing reporters with Rajnarayan Dwivedi and Udayan Sharma of Yamuna Rakshak Dal, Gupta demanded, "The government through a notification should ensure release of 70% water from Hathni Kund barrage. The government should review the water sharing agreement between Yamuna's riparian states." Gupta also demanded that chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who heads the Delhi Jal Board, should ensure that no sewage is dumped into the Yamuna in Delhi.

-The Hindustan Times, 8th March 2013

Not only Delhi, but the entire neighbourhood seems headed for a major health crisis with air pollution levels rising alarmingly and crossing the toxic mark of the pre-CNG days.

The latest Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report has rung the alarm bell for the national capital region. It says the particulate matter (PM) level in Ghaziabad in 2010 was higher than that in Delhi and the third highest in India after Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, and West Singhbhum, Jharkhand.

In 2008, Delhi had emerged as the city with the highest PM level. The Capital, however, lost the pole position as smaller cities, including Ghaziabad, were getting polluted faster.

The PM levels almost doubled in the emergent industrial town. In 2010, the PM level in Ghaziabad was 290 micro grams per cubic meter of air (µg/cubic metre) as compared to 261 µg/cubic metre for Delhi. Increasing pollution in the Uttar Pradesh town had some effect with the National Green Tribunal imposing a ban on new industries there.

Ghaziabad's dubious rise on the pollution chart does not mean that Capital's particulate pollution level has fallen.

The CPCB data shows that the Capital's particulate pollution — a cause for breathing problems and sneezing — had increased steadily since 2005 despite the Delhi government building several flyovers to reduce traffic congestion at important intersections.

Most disturbingly for environmentalists, the growth of pollutants in the Capital's air was faster than in the 1990s, which prompted the Supreme Court to intervene, resulting in the introduction of the relatively cleaner compressed natural gas (CNG) for public transport.

The particulate matter level when CNG was introduced in 2000 was 150 µg/cubic metre -- double the national standard. The level dipped to 130 µg/cubic metre by 2005 and then steadily rose to 261 µg/cubic metre in 2010. The level of another lethal toxicant, nitrogen dioxide, has also risen steadily in Delhi since 2007, the CPCB report said.

Rocketing real estate prices and crowding in the Capital have had hurtful effects on the neighbouring towns, especially Faridabad, for which the comparative data since 2004 was available. PM pollution had been rising in Delhi's southern neighbour since 2008, reaching 164 µg/cubic metre by 2010.

Noida was still better off in the NCR. Its PM level, at 132 µg/cubic metre, was the lowest in the region but still twice the national standard (60 µg/cubic metre) for residential areas.

-The Hindustan Times, 8th March 2013

In the scorching May heat, thousands of soldiers fought in the fortress city of Seringapatam in 1799. The month-long battle ended with the death of Tipu Sultan and the victory of the colonisers. While the news led to jubilation in Britain, its celebrated landscape artist JMW Turner gave it permanence in his watercolour. The artist had never visited India, but visualised the scene from across continents. Lost in time, the impression of the battlefield has now resurfaced. The 1800 work will be part of The Jodhpur Auction organised by Bid & Hammer on March 9, at Umaid Bhawan Palace .

It will comprise 112 lots, including jewellery, furniture, paintings, artefacts, daggers and sheaths from the Mughal dynasty and sculptures dating back to 11th and 12th centuries. "There will be something for everyone," says Ankush Dadha, director of Bid & Hammer.

While the total estimate is expected between Rs 35 crore to Rs 45 crore, leading the sale is an eight-panel mirrored and painted metal screen, executed in 1928 by famous French artist Etienne Drian. Estimated to fetch between Rs 4 -Rs 6 crore, this was purchased by the Maharaja of Indore Yeshwant Rao Holkar II at an exhibition in France in 1931. The jazz aficionado gifted it to his daughter, the Maharani of Indore, from whom it came to the Holkar collection. He is equally excited about the Turner work, estimated between Rs 2- Rs 3 crore. Coming from his father Maher Dadha's private collection, it was acquired by the family from Maharaja of Pudukkottai in the 1970s. It was Dadha, however, who discovered that it belonged to Turner, last year, when he was flipping through a catalogue of the National Gallery of Scotland. "There was an image of the study of the work there. The similarities were obvious. So we immediately went to Tate to get the work authenticated," says Dadha.

Planned for almost a year, the auction has other significant works as well. If art connoisseurs have Bamapada Bannerjee's oil depicting a king giving alms to poor (Rs 9 lakh-Rs 12 lakh) and MF Husain's sardonic oil depicting a semi-nude women (Rs 1.25 crore -Rs 1.50 crore), for those interested in rare figurines there is a 16th century gilt bronze figure of Amitabha flanked by two Taras in a pagoda (Rs 1.5-Rs 2.25 crore), from the collection of Sumitra Devi Birla. French glass designer Renee Lalique's unique suite of six massive lustre Moineaux I ceiling lights is priced between Rs 90 lakh and Rs 1.2 crore.

Proceeds from the auction will be forwarded to Indian Head Injury Foundation, established by Maharaja Gajsingh II of Jodhpur in February 2007, after his son suffered from a serious head injury while playing polo in Jaipur. The lots, though, might have to compete for attention with the audience that is expected to comprise A-listers, from Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker to Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Mukesh Ambani, French billionaire Patrick Guerrand Hermes and the Duke of York, Prince Andrew. The star-attraction, however, might be British musician, Sting. The rock star is expected to perform at a private concert. "It promises to be a gala," says Dadha.

9 March 2013, Indian Express

In a difficult landscape, art often provides meaning to life and the artisans of Rajasthan have discovered ways to express their art through a variety of media — be it wood, metal, sand, stone, leather or cloth.

For centuries, weavers of Rajasthan have been crafting exquisitely woven durries or flat weave rugs in their backyards.

While Salawas, near Jodhpur, is an important centre of durry weaving in western Rajasthan, in the southern tip of the State, this art is practiced as a tradition by the Prajapats and Meenas of Ranakpur and Sadri.

How people of this region took to weaving is an interesting story that played out hundreds of years ago, when the tribal people of Mewar (southern Rajasthan region) used to seek shelter in temples.

It was then that they started weaving rugs for their own use, borrowing their designs heavily from the intricately carved pillars of the Ranakpur Jain temples.

Persian-Pakistani Kilims that were introduced to local artisans around the 14th century by trade caravans passing through the region also had a profound influence on the durriescrafted in this region.

A few generations ago, some of the land surrounding the Adinath temple of Ranakpur was given by the Jain community to the tribal weavers. Since then, the weavers have been practising the traditional craft of durry weaving here, passing it down to subsequent generations over the years.

For a long time, these rugs, with simple geometric and floral patterns in dull colours continued to be the cheaper alternative to expensive carpets.

However, faced with stiff competition from machine made rugs flooding the markets, especially in the post-independence era, weavers of the Ranakpur Tribal Durry Udyog started experimenting with brighter colours and braver designs.

Most artisans here weave durries with cotton, often mixing it with wool gathered from goat and camel hair in a 20-80 ratio. Sometimes, on demand, cotton-silk durries are also made.

They use traditional vegetable dyes to colour the rugs. Some of the popular dyes and the colours they produce are henna (dark red), turmeric (yellow), saffron (orange), buckthorns (sap green) and indigo (hues of purple and blue) among others.

The artisans weave the durries in their homes and sell them directly to tourists passing by. "Since Ranakpur figures prominently on the Rajasthan tourism map, these people manage to get a steady flow of customers in the form of both international and domestic tourists," says Hasmukh Sharma, a local tour operator who helps these artisans sell their product.

Of late, a lot of their durries are being bought by young, educated urban consumers, although traditional buyers have remained faithful customers too. Some durries are also shipped abroad depending on demand, says Hasmukh.

With neo-urbane home and interior décor increasingly moving away from modern clichés and closer to chic ethnic design elements, the durries have become popular as a sensible, organic, eco-friendly, politically correct style statement that fits the pocket.

Over the generations, geometrical and floral patterns in dull colours on Rajasthani rugs have given way to bright hues and bold designs

9 March 2013, Hindu

The wanton destruction of, and encroachments upon,the Arravalis continue unabated in Delhi despite courtrulings to the contrary

Of the seven historical cities of Delhi the first and the third — that is LalKot and Tughlaqabad — were located on the undulating prominences of the Arravalis. Two more — that is the second and the fourth — Siri and Jahanpanah were sited in the plains between the Arravalis and the Jamna, while the last three — Ferozeshah Kotla, the Purana Quila and the Lal Quila — were placed along the western bank of the Yamuna.

Last week this column looked at the devastation that has been visited upon the Yamuna by the policy of continuously withdrawing water from it and allowing, in fact, guiding the flow of untreated sewage into the river basin. A policy that has killed the river in a short span of about 130 years, beginning with the setting up of the Chandrawal water works in the 1880s. This piece takes a look at the furious pace at which the Arravalis are being systematically decimated and destroyed across a continuous stretch of more than two kilometres along the Aruna Asif Ali Marg.

The Arravalis are believed to be among the oldest mountain ranges in the entire world, second probably only to the Pennines of the United Kingdom and certainly the oldest in India, formed in a major pre- Cambrian movement, that occurred prior to the Gondwanaland breaking up and a part known as the Deccan Plateau joining the Eurasian plate to form the Indian Sub-Continent. This is just to underline the antiquity of what we are riding rough shod over.

The wanton destruction of, and encroachments upon the Arravalis had led many environmentalists to approach the courts and both the Delhi high court and the Supreme court, having taken cognizance of this pillage, declared the Arravalis as a precious natural heritage that was home to rare fauna and flora. The courts had desired that all encroachments be vacated, all mining stopped and the entire stretch of the Arravalis preserved. It is a sad commentary on those who are charged with the responsibility of defending the law of the land that the destruction of this heritage goes on in total disregard of the letter and spirit of the wishes expressed in no uncertain terms by our courts.

Even if what is being done has been authorized by someone who has the powers to sanction such activity it is an act that will not stand any serious scrutiny. Take a closer look at what is going on at Aruna Asif Ali Marg and you will see the absurdity of it all.

If you were to approach the Sanjay Van from Ber Sarai village down Aruna Asif Ali Marg, you will notice that an entire flank of the forest that appears to your left is being enclosed in a very high wall. This wall is being built after breaking down huge chunks of the Arravali, in fact across a few hundred yards a wall that had been completed barely a month before has been pulled down and another is coming up behind it, on land that was part of the protected forest not too long ago.

Before this road came up in the early 1970s both the Sanjay Van and the present Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus located on the other side of the road was an uninterrupted forest. The forest was used as village commons by those who inhabited Ber Sarai, Katwaria Sarai, Masoodpur, Lado Sarai and Mehrauli. The forest had its own resident population of hares, blue bulls, jackals, mongoose, kraits peacocks, partridges, quails and other birds and animals, the coming up of JNU and Vasant Kunj cut up the forest in many bits. A very large part was replaced by Vasant Kunj. One part was renamed Sanjay Van, the other became JNU.

The resident population of blue bulls became the biggest victim of this partition. During each mating season some animals try to cross this road in search of mates calling from across the road. In the last five years I have seen three of them that had been hit and killed by fast moving vehicles, and there would have been others that I missed. Those that remain are forced to in-breed and you may see sickly specimens of the species if you step into the forest or into the un-built bits of JNU at day break.

All over the world when a road needs to be built across a forest, the road builders have to create passages beneath the road, under passes for animals as it were. In the heart of this city there is a reserved forest and what do we do? Instead of making it possible for the animals to move freely across this artificial, man-made division, we are converting the entire forest into a jail. Who are we trying to keep in and who are we trying to keep out and why are we destroying this mountain range, a range that was created at least 350 million years ago or even earlier? Who will gain from this except for the builders and who has sanctioned this hare-brained scheme are questions that need to be asked.

9 March 2013, Hindu

Ancient structures lying in ruins at Nagunuru of Karimnagar district to be renovated and relocated

The ancient and historical temples of Kakatiyas and Kalyani Chalukyas, which are lying in a dilapidated condition in Nagunuru of Karimnagar district, would now get a facelift and will be relocated, thanks to the assistance provided by a philanthropist.

For the first time in the State, the Endowments Department, in coordination with the Archaeology Department, had decided to reconstruct and relocate the ancient temples built by monarchs of the Kakatiya dynasty with the help of the Kasuganti Narayana Rao Memorial Trust.

Dilapidated condition

The marvellous architecture of the Kakatiyas — believed to be constructed during the 12th and 13th centuries — depict the history and culture of the dynasty. The ancient temples such as Trikutalayam, Shivalayam, Vishnualayam and others temples are in a dilapidated condition.

The Archaeology Department would ensure that the ancient structures would be relocated on a sprawling five acres of land near the village and rebuild the structures as it is without causing any harm to the ancient carvings, pillars etc.

The Kasuganti Narayana Rao Memorial Trust would relocate the temples at a cost of Rs. 4 crore in 18 months. Later, they would be handed over to the Endowments Department. The trust would also allocate every year Rs 5 lakh for the maintenance of the temples for a period of 10 years.

Formal launch

This novel programme of protecting the ancient structures and development of tourism was formally launched on Sunday. Minister for Civil Supplies D. Sridhar Babu formally conducted the Bhumi puja for the relocation of the temples along with Government Whip Arepalli Mohan, Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar, Joint Collector H. Arun Kumar, KDCCB chairman K Ravinder Rao, trust member K Laxman Kumar.

The Minister was all praise for the trust for protecting the ancient monumental structure and the history of the district.

Endowments deputy commissioner Ramesh Babu and Archeology assistant director Mallikarjuna Rao and others were also present.

-The Hindu, 9th March 2013

The nature of tribal hunting has changed over the years in Arunachal Pradesh. Earlier it was done for cultural reasons, meat, recreation and retaliation. Nandini Velho now finds the market deciding the fate of wild animals in the State

While Wangta Sagrisow (name changed) talked wistfully about how he had missed a tiger, he had a whole repertoire of stories about the forests and their animals that kept me gripped. So we continued to chat, although my questionnaire interview that aimed to understand the hunting patterns of different tribes in Arunachal Pradesh was long done. Now, as a 68-year-old man, he spends a substantial amount of time looking out of the balcony and into the happenings of his town.

Wangta was once a hunter, who only stopped hunting because of the vagaries of age. We lost no time as he excitedly flipped through my field guides and animal photographs, rehashing memories and contexts about hunting. His gripping narrative was complemented by quick dashes into the kitchen, from where he emerged with a new artefact or two to illustrate his stories in the flesh. He showed me a piece of porcupine stomach which is believed to cure stomach ailments. On another such dash he couldn't find a piece of bear gall bladder, believed to treat dysentery and tuberculosis. In this case it was given away to a sick family member — usually it would have made its way to the market for the wildlife trade.

Wangta and older hunters grew up to a different kind of relationship with animals, especially with respect to trade. He doesn't remember such a rampant bear gall bladder trade as exists today, but he once traded a sambar stag horn for a piece of prized Assam silk. However, another middle-aged hunter described in detail his observations of the rarely seen but highly traded scaly anteater, also known as the pangolin. Based on his detailed descriptions, the forests around Pakke Tiger Reserve are likely to be home to the Chinese pangolin as well as the Indian pangolin. Although the Indian pangolin would be a new mammal species recorded in the list of the tiger reserve, we know as little about its life as the threats it faces. After he found out that the trader from Assam sold each pangolin scale for Rs20 (on an average an adult pangolin has 900-1,000 scales), he ruefully told me that he sold the entire skin for just Rs400.

It seemed spending time doing interviews was far too trivial compared with the prospect of indulging in wildlife trade. Hunters and people in the village would often approach us with business propositions related to medicinal plant trade or placing orders for the most wanted species. After being interviewed, or even halfway through a few interviews, a few left mildly annoyed and disappointed.

Some things have remained constant — in part. Across time and space, there has been a marked dietary preference for barking deer meat. Then, they were killed and shared with relatives, but are now sold in the market for a modest amount of Rs150 per kg. While Wangta had killed only 25 barking deer in his lifetime, data from my study shows that other hunters were far more prolific. For example, the barking deer toll per hunter went up to as much as 100.

When the war with China broke out in 1962, Wangta was only 18 years old. He remembers that then one kg of potatoes was just Rs1.30. The potatoes he grew were supplied to all government officers around. This helped him raise money for a shop he planned to open — the first in the village. Today, government officers stationed in these areas are one of the major consumers of the wild meat from ever-dwindling forests, while potatoes and other groceries come from many places.

From these same forests, some species such as marbled cats, clouded leopards and leopard cats were not hunted before. They were considered to be closely related to the revered tiger, as tigers and humans are believed to have shared ancestry in the folklore of Wangta's tribe. The religious ceremony to atone for killing a tiger is elaborate — hunters who have killed a tiger have to live on the roof of their house till the shaman allows them to re-enter. In death, this is still remembered. The approach to a tomb-stone has more steps built if a person has murdered a human being or killed a tiger, to make it difficult for the victims' spirits to climb to the tomb when they seek retribution. Although Wangta had missed killing a tiger, others were willing to endure these rituals, especially if the animal had targeted their livestock. He had killed six marbled cats, some of which came for his chickens, but others just for sport — he had not consumed the meat.

The subtlety of hunting for cultural reasons, meat, recreation, retaliation and not hunting is less apparent now. As one hunter observed: "You kill and eat whatever you get unless there is a market for it." But the future stills holds many uncertainties. Before leaving, I decided to spend some time and look out from the balcony with Wangta. He pointed to a man working in the field — his son was the only child who had survived from three marriages and 14 kids. In retrospect, he believed that he lost so many children as retribution for hunting too much. His son, he explained, was now a Christian and did not know much about taboos or hunting. He will probably not be able to hunt a tiger in his lifetime as well; but for more than one reason — there might be none left.

The writer is a PhD student from James Cook University, Australia and a research associate with National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore. She thanks Bikram Aditya Roy and Vineeta Rao for assistance in the field.

-The Asian Age, 10th March 2013

The 16th-century Jahaz Mahal, so named for its ship-like reflection on the adjacent lake, might get a new lease of life.

Indian National Trust for Art, Culture and Heritage Delhi Chapter has moved a proposal with Archaeological Survey of India to restore the missing portions of the monument, including a chhatri and the south wall. ASI, however, is yet to approve the proposal as its policy does not support restoration on the principle that relics should, as far as possible, be retained as they are.

Structurally, experts say, Jahaz Mahal is in a fairly good condition with a strong foundation. Some portions of the Lodhi-era structure collapsed several years ago. The monument is surrounded by several small mosques and ruins which are not ASI-protected and are encroached upon.

"There were originally six chhatris on the terrace but today there are only five. The chhatri in the south-east corner collapsed decades ago. The south wall enclosing the courtyard also collapsed. There is intricate tile work in the chhatris which have gone missing through the decades," said a senior official of Intach.

Officials said the monument has undergone several changes through the years. "There is still evidence of the tile work which can be restored following the original pattern. While one chhatri is missing, another is structurally so weak it is supported by stone pillars on each side. Even the flooring is not original... the monument never had stone flooring, it was always lime concrete," added an official.

ASI follows the John Marshall conservation manual of 1920s under which monuments are kept in the condition they were in when notified. "Restoration should take place only when there is ample evidence. We have reservations with Intach's proposal. If you do not have evidence of exactly how the missing chhatri was like, how can you reconstruct it?" said a senior ASI official.

ASI officials said they were more interested in repairing the plaster and tile work. Intach convener A G K Menon, however, said more discussions were in order. "There is an ideological difference. If you restore a building, it has more meaning to people and society. If you keep it as ruins, it holds interest only to historians. This is a building an architect can understand," he said. Intach officials added that they have old photos of Jahaz Mahal to aid the restoration.

ASI has asked Intach to submit a "workable proposal". "There are several unprotected monuments in the vicinity of Jahaz Mahal which are encroached upon. Why not conserve those first?" said an official.

In sites like Humayun's Tomb where Aga Khan Trust for Culture has been working for the past several years, a lot of restoration work has taken place. But, ASI officials said, there was ample evidence and documentation in this case.

Conservationists say restoration can be applied on a case-to-case basis.

"Reconstruction is an acceptable process as part of a larger conservation strategy the world over. Medieval buildings require to be treated differently from the archaeological remains of ancient times where 'preserve as found' is appropriate," said Ratish Nanda, project director of AKTC.

-The Times of India, 10th March 2013

Many Delhiites drive past Masjid Nursery on Subramaniam Bharti Marg and possibly even buy tree saplings, shrubs and ornamental plants from there.

But very few notice the existence of a neat little mosque — Baghwali Masjid — right next to the nursery, at the southern end of Pandara Road, where it touches the Subramaniam Bharti Marg.

The Mughal-era mosque was originally seven-bays wide and two-bays deep with three domes. The INTACH listing describes its decorative features such as cusped arch entrance, ornamentation on plinth on dome and painting on ceiling of dome. But the entire building is now whitewashed.

The area was called Babarpur till the early 1920s when the British acquired Delhi for the new capital. The mosque then stood in an enclosure formerly occupied by a garden. "But we have no records as to which garden is that or why is the mosque called so," said Imam Qamaruddin.

"My grandfather started this nursery in 1949-1950 on the space rented from the Wakf board. Till the early 1950s, spaces opposite Sujan Singh Park and Khan Market was all open," said Vikram Saini of Masjid Nursery.

The 1960s saw additions, including a marble floor courtyard, PVC shades and the walls painted green and white.

-The Hindustan Times, 10th March 2013

DH impact : New map adds seven acres to Subramanyapura Lake expanses

In a move that might put the smile back on greens' face, the Subramanyapura Lake has now been officially declared a lake. Strangely, the water body was being shown as gomala (pasture) land in government records for more than a century.

An order to this effect was passed by the Deputy Commissioner (Bangalore Urban Revenue district) Dr G C Prakash on February 26, declaring the lake a water body.

The welcome rectification in the government records came amid rumours that the water body would be levelled to pave way for a Traffic and Transit Management Centre of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).

Deccan Herald had reported about the poor state of the water body due to illegal dumping of waste. The report prompted the Environment Support Group (ESG), which had filed a public interest litigation in connection with the garbage crisis in the City, to bring the matter to the notice of the court.

The anomalies in the records came to light on January 10, when BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah convened a meeting of all the stakeholders such as the Bangalore Urban deputy commissioner, Bangalore Development Authority, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Slum Development Board, Lake Development Authority and the Karnataka Pollution Control Board.

At the meeting, the revenue officers said the lake remained a gomala land in government records, which needed to be rectified.

Siddaiah also drew the attention of the Karnataka High Court which was hearing the Subramanyapura Lake case ever since the garbage mafia started dumping waste into it, to the anomalies in the records.

The Revenue department has also brought out a new survey map of the lake after the BBMP and the BDA Lake Division officers pointed out flaws in the previous map. The new map shows the extent of the lake and the adjoining areas as 25 acres and six guntas as against the previous 18 acres and six guntas.

It also depicts the extent of the water body as 22 acres, including 11 acres of encroachment. The rest three acres and 20 guntas are road and other vacant land. The new map also shows the inlet of a stormwater drain as a part of the lake, which was missing in the old map.

10 March 2013, Deccan Herald

The world's tallest statue of Mahatma Gandhi has been installed at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna last month

Most of the people are well aware of the fact that Mahatma Gandhi started his satyagraha (non-violent agitation) against the British from Champaran in Bihar, which was later also called Neil satyagraha (indigo moveme¬nt). But what is not widely known is that when Bapu first landed in Patna on April 10, 1917 and held a proration sabha (prayer meeting) at the north-west corner of a ground, which later came to be known as Gandhi Maidan.

Nearly 96 years after Bapu organised a prayer meeting here, the Bihar Government has installed the world's tallest statue of Mahatma Gandhi on a sprawling1.5 acres of land (just in front of Gandhi Sanghralaya) as a tribute to the Fatherof the Nation.

The 72-foot tall statue has been erected in two parts. The 40-foot bronze statue of Gandhiji is on a pedestal which is 32-foot high. "Mahatma Gandhi's statues have been installed in 80 countries, with each ranging from six feet to 11 feet as most of them are either his bust or in a sitting position. In Kolkata, we have a 13-foot statue of Bapu. Besides, there is one on the Parliament campus in Delhi. But in Patna, we have installed the world's tallest statue of Gandhiji," Dr Razi Ahmad, secretary of Gandhi Sanghra¬laya, told Deccan Herald.

Noted sculptor Ram Sutar, who is credited to have designed and crafted Gandhi's first statue in 1948, has again done a splendid job with the help of his sculptor son Anil Sutar.

"I have already made 120 statues of Gandhiji in 80 countries. So when the Bihar government approached me with the proposal, I readily agreed," said Sutar, who despite being 88-year-old, still enjoys his work. No wonder, he has been decorated with Padma Shri award.

"The statue of Mahatma Gandhi along with a boy and a girl embracing him inte¬nds to give the message of peace, equality, brotherhood not only to the country, but also to the entire world. Tourists from across the globe flock to the State Capital. This will be an additional gift to all those who admire Bapu and follow his ideals," said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while unveiling the statue on February 15.

"Gandhiji showed us how to lead a life of non-violence and today's youth should try to follow in his footsteps. The langu¬age of love and non-violence can win more hearts," he added.

Dr Razi Ahmad, who was asked by Nitish to ensure completion of this gigantic task of installing the world's tallest statue, said: "The pedestal of the statue is sculpted with four murals with each side depicting landmark events in Gandhi's life."

While different stages of Champaran satyagraha (1917) have been inscribed on the northern end of the pedestal, the southern portion depicts namak satyagraha, also called Dandi March, (1930). Similarly, the western side of the pedestal depicts weaving of khadi cloth by char¬kha, the events leading to Quit India movement (1942) have been inscribed on the eastern end.

Nearly 400 trained workers, including 150 masons from Jaipur and Varanasi, were roped in to complete the construction and installation of statue which is estimated to have cost Rs 7 crore. Speci¬ally crafted stones from Bansi Paharpur in Rajasthan were brought in different trucks to Noida-based studio where Ram Sutar and his son completed the constru¬ction of the statue.

From there, it was transported to Patna in different sets. And the final shape was eventually given at the location site where 150 workers toiled from 8 am to 11 pm even in the biting cold of December and January to meet the deadline. (Though the original deadline was January 30, the death anniversary of Gandhi, but it was eventually unveiled on the day of Basant Panchmi, February 15).

Besides, an additional amount of Rs 3.5 crore was spent by the Building Construction Department, the nodal agency to monitor the project, in making the sprawling campus of 1.5 acre look attractive. Landscaped tastefully with plants and flowers, the statue ground is illuminated with high-power halogens during nights.

Sculptor a freedom fighter Sutar, who himself participated in Quit India movement (where he burnt his cap), said he did not find it difficult to translate the concept of statue as suggested by noted Gandhian thinker Dr Razi Ahmad because of his proximity to freedom fighters.

"I have seen Gandhiji taking a stroll at Vinoba Bhave's ashram with Shivaji Rao Bhave and other freedom fighters. I myself participated in Quit India movement and burnt my cap," said the octogenarian Sutar, who is still getting offers from different countries to make Gandhi's statue.

Earlier, Sutar was also credited with making the statue of Father of the Nation of Mauritius, Sir Seosagar Ramgoolam, which has been installed at south of Gandhi Maidan in Patna. No wonder, Ram Sutar and Anil Sutar along with two Gandhians - Dr Razi Ahmad and T Sharan - were honoured during the function of unveiling of Bapu's statue.

"The memorial encapsulating the whole concept of Indian freedom struggle would continue to inspire the coming generations and remind them of the sacrifices made by the people to achieve Independence," argued Dr Ahmad.

10 March 2013, Deccan Herald

The garments and artefacts catch the eye as they hang in the Sadhna showroom in the old Udaipur locality of Fatehpura — dupattas of every hue, kurtas for every size, soft quilts and coverlets made of the finest cotton, handicrafts fashioned out of cloth. Look at the products more closely and the simple, fine hand work that has gone into them becomes apparent.

Tiny running stitches embellish the yoke of a kurti, colourful appliqué work runs along the length of a dupatta, painstaking patchwork animates a quilt. Whose hands have plied the needle to create these objects of beauty and comfort? Behind that question lies a tale of hard work, entrepreneurship and institution building.

Leela Vijaynergia, chief executive of Sadhna, traces its evolution, "The year 1988 was a period of great distress in Rajasthan because of persistent drought. The men had migrated for work but often couldn't send enough money home and the women left behind were desperate to make a little extra to keep their families going. That was why Seva Mandir, the Udaipur-based organisation working on social issues, thought of providing an income-generating programme for women. It was called the Patchwork Programme because much of the work centred on patchwork."

Reflecting traditions

That first group comprised 15 women. Today, that group has evolved into a trust called Sadhna and currently represents 700 women artisans in 16 urban, peri-urban and rural locations in the Rajasthan districts of Udaipur and Rajsamand. Each artisan is an owner member of the organisation, participating in its decision-making process through a representative.

Sadhna's products reflect the age-old traditions of local women. They may not have much formal education, but the one skill they possess is sewing. Priya Khan, social manager, explains, "Traditionally, quilting and running stitch were very much a part of the domestic scene in these parts. Razais (quilts), bedcovers, dupattas and other household knick-knacks were made from old cloth placed one layer over the other and stitched together. We built on that base. Every Sadhna member first undergoes a three-month training programme and learns to use finer, neater stitches for a better finish."

But tradition had to combine with modernity because Sadhna's products cater to the urban market. "What we chose to develop was also based on the fact that Udaipur is a centre for tourism. Today, all our work revolves around three crafts — the running stitch, appliqué work and patchwork, using natural fibres as well as natural dyes," Vijaynergia points out.

As the institution changed, so did the women. Manjula Singh, design executive, recalls how, in the early days, the women artisans hid themselves behind their saris and would not step out of their homes. "But as they earned and interacted with others, as their status within the family grew because of the income, they got transformed. Earnings are related to the time the women can spare for sewing, ranging from Rs 200 to 5,000 a month.

Nowadays, some artisans ride scooters and report that their husbands help them with household chores — something that was unthinkable earlier. They have also learnt to operate their own bank accounts and participate in exhibitions during which they handle material worth lakhs of rupees. On a couple of occasions, Sadhna's artisans have even participated in fashion shows, and have done this with the panache of true runway ranis!

"We have tried to make this organisation as representative as possible," states Vijaynergia. In order to do this, Sadhna's 700 women artisans are divided into 49 groups, each of which has a leader. These leaders are part of the organisation's management committee and participate in the decision-making process. They also ensure that the material to be sewn reaches the women in the community.

Stitch by stitch, as the organisation grew, it ensured that norms were followed, including the strict ban on child labour. Most of the artisans are between the ages of 25 to 40. In 2011-12, Sadhna had a sales figure of Rs 3.35 crore, with 60 per cent of all profits going to the artisans directly.

While Sadhna's head office is in Udaipur it has an equally large presence in Dilwara, in Rajsamand district.

Visit Dilwara around mid-day and chances are that you will find many women sitting in the courtyards of their homes, plying their needle. Just like Sita Devi, 38, along with her sister-in-law, Sangeeta, who sit together, tracing chalk lines with a fine running stitch, even as Sangeeta's eight-month-old toddler mewls and coos in one corner of the courtyard.

"I sit down to my work after the morning chores are done. Our leader is Laxmi and she brings us work. I work for six to seven hours a day — not at a stretch, but off and on, as time permits," reveals Sita.

Earlier, she was very dependent on the money that her husband, an autorickshaw driver in Ahmedabad, used to send. Not anymore. Last month, she received a sum of Rs 5,970 in her bank account, thanks to the Sadhna work. The money is useful to cope with everyday expenses. "There are always needs to be met," says Sita. "Recently, I got my elder daughter married. Now I want to build two rooms in my house."

Accidents sometimes happen. A cow once chewed on a piece of cloth Sangeeta was working on, which led to the loss of a month's earnings. "Now, I am very careful and keep the work away from stray animals and children." she smiles. There are also occupational hazards associated with sewing, like deteriorating eyesight. Conscious of this, Sadhna provides free spectacles and access to ophthalmic care.

Vijaynergia and her colleagues would like to scale up Sadhna's operations, but they have to contend with multiple challenges, ranging from caste and gender barriers to resource constraints and a capricious market in recessionary times. But they are also acutely conscious that income generation is not the only reason for the existence of an organisation like Sadhna — it is also about empowering ordinary women. Women like Sita Devi who, because of her association with Sadhna, can now keep her aspirations alive. Says she, "All I have is my needle and my ability to stitch. With this, I have been able to re-build my life."

10 March 2013, Deccan Herald

The once-backward town of Sikandra, Rajasthan, has now become a thriving centre for trade in stone artefacts, says Prakash Bhandari.

A drive on the Jaipur-Agra highway on National Highway 11 in the sleepy town of Sikandra in Dausa district of Rajasthan, one could see hundreds of artisans creating stone art. A number of tourists passing through the area often ask the driver to stop the car as a large number of artefacts is spread out by these artisans who create wonders in sandstone sourced from the various quarries near Sikandra.

Sikandra, once a backward area, has now become a centre for trade in artefacts and a large number of buyers from various north Indian States come here to buy not only small artefacts, but also stone pillars, stone fences, chairs and various garden accessories.

Mostly buyers are from Delhi, Haryana and Punjab, but now there is a new flush of buyers from the southern States, particularly Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

The artisans also export to Australia, Canada, the Middle East and South East Asia. The items are lattice work, pots, idols of gods and goddesses, animal figures, lamps, pillars, temple models, fountain and furniture. The booming business has brought prosperity to the people of Sikandra who earlier depended only on agriculture for a living and the rows of huts have all been turned into concrete structures. The switch from agriculture to stone craft brought prosperity to the locals, who depended heavily on the monsoon for agriculture. Sikandra was poor and backward, but its fortunes changed when masonry and traditional home-building metamorphosed into a thriving artefacts industry.

"In our fields we would grow wheat and mustard, but because of a poor irrigation system we depended largely on rainwater. I always felt that there were not enough jobs here for the entire family. I tried to go to Jaipur to work as a labourer, but could not fit in with the urban culture. We wasted a lot of time as we would finish our job in the farm by afternoon. However, I saw my friend Kalu Ram, utilising his time after the farm work to carve stone using traditional tools. He would make Rs.50 to Rs.60 per day additionally whereas we would waste our time sipping tea or puffing at a bidi . Then Kalu Ram asked me to help him in his work and for working two to three hours he paid me Rs.12 to Rs.15 a day. He further honed my skills and I started earning Rs.100 a day. Now, we are four male members of the family doing this, and between us we make about Rs.60,000 to Rs.70,000 per month by taking job works of the bigger artisans," says Gainda Lal Gujjar. Gujjar and his family still pursue their work as farmers. But they make do by hiring people and the supervision is being done by the women of the family.

Masonry comprised carving stone beams and chaukhats for the homes of the affluent residents. The maalis , who are the gardening community, took to stone carving with gusto about five decades ago using traditional tools like chisel. Later the artisans began acquiring a range of tools and the sawing machine; motorized stone cutters were also used. In addition to local stones, the artisans started using various colours of sandstones. Thus good stocks of stone from the adjoining districts of Bharatpur, Dholpur and Karauli started reaching Sikandra. But the transformation was ably aided by the adoption of new technologies. Rameshwar Prasad, a major trader, says, "The combined turnover of the entire Sikandra cluster spread over a 50 km-radius could be anything from Rs.150 crore to Rs.200 crores now. There are more than 400 small and medium sized units, which employ over 25,000 persons.

The youth of the area opt to attend the industrial training institute (ITI) and learn to operate and maintain the machines. Tools and motors that are frequently used in the processing of stone earlier required one to go to Dausa or Jaipur for repairs.

"Thanks to the youth's interest, some of them acquired skills in not only carving stones, but also in handling and repairing small tools like cutters and motors. We trust them because they have been trained in the ITI and know their jobs," says Khairati Lal, a senior craftsman.

The Centre for Development of Stones (CDOS), set up by the Rajasthan government, is a centre for excellence with state-of-the-art facilities with broad objectives to develop and promote and support the dimensional stones sector. "The CDOS has over the years helped the artisans of Sikandra to upgrade their tools and skills, and encouraged them to interact with buyers. Now they do business through showrooms and have built their websites and published their own brochures," said R.K. Gupta, CEO of CDOS.

The Rural Non Farm Development Agency (RUDA), another agency of the Rajasthan government, has also played a key role in the development of the stone-carving clusters in Sikandra by providing them with market support.

10 March 2013, Hindu

Where is Mama?" archaeologist Prabash Sahu called out, sitting in a ground surrounded by white tents, situated about 15 km north of Morsi, an orange-rich tehsil town in Maharashtra's Amravati district. A diminutive man wearing several religious threads around his neck walked up to him.

Mama is Shyamrao Dhurve, and he is helping the Archaeological Survey of India team currently exploring some of the Indian subcontinent's most unique rock shelters. Nearly all of them have paintings, while over 80 per cent of them have engravings—putting them apart from other rock shelters, where engravings are not found in such large proportion.

Tentatively, the shelters are estimated to belong to the Upper Paleolithic (40,000-10,000 years BC) period, through the Mesolithic and Chalcolithic eras to Early Historical times, but the jury is out on if they date back to even before the World Heritage Bhimbetka shelters near Bhopal, believed to be 100,000 years old.

The exploration began in January 2012 and the team has so far found over 150 shelters in the 40-sq km area between Bahiram and Salbardi in the sandstone formations of the fringe Gawilgarh range of the Satpura hills, which separate Madhya Pradesh from Maharashra. All the shelters are located on the Madhya Pradesh side.

"We are documenting only engraved, painted ones as they were used by humans," Sahu said.

Sahu's wife Nandini Bhattacharya-Sahu, a superintending archaeologist, heads the ASI Nagpur's Prehistory and Excavation branches and joins the 15-member excavation team for some of its trips.

One shelter they found was a small (3 m by 4 m) but beautiful with a hood-like canopy on a cliff. It had "cupules" on the floor and walls. "Cupules are characteristic circular troughs found cut out in these shelters. They could perhaps have been used to prepare colours," Prabash said.

They named the shelter 'PCM1 (Pachmau1)'. "It's a small one. The largest one we found (40 m x 25 m) was at Ghodpend," said Nandini.

Another shelter they discovered was a two-storey one along a dry rivulet. Most commonly found carving in these shelters is that of the female genital. According to Prabash, "It could be some expression about sexuality. We are not sure what it really represents. But they are like your toilet graffiti." "Based on the decorations, we get a glimpse of their lifestyle and advancements," he noted.

Once it finds such engravings or paintings, the team dusts them before taking photographs and GPS coordinates as part of primary documentation. Prabash admitted the contribution of locals to the exercise. "They have become like amateur archaeologists themselves," he said.

The search began following a report by six Amravati-based excursionists on four shelters they had visited a few years ago—in Mungsadeo, Gaimukh, Kukadsadeo and Ambadevi. "These were known to the local tribals, who had established deities there, but it was to the credit of these amateurs that they reported about it," said Prabash. "We thought there could be more such shelters and had a project sanctioned."

"These sandstone formations are weak compared to Bhimbetka, in the Vindhyas, which have the toughest sandstone formations," he said.

The exploration is expected to end soon. If Giriraj Kumar, the secretary of the Rock Art Society of India (that is devoted to the scientific study of rock art), calls the Gawilgarh rock shelters an important archaeological finding area, Nandini believes they could be "our answer to Bhimbetka".

Located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh in the foothills of the Vindhyas, the Bhimbetka rock shelters are a World Heritage Site. By some accounts, they exhibit the earliest traces of human life in India, suggesting that some of these shelters were inhabited by hominids like homo erectus.

The name Bhimbetka is itself associated with Bhima, from the Mahabharata, meaning the "sitting place of Bhima".

"Bhimbetka has many thematic paintings like ladies doing daily chores, which are a rarity here. If thematic paintings could be seen as an advanced art form, the Gawilgarh shelters could have come up even before Bhimbetka, who knows?" said Nandini.

10 March 2013, Indian Express

Reena Kallat's new installation for ZegnArt Public India is a spider web of rubber stamps strung across the façade of the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai. She tells RAMYA SARMA how it happened.

"Last night was the first night I could rest in peace without needing to jump out of bed and fight with someone!" laughs Reena Saini Kallat. Her work, Untitled (Cobweb/Crossings) sprawls over the upper façade of the historic and beautiful Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai, at the entrance of Rani Bagh like the life story of some giant spider with a bureaucratic gene in its DNA. It is made of a series of strings of rubber stamps trellised to form the complex structure of a classic cobweb. What made it? What left it behind? What did it catch? Questions and more questions puzzle the viewer even as a child walking past to the zoo exclaims loudly to her parent, " Makdee ! (spider)"

The piece is not mere whimsy but has meaning, significance and a reason for its existence. Kallat is the first artist to be chosen as the 'protagonist'of the first edition of ZegnArt Public, a project launched by the Ermenegildo Zegna Group in collaboration with the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum. The work has been produced by the Zegna Group and donated to the museum, and will be supported by educational workshops and studios developed by Kallat. The artist won the commission in a competition judged by Gildo and Anna Zegna, on behalf of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group; Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Jyotindra Jain and Minal Bajaj on behalf of the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum and Andrea Zegna, project coordinator, ZegnArt. The umbrella that is ZegnaArt shelters a number of projects in Italy and now India, Turkey and Brazil, among others, in the visual arts and collaborations with artists, curators, institutions and cultural institutions, through an independent commitment that complements and continues the activities of Fondazione Zegna (the Zegna Foundation). ZegnArt Public considers contemporary art to be an experience that can stimulate comparisons between cultures, "fostering the exchange of knowledge and resources and supporting the growth of ethical and civic values. The public space can be experienced in different ways: it is a place of negotiation and exchange, a space of resistance and debate. The mission is to explore this range of possibilities in social and cultural contexts that are very different from one another. It is a long-term project that functions as an annual format of commissions and residencies based on the principle of dialogue and mutual exchange with developing countries and their institutions."

This project will take form as an annual contest that will sponsor the onsite construction of a work of public art commissioned from an artist in mid-career from within the host country — in this case India — and created in collaboration with a local institution of international profile; the financing of a residency offered to a young artist (this time, Sahej Rahal) from the host country who is invited to spend a research period in Italy, a format based on the principle of dialogue and reciprocal exchange.

Kallat started using the rubber stamp as a medium "exactly a decade ago"; it was to her "part of the bureaucratic apparatus, it confirms and obscures identities. I was interested in including names — showing the resistance to people from outside the city, for instance. I have been making different bodies of work using rubber stamps; from portraits to a massive sculpture at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C., with 30,000 of them, recording in a way monuments gone missing in India, with addresses and poem fragments interspersed. I have done other works incorporating names of people denied visas, etc. The stamp endorses or obliterates; takes away. Each work allows me to combine image and text, as well as names out of official records."

There is immense potential in this direction, Kallat feels, "because one works out of archives — in this case, this project started when I was approached by the museum. Zegna's aim was to work on one artist in India, one in Turkey and one in Brazil. They spoke of how they would like to do a large outdoor public piece. I find works in the public domain quite complex, sensitive to the environment, location, relationship with people inhabiting that space. I was glad that this one was in a space visited by people from all classes, without the work getting compromised."

And since this piece would be in the natural environment of the zoo, Kallat "was looking for a natural organic form. In the recent past I had made a web using rubber stamps that I showed in Berlin; it was made with names of those denied visas to various countries. The form of the web was also through maps — I did an untitled map drawing at the Goteborg Biennale (Sweden) that showed a web of global entanglement."

What fascinates Kallat is the changes that go into making a city what it is, the names that show constant change, an evolution from one culture to another. As she explains, "The web, in some sense, has an analogy with the city street map and all the small streets. I had this form but was struggling with what I could deposit on the form. I was reading up on the collection at Bhau Daji Lad. It is a museum that narrates some of the city's developments, both the industrial and artisanal past. I was interested in the museum as a place in the state. Two things came together here — one was that street names changed from colonial names to local indigenous ones; and the other is that the web is also something that collects dust from the past, cobwebs. I wanted to work with some of those histories, when we are in a moment of so much transition."

Kallat's interest is to know about how "streets reflect the evolution of the city. What do names mean to people, apart from their association with certain places?" She is, in fact, working on "a series of conversations with people in different neighbourhoods and with experts who will talk about the city and the changes that have taken place and those associations. Of course, the web in its form is also quite fragile, a home (for the spider) and yet also a constricting place, a place of entrapment. So somewhere the work ties in ideas of the past and the present, the future, that moment of transition, etc. I wanted it to have a kind of physicality. It became a lot about form, weight mass, volume— features that sculpture must embody."

And it was a mammoth task, where she needed to "work with a certain kind of engineering, structural engineers, architects, part studio enterprise, each piece has to be moulded, cast, laser cut with names that were recast into fibreglass, each piece with a metal rod inside, metal rope joining pieces together, welding, grinding, compressors, hand painting veins that look like wood"…and then, when the whole was ready, "hoisting it up was another experience — it was a mammoth task with eight pulleys, 45 men… finally we called for a crane!"

And that is how this spider spun her rubber stamp web.

The web, in some sense, has an analogy with the city street map and all the small streets.

10 March 2013, Hindu

Over the last 30 years, Jadav Peyang in Assam hassingle-handedly transformed a barren sandbar into a lush forest thriving with wildlife

This story is not just about environmental conservation but about creating possibilities where none exist, and about the ultimate triumph of the human spirit. It is about a tribal man called Jadav Payeng from Assam who single-handedly created a forest by toiling incessantly for thirty years.

The forest created by Jadav (nick-named Molai) is called Molai Kathoni by the locals. Jadav, belonging to the Missing tribe of upper Assam, decided to leave his commune to live with nature when he was just 19-year-old. A vast expanse of barren land (located near Kokilamukh, Jorhat) left behind by the Brahmaputra became his abode. For company he had but a few cows.

In those early days of self-discovery, the 'eureka' moment came when, consequent to a flooding episode, the receding waters left behind swarms of water snakes that gradually became shriveled under the blazing sun. The sight moved Jadav as he realised that the solution lay in planting trees. But greening the 1,200 hectare sandbar with no resources at hand seemed an impossible proposition.

After wondering for some time, Jadav approached the State's Forest Department. But it meant the life to Jadav Payeng. He wandered about and finally picked the courage to approach the forest department. The expected taunts came his way, but one official helpfully remarked that he could consider starting with planting bamboo.

For the next 15 years, Jadav lived in solitary confinement on this sandbar, planting sapling after sapling in his incessant pursuit of turning the hostile sand into an oasis. With the help of red ants (brought there physically by Jadav), bird droppings and cow manure, the land slowly became fertile and grew trees of many species, including those whose fruits are relished by elephants and grasses which rhinos love. With such meticulous planning, the sandbar gradually transformed into a forest and openly invited elephants, rhinos and even tigers from the nearby Kaziranga into its luring environs.

The fertile land also attracted people with little means who gradually settled on the fringes of Molai's forest. They planted sugarcane, paddy and vegetables; slowly the village at the edge of the forest — Aruna Chapori — swelled to its present size of over 200 families. It even has a primary school now.

As the sandbar transformed into a forest, attracting all manner of small and large animal species, and providing shelter for wandering seeds of herbs, grasses and ferns to take root, Jadav remained its determined caretaker. Even the animals seem to know this since he has never been attacked by any animal.

While the young forest was quickly noticed by poachers, the Forest Department remained completely oblivious of it. The forest was first reported in 2009 by Jitu Kalita working with the Assamese daily Dainik Janmabhoomi . His reports were recently picked up by a national English daily, following which Jadav has begun to receive national and international recognition.

One has to cross two small streams by boat to reach Aruna Chapori from Missing Gaon. A tractor ride there onward takes one to the edge of Molai Kathoni. Trekking into the dense forest is a wondrous experience with Jadav pointing to a tree here, a grass or herb there that is the favourite of one or the other of his animals. In the moist mud, he shows the footprint of an elephant, and his droppings nearby. Reaching a watering hole he peered on the ground to find fresh pugmarks of a tiger! In the middle of the forest is his hut where he sometimes spends the night.

Currently he is planting orchids on the barks of some of his trees. At the edge of the forest the plantation drive continues to cover the remaining sand.

(The writer is a professor at the School of Environmental Sciences, JNU)

10 March 2013, Hindu

A blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture, Neermahal gets to see over three lakh people every year. Somen Sengupta visits Tripura's now endangered lake palace to tell us more about it

In India there are only two lake palaces which, by their size, shape and history, can make your jaw drop in awe. The first one is the well-known lake palace of Udaipur, which has now been converted into a luxury hotel. While many people would easily tell you about the Rajasthan lake palace, the one which remains lost in our collective consciousness is Tripura's Neermahal. Thankfully, I saw this palace for the first time in a poster of Tripura tourism at Calcutta Airport. Captivated by its majestic presence over a huge water body, I got excited to explore this place.

While one finds a plethora of information on Internet about the Udaipur lake palace, the Tripura masterpiece hardly finds much mention. Looking at some local magazines I made myself a bit informed about Neermahal. Neer in Bengali means water. And mahal is palace.

Before I plan my visit to the State I look at its history. Or, is it mythology? One of the seven Northeastern States, it is pregnant with an exciting legend. It tells us about demons who were vanquished by gods. This made three sons of a demon named Tarakashur pray to Lord Brahma. Pleased with their devotion, the Lord made three different worlds for them: Swarnamoypur in heaven for Tarakaksha, Rajatmoypur for Kamalaksha in sky and Louhamoypur for Bidyutmali on earth. These three worlds are collectively called Tripur and from this emerged the name Tripura. In the middle ages, Nawab Sujauddin of Bengal conquered the region and renamed it Roshanabad (the land of light).

Soon I am on my way to Agartala to explore Neermahal. It is a journey full of ordinary things on both sides of the road. Small shops, poor people, crowded market and CPI(M)'s red flags. However, the green landscape is truly enchanting.

After a forgettable journey of two hours, I am at the bank of Rudrasagar lake, a vast water body at the end of Melaghar town. The tranquil ambience of the lake presents a splendid sight. Situated over an area of 5.3 sq km, the lake is one of the biggest water bodies in the Northeast. A heaven for migratory birds and fish-catchers, the lake is now more popular for its palace — Neermahal.

Known as the 'lake palace' of Tripura, Neermahal was constructed as a summer residence of Maharaja Bir Bikram Bahadur, who belonged to the Manikya dynasty, which is regarded as the second longest dynasty from a single line in the world today. (It will be worth mentioning that legendary music composers Sachin Deb Burman and Rahul Deb Burman originally belonged to this royal family before they migrated to Bengal.) In 1921, Maharaja Bir Bikram decided to build the palace in Rudrasagar lake. He accredited a British company to construct the palace for him. The company took nine years to complete the work.

The red-and-white palace makes me awestruck. I hire a boat from a counter set up by the tourism department of Tripura and sail near the palace in 25 minutes. As I inch closer to it, its majestic architectural presence begins to cast a magic spell on me.

A blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture, this palace — designed and executed by a British firm, Martin & Burns of Calcutta — is today a popular tourist destination. According to an estimate, more than three lakh people visit Neermahal every year. As I look at the palace, I wonder the huge logistical challenge that a project like this might have posed nearly 90 years ago when there was hardly any modern technology available in the State.

Its domes are all onion-shaped, while its curved arches are made of Indo-Islamic design. The 24 room palace is divided into two sides. The western side of the palace is known as Andar Mahal. It was made for the royal family. The eastern side is an open-air theatre where drama, theatre, dance and other cultural events were organised for the enjoyment of maharajas and the royal families.

The Andar Mahal is endowed with 15 luxurious and elegantly-decorated rooms that overlook the breathtaking backdrop of a beautiful garden. The garden also has an open-air amphitheatre where musical concerts and dramas are organised in the evenings. Neermahal has two stairways inside, leading down to a landing on the water of Rudrasagar lake.

All, however, is not well with Neermahal. Today, the palace is in a dilapidated state. Human activities around the lake in the past 50 years have almost destroyed the water body. Experts believe that the lake has shrunk by more than 40 per cent since the 1960s, thanks to heavy siltation and pollution from the six brick kilns nearby. The blame lies with rising population in the region. There were only 12 families living in the vicinity of the lake when the maharaja decided to build the palace ninety years ago. Today, more than 200,000 people are dependent on the lake. Add to this the ever growing influx of Bangladeshi immigrants who have been coming incessantly since 1951.

Rising population necessitated the need for increasing farmland. No wonder, the water of Rudrasagar lake is drained to serve agriculture around the lake and this has reduced the water level of the lake to mere 374 hectare today from 2,066 hectare in 1947. A large part of the lake is now full of mud, silt and weeds. The palace itself is largely surrounded with green weeds.

Worse, there is not even a guide available to tell you about the glorious past of the palace. It is learnt that a gala plan of Rs40 crore has been put in place to promote this region as a mega-tourist destination. This includes a ring road around the lake, renovation of the building, development of catchment areas of the lake, preservation of bio-diversity, and rehabilitation of the fishermen's community. The State Government is also planning to build two resorts offering nearly 180 rooms on the shore of the lake.

One hopes this architectural marvel is saved from government apathy. Any delay will totally destroy the palace.

-The Pioneer, 11th March 2013

HERITAGE Much of Delhi's history passes through its bridges, says R. V. SMITH

The fairy bridge built by Yuddhisthira in his pre-historic citadel Indraprastha, of the Pandavas, may be regarded as the pioneer one in Delhi, though aeons earlier (even before the Ram Sethu), believe it or not, sage Bhagirath erected the first ever one in the country over the then untamed Ganga, whose image is said to be reflected in the Milky Way or Akash Ganga, the heavenly bridge. The extinct and existing bridges in the Capital, however, are a historical reality since the time of Anangpal, who began to rule in Delhi in 1060, after the death of Mahmud of Ghazni. While his construction has disappeared along with the bridges built by Vigrahraja IV and his successor Prithviraj Chauhan in the 12th Century, the bridge dating back to Alauddin Khilji's reign (1296-1316) is still there near the Siri Fort complex.

Mohammad bin Tughlak and Ferozeshah Tughlak (14th Century), Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan (16th and 17th centuries) also built bridges, big or small, though the last named couldn't build a golden bridge to connect the Taj Mahal with the Black Taj he had planned on the other side of the Yamuna. Aurangzeb was not much of a builder despite the Bibi-ka-Rauza he constructed at Aurangabad and a garden bridge (no longer in existence) in Shalimar Bagh, where he was crowned. His grandson, Muizuddin Jahandar Shah (1712) fancied building a bridge of Kharboozas (muskmelons) for his concubine-turned queen, Lal Kanwar's chief maid Zohra, who earlier sold melons on the streets— described as the sweetest in Delhi by her lovers. Shah Alam's reign saw the building of Kauria bridge (of cowrie shells) by his 18th Century courtier Shad Khan which is still there in its renovated form. Bahadur Shah Zafar rebuilt the old pontoon bridge of Jahangir on the Yamuna and also built a smaller one leading to his Baradari in the Red Fort.

Some 100 years ago the British built the Mansa bridge between Salimgarh and the Red Fort that served as a connection to their railway bridge, which actually came up in 1867. Then came the Lothian bridge at the entrance of Daryaganj. The Mansa bridge is said to be a latter-day version of Jahangir's bridge, though some think Farid Khan was the one who constructed the Salimgarh bridge during the Sur dynasty whose Salim Shah built Salimgarh. In 1913 the railway bridge on the Yamuna was enlarged and 17 years later came up the ones near Kemal Ataturk Marg and Kotla Mubarakpur. To go back in history, according to Dr. Amita Sen, surgeon-turned-historian for the bilingual Hindol, "In Delhi there are several bridges of historical and archaeological interest, most of which are in disuse, some in a state of disrepair and some even partly or fully ruined or demolished." She goes on to enumerate them as follows:

"Satpullah— This exquisite three-storied bridge of seven piers, once formed part of the original Jahanpanah walls of the fourth city of Delhi founded by Mohammed Shah Tughlak in 1326-27. It is a very interesting structure built to allow a stream to pass beneath the wall and provide security to the ramparts at the same time. The stream is now diverted and runs further east.

Athpullah— Built during the reign of Akbar (1556-1605), it has eight piers and seven arches. It still functions as a bridge, albeit over an ornamental pool in Lodi Gardens and not over a Yamuna tributary as it used to.

Barapullah— Built by Mihir Banu Agha, Jahangir's chief eunuch. It has ten piers or arches but 12 towers or pallahs. It is now amidst the fruit and vegetable market behind the Nizamuddin railway station. In 1628 the road between the bridge and Humayun's Tomb was a wide tree-lined path and this was the handsomest bridge of Delhi.

Wazirabad— This Feroz Shah Tughlak (1351-88) period bridge over a Yamuna tributary (now a drain) consists of nine pier arches and alcoves with nine bays (five fully visible) built of random rubble masonry and lime plaster with a dressed-stone facing, now restored with cement.

Pontoon Bridge (Bridge of Boats) — The pontoons 1-7 are all present but not on the river. They lie hidden in the undergrowth behind the Indraprastha Metro Station. It must have been quite strong at one time as it bore the weight of the Meerut sepoys pouring into the city on horseback on the morning of May 11, 1857 and then the thousands of the Delhi residents fleeing the city from the September 17 to 19, the same year. On October 7, 1858, Bahadur Shah Zafar left Delhi over this bridge in a bullock cart on a journey that was to take him to banishment in Rangoon."

The War-fame bridges at Toko-Ri and the one on the River Kwai came up long after Zafar's death in Myanmar in 1862. On Valentine's Day a bridge of sighs comes up suddenly and vanishes just as soon in hearts as forlorn as Zafar's. But the one in the sky stays on, so powerful that even dung-beetles are guided by its light in the dark. What is known as the Milky Way is the celebrated Anjum of Urdu poetry, which seems to merge with the Nordic belief of the fleecy one woven every night by Frigga (wife of the chief god, Odin) on her spinning wheel, symbolized by the three stars in a row of the Belt of Orion. To return to modern-day reality, besides its old iron bridge, Delhi now has eight more bridges over the Yamuna. The Minto bridge, however, near Connaught Circus becomes a bridge of sorrows during the monsoons.

-The Hindu, 11th March 2013

Long-Billed Dowitcher Shows Up For 1st Time

New Delhi: A week after conclusion of Delhi's annual bird count, three extremely rare birds were spotted around the city. The Long-Billed Dowitcher, sighted only twice in India and never in NCR, was seen in Sultanpur National Park. There were also reports of a Baikal Teal in the park, a bird that was last seen in Okhla two years ago after a gap of about 40 years. The other rare sighting was of the 'vulnerable' Marbled Teal, 100 km from Delhi in Haryana's Dighal.

Word about the birds spread after local guides at both locations called up regular birders. "The Marbled Teal was spotted by a birder on February 1 who immediately put up pictures on the Delhi Birders' webpage. On Feb 2, two other birders went to Dighal to see the Teal when they got a call from Sanjay, a local guide in Sultanpur, that he had seen a Dowitcher. He first identified it as the Asian Dowitcher but later the birders confirmed it as a Long-billed Dowitcher," said Dr Surya Prakash, a birder.

Many birdwatchers made their way to Dighal and Sultanpur over the weekend. They were "lifers" for many i.e. they saw these for the first time in their lives. K B Singh went to Sultanpur on Sunday to see the Dowitcher. "It was a lifer for me. The bird has been seen about three times in India and for the first time in Delhi and Haryana. The bird winters in the US and east Asia and India is out of the way for it. It had strayed from its flock," he said.

Nikhil Devasar, who has recorded two of the three known sightings of Dowitcher in India including the latest one in Sultanpur, said all sightings had been in February, indicating that the bird was in passage. "Baikal Teal was spotted in Sultanpur first in the end of February and again in March. It was too far to photograph but it was a confirmed sighting," Devasar said. The Baikal Teal created a flutter two years back after it was spotted at the Okhla Bird Park. It has earlier seen once in 1947 and again in 1970.

Surya Prakash said that Dighal has several wetlands, is frequented by both raptors and waders and is most conducive to bird life.

-The Times of India, 11th March 2013

Clean-Up Plan Flops, SC Review Today

New Delhi: About 19 years ago, the Supreme Court first scrutinized pollution in theYamuna. Innumerable orders later, Yamuna is dirtier than ever with a mind-numbing Rs 6,500 crore spent to clean the river and the latest plan — interceptor sewers — going nowhere.

On Monday, when SC reviews Yamuna's pollution, it could be back to the drawing board. Six years after the Delhi Jal Board proposed interceptor sewers to treat sewage before it flows into major drains, just Rs 51 crore of the Rs 1,963 crore scheme has been spent.

Worse, it is not even clear if the measure that was to improve water quality by 2010 will actually work in light of the rapid growth of unauthorized colonies discharging sewage into the river, an issue flagged even in 2007 by an official committee that approved the interceptor proposal.

The committee had warned that 1,432 unauthorized colonies were the nub of the problem. By 2012, their number had jumped to 1,639. Although these colonies have been promised regularization, drainage and sewers are years away. In 2007, 517 of 567 unauthorized regularized colonies had sewers. The number grew by just six in the next five years. DJB says it is tough to provide sewerage in such densely populated colonies where they have barely any road space for their work.

A report submitted to the court by an inspection team that included amicus curiae Ranjit Kumar as recently as November last year called for sewage connections to all new colonies, whether authorized or not.

It pointed out that Delhi's 17 sewage treatment plants (STPs) have a capacity of 2,460 MGD against utilization of 1,558 MGD. Delhi's sewage generation is around 3,800 MGD.

New Delhi:Delhi's drinking water is contaminated with tonnes of industrial waste. Industries located upstream of the Yamuna have been found to be discharging untreated waste into the river, leading to the presence of heavy metals in water that is picked up at Wazirabad to meet the city's drinking water needs.

Manoj Misra of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan had water from the Dhanura Escape — a channel that empties into the Yamuna — tested at a laboratory in Gwalior and found that the levels of chromium, lead and iron were higher than permissible. "While chromium was 0.13 mg/l against 0.05 mg/l, lead was 0.035 mg/l against 0.01mg/l and iron was 3.51mg/l against a permissible 0.1 mg/l. The presence of heavy metals is even more problematic since the treatment plants in Delhi are not equipped to detect or treat them," said Misra.

Pollution from industries in Haryana, especially those located in and around Panipat and Sonepat, has caused treatment plants to stop functioning on several occasions after ammonia level went so high that it could not be treated. Untreated industrial effluent from Yamuna Nagar, Misra said, is released into the Dhanura Escape from where it meets the river upstream of Kunjpura in the Karnal district.

"Similarly, toxic waste from Panipat falls into the Yamuna near the village of Simla Gujran in Panipat district. Samples from the Dhanura Escape show presenceof heavy metals, known health hazards and a clear indication of industrial pollution. This water is picked up at Wazirabad for treatment at Chandrawal and Wazirabad treatment plants," he said.

Other than heavy metals, other pollutants, too, were much higher than BIS norms for drinking water. Total coliform was 1,200 against the permissible limit of 10, total dissolved solids were 3,324 against the permissible limit of 500, biochemical oxygen demand was 240 mg/l against a limit of 30 mg/l, and chemical oxygen demand was 768 mg/l against a limit of 250 mg/l, Misra added.

Central Pollution Control Board officials said they had made it compulsory for all industries to have effluent treatment plants. "Most industries have installed ETPs but either the treatment is not up to mark or not all effluent is reaching the ETPs. We have set up a real time water pollution monitoring station at Wazirabad where we monitor 10 parameters... heavy metals are not monitored as they cannot be treated in the plants," said an official.

11 March 2013, Times of India

FOREST DEGRADATION Over the years, 'betta' land in the Western Ghats has seen severe degradation. This is largely because of biomass-oriented arecanut cultivation.

Trees are often lopped in the 'betta' for green leaves. Further degradation would leave 'betta' unproductive, write Seema S Hegde & Raghunandan S Hegde

'Soppina betta' (popularly know as betta) are patches of forest assigned to arecanut cultivators in the Western Ghats. Since arecanut needs a huge quantity of biomass right from its cultivation to processing, its cultivators are given user rights to the betta to meet their biomass requirements of firewood, green and dry leaves. They are permitted to use the trees in the betta to grow pepper vines, allowed to plant additional trees and dig trenches to harvest rainwater.

However, green felling by the users is prohibited and the ownership of betta rests with the Forest Department.

Assigning betta to arecanut cultivators started during the colonial period, but is no longer practised today. The Forest Department has stopped assigning betta to cultivators who come up with new arecanut plantations. But those farmers who already have been assigned betta earlier enjoy the privileges even today. Their user rights to betta are not taken away.

The objective behind this assignment earlier was to prevent the pressure exerted by them on surrounding natural forests with the presumption that the cultivators would maintain stipulated biomass stock in the betta assigned to them. But, over the years, there has been an unsustainable and over-extraction of biomass which has led to severe degradation of betta. As a result, today, arecanut cultivators are extracting biomass from natural forests in order to supplement their extraction from the betta.

Continuous lopping has left betta land with only old and degraded trees with very little chance for regeneration. Unless the matter is addressed, and policy changes are brought in, the degradation is bound to continue and would have repercussions on the adjacent natural forests.

Causes for degradation

The betta has not degraded recently or suddenly, but has been undergoing degradation over the years. This gradual change is almost unnoticed. Among the reasons for degradation is, firstly, biomass-oriented arecanut cultivation in the Western Ghats region. A study by N C Saxena and others (in 1997) mentions that on an average 50 kg of green and dry leaves are applied to each areca palm annually. Arecanut cultivators use green leaves mixed with cattle excreta as manure, and dry leaves as mulch in their plantation to retain the soil moisture and prevent weed growth. In addition, arecanut consumes a huge quantity of firewood when it is boiled during processing.

Secondly, although according to the law, arecanut cultivators have only user rights to betta, in practice they almost own them. However, the feeling of ownership has not been an incentive for them towards sustainable biomass harvest and rehabilitation of degraded betta. On the contrary, since they do not have ownership rights to betta, there is no incentive for them to rehabilitate it. The Forest Department feels it is the responsibility of the users to take care of the betta and the users feel it is the owner's responsibility.

Hence, the blurred scenario of actual user-ownership rights and cultivators' perception of user-ownership rights have ultimately led to the negligence of betta by everyone. Third, the area under betta is small as compared to the total forest area in the arecanut growing districts of Chikmagalur, Dakshina Kannada, Shimoga, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada. Therefore, there has been little attention paid to control its degradation.

Conservation — why?

The natural forests adjacent to betta land have a greater number of trees with good crown cover and seedlings. On the other hand, trees are lopped in the betta for green leaves and there is very little crown cover. Such lopping and sweeping of fallen dry leaves affect forest regeneration as these activities interfere with flowering and seed dispersal.

With further degradation, such betta become unproductive. Arecanut cultivators would then completely rely on natural forests. Arecanut cultivation is such that it cannot be carried out without the use of biomass.

Even though the area under betta as compared to total forest area is small, its rehabilitation is not to be neglected. For instance, in Uttara Kannada, the area under betta is only 5.43 per cent of the total forest area of the district and looks negligible, but in absolute terms it is 542.13 sq km and is not a small area to overlook.

Possible options for restoration

A minor change in the government policy and a little more sense of responsibility among users can help conservation and regeneration of biomass in the betta. The government should strictly insist on having a stipulated number of trees and percentage of crown cover in the betta. Also, a user failing to maintain so would attract fine. This suggestion in the present-day bureaucratic set-up can work depending on the sincerity of the forest officials and the betta users, but the solutions mentioned further look more promising. Arecanut cultivators should shift to alternative biomass products.

For instance, using the dry fallen leaves of areca trees as mulch in place of dry leaves swept from betta and natural forests, planting fast growing foliage yielding species like gliricidia along the hedges and lopping them for green leaves instead of lopping trees in the betta, using fuel-efficient ASTRA stoves in the place of traditional stoves to boil arecanut, and using arecanut byproducts in place of firewood to the extent they could.

With all these measures, even though it may not be possible attain a point of 'no extraction from betta and natural forests', it is definitely possible to bring down the pressure on them.

Since arecanut cultivators belong to the elite class in the village and are educated, awareness creation about degradation and conservation is not relevant.

Most of these cultivators are already aware of the facts. Instead, they should be made aware of their responsibility towards conservation. There are a few progressive farmers who have been concentrating on sustainable harvest from betta and rehabilitation of the same.

The impression that the betta does not belong to them should be replaced with a new impression that even though they are not the owners of betta land, they should protect it because they use it, and need it in the future.

12 March 2013, Deccan Herald

"What do you work for?" my mom, who'd come visiting me, asked me the other day. "To take a break," I replied. When the breaks come, they have to be anything but routine. If you're visiting one of the destinations around a city like Mumbai, the holiday invariably becomes a routine, especially on long weekends — queuing up at McDonalds for breakfast, queuing up to climb a dam at Matheran, stuck in a traffic jam for two hours at Lonavala, waiting to jump in a swimming pool at Khandala, awaiting your turn for water sports at Alibaug.

With our Swedish friends around, we were sure not to visit one of those destinations on a weekend. After a bit of research and consulting our travel aficionado friend, we zeroed in on Dapoli, a small town in Ratnagiri. Around 240 km from Mumbai, this was a long drive; but well, whatever it took to go away from the crowds.

Dapoli lies on the western side of the Sayhadri Range. The drive to Dapoli takes five-and-a-half to six hours from Mumbai with a half an hour break. You've to take the Mumbai-Goa Highway, turn right after passing Mangaon towards Mandangad, which is 15 km before Mahad. The last leg of the journey through hills, valleys, rustic countryside and winding rivers more than makes up for the bumpy ride. Alternately, you can also travel by Konkan Railways to Khed, and cover the remaining 30 km journey by road.

When you reach Dapoli, the climate gets a bit cooler. Dapoli is around 8 km from the Arabian Sea, and at an altitude of around 800 feet. A beach town with cool climate all round the year, Dapoli is a unique place. There are some beautiful beaches in the vicinity, other than the main Murud beach, like Harnai, Karde and Anjarle. For those who are not looking at 'happening' places with a lot of commercial activity, Anjarle is a tranquil, off-beat option. The road that snakes uphill from Murud towards the Anjarle fishing village gives a bird's eye view of the Anjarle beach from the top of the hill. The hillocks slope down to meet the Jog river, where the river joins the sea. A long sleepy beach, flanked by palm-clad hills, lies lazily like a long stretch of imagination.

Once you cross the river and drive through an undulating terrain, you pass the famous Kadyawarcha Ganapati Temple on a cliff. This ancient temple was constructed using wooden pillars in 1150 AD. The trunk turns on the right side of the idol, making it a relatively rare representation of the elephant God.

Among the other places to visit around Dapoli is Suvarnadurg Fort at Harnai. Although it is not as stunning as the Murud-Janjira Fort, it is worth a visit. Built by the Adil Shahi dynasty and captured later by Shivaji, this fort can be reached by hiring a ferry from the local fishermen. There is a land fort, Kanakdurga, on the shore, which gives a fantastic view of the Arabian Sea and the remnants of the once fortified coastline. There is a lighthouse on the top, from where a small path, overgrown with bushes, leads to the other side of the hill. There is a magnificent view of the expansive grey waters on the other side. But the scene that made our day was a school of dolphins playing, flapping and enjoying in the waters at a distance.

Dapoli has many stories to tell. Lokmanya Tilak, among other well-known personalities, was born there. Ambedkar studied at a high school located near Jalgaon village. There are many untold stories as well — of the laughing waves, walking tides, sandy dreams and the timeless horizon. If you choose to go there, a story can be yours too.

12 March 2013, Deccan Herald

Some three km from Chamundi hills, on the Mysore-Nanjungud road, is Uttanahalli. Located adjacent to Uttanahalli is Ramanathagiri, also called 'devi betta'. Atop this hillock is an ancient temple dedicated to goddess Jwalamukhi Tripurasundari. Uttanahalli hill temple also has the udbhava murthy (self-manifested) Shivalinga worshipped as Ramanatheswara. According to mythology, the younger sister of goddess Chamundeshwarai, Jwalamukhi, made Uttanahalli her abode intending to assist her elder sister in killing the demon Mahishasura. The east-facing Chamundeshwari temple is atop the hills and west facing goddess Jwalamukhi temple is situated at the foothills.

Historically, Uttanahalli temple has stone inscriptions dated 1225, and this 800-year-old heritage temple was patronised for centuries by successive rulers of the Wodeyar dynasty. Goddess Jwalamuki was worshipped as their family deity for more than five hundred years.

It is said that king Yaduraya became a staunch devotee of the deity, attributing his war victory (against a scheming and powerful chieftain Karugahalli Maranayaka) to the blessings of goddess Jwalamukhi. The popular three-day annul jathre along with the car festival of Uttanahalli temple is held in the month of March. During the jathre, girls offering poojas to the hill deity has been an age-old tradition followed by the locals.

12 March 2013, Deccan Herald

Around 15,000 persons from various organisations, under the umbrella of the Yamuna Rakshak Dal, entered Delhi on Monday morning, as part of a protest padyatra, organised to voice their displeasure with the pollution in the Yamuna. The march started on March 1 from Vrindavan and included devotees, who treat the Yamuna as a holy river, from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Bengal; and several farmers associated with the Bharatiya Kisan Union. While organisers of the protest intended to enter Delhi on March 10, they remained in Faridabad on Sunday night, and were only allowed up to Ali Gaon near Sarita Vihar on Monday, with negotiations with the state government for a protest venue in Central Delhi ongoing till late on Monday night.

However, senior officers from the Delhi Police said the group had been allowed to protest at Jantar Mantar from Tuesday, but "only during the day". Sunil Kumar of the Yamuna Rakshak Dal said, "We have always cooperated with the police and now that we have permission, we will continue the padyatra to Central Delhi. We also had plans to protest outside Parliament, but we will take a decision on that later."

Senior officials also confirmed that a delegation from the Yamuna Rakshak Dal met Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan and Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat in a meeting that lasted several hours on Monday night. The main issue, mentioned in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asking for "adequate fresh natural water to be released from Hathini Kund barrage to allow ecological flow of water in the stretch from Hathini Kund to Allahabad".

Officials said the meeting remained inconclusive and another discussion would follow on Tuesday.

Immediately after the group entered Delhi, BJP leaders Vijay Goel and Vijender Gupta arrived and addressed the crowd, and assured them that the issue of the health of the Yamuna would be raised in the Delhi Assembly. "Yamuna is critical and nothing has been done by either the state or the central government for several years. We will raise this issue both in Parliament and the Assembly, and support this movement," Vijay Goel said.

Sunil Kumar, secretary of the Yamuna Rakshak Dal, said, "The state of the Yamuna is a concern for lakhs of people. The government has turned a blind eye to the health of the Yamuna, and the situation required a rally of this scale. A majority of those who have walked so many kilometres are devotees of Lord Krishna, who bathe in the river at Braj. They still treat the water, which is full of industrial effluent from the Shahdara drain and factories in Delhi, as holy and take a dip in the river. This is the cause for a variety of health problems. Reports show that there is not a drop of fresh water in the Yamuna any longer. Irrigation is affected in a large part of Northern India due to the polluted water."

Other demands set out by the protesters include, "no inflow of sewage into the Yamuna river bed", and the "construction of a parallel sewerage canal along the Delhi stretch to carry treated waste water to Okhla for irrigation purpose if necessary".

12 March 2013, Indian Express

March 20 is World Sparrow Day. Here are some ideas to help you do your bit for the little bird.

The common house sparrow is one of the most ubiquitous birds around us and is one of the more familiar winged companions of human beings. It has, over a period of time, evolved with us.

At one time a very common sight, in the past few years, this bird has been on the decline over much of its natural range, both in the urban and rural habitats. The decline of the house sparrow is an indicator of the continuous degradation of the environment.

The house sparrow is, in a sense, an ambassador to the common bird species. The hope is that the conservation of the house sparrow and its habitat will in turn help save much of the common biodiversity, which shares the habitat of the house sparrows.

Conservation

World Sparrow Day is celebrated on March 20. The rationale for celebrating World Sparrow Day is not only to commemorate the event for a day, but also to use it as a platform to highlight the need to conserve sparrows as well as urban biodiversity. Scientists first started to notice a decline in the number of the house sparrow in the 1990s. Over the last few years several campaigns, outreach and awareness programmes, research surveys have been carried out to understand the decline of a species that had learned to exist in and around human habitations and was found in huge numbers in urban areas.

Citizen Sparrow is an ongoing citizen science project in India in which members of the public are encouraged to contribute information on presence and absence of the house sparrow from different locations and for different time periods. This information is to be uploaded on their website (www.citizensparrow.in/). All the observational records are plotted on a map. This can be done by an individual or a school group or an NGO and even corporate companies as a part of their corporate social responsibility.

What others have done

Students from Women's College, Patna, distributed handbills to the public and scattered millets for sparrows.

People in Bristol recorded house sparrow sightings and blogged about it.

In 2012, the Chief Minister, Ms. Sheila Dikshit, declared the house sparrow the state bird of Delhi. Addressing school children at her residence during a function organised to celebrate Wildlife Week, Ms. Dikshit said that the idea behind making the house sparrow the State bird was to protect it.

The Nature Forever Society in association with the Burhani Foundation (India) started 'SOS' (Save Our Sparrow), an initiative in which they distributed 52,000 bird feeders across the world on a non-profit basis.

The Indian Postal Department released a stamp of the house sparrow along with the rock pigeon on March 20, 2010.

What you can do

Put bird boxes and bird feeders outside your house or in your gardens.

Water-bowls or a bird-bath in the hot summer afternoon helps birds to re-hydrate.

Grow plants and hedges that are native to the place. This encourages some of the common birds to come back.

At Madras Crocodile Bank Trust

Outreach Programmes in schools and at the Croc Bank.

Common Bird Monitoring Programme: Nature Forever Society has initiated a common bird monitoring programme to conserve India's common birds.

Talks will be done on weekends for the visitors that come to MCBT to create awareness about the sparrow.

A questionnaire survey that involves interviewing citizens about house sparrows to document the current population of this once common bird in their gardens and backyards.

12 March 2013, Hindu

The rhinoceros' horn fetches a great sum in the international market. The rhino's survival on this planet is, therefore, threatened.

Have you heard of the Rhinoceros Unicornis ? It's a great bulky creature with a big pointy horn sticking out in front of its nose. The Rhinoceros Unicornis or the greater one-horned rhino is the only land animal with a single horn — much like that of the mythical unicorn — making it a unique creature. Also known as the Indian Rhinoceros, it is found in the marshy grasslands of Assam and the protected Terai region in Nepal. Unfortunately for the Indian rhino, its horn makes it one of the most endangered animals in the world.

Rhino horn is prized for its supposed medicinal properties in Southeast Asia and is used as an ornamental dagger in West Asia. Poachers are known to travel deep into the protected areas of the Kaziranga National Park in Assam to track, shoot and kill rhinos for their horn. Even calves are not spared as rhino horn fetches a sum that is twice the price of gold!

Pre-historic creatures

The Indian rhino belongs to the Rhinocerotidae family. Its siblings include the White and Black rhino from Africa and the Sumatran Rhino found in Sumatra, Borneo and the Malay Peninsula. The Javan rhinoceros is the fifth of the Indian Rhinoceros' siblings. The Javan rhino, also known as the lesser one-horned rhino, is possibly the rarest mammal on Earth. Less than 40 are believed to exist in the Ujung Kulon National Park at the western tip of Java. The species is critically endangered with none existing in captivity.

A pre-historic creature, this rhinoceros has existed for more than 50 million years. It once roamed the lands of North America and Europe too. But climate change and habitat destruction pushed the rhino to concentrated parts of Asia and Africa. There are close to 3,200 Indian rhinos in the wild, 2,000 of which live in Kaziranga National Park. Over 400 rhinos reside in Nepal's Chitwan National Park and South Africa is home to 85 per cent of Africa's estimated 25,000 rhinos.

Rhinos are creatures of habit. They use the same tracks to their watering hole and mark their territory with dung, making it easy for poachers to hunt the animal. They are also solitary creatures. Extended family groups are rare, but the mother and calf are known to share a close bond. It is not unusual to see a calf trotting behind its mother for up to three years!

Rhinos keep to themselves, grazing happily in open grasslands and attack only when startled. In fact, the animal has poor eyesight and will not detect anything that stands 100 feet away if the object remains still. Because of its large size the rhino does not have any natural predators. Its only known predator is man, who has ruthlessly hunted the animal for decades. The horn, which makes the rhino a wanted animal, is actually thickly matted hair that grows without any skeletal support. It is made up of keratin, the same protein that is found in human hair and nails.

In the 1970s and 1980s, poaching had pushed rhinos to the brink of extinction in Africa. Great conservation work is credited with the survival of the rhino into this century, with White and Black rhino population restricted to South Africa and Kenya.

In India, there were only 200 rhinos left in the 1950s. The alarming number prompted the Assam government to pass the Assam (Rhinoceros) Bill to protect the animal. The Indian Army was also roped in to patrol the boundaries of Kaziranga. These steps have helped the rhino, but the fact remains that rhino deaths continue to rise. Last year, 30 rhinos drowned in torrential floods while 21 were lost to poaching.

But hope remains in the form of the Indian Rhino Vision 2020. Launched in 2005, the vision aims to increase rhino population to 3,000 by 2020, by means of wild-to-wild translocation of rhinos within national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in Northeast India.

Did you know?

The rhino has a small brain, a great sense of smell and hearing and three big toes.

The Black and White rhino are both grey. The White rhino gets its name from the Afrikaans word ' weit ' meaning wide that describes its mouth. Early English colonists misinterpreted the word for white.

The White rhino is the largest land mammal after the elephant.

Rhinos are faster than they look. They can run up to 48 kms per hour, enough to outrun the world's fastest human being in a matter of seconds.

The White, Black and Sumatran rhinos have two horns.

Thick skin

The rhino looks like it's wearing a coat of armour. Do you know how the rhino got its skin? Ask Rudyard Kipling. His story, How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin is an interesting tale about the battle of wits between a Parsee called Pestonjee Bomonjee and a rhino named Strorks on the Uninhabited Island on the Red Sea.

12 March 2013, Hindu

Stating that cleanliness was the top most priority, the Tourism Ministry on Tuesday announced it would aggressively launch the "Clean India Campaign'' and the Benaras ghats would be launch pad for the movement.

Talking to journalists while announcing the winners of National Tourism Awards 2012, Union Tourism Minister Chiranjeevi said the Clean India Campaign would be taken up across the country in phases. "I have met senior officials of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation who have agreed to take up the cleanliness work at six monuments including Konark and Sanchi. All Buddhist sites will also be part of the campaign as these spots draw a considerable number of foreign tourists,'' he remarked. The National Tourism Award function will be held on March 18 here and there will be 86 awards in 36 categories.

He said plans had been drawn up to give a major facelift, without compromising on the local flavour, to the Benaras ghats. "I have taken up the matter with the Uttar Pradesh Government and some corporate houses are keen on joining hands in the project. We are working on the details in order to ensure that places like Benaras ghats, frequented by foreign visitors, present the right kind of image of the country and the people at large,'' he remarked.

Dr. Chiranjeevi said he had asked the Home Ministry to provide Visa on Arrival facility to 16 more countries including Germany. "Our aim is to attract one per cent of the total arrivals of world tourists. Currently it is 0.6 per cent. We want the 7 per cent growth rate in the sector but at the moment the world growth is 3.9 per cent only. So keeping that in mind our growth is certainly not bad,'' he added.

Ruling out shifting of venue of the UNWTO conference, he said the recent blasts in Hyderabad will have no impact on the meet to be held there next month. Andhra Pradesh has been selected for best State for comprehensive development of tourism, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation for best civic management, Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad for best medical tourism facility and Hyderabad airport as best airport in the country.

The Ministry has also decided to confer a special National Tourism Award to Yann Martel, author of the Book "Life of Pi", for promoting India (Puducherry and Munnar) through the film.

13 March 2013, Hindu

In a major relief to the stalled highway projects, the Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to modify its norms to delink environment clearance from forest clearance. This is likely to resolve the contentions between the MoEF and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

A Forest Bench led by Justice Aftab Alam allowed an application by the MoEF seeking a liberty to de-link the two clearances for the purposes of road projects, subject to fulfillment of certain conditions stipulated by the MoEF in its January 7 letter.

Underlining that the ministry could modify its norms since it was a delegated piece of legislation, the Bench allowed the plea, which will now allow the companies to start their road projects with just the environment clearance.

Earlier, due to the ministry's 2011 norms, which was based on the SC verdict in the Lafarge case, a forest clearance was mandatory before the work on the entire stretch, falling in forest and non-forest areas, could begin.

The NHAI had also moved the SC in January and claimed the execution and completion of more than 22 awarded highway projects had been stalled due to the norms on green clearances.

In its application filed through advocate Haris Beeran, the MoEF however sought to modify the guidelines that in the case of linear projects involving use of forest land falling in a portion of their length, pending consideration of approval under the Act, work on non-forest land may start and be executed up to such point on either side of forest land.

" In case approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act for diversion of forest land is declined, it is technically feasible to execute the project along an alternate alignment without involving diversion of forest land," stated the plea, clarifying that initiation of work on non-forest land will not confer any right with regard to grant of forest clearance, as per the Lafarge judgment.

A similar mechanism should be permitted for the projects, involving widening or upgradation of existing roads and the work will only be allowed to be executed on the entire stretch located in non- forest land.

" In case approval under the Act for diversion of forest land is declined, width of the portion of road falling in the forest land will be maintained at its existing level. This will also be incorporated as specific condition of the environment clearance. This clarification will not apply to the roads falling in Protected Areas and the eco-sensitive zones around Protected Areas," as per the revised norm that was approved by the SC on Tuesday.

13 March 2013, Indian Express

The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC), under Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), has cleared the diversion of 1,380.03 hectares of forest land under Haridwar Forest Division in Uttarakhand for collection of minor minerals (boulder, bajri, sand) from the river bed of Ganges and its tributaries raising green concerns.

The clearance is in favour of Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation. While the proposed project area is a part of the Shivalik Elephant Reserve, the inspection report points out its close proximity to Rajaji National Park as well.

As many as 973.6 hectares are along the various streams of Ganges at Bishanpur, Bhogpur, Shyampur and Chidiyapur while 131.31 hectares of forest land is proposed to be diverted in Pili tributary of Ganges with the remaining from the river beds of the tributaries Kotawali and Rawason Rivers.

According to experts, the Gola river corridor in the region is already fractured and disrupted due to boulder mining. These forests being part of the Shivalik Elephant Reserve, it is important to maintain the connectivity for wildlife movement. Equally significant is their continuity with Rajaji-Corbett Tiger Conservation Unit, which has been identified as one of the level-1 areas for the long-term persistence of tigers.

The inspection report submitted to MoEF clearly points out that the average distance of the proposed areas from Rajaji National Park is 12 km. However some areas, as in Pili River, it is barely 4.75 km from Rajaji National Park. Other areas as in Rawason River or even in Ganga River at Shyampur the distance is 5.5 km only In fact, in the meeting of FAC in November 2012, the members had noted the negative impact of stone and boulder mining in the region was having an adverse impact on wildlife, forests and ecology of the region. This was observed as per a study conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India.

However, the State Government in its plea has submitted that during rainy season level of the river bed increases due to accumulation of large amount of sand, boulder, etc. In case their minor minerals are not collected/removed, an increase in level of river bed will result in soil erosion and consequent damage to adjoining forest land and forest resources. The collection of minor minerals from the river bed is thus essential. The use of forest land in this case is minimum and there are no alternatives, the government said.

In 2011, the issue of sand and boulder was particularly highlighted by Swami Nigamanand Saraswati, who had succumbed to his 115 days of fast unto death to protest against mining of Ganges river bed, polluting the river.

13 March 2013, Pioneer

In a bid to attract more number of tourists, the Kerala tourism department will provide all its scenic destinations with air connectivity.

A new scheme called 'Muziris' will be introduced to explain the cultural importance of the historic 'Muziris Port' in Thrissur district.

During a road show on Tuesday on promoting tourism in "God's own country", Information Officer from Kerala Tourism Department, V S Anil told reporters that "The proposal is underway to provide air service connecting Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode with tourist destinations like Astamudi, Punnamada, Kumarakom, Bolgatty and Bekal."

Besides air connectivity, the state tourism department will also hold daily trips to the ancient seaport of Muziris and its heritage site that stretches from the municipality of North Paravur in Ernakulam district to that of Kodungalloor in Thrissur district.

The Kerala government garnered a total revenue of Rs 21,125 crore from tourism with foreign exchange accounting for Rs 4,548 crore in 2012.

The state attracted 7,94,000 foreign tourists in 2012 as against 7,33,000 tourists in 2011. Similarly, domestic tourist traffic crossed the 10-million mark from 9.4 million during the same period.

Various plans and proposals will be introduced in the coming days to attract more number of tourists, the tourist officials said.

The department would also promote the Western Ghats for its abundant medicinal plant reserve and a prime destination for health-conscious tourists.

Nearly 40 per cent of the Western Ghats ranges lie in Kerala, with 41 of its 44 rivers originating from the rich biodiversity hotspot.

"The ayurveda we offer is essentially a wellness-oriented treatment to bring about more vigour to one's system. That is what the tourists look for," officials stated.

13 March 2013, Deccan Herald

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) is engaged in improving the heritage tourism infrastructure of Delhi. One of the strategies it has suggested is to restore some of the lesser known historical buildings protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), such as Jahaz Mahal, a Lodhi period building; and Bahadur Shah Zafar's palace, a late Mughal building. Both are in ruins and attract few visitors; restoring them could bring these sites into the tourist itinerary. The proposal to restore these buildings has, however, hit a wall because it challenges ASI's core beliefs.

To restore or not to restore ruined historical buildings has been the litmus test to distinguish 'modern' and 'traditional' conservation practices, at least since the 1880s, when John Ruskin and William Morris forcefully declared that ancient buildings must not be restored. In their Manifesto for the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, they argued that restoration would falsify the authentic characteristics of historical buildings and produce fakes. Their reasoning became the hallmark of modern conservation ideology. Subsequently, Unesco's Venice Charter in 1964 sealed the issue by stating unequivocally that, "conservation ends where conjecture begins". Thus, ruins are seldom restored because it involves conjecturing what the building may have looked like when it was originally built. Privileging 'modern' conservation ideals ensured the obliteration of traditional practices in the West; the question confronting the Indian conservation movement is whether we, too, should follow in their footsteps.

Outdated

Perhaps it is also necessary to ask what the passionate pronouncements of two Englishmen steeped in their own specific cultural milieu have to do with complex cultural conditions prevailing in India. Do we want to blunt this cultural complexity in order to conform to their dictates? This issue needs serious thought not only in the context of Intach's proposals, but also as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of ASI. This venerable institution began surveying and recording India's ancient monuments in 1862 and was appointed official guardian of Indian architectural heritage in 1904. This was the time when 'modern' conservation ideology was taking root in the West and, not surprisingly, John Marshall, the founding Director General of ASI, incorporated its ideals in his Conservation Guidelines of 1924, still regarded as ASI's bible. So overpowering is the influence of Marshall's Guidelines that even today, the professionals working for ASI are unable to look beyond it.

By most accounts, this severely underfunded and understaffed government organisation has done well in conserving the major monuments of our ancient civilisation, but does that record equip it to chart the future in the management of the country's architectural heritage? Conservation ideology has evolved around the world and subsequent Unesco Charters reflect a culturally more plural attitude towards restoration: the Nara Document on Authenticity, for example, even permits rebuilding in certain circumstances. Arguably, the Indian context provides sufficient evidence of its exceptionalism to justify drafting an Indian Charter for Conservation and ensure the continuity of its unique cultural practices. In fact, Intach produced just such a document in 2004, which has generated genuine debate worldwide with conservation practitioners acknowledging the way it frames the issues at hand and attempts to address them, but the ASI has steadfastly refused to acknowledge it and continues dogmatically to uphold Marshall's doctrines. One might consider such institutional longevity and ideological fidelity a remarkable quality in these changing times, but unfortunately it has also bred a sense of self-satisfied complacency that has insulated ASI from the world around it, and not least from the changes taking place in the discipline of conservation itself.

An honest appraisal of the question of whether or not to restore historical ruins will force the conservation movement to face the fact that we are heirs to two deep traditions of engaging with this: one introduced by colonialism, which prohibits restoration; and the traditional practices of maintenance, which have existed for centuries, which permit restoration. The Intach Charter attempted to reconcile these by identifying where one would be appropriate and where the other; its rationale underpins the proposal to restore Jahaz Mahal and Bahadur Shah Zafar's palace. If the ASI wishes to remain intellectually relevant as the premier agency conserving the architectural heritage of the country, it must awaken from its ideological slumber to confront the challenges of Indian praxis.

Heritage of conservation

In India, both historical buildings and historical ways of building need to be conserved. Together, they constitute the architectural heritage of our society. Thus, ancient buildings are not only historical texts whose conservation has to respond to the imperatives of history writing; they are also evidence of historical architecture, whose restoration will advance knowledge of our architectural heritage.

The latter objective has seldom been explored in India and, consequently, the science of building forensics, an important subject of study abroad, remains a neglected area of concern in Indian conservation practice. Intach's proposal to restore Jahaz Mahal and Bahadur Shah Zafar's palace includes a consideration of building forensics and offers an opportunity not only to improve tourism infrastructure but also to provide valuable knowledge of our past.

(A.G. Krishna Menon is Convenor, Intach Delhi Chapter)

The ASI's 'modern' practice of leaving historical buildings untouched is at odds with India's tradition of restoration

14 March 2013, Hindu

To address the fallout of unprecedented snowfall in the Changthang region this winter which left 22,000 goats dead, the Ministry of Textiles has launched a major drive to save the Pashmina goats and focus on development of Pashmina in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.

It had earmarked funds last year for feed supplement and extended coverage period from 90 to 150 days to save Pashmina goats during exigencies. The funds for purchase of feed and fodder under Nutrient Supplement Scheme (IWDP) for pregnant and weak goats during the year 2012-13 in favour of the nomadic people of the region helped save lakhs of livestock from starvation in normal weather conditions. However, the recent unprecedented snowfall has taken a heavy toll on the livestock.

In a bid to take care of such natural calamities in future, the Ministry has launched a major programme for development of Pashmina and Pashmina developers in Ladakh region during the 12th Five Year Plan. Under the Plan, it would provide assistance for setting up Pashmina goat pens for protecting flocks and providing portable tents, snow-boots, torches and goggles. For this, the Ministry has adopted a participatory approach involving all stake holders including the end beneficiaries. "Livelihood of Pashmina farmers and avoiding disruption of economic activity in this important region is one of our foremost priorities,'' Commerce, Industry and Textiles Minister, Anand Sharma said.

The plan envisages a new Pashmina Wool Development Scheme with a special package and a financial allocation of Rs. 41.21 crores. In addition to protection measures, the main components of the scheme includes assistance for foundation stock in new areas for Pashmina rearing activities; health coverage and feed supplement, strengthening of existing fodder bank/farms, establishment of multipurpose extension centre and Pasture Farm on migratory routes, focus on training, research and development of Pashmina, internationally known by the brand name 'Cashmere'.

Textile Ministry steps in to protect Pashmina farmers and their livestock in the face of

unprecedented snowfall in the Ladakh region this winter 14 March 2013, Hindu

Excess quantity of harmful arsenic and fluoride have been found in water in Bihar's 22 districts.

The water table of 5,747 habitations spread over 22 districts of the state was found contaminated, Public Health & Engineering Department (PHED) minister Chandramohan Rai said in reply to a question of BJP's Achutanand in the Assembly.

The minister said that a sum of Rs 113 crore has been spent in the last three years to supply pure drinking water in these areas of the state.

Rai said the government would address the problem of drinking water in these areas through the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP).

The minister said that four lakh more water sources would be tested next year.

He said the state government has entered into an agreement with the Centre for mapping of arsenic and fluoride affected districts.

Excess amount of arsenic and fluoride in water causes diseases related to skin and neurological disorders.

-The Hindustan Times, 15th March 2013

In an attempt to have a cleaner Yamuna flowing through the Braj area, union water resources minister Harish Rawat has suggested infusion of fresh water downstream of Okhla. This could be a combination of both Yamuna waters diverted from the Hathni Kund barrage as well as Ganga waters through the Hindon cut.

His suggestion came after marathon meetings with leaders of the Yamuna Rakshak Dal. Thousands of volunteers of the group had marched to the national Capital from Vrindavan demanding a cleaner Yamuna.

"We have requested Haryana to release water downstream of Okhla rather than at Hathni Kund. We will identify the canals and work out the modalities. Haryana has agreed in-principle. This would be 50 cusecs of water, which Haryana is supposed to release as the river's share, without affecting its own share," Rawat told HT on Thursday.

"Similarly, we have requested Uttar Pradesh to divert Ganga water from the Hindon cut to reach Yamuna downstream of Okhla. After all, it is Uttar Pradesh (UP) government's water and will benefit portions of the river in that state only. UP too has agreed in-principle. Together, it can be about 200-odd cusecs of water," he added.

The other demand of the save Yamuna campaigners was preventing sewer and industrial effluents from entering the river. "There is a committee of experts, which will report to the Supreme Court in connection with the 'Mailee Yamuna' case. We suggested that two members of the Yamuna campaigners should join this committee so that they are aware of the developments," the minister added.

Meanwhile, announcing the conclusion of the Yamuna padyatra undertaken by the Yamuna Rakshak Dal, Mahant Jai Kishan Baba from Barsana on Thursday said they were happy with the first set of promises by the government.

-The Hindustan Times, 15th March 2013

A sanitary and environmental crisis is staring Delhi in the face.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has banned dumping at three of the four landfill sites, years after they exhausted their lifespan. But the three municipal corporations continue dumping garbage there because there are no alternative sites, leading to massive contamination of soil and groundwater.

Delhi currently has four landfills. The height of garbage piles at three of them - Ghazipur in east, Bhalaswa in north and Okhla in south - have crossed the 30-metre mark, a good 10 metres more than permitted. The Narela-Bawana road site is the newest and only scientific site in the Capital.

"Delhi's landfill space is fast running out and it has serious environmental consequences. We have told the municipal corporations to close the three sites and develop their own waste-to-energy (burning trash to generate electricity) and composting (to produce manure) plants," said a DPCC official.

Delhi has one compost plan and another is coming up. Permission for one more such plant is under consideration at DPCC level. There is one waste-to-energy plant, while two more are under installation.

Yogendra Mann, director (press) of east and north corporations, said, "These new plants will help deal with the problem. But for a long-term relief, we will convert parts of these landfills into scientific sites."

"We have been asking the DDA to provide an alternative site to us, but to no avail," said Mukesh Yadav, director (press) of South body. A DDA official, however, pointed out scarcity of land.

-The Hindustan Times, 15th March 2013

Urban land is undoubtedly the best asset class, despite all the legal, financial and taxation complexities involved. There is perhaps no other investment avenue that can compare with real estate in generating high profits. Urban land is therefore most sought after, and nobody would like to part with it if they do not get the best price. This is also the reason why more urban residents are getting increasingly concerned about the master plan of their city.

Master planning is essentially an exercise involving land allocation to various uses, amongst many other things. Public purpose on the one hand and private ownership on the other, public policy and individual interests, redistribution and accumulation — these are the conflicts one needs to grapple with, while dealing with master planning for a city.

The planner and the property owner are often at loggerheads. While the planner looks at the city as a whole, the individual looks at his own property alone. All problems originate from this diametrically opposed view.

MYTH 1: ARBITRARINESS

There is a popular misconception that master plans are done in an ad hoc manner. This is far from true.

Master plan preparation involves collection and analysis of a wide variety of technical data: traffic situation, land suitability, soil conditions, vegetation, water and drainage, power etc. These throw up issues and problems that need to be solved.

Then, based on the proposed vision, and after factoring in planning imperatives, a series of alternatives are prepared and an appropriate path chosen.

In addition, planning is a lso a process of dealing with uncertainties. Everything that is likely to happen in future cannot be predicted. This is the reason planning needs to be seen more as a broad framework where we accommodate things as we go along.

MYTH 2: TOP DOWN APPROACH

Another misconception is that master planning is a top down exercise, far removed from the realities of the day. This is again not entirely true.

While the initial process starts with the knowledge and expertise that planners may have, the plan is subject to public scrutiny. Recently, when the Greater Hyderabad Plan was prepared, over 1,700 suggestions were received. The ongoing exercise of revising the Delhi Master Plan has received over 4,000 suggestions.

The issue, however, is that while the planners do hold consultations, it is only a miniscule few who participate, among the millions living in the city. There are issues on both sides. The planner is often not in a position to explain the plan in a simple manner to the average citizen. The citizen is also not in a position to comprehend the voluminous document and complex maps and looks at proposals with suspicion.

There is a perceptible communication gap between the planner and the people and this often aggravates the situation. Further, over a third of the population in our cities are illiterate and so cannot fully understand the master plan. The 'bottom up' approach gets frustrated and more often than not, and participatory planning becomes the baby of the articulate few.

is that the plan is very rigid and does not allow for flexibility or change with time. Barring a few instances, most master plans have a 'change of land use' system well entrenched, and the document as a whole is flexible.

Just as the Constitution of India can be amended subject to its basic structure being kept intact, similarly, master plans can also be amended, so long as the basic intent of the larger public interest and environment is not hampered.

MYTH 4: TIME FACTOR

It is often held that master plans take a very long time to prepare and development already happens much before planning is completed. In most cities today, master plan preparation is often outsourced to consultants, who have the resources and personnel to prepare them in a time-bound manner. However, time is certainly lost when it comes to approval, since there are too many layers of intervention, mostly by elected representatives, lobbies and interest groups, who tend to hamper the finalisation process, until they get their pound of flesh.

MYTH 5: LOOKS GOOD ON PAPER

It is a common allegation that plans remain only on paper and are seldom implemented. This is true in most cases. The government admits that only very few cities have master plans. Those that do, seldom see implementation.

There are several reasons. To begin with, the institutional mechanism for implementation is archaic. Implementation also needs coordinated effort among several agencies, who currently suffer from similar inertia. The end result of a lack of systems approach is chaos.

Master plans are seldom broken down into simpler implementable projects which can be budgeted for in a sequential manner. Even if that is done, it is too little, too late. In the meantime, people find their own solutions. Lands are unauthorisedly subdivided, illegal colonies come up and houses without plans or permissions are built. Speed of implementation is the essence of the master plan and that needs a creative organisational apparatus.

THE ONLY WAY: IMPLEMENT WELL

Ultimately, the planners are blamed for the problems with the master plan, which are piled at their doorstep. This needs to be put in perspective.

Planning, in most of the developed world is done in much the same way as it is done in our cities. Master planning knowledge and techniques have been transmitted to us from the West. Over time, we have tuned them to suit our context with a focus on inclusiveness, affordability and sustainability.

The difference is that is that in developed countries, rules are followed strictly and plans are implemented sincerely. In India, we do not do that since the popularly elected leader with a limited tenure claims to know more about planning than a career planner. Political interference beyond a sustainable point has led to the failure of our implementation mechanisms.

It is a widely recognised fact that cities contribute to over half the nation's GDP and increasing urbanisation is the reality. There is therefore a need to complete master plans for all cities on a war footing, and implement them. That is the only way.

The author is an urban expert and a professor at SPA, New Delhi.

-The Financial Express, 16th March 2013

Walking the greens in Delhi, we discovered Vasaka, the shrub that is known to treat many ailments

A few years ago I was working at Leap Years, a creative activity centre for children started by Rahul Bhandare. Among the activities we conducted at Leap Years was walks through different parts of the city, its monuments, gardens and the little patches of forest that have managed to survive in Delhi, tenaciously clinging to the little foothold that they have in this rather uncaring concrete jungle.

The walks that I started with these school going kids gradually began to attract their parents and then through word of mouth the news spread. So I continue to climb steps of preserved and crumbling monuments and explore the small bits of green that one comes across along the truncated remains of the Arravalis.

On one of these walks through the Mehrauli Archaeological Park, a little girl called Madhavi, who was then in class two pointed to a shrub and told me excitedly, that is Vasaka. The shrub had lance shaped leaves, broad at the base ending in a sharp point, the leaves grew in profusion from several branches clustered around the central stem. Most branches were topped by white flowers with very fine light violet veins running through them. I asked Madhavi who told her about the shrub and what else does she know? She said she liked the flowers and her parents, who taught at Jawaharlal Nehru University, had shown her the plant.

A few weeks later, I had taken the kids out to hunt for the eggs and caterpillars of the monarch among the milkweed plants that grow in profusion in the rocky outskirts of the Arravalis. An office-boy called Subhash from Rajasthan accompanied us since he wanted to see the caterpillars. Subhash pointed to a Vasaka shrub and told me that the leaves and flowers are boiled or crushed and used as a cure for cough. On yet another outing, Vijay a driver who worked at Leap Years and belonged to Uttar Pradesh told me that the leaves were a cure for asthma, and that the leaves, branches and dried roots were all used to treat all kinds of ailments including joint pains, stomach disorders, skin infections and eczema. This wild shrub was turning into a miracle cure.

It was a few months before the penny dropped and the name Glycodin Cough Syrup popped up from the bank of childhood memories. I also remembered Terp Vasaka and the name Glycodin Terp Vasaka had a strangely familiar ring to it. This was the most popular cough syrup of my childhood days, consumed widely even today and here was the shrub that was the source of the medicine, growing wild all over the plains. Fortunately it is not neglected, ignored and forgotten. People know about it, not people like me and you, perhaps, but people who have an interest in history and our environment and more importantly ordinary people, people who we treat as ignorant or barely literate. How many other shrubs and trees are there in these small strips of green that we know nothing about, and do we care?

Last Sunday, I requested Pradip Krishen, film maker and the Tree Man of Delhi, to take some of us for a walk through Sanjay Van near Kishan Garh and Vasant Kunj and he showed us what we do not see even if we go to these forests every day. It was sheer joy to see a man who knew every shrub, every tree, every creeper, knew when they flower and when they shed their leaves and how trees that do not belong to this environment behave when they are re-located in alien environment, some like the invasive Juliflora Prosopis, popularly known as the Vilayati Keekar and Su Babool, spell doom for the native vegetation like the Ronjh and Desi Keekar, while others like the Terrygota, I hope I have the spellings right, grow stunted and deformed while they grow into magnificent trees in their native Dehradun. It was Pradip who told us that the Vasaka is not grazed because of the bitter tasting leaves. Vasaka is known as Adhatoda in Malayalam which translates into "a plant that goats do not touch".

The care with which Pradip touched each tree or leaf or drew our attention to the miniscule flowers as he talked about them made you wonder, how many Pradip Krishens does this city need to stop the wanton chopping and destruction of whatever green cover we have left in this city.

Even as he was taking us around, there were bulldozers outside the Sanjay Van breaking down the oldest part of our geological heritage -- bits of the Arravalis that protrude from Sanjay Van. Breaking them down, pulling down trees and shrubs, trampling upon clumps of Vasaka, all for a car park being built ostensibly for visitors to the proposed Bio-Diversity Park, of which one sees no sign, but the car park and the fencing of the forest continues unabated. While this mayhem rampaged unchecked someone stole Pradip's car, stolen from the gate of Sanjay Van in broad daylight, right under the nose of a police picket and a guard post at one of the gates.

I was hoping that I'll be able to pull Pradip out once in a while from his work in greening Jodhpur, requesting him to lead such walks for larger groups, to hopefully build a group that will begin to see and care for the trees in these forests and save them from this mad race to concretise every bit of land. After losing his car on his first outing with this group, I wonder if anyone of us will have the courage to go to him again.

-The Hindu, 16th March 2013

J T Israni's plot of land in south Delhi's upscale Shivalik Road neighbourhood serves as a parking lot for neighbours but the retired ONGCofficial isn't protesting. The plot, bought in the 1960s to build a retirement nest, is worth crores but of no use to Israni as it lies within a no-construction zone around a centrally protected monument.

Enforcement of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010 three years ago has impacted Delhiites in unforeseen ways. While Israni's neighbours on the road - whose plots also lie within 100 metres of the Sarai Shahji monument - built spacious homes before the amended law came into force, for him building a house now is a near-impossible task. Curbs on construction within 100 metres of monuments were first imposed when the ASI Act was framed in 1992, but permissions continued to be granted case by case. However, the 2010 amendment and the formation of the National Monuments Authority ( NMA) following a Delhi high court direction, has led to a blanket ban on construction within 100 metres of monuments and strict regulations for development in a zone of 100-300 metres.

For thousands of Delhiites whose land or house lies within 300 metres of the city's 174 protected monuments, the change marked the beginning of a new struggle. "We have been running from pillar to post for the last three years to get an NOC to construct a house on our empty plot in Shivalik. But the state competent authority tells us that an NOC is not possible because the house is 60 metres away from an ASI monument. Were the distance measured from the monument itself, we would be 180 metres away but ASI has also notified the vacant land in front of Sarai Shahji, so the distance is being measured from the edge of the main road,'' said Rishi Narang, Israni's son-in-law. In north Delhi, where monuments are aplenty, residents are similarly affected. "I bought a plot in Rajpur Daravni in 1998. Had I known the ASI rules, I would not have invested here. I learnt that my plot is in the prohibited zone of Tripolia Gateway only when I applied to MCD for permission to build a house in 2000. I have written to the culture ministry and the ASI director general for months, to no avail. It's unfair, so many people have built elaborate houses close to the monument. Did anyone check whether rules were violated then,'' said Nitin Aggarwal, a plot owner.

Delhi has hundreds of monuments located in the midst of residential colonies, mostly in south and central Delhi. In areas like Gulmohar Park, Safdarjung Enclave, Hauz Khas, South Extension, Mehrauli, Saket, Malviya Nagar, Rana Pratap Bagh and Nizamuddin, the amended law has hit hard. People who built homes or bought plots much before the ASI act came into force in 1992 say the curbs are a travesty of justice. "I can't move a brick in my single storey house that was built in 1969. Some of my family members have medical problems and I need to build a second floor, but because my house lies 97 metres from the boundary of Biran ka Gumbad, I cannot construct anything. Had ASI measured the distance from the base of the monument, I would have been spared,'' said Dr Sushman Bhatnagar from Green Park.

Residents of South Extension I and II say the law has lowered property rates as the area is dotted with protected monuments such as Masjid Moth, Kale Khan ka Gumbad, and tombs of Bade Khan and Chhote Khan. Empty and unsecured plots near these densely populated colonies have become slums. Some owners have raised walls around their empty plots as they await relief in the la.

"Almost 90% of South Extension-I lies in the prohibited area. Plots worth crores are lying vacant because owners cannot build houses. There are cracks in the facade of some homes. Meanwhile, ASI is not taking care of its monuments-they are dilapidated, encroached and neglected,'' said Ankush Vohra, president of South Extension I residents welfare association.

-The Times of India, 17th March 2013

Steady encroachment of marshlands and rampant use of pesticides is pushing the graceful Sarus Cranes to the verge of extinction

With their habitats shrinking fast to make way for the 'green revolution', the lanky, handsome Sarus caranes — the tallest flying birds in the world — are increasingly staring at an uncertain future. Primarily found in India, the Sarus cranes stand gracefully at six feet, towering over even the average Indian male human being. Other tallest birds — the African ostrich and Australian emu — cannot fly with their rudimentary wings.

Known for living life king size, the Sarus cranes today are on the verge of extinction in the wild as rapid expansion of agriculture is bulldozing their natural habitats. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the bird as 'vulnerable' because it is suspected to have suffered a rapid population decline. This is the result of widespread reductions in the extent and quality of its marshland habitats, exploitation and the effects of pollutants. At a time when the Sarus crane population is rapidly decreasing, 14 of these endangered birds were found dead on January 15 on the outskirts of Delhi. Apart from the Sarus cranes, conservationists also found carcasses of other water birds and apparently they have been poisoned by excessive use of pesticides.

In India, the total quantity of pesticides used increased from 2.35 thousand metric tonne in 1950-51 to nearly 85,000 metric tonne in 1993-94. Today the pesticide usage is a staggering over one lakh metric tonne per annum; it is literally poisoning the ecosystem that ultimately affects the human beings who are at the apex of the food chain. Dr. S. Sandilyan of Wildlife Biology department in A.V.C College in Tamil Nadu says, "Researchers have expressed concern over the safety of the increasing use of pesticides and recommended finding effective alternatives such as bio-pesticides and bio-control. Birds play an economically significant role in agricultural environment by way of feeding on insects and also controlling weeds by consuming the seeds and preventing further invasion."

In an unusual feat, recently a photographer from Gujarat managed to catch a large flock of 27 Sarus cranes in a single frame on February 20. India today has only about 10,000 wild Sarus cranes left, which are scattered in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and other areas surrounding these States.

Dr. Gopi Sundar of the International Crane Foundation (ICF) says that the Sarus used to inhabit a larger swathe of the subcontinent until just about a hundred years ago. Today, however, it's been hunted out of Bihar, and driven out of Madhya Pradesh due to inhospitable modes of farming. In Punjab and eastern Uttar Pradesh, its numbers have dwindled due to rampant human encroachment. In Rajasthan and Gujarat, however, the picture is less bleak, with cranes finding solace along the network of canal systems.

In the early 1970s, ornithologists Dharma Kumar Singhji and Lavkumar witnessed a single congregation of 88 Sarus cranes in Gujarat. During the same period, the famous Bharatpur bird sanctuary with a mere 29 sq km area had hundreds of them surviving in its bountiful bosom. Kailash Shankala, another Indian naturalist, counted a flock of 1,400 and 1,596 in the years 1979 and 1982 respectively in Bharatpur. This year, the same bird sanctuary is woefully bereft of these birds as only two pairs were spotted here.

Of all the cranes ever sighted in India, which includes the Demoiselle crane, the Common crane, the Siberian crane (extinct in India), the Black necked crane, the Sarus crane is easily the most charming for its social skills and zeal for life. Of the 15 species of cranes found globally, six are found in India and the Sarus crane (Grusantigone) is the only resident species.

-The Pioneer, 17th march 2013

Proximity to a centrally-protected monument has become a bane for residents wanting to construct new properties or modify the existing ones. The National Monuments Authority (NMA), factoring in the concerns, has recently permitted new constructions in regulated zones up to a height of 18 metres.

This means a four-storey building—complete with a basement, stilt and a rooftop structure—can come up beyond 100 metres of any of the 174 monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Sources said this recent decision was an attempt to relax the norms set down in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010. NMA member-secretary Praveen Srivastava said: "We received a number of requests from applicants who said that the height limit was insufficient for their requirements. Most of them had difficulty in constructing rooftop structures. The new height limit is applicable retrospectively."

Earlier, the Act had put a cap of 15 metres on new constructions. In November last year, this was raised to 17 metres, and then to 18 metres. The latest limit is valid for residential projects; for institutional ones, it is 24 metres. "Applicants can apply to the state competent authority, and the cases will be reviewed and approved accordingly," said a senior official.

The increased limit is expected to provide relief to a large number of people in areas such as Greater Kailash, Hauz Khas, Green Park, South Extension, Rana Pratap Bagh and Gulmohar Park where there are protected monuments in the middle of residential colonies. "We wanted to build an additional floor, but were unable to do so due to the height restrictions. Now, we plan to reapply to NMA," said Akshita Bhargava, a resident of Uday Park, who was seemingly relieved to know about the amendment. Her house is 180 metres from Masjid Modh.

"All applications received this month for new constructions in regulated zones have been reviewed and approved accordingly. Many people said that with the 17m rule, they could construct four floors but could not squeeze in a rooftop structure. If they went beyond the limit, they ran the risk of their entire property being declared as unauthorized. The new height limit is in accordance with building bylaws specified by the municipal corporations and what is allowed in the master plan," said an official.

The state-appointed competent authority has been clearing approximately 20 applications every month for new constructions in regulated zones or repairs/renovations in the prohibited zones.

There's a blanket ban on any construction within 100 metres of an ASI monument, barring essential repairs and renovations on a case-to-case basis. However, the amended Act of 2010 allows controlled developmental work in the 100m-300m regulated zones subject to NMA clearance.

It is believed that once the heritage bylaws for the capital's ASI monuments are framed, it would be possible to determine the prohibited and regulated zones of every monument. "The Act specifies that minimum 100 metres have to be prohibited and 200 metres regulated for protected monuments. These can be extended as there is no outer limit, but the minimum controlled areas cannot be compromised. In the heritage bylaws, NMA can also decide to extend the prohibited or regulated zones in a monument if they feel it would be important, like in the case of world heritage sites," said an official.

-The Times of India, 18th March 2013

A mask hides the visage and veils its expression. But doesn't it wear its own identity? Painted in different colours and designs, crafted into different cuts, shapes and sizes, reflecting different tribes, classes and nationalities — a mask may reveal a lot more than our facial muscles can probably endeavour, by mouthing words. And the effort required to make these masks calls for a skilled art form, which induces painstaking labour, craftsmanship and a keen sense of aesthetics to realise a single finished piece.

Displaying a matrix of uniquely hand-crafted masks at an exhibition captioned Mukhosh (Bengali for masks), the Design Studio in Kolkata's posh Ballygunge Place tries to revive and reinforce traditional mask-art in the age of funky-looking, avant-garde arts. Quaint yet beautiful, strange yet eye-grabbing, the line of masks is worth every purchase for those inquisitively glancing curators. The show will go on till March 23 from 2 pm to 7 pm daily, except the Sundays.

Speaking about the exhibition, the Design Studio proprietor, art-collector and historian Urvashi Basu said, "Over time, we have noticed that mask craft is intensely gaining its eminence in interior decor. For wall furnishings, different masks from different countries are put to a decorative use, whether in living rooms or studies and even in spacious dining halls."

Sharing the genesis of the Mukhosh story, she adds, "There is a market for property beautification, be it an apartment-chamber in residential complexes or an office-premise. Designers are appointed to enhance and embellish an empty space, wherever available.

Theme-based motifs, paintings, texturings and paddings are explicitly done in modern-day flats. The walls, which are without windows, are conveniently decked up with wall-hangings, book-shelves or conspicuous showpieces. Among them, masks find a prominent place in contemporary ornamentation. Thus, the idea behind exhibiting masks germinated."

Masks of different places are being featured in the exhibited oeuvre. Besides Shantiniketan and the North-South Dinajpur districts of West Bengal, the popular mask-art of Ghana from far Africa has also been imported for this exposition. Carved out of wood, bamboo and ceramic, the masks tell a tale of their own through sounds of silence. "You see, China is another country which is too hugely popular with the mask-craft. And we have a very strong populace of Chinese community right here in City of Joy in the well-known Tangra area. The age-old dragon-dance is performed with large, life-size variegated masks as part of a cultural-cavalcade or to usher in the colourful Chinese New Year celebration. We have plans to include Chinese masks in our next edition of mask exhibition. We'll also incorporate the Chhau (mask-dance) of Purulia from within the state and rope in the indigenous mask-makers for a live-demo," avows Basu.

In West Bengal, masks have been extensively used as an important part of the theatre-paraphernalia and are normally donned at stage performances. The traditional Chhau dancers of Purulia wear masks to depict the parts that dancers portray in a spectacle. So is the case with the masks employed by the Gambhira dancers of Malda district in Bengal. Chiselled out of wood, these masks primarily describe characters from the conventional Hindu mythology.

However, two traditional craftsmen from Dakshin (South) Dinajpur —Tulu and Biplab Sarkar — have recently held a live-demonstration of mask-making at the studio for over four days. Proficient in their chosen field of application, both immensely talented brothers are adeptly trained and guided by their father Shankar Sarkar, who is an adroit craftsman himself. The price-band of their dexterously moulded masks ranges between `300 to `3,500.

The mask or a mukhauta is an object worn over to hide the true entity of a person and in the process, ends up representing something else. This essential characteristic of hiding and concealing personalities or moods in the guise of its own features is common to all masks. As cultural objects, masks or naqabs have been used all over the world during defining moments and periods in history and have been as varied in appearances as in their usage and symbolism.

The use of masks in rituals or ceremonies is quite an ancient practice worldwide. Although masks can also be worn for protection during hunting or while playing sports or in feasts, fighting wars or simply being flaunted as an adornment, some ceremonial or decorative masks are specifically designed for an exclusive purpose of use in religious rites and for indoor/outdoor decorations.

Masks can be designed into numerous varieties — from the simplest of crude "false faces" held by a handle to those complete head-coverings with ingenious movable parts and hidden faces. Made of a medley of utility substances, masks often come in woods, metals, shells, fibres, ivory, clay, horn, stone, feathers, leather, papier mache, furs, paper, cloth and cornhusk varieties.

In the famous folk-theatre form of Yakshagana — which is an amalgam of dance, music, dialogue, costumes, make-up and stage techniques with its unique style and content — some interesting head-gears and masks are used to delight the audiences. This entertaining theatrical presentation is mainly played in the coastal districts and Malenadu regions of the state of Karnataka in down South. Traditionally, Yakshagana is performed the whole night till the sunrise next morning. Even in Kerala's provincial dance-form — Kathakali — a combination of loud make-up on the countenances of male-dancers along with intricate gears atop their heads conforms to an eye-arresting style indeed.

But is the art finding favour with the next-generation artisans or is it already losing its sheen? "Well, it is a difficult task to sustain the art all the year round, except towards the tail-end when national-level exhibitions or handicrafts fair take place all across. The status is seemingly dwindling as the current-day children seldom show any interest to take it up as a future occupation," she notes. "Due to lack of proper exposure, economic support and recognition, mask-art is suffering a grave crisis which is hard to overcome. Even if it is a family trade for many, whose forefathers had initiated it aeons ago, the zeal and means to foster and nurture this malnourished craft is visibly absent. In want of a course to channelise resources and get a better bargain, the sole breadwinners now have to look for other avenues to earn their bread and butter and feed several stomachs at home," she rues.

-The Asian Age, 18th March 2013

Thought extinct for a century, then spotted in Maharashtra in 1997, the forest owlet appears to be on the verge of extinction from the forest where it was rediscovered, say Pune-based bird-lovers who have counted the last remaining samples there — one pair.

Since the rediscovery, it had been spotted in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa too. The researchers, however, stress that it is only for Maharashtra's Toranmal forest that they have past figures to compare the current findings with.

Locally called the duda, the owl is no larger than a human palm. What distinguishes it from other owls is that it is active by day.

British administrator F R Blewit collected the first specimen in 1872. A O Hume, an ornithologist and taxonomist apart from being the founder of the Indian National Congress, first described it to the world. American bird lovers Ben King and Pamela Rassmussen sighted a specimen in Tornamal forest in 1997, the first since 1884.

In 2001, a study by scientists from Bombay Natural History Society counted seven pairs, Toranmal's highest ever. That came down to a single pair in 2010-11, according to the study that Pune's Girish Jathar and Dharmaraj Patil conducted as part of the Ravisankaran Fellowship Programme under the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation. Their report is now up on the websites of BNHS, Maharashtra's environment department, and Global Owl Project, US. The study has also been used by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources for the review of its red data list for wildlife.

"We found that the bird is under tremendous pressures such as encroachment, forest fires and use of chemicals and pesticides in farms," says Patil. And Jathar says, "The Toranmal figures show us the bird is on the verge of local extinction. We have recommended some urgent steps to conserve the habitat of the bird. The first is to curb encroachment."

Patils stresses the importance of the owlet: "The owlet appears at the top of the food chain in the forest, which in this case is teak-dominant. A healthy forest owlet population is a direct indicator of a healthy teak forest, which provides ecosystem services - fertile soil, perennial supply of water, medicinal plants, wild edibles. These services will be automatically ensured at places where the forest owlet has been protected."

"This is a very alarming situation," says Asad Rahmani, director of BNHS. "Such a fall in numbers in a reserved forest is a clear sign that development activities and other practices are taking a toll on the population of this rare bird. Conservation efforts focused on the forest owlet are urgently needed for overall protection of the ecosystems".

Forest department officials admit there hasn't been enough monitoring, but feel encroachment is not a major issue. B P Wankhede, deputy conservator of forests for Shahada Range, says, "I have to admit that we have not done enough monitoring on this. But encroachment or development activities have not harmed wildlife as these researchers have claimed."

-The Indian Express, 19th March 2013

The Fatehpur Sikri group of monuments in Agra has bagged the prestigious National Tourism Award 2011-12 for "the best maintained and disabled-friendly monument".

The award was given away at a function here on Monday by President Pranab Mukherjee and presided over by Minister of State for Tourism K. Chiranjeevi.

Six years back the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Svayam, an NGO working in the field of accessibility, joined hands to make the world heritage sites accessible to all.

Svayam founder Sminu Jindal said the awards and recognition highlight the need for making these places accessible and address the leisure requirements of varied demographic needs. "Monuments are common heritage properties and it is heartening to see ASI's initiatives in carrying out Svayam's audit reports to make Fatehpur Sikri accessible to people with reduced mobility," she added.

-The Hindu, 19th March 2013

A daily health advisory in Delhi to warn people about the noxious air quality may be on its way.

The advisory intends to inform the public about the levels of carbon monoxide, ozone and other hazardous particles in the air, helping warn those with vulnerable lungs and also encouraging the public to curb unnecessary emissions.

There are already six monitoring stations across the city that document the levels of air pollution on the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) website in real time. However, there is no way to easily interpret the data.

The DPCC is working on crunching those numbers for the public and using them as a warning device when the air quality is an issue.

DPCC member secretary Sandeep Mishra said it could take at least a month before the programme becomes active. He said he is working with health officials to ascertain the appropriate time to issue such a warning.

The DPCC stations monitor nine different potential air hazards and the website compares those on the state list individually to the national standard.

Mishra said with the six existing stations and two more on the way, the DPCC is working out whether to collaborate average levels state-wide on a daily basis or interpret the levels at individual stations and issue advisories accordingly.

Additionally, officials have to figure how the components interact with each other, also taking in factors such as wind, temperature and other weather traits, and what combination is most hazardous.

"The standards are there, but we need to know how to use them," Mishra said.

The tentative plan is to issue the warnings on the DPCC website and encourage people to spread the news.

A 2012 study by a World Health Organization initiative revealed that air pollution is among the leading causes of death in the world, especially in Asian cities that are developing rapidly. The report said 7.12 lakh people in South Asia, including India, died due to air pollution related ailments in 2010.

-The Hindu, 18th April 2013

The tremors that shook Delhi on Tuesday has jolted the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) into finalising its disaster management plan.

According to Delhi government officials, some districts have already prepared a draft plan, which will be discussed further and examined by experts from various institutes and government agencies, including the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The district management plan will indicate basic information about the resources, demography of the area and identify the vulnerability of the district to various hazards. A response mechanism will also be prepared.

For instance, east Delhi district falls under seismic zone IV and is hence considered at highest risk for earthquakes and floods. "The vulnerability of the district increases in fire accidents, since most of the slum clusters are thickly populated. It effects the rescue operations as it becomes difficult for fire engines to enter narrow lanes," said a senior Delhi government official.

The officials said the district plan is not just a response mechanism, but it points out the preventive measures that need to be in place.

"Mapping the hazards is a complex exercise. Earthquakes, floods, building collapses, chemical disasters, etc., that can take place are being charted out.

There are various components to the district management plan, which includes prevention and mitigation," added the official.

As part of the district plan, various stakeholders, including the community. have to be made aware of disasters and what they need to do in case of emergency.

For this, the DDMA has had held a number of mock drills and meetings with resident welfare associations.

"The plan will provide information on which agency will respond at what point," said the official.

A number of workshops will be held in the coming few months, where these plans will be finalised. Once the district plan is ready, a state disaster management plan will be prepared.

-The Indian Express, 19th March 2013

The National Green Tribunal has ordered an interim stay on PWD's road-widening project along the Andheria Mod-Mahipalpur stretch, where trees were found to be felled illegally.

On Monday, a bench headed by NGT chairman Justice Swatanter Kumar, asked the Delhi government, the forest department and PWD to "not fell any tree except in cases where permission from the department concerned has been obtained till the next date of hearing, and also produce records if the non-applicants have obtained the necessary clearance or permission from the forest department for removing or felling the trees while making the road". Notices have been issued to all three departments.

In the first phase of the project, being implemented from Andheria Mod to Nelson Mandela crossing, permission to fell about 70 trees was sought from the forest department, though the contractor has already cut or damaged 33 trees. Forest department officials have estimated that around 1,000 trees will need to be cut to execute all three phases of the project. Since no area for compensatory plantation has been identified, they have not issued any permission. For each tree that will be cut, 10 will have to be planted.

On February 26, the district court ordered PWD to stop work outside one block in Vasant Kunj. PWD had asked the contractor to first work only on constructing a drain and later to stop all work. However, TOI had reported that despite the orders, work was being carried out. A petition, filed by a Vasant Kunj resident, said the contractor was inflicting damage by "digging around trees, thus exposing the roots, placing mounds of gravel, stone and cement around trees, by tarmacing the roads and concretizing the trees".

The project was conceived a few years ago but work started only in February 2013. PWD is widening the four-lane road to eight lanes to accommodate extra traffic heading towards IGI airport. The residents are divided on their support for the project. While a section is concerned about the loss of green cover, some feel a wider road is needed to accommodate the heavy traffic.

-The Times of India, 19th March 2013

More parts of the city could become shackled by heritage laws if the Delhi government decides to notify approximately 250 unprotected monuments. At present, 174 monuments in Delhi are protected by ASI and the construction, modification or repair of properties within 300 metres of these is strictly regulated. In case of monuments notified by the Delhi government, the controls will apply up to a distance of 150 metres.

So far, poll year considerations seem to have stayed the government's hand on notification. Officials say the disaffection among residents hamstrung by ASI laws has made them cautious.

Delhi identified 250 monuments for conservation and protection in 2008. Conservation body Intach's Delhi chapter was roped in for the task and work was split into phases. For phase I, 94 monuments were identified. Of these, 15 were conserved in time for the Commonwealth Games but final notification is pending although work on the second phase of 18 monuments is to start this month.

"When the monuments were identified, the focus was only on protecting them. But implementation of the amended ASI act has shown how people living close by protected monuments are affected. There are concerns that notification under the Delhi Archaeology Act might create new problems,'' said a highly-placed source.

Experts say notification of more monuments—the Delhi government list includes Gol Gumbad on Lodhi Road, Dara Shikoh Library at Kashmere Gate, Bara Lao ka Gumbad in Vasant Vihar, tombs in Lado Sarai and Turkman Gate in Old Delhi—is bound to hurt many colonies. The government is said to be exploring ways to protect monuments without upsetting residents. "We have sought the opinion of the law department to do away with Section 17 of the Act (which defines prohibited and regulated areas) for all the identified monuments,'' said a source. The section was not enforced for the three Badarpur gateways and three kos minars under Delhi government's protection.

Experts say the solution is site-specific planning. "A blanket ban on construction with people unable to even repair their homes in prohibited zones is harassment,'' said an expert. Conservationist Ratish Nanda said: "In over 6.5 lakh buildings in UK or 29,000 in New York Cityeven the colour of the front door can't be changed. However, penalties need to be coupled with incentives such as tax exemptions or transferable development rights .'' AGK Menon, convener of Intach Delhi Chapter, said Delhi government need not follow the central diktat. "Why should we follow the ASI module when thousands of citizens are so apparently unhappy? If you have site-specific norms, you can strike a balance. A monument in an open area can have prohibited or regulated zones but one in crowded Shahpur Jat or Zamrudpur can have some relaxation.''

-The Times of India, 19th March 2013

A six-member expert committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal to determine 'sources' and 'extent' of pollution in Noida has taken cognizance of diesel generators operating in large numbers, due to lack of adequate power, for causing sound and air pollution. The committee, in its report submitted to the tribunal on Tuesday, has also held inoperative traffic signals and lack of traffic management responsible for causing vehicular jams which lead to air pollution.

The panel was formed by tribunal chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar in January during the hearing of a case pertaining to high pollution levels in Noida. The Noida Entrepreneurs' Association had pleaded in the case that industries alone are not responsible for rising pollution levels. However, punching holes into these claims, the panel has detected several industries functioning without proper effluent treatment plants, hazardous waste storage facilities and fume collection systems.

The survey lasted two weeks and the panel was led by the head & advisor of the control of pollution division of the Union environment ministry. Apart from a technical expert from IIT-Roorkee appointed by the Noida Authority, the panel also included member secretaries of theCentral Pollution Control Board and UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB).

The committee has recommended for creation of a 'comprehensive mobility plan' by Noida Authority for traffic management. As per the findings of the panel, there has been a manifold increase in the number of vehicles registered in Noida - from 16,276 in 2004 to 2,77,172 in 2012. The report states that "though construction of expressways, flyovers, underpasses and Metro rail have been undertaken to combat vehicular pollution, there are frequent jams, inoperative signals, etc." The panel has recommended a plan to reduce vehicular pollution that would include a traffic management master plan, an intelligent transport system and an efficient public transport system.

The committee has held diesel generators responsible for sound pollution, besides causing air pollution. The report states that "many industries are using old generators without acoustic enclosures. Similar problems exist in residential areas." The panel has recommended the UPPCB to initiate action against industries using generators that do not have sound-proofing mechanisms and adequate height of exhaust pipes. It has recommended the state power corporation for continuous supply of electricity to all areas.

The committee also found municipal solid waste littered at a few places and stated in its report that this not only gives a shabby appearance to the city but also releases foul stench, besides clogging storm-water drains. Noida generates 400 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily. "Noida Authority should implement a state-of-the-art solid waste management system. It should include the sludge management of storm-water drains," states the report. In addition, the committee has also recommended for a comprehensive storm-water management plan to be developed on the GIS platform.

To tackle industrial pollution, the panel has recommended for upgrading of effluent-treatment plants of industrial units and construction of physical barriers and watering of dusty roads around construction sites to prevent air pollution.

-The Times of India, 20th March 2013

Apex court specifies that air, water, sea and forests cannot be with private sector

A social republic like India cannot have water in private ownership and deny the citizens their right to quality water at affordable prices, said Justice Rajinder Sachar in New Delhi on Tuesday, criticising the Delhi Government's move to undertake three public-private partnership projects in the city.

Speaking at a conference on "Water Privatisation: Learning from India and International Experiences", Justice Sachar said: "There is nothing above the Constitution. The Preamble says India is a secular, socialist, Republic…and handing over ownership of water to private companies is cheating the Constitution."

He said the Government is obliged to adhere to the Supreme Court guidelines that have specified several times that air, water, sea and forests cannot be under private ownership. He disapproved of the Delhi Government's move to rope in private companies for doing work that is the State's responsibility.

Rebutting the Government claims that PPP will usher in changes in the water sector, Jammu Anand, an employee of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation Employees Union, cited the example of Nagpur where privatisation and the promise of 24x7 water supply has not shown any positive results.

"Before the privatisation exercise the Government claimed there was 50 per cent non-revenue water and 45 per cent leakages. They said the Government is in a financial crisis, not capable of arresting these faults and the municipality does not have the political will to do so. Today the leakages are still 30 per cent and no one knows why," he said.

Mr. Anand said the Government shrewdly chose a place for the pilot project in Nagpur that did not have a major water problem.

Also speaking at the conference organised by the Citizens' Front for Water Democracy, Focus on the Global South, PEACE, Delhi Journalists' Association, WS&SDEU and Water Workers' Alliance, Himanshu Thakkar of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People said the move to have a Water Resources Regulatory Authority that will among other things serve to decide the tariffs needs to be opposed as well. PPPs are being encouraged, he said, adding the only state in India which has a water regulatory authority is Maharashtra, where it has been a failure.

"Post-Independence the biggest water scam is in Maharashtra where Rs.75,000 crore has been shown spent on irrigation in the past 10 years but in reality not one hectare has been irrigated," he said.

S. A. Naqvi of the Citizens' Front for Water Democracy said despite evidence of privatisation not being a success globally, India is keen on moving ahead with privatisation in almost all sectors from energy to water. "Privatisation is a failed model, yet India is pushing forwards towards it. The Government, it seems, is distancing itself from its responsibility."

-The Hindu, 20th March 2013

Before rushing to the Delhi Assembly to present the annual budget, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit will make time and present specially created nests to a group of students on Wednesday morning to mark World Sparrow Day. The children will put these nests in schools. They will also adopt parks to monitor the hardly seen perky sparrows.

Environmentalists feel the Delhi government, which notified the sparrow as Delhi's state bird in October last year, needs to do much more. "The bird is a bio-indicator in the food chain. The disappearance of fields, bushes, trees, marshes and water bodies is triggering the extinction of species," said TK Roy, a bird expert.

A common bird monitoring project has completed a year. Mohammed Dilawar of Nature Forever Society said, "Monitoring was done across states and data was submitted by citizen scientists. Delhi registered monitoring at 170 locations, which is the highest in the country. It's encouraging, but more needs to be done."

"We're sensitising RWAs and schools through posters and calendars. We're creating special 'sparrow corners' in about 2,000 schools and holding expert lectures for students. We provide grants to NGOs in their conservation efforts," said BC Sabata of Delhi's environment department.

"People's interest has gone up in sparrow conservation. Monitoring has allowed us to compile data which was not possible earlier," he said.

There is an online portal (www.cbmi.in), where people can register themselves and monitor these birds. Through this, the government will have a distribution map which will help promote kitchen gardens and artificial nesting.

Loss of habitat due to rapid urbanisation is the main reason behind the absence of the sparrow, which was earlier often seen feeding on foodgrains, insects and worms. Radiation from cell phone towers, vehicular emission and lack of vegetable production along the river are other reasons.

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) will also monitor 40-50 common birds such as sparrows to know their population and area-specific distribution before it starts a conservation project.

-The Hindustan Times, 20th March 2013

Having scored high on the scale of affluence, environment remained Delhi's achilles heel, says the economic survey of Delhi for 2012-13.

The pollution levels in Delhi rose consistently while the forest cover went down.

The document points out that pollution and environmental degradation did not get as much attention as growth and development.

The ambient air quality in the Capital has deteriorated. The amount of sulphur-di-oxide tripled in 2011 as compared to 2010 while carbon monoxide levels also went up. The document also points that the ever-rising number of vehicles have been contributing to the rising noise pollution in the city.

Despite several action plans to clean Yamuna already in place, the 48-km stretch of the river flowing through the city remains highly polluted, the survey says. Water quality monitoring results indicate most drains are not meeting the prescribed standards of effluent treatment while industrial waste remained the main source of water pollution.

It is estimated that industrial activity in Delhi accounts for about 20 per cent of air pollution. The survey says industrial pollution needs to be reduced. "A scheme has been prepared to relocate industrial units from residential areas," it reads.

Vehicular pollution is another issue. The number of vehicles registered in Delhi has increased from 24.32 lakh in 1994-95 to more than 74 lakh in March 2013. The highest increase has been observed in the taxi segment where the number has gone up from 13,511 in 2004-05 to 69,780 in 2011-12.

Another matter of concern is solid waste. Delhi generates 8,500 tonnes of solid waste per day. The survey predicts that it is bound to increase due to economic and population growth. However, treating and managing this waste has become a headache with three of the four landfills in Delhi exhausting their lifespan.

The growing green cover in Delhi was the only silver lining. But the survey accounts for figures till only 2009. The latest forest survey of India report released last year says Delhi has lost green cover amounting to .38 sqm km to infrastructure projects.

As per the economic survey, Delhi is the first city in the country to set a mandate and brought out a detailed climate change agenda on the lines of national action plan for climate change released by the Union government.

-The Hindustan Times, 20th March 2013

The Delhi high court has ordered demolition of unauthorised construction on government land near Rai Pithora Fort, which is named after the second-last Hindu king of Delhi, Prithviraj Chauhan.

A bench headed by Justice GS Sistani directed the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to file a report by April 23, showing that the court's order to demolish the illegal structure by March 19 has been complied with.

The high court also directed that police protection be provided, if required, to the people who would be part of the demolition team.

The court's order was passed while hearing a plea filed by Delhi resident Paramjeet Singh seeking demolition of the illegal construction.

-The Pioneer, 22ND April 2013

Almost a thousand websites, many of them Indian, are at the centre of a new-age illegal trade in wildlife, promising home delivery of live animals, prized animal parts and rare medicinal plants from across nations through simple internet banking formats.

Finding itself in the midst of this transnational crime ring, India's Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has begun hiring cyber crime specialists to trail online wildlife smugglers. Specialists on hire come to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) backed with a Master's in computer science/ applications and specialisation in cyber crime forensics.

A preliminary inquiry by the bureau's cyber crime specialists has indicated that nearly a thousand websites are advertising sale and delivery of live animals and animal products protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and the global Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Based on initial research, a list of 200 websites being used for this illegal trade — most of them are popular shopping websites, online classifieds and free ad posting websites — has been drawn up.

"What makes things truly challenging is that the new age wildlife smuggler or seller is also very tech-savvy, so there's need to seek the services of cyber specialists. We began hiring two months ago. These specialists have found some 200 websites where specific instances of sellers marketing some endangered animals have been traced," an officer with the Ministry of Environment & Forests said.

"There are challenges because many of these weblinks are found to be hosted on proxy servers based in other countries. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau plans to write to these countries to seek assistance in tracing IP addresses and sources of these transactions. Sellers in most cases claim to be Indian or are sourcing the 'product' from Indians. In some cases, we also found fake IP addresses being used. So clearly, this is going to be an uphill task," the officer said.

-The Hindustan Times, 20th March 2013

Sparrows have become so rare in the capital that it seems not even Delhi's environment department can identify it correctly. The department's ad campaign on the occasion of World Sparrow Day on Wednesday carried a picture of the Eurasian tree sparrow, which is neither found in Delhi nor in most parts of India, mistaking it for the house sparrow.

It was an ironic reflection of the plight of the sparrow, declared Delhi's state bird last year when it had all but disappeared from the city.

The matter would have escaped attention but for the massive number of bird lovers in Delhi.

Some furious bird lovers called the environment department while a discussion was launched on social networking sites.

"How can anyone take the government's initiative to save the sparrow seriously when it makes such errors? The environment department is doing a lot of work but then their actions get negated with such errors. Calling it a state bird seems like a symbolic gesture," said Aarti Singh, a resident of Vasant Vihar.

The picture had been downloaded from the internet and while the environment department officials accepted the error, they said the idea was to depict a sparrow which is what the advertisement did.

Sparrow sightings rarer now "For a large part of the public, the bird in the ad is a sparrow and it becomes immaterial that it is the wrong species. We managed to get the message across. The difference would have been evident to only a trained eye. However, such an error should not happened and will recur in future," said an official.

The house sparrow is found in almost all parts of the world. The females are coloured pale brown and grey while males have brighter black, white, and brown markings. It is known to have live in human habitats for millennia. The Eurasian tree sparrow is roughly 10% smaller than the house sparrow. The adult bird has a rich chestnut crown and nape and a kidney-shaped black ear patch on each pure white cheek. The brown wings have two distinct narrow white bars. This bird breeds over most of temperate Eurasia and southeast Asia and is found in a very small part of the eastern coast in India.

Meanwhile, another study has confirmed the continuing decline of the sparrow in Delhi. A report titled 'House Sparrow Project' by Dr Asad Rehmani and Karthik K of the Bombay Natural History Society shows a higher number of people failed to sight any sparrow in Delhi NCR between 2005 and 2012, as compared to the period before 2005.

"Before 2005, most reports of sightings were highest for flocks of more than 30 birds. In 2005-2012, reports of such flock numbers were reported the least. This clearly shows a trend of decline in Delhi NCR, especially with regard to large house sparrow populations," said Karthik.

The report also says that the percentage of records for no nest sightings is higher between 2005 and 2012 compared to before 2005 while the percentage of records for occasional and frequent nest sightings is lower between 2005 and 2012 - again indicating a decline in the nesting space for these birds.

The study also found that the absence of house sparrows is more pronounced in the city centre as compared to rural areas.

Delhi government officials say that since the city adopted the sparrow as its state bird in October 2012, several initiatives have been launched to increase awareness among residents. "We have sent sensitization posters to RWAs and schools and distributed some nests among schools. All schools have also been asked to have sparrow corners. Many of them, under eco-club activities, are carrying out their own sensitization programmes," said a senior official of the environment department.

However, many feel that as Delhi's state bird, the sparrow needs more active help from the government to revive its falling numbers.

-The Times of India, 21st March 2013

Most people think of leopards as predators that live in forests except for a few that occasionally stray into human settlements. Breaking that myth, a new study has found that a large number of these big cats may be residing in human habitats, quietly sharing space with people in villages, farmlands and even on the edge of towns.

The study was conducted in a densely populated valley in Akole tehsil of Ahmednagar district in western Maharashtra, where researchers set up camera traps in 40 locations for a month to gather evidence of wildlife in this prosperous sugarcane belt.

The results were startling. A total of 81 leopard images were captured across a sampled area of 179 sq km, in which five distinct adult males and six adult females were identified.

Two females were clicked with cubs and a third gave birth six months later — all in an area with a population density of 357 people per square km.

Using a GIS-based software, the researchers estimated animal density at five leopards (4.8) per 100 sq km. That's not all. As many striped hyaenas (5.03/100sq km) were found in the area, taking the number of large predators in the landscape to 10 per 100 sq km. The findings were published on March 6 in the Public Library of Science journal.

"Nowhere in the world have such large number of big predators been reported in such densely populated human landscape," said Vidya Athreya, a wildlife biologist with Wildlife Conservation Society, India, who is the lead author of the study carried out in collaboration with the Maharashtra forest department.

The big cat's density in Akole tehsil was found to be higher than some national parks. In Rajaji, for instance, distribution of leopards is reported to be just 2.07/100 sq km following an increase in tiger numbers. Overall, leopard density in India's protected forests is 15/100 sq km.

Athreya said with the nearest protected forest some 18km away, there was little doubt that the big cats were living in "human areas", mainly in sugarcane fields. "The leopards were marking their territories on roads and on bunds in sugarcane fields. This was as much their land as it was of the people," she said.

During daytime, the felines would sit very still in the fields, often just a few hundred metres from houses. "However, the night made the leopard king. They even went close to houses to kill dogs, cats and goats," Athreya reported.

Akole tehsil is by no means an isolated example. Athreya said leopards can be found across the sugarcane belts of western Maharashtra, Gujarat and western UP, as well as the tea-growing areas of Bengal, Assam and south India.

Remarkably, no human deaths were reported from the study area. Athreya believes this is so because the leopard population in the area is more or less settled. "Leopards instinctively shun humans. That's particularly true of an animal that has grown up in the same area. We found one of our radio-collared leopards visited a particular house every few days without ever disturbing its residents, who sleep in the open," she said.

In contrast, serious leopard attacks were reported from neighbouring forested areas which happen to be close to administrative borders. Athreya believes most of these attacks were because big cats trapped in human habitats were often released in these areas. "A relocated leopard is disoriented and unpredictable," she added.

The study calls for a shift in the concept of conservation, which is focused solely on protected areas. "The presence of big predators in human landscapes throws up challenges which conservationists haven't yet begun to understand," Athreya said.

-The Times of India, 21st March 2013

On the Spring Equinox, science enthusiasts and students in the city marked the occurrence with a unique experiment. They replicated an ancient experiment by measuring the circumference of earth on Wednesday at the giant sundial near Barapullah.

Science Popularization Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE) organized the event under Project Paridhi which aims to popularize astronomy among youngsters. Participants took measurements of the shadows made by the sun on the sundial using paper markers. The shortest shadow was measured and then used to calculate the circumference of the earth. The process was based on calculations done 2,300 years ago by an astronomer, Eratosthenes. Spring or Vernal equinox day marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the night and day are of equal length.

"Some children used the shadow of a small gnomons or sticks and had .5% error while the group that used the giant sundial had a 4% error. The original circumference is 40,075 kms and our experiment helped students understand how it is done," said Mila Mitra who guided students.

Students said that they found the calculations tough but fun. "All of us want to take up science so these experiments are useful. It's very sunny today but we still enjoyed conducting the experiment," said Parikshit and Amaan, students of DPS International School.

- The Times of India, 21st March 2013

Efforts By The Pollution Control Board To Improve Groundwater Quality In Ghaziabad Have Proved Futile So Far

The contamination of groundwater in and around Ghaziabad's industrial areas has become a cause of concern, apart from reports of its fast deteriorating air quality. All remediation efforts to improve the groundwater quality have so far been futile, say residents of the area.

Efforts by an expert committee set up by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) and the Ghaziabad District Magistrate to improve groundwater quality in Sahibabad Industrial Area, Lohia Nagar and in colonies adjoining Hindon River has proved to be unsuccessful for last one year.

So far, over Rs. 12 crore has been spent without any substantial result; chromium that mixes with groundwater and turns it into red or dark brown is still found in same concentration as one year ago, said water experts Vikrant Sharma and Vijaypal Baghel, who have been actively campaigning for improving groundwater quality in Sahibabad area as a large section of population still depend on polluted groundwater for their daily use.

Explaining why there has been no major success in the project, they said it cannot be purified as the water inside the earth flows in streams and removing it would also lead to shrinking of water table.

In 2001, deep bore wells started belching red coloured water in Lohia Nagar, exposing residents to alarming levels of contamination. The residents complained about dumping of untreated water by at least four industries just two km away from the colony.

Former State Minister Rajpal Tyagi said that even his letters on the issue to the UPPCB and the district administration went unnoticed. "All my letters were thrown in the dustbin…I then raised the issue in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly in 2001, after which a committee was constituted by the member secretary of UPPCB for action to be taken," he said.

One solution adopted by the industries was to remove all contaminated groundwater, but it led to depletion in groundwater level.

According to UPPCB Regional Manager T.U. Khan, some tanneries and factories manufacturing pistons and bearings had discharged untreated water which percolated into the ground, thus polluting groundwater. Later, the UPPCB officials sealed all the deep bore wells in C-Block of Lohia Nagar and took samples of hand-pump water and bore wells. The test report proved that there was chromium in the groundwater beyond the permissible limit and the water was declared unfit for drinking. A plant was then set up by the polluting industries following a UPPCB order. However, current test reports show that chromium level has not been reduced to the extent of permissible limit.

Sachin Soni, a resident of Lohia Nagar, said the exposure to contaminated groundwater was causing severe ailments to poor residents who cannot afford to purchase water from private tankers.

-The Hindu, 21st March 2013

Prior to 2008, residents of the God's Gift cooperative housing society in Lower Parel, Mumbai, often indulged in early morning quarrels while standing in long queues to collect their quota of water. With only limited supply and inflated bills, residents felt the crunch on a daily basis.

It was then that members of the society, which houses 100 middle-class Maharashtrian families, decided to overcome their water woes by adopting water conservation techniques. After reading about successful techniques that have been used around the globe, the society chose to write its own success story.

Today, a ring well, a bore well and a rainwater harvesting system all fixed inside the society premises have ensured 24x7 supply of non-potable water.

The water that is collected is used for gardening, washing cars, dishwashing and to run the toilet flush.

"It has been five years since we last experienced a water crunch in our society. We have been conserving water without seeking any help from the civic body," said Nilesh Kosambi, 38, a resident of the society.

With no maintenance costs to pay for, the society had to incur an initial cost of only Rs.1.25 lakh at the time of setting up the system.

While initially the society had only installed the two wells, the desire to replenish the water drawn from mother Earth made them consider the option of rainwater harvesting.

"While the first two mechanisms ensured that there was continuous water supply, we wanted to conserve water for the future by making use of the rainwater," said Kosambi. The society approached the Eureka Institute of Environment for guidance, and soon set up a successful rainwater harvesting system.

Through this system, the society has managed to conserve 7 lakh litres of rainwater every year, which falls on the terraces and is collected through ducts in the ground. With the state experiencing drought and the water stock for the city insufficient on account of receding lake levels, it is the society's state-of-the-art conservation system that has helped it sustain water supply without any trouble.

"Even on those days when the supply from the municipal corporation is restricted, we filter the conserved water and use it for potable purposes," said Ajay Rane, 43, another resident.

Stories of cooperation between communities such as this abound. Across the country, given the dire water situation in most metros, citizens are taking water conservation seriously, to safeguard future supplies.

Water warriors

Another such example is at Sitaramanuja Nivas, a small residential building on the intersection of 4th Main Road and Canal Bank Road in south Chennai.

For VS Sukumar, 66, a chartered accountant whose grandfather owned the plot on which these flats have come up, rainwater harvesting and used-water management were factored in from the drawing-board stage itself.

It was Sukumar's childhood friend and rainwater harvesting expert Sekhar Raghavan who had got Sukumar immersed in the campaign to popularise this water conservation technique.

"At first, I was thought to be a mad man, talking nonsense. Chowkidars in multi-storey buildings would shoo me away," Raghavan said. Convincing people of the need for harvesting was seemingly impossible.

It was the friendly neighbourhood newspaper that gave credibility to his campaign. Soon, he caught the attention of a group of young NRIs, whose contributions helped start the Rain Centre in 2000.

In five years, Raghavan earned many converts, including builders, to harvest rainwater in their buildings.

For rain-starved Chennai which has no perennial water source, rainwater forms an important source for the city.

Chennai gets 129 cm of rain in a year and its duration is for two months, in short spells of a few days. Urbanisation has meant paving of huge areas that once had soil. So, rainwater flows away into the sewers.

But Sitaramanuja Nivas is a classic example where every drop of rainwater gets diverted into the ground, where it percolates and spreads. Rainwater from rooftops also flows into the same water pits.

All soapy water is collected and taken to a flower garden where plants that grow in brackish water are planted.

"40% of the water we use is for bathing and washing clothes — if treated in a cana bed (a water treatment system) and allowed to seep into the ground, the water table will become healthier," Raghavan said.

"Not even a single day since these flats were occupied in mid 2010, has a water tanker been called," Sukumar said, as proof of the efficacy of the steps taken.

-The Hindustan Times, 22nd March 2013

With the aim to capture and purify the landfill gas being emitted uncontrolled from the Okhla landfill site by use of indigenous technology, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), in association with Jamia Millia Islamia, launched a report on Thursday that demonstrates how captured landfill gas (LFG) can be used as a source of energy.

In the pilot demonstration, conducted from March to November 2011, an active landfill gas collection system was employed, which comprised a series of vertical wells (similar to water bore wells) to extract LFG. The system also had an optimal well spacing for maximum gas collection along with a piping network and blowers to connect the methane produced by the landfill; and a treatment and conditioning system.

Supported by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), the report says the project will help in reducing the risk of uncontrolled methane emissions from the landfill, a potential green house gas.

The demonstration was conducted at the Okhla landfill, spreading over 16.2 hectares and comprising biodegradable waste, non-biodegradable waste, recyclables, silt, construction demolition waste, and biomedical waste.

"With rapid urbanization, areas under landfill are expanding rapidly, thus compounding the environmental challenge we face. The development of such technologies provides sustainable solutions for dealing with this serious problem," Dr R K Pachauri, director general of TERI, said.

The Okhla site neither has a landfill gas collection system nor a leachate collection and treatment system. "Such waste disposal sites close to residential areas need urgent attention to address the issue of methane emission," Najeeb Jung, vice chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, said.

According to the MCD, about 1,600 tonnes of municipal waste is being deposited at the Okhla landfill site per day. About 90 per cent of the landfill is covered with waste, with an average height of about 27 metres above ground level. The landfill does not have a system to manage surface water drainage, which results in rain water flowing directly into the adjoining surface water drains.

Titled 'Demonstration of Clean Technology for Landfill Gas Recovery from the Okhla Waste Disposal site', the study recommends that the Ministry of Urban Development work with state governments to build their capacity in order to implement LFG to energy recovery projects.

It also suggests that the MoEF and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy work together to develop the incentives required to promote the use of LFG as renewable energy from landfills.

-The Pioneer, 22nd March 2013

In order to give a clean and green look to the surroundings of the River Yamuna, which has been polluted with filth and debris, the National Green Tribunal has entrusted a high-powered committee constituted by it to suggest measures to develop the banks of the river.

A bench headed by tribunal chairperson, Justice Swatanter Kumar, passed these orders upon the committee on Thursday while hearing upon a case filed by Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan (YJA). The petition filed by YJA convener, Manoj Mishra, had alleged that dumping of debris and construction material on the riverbed near the Pushta area was resulting in ecological damage to the region besides polluting the river water.

The high-powered committee, formed by the tribunal in January this year to suggest measures for freeing the river from pollution, is headed the secretary of the Union Environment Ministry. It also comprises additional secretary of the ministry apart from the secretaries of the environment department of Delhi and the UP irrigation department.

The committee has been asked to submit the proposals before the next date of hearing scheduled for April 23. The vice-chairman of DDA has been directed to finalize a complete set of proposals for beautification of the riverbanks on the next meeting of the committee.

-The Times of India, 22nd March 2013

A standard operating procedure (SOP) to deal with the emergency arising due to the straying of tigers in human-dominated areas has been issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), stipulating the imposition of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in the area of its operation.

The SOP, intended for the forest departments of all States, has already been notified by the Kerala Forest Department. It was designed by the NTCA in the wake of an incident on December 2, 2012, at Wayanad, when a team from the Forest Department shot a male tiger that strayed into areas inhabited by human beings.

The SOP underlines that "under no circumstance should a tiger be eliminated by invoking the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, if it isn't habituated to causing human casualties. But confirmed man-eaters should be eliminated as per the statutory provisions under Section 11 of the Act".

Therefore, while forest authorities engage in dealing with straying of tigers and even leopards into human-dominated areas, crowding by local people should be avoided by clamping prohibitory orders. Authorities should ensure to proactively involve the district administration and the local police in the area at an early stage. Clamping prohibitory orders is essential to avoid agitation of the local people surrounding the animal's location, which will hamper the capture operation and can also result in serious injuries to the staff and the people, the SOP notes.

It can even result in incidents like the one that took place at Wayanad. "Effective coordination with the district administration and police is critical to control crowds." If an area is habitually prone to livestock predation by big cats, the Forest Department has to take up research to assess the reasons for frequent tiger emergencies. Under no circumstance should a captured tiger, if it is found to be injured or incapacitated, be released into the forest. It should be sent to a recognised zoo. But if a captured tiger is healthy, without injuries, it should be released after radio collaring, into a suitable habitat with an adequate prey base.

-The Hindu, 22nd March 2013

On Friday —International Water Day — 25 corners of the city will witness a unique sight as volunteers posing as statues will stand numb in a bid to depict people experiencing water scarcity and create awareness on the issue.

Organised by the Forum for Organised Resource Conservation and Enhancement (FORCE), along with United Nations Information Centre for India and Bhutan and Plan India, the event will be flagged off by chief minister Sheila Dikshit from her residence.

The volunteers will stand at various points, including Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi, Kashmere Gate, Vishwavidyalaya, Chattarpur, AIIMS and Kailash Colony Metro stations, Ryan School Vasant Kunj, Mandakini Enclave Alakananda, India Habitat Centre (Gate 3), Delhi Secretariat, Jantar Mantar and Lodhi Garden.

According to the organisers, the 25 male and female statues will sport four looks — Rajasthani woman with an empty pot, slum dweller with an empty bucket, a farmer with a sickle and a help washing vessels.

"Each of them will depict a facet of water. They will have a 'kalash' and a 'keep your promise to save water, share water' petition. Prizes and public acknowledgment will be given to the human statues that fetch maximum support (as signatures on petition) for the cause," one of the organisers said.

She said politicians, industry and civil society organisations had all promised targeted interventions at high-profile national and international forums to make safe water available. Now, it is high time to reflect whether these promises have been kept, she added.

Titled STOP, THINK….WALK FOR WATER 2013, this event has a second segment in which a brainstorming session —WASH Café — will be organised at Maple Hall, India Habitat Centre.

-The Hindustan Times, 22nd March 2013

In the wake of the fact that 35 cities across India have partially or fully launched water privatisation projects, activists and water workers have formed a group - National Coalition Against Water Privatisation - to launch a public awareness programme on water rights.

Delhi has already embarked on three pilot water privatisation projects.

Convinced that corruption was the main driving force behind the government's move to privatise water in the garb of public private partnership (PPP) models, activists from as many as 37 cities, NGO representatives and water workers' unions held a meeting to discuss the role of civil society and activists in preventing privatisation of water.

"Full or partial, the water sector in more than 35 cities has been privatised and efforts are on to go ahead with similar schemes in another 80 cities. We plan to launch a protest campaign throughout India as activists and NGOs from across the country are keen to fight it out," said Afsar Jafri of Focus on Global South.

SA Naqvi of Citizens Front for Water Democracy alleged that people are paying for 'corruption vis-à-vis privatisation' in terms of enhanced tariff without getting any service."

"Despite people's opposition, governments across the country are forcing privatisation agenda on the public. There are various groups in different cities raising voice against water privatisation and it is time now to unite," Sanjay Sharma of Water Workers' Alliance said.

-The Hindustan Times, 22nd March 2013

Nearly 2,000 children around the globe, under the age of five, die every day from diarrhoeal diseases linked to unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene, with 24 per cent of the deaths occurring in India alone, a UN report has warned.

Globally, an estimated 2,000 children under the age of five die every day from diarrhoeal diseases and of these some 1,800 deaths are linked to water, sanitation and hygiene, according to the report.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) child mortality data reveals that about half of under-five deaths occur in only five countries: India, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Pakistan and China.

Two countries - India (24 per cent) and Nigeria (11 per cent) - together account for more than a third of all under-five deaths. These same countries also have significant populations without improved water and sanitation.

Of the 783 million people worldwide without improved drinking water, there are 119 million in China, 97 million in India; 66 million in Nigeria, 36 million in DRC; and 15 million in Pakistan.

The figures for sanitation are even bleaker. Those without improved sanitation in these countries are: India 814 million; China 477 million, Nigeria 109 million; Pakistan 91 million; and DRC 50 million.

As the world celebrates World Water Day today, UNICEF has urged governments, civil society and ordinary citizens to remember that behind the statistics are the faces of children.

Despite a burgeoning global population, these deaths have come down significantly over the last decade, from 1.2 million per year in 2000 to about 760,000 a year in 2011. However, UNICEF said that is still too many.

"Sometimes we focus so much on the big numbers, that we fail to see the human tragedies that underlie each statistic," said Sanjay Wijesekera, global head of UNICEF's water, sanitation and hygiene programme.

"If 90 school buses filled with kindergartners were to crash every day, with no survivors, the world would take notice. But this is precisely what happens every single day because of poor water, sanitation and hygiene," Wijesekera said in a statement.

"The numbers can be numbing, but they represent real lives, of real children. Every child is important. Every child has the right to health, the right to survive, the right to a future that is as good as we can make it," said Wijesekera.

Wijesekera said the progress already made since 1990 shows that with the political will, with investment, with a focus on equity and on reaching the hardest to reach, every child should be able to get access to improved drinking water and sanitation, perhaps within a generation.

- The Asian Age, 23rd March 2013

The Rajasthan Government will take stringent action on the complaints on conversion of land in the green belts and the use of such land for construction of buildings and commercial activities. The Rajasthan High Court has imposed a ban on land conversion in green belts since December 2010.

State Urban Development Minister Shanti Dhariwal said during Question Hour in the Assembly on Friday that no permission for land conversion or construction in green belts had been given at six divisional headquarters since December 2010. Land conversion was being allowed at other places in the State, he added.

Mr. Dhariwal informed the House that information about the entire Jodhpur district was called after a question on the subject was listed in the Assembly. "No complaints of violation were received from Bilara, Phalodi and Shergarh. A hotel building was sealed and a fine of Rs. 43,710 was imposed on it when it was found [to be] constructed in the green belt," he said.

The Minister said a committee headed by the Additional Chief Secretary earlier used to give permission for land conversion following the Local Self-Government Department's recommendation. "After the High Court order, no such permission has been granted," he said.

-The Hindu, 23rd march 2013

Organic foods are gaining popularity in India for their health and environmental benefits but they are also facing challenges such as high cost and fake products.

Various studies have established that organic foods have higher nutritive value than the conventionally grown foods.

"Many studies conducted have found that micronutrients such as minerals or vitamins such as B complex and vitamin C are found to be higher in organic food than conventional," said Ritika Sammadar, Regional Head-Dietetics, Max Healthcare.

But the veracity of this claim is yet to be established as a recent study by the Stanford University found "little evidence that organically grown food is more nutritious than conventionally grown ones."

However, there is little dispute over the fact that organically grown foods have much lower volumes of disease-inducing pesticides. "I believe organic food is the reason why my family does not need medicines and why we don't fall sick very often," said Reena Gupta, an organic eater.

The fact that chemicals are not used in growing foods organically, causing little harm to the soil, makes organic foods a darling of environmentalists.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, organic farming reduces the risk of groundwater and soil pollution due to its non-use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Therefore, organic farming is hailed as the best form of sustainable agriculture. Research has shown that organic farming helps combat global warming as it captures the carbon dioxide and incorporates it into the soil through a process called sequestration.

Animal lovers are also turning to organic food as its practices prohibit injecting animals with growth hormones.

Whatever maybe the perceived benefits of organic food, consumers are still deterred by the high prices. However, this is because of various unavoidable factors.

Since no chemicals are involved, organic foods require more labour for the same output, which pushes up production cost. Post-harvest costs are high because organic produce needs to be separated from conventional produce and cost of transportation is high since volumes are low. "The market is still underdeveloped. Also, there are hardly any subsidies available for organic farming," said Ayesha Grewal of the Altitude Store.

Another problem is fake products. "The problem with the Indian organic food market is sticker marketing. Just because you put a sticker on a product calling it organic, does not necessarily mean it has been certified so," says Sunil Kumar, assistant general manager, sales and marketing, Morarka Organics.

Organic food is certified so by agencies such as INDOCERT, ECOCERT and SGS.

CASE STUDIES

Delhiites giving organic twist to kitchen gardens

Reena Gupta, Resident of Sarvodaya Enclave, grower of organic vegetables

Alarmed by the toxic contents of food available in the market, many Delhi residents have started growing food the organic way in their own homes.

Whether in pots on the terrace or in a patch of land in the backyard, many Delhiites have taken up urban organic farming. One such farmer is Reena Gupta.

After working for several years in rural development for the World Bank, Gupta saw firsthand the harmful effects of synthetic pesticides in food. She switched to organic food 10 years ago due to health concerns. In fact, her son has only eaten organic food all his life.

But only eating organic was not enough so she began growing her own food two years ago. "I wanted to be sure of what we were eating. Also, I was interested in the process of growing food," she said.

She has a small patch of land on her terrace where she grew brinjal, radish, carrot, fenugreek, spinach, lady finger, mustard, basil, cherry tomato and beans. She uses compost from her kitchen or animal waste as manure and uses a combination of tobacco and neem to keep pests away.

Giving back what's due to the earth

People who gave up jobs and made organic their business

Ganesh Eashwar quit a corporate job and took up organic farming in 1988.

Eashwar, along with his wife Jayashree, bought a wasteland in Bangalore to start growing food the organic way. "We take so much from the earth and none of us ever think of giving it back," he said.

"You don't put poison in what you eat, so why would you put it in what you grow?" he asked.

Lack of a market for organic products led them to open their retail store Dubdengreen in the city in 2003.

They source their material from farmers all over the country, most of which is certified organic.

It was with the same intention of finding buyers for organic farmers that Ayesha Grewal opened The Altitude Store at the end of 2009.

"After working towards environmental sustainability in rural areas for many years, I realized that the biggest problem for organic farmers was access to markets. I also found that there was a demand for organics in urban areas. The store was a good opportunity to become a bridge between the two worlds," she said.

-The Hindustan Times, 24th March 2013

The way bad news gets reported in the newspapers these days, it gives an impression that all that is happening in the country is rape, loot, murder, mayhem, midnight brawls, wife-beating and match-fixing. The daily dose of horror stories is enough to push a shrink to the brink and make him seek some serious counselling.

But such despondency is uncalled for because India continues to be a paradise, a safe place to live — provided one prays four times a day, avoids Noida during the day and Juhu pubs during night, does not walk into terrorists' hideouts at strategic locations, does not argue with auto drivers in Chennai or cross the main road more than twice a day. Further, a lot of good things do happen around us. But every editor thinks that it is his solemn duty to give readers a taste of hell before they get there.

Every evening, the editorial team meets with great enthusiasm to decide what would go into the next day's edition. The confabulations proceed along the following lines: The editor says, "What have you got today? Anything interesting?"

A reporter blurts out with excitement: "I have a great story. Two young Indian mountaineers have scaled Mt Everest from the south face and hoisted the Indian tricolour atop it. The heroic feat could inspire millions of young minds."

The editor flares up, "Are you mad? We are here to sell the newspaper, not inspire people. I want something sensational!"

Another reporter shouts gleefully, "Sir, what about this? A man living in south Delhi threw his wife out of his bedroom window and she landed on her mother's car. She was rushed to the hospital where the surgeons operated and left a scissor inside her belly."

The editor smiles, "Yes, this seems to be a gripping story full of action, passion and emotion. Talk to that guy and find out if this is the standard method he uses to send his wife to her mother's place. Ask a few psychiatrists what sort of a traumatic experience in childhood can make a man throw his wife out of the window when he grows up into an adult. Get in touch with the surgeons and find out whether they are going to include the cost of the scissor in the patient's bill."

Another reporter says, "I have some interesting stories. An Indian astronomer has reportedly found some life forms on Mars."

The editor is not impressed: "There is so much life all around us and we have no idea how to handle it. Why bother about life in some distant planets? Spike the story."

The man from the metro desk reads out a story filed by a reporter from Noida with a puzzled look on his face, "This afternoon, the people of Noida took out a grand procession to celebrate the death of a 50-year-old man. The report gives a detailed description of the family he headed, the servants who worked at their home and the name of the doctor who attended to him. It sounds positively insipid to me."

The editor smiles, "This is Noida. A person dying a natural death is an uncommon event here. Take the story."

"Here are some more. A municipal corporator spat paan on the opposition leader's shirt. A drunken driver ran over three persons sleeping on the pavement."

"Ha! At last some good stuff. Let's have a graphic showing step-by-step how the paan-spitting would have occurred. Talk to the drunken driver and find out how he missed the two other people sleeping nearby. Splash this stuff all over the front page and push Manmohan Singh's Myanmar visit to the inside pages where no one will see."

-The Times of India, 24th March 2013

What if one could travel back in time and relive the glorious Rajaputana heritage —that era of opulence and grandeur, imposing forts and palaces, brave warriors and beautiful princesses? Well, approximately 180 km from Delhi is a royal residence — Patan Mahal — that welcomes you for a short escape from the everyday city humdrum.

This heritage resort is located amidst the Aravalli Mountains in the city of Patan, Rajasthan, approximately five hours by road from Delhi via Koltpulti Sikar road.

The 200-year-old Rajputana fort built in red stone is where leisure meets luxury, and quite surprisingly at an economical price. The Patan Mahal is strategically built in a lush valley formed by mountains on three sides, and it is home to the royal family of Rao Digvijay Singh.

The heritage home has 19 suites that display the regal Rajasthani architecture with decorative chhattris, huge stained glass windows and large wooden antique doors.

One can experience the ancient royal lifestyle in its true sense as the hospitality of the hosts and the interesting décor of the palace will transport you in a different time zone.

The maharaja beds with colourful tie-and-dye bedspreads, vintage oak chairs and tables, elaborate glass chandeliers, and black-and-white chequered marble flooring give an interesting insight into the lifestyle of the royal era.

If you observe carefully the well-preserved antique table pieces and the huge photos of rulers in gilt frames will also speak volumes about the rich past of this ancient palace.

After exploring the royal residence, one can step out in the vicinity and take a dip in the pool. Or one can also go for a stroll in the backyard farms and gardens, where the palace staff grow fruits and vegetables.

If adventure is your thing, you can opt for a long trek in the adjoining mountain range and salute the rising sun from the ruins of the ancient 800-year-old Badal Mahal.

After an adventurous day, in the evening one can savour the delicious Rajasthani cuisine in the courtyard and enjoy the local folk music under the starry skyline.

-The Asian Age, 24th March 2013

Whenever high-profile criminal cases such as the Commonwealth Games and 2G scams, the Jessica Lal case or for that matter the Vikas Yadav-Nitish Katara case are mentioned, the name 'Patiala House Courts' makes repeated rounds.

But how many people have pondered about the 'Patiala' connection with a legal building? Situated at the junction where Tilak Marg and the Purana Qila roads meet the India Gate C-Hexagon, 'Patiala House' was formerly the palatial residence of the Maharaja of Patiala (in Punjab).

Part of the Central Vista, this building, built in the 1930s, has a central dome with a butterfly layout, similar to other buildings of the Lutyen's zone. Today it houses the District Courts complex for New Delhi district.

'Delhi The Built Heritage: A Listing' describes it as: 'A double-storeyed building, the central portion is emphasised with a domed pavilion on the terrace and a projecting porch.

Over the upper storey, there is a projecting chajja running the entire length of the oldbuilding.'

It has seen interesting occupants ever since the Maharaja vacated it.

"When former PM Prime Minister Indira Gandhi abolished the Privy Purses of the erstwhile royals in 1970s, this was acquired by the government. Delhi High Court was run from here earlier and from 1978, it is the district court," said advocate Karan Singh, who also has a chamber in the court complex.

There have been no additions to the original structures but temporary chambers have been built on the sides, Singh claimed.

-The Hindustan Times, 24th March 2013

I wonder what constitutes the perfect artistic and aesthetic experience. Is it a wistfully perfect work of art? Is it the scintillating experience of hearing Pandit Bhimsen Joshi sing raga Puriya? Is it seeing Pandit Birju Maharaj dance an amazing abstract paran? Is it a wonderful conversation with a kindred soul? Is it a gastronomic delight of your favourite comfort food? It is mind-blowing sex? Is it a hilarious joke well told or a witty repartee? To my mind the answer is all of the above, but not necessarily in the same order or at the same phase of one's life span. The various passages of the chronological age have different needs and demands, which can be only fulfilled by that specific artistic and aesthetic experience. These thoughts came unbidden last week as most of my mind space was taken up with mulling over many of these issues.

Talking of mind spaces, I have just received the lavishly produced and fabulously designed book Nataraja — The Divine Dance of the Cosmos by Kathak danseuse Shovana Narayan and Kamal Kishore Mishra, brought out by Shubhi Publications. I am simply humbled by the sheer array of Natarajas in stone and metal all over the country that Shovana has managed to collect in the book. The publication explores the iconic god of the Hindu pantheon from the points of view of the various traditions of thought, its underlying philosophy and symbolism. It covers the entire gamut from the Nataraja in Chidambaram to Suva, Fiji to Yogaville in US.

It takes into account the recent discovery of the fourth century BC Prakrit Ashokanbrahmin script with reference to Lord Adinath at Varanasi. Nataraja's dynamic presence and coalesces myth and movement from the outer to the inner to cover the very essence of Indian understanding the relationship of the spirit and the senses. Shiva's dance eternal and timeless as it moves in space and beyond. Kudos to Shubhi for this wonderfully detailed publication that is of interest to performing artistes, sculptors and scholars.

Transporting culture is difficult. Like translating a book set in a specific cultural milieu where one can get the words right but not the flavour of the cultural context of the words, I went with zero expectations to check out the new West Asian place in town Zerzura. I must say that having zero expectations helps. Everything is a bonus afterwards! But jokes apart, the interiors were extremely well-designed and the food exquisite and subtle. I think the global trend to go in for gentle palettes is catching on in our cosmopolitan cities and changing tastes surely and definitely. And the superb belly dancing was the high point of my and my tiny niece's existence that evening. She thought they were fairies and I didn't have the heart to break her heart!

I rather like the new trend of mixing two things in one evening — I wonder if it is part of the net surfers and channel surfers' mindset that is unable to focus and constantly has one hand on the remote to flip channels. Gallery Ragini had a fashion show in the Claridges garden set with paintings and sculptures for their annual show and instead of being mere props, the art bestowed gravitas to the proceedings. I certainly wish the clothes were more arty, but then Nidhi tells me that arty clothes don't fly off the shelves. When will young Indian women re-wake up to traditional weaves and gorgeous hand-woven works of art to drape? I certainly wish we don't go the kimono way...at least the Japanese have set up kimono museums; we will just end up losing it...

-The Asian Age, 25th March 2013

Geckoella Jeyporensis or Jeyporeground gecko, an enigmatic lizard from the Eastern Ghats which was considered extinct, has been rediscovered after 135 years, according to naturalists at the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) in Mumbai.

This species was recently rediscovered in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, the results of which have been published in journal 'Hamadryad', the product of two years of collaborative work between scientists from Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore; Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai and Villanova University, USA.

This gecko, a lizard of the family Gekkonidae, is morphologically unique and was known only from a single male specimen collected in 1877 by British Colonel, RH Beddome, from the Jeypore Hills (in Orissa).

Though subsequent efforts were made by researchers, scientists and nature enthusiasts, this species was not seen in the intervening 130 plus years, naturalist Varad Giri told PTI.

The story of the rediscovery began in 2008-2009, when a PhD student at CES, Ishan Agarwal, began working on the genus Geckoella. Ishan was desperate to find this lost species in order to understand more about its evolutionary history, he said.

The first steps toward rediscovering the species involved a lot of homework, poring over the scanty published information on the species, in an effort to retrace the journey Colonel Beddome made in the Eastern Ghats over a century ago, Giri said. The only clues on the whereabouts of this species were from its original description, which said that this species was collected under a rock in a forest at 4,200 ft on 'Patinghe Hill, Jeypore' in the Eastern Ghats, he said.

Finally, in 2010, a team from CES embarked on a field trip to try and locate this species. The team included two members of Karanth Lab, CES, Ishan Agarwal and Aniruddha Datta-Roy and their field assistant, Tarun Khichi.

The team wasn't very optimistic about finding the species, as it hadn't been seen for so many years and they had searched various places in Koraput district for this species with no luck.

As Ishan later put it, "it takes persistence and just a little bit of luck," and so it was that one day of hard work by four people paid off with the rediscovery of 'Geckoella jeyporensis' (the lizard).

The team reassembled in 2011 with Praveen Karanth, V Deepak and Prudhviraj, for another field trip through high elevations of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and against all odds were able to find the species again from a different locality in Andhra Pradesh, Giri said.

While Ishan and Aniruddha were the main people involved in fieldwork, Varad Giri of the Bombay Natural History Society and Aaron Bauer of Villanova University studied the taxonomy of the species.

Giri stated "this species is unique among Indian Geckos as it has enlarged, hexagonal, plate like scales across the back." This is one of the most beautiful Indian Geckos, with an orangey-brown dorsum with a series of large, chocolate brown dorsal blotches." Interestingly, besides being morphologically unique and endemic to a region not traditionally known to harbour many endemics, this species appears restricted to a very specialised habitat in the Eastern Ghats, semi-evergreen forests above 1000m elevation.

The authors of the study conclude that the Eastern Ghats are more biodiverse than previously thought.

While this is doubtlessly a notable discovery, the study by them says, "In many ways, the rediscovery of Geckoella jeyporensis is symptomatic of herpetological research in India. There are a number of species that have not been recorded since their original descriptions or are known from few localities." "While some of these species may be intrinsically rare, range-restricted or infrequently encountered due to ecological traits such as seasonality, fossoriality or arboreality (high canopy species); many so-called lost species have simply not been searched for by trained field biologists."

This underscores the need for basic biodiversity inventory across India, especially in areas that have been relatively less studied such as the Eastern Ghats.

Additionally, the areas this Gecko was found in are under severe anthropogenic pressures and are not formally protected. There has been severe deforestation, conversion of forest to coffee plantations and for agriculture, and there are imminent threats of mining in the region, it said.

"From this it is clear that even basic data on Indian biodiversity is lacking, we do not even know what species we have in India or where they are found; and time is running out for many species in the wake of immense changes in the natural system triggered by the human species.

"There is an urgent need for trained biologists to undertake country-wide surveys on a number of groups," says Giri.

-The Hindustan times, 25th March 2013

Easter was a time for charity and parties for Delhi's who's who

Easter garden parties were a special feature during the days of the Raj. One hundred years ago notices were put out in the newspapers (for donation of clothes and other discarded articles to the poor) through the letters' to the editor column during spring cleaning before the festival and the subsequent departure of the sahib-logs to England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland to escape the hot weather. One such letter dated 11 March, 1913 signed by a pastor from Mission Row, Calcutta, says that on receipt of a postcard a "chuprasi" would be sent to collect the goods from donors.

In Delhi too such communications were not uncommon. Here instead of Mission Row, it was the pastors of St Stephen's Church, Fatehpuri, members of the CMS Victoria Zenana Mission, Jama Masjid and the residents and missionaries of Kashmere Gate who issued appeals for charity to those going to Old Blighty or the hills, particularly Shimla, where the Viceroy and his secretariat moved from Calcutta during the summer months (something like the annual shift of the J & K Government from Jammu to Srinagar).

But before that it was time for garden parties on the Ridge, in Nizamuddin and Mehrauli. A favourite spot for Easter picnics was Humayun's Tomb and the monuments round about, like the mausoleum of Isa Khan and the garden of Bu Halima. "Bu" was the short form for Bubu (lady of the nobility) but who she was nobody knows. Maybe she was a member of Humayun's harem.

Parties on the Ridge, just across Rajpur Road, were planned at the Delhi Club, opposite Qudsia Garden. From the club the picnickers went to the Ridge via Ludlow Castle Road (now Raj Nivas Marg). The favourite sport indulged in before lunch there was rabbit-hunting. Hare were abundant and became the favourite symbol of the traditional Easter Bunny. Wading into medieval history, it is well known that the emperors Akbar and Jahangir took part in Christmas and Easter festivities, which included the burning of the effigy of Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Christ. The British had borrowed some customs from those times as practised by the early Armenian Christians of the Mughal Court like eating of the pascal lamb on Maundy Thursday and pre-dawn Easter visit to cemeteries. A procession carrying the life-size statue of the dead Christ on a bier was taken out on Good Friday from Akbar's Church in Agra to the singing of dirges and the Lamentations of Prophet Jeremiah. After a round of the huge compound with incense sticks and candles burning around it, amidst a profusion of marigold garlands, the statue was returned with due ceremony to the exquisitely made church crypt for another year.

The Easter parties of the Skinners in Nicholson Road are still remembered by old Delhiwallahs. Those who attended them at different times included Canon Allnut, the Heatherleys, the Riberios, Sir Malcom Hailey, Sir Maurice Gwyer, Sir Henry Gidney, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Beadon, "the Nawab of Kashmere Gate" (sic), Lala Sultan Singh and a much sought after pretty lady Winfried, a near Skinner relation who eventually married the famous surgeon Dr. C.B. Singh. One of her sons-in-law, Vice-Admiral Johnson commanded the Indian Coast Guard and the other one, Julian Francis gained recognition in the Andrew Yule tea gardens in Assam. The last of the Skinners in the Capital, Brig Michael Skinner died some years ago and that was the end of their parties in Delhi, Hansi and Mussoorie.

The Easter lunch parties of Nikhil Kumar, former Commissioner of Police, Delhi, in Akbar Road were also remarkable. At one of them, among the guests who drew attention were the late Archbishop Alan De Lastic, his assistant, Bishop Vincent Conçessao, and rights activist Dr. John Dayal. The hostess, Mrs Kumar was not only in charge of the decorations, but also of the menu, which included pies and tarts, reminiscent of the ones made by the Queen of Hearts and stolen by the nursery rhyme Knave of Hearts "all on a summer's day". A weird guest at the party, who must have been in his eighties, recounted an interesting story about a missing bunny rabbit, specially made for Miss Miranda Gwyer, daughter of the first Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University, after whom Miranda House is named. The bunny was ordered from a confectionery shop in Kashmere Gate but when the time for delivery came on Easter morning it could not be found. A hurried search was made to avoid embarrassment and it was traced to Bombay House, the residence of "Old Lewis" in Ludlow Castle Road. By oversight the bunny was packed with the Easter goodies meant for Louis Sahib's party and he was only too glad to return it. Miss Miranda (christened so after the heroine of Shakespeare's play "The Tempest"), Nikhil Kumar and his Easter parties are now part of memory, like the rumbustious Bombay House, which has become a home for priests.

-The Hindu, 25th March 2013

There's something unfamiliar about the image of Chandni Chowk on display at Triveni Kala Sangam's Shridharani Art Gallery. The lithograph shows spacious streets aligned with neat houses, and people dressed in flowing robes or dhotis. This 1879 hand-coloured engraving by an unknown artist hangs in tandem with an engraving of the "Jumna Musjid", a black-and-white side view of the monument in 1876. There is none of the street chaos that exists today around the Old Delhi mosque. These works form a part of a collection of 16th to early 20th century prints, lithographs and etchings, titled "Hindoostan Revisited". Owned by Mumbai-based antique dealer, collector and art historian Dilnavaz Mehta, 70 of these works are on display.

"The exhibition, in a way, gives an idea about Delhi and since my aim is to increase awareness about the pieces, I keep a small description alongside every work," says Mehta, about her first Delhi exhibition. "For instance, when you see the streets of Chandni Chowk, you get an idea about what was happening at that time. There is a raw style when it comes to its artistic quality, yet there is this ethnic style in the bright colours," she adds.

The 40-year-old has been holding "Hindoostan Revisited" exhibitions since 1999 in Mumbai in collaboration with Mumbai-based Cymroza Art Gallery.

Apart from sketches and prints, the exhibition also comprises maps and paintings, mostly of prominent structures in the Capital. There are vivid portraits too, such as of the Maharajah of Rewah's durbar in Govindghur (1876) and Mirzas of the Imperial Family of Delhi (1876), a hand-coloured engraving.

An 1828 lithograph of nautch girls of Pondicherry adorns a wall alongside "hunting scenes" from 1851. The earthy colour tones are set against scenes such as British soldiers enjoying evening snacks out in the open after a hunt, with pitched tents and Indians tending to the horses.

She hopes to take similar works on Kolkata, Shimla and south Indian cities such as Trivandrum to these places. "With every piece, I go back to old India. That is one of the reasons I have retained the old spelling of 'Hindoostan' too," says Mehta.

"Hindoostan Revisited" is on at Triveni Kala Sangam, till March 28. Contact: 2371 8833

-The Indian Express, 25th March 2013

The Yamuna might soon get a new lease of life, with Delhi Development Authority's am bitious riverfront development project being put on the fast track . The project will include creation of recreational spaces, revival of the river's flora and fauna and the development of green spaces.

While work on two zones is in full swing, plans for the third zone will soon be implemented. The three zones will include a core biodiversity zone with a flourishing eco-system, a green area, and a recreational zone. Bamboo structures will be put up in the recreational zone, but permanent construction will not be allowed.

The Yamuna development plan is one of lieutenant governor Tejendra Khanna's key projects, and is being monitored regularly. The LG did not allow any permanent construction on the entire riverbed, which falls in Zone O of the master plan. The project was launched in 2009, after which the conceptual structural plan was approved by DDA and other agencies.

Officials say the bio-community once found on the Yamuna riverbed has depleted considerably due to pollution, necessitating the development of a biodiversity zone. The conceptual plan outlines the development of both the banks of the river, spanning 42km of land from Palla to Jaitpur in the south.

The first stage of the project includes phased development of four parcels of land - Yamuna Biodiversity Park, Qudsia Ghat near ISBT, Golden Jubilee Park, and NH-24 to DND flyway. "There was delay in getting possession of the land marked for development as some patches were in dispute. On the eastern bank, a number of plots were on agriculture lease of up to 33 years. As and when the lease expires, DDA will take over the plots," said an official.

While substantial progress has been made in the Yamuna Biodiversity Park and Golden Jubilee Park, the drawings for Qudsia Ghat are being finalized. "We plan to use bamboo structures for all recreational activities. We are taking the help of IIT-Roorkee, and have sent them the plans for a third-party review. We expect to hear from them shortly," said DDA spokesman Neemo Dhar. In Phase II, other zones will be taken up.

The land has been divided into protective biodiversity, interactive biodiversity and public recreational zones. The areas closer to habitation with high-movement corridors, easily accessible, as well as those seeing cultural and religious activities, have low potential for biodiversity development. They are considered fit for the public recreational zone. Areas with rich wetlands and fauna in the river basin have been designated as the protective biodiversity zone. Areas with moderate biodiversity potential, allowing the public a chance to explore the riverine ecology, are part of the interactive biodiversity zone, connected by green linkages. This zone is supposed to be of maximum public interest, and will boast playgrounds, nursery and theme parks, etc, say DDA sources.

Connecting all the three zones will be a riverfront 'walk', serving as a promenade. Said the senior official, "The walk will have seating arrangement, driveway and kiosks. It will be similar to the promenade beside the Thames in London.'' The land agency plans to develop pockets of organic farming, especially on the eastern bank, but on a limited scale.

-The Times of India, 26th March 2013

A few days back when scientists inched closer to reviving an Australian frog species that has been extinct for the last 30 years, they also revived the world's fascination for de-extinction -- a concept that has walked the thin line between science fiction and reality. Bringing to life species that have been wiped off the face of earth is a dream many geneticists have pursued for years. In India, too, many are dreaming that dream.

"If India were to aggressively pursue it, there are at least three extinct species that can get a shot at coming back from the dead,'' says Sandeep Sharma of the Washington-based Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. "High on the list is the Asiatic cheetah that went extinct in India soon after Independence. The others are the pink-headed duck and the mountain quail. There are a few pre-historic species, too, but then it might get too ambitious."

Indian geneticists have been attempting to clone the Asiatic cheetah - a favourite animal of the Mughal emperor Akbar who reportedly had an army of 1000 cheetahs accompany him on his hunting expeditions. But efforts to recreate the majestic predator have encountered several roadblocks. "The biggest hurdle is procuring the cell-line of the cheetah and defining protocols for somatic cell transfer. Once this happens, we have a realistic chance of reviving the cheetah in India," says S Shivaji of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad.

Somatic cell transfer involves creating a clone embryo with a donor nucleus in a laboratory and is considered as the first step in reproductive cloning. India has recently imported a few cheetahs whose cell lines, says Shivaji, CCMB is trying to get. After that, it would be a case of attempting again and again - success rates in reproductive cloning are just about 5% -- till an Asiatic cheetah cub is born.

Nobody knows when this might happen. "We are still not sure what factors combine together to create the 5% success rate," says Shivaji.

De-extinction itself is a subject that has drawn diverse opinions. Those opposing it say that if a species went extinct over a period of time -- Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest propounds this is nature's way of balancing itself -- is it prudent to re-introduce it in an ecosystem where some other species may have taken over its role? Ulhas Karanth of the Wildlife Conservation Society says it makes no sense at all. "De-extinction is unlikely to work because factors that caused the original extinction continue to operate."

However, de-extinction proponents continue to be gung-ho about its prospects. "It should not be an either/ or question," says Ryan Phelan, executive director of US NGO Revive & Restore which recently organized a much-publicized conference on the subject along with National Geographic and TED. "It's really an all one continuum. What's good for extinct species will be great for endangered ones."

If man does indeed succeed in playing god, it might just be Jurassic Park all over again, hopefully minus the horror.

-The Times of India, 26th March 2013

Kapil was the first forest official who observed presence of these vultures in the Gora Parao area of the Terai- central forest division. area, he added.

Even the senior forest officials are not in a position to identify them. After visiting the site along with other senior forest officials, SP Singh, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Terai-central forest division, while talking to The Pioneer said that the advise of the experts are being taken in establishing the identity of these vultures and to study the presence of these vultures in this area. "Therefore, much can't be said on this issue at this juncture. However, it is a good indication of presence of the rare variety of wildlife specie like vulture in this terai zone of the hill State," he added.

It may be recalled that Himalayan Griffon, a rare variety of vulture, was also recovered from the Haldwani forest division's Nandhaur valley in unhealthy conditions in December 2012. Then the said Himalayan Griffon was admitted to the veterinary clinic of the Nainital zoo for treatment and it got well subsequently.

Meanwhile, following the sighting of vultures in this further said.

Generally, there is a perception nowadays about disappearance of the endangered species like vultures that use of banned drug substance i.e. diclofenac (human version) has been a serious threat to the wildlife species like vulture as the wildlife experts maintain here.

-The Pioneer, 26th March 2013

Lack of government-owned high-rise buildings in the Capital has slowed down Delhi government's ambitious 3D GIS Delhi State Spatial Data Infrastructure project.

The cameras, which constitute an essential part of the plan, are supposed to provide real-time data. This data can be utilised for several pur-poses such as managing disasters, checking encroachment and unauthorised construction activities.

The information technology department, which is in charge of the project, was asked to install 63 cameras in such buildings. So far, it has been able to install only 10 cameras due to the absence of 'tall buildings' and other vantage points where the cameras can be put up without being targeted by miscreants.

So far, cameras have been installed at the Civic Centre, the tallest building in the city, and Vikas Bhawan II, the headquarters of the New Delhi Municipal Council among other buildings.

Officials said the cameras have to be installed at a certain height for optimal utilisation. But the lack of tall government buildings has resulted in a search for alternatives.

"There are certain factors that need to be taken into account. For instance, these cameras weigh at least 25kg. So, not everyone is willing to allow us to install them. Also, keeping the security angle in mind, we can't install them at just any building. The matter is being discussed with private developers," said a senior Delhi government official.

The building owner will have to maintain the cameras. The total cost of the project is Rs. 119 crore. As per the plan, the feed from each camera will be routed to 10 control rooms, which will be monitored by the police and government officials round the clock.

"The main aim of the project is to monitor encroachments and detect unauthorised construction. For instance, there is an in-built change detection software sensitive to any changes in the landscape. So if a building adds another floor, it will be reflected in the system. This will help keep a check on illegal construction," added the official.

Data on all infrastructure assets — underground and above the ground — such as power lines, water pipes, and telephone lines will be collected through 3D images and shared through a common and integrated GIS.

-The Hindu, 26th March 2013

A unique exhibition of photographs, titled "Bharatpur: Unsung ingenuity, valour and splendour", at Jawahar Kala Kendra here is showcasing architectural grandeur of the town and celebrating the rich history, art and culture of the erstwhile capital of Jat Maharajas in eastern Rajasthan. A book containing these photographs was also launched along with the exhibition's inauguration on Sunday.

Putting on display over 70 photographs, the exhibition will continue till this Saturday. Centre for Advancement of Traditional Building Technology & Skills (CATTS), New Delhi, Director and exhibition curator Urvashi Srivastava said the show celebrates the hitherto unknown dimension of Bharatpur's architecture and culture.

Rajasthan State Planning Board Deputy Chairman V. S. Vyas launched the book titled Bharatpur: Built heritage resource mapping , which has been authored by Ms. Srivastava. Prof. Vyas said the book would help the tourists immensely in the discovery of rich architectural legacy of eastern Rajasthan.

"The book will be prove to be an important medium for spreading awareness about art, culture, folklore, history and architecture," said Prof. Vyas, who is also a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council.

Both the exhibition and the book have focused on Bharatpur, which is a unique amalgam of 'Braj' folk tradition and royal grandeur of the Jat Maharajas and was a node of power and culture in North India during the post-Mughal period. Ms. Srivastava pointed out that high quality architectural buildings and traditional spaces in Bharatpur had added richness to the monotonous contemporary urban environment.

Some of the intricately carved stone buildings in the city are splendid specimens of Jat architecture and remind one of the high levels of artistic perfection achieved in the buildings of Mughal emperor Shahjahan. Explaining the significance of the built heritage of the town, Ms. Srivastava said it had so far gone unrecognised.

The book is the culmination of a detailed mapping and documentation exercise in Bharatpur undertaken by CATTS at the initiative of Lupin Human Welfare & Research Foundation. The mapping exercise revealed a wide variety of built heritage and identified the buildings like palaces, mansions, havelis, shops, bazaars, dharamshalas, temples, mosques, kachahari, fort, fortification wall, bastion, pavilions, chhatri, wells, tanks and ghats.

Besides, a number of ruins in the form of remnants of old structures dating from different time periods have also been documented in the book. The exhibition has been compiled on the basis of the heritage mapping exercise undertaken in the city.

Besides Prof. Vyas, State Principal Tourism Secretary Rakesh Srivastava, National Institute of Agricultural Marketing Director-General R. P. Meena, Lupin Foundation executive director Sita Ram Gupta and former civil servant I. C. Srivastava attended the inaugural ceremony.

Rakesh Srivastava said his department would extend cooperation to an initiative for starting heritage walk to the historical sites in Bharatpur. He said a Centrally-sponsored scheme worth Rs.4.94 crore had been sanctioned for development of historical sites in the town and Rs.3.05 crore of the sanctioned amount had been spent so far. Besides, Rs.2.66 crore has been sanctioned for development of Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur.

Dr. Meena said the book based on mapping would attract foreign and domestic tourists in large number to Bharatpur. Mr. Gupta said Bharatpur was so far known only for Keoladeo and its birds, but the book would promote the places of historical importance with the authentic information based on mapping. The exhibition displays over 70 photographs which highlight the architecture from different angles in an impressive manner.

-The Hindu, 26th March 2013

The forest department on Monday dug up around 800m of a pucca road that was cutting through the Rajokri forest. The road existed as a kachcha path earlier but recently truckloads of debris had been dumped along it to make it motorable.

The issue was highlighted by TOI after which the National Green Tribunal took suo moto cognizance of it and on March 14 had ordered that no vehicular traffic be permitted through the forest and all non-forest activity be stopped in the area.

On Monday, the forest department reached the spot with two JCBs, one company of CRPF, Delhi Police personnel and 10 forest staff members. The police barricaded the roads from both sides after which the entire stretch was dug up and trenches dug along it. Work was completed by 4.30pm. The road is completely unmotorable now. Sources said that some law and order problems had been anticipated though no untoward incident was reported.

"So far we have not removed the debris from the spot," said a forest official.

"We will sift through it and separate the mud from the debris that was dumped here earlier. In the trenches, we are planning to sow some hardy trees in the coming monsoon so that the path naturally closes. The debris might be removed or used for the construction of a wall along the forest. The possibilities are being explored," said the forest official.

When the road was discovered by the police in the first week of March, it had dug a trench at the mouth of the road which was filled in again by "unknown persons". An FIR was also registered by the forest department against "unknown persons" for dumping waste in the reserved forest between February 14 and 18, 2013.

A local politician from Rajokri said that the road had been in existence since the past several years and they had been in touch with the forest department to take action against illegal dumping in the forest but to spare the road. He claimed that the residents of Rajokri village were also planning to approach NGT against actions by the forest department that included digging in the forest as part of their road demolition work.

The Rajokri forest is part of the over 6,000 hectare of reserved forest in Delhi where no construction is permitted without approval of the Supreme Court. The area was so earmarked by the court in 1994.

-The Times of India, 27th March 2013

With the National Green Tribunal having come down hard on the Delhi and UP governments for their failure to prevent dumping of debris along the Yamuna, work has started at a breakneck speed to clear the area of construction waste.

Sources say several meetings have been held in the past couple of weeks and the lieutenant governor has issued instructions to Delhi Police to stop any vehicular movement to and from the river bed. The LG has also written to chief secretary D M Spolia, asking him to issue suitable instructions to Delhi Pollution Control Committee and the department of irrigation and flood control to "to implement the orders of the tribunal in true spirit, against any dumping of garbage/malba and save the precious river bed".

The environment department and municipal corporation are also trying to strengthen the regulatory regime under which someone who applies for permission to demolish a building will have to pay upfront for removal of the debris. "At least the government agencies can ensure that before demolition of any building, a lump sum based on carrying charges is paid to the municipal corporation before hand so that it may have the debris picked up and disposed of at the designated sites. The plan is still being worked out," said a senior official.

Meanwhile, work is also on in both Delhi and UP area to clear the river bed of debris. The UP irrigation department has also undertaken a slew of measures to protect the river bed. The Ganga division of the irrigation department has put up signposts at various places along the banks warning violators of penal action if found dumping waste. Areas along the banks that were being used by vehicles to enter the river bed have been fenced off while ramps and approach roads to the river have been cut off.

A large number of trucks and tractors have been engaged by the department to clear the debris from the river bed. "Besides initiating legal action, the irrigation department would also impose fines on those violating the tribunal orders by continually engaging in dumping activities," said AK Gupta, chief engineer (Ganga) of the irrigation department.

The department has also employed a number of sentinels to keep vigil on illegal dumping. "Directions have been issued to the sentinels to immediately inform the department if they notice any violations so that immediate action can be taken," Gupta said.

In its last hearing, the tribunal had asked the committee constituted by it in January 2013 to submit a proposal to show how and the banks of Yamuna can be developed. It has asked the DDA vice chairman ti submit a complete proposal for development and beautification of the Yamuna.

-The Times of India, 27th March 2013

There may soon be another option to spot tigers in the hills of Uttarkhand - Rajaji National Park - in addition to extremely popular big cat destination, the Corbett National Park.

The Uttarakhand Forest Department has decided to ask the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to declare Rajaji National Park as a tiger reserve.

The Dehradun based Wildlife Institute of India has caught around 30 tigers on camera in Rajaji in the last few years making the state forest department believe that the landscape could become a substitute tiger home if right protection measures are enforced.

Rajaji has got most of its tigers from nearby Corbett, who move out to nearby forest areas because of high density of big cats. Unlike other big animals, tiger are solitary in nature and carve out their own territory by pushing out physically weaker tigers. As a result many tigers move out to adjoining forest areas such as Rajaji which may not have protection of the Corbett standard.

That problem can be sorted out if Rajaji is declared as a tiger reserve.

The NTCA provides special funding to tiger reserves to combat poaching and provide inviolate (disturbance free) core tiger area to foster breeding tiger population. The authority gives Rs. 10 lakh for relocation of every family living inside a tiger reserve.

State government officials said that around 500 families are living inside Rajaji, which are a constant threat to tigers there. About a month ago a tiger in Rajaji national park was allegedly poisoned by local villagers fearing that it would attack their cattle. "A few years back many tigers in Rajaji were poached," a senior state forest department official said.

Forest officials said a proposal to seek tiger reserve status for Rajaji would soon be submitted to NTCA.

Once Rajaji get the coveted tag it would be a delight for wildlife enthusiasts from the Capital region. They would have an option to spot tigers just seven hours (around 250 kms) from Delhi. Incidentally part of Rajaji is on the way to Corbett.

-The Hindustan Times, 27th March 2013

The stunningly beautiful Greater Flamingos are back in Delhi, and how.

Winter is over but these migratory birds have chosen to stay on in the Capital. Till Sunday, as many as 210 Greater Flamingos were spotted - the maximum in north India - at Delhi's Okhla Bird Sanctuary.

In a first, even the Nazafgarh sewage drain in the city has seen 106 Greater Flamingos till the second week of March.

These rosy-white, long-necked coastal birds with bright pink wing feathers and a heavy pink bill used to come to Delhi every winter. The number of the winged visitors in the 1990s at Okhla went up to 500. It came down to 20 in 2010.

The birds gave the sanctuary a miss in 2011 -though in an unusual development, seven of them surveyed the sanctuary in July 2012. Greater Flamingos returned to Okhla in December 2012. Nine of them were spotted on December 21.

Bird expert TK Roy said, "After a gap of two years, seven Greater Flamingos unexpectedly visited Okhla in the first week of July last year, for a few days, to survey their old habitat. A small flock of nine arrived in the first week of December 2012 and gradually their number crossed the 200 mark."

"With climate changes, the migration pattern also changes. For the first time, a small flock of 26 Greater Flamingos migrated in December, 2012 to the Harika Wildlife Sanctuary in Punjab. With the rise in temperatures, while most migratory birds have flown back, Greater Flamingos have surprised many by staying on," he said.

JM Banarjee, range officer at the Okhla sanctuary, confirmed the development. "We're very happy. These birds are finally back." Apart from the coastal regions, these birds used to visit North India - mainly Okhla sanctuary and Sultanpur National Park- regularly during the winter.

The sanctuary -spread over an area of 3.5 sq km on the Yamuna -is a haven for water birds and a favourite among birdwatchers with more than 300 species spotted so far. After the construction of a barrage and the resulting lake in 1986, bird-watching activity increased.

-The Hindustan Times, 27th March 2013

Invrease in the incidents of poaching may have been a continuing bad news from Kaziranga. But there is some good news too, with the just-concluded census putting the number of one-horned rhinos in the national park at 2,329, which is a net increase of 39 over the figure arrived at in a similar census exercise conducted exactly one year ago.

"Yes, poaching has been taking place despite our best efforts. But what is most encouraging is that the number of rhinos in Kaziranga is increasing," said Suresh Chand, Assam Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. He said while Kaziranga counted 2,290 rhinos in the 2012 census, the recent census showed 2,329. The rhino census was conducted for three days since Saturday, with poachers killing one rhino on the first day itself.

Interestingly, the increase of 39 has happened despite the death of as many as 35 rhinos at the hands of poachers since January 2012 till last week. Moreover, at least 50 rhinos died during three successive waves of floods that had hit the 890-sq km national park last year, in addition to 50-odd more due to "natural" reasons like old-age and infighting. A number of rhino calves were also killed by 100-plus tigers that Kaziranga is home to.

"This should dispel the apprehension in the minds of the people that no rhinos will be left in Kaziranga. We have of course gone all out to tackle poaching, and it was only last evening that four poachers were arrested in the vicinity of the park," the PCCF said. Forest guards had also gunned down two poachers inside Kaziranga three weeks ago.

Kaziranga has been constantly in the news for rhino poaching in the past one year and more, with the Congress-led government coming under fire from the opposition, environment NGOs and the people for its failure to protect the endangered animal.

Meanwhile, there has been good news from Manas National Park too with the authorities confirming that two female rhinos translocated there under India Rhino Vision had given birth to a healthy calf each on Saturday and Monday.

-The Indian Express, 27th March 2013

The birds are seen in fewer places than they were before 2005'

Among all major Indian cities, Chennai and Bangalore have the least number of spots for sparrow sightings, according to a survey conducted recently by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). Surprisingly, Mumbai has the largest number of spots.

Birds being the clear indicators of the state of environment, the BNHS conducted a survey in 2012, with support from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, and in association with the National Centre for Biological Sciences, the Nature Conservation Foundation and dozens of other partner organisations.

The results of the survey, 'Citizen Sparrow,' allows for a closer evaluation of the widespread impression that sparrow populations have declined over the years. Thousands of citizens participated in the online survey and completed the questionnaire in eight Indian languages. Of the 5,730 participants, 25 per cent hailed from towns and villages, and the rest from large cities.

"The sparrows are seen in fewer places now than they were before 2005. Where they are still found, the numbers are lower than earlier, and nests fewer … This suggests sparrows have indeed declined and the low number of nests might mean that they are continuing to decline," says the report.

Mumbai topped the charts with many more people reporting the presence of sparrows than those who did from Bengaluru and Chennai, where much larger participants said the bird was not found at all in their localities. Coimbatore and Pune came next, after Mumbai. Hyderabad and Delhi were intermediate.

The north-eastern States like Assam and central States such as Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have reported a greater sparrow presence than other parts of the country.

The report concludes that the lifestyle of people from rural and semi-urban areas seem to be more conducive to bird survival as many reports of large flocks of sparrows having been seen have come in from towns and villages rather than from cities.

"Aspects such as the type of human dwellings; eating and buying habits of people; and land-use could be impacting the factors for bird survival such as availability of shelter and food," the report says.

-The Hindu, 27th March 2013

Very few people know that Dehradun competed with New Delhi in being named the new capital of India in the 1920s or that mountaineer and author of "Seven Years in Tibet" Heinrich Harrer, was incarcerated as a prisoner in Clement Town.

These and other interesting yet lesser known aspects of Dehradun's history are presented in a book titled "Been There, Doon That?" featuring 10 walks to explore the heritage of Doon valley. The book authored by anthropologist and heritage activist, Lokesh Ohri has been published by the Department of Youth Affairs, Government of Uttarakhand.

According to Ohri, across the world, cities are trying to revive interest in their heritage sites and interpreting it for residents and visitors alike. This book, prepared after years of research, seeks to make the people of Doon more aware about the heritage that surrounds them in an interesting format. It emphasises the pleasures of walking the streets and the nature trails that the Doon valley offers in abundance. While also giving a reading list to avid Doon watchers, it makes anecdotal references to historical facts.

The interesting and lesser known facts about Dehradun revealed in the book include that legendary singer Cliff Richards spent his childhood here and was baptized in the Doon's St Thomas Church; the Beatles visited Doon in 1968 and composed a song on the valley; the area around Astley Hall was so green and beautiful that the Viceroy stayed the entire summer with his family here and that Hathibarkala is so called because it had banyan trees with prop roots so huge, elephants could easily pass through them.

Sarojini Naidu, the then Governor of Uttar Pradesh, laid the foundation stone for the Clock Tower and Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri later inaugurated it in 1953. One of the oldest temples in the region, the Jangam Shivalaya houses a rare idol of Lord Vishwanath in black stone along with a cowshed and a ritual yajna site inside. It is believed that Aurangzeb constructed the Jama Masjid in Dehradun. It was initially set-up as a makeshift place of worship for the artisans sent by the Mughal king to build the Guru Ram Rai Durbar.

-The Pioneer, 27th March 2013

Two years back, I read and reviewed a book titled, , an evocative documentation of extinction of the or Yangtze river dolphin and, in fact, an entire mammalian family, Lipotidae, which had existed for over 21 million years. It also documents the ineffectual, indeed token efforts or should one say, non-efforts, to prevent the extinction, and I remember writing then, "There is a lesson in the book for all of us, citizens of Planet Earth, whether connected to conservation or not. Surely, we won't allow such a tragedy, nay a travesty, to happen again?"

Well, it seems we are posed for action replay, and this time the species at death's door is in our backyard: The critically endangered Great Indian Bustard with its global population — almost exclusively in India — lesser than 300, though realistic estimates put it at about 150. And declining rapidly.

Ardeotis nigriceps, was formerly abundant in the dry grasslands of the Indian subcontinent, with strongholds in the Thar desert and the Deccan plateau. Its abundance and the rampant hunting is indicated by records in The Oriental Sports Magazine of one Robert Mansfield who bagged no less than 961 GIBs in Ahmednagar district. By the 1970s, the population was estimated to be just about 1,300, which crashed to approximately 700 in the next decade. Alarmed by the situation, five 'Bustard States' got together and rallied in an effort to reverse the trend, even notifying eight 'protected areas'. However, this well-intentioned endeavour failed, mainly due to the lack of understanding of the ecological requirements of the bird, and management responses to it.

The decline was particularly sharp, both in the population and the range occupancy, over the past two decades, with numbers dwindling to fewer than 300 by 2008. Already depleted by hunting, remaining populations could not cope with the novel threat of grassland eradication as the country expanded its frontiers of development. At the root is the sheer lack of understanding of the grassland ecosystem. Though grasslands are rich in biodiversity, harbouring many endangered species, they have traditionally been classified as 'barren' wastelands and were judiciously converted, until very recently, into 'forest' with monocultures of eucalyptus and Prosopis juliflora, etc. It was easy to dismiss such ecosystems too, and they were handed out to agriculture, industry, infrastructure or any such development activity. Well-intentioned schemes such as the Indira Gandhi Canal project in Bustard's best habitat, the Thar, brought in irrigation, completely altering the ecology of the region. It opened up huge areas of the western Thar to colonisation and the canal's ecological, demographic and sociological impact ruined the desert ecosystem. The report of the Task Force on Grasslands and Deserts appointed by the Planning Commission has it right when it states that "grasslands and deserts are the most neglected ecosystems". Conversion of low-intensity agro-pastoral landscapes which are 'GIB compatible' into intensively farmed (mechanised, irrigated along with high fertiliser and pesticide use) areas is the key threat, since they deplete the Bustards' natural food (insects and fruits) and critical habitats (Dutta, Rahmani, Jhala, 2010).

Today, the Bustard has been extirpated from over 90 per cent of its former range, wiped out even from sanctuaries designated for its protection. Bustards are now extinct in Gaga-Bhatiya in Gujarat, Rannibenur in Karnataka and Sorsan in Rajasthan, while nearing extinction in Ghatigaon in Madhya Pradesh. The Son Chiriya (as the GIB is called locally) sanctuary in Karera in Madhya Pradesh has also ceased to harbour the bird, with the last sighting reported in 1994. The Great Indian Bustard sanctuary in Maharashtra has fewer than 20 of the birds now.

At the turn of the century, one could easily spot over 30 birds in Rollapadu in Andhra Pradesh. But the reports are now dismal with only eight birds and no successful breeding since 2010. Experts say that the construction of the Alaganur reservoir was the tipping point as it changed the cropping pattern — from groundnut that was favoured by the GIBs to cotton, which was now possible due to irrigation — and is of little use to the bird. The story is similar in Kutch, where cotton, largely Bt cotton, cultivation is taking over the Bhanada in Naliya. Fewer than 25 Bustards survive in their last habitat, Naliya in Gujarat, and are besieged by a multitude of threats such as rapid intensification of agriculture, industrialisation, proliferation of wind turbines (ironically touted as "green energy"), encroachments, electric wires, unsound management practices — trenching, bunding, etc — problems common in most of the GIB range. Infrastructure like electric poles and wind turbines within Bustard breeding areas can kill birds as flying low to the ground increase the risk of colliding with such man-made structures. A couple of such incidents have been reported from Solapur and Kachchh, many more may have gone unnoticed. In Nannaj in Maharashtra the 2010 census threw up a count of just nine birds and no breeding since the past four years. Across, the border in Pakistan exists the only population of about 15-20 of GIBs outside of India. Hunting is a major threat here, and reports cite that of the 63 birds sighted in four years, 49 were hunted. (Khan et al, 2008)

While we may not have the same levels of hunting, it persists across the range where the GIB clings for survival even in its best stronghold, the Desert National Park, with purportedly about 75 birds, as was evident when a GIB was recently gunned down at noon, near the Sundansri enclosure. Reports indicate this is not the first, and only, incident — just one that came to light, indicating the poor levels of protection in the park. Besides, the same problems that plague the rest of the habitats persist here — including the fact of oil reserves in the park.

So, will we let this magnificent bird, the emblem of grasslands, which lost the crown being our national bird the peacock, apparently due to the wisdom of some babu who feared the 'Bustard' may be mispelt, vanish in our watch? I like to think, and hope, not. But the time to turn the tide is now, if the species is to have a future.

We need to designate well-protected, safe core breeding areas, with a landscape conservation strategy where the Bustards' ecological needs must be factored in with low-intensity livelihood concerns. Detrimental infrastructure must be curtailed in priority areas coupled with policy changes regarding land use and prioritisation of Bustard-friendly grazing and cropping policies. A conservation breeding programme on scientific lines may also be required. These and such other such recommendations are given in the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests' Guidelines for State Action Plans for Bustards' Recovery Programmes that must be implemented on an urgent basis by States — guided, monitored and aided by the centre, and other relevant scientific and research institutions.

(The columnist is senior consultant, WCS India, and founder-director of 'Bagh'. She is also a member of the National Board for Wildlife)

-The Pioneer, 27th March 2013