European environment ministers have sidestepped the key emissions reduction strategy of classifying carbon dioxide as a pollutant during consideration of new laws to limit industrial pollution. The move further questions Europe's claim to be a leader in climate action, with California requiring carbon pollution mitigation for the last two years and reclassification under consideration elsewhere.
The EU Environment Council reached a common position on the new Industrial Emissions Directive. The draft law overhauls the framework for controlling pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and dust from thousands of industrial installations across Europe, combining and strengthening seven earlier pieces of legislation.
WWF is calling for carbon dioxide standards to be added to the proposal, in order to respond adequately to the increasing scale and urgency of the global climate crisis. Such a move could cut Europe’s total greenhouse gas emissions by around a quarter over the next two decades. But EU ministers failed on this occasion to seize the opportunity
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Deserts crossing Mediterranean
The Sahara Desert is crossing the Mediterranean, according to Italian environmental protection group Legambiente which warns that the livelihoods of 6.5 million people living along its shores could be at risk."Desertification isn't limited to Africa," said Legambiente Vice President Sebastiano Venneri."Without a serious change of direction in economic and environmental policies, the risk will become concrete and irreversible."A recent report by Legambiente estimated that 74 million acres of fertile land along the Mediterranean were turning to desert as the result of overexploited land and water resources.
Legambiente said that southern Italy was at severe risk in addition to the islands of Sicily and Sardinia where 11% of all arable land showed signs of drying up. ''Semi-arid coastal regions like southern Italy are prone to the effects of desertification due to farmers' dependence on water from underground aquifers instead of rainfall,'' said Legambiente spokesman Giorgio Zampetti. According to Zampetti, pumping too much fresh water out of these underground deposits can result in seawater leaking in to replace it, effectively poisoning the groundwater.
As an example of the long-term consequences, Legambiente pointed to Egypt where it said brackish groundwater had compromised half the country's farmland.
"The south of Italy isn't the only part of the country at risk," added Zampetti. "Aquifers around the Po Delta in northern Italy have also begun showing signs of saltwater contamination." Experts said that the Po River, which is Italy's longest waterway and nearly dries up in parts when industrial consumption peaks, is one of the most visible examples of desertifying climate change in Italy. Italy is not the only country in Europe losing fertile land.
Legambiente estimated that desertification affects more than a fifth of the Iberian Peninsula with early indicators also present along the French Riviera.
Legambiente said that southern Italy was at severe risk in addition to the islands of Sicily and Sardinia where 11% of all arable land showed signs of drying up. ''Semi-arid coastal regions like southern Italy are prone to the effects of desertification due to farmers' dependence on water from underground aquifers instead of rainfall,'' said Legambiente spokesman Giorgio Zampetti. According to Zampetti, pumping too much fresh water out of these underground deposits can result in seawater leaking in to replace it, effectively poisoning the groundwater.
As an example of the long-term consequences, Legambiente pointed to Egypt where it said brackish groundwater had compromised half the country's farmland.
"The south of Italy isn't the only part of the country at risk," added Zampetti. "Aquifers around the Po Delta in northern Italy have also begun showing signs of saltwater contamination." Experts said that the Po River, which is Italy's longest waterway and nearly dries up in parts when industrial consumption peaks, is one of the most visible examples of desertifying climate change in Italy. Italy is not the only country in Europe losing fertile land.
Legambiente estimated that desertification affects more than a fifth of the Iberian Peninsula with early indicators also present along the French Riviera.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Introduction and map of Ganga
The Ganga (गगां) is a major river of the Indian subcontinent rising in the Himalaya Mountains and flowing about 2,510 km (1,560 mi) generally eastward through a vast plain to the Bay of Bengal. On its 1,560-mi (2,510-km) course, it flows southeast through the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. In central Bangladesh it is joined by the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. Their combined waters (called the Padma River) empty into the Bay of Bengal and form a delta 220 mi (354 km) wide, which is shared by India and Bangladesh. Its plain is one of the most fertile and densely populated regions in the world. The Ganges alone drains an area of over a million square km with a population of over 407 million. Millions depend on water from the holy river for several things: drinking, bathing, agriculture, industry and other household chores. Ganga river known as Ganga Maata (गगां माता) or Mother Ganges is revered as a goddess whose purity cleanses the sins of the faithful and aids the dead on their path toward heaven. In most Hindu families, a vial of water from the Ganga is kept in every house. It is believed that drinking water from the Ganga with one's last breath will take the soul to heaven. Hindus also believe life is incomplete without bathing in the Ganga at least once in their lifetime. Some of the most important Hindu festivals and religious congregations are celebrated on the banks of the river Ganga such as the Kumbh Mela or the Kumbh Fair and the Chhat Puja. Kumbh Mela is the largest religious gathering on Earth for Hindu peoples, where around 70 million Hindus from around the world participated in the last Kumbh Mela at the Hindu Holy city Prayaga (also known as Allahabad). The upper Ganges supplies water to extensive irrigation works. The river passes the holy bathing sites at Haridwar, Allahabad (where the Yamuna river enters the Ganges), and Varanasi. Below Allahabad the Ganges becomes a slow, meandering stream with shifting channels. Because of its location near major population centers, however, the river is highly polluted. The Ganges collects large amounts of human pollutants as it flows through highly populous areas. These populous areas, and other people down stream, are then exposed to these potentially hazardous accumulations.
Ganga India's national river The mighty Ganga is not only the river but much more to the millions for whom the Ganga is a symbol of faith, hope, substance and sanity. Therefore the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared on November 4, 2008 that henceforth the Ganga would be known as India's 'national river'. The Prime minister has also announced the proposal to set up a separate high powered Ganga River Basin Authority to stop its pollution and degradation. Chaired by the Prime minister, the authority would have as the members the chief ministers of states through which the river flows, besides working closely with ministers of water resources, environment and forests, urban development and others as well as agencies working on river conservation and pollution management.
Source of Ganga River In the Uttarakhand Himalayas where glacial water flowing from a cave at Gaumukh, is the origin of the Bhagirathi river. Gaumukh has been described as a desolate place at an altitude of about 4,000 meters (13,000 feet). Twenty-three kilometers from Gaumukh, the river reaches Gangotri, the first town on its path. Thousands of visitors come to Gangotri each year, from every part of the world. The river which joins the Alaknanda river at Devaprayag, also in the Uttarakhand Himalayas, to form the Ganga. The Ganga then flows through the Himalayan valleys and emerges into the north Indian plain at the town of Haridwar. Recent pictures taken by Google Earth via satellite have confirmed that an eight-km stretch of the Bhagirathi river has dried up. The river is shown snaking through the Himalayan mountains as one long, sandy stretch minus any water. Other rivers emanating from the Gangotri glacier, including the Bhilangana, the Assi Ganga and the Alaknanda, all tributaries of the Ganga river, are also drying up. Since the river Ganga (Bhagirathi) is still emanating from the ice cave (Gaumukh) of Gangotri Glacier, no steps are required to be taken at present for bringing back the flow of river Ganga. As far as the recession of the glacier is concerned it is a part of natural phenomena and cannot be stopped by using short term artificial measures. This information was given by Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Kapil Sibal, in a written reply to a question by Shri Vijoy Krishna in the Lok Sabha on April 29, 2008.
In the Uttarakhand Himalayas where glacial water flowing from a cave at Gaumukh, is the origin of the Bhagirathi river. Twenty-three km. from Gaumukh, the river reaches Gangotri, the first town on its path.
Ganga River in plains On its 1,560-mi (2,510-km) course in plains, Ganga flows southeast through the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. The Ganga passing some of the most populous cities of India, including Kanpur , Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, and Kolkata. The Yamuna, which originates less than a hundred miles east of the Bhagirathi, flows parallel to the Ganga and a little to the south for most of its course before merging with the Ganga at the holy city of Allahabad, also known as Triveni Sangam. New Delhi, capital of India, and Agra, site of the Taj Mahal, are two of the major cities on the Yamuna river. The largest tributary to the Ganga is the Ghaghara, which meets it before Patna, in Bihar, bearing much of the Himalayan glacier melt from Northern Nepal. The Gandak, which comes from near Katmandu, is another big Himalayan tributary. Other important rivers that merge with the Ganga are the Son, which originates in the hills of Madhya Pradesh, the Gomti which flows past Lucknow, and then meets with the river Chambal. On its way it passes the towns of Mirzapur, Varanasi, Patna and Bhagalpur. At Bhagalpur, the river meanders past the Rajmahal Hills, and beings to change course southwards. At Pakaur, the river begins its first attrition with the branching away of its first distributary, the River Bhagirathi, which goes on to form the River Hooghly. Close to the border with Bangladesh, the Farakka Barrage, built in 1974 controls the flow of the Ganges, diverting some of the water into a feeder canal linking the Hooghly to keep it relatively silt free. After entering Bangladesh, the main branch of the Ganges is known as Padma River till it is joined by the Jamuna River the largest distributaries of the Brahmaputra. Further downstream, the Ganges is fed by the Meghna River, the second largest distributaries of the Brahmaputra and takes on its name. Fanning out into the 350 km (220 mi) wide Ganges Delta, it empties out into the Bay of Bengal. The delta of the Ganga, or rather, that of the Hooghly and the Padma, is a vast ragged swamp forest (42,000 sq km) called the Sunderbans.
Ganga river in plains Ganga river in plains
Pollution in Ganga River Today, over 29 cities, 70 towns, and thousands of villages extend along the Ganges' banks. Nearly all of their sewage - over 1.3 billion liters per day - goes directly into the river, along with thousands of animal carcasses, mainly cattle. Another 260 million liters of industrial waste are added to this by hundreds of factories along the river's banks. Municipal sewage constitutes 80 per cent by volume of the total waste dumped into the Ganges, and industries contribute about 15 percent. The majority of the Ganges pollution is organic waste, sewage, trash, food, and human and animal remains. Over the past century, city populations along the Ganges have grown at a tremendous rate, while waste-control infrastructure has remained relatively unchanged. Recent water samples collected in Varanasi revealed fecal-coliform counts of about 50,000 bacteria per 100 milliliters of water, 10,000% higher than the government standard for safe river bathing. The result of this pollution is an array of water-borne diseases including cholera, hepatitis, typhoid and amoebic dysentery. An estimated 80% of all health problems and one-third of deaths in India are attributable to water-borne diseases. The sacred practice of depositing human remains in the Ganges also poses health threats because of the unsustainable rate at which partially cremated cadavers are dumped. In Varanasi, some 40,000 cremations are performed each year, most on wood pyres that do not completely consume the body. Along with the remains of these traditional funerals, there are thousands more who cannot afford cremation and whose bodies are simply thrown into the Ganges. In addition, the carcasses of thousands of dead cattle, which are sacred to Hindus, go into the river each year. An inadequate cremation procedures contributes to a large number of partially burnt or unburnt corpses floating down the Ganga. The industrial pollutants also a major source of contamination in the Ganges. A total of 146 industries are reported to be located along the river Ganga between Rishikesh and Prayagraj. 144 of these are in Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) and 2 in Uttrakhand. The major polluting industries on the Ganga are the leather industries, especially near Kanpur, which use large amounts of Chromium and other toxic chemical waste, and much of it finds its way into the meager flow of the Ganga. From the plains to the sea, pharmaceutical companies, electronics plants, textile and paper industries, tanneries, fertilizer manufacturers and oil refineries discharge effluent into the river. This hazardous waste includes hydrochloric acid, mercury and other heavy metals, bleaches and dyes, pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls highly toxic compounds that accumulate in animal and human tissue. However, industry is not the only source of pollution. Sheer volume of waste - estimated at nearly 1 billion litres per day - of mostly untreated raw sewage - is a significant factor. Runoff from farms in the Ganges basin adds chemical fertilizers and pesticides such as DDT, which is banned in the United States because of its toxic and carcinogenic effects on humans and wildlife. Damming the river or diverting its water, mainly for irrigation purposes, also adds to the pollution crisis.
Ganga action plan The Ganga Action Plan (GAP) was initiated by the late Prime Minster Indira Gandhi, who called for a comprehensive survey of the situation in 1979. In 1985, the government of India launched the Ganga Action Plan, which was devised to clean up the river in selected areas by installing sewage treatment plants and threatening fines and litigation against industries that pollute. The 2006 official audit of the Ganga Action Plan has revealed that it has met only 39 per cent of its sewage treatment target. Moreover, the plan is behind schedule by over 13 years. According to the legal counsel, Central Pollution Control Board, Mr Vijay Panjawani, even after spending Rs 24,000 crore, the Ganga remains as dirty as ever. A total of Rs.740.11 crore has been released to different States so far for implementation of schemes for the river Ganga under Ganga Action Plan (GAP). The GAP Phase – I, the first attempt of the Government of India to undertake pollution abatement works in the river Ganga, was launched in the year 1985 with the objective of treating 882 million litres per day (mld) of sewage and improving its water quality to bathing class standards. This Phase was declared completed in March, 2000 with the creation of sewage treatment apacity of 865 mld. Since GAP Phase – I did not cover the pollution load of Ganga fully, GAP Phase – II which includes plans for its major tributaries namely, Yamuna, Gomti, Damodar and Mahananda, besides Ganga, was approved in stages from 1993 onwards. The above two phases of Ganga Action Plan have continued since their inception with GAP-I having been completed in 2000 and GAP-II is presently under implementation. A total of 146 industries are reported to be located along the river Ganga between Rishikesh and Prayagraj. 144 of these are in Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) and 2 in Uttrakhand. Of the grossly polluting industries in U.P., 82 industries have installed Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) and are reported to be complying with the standards, 27 industries, though have installed ETPs are not reported to be complying with the prescribed standards and 35 industries are reported to have been closed. The Central Pollution Control Board has issued directions to the State Pollution Control Boards under Section 18 1(b) of Water Act, 1974 for taking appropriate legal action against the defaulting industries. In the State of Uttrakhand, of the 2 Grossly Polluting Industries, one is reported to have installed the ETP and the other is reported to have been closed. As regards the number of drains falling into the river in the towns covered under the Ganga Action Plan and number of identified Gross Polluting Industries which discharge their effluent in the river between Rishikesh and Prayagraj, the same is given in the Annexure. GAP Phase-I was declared closed in March, 2000. Since GAP Phase-I did not cover the pollution load of Ganga fully, GAP Phase II which included Plans for Yamuna, Gomti, Damodar and Mahananda besides Ganga was approved in various stages from 1993 onwards. The present sanctioned cost of works for Ganga river (main stem) under GAP Phase-II is Rs.564 crore against which an amount of Rs.373.58 crore has been released to the State Implementing Agencies. Out of a total of 311 schemes sanctioned, 185 schemes have been completed so far and the balance schemes are in different stages of implementation. A citizen-based Sankat Mochan Foundation, started in Varanasi in 1982, has made great strides toward a lasting clean-up of the Ganges. With a dual identity as Hindu priest and civil engineer, the organization's founder, Veer Bhadra Mishra, has approached the problem from both a scientific and a spiritual perspective. In collaboration with engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, Mishra has proposed an alternative sewage-treatment plan for Varanasi that is compatible with the climate and conditions of India. The advanced integrated wastewater oxidation pond system would store sewage in a series of ponds and use bacteria and algae to break down waste and purify the water. On June 23, 2008 West Bengal has been allocated Rs 249.68 crore under the second phase of Ganga Action Plan, (GAP-II) to cover 196 schemes in 31 towns of the state as part of the ongoing efforts to clean up the River Ganga. The schemes devised by GAP-II, which now falls under the National River Conservation Development (NRCD), would include interception and diversion of raw sewage, construction of sewage treatment plants, crematoria, river front development, afforestation and public participation. The GAP was a programme launched by the Centre in April 1985 in order to reduce the pollution load on the river Ganga. National Ganga River Basin Authority On November 4, 2008 Government of India declared Ganga as a 'national river' and also to set up a high powered Ganga River Basin Authority to protect the ancient river from pollution and other degradation. On February 20, 2009 the Minister of State for Environment Namo Narain Meena said the Authority would be responsible for addressing the problem of pollution in the river in a holistic and comprehensive manner. " This will include water quality, minimum ecological flows, sustainable access and other issues relevant to river ecology and management."
History The Ganga is mentioned in the Rig-Veda, the earliest of the Hindu scriptures. The Ganga is mentioned in the nadistuti (Rig Veda 10.75), which lists the rivers from east to west. In RV 6.45.31, the word Ganga is also mentioned, but it is not clear if the reference is to the river.RV 3.58.6 says that "your ancient home, your auspicious friendship, O Heroes, your wealth is on the banks of the Jahnavi (JahnAvyAm)". This verse could possibly refer to the Ganga. In RV 1.116.18-19, the Jahnavi and the Gangetic dolphin occur in two adjacent verses. During the early Indo-Aryan Ages, the Indus and the Saraswati were the major rivers, not the Ganga. But the later three Vedas seem to give much more importance to the Ganga, as shown by its numerous references. According to the Hindu Purans, Goddess Ganga used to exist only in Heaven. Then prince Bhagirath worshipped Ganga to descend on earth. This is why Ganga is also known as Bhagirathi. In the Mahabharath this story is also mentioned. In fact, Ganga is a major character in the Mahabharath, where she's the mother of Bhisma. Another version of the myth tells us that Ganga descended to earth to purify the souls of the 60,000 sons of an ancient ruler, King Sagara, who had been burnt to ashes by an enraged ascetic.
Ganga in Hindu religion According to Hindus the river Ganga is sacred. It is worshipped by Hindus and personified as a goddess, who holds an important place in the Hindu religion. Hindu belief holds that bathing in the river on certain occasions causes the forgiveness of sins and helps attain salvation. Many people believe that this will come from bathing in Ganga at any time. People travel from distant places to immerse the ashes of their kin in the waters of the Ganga; this immersion also is believed to send the ashes to heaven. Several places sacred to Hindus lie along the banks of the river Ganga, including Haridwar and Kashi. People carry sacred water from the Ganges that is sealed in copper pots after making the pilgrimage to Kashi. It is believed that drinking water from the Ganga with one's last breath will take the soul to heaven.Hindus also believe life is incomplete without bathing in the Ganga at least once in their lifetime. In most Hindu families, a vial of water from the Ganga is kept in every house. This is done because it is auspicious to have water of the Holy Ganga in the house, and also if someone is dying, that person will be able to drink its water. Many Hindus believe that the water from the Ganga can cleanse a person's soul of all past sins, and that it can also cure the ill. The ancient scriptures mention that the water of Ganges carries the blessings of the Lord's feet. Hence mother Ganges is also known as Visnupadi (Emanating from the Lotus feet of Supreme Lord Sri Visnu). Some of the most important Hindu festivals and religious congregations are celebrated on the banks of the river Ganga such as the Kumbh Mela or the Kumbh Fair and the Chhat Puja. Around 70 million Hindus from around the world participated in Kumbh Mela at the Hindu Holy city Prayaga (also known as Allahabad). The most important city sacred to Hinduism on the banks of the River Ganga is Varanasi or Banaras. It has hundreds of temples along the banks of the Ganga which often get flooded during the rains. This city, especially along the banks of the Ganga, is an important place of worship for the Hindus as well as a cremation ground.
Lord Shiva (शिव) Goddess Ganga
Tehri dam The most controversial Tehri dam is the main dam of the Tehri Hydro Project on the rivers Bhagirathi (one of the major tributary of the river Ganga) located near Tehri in Uttarakhand. It is a multi purpose river valley project, towering 855 feet (261 m). The main dam at Tehri is the 8th tallest dam in the world. The dam's projected capabilities include a power generation capacity of 2400 MW, irrigation stabilization to an area of 6,000 km², an additional area of 2,700 km² of irrigation stabilization and a supply of 270 million gallons (1.23 million cubic metres) of drinking water to industrialized cities in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The dam project was approved in 1972 and construction was started in 1978. The dam is operational since July 2006. Until March 2008, a sum of Rs 8,298 crore had been spent on the dam, far outweighing the initial planned costs. Its projected power generating capacity was 2,400 MW. Currently, it is generating only 1,000 MW, less than half its capacity. According to Hindu mythology, river Bhagirathi is the actual Ganga, though the name of Ganga is assumed only after the river Bhagirathi meets river Alaknanda at Devprayag. Cutting off the water supply of Bhagirathi to such low quantity means that after travelling more than 80 km from this point, water of Bhagirathi will be hardly reaching Ganga. It is predicted that after 20 years the mighty Ganga will be reduced to a trickle and cease to exist for the 150 million people in this region. The Tehri dam is located in the Central Himalayan Seismic Gap, a major geologic fault zone. This region was the site of a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in October 1991, epicentred 50 km from the location of the dam. Khumb Mela The Kumbh Mela, the largest religious gathering on earth, is held every 12 years on the banks of the Triveni Sangam - the confluence of the holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. The Mela alternates between Nasik, Allahabad, Ujjain and Haridwar every three years. The one celebrated at the Holy Sangam in Allahabad is the largest and holiest of them. The Mela is attended by millions of devotees, including Sadhus. A holy dip in the sacred waters is believed to cleanse the soul. The Ardh or 'half Kumbh' Mela, is held every six years on the banks of Sangam. Second only to the Kumbh in sanctity, the Ardh Kumbh also attracts devotes in the millions, from all over the world. Magh Mela is an annual event held at the Sangam. In Hindu religion Kumbh is the symbol of spiritual awakening. It is the symbol of the confluence of nature and humanity. Kumbh is the source of all energy. Kumbh makes humankind realize this world and the other, sins and blessings, wisdom and ignorance, darkness and light.
Tehri is the world’s 8th tallest dam. Until March 2008, a sum of Rs 8,298 crore had been spent on the dam, far outweighing the initial planned costs. Its projected power generating capacity was 2,400 MW. Currently, it is generating only 1,000 MW, less than half its capacity. Until March 2008, a sum of Rs 8,298 crore had been spent on the dam. Traditional procession of Akharas, shining swords of naga, sages in Shahi Snan (royal bath) between elephants, horses, musical instruments, horse race attracts lakhs of devotees to visit Kumbh.
Economy The flora and fauna found along Ganga banks are vital to nutrient and water conservation, and control of soil erosion. 451 million people living in its basin are directly and indirectly dependent upon the Ganga. Watered by the monsoons, this silt-enriched land produces a significant portion of the rice, wheat, millet, sugar, and barley needed to feed the world's second most populous nation. The rain feds the land, dilutes the river's muddy stream, flushes out excess sediment and suspended matter, and revitalizes the river where its flow was sluggish. The Ganges and its tributaries provide a perennial source of irrigation to a large area. The Ganges can swell a thousand-fold during the monsoons. Haridwar, Allahabad, and Varanasi are the the source of tourism and attract thousands of pilgrims to its waters. Thousands of Hindu pilgrims arrive at these three towns to take a dip in the Ganges, which is believed to cleanse oneself of sins and help attain salvation.Ecology The Ganga has been described by the World Wildlife Fund as one of the world’s top ten rivers at risk. It has over 140 fish species, 90 amphibian species, and five areas which support birds found nowhere else in the world. According to studies reported by environmental engineer D.S. Bhargava of the University of Roorkee, the Ganges decomposes organic waste 15 to 25 times faster than other rivers. The Ganges has an extraordinarily high rate of reaeration, the process by which it absorbs atmospheric oxygen. When organic waste is dropped into it, as much as 60 per cent of the BOD is processed within an hour. The water quality samples also suggest that the Ganges retains DO much longer than does water from other rivers. In a recent finding, the scientists have observed that various species of fishes which helped in keeping the river water clean are facing extinction. In its place, numerous marine species are thriving in the river. Marine species like Sea Bass, Rostellascaris, Xenentodon Cancilla, Clarius Gariepinus or Thai Magur have been found in the fresh water of Ganga in Allahabad and its surrounding districts. Idol immersion in Ganga
The annual ritual of immersing idols of goddess Durga and other Hindu deities in the Ganga river has threaten the survival of the endangered river dolphin and other aquatic creatures but also increases pollution in the already polluted river. Thousands of idols were immersed in the Ganga in Kolkata, Patna and other cites situated on the banks of river on Octber 9 and 10, 2008 to mark the end of the Durga Puja festival. Environmentalists have been expressing concern over the immersion of idols made up of metals and toxic materials in the river, polluting it year after year. This time in Kolkata, it is not only the NGOs but also the KMC authorities have ensured a cleaner Ganga.
Thousands of idols were immersed in the Ganga in Kolkata, Patna and other cites situated on the banks of river Ganga every year.
Ganga delta and Ganga in sea The delta of the Ganga, or rather, that of the Hooghly and the Padma, is a vast ragged swamp forest (42,000 sq km) called the Sundarbans the world’s largest delta , home of the Royal Bengal Tiger. The river courses in the delta are broad and active, carrying a vast amount of water. On the seaward side of the delta are swamplands and tidal forests called Sunderbans which are protected conservation areas in both Indian and Bangladeshi law. The peat found in the delta is used for fertilizer and fuel. The water supply to the river depends on the rains brought by the monsoon winds from July to October and the melting snow from the Himalayas during the period from April to June. The delta also experiences strong cyclonic storms before and after the monsoon season which can be devastating. The delta used to be densely forested and inhabited by many wild animals. Today, however, it has become intensely cultivated to meet the needs of the growing population and many of the wild animals have disappeared. The Royal Bengal Tiger still lives in the Sunderbans and kills about 30 villagers every year. There remains high fish populations in the rivers which provides an important part of the inhabitants' diet. Bird life in the Ganges basin is also prolific
Ganga in Kolkata The main branch of the Ganges, the Padma, passes through the Farraka Barrage, a gigantic barrier designed to divert the Ganges waters into the Indian Hooghly branch, and away from the Padma. Completed by the Indian government in the early 1970s, it was intended to help flush out the increasing silt deposits in the Hooghly, to improve navigation, and to provide Kolkata with irrigation and drinking water. About 150 large industrial plants are lined up on the banks of the Hooghly at Kolkata. Together, these plants contribute 30 percent of the total industrial effluent reaching the mouths of the Ganges. Of this, half comes from pulp and paper industries, which discharge a dark brown, oxygen-craving slurry of bark and wood fiber, mercury and other heavy metals which accumulate in fish tissues, and chemical toxins like bleaches and dyes, which produce dioxin and other persistent compounds. CNN-IBN-Outlook State of the Environment Poll has found that 77 per cent people have voted cleaning of rivers by government as the top priority. The findings are especially significant in Kolkata as its main river Hooghly is congested with solid waste and effluents. It is said that the character of a city is best judged by how well it maintains its sea or river front. Kosi River - The Sorrow of Bihar The River Kosi ( कोसी नदी) also called the sorrow of Bihar is one of the largest tributaries of river Ganga. After flowing 58 km in Nepal, it enters the north Bihar plains near Bhimnagar and after another 260 km , flows into the Ganges near Kursela. The river travels a distance of 729 km from its source to the confluence with the Ganga. Due the current floods in Kosi river, the situation in Bihar is the worst witnessed for hundreds of years.
Kolkata as its main river Hooghly is congested with solid waste and effluents. It is said that the character of a city is best judged by how well it maintains its sea or river front. Due the current floods in Kosi river, the situation in Bihar is the worst witnessed for hundreds of years. The floods caused by the breach in the eastern afflux embankment at upstream Kuaha village in Nepal on August 18, 2008 is the worst in the region.
Now Ganga threatened by Expressway Lucknow, January 14, 2008: The UP state government will select a developer for the ambitious Rs 30,000- crore Ganga Expressway project within a couple of days after a committee submits a report to the state Cabinet. Financial bids from five companies for developing the 1,047-km project, linking Noida and Ballia, have been referred to an empowered committee headed by the chief secretary, state Industrial Development Commissioner. The expressway promises to reduce travel time from Ballia to Noida to about 10 hours. Ganga Expressway is anti-Hindu, says BJP and it will hurt Hindu sentiments by compounding pollution in the Ganga. “Ganga is the most sacred river to every Hindu. But the project that entails development of industrial pockets edging the 1,047-km Greater Noida to Ballia expressway will aggravate the pollution in the river. We will fight out the Expressway both on streets as well as in state legislature,” state BJP president Ramapati Ram Tripathi told mediapersons. “Till now, industrial units and leather tanneries in Kanpur were dumping pollutants into the river, but industrial pockets along the expressway will result in more industrial effluents flowing freely into the Ganga,” he added. The state party president further said, “We will not let the project take off as it will not only pollute the sacred river, but also result in widespread displacement of rural population as well as destruction of agriculture by converting farmers into landless labourers. Other opposition parties including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, are also planning to protest against the expressway. The CPI leaders said that thousands of acres of fertile land in UP was being acquired for the Ganga Expressway project that was bound to render thousands of farmers homeless and jobless.
Ganga threatened by climate change The Ganga is also one of the rivers most threatened by climate change. According to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (The UN Climate Change Conference in Bali) looking at the threat from climate change to human development and the environment, “only the polar icecaps hold more fresh water than the Himalayan glaciers”: “If the current trends of climate change continue, by 2030 the size of the glaciers could be reduced by as much as 80 per cent,” warns the report, titled “Up in Smoke -- Asia and the Pacific”, released here in November 2007. Some of India’s most important rivers are fed by the Himalayan glaciers. But rising temperatures means that many of the Himalayan glaciers are melting fast due to Global Warming and could diminish significantly over the coming decades with catastrophic results. In the long run, the water flow in the Ganges could drop by two-thirds, affecting more than 400 million people who depend on it for drinking water. The report warns that in the short term the rapid melting of ice high up in the Himalayas might cause river swelling and floods. The formation of glacial lakes of melt-water creates the threat of outburst floods leading to devastation in lowland valleys. Ganga a national heritage On September 22, 2008 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured giving river Ganga a national heritage status, a statement by the Hardwar-based Ganga Raksha Manch said. The prime minister pledged to revive the glory of the river and look into the issue of pollution in the river along its stretch from upper reaches in Hardwar to Ganga Sagar in the Bay of Bengal. More than 300 people held a rally on September 18 organised by the Ganga Raksha Manch, whose convenor is Swami Ramdev to demand that the river be declared a national heritage. The rallysist submitted a letter to President Pratibha Patil with a list of demands. The first PM of India Pandit Jawaharla Nehru said: "The Ganga especially is the river of India's age-long culture and civiastion, ever changing., ever flowing, and yet ever the same Ganga." Ganga is both goddess and river. The name of Ganga appears twice in the Rig Veda, references in Puranas, Valmiki Ramayana, Devi Bhagavatam, Mahabharata and Hindu religious Granthas as mother Ganga. . In other parts of the world great rivers have been referred to as mothers. Volga is Mat Rodanya that is Mother of land. Ireland's river Boyne is worshiped as a goddess, The Thai river is Mae-nau taht is Water Mother. In ancient Egypt the Nile was considered as the tears of Goddess Isis.
Zooplanktons affecting food chain in Ganga M Omair from the University of Michigan in the US has collected zooplankton samples from Haridwar, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, and Kolkata. He found that many of the zooplanktons that are eaten by the small fish have tumours. The small fish are in turn eaten by the bigger fish and so on, so the ill zooplanktons are getting into the entire food chain, including humans who eat fish from the river. "It is a bad sign for the environmental health of the Ganga," Omair said at a seminar held here on Saturday. "If the zooplanktons are gone, nothing will be left in the river." Omair said all the zooplanktons samples collected at various points along the Ganga were analysed in a lab in the US. The Central Pollution Control Board has declared the Ganga water unfit for drinking along its entire stretch on the Indian plains downstream from Haridwar. At many places, the water has been declared unfit for bathing as well, though bathing in Ganga is considered a holy act by Hindus.
The ill zooplanktons are getting into the entire food chain, including humans who eat fish from the river.
Save Ganga campaign NEW DELHI, August 18, 2008: A group of 250 spiritual heads representing most of the religious sects and Hindu organisations across India on Sunday launched the Save the Ganga campaign in the capital. The campaign, Awiral Ganga, Nirmal Ganga: From Gangotri to Ganga Sagar, aims to clean up the river right from its source in the Himalayas to where it drains into the Bay of Bengal at Ganga Sagar in West Bengal by reducing pollution and demanding national heritage status for the river. Lucknow, September 19, 2008: Yoga guru Ramdev has brought together Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists and Muslim clerics for a campaign to save the Ganga river from pollution. The “Save Ganga” campaign was launched Thursday by Ramdev at a meeting organised under the banner of the Ganga Raksha Manch in Kanpur. At the event, Islamic cleric Qazi Qamar Shahjahanpuri and scholar Nawab Mir Jafar Abdullah shared the dais with VHP leaders Swami Chinmayanand and Sadhvi Rithambara. “We wish to urge the prime minister to declare Ganga a national heritage and to make pollution of the holy river a cognisable offence,” Ramdev said. Abdullah compared the holiness of the Ganga water with “Ab-e-zam-zam” - the holy Mecca water, while the Qazi recited excerpts from the Quran to highlight the importance of pure water of which he termed Ganga as the biggest source in the country. A delegation of Hindu and Muslim leaders, headed by Ramdev, will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi Saturday. They also want his help to spike the Uttar Pradesh government’s ambitious plan to build a 1,000 km Ganga Expressway connecting the state’s eastern tip to the national capital. “A delegation of holy men, clerics and scholars led by Baba Ramdev will meet Manmohan Singh, whose help has been sought to give concrete strength to our mission to clean the Ganga,” one of Ramdev’s aides told IANS over telephone from Kanpur. “The much publicised Ganga Expressway would not only affect the sanctity of the river but also lead to the displacement of at least 6,000 families,” Chinmayanand said at the launch of the campign. According to official figures, the river receives about 5,044 million litres a day (MLD) of sewage. Only about 1,095 MLD passes through sewage treatment plants (STPs) at different places, with the result that the bulk of the pollutants remain untreated. New Delhi, June 29, 2008 (IANS): The river Ganga, has found a new messiah to purge it of the accumulated filth and breathe new life into its shrinking course. Yoga guru Ramdev, along with a clutch of spiritual seers across the country, is the latest to join the ranks of the river crusaders who are waging a battle against the industry and development lobbies across the country and reluctant state machineries to save India’s dying rivers
Ganga India's national river The mighty Ganga is not only the river but much more to the millions for whom the Ganga is a symbol of faith, hope, substance and sanity. Therefore the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared on November 4, 2008 that henceforth the Ganga would be known as India's 'national river'. The Prime minister has also announced the proposal to set up a separate high powered Ganga River Basin Authority to stop its pollution and degradation. Chaired by the Prime minister, the authority would have as the members the chief ministers of states through which the river flows, besides working closely with ministers of water resources, environment and forests, urban development and others as well as agencies working on river conservation and pollution management.
Source of Ganga River In the Uttarakhand Himalayas where glacial water flowing from a cave at Gaumukh, is the origin of the Bhagirathi river. Gaumukh has been described as a desolate place at an altitude of about 4,000 meters (13,000 feet). Twenty-three kilometers from Gaumukh, the river reaches Gangotri, the first town on its path. Thousands of visitors come to Gangotri each year, from every part of the world. The river which joins the Alaknanda river at Devaprayag, also in the Uttarakhand Himalayas, to form the Ganga. The Ganga then flows through the Himalayan valleys and emerges into the north Indian plain at the town of Haridwar. Recent pictures taken by Google Earth via satellite have confirmed that an eight-km stretch of the Bhagirathi river has dried up. The river is shown snaking through the Himalayan mountains as one long, sandy stretch minus any water. Other rivers emanating from the Gangotri glacier, including the Bhilangana, the Assi Ganga and the Alaknanda, all tributaries of the Ganga river, are also drying up. Since the river Ganga (Bhagirathi) is still emanating from the ice cave (Gaumukh) of Gangotri Glacier, no steps are required to be taken at present for bringing back the flow of river Ganga. As far as the recession of the glacier is concerned it is a part of natural phenomena and cannot be stopped by using short term artificial measures. This information was given by Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Kapil Sibal, in a written reply to a question by Shri Vijoy Krishna in the Lok Sabha on April 29, 2008.
In the Uttarakhand Himalayas where glacial water flowing from a cave at Gaumukh, is the origin of the Bhagirathi river. Twenty-three km. from Gaumukh, the river reaches Gangotri, the first town on its path.
Ganga River in plains On its 1,560-mi (2,510-km) course in plains, Ganga flows southeast through the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. The Ganga passing some of the most populous cities of India, including Kanpur , Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, and Kolkata. The Yamuna, which originates less than a hundred miles east of the Bhagirathi, flows parallel to the Ganga and a little to the south for most of its course before merging with the Ganga at the holy city of Allahabad, also known as Triveni Sangam. New Delhi, capital of India, and Agra, site of the Taj Mahal, are two of the major cities on the Yamuna river. The largest tributary to the Ganga is the Ghaghara, which meets it before Patna, in Bihar, bearing much of the Himalayan glacier melt from Northern Nepal. The Gandak, which comes from near Katmandu, is another big Himalayan tributary. Other important rivers that merge with the Ganga are the Son, which originates in the hills of Madhya Pradesh, the Gomti which flows past Lucknow, and then meets with the river Chambal. On its way it passes the towns of Mirzapur, Varanasi, Patna and Bhagalpur. At Bhagalpur, the river meanders past the Rajmahal Hills, and beings to change course southwards. At Pakaur, the river begins its first attrition with the branching away of its first distributary, the River Bhagirathi, which goes on to form the River Hooghly. Close to the border with Bangladesh, the Farakka Barrage, built in 1974 controls the flow of the Ganges, diverting some of the water into a feeder canal linking the Hooghly to keep it relatively silt free. After entering Bangladesh, the main branch of the Ganges is known as Padma River till it is joined by the Jamuna River the largest distributaries of the Brahmaputra. Further downstream, the Ganges is fed by the Meghna River, the second largest distributaries of the Brahmaputra and takes on its name. Fanning out into the 350 km (220 mi) wide Ganges Delta, it empties out into the Bay of Bengal. The delta of the Ganga, or rather, that of the Hooghly and the Padma, is a vast ragged swamp forest (42,000 sq km) called the Sunderbans.
Ganga river in plains Ganga river in plains
Pollution in Ganga River Today, over 29 cities, 70 towns, and thousands of villages extend along the Ganges' banks. Nearly all of their sewage - over 1.3 billion liters per day - goes directly into the river, along with thousands of animal carcasses, mainly cattle. Another 260 million liters of industrial waste are added to this by hundreds of factories along the river's banks. Municipal sewage constitutes 80 per cent by volume of the total waste dumped into the Ganges, and industries contribute about 15 percent. The majority of the Ganges pollution is organic waste, sewage, trash, food, and human and animal remains. Over the past century, city populations along the Ganges have grown at a tremendous rate, while waste-control infrastructure has remained relatively unchanged. Recent water samples collected in Varanasi revealed fecal-coliform counts of about 50,000 bacteria per 100 milliliters of water, 10,000% higher than the government standard for safe river bathing. The result of this pollution is an array of water-borne diseases including cholera, hepatitis, typhoid and amoebic dysentery. An estimated 80% of all health problems and one-third of deaths in India are attributable to water-borne diseases. The sacred practice of depositing human remains in the Ganges also poses health threats because of the unsustainable rate at which partially cremated cadavers are dumped. In Varanasi, some 40,000 cremations are performed each year, most on wood pyres that do not completely consume the body. Along with the remains of these traditional funerals, there are thousands more who cannot afford cremation and whose bodies are simply thrown into the Ganges. In addition, the carcasses of thousands of dead cattle, which are sacred to Hindus, go into the river each year. An inadequate cremation procedures contributes to a large number of partially burnt or unburnt corpses floating down the Ganga. The industrial pollutants also a major source of contamination in the Ganges. A total of 146 industries are reported to be located along the river Ganga between Rishikesh and Prayagraj. 144 of these are in Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) and 2 in Uttrakhand. The major polluting industries on the Ganga are the leather industries, especially near Kanpur, which use large amounts of Chromium and other toxic chemical waste, and much of it finds its way into the meager flow of the Ganga. From the plains to the sea, pharmaceutical companies, electronics plants, textile and paper industries, tanneries, fertilizer manufacturers and oil refineries discharge effluent into the river. This hazardous waste includes hydrochloric acid, mercury and other heavy metals, bleaches and dyes, pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls highly toxic compounds that accumulate in animal and human tissue. However, industry is not the only source of pollution. Sheer volume of waste - estimated at nearly 1 billion litres per day - of mostly untreated raw sewage - is a significant factor. Runoff from farms in the Ganges basin adds chemical fertilizers and pesticides such as DDT, which is banned in the United States because of its toxic and carcinogenic effects on humans and wildlife. Damming the river or diverting its water, mainly for irrigation purposes, also adds to the pollution crisis.
Ganga action plan The Ganga Action Plan (GAP) was initiated by the late Prime Minster Indira Gandhi, who called for a comprehensive survey of the situation in 1979. In 1985, the government of India launched the Ganga Action Plan, which was devised to clean up the river in selected areas by installing sewage treatment plants and threatening fines and litigation against industries that pollute. The 2006 official audit of the Ganga Action Plan has revealed that it has met only 39 per cent of its sewage treatment target. Moreover, the plan is behind schedule by over 13 years. According to the legal counsel, Central Pollution Control Board, Mr Vijay Panjawani, even after spending Rs 24,000 crore, the Ganga remains as dirty as ever. A total of Rs.740.11 crore has been released to different States so far for implementation of schemes for the river Ganga under Ganga Action Plan (GAP). The GAP Phase – I, the first attempt of the Government of India to undertake pollution abatement works in the river Ganga, was launched in the year 1985 with the objective of treating 882 million litres per day (mld) of sewage and improving its water quality to bathing class standards. This Phase was declared completed in March, 2000 with the creation of sewage treatment apacity of 865 mld. Since GAP Phase – I did not cover the pollution load of Ganga fully, GAP Phase – II which includes plans for its major tributaries namely, Yamuna, Gomti, Damodar and Mahananda, besides Ganga, was approved in stages from 1993 onwards. The above two phases of Ganga Action Plan have continued since their inception with GAP-I having been completed in 2000 and GAP-II is presently under implementation. A total of 146 industries are reported to be located along the river Ganga between Rishikesh and Prayagraj. 144 of these are in Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) and 2 in Uttrakhand. Of the grossly polluting industries in U.P., 82 industries have installed Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) and are reported to be complying with the standards, 27 industries, though have installed ETPs are not reported to be complying with the prescribed standards and 35 industries are reported to have been closed. The Central Pollution Control Board has issued directions to the State Pollution Control Boards under Section 18 1(b) of Water Act, 1974 for taking appropriate legal action against the defaulting industries. In the State of Uttrakhand, of the 2 Grossly Polluting Industries, one is reported to have installed the ETP and the other is reported to have been closed. As regards the number of drains falling into the river in the towns covered under the Ganga Action Plan and number of identified Gross Polluting Industries which discharge their effluent in the river between Rishikesh and Prayagraj, the same is given in the Annexure. GAP Phase-I was declared closed in March, 2000. Since GAP Phase-I did not cover the pollution load of Ganga fully, GAP Phase II which included Plans for Yamuna, Gomti, Damodar and Mahananda besides Ganga was approved in various stages from 1993 onwards. The present sanctioned cost of works for Ganga river (main stem) under GAP Phase-II is Rs.564 crore against which an amount of Rs.373.58 crore has been released to the State Implementing Agencies. Out of a total of 311 schemes sanctioned, 185 schemes have been completed so far and the balance schemes are in different stages of implementation. A citizen-based Sankat Mochan Foundation, started in Varanasi in 1982, has made great strides toward a lasting clean-up of the Ganges. With a dual identity as Hindu priest and civil engineer, the organization's founder, Veer Bhadra Mishra, has approached the problem from both a scientific and a spiritual perspective. In collaboration with engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, Mishra has proposed an alternative sewage-treatment plan for Varanasi that is compatible with the climate and conditions of India. The advanced integrated wastewater oxidation pond system would store sewage in a series of ponds and use bacteria and algae to break down waste and purify the water. On June 23, 2008 West Bengal has been allocated Rs 249.68 crore under the second phase of Ganga Action Plan, (GAP-II) to cover 196 schemes in 31 towns of the state as part of the ongoing efforts to clean up the River Ganga. The schemes devised by GAP-II, which now falls under the National River Conservation Development (NRCD), would include interception and diversion of raw sewage, construction of sewage treatment plants, crematoria, river front development, afforestation and public participation. The GAP was a programme launched by the Centre in April 1985 in order to reduce the pollution load on the river Ganga. National Ganga River Basin Authority On November 4, 2008 Government of India declared Ganga as a 'national river' and also to set up a high powered Ganga River Basin Authority to protect the ancient river from pollution and other degradation. On February 20, 2009 the Minister of State for Environment Namo Narain Meena said the Authority would be responsible for addressing the problem of pollution in the river in a holistic and comprehensive manner. " This will include water quality, minimum ecological flows, sustainable access and other issues relevant to river ecology and management."
History The Ganga is mentioned in the Rig-Veda, the earliest of the Hindu scriptures. The Ganga is mentioned in the nadistuti (Rig Veda 10.75), which lists the rivers from east to west. In RV 6.45.31, the word Ganga is also mentioned, but it is not clear if the reference is to the river.RV 3.58.6 says that "your ancient home, your auspicious friendship, O Heroes, your wealth is on the banks of the Jahnavi (JahnAvyAm)". This verse could possibly refer to the Ganga. In RV 1.116.18-19, the Jahnavi and the Gangetic dolphin occur in two adjacent verses. During the early Indo-Aryan Ages, the Indus and the Saraswati were the major rivers, not the Ganga. But the later three Vedas seem to give much more importance to the Ganga, as shown by its numerous references. According to the Hindu Purans, Goddess Ganga used to exist only in Heaven. Then prince Bhagirath worshipped Ganga to descend on earth. This is why Ganga is also known as Bhagirathi. In the Mahabharath this story is also mentioned. In fact, Ganga is a major character in the Mahabharath, where she's the mother of Bhisma. Another version of the myth tells us that Ganga descended to earth to purify the souls of the 60,000 sons of an ancient ruler, King Sagara, who had been burnt to ashes by an enraged ascetic.
Ganga in Hindu religion According to Hindus the river Ganga is sacred. It is worshipped by Hindus and personified as a goddess, who holds an important place in the Hindu religion. Hindu belief holds that bathing in the river on certain occasions causes the forgiveness of sins and helps attain salvation. Many people believe that this will come from bathing in Ganga at any time. People travel from distant places to immerse the ashes of their kin in the waters of the Ganga; this immersion also is believed to send the ashes to heaven. Several places sacred to Hindus lie along the banks of the river Ganga, including Haridwar and Kashi. People carry sacred water from the Ganges that is sealed in copper pots after making the pilgrimage to Kashi. It is believed that drinking water from the Ganga with one's last breath will take the soul to heaven.Hindus also believe life is incomplete without bathing in the Ganga at least once in their lifetime. In most Hindu families, a vial of water from the Ganga is kept in every house. This is done because it is auspicious to have water of the Holy Ganga in the house, and also if someone is dying, that person will be able to drink its water. Many Hindus believe that the water from the Ganga can cleanse a person's soul of all past sins, and that it can also cure the ill. The ancient scriptures mention that the water of Ganges carries the blessings of the Lord's feet. Hence mother Ganges is also known as Visnupadi (Emanating from the Lotus feet of Supreme Lord Sri Visnu). Some of the most important Hindu festivals and religious congregations are celebrated on the banks of the river Ganga such as the Kumbh Mela or the Kumbh Fair and the Chhat Puja. Around 70 million Hindus from around the world participated in Kumbh Mela at the Hindu Holy city Prayaga (also known as Allahabad). The most important city sacred to Hinduism on the banks of the River Ganga is Varanasi or Banaras. It has hundreds of temples along the banks of the Ganga which often get flooded during the rains. This city, especially along the banks of the Ganga, is an important place of worship for the Hindus as well as a cremation ground.
Lord Shiva (शिव) Goddess Ganga
Tehri dam The most controversial Tehri dam is the main dam of the Tehri Hydro Project on the rivers Bhagirathi (one of the major tributary of the river Ganga) located near Tehri in Uttarakhand. It is a multi purpose river valley project, towering 855 feet (261 m). The main dam at Tehri is the 8th tallest dam in the world. The dam's projected capabilities include a power generation capacity of 2400 MW, irrigation stabilization to an area of 6,000 km², an additional area of 2,700 km² of irrigation stabilization and a supply of 270 million gallons (1.23 million cubic metres) of drinking water to industrialized cities in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The dam project was approved in 1972 and construction was started in 1978. The dam is operational since July 2006. Until March 2008, a sum of Rs 8,298 crore had been spent on the dam, far outweighing the initial planned costs. Its projected power generating capacity was 2,400 MW. Currently, it is generating only 1,000 MW, less than half its capacity. According to Hindu mythology, river Bhagirathi is the actual Ganga, though the name of Ganga is assumed only after the river Bhagirathi meets river Alaknanda at Devprayag. Cutting off the water supply of Bhagirathi to such low quantity means that after travelling more than 80 km from this point, water of Bhagirathi will be hardly reaching Ganga. It is predicted that after 20 years the mighty Ganga will be reduced to a trickle and cease to exist for the 150 million people in this region. The Tehri dam is located in the Central Himalayan Seismic Gap, a major geologic fault zone. This region was the site of a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in October 1991, epicentred 50 km from the location of the dam. Khumb Mela The Kumbh Mela, the largest religious gathering on earth, is held every 12 years on the banks of the Triveni Sangam - the confluence of the holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. The Mela alternates between Nasik, Allahabad, Ujjain and Haridwar every three years. The one celebrated at the Holy Sangam in Allahabad is the largest and holiest of them. The Mela is attended by millions of devotees, including Sadhus. A holy dip in the sacred waters is believed to cleanse the soul. The Ardh or 'half Kumbh' Mela, is held every six years on the banks of Sangam. Second only to the Kumbh in sanctity, the Ardh Kumbh also attracts devotes in the millions, from all over the world. Magh Mela is an annual event held at the Sangam. In Hindu religion Kumbh is the symbol of spiritual awakening. It is the symbol of the confluence of nature and humanity. Kumbh is the source of all energy. Kumbh makes humankind realize this world and the other, sins and blessings, wisdom and ignorance, darkness and light.
Tehri is the world’s 8th tallest dam. Until March 2008, a sum of Rs 8,298 crore had been spent on the dam, far outweighing the initial planned costs. Its projected power generating capacity was 2,400 MW. Currently, it is generating only 1,000 MW, less than half its capacity. Until March 2008, a sum of Rs 8,298 crore had been spent on the dam. Traditional procession of Akharas, shining swords of naga, sages in Shahi Snan (royal bath) between elephants, horses, musical instruments, horse race attracts lakhs of devotees to visit Kumbh.
Economy The flora and fauna found along Ganga banks are vital to nutrient and water conservation, and control of soil erosion. 451 million people living in its basin are directly and indirectly dependent upon the Ganga. Watered by the monsoons, this silt-enriched land produces a significant portion of the rice, wheat, millet, sugar, and barley needed to feed the world's second most populous nation. The rain feds the land, dilutes the river's muddy stream, flushes out excess sediment and suspended matter, and revitalizes the river where its flow was sluggish. The Ganges and its tributaries provide a perennial source of irrigation to a large area. The Ganges can swell a thousand-fold during the monsoons. Haridwar, Allahabad, and Varanasi are the the source of tourism and attract thousands of pilgrims to its waters. Thousands of Hindu pilgrims arrive at these three towns to take a dip in the Ganges, which is believed to cleanse oneself of sins and help attain salvation.Ecology The Ganga has been described by the World Wildlife Fund as one of the world’s top ten rivers at risk. It has over 140 fish species, 90 amphibian species, and five areas which support birds found nowhere else in the world. According to studies reported by environmental engineer D.S. Bhargava of the University of Roorkee, the Ganges decomposes organic waste 15 to 25 times faster than other rivers. The Ganges has an extraordinarily high rate of reaeration, the process by which it absorbs atmospheric oxygen. When organic waste is dropped into it, as much as 60 per cent of the BOD is processed within an hour. The water quality samples also suggest that the Ganges retains DO much longer than does water from other rivers. In a recent finding, the scientists have observed that various species of fishes which helped in keeping the river water clean are facing extinction. In its place, numerous marine species are thriving in the river. Marine species like Sea Bass, Rostellascaris, Xenentodon Cancilla, Clarius Gariepinus or Thai Magur have been found in the fresh water of Ganga in Allahabad and its surrounding districts. Idol immersion in Ganga
The annual ritual of immersing idols of goddess Durga and other Hindu deities in the Ganga river has threaten the survival of the endangered river dolphin and other aquatic creatures but also increases pollution in the already polluted river. Thousands of idols were immersed in the Ganga in Kolkata, Patna and other cites situated on the banks of river on Octber 9 and 10, 2008 to mark the end of the Durga Puja festival. Environmentalists have been expressing concern over the immersion of idols made up of metals and toxic materials in the river, polluting it year after year. This time in Kolkata, it is not only the NGOs but also the KMC authorities have ensured a cleaner Ganga.
Thousands of idols were immersed in the Ganga in Kolkata, Patna and other cites situated on the banks of river Ganga every year.
Ganga delta and Ganga in sea The delta of the Ganga, or rather, that of the Hooghly and the Padma, is a vast ragged swamp forest (42,000 sq km) called the Sundarbans the world’s largest delta , home of the Royal Bengal Tiger. The river courses in the delta are broad and active, carrying a vast amount of water. On the seaward side of the delta are swamplands and tidal forests called Sunderbans which are protected conservation areas in both Indian and Bangladeshi law. The peat found in the delta is used for fertilizer and fuel. The water supply to the river depends on the rains brought by the monsoon winds from July to October and the melting snow from the Himalayas during the period from April to June. The delta also experiences strong cyclonic storms before and after the monsoon season which can be devastating. The delta used to be densely forested and inhabited by many wild animals. Today, however, it has become intensely cultivated to meet the needs of the growing population and many of the wild animals have disappeared. The Royal Bengal Tiger still lives in the Sunderbans and kills about 30 villagers every year. There remains high fish populations in the rivers which provides an important part of the inhabitants' diet. Bird life in the Ganges basin is also prolific
Ganga in Kolkata The main branch of the Ganges, the Padma, passes through the Farraka Barrage, a gigantic barrier designed to divert the Ganges waters into the Indian Hooghly branch, and away from the Padma. Completed by the Indian government in the early 1970s, it was intended to help flush out the increasing silt deposits in the Hooghly, to improve navigation, and to provide Kolkata with irrigation and drinking water. About 150 large industrial plants are lined up on the banks of the Hooghly at Kolkata. Together, these plants contribute 30 percent of the total industrial effluent reaching the mouths of the Ganges. Of this, half comes from pulp and paper industries, which discharge a dark brown, oxygen-craving slurry of bark and wood fiber, mercury and other heavy metals which accumulate in fish tissues, and chemical toxins like bleaches and dyes, which produce dioxin and other persistent compounds. CNN-IBN-Outlook State of the Environment Poll has found that 77 per cent people have voted cleaning of rivers by government as the top priority. The findings are especially significant in Kolkata as its main river Hooghly is congested with solid waste and effluents. It is said that the character of a city is best judged by how well it maintains its sea or river front. Kosi River - The Sorrow of Bihar The River Kosi ( कोसी नदी) also called the sorrow of Bihar is one of the largest tributaries of river Ganga. After flowing 58 km in Nepal, it enters the north Bihar plains near Bhimnagar and after another 260 km , flows into the Ganges near Kursela. The river travels a distance of 729 km from its source to the confluence with the Ganga. Due the current floods in Kosi river, the situation in Bihar is the worst witnessed for hundreds of years.
Kolkata as its main river Hooghly is congested with solid waste and effluents. It is said that the character of a city is best judged by how well it maintains its sea or river front. Due the current floods in Kosi river, the situation in Bihar is the worst witnessed for hundreds of years. The floods caused by the breach in the eastern afflux embankment at upstream Kuaha village in Nepal on August 18, 2008 is the worst in the region.
Now Ganga threatened by Expressway Lucknow, January 14, 2008: The UP state government will select a developer for the ambitious Rs 30,000- crore Ganga Expressway project within a couple of days after a committee submits a report to the state Cabinet. Financial bids from five companies for developing the 1,047-km project, linking Noida and Ballia, have been referred to an empowered committee headed by the chief secretary, state Industrial Development Commissioner. The expressway promises to reduce travel time from Ballia to Noida to about 10 hours. Ganga Expressway is anti-Hindu, says BJP and it will hurt Hindu sentiments by compounding pollution in the Ganga. “Ganga is the most sacred river to every Hindu. But the project that entails development of industrial pockets edging the 1,047-km Greater Noida to Ballia expressway will aggravate the pollution in the river. We will fight out the Expressway both on streets as well as in state legislature,” state BJP president Ramapati Ram Tripathi told mediapersons. “Till now, industrial units and leather tanneries in Kanpur were dumping pollutants into the river, but industrial pockets along the expressway will result in more industrial effluents flowing freely into the Ganga,” he added. The state party president further said, “We will not let the project take off as it will not only pollute the sacred river, but also result in widespread displacement of rural population as well as destruction of agriculture by converting farmers into landless labourers. Other opposition parties including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, are also planning to protest against the expressway. The CPI leaders said that thousands of acres of fertile land in UP was being acquired for the Ganga Expressway project that was bound to render thousands of farmers homeless and jobless.
Ganga threatened by climate change The Ganga is also one of the rivers most threatened by climate change. According to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (The UN Climate Change Conference in Bali) looking at the threat from climate change to human development and the environment, “only the polar icecaps hold more fresh water than the Himalayan glaciers”: “If the current trends of climate change continue, by 2030 the size of the glaciers could be reduced by as much as 80 per cent,” warns the report, titled “Up in Smoke -- Asia and the Pacific”, released here in November 2007. Some of India’s most important rivers are fed by the Himalayan glaciers. But rising temperatures means that many of the Himalayan glaciers are melting fast due to Global Warming and could diminish significantly over the coming decades with catastrophic results. In the long run, the water flow in the Ganges could drop by two-thirds, affecting more than 400 million people who depend on it for drinking water. The report warns that in the short term the rapid melting of ice high up in the Himalayas might cause river swelling and floods. The formation of glacial lakes of melt-water creates the threat of outburst floods leading to devastation in lowland valleys. Ganga a national heritage On September 22, 2008 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured giving river Ganga a national heritage status, a statement by the Hardwar-based Ganga Raksha Manch said. The prime minister pledged to revive the glory of the river and look into the issue of pollution in the river along its stretch from upper reaches in Hardwar to Ganga Sagar in the Bay of Bengal. More than 300 people held a rally on September 18 organised by the Ganga Raksha Manch, whose convenor is Swami Ramdev to demand that the river be declared a national heritage. The rallysist submitted a letter to President Pratibha Patil with a list of demands. The first PM of India Pandit Jawaharla Nehru said: "The Ganga especially is the river of India's age-long culture and civiastion, ever changing., ever flowing, and yet ever the same Ganga." Ganga is both goddess and river. The name of Ganga appears twice in the Rig Veda, references in Puranas, Valmiki Ramayana, Devi Bhagavatam, Mahabharata and Hindu religious Granthas as mother Ganga. . In other parts of the world great rivers have been referred to as mothers. Volga is Mat Rodanya that is Mother of land. Ireland's river Boyne is worshiped as a goddess, The Thai river is Mae-nau taht is Water Mother. In ancient Egypt the Nile was considered as the tears of Goddess Isis.
Zooplanktons affecting food chain in Ganga M Omair from the University of Michigan in the US has collected zooplankton samples from Haridwar, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, and Kolkata. He found that many of the zooplanktons that are eaten by the small fish have tumours. The small fish are in turn eaten by the bigger fish and so on, so the ill zooplanktons are getting into the entire food chain, including humans who eat fish from the river. "It is a bad sign for the environmental health of the Ganga," Omair said at a seminar held here on Saturday. "If the zooplanktons are gone, nothing will be left in the river." Omair said all the zooplanktons samples collected at various points along the Ganga were analysed in a lab in the US. The Central Pollution Control Board has declared the Ganga water unfit for drinking along its entire stretch on the Indian plains downstream from Haridwar. At many places, the water has been declared unfit for bathing as well, though bathing in Ganga is considered a holy act by Hindus.
The ill zooplanktons are getting into the entire food chain, including humans who eat fish from the river.
Save Ganga campaign NEW DELHI, August 18, 2008: A group of 250 spiritual heads representing most of the religious sects and Hindu organisations across India on Sunday launched the Save the Ganga campaign in the capital. The campaign, Awiral Ganga, Nirmal Ganga: From Gangotri to Ganga Sagar, aims to clean up the river right from its source in the Himalayas to where it drains into the Bay of Bengal at Ganga Sagar in West Bengal by reducing pollution and demanding national heritage status for the river. Lucknow, September 19, 2008: Yoga guru Ramdev has brought together Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists and Muslim clerics for a campaign to save the Ganga river from pollution. The “Save Ganga” campaign was launched Thursday by Ramdev at a meeting organised under the banner of the Ganga Raksha Manch in Kanpur. At the event, Islamic cleric Qazi Qamar Shahjahanpuri and scholar Nawab Mir Jafar Abdullah shared the dais with VHP leaders Swami Chinmayanand and Sadhvi Rithambara. “We wish to urge the prime minister to declare Ganga a national heritage and to make pollution of the holy river a cognisable offence,” Ramdev said. Abdullah compared the holiness of the Ganga water with “Ab-e-zam-zam” - the holy Mecca water, while the Qazi recited excerpts from the Quran to highlight the importance of pure water of which he termed Ganga as the biggest source in the country. A delegation of Hindu and Muslim leaders, headed by Ramdev, will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi Saturday. They also want his help to spike the Uttar Pradesh government’s ambitious plan to build a 1,000 km Ganga Expressway connecting the state’s eastern tip to the national capital. “A delegation of holy men, clerics and scholars led by Baba Ramdev will meet Manmohan Singh, whose help has been sought to give concrete strength to our mission to clean the Ganga,” one of Ramdev’s aides told IANS over telephone from Kanpur. “The much publicised Ganga Expressway would not only affect the sanctity of the river but also lead to the displacement of at least 6,000 families,” Chinmayanand said at the launch of the campign. According to official figures, the river receives about 5,044 million litres a day (MLD) of sewage. Only about 1,095 MLD passes through sewage treatment plants (STPs) at different places, with the result that the bulk of the pollutants remain untreated. New Delhi, June 29, 2008 (IANS): The river Ganga, has found a new messiah to purge it of the accumulated filth and breathe new life into its shrinking course. Yoga guru Ramdev, along with a clutch of spiritual seers across the country, is the latest to join the ranks of the river crusaders who are waging a battle against the industry and development lobbies across the country and reluctant state machineries to save India’s dying rivers
India's ambitious solar power plans
India's Rs 4,800-crore (Rs 48 billion) solar power industry, which exports around 60 to 70 per cent of its wares to Europe, North America and China, seems to have taken a cue from the IT sector and is aiming for a greater foothold in the Indian market. India, where most regions enjoy nearly 300 sunny days a year, is an ideal market for solar power companies. However, the high cost of light-to-electricity conversion - at Rs 12 to Rs 20 per kWh (kilowatt-hour) - has acted as a deterrent so far, according to Frost & Sullivan Deputy Director (Energy and Power Systems) Amol Kotwal. Currently, India has around 60 companies assembling and supplying solar photovoltaic systems, nine companies manufacturing solar cells and 19 companies manufacturing photovoltaic modules or panels, according to an Indian Semiconductor Association study. However, spurred by factors like an increased demand for clean power, an energy-starved industry and the falling cost of solar-power generation, companies in this space are coming up with a noteworthy number of domestic projects. It has also helped that the government is lending support to such projects through state electricity boards with subsidies.Source: Rediff.com Tata BP Solar ties up with ESB for heating system DUBAI, May 3, 2009:: Tata BP Solar India (TBS) has tied up with Dubai-based Eurostar Solar Energy (ESE) to meet the rising demand for solar thermal water heating systems in the region. TBS is a joint venture between Tata Power Company, a pioneer in the power sector and BP Solar one of the largest Solar Companies in the world. ESE, the newly launched group company of EUROSTAR Group, is an active proponent for renewable energy in the region offering expertise in the design, supply, installation, commissioning and after sales service of solar water heating systems (provided by TBS) and PV systems. Solar plane to take off next April JAIPUR, November 17, 2008: 'Solarimplse,' a solar plane, dubbed a revolutionary project in the field of aviation, will have its first test flight April next year in Switzerland, an officer associated with the project said. Besides, the microlight-like plane is scheduled to take off for a round-the-world flight in May 2011, project communication head Phil Mundwiller said. The pollution-free plane would fly with zero fuel on the strength of solar power both day and night, whose prototype was displayed here as part of the 60th ceremony of India-Switzerland Friendship Treaty. Phil said two aircraft with the investment of $100m are being designed by a team of 60 engineers. Its commercial production is expected to start by 2011. -PTI Remote Rajasthan village gets lit by solar power NEW DELHI, August 12, 2008: Around 500 residents of a Rajasthan village now have lighting from solar power, thanks to an initiative by international renewable energy major Conergy, in partnership with the Masonic rust here. All 98 homes, two temples and a school in Dewri Gowda village in Rajasthan's Alwar district now have solar powered lighting, a total of 940 watts, a Conergy spokesperson said here on Tuesday. The project is a part of Conergy Renewable Energy Village initiative, supported by India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Funding for the project was raised through a charity golf tournament last November. Conergy India managing director Rajesh Bhat said: "Through our subsidiary SunTechnics, we have already installed several hundred renewable energy systems for environmentally-friendly solar power and thus improved the living standards of more than 100,000 people in 250 Indian villages. "Till now, more than 13 per cent of the 600,000 remote villages in India lack electricity. Like Dewri Gowda, most are located in remote territory, which proves expensive and technologically-challenging for power supplied through a public grid. Off-grid renewable energy products such as solar-powered home and street lighting systems thus serve as affordable and efficient alternatives, while also being environment- friendly." Venkittu Sundaram, chairman of the Lodge Elysium Masonic Trust and managing director of EPURON India, said: "India's potential for renewable energy projects far exceeds the current installed capacity. Of the current 144,913 megawatts of energy produced in India, only 8.4 per cent comes from renewable sources." Source: The Times of India India's first solar powered housing project Kolkata, July 14, 2008: India's first solar powered housing project are fitted with all the modern amenities. Installed on its roof are solar panels and solar water heaters, which will offer inmates electricity as well as provide them with warm water for a relaxing bath at the end of a tiring day. The lily pool in front of each house looks pretty but serves a more serious purpose. The breeze flowing over it cools the house on entering it through a natural draft circulation process called the chimney effect. India's first solar housing project— Rabi Rashmi Abasan—at Rajarhat on the outskirts of Kolkata has to offer. This housing project has a group of 25 houses. Priced at Rs 45 lakh per house, this housing project has already found its share of takers among the upper end of the social spectrum. These 25 houses will ensure at least 60% of energy savings without compromising on comfort. Source: DNA
India's Temples moving quietly towards renewable energy.July 07, 2008: The Tirumala temple, in the south Indian city of Tirupathi, is one of Hinduism's holiest shrines. Over 5,000 pilgrims a day visit this city of seven hills, filling Tirumala's coffers with donations and making it India's richest temple. But since 2002, Tirumala has also been generating revenue from a less likely source: carbon credits. For decades, the temple's community kitchen has fed nearly 15,000 people, cooking 30,000 meals a day. Five years ago, Tirumala adopted solar cooking technology, allowing it to dramatically cut down on the amount of diesel fuel it uses. The temple now sells the emission reduction credits it earns to a Swiss green- technology investor, Good Energies Inc. Like Tirumala, dozens of holy places across India are moving quietly towards green energy. Muni Seva Ashram, in Gujarat, which combines spiritual practice with social activism, is working to make its premises entirely green by using solar, wind and biogas energy. A residential school for 400 students is already running exclusively on green energy. Starting this year, the ashram will also sell three million carbon credits. A similar movement is afoot at the revered Sai Baba Temple in Shirdi, Maharashtra. - AFP
The Tirumala temple, in the south Indian city of Tirupathi, is one of Hinduism's holiest shrines.
McCain proposes $300million prize to develop h--tech auto battery Washington, June 24, 2008: Senetor John McCain hopes to solve the country's energy crisis with cold hard cash. He thinks the government should offer a $300 million prize to the people who can develop an automobile battery that leapfrogs existing technology. India for battery-operated vehicles NEW DELHI, June 18, 2008: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Secretary V. Subramanian stressed the need for rigorous marketing and opening of dealers network in major cities for battery-operated vehicles by the manufacturers. In a meeting with the major battery-operated vehicle manufacturers in the Ministry, Subramanian said that the Government was keen to work out a conducive policy for large use of battery-operated vehicles in the country. Several battery-operated models of two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers are manufactured by a number of industries. However the number of such vehicles is quite small in comparison to conventional fuel vehicles. During the discussion, it was felt that while the running cost of battery-operated vehicles is cheaper than the petrol/diesel run vehicles, the replacement of batteries of battery-operated vehicles is quite costly. Leasing of batteries and central charging facility of batteries of battery-operated vehicles were also considered as a step-forward for promotion of battery-operated vehicles. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy through its research and development and demonstration programmes has made successful efforts for using bio fuels in automobiles and stationary engines and development and production of battery- operated vehicles during past 20 years or so. Battery-operated vehicle manufacturers have assured all efforts by them for expanding their marketing network and creating awareness about these vehicles. The leading battery-operated vehicle manufacturers Mahendra, Bajaj Auto Limited, Honda Motors, Reva Electrics, Electrothurps, Eco Vehicles, Yo-Bikes and E-Bikes participated in the meeting. Representatives from Society for Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Tata Motors also attended the meeting. Source: The Economic Times India can lead world in renewable energy: Al GoreNEW DELHI, March 15, 2008 (AFP): India, as an advanced developing nation, can help lead the world in renewable energy technologies to solve "the climate change crisis," former US vice president and Nobel Peace winner Al Gore said. "India has proven its capability in sectors like information technology and can be a leader in the world in developing new renewable technologies to combat climate change," Gore told reporters here in New Delhi on the weekend. Gore was speaking at the launch on Saturday of the India wing of "The Climate Project", a US-based non-profit group that supports the former vice president's efforts to tackle climate change globally. The jatropha plant an alternative to diesel fuel in India Goa, February 23, 2008: The cultivation of the jatropha plant in the Western states of Goa and Maharashtra and dhaincha in Bihar is increasingly being promoted as promising an alternative to diesel fuel in India. In Goa, bio-diesel derived from jatropha curcas, locally known as ‘erond’, is becoming more widespread. Fr Inacio Almeida, of Pilar, Goa, runs the nature farm of the society of Pilar (or society of the missionaries of St Francis Xavier) and is a leading populariser of jatropha as a feedstock for the production of bio diesel. jatropha until recently was routinely used as stumps for damming paddy fields and orchards. “One litre of fuel can be extracted from three kilograms of jatropha seeds,” says Fr Almeida. Among the developments he envisions is for “each village in Goa to have its own jatropha plantation and extraction machinery.”
XL Telecom & Energy plans to enter into power generation MUMBAI, December 26, 2007: XL Telecom & Energy plans to enter the power generation segment with initial investments in Spain, the current global destination for Grid Connected Solar Energy. Saptashva Solar, a subsidiary of the company, will establish a series of "Solar Farms" for power generation in Spain with a 28 MW capacity target for the first year. The medium term target is to install close to 200 MW of these farms in Spain and surrounding Portugal alone. Other countries are also being explored for establishing such farms to avail of the benefits offered and to go up the solar "value chain". The project is expected to have 25 year PPA from the local utility company. Saptashva will generate on first full year of operations with this capacity about Euro 17.740 million, or Rs 100 crore, with 20 per cent margins for next 25 years. The first solar farm of 2.3 mw will be implemented before March 2008 and the balance would get installed by December 2008. The project is expected to have debt equity ratio of 1:4 and will be funded by local banks. As the investments are being made in the subsidiary of XL Telecom & Energy, the company do not envisaging any dilution in the parent company.
India's Temples moving quietly towards renewable energy.July 07, 2008: The Tirumala temple, in the south Indian city of Tirupathi, is one of Hinduism's holiest shrines. Over 5,000 pilgrims a day visit this city of seven hills, filling Tirumala's coffers with donations and making it India's richest temple. But since 2002, Tirumala has also been generating revenue from a less likely source: carbon credits. For decades, the temple's community kitchen has fed nearly 15,000 people, cooking 30,000 meals a day. Five years ago, Tirumala adopted solar cooking technology, allowing it to dramatically cut down on the amount of diesel fuel it uses. The temple now sells the emission reduction credits it earns to a Swiss green- technology investor, Good Energies Inc. Like Tirumala, dozens of holy places across India are moving quietly towards green energy. Muni Seva Ashram, in Gujarat, which combines spiritual practice with social activism, is working to make its premises entirely green by using solar, wind and biogas energy. A residential school for 400 students is already running exclusively on green energy. Starting this year, the ashram will also sell three million carbon credits. A similar movement is afoot at the revered Sai Baba Temple in Shirdi, Maharashtra. - AFP
The Tirumala temple, in the south Indian city of Tirupathi, is one of Hinduism's holiest shrines.
McCain proposes $300million prize to develop h--tech auto battery Washington, June 24, 2008: Senetor John McCain hopes to solve the country's energy crisis with cold hard cash. He thinks the government should offer a $300 million prize to the people who can develop an automobile battery that leapfrogs existing technology. India for battery-operated vehicles NEW DELHI, June 18, 2008: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Secretary V. Subramanian stressed the need for rigorous marketing and opening of dealers network in major cities for battery-operated vehicles by the manufacturers. In a meeting with the major battery-operated vehicle manufacturers in the Ministry, Subramanian said that the Government was keen to work out a conducive policy for large use of battery-operated vehicles in the country. Several battery-operated models of two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers are manufactured by a number of industries. However the number of such vehicles is quite small in comparison to conventional fuel vehicles. During the discussion, it was felt that while the running cost of battery-operated vehicles is cheaper than the petrol/diesel run vehicles, the replacement of batteries of battery-operated vehicles is quite costly. Leasing of batteries and central charging facility of batteries of battery-operated vehicles were also considered as a step-forward for promotion of battery-operated vehicles. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy through its research and development and demonstration programmes has made successful efforts for using bio fuels in automobiles and stationary engines and development and production of battery- operated vehicles during past 20 years or so. Battery-operated vehicle manufacturers have assured all efforts by them for expanding their marketing network and creating awareness about these vehicles. The leading battery-operated vehicle manufacturers Mahendra, Bajaj Auto Limited, Honda Motors, Reva Electrics, Electrothurps, Eco Vehicles, Yo-Bikes and E-Bikes participated in the meeting. Representatives from Society for Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Tata Motors also attended the meeting. Source: The Economic Times India can lead world in renewable energy: Al GoreNEW DELHI, March 15, 2008 (AFP): India, as an advanced developing nation, can help lead the world in renewable energy technologies to solve "the climate change crisis," former US vice president and Nobel Peace winner Al Gore said. "India has proven its capability in sectors like information technology and can be a leader in the world in developing new renewable technologies to combat climate change," Gore told reporters here in New Delhi on the weekend. Gore was speaking at the launch on Saturday of the India wing of "The Climate Project", a US-based non-profit group that supports the former vice president's efforts to tackle climate change globally. The jatropha plant an alternative to diesel fuel in India Goa, February 23, 2008: The cultivation of the jatropha plant in the Western states of Goa and Maharashtra and dhaincha in Bihar is increasingly being promoted as promising an alternative to diesel fuel in India. In Goa, bio-diesel derived from jatropha curcas, locally known as ‘erond’, is becoming more widespread. Fr Inacio Almeida, of Pilar, Goa, runs the nature farm of the society of Pilar (or society of the missionaries of St Francis Xavier) and is a leading populariser of jatropha as a feedstock for the production of bio diesel. jatropha until recently was routinely used as stumps for damming paddy fields and orchards. “One litre of fuel can be extracted from three kilograms of jatropha seeds,” says Fr Almeida. Among the developments he envisions is for “each village in Goa to have its own jatropha plantation and extraction machinery.”
XL Telecom & Energy plans to enter into power generation MUMBAI, December 26, 2007: XL Telecom & Energy plans to enter the power generation segment with initial investments in Spain, the current global destination for Grid Connected Solar Energy. Saptashva Solar, a subsidiary of the company, will establish a series of "Solar Farms" for power generation in Spain with a 28 MW capacity target for the first year. The medium term target is to install close to 200 MW of these farms in Spain and surrounding Portugal alone. Other countries are also being explored for establishing such farms to avail of the benefits offered and to go up the solar "value chain". The project is expected to have 25 year PPA from the local utility company. Saptashva will generate on first full year of operations with this capacity about Euro 17.740 million, or Rs 100 crore, with 20 per cent margins for next 25 years. The first solar farm of 2.3 mw will be implemented before March 2008 and the balance would get installed by December 2008. The project is expected to have debt equity ratio of 1:4 and will be funded by local banks. As the investments are being made in the subsidiary of XL Telecom & Energy, the company do not envisaging any dilution in the parent company.
'Poor pesticide use causing crop loss of Rs.1,000 bn'
Non-judicious use of pesticides is leading to an annual loss of more than Rs.100,000 crore (Rs.1,000 billion/$21 billion) in the agricultural sector, according to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham). 'Poor and inadequate use of pesticides is the primary cause of poor yield of Indian crops due to which a great deal of agriculture production has been suffering,' said Assocham president Sajjan Jindal in a statement. 'The impression is that pesticide consumptions in India are significantly higher as compared to many developed and developing countries but official records show that per hectare use of pesticide in India is just 0.33 kilogram,' Jindal said. This is against 3.07 kilogram a hectare consumed in France, 4.17 kilogram in Italy, 13.1 kilogram in Japan and more than 15 kilogram a hectare in Britain, Canada and the US. Assocham also quoted a recent estimate of the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Chemicals that India's farm sector loses over Rs.90,000 crore annually on account of unwise and non-judicious pesticide use. According to the chamber, the biggest challenge facing Indian farmers is a knowledge gap and inadequate transfer of technology to them. Sugarcane output declines by 17 pc: Govt New Delhi, May 12, 2009 (PTI):: The Agriculture Ministry has said that India is estimated to have produced 289.23 million tonnes of sugarcane in 2008-09 season, which is nearly 17 per cent less than the output a year ago. According to the latest estimates, the sugarcane production is pegged at 289.23 million tonnes. The output is marginally less than 290.45 million tonnes arrived at the release of second advance estimates in February 2009. In 2007-08 season (October-September), sugarcane production was 348.19 million tonnes. The cane production estimates has greater significance this year as the industry claims lower output as one of the factors for the high sugar prices. According to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), sugar production in 2008-09 season is expected to decline by 43 per cent to 14.7 million tonnes from 26.4 million tonnes in the previous year. Even Food Ministry officials have said that the sugar production would be about 15 million tonnes. Govt should focus on infrastructure and agriculture MUMBAI, April 23, 2009: The government needs to focus on infrastructure and agriculture to achieve a GDP growth of 8-10% in 2009-10, said Venu Srinivasan, the newly-appointed president of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at a media briefing in Mumbai. Both the sectors, according to him, are grossly under-invested compared to China. “Infrastructure is way behind what it needs to be. As a result India Inc’s transaction costs on logistics and power transmission are much higher compared to other countries,” said Mr Srinivasan as he underlined CII’s priorities for the Indian economy in 2009-10. He maintained that the burgeoning fiscal deficit could detract the government from its objective of inclusive growth. Rice Intensification technology gaining popularity in India Coimbatore, December 15, 2008 (ANI): Rice Intensification technology known as System of Rice Intensification (SRI) for having bigger yields with less seeds, water and fertilizers is gaining popularity in India. Inaugurating a national symposium on “System of Rice Intensification in India - Policies, Institutions and Strategies for Scaling Up” at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, here recently, Norman Uphoff, a scientist from Cornell University of the United States, said that the SRI technology is being extended to several other crops besides rice in India. “Farmers in India working with various NGOs are now using this ideas for sugarcane, rabi and even for mustard. In Orissa, there are farmers who developed system mustard intensification using this idea for mustard crops. So we don't know where this is going to end. I keep emphasizing we are only beginning in the new direction,” he added. Uphoff said that ”SRI” is not merely a technology but a science, a paradigm and a movement. The SIR technology is reported to have been successfully tried out in 25 countries. Many research institutes have initiated experimental trials on SRI across the country in several states including, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tripura, Punjab, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh to promote among farmers SRI in paddy cultivation. SAARC nations to set up Food Bank to ward off crisis New Delhi, November 5, 2008 (PTI): India today pledged to contribute 1,53,000 tonne of food grain to set up a Food Bank with an initial capacity of 2,43,000 tonne for meeting demand of SAARC countries during emergency-like situations. The Food Bank, proposed at the Colombo Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meet in August, is expected to be operationalised next year. The proposal was today ratified at a meet of Agriculture Ministers of the region here. "We have formalised the process for operationalisation of the Food Bank," India's Agriculture Minister and Chairman of the meet, Sharad Pawar, told reporters here. While India remains the largest contributor to the bank, both Pakistan and Bangladesh will offer 40,000 tonne each. Nepal and Sri Lanka will provide 4,000 tonne each followed by Afghanistan (1,420 tonne), Maldives (200 tonne) and Bhutan (180 tonne). Agricultural Insurance covered over 1.84 crore farmers in 2007-08 RAJYA SABHA, October 24, 2008: Over 1.84 crore farmers were covered under the National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) in 2007-08. Nearly half (48.72%) of Rajasthan’s farmers took the cover, followed by about 30% in Madhya Pradesh. On all India basis, 15% farmers were covered under NAIS. The objective of NAIS is to provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of failure of any of the notified crops as a result of natural calamities, pests and disease; encourage adoption of progressive farming practices and to stabilize farm income, particularly in disaster years. Flat rates of premium for food and oilseeds crops and actuarial rates of premium for annual commercial / horticultural crops are charged. The scheme operates on area approach. Accordingly, the loss/claims in a notified area becomes payable if there is a short fall in yield. Small and marginal farmers are provided a subsidy of 10% on the premium payable by them. This information was given by Shri Kanti Lal Bhuria, Minister of State for Agriculture in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha. India ups rice outlook NEW DELHI, September 25, 2008 (Reuters): India expects a bigger rice harvest than forecast earlier and is optimistic about next year's wheat crop, easing concerns of shortages, but has scaled down the outlook for sugarcane, oilseeds and corn, a top official said. India, which banned wheat and corn exports and allows shipments of only some premium grades of rice to avoid scarcity, has adequate food stocks after a bumper wheat harvest this year but the government is in no hurry to ease trade controls ahead of next year's general elections. The government will review restrictions on rice exports in November, while the ban on corn exports, which lapses on Oct. 15, will only be extended if the crop is poor. Rice output is expected to surge to a record 83.25 million tonnes, higher than July's forecast of 82.81 million tonnes due to a larger area planted with the crop. Spurious pesticides destroy crops worth Rs 6,000 crore a year New Delhi, September 15, 2008: Spurious and substandard pesticides worth around Rs 1,200 crore are palmed off to unwary farmers every year. This results in a net loss to the farmers of crops worth about Rs 6,000 crore. These estimates have been compiled by the Agrochemicals Policy Group (APG), a pesticides industry body that aims to promote the safe use of plant protection chemicals. Indeed, a sizeable number of suicides by cotton growers in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and other states over the past few years have been attributed to the use of spurious pesticides that caused widespread crop losses. According to APG chairman S Kumarasamy, most spurious pesticide-making units are located in western Uttar Pradesh, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and western Maharashtra. Indira Market in Delhi is said to have become the leading centre for the sale and distribution of these fake pesticides. India’s pesticides industry is overseen by the Central Insecticides Board (CIB), a regulator created under the Insecticides Act, 1968. It is also responsible for the registration of agro-chemicals. Biofuels lift food prices 75 percent says World Bank July 07, 2008: Demand for biofuels in Europe and the United States has forced up food prices 75 percent around the world, according to a World Bank report that was leaked and published in The Guardian newspaper on Friday. The number stands in sharp contrast to the 3 percent contribution to higher food pricing estimated by the United States Department of Agriculture. Meanwhile, a study commissioned by food manufacturers pegs the contribution of biofuels on food prices at between 25 percent and 35 percent. The World Bank argues that these policies have distorted the market for grains in three ways, according to The Guardian. First, crops that would have been sold for food have been diverted for biofuels production. Second, land is now being used for fuels rather than food. And third, the mandates have set off speculation in financial markets. "Without the increase in biofuels, global wheat and maize stocks would not have declined appreciably and price increases due to other factors would have been moderate," The Guardian quoted the report as saying. India urged to focus on farming Washington, June 18, 2008: The vast bulk of India's population still rely on farming India must focus more on its agricultural sector in order to sustain long-term economic growth, a leading industrialist has said. Bharti Group boss Sunil Bharti Mittal called for "serious intervention". He said the government, private sector and foreign investors all needed to play their part if they wanted to see India's economy grow at the same rate. "Without agriculture, India cannot move forward," said Mr Mittal in an exclusive interview with the BBC. Mr Mittal said the biggest concern for the Indian economy today was not rising oil prices but the huge disparities that exist in India. Some reform in this sector has meant that the country has gone from being unable to feed itself to being the world's largest producer of milk and second largest producer of fruit and vegetables. Yet the average size of a farm is just four acres and at least 40% of the harvest is wasted. "A significant policy change is needed in terms of land reforms, cold-chains, farming techniques, alternate cropping and so on,'' said Mr Mittal, who is a former president of the Confederation of Indian Industries. PepsiCo boss Indira Nooyi echoed similar thoughts, saying one could not imagine a successful India unless its agricultural practices improved markedly with the application of new technologies and techniques. "India needs a second green revolution," Ms Nooyi told a gathering of US and Indian corporate executives and opinion makers in the US. capital, Washington. Source: BBC News Agriculture should be left out of WTO NEW DELHI, June 12, 2008: A high-profile meeting here of representatives of farmers, fisher folk, farm workers, rural women, adivasis and civil society organisations on Wednesday urged the government to reject the two drafts on Agriculture and Non-Agriculture Market Access that are coming up at the Doha Development Round next month. The meeting passed a resolution that called for leaving agriculture out of World Trade Organisation negotiations as it was a “one-sided deal [in favour of developed nations] and a futile exercise.” The day-long meeting, organised by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development with the United Kingdom Department for International Development and the Ministry of Commerce, unanimously passed a resolution that said both the drafts were “an orchestrated attempt” to open up Indian markets to highly subsidised cheaper imports. Some of the participants said that in the garb of tackling inflation, the government had already done away with import duties on several important farm commodities. “Importing food is importing unemployment that will destroy livelihoods and the country’s food self-sufficiency.” Expressing concern at the “dilution of the government’s position at the WTO,” the resolution observed that what was being offered by way of Special Products and Special Safeguard Measures was a “smokescreen” and offered no real protection to Indian agriculture, fisheries and forestry. “We do not see any efforts by rich countries to remove their agriculture subsidies that depress global prices and insulate their transnational corporations against market volatility.” The meeting had representatives from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, M.P., Gujarat and Maharashtra. Source: The Hindu India's Food Grain Export Ban Temporary, Says Food Minister Delhi, June 7, 2008: Indian government would lift the ban on export of major food grains when the supply situation improves, reported the media. The Agriculture and Food Minister, Sharad Pawar, expressed confidence that the prices would be under control soon and the supply situations of food grains also would improve. The government banned the export of wheat, non-basmati rice, and pulses, and imposed duty on exports of basmati rice, to tame inflation that surged to a 45-month high of 8.24%. Pawar said that though the world leaders propose lifting the ban, India imposed these limits to protect the poor people in the country. - RTTNews Food prices to stay high PARIS, May 29, 2008 (Reuters): Food prices will remain high over the next decade even if they fall from current records, meaning millions more risk further hardship or hunger, the OECD and the UN's FAO food agency said in a report published on Thursday. Beyond stating the immediate need for humanitarian aid, the international bodies suggested wider deployment of genetically modified crops and a rethink of biofuel programmes that guzzle grain which could otherwise feed people and livestock. The report, issued ahead of a world food summit in Rome next week, said food commodity prices were likely to recede from the peaks hit recently, but that they would remain higher in the decade ahead than the one gone by. Beef and pork prices would probably stay around 20 percent higher than in the last 10 years, while wheat, corn and skimmed milk powder would likely command 40-60 percent more in the 10 years ahead, in nominal terms, it said. The price of rice, an Asian staple expected to become more important also in Africa in the years ahead, would likely average 30 percent more expensive in nominal terms in the coming decade than over the 1998-2007 period. "In many low-income countries, food expenditures average over 50 percent of income and the higher prices contained in this outlook (report) will push more people into undernourishment," the report said. India feels let down by WTO proposals on agriculture New Delhi May 20, 2008: The World Trade Organisation (WTO) today released new negotiating texts on agriculture and industrial products, but India feels let down by not getting enough policy space to protect its farmers and nascent industries in the draft proposals for a Doha trade deal. The revised text, released by the negotiating group on agriculture, proposes less number of products which India and other developing countries can protect from unrestricted imports from the agro exporting countries like the US, Canada and Australia. Likewise, India's plea for greater flexibility for protecting its industries, including small and medium units, has not found much favour in the draft proposals for duty cuts on manufactured goods, official sources said. "The American pressure seems to have played a role on the revised proposals," an official said. Pressure seems to be mounting on bigger developing countries, like India, China, Brazil and South Africa to "yield their market" while the developed countries do not appear prepared for sacrifice, he said. The Doha negotiations, launched in 2001, for a market opening multilateral trade agreement have remained inconclusive amid differences between developed and developing countries. The talks were mandated to be concluded by end of 2004. Source: Press Trust of India
India’s wheat worries The international seminar on ‘Wheat and Wheat products: Vision 2020’ that concluded a few weeks ago in Bangalore brought together a diverse group of participants, including Indian policymakers as also industry and trade representatives from within the country and outside. The meeting took note of the emerging issues of the wheat sector and possible responses to address the challenges. The effect of climate change was one of the key issues for scrutiny. Grain prices, in general, and wheat, in particular, have reached new highs in recent times. Across the world, there are howls of protest against rising food prices. Why are grain prices so high? Clearly, demand-side and supply-side factors are at work. Traditionally a food crop, wheat is currently used as food, feed and fuel. Asia has emerged as major consumer of wheat for food purposes. Two of the world’s most populous countries, China and India, are the top two wheat producers and consumers. Wheat demand as feed is also rising rapidly. Expansion of the livestock industry in Asia and the West is leading to rapid growth in feed consumption. Emergence of bio-fuels — bio-ethanol, in particular — has also meant diversion of wheat for fuel purposes in the US, Canada and elsewhere. Wheat is one of the minor feed-stocks for ethanol, which is produced mainly from either corn (maize) or sugarcane. So, the demand side looks rather robust with diversified and expanding uses of the grain. The supply side, on the other hand, is becoming increasingly uncertain. Weather aberrations, competition for acreage and trade barriers skew the market. Weather has emerged as a big risk factor in the last two years, sending the grains market into a tailspin. For instance, one of the important suppliers to the world market, Australia, suffered drought two years in a row in 2006 and 2007, which affected availability and, consequently, prices. Some others too suffered minor weather hiccups. India, for instance, had a less-than-satisfactory crop in 2005 and 2006. Competition for acreage is becoming increasingly fierce. In the US, one of world’s largest producers and exporters of grains, wheat, corn and soyabean compete for acreage.
Grain prices, in general, and wheat, in particular, have reached new highs in recent times. Two of the world’s most populous countries, China and India, are the top two wheat producers and consumers.
Wheat procurement crosses 10 million tons in current season New Delhi, April 25, 2008 : (PTI): The wheat procurement has crossed 10 million tons in the current season, government data released said on Friday. The Food Corporation of India and other agencies have procured 104.48 lakh tons of wheat till yesterday out of 110.87 lakh tons arrival in the market so far. Last year, the total wheat procurement by the government was 111 lakh tons. "With today's wheat procurement, the total purchases will cross 11 million tons," a senior government official said. Out of 55.54 lakh tons wheat arrived in Punjab, the government has been able to procure 54.31 lakh tons while in Haryana, the purchases are 35.03 lakh tons out of 35.23 lakh tons arrival. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had recently exuded confidence in government procuring 170 lakh tons of wheat this year as against the target of 150 lakh tons. During the last 10 days post-Baisakhi, the minister had said that wheat procurement was over 60 per cent of the set target. According to the 3rd crop estimate, India's food grains production is estimated at 227.32 million tons (MT) for the crop year 2007-08 ending May, which is 10.04 MT higher than in 2006-07. The foodgrains demand in the country is projected at 214.03 million tons for 2007-08. The Agriculture Ministry scaled up wheat production to 76.78 MT against an estimated domestic demand of 71.19 MT. Wheat estimate was 74.81 MT for this year according to the second estimate in February. Poor Farmers Commit Suicide in UPLUCKNOW, April 11, 2008 : Authorities in northern India have banned the sale of a cheap variety of hair dye after debt-ridden farmers were found to be drinking it to end their lives, an official said Friday. At least 11 farmers have died from swallowing the hair dye in a drought-hit region of Uttar Pradesh state in the past three months, said Rajiv Agarwal, a senior state official. In UP most of people depend on agriculture, and most have been left out of India's economic boom. In parts of western and southern India, the dire economic state of farmers has been blamed for thousands of suicides in recent years. Farmers not to celebrate holi Ghaziabad, March 20, 2008 (PTI): More than 10,000 farmers in Murad Nagar on Thursday declared that they would not celebrate Holi in protest against government's reluctance to pay them "fair price" for the lands to be acquired by the authorities. The farmers said they decided in a Mahapanchayat that they would not celebrate the festival in protest against the government's reluctance to pay them a "fair price" for their lands which were to be taken up by the government for construction of the peripheral express highway and demanded a rate equal to Noida land rate. However, farmers leader and MLA Rajpal Tyagi has appealed to the farmers to withdraw their decision. He said the matter would be settled as Chief Minister Mayawati has assured all possible help to the farmers. Tyagi said he would be with the farmers whatever be their decision and would fight for them. Rajasthan Government announces cash relief package for farmers Jaipur, March 17, 2008 (PTI): In an apparent bid to woo farmers, the BJP government in Rajasthan on Monday announced a cash relief package for about 25 lakh poor farmers in the state. Replying a debate on appropriation and finance bills, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said about 25 lakh small and marginal farmers would get relief of Rs 1500 each in the coming fiscal. She also announced that small and marginal farmers, who have paid loans at a rate of seven per cent, would be given a concession of two per cent. The state government would bear the rebate. This would benefit another 15 lakh farmers, she said, adding about 35 to 40 lakh farmers would get benefit out of the entire package. Criticising the UPA government's loan waiver, Raje said so far there was no action plan for the purpose. As per estimates, the small and marginal farmers in the state would get no major benefit from the central scheme, she claimed. Crop planning, organic farming recommended by experts IMPHAL, March 16, 2008: The need for proper strategy and crop planning for future food security and organic farming practices to reduce problems like global warming due to green house effect were among the recommendations of the agricultural scientists who participated in the recently concluded national seminar on soil health and food security with special reference to the north east region of India in Imphal. The food production in Manipur needs to enhance by double from the present level by 2025 AD observed the participants during the technical session on food security. To achieve the target of increasing the present food production level to 30% the scientists recommended the need for imparting training to the farmers on the proper crop management practices. They also recommended the need for rain water management technology to the farmers and adoption of seed village concept for good seeds which has a great role in increasing crop productivity to meet the requirement. Exploring organic farming practices can reduce problems like global warming due to green house effect, the recommendation said while also putting down the need for imparting technical support to the organic growers. "Biodegradable city wastes after proper screening of heavy metals should be converted to compost so as to support the organic farmers and which also help in keeping the city clean," the recommendation said. Regarding the farming system, the scientists recommended that integration of different enterprises like poultry, piggery, dairy and crop husbandry should be introduced among the poor and marginal farmers for maintaining soil health and productivity in the long farming system approach. Acknowledging that agro- pastorial farming system can help in increasing socioeconomic status of the rural masses as dairy farming is one of the most profitable and feasible enterprises in the north eastern India, it recommend fodder production of guinea grass and broom grass round the year by growing in the terraces.Source: The Imphal Free Press Govt downplays FAO's note on wheat fungus NEW DELHI, March 07, 2008: The Directorate of Wheat Research on Thursday downplayed the alerts by UN agency Food and Agriculture Organisation that a deadly fungus may enter India from Iran where its outbreak has been confirmed. FAO on Wednesday sounded alerts to six countries, including India, on dangerous fungus ‘UG 99’, which, it is said, can wreak havoc on wheat production. “We do not see the fungus coming to India in near future,” Directorate of Wheat Research director B Mishra said. The Karnal-based Directorate of Wheat Research is the nodal body for wheat. He said though the outbreak of virulent wheat fungus has been confirmed in Iran, the disease may not spread beyond that country.FAO on Wednesday sounded alerts to six countries, including India, on the fungus. “Countries east of Iran, like Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, all major wheat producers, are the most threatened by the fungus and should be on high alert, FAO had said. India, the third largest producer of wheat in the world, has not seen any epidemic of stem rust (fungus) in the past 35 years, he said , adding: Even if the disease spreads, India is much ahead of other countries with its systems to tackle the disease. Currently, four UG 99-resistant varieties have been released in the country. Since last two years, India has been researching jointly with International Wheat Research Centre to develop new UG 99-resistant varieties. Source: Economic Times Rs. 60,000 crore debt relief package benefiting four crore farmers New Delhi , February 29, 2008: Presenting the budget in the Lok Sabha today the Finance Minister, Shri P. Chidambaram, announced Rs. 60,000 crore debt relief package benefiting four crore farmers, in the Union Budget for 2008-09. Under the debt waiver and relief package, small and marginal farmers (with holdings up to 2 hectare) there will be a complete waiver of all loans overdue on December 31, 2007 and which remained unpaid until February 29, 2008. For other farmers, there will be a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme. Under the OTS, a rebate of 25 per cent will be given against payment of the balance 75 per cent. Loans re-scheduled in 2004 and 2006 through special packages and those re-scheduled in the normal course will also be eligible for a waiver or an OTS. The debt relief scheme will be implemented by June 30, 2008 and the covered farmers will be entitled to fresh farm loans from banks in accordance with normal rules. The total value of overdue loans being waived is estimated at Rs. 50,000 crore and the OTS relief at Rs.10,000 crore. The scheme is likely to benefit about three crore small and marginal farmers and one crore other farmers. Expressing the hope that the target of agricultural credit for 2007-08 would be exceeded, the Finance Minister has set the target of Rs. 280,000 crore farm credit in 2008-09. Short-term crop loans will continue to be disbursed at interest rate of 7 per cent per year. Investment in agriculture is vital to India NEW DELHI, February 16,2008: Greater investment in agriculture in transforming economies like India is vital to the welfare of 600 million rural poor, mostly in Asia, says the latest World Development Report (WDR) of the World Bank. Presenting the India highlights of the report here on Friday, WDR co-author Alain de Janvry said there was "much mis-spending on agriculture" in India, with investments accounting for only 25 percent of public expenditure, while subsidies took up 75 percent. The report, titled Agriculture for Development, warns: "The international goal of halving extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 will not be reached unless neglect and under-investment in the agricultural and rural sectors over the past 20 years is reversed." Talking about the large number of farmer suicides in India, de Janvry said the way out was crop insurance. Gulati said the recent cold wave in north India had ruined up to half the vegetable crop in Punjab, "but hardly any of the farmers have insurance". He said, "Growth originating in agriculture is two-three times more effective for the poor than growth originating in non-agriculture." UPA plans Rs 65,000 cr waiver for indebted farmers New Delhi, January 24, 2008: The UPA government is planning a massive loan waiver for small and marginal- income farmers. Far removed from the disappointment of falling stock prices, families of farmers who are unable to repay loans of a few thousand rupees are committing suicide. In an attempt to provide these farmers some relief, the UPA government is planning to write off small, marginal and big farmers' loans over four years."For the last few months, we are have been seriously working on how to support farmers suffering from indebtedness," says Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. Even though the Finance Ministry initially opposed the plan, it is now seems to be coming round to the idea. In financial terms, it is a waiver of Rs 65,000 crore over four years, a hit that banks may not agree to. "It's not easy. We have to protect the burden of the financial institutions or else they will collapse," Pawar says. "Don't take loans from private money lenders and don't return the money is all I can say," Pawar suggests.Union Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar warns of food crisis NEW DELHI, Januaray 20, 2008 : Union Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Saturday warned of a crisis in the food sector if farm production and productivity were not enhanced and the approach to research was not changed. Referring to the quality of imported wheat, he said the availability of wheat in the world that matched Indian habits was limited. Only Australia has that kind of wheat but even that country had faced drought in the last two years. Russia, the other country from whom India imports, has imposed trade barriers to virtually ban wheat export. “The wheat available from Hungary, Ukraine and Eastern European countries is the red grain, which is not liked in India. It is a question of our habits. Therefore, there is no way out but to improve productivity in India.” In response to the complaints of poor quality of imported wheat made by Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Mr. Pawar said these two States could go in for decentralised procurement for the Public Distribution System, as well as for wheat import on their own. “The government will reimburse them the difference in price between the minimum support price and the imported wheat.” Mr Pawar said although India was not expecting to import rice, importable rice was only available in two countries of the world — Vietnam and Thailand. But the production in Vietnam and Thailand has also dropped and the former has also imposed trade barriers to ban export.” Emphasising the need for development of new crop varieties, he said wheat production, which grew after the Green revolution, had been in the range of 68 to 75 million tonnes in recent years, with an average yield of 11 to 14 million tonnes, while that in oilseeds has touched 25 million tonnes, which is well below the domestic demand. A situation of mismatch between demand and supply is emerging in wheat also. Mr Pawar said that in the case of pulses and oilseeds, the country has to meet its demands through imports. “The cost of pulses imports was Rs 3,851 crore, while that of edible oils was Rs 9,416 in 2006-07. Some of the stakeholders have begun to question the efficacy and relevance of agricultural research in such a scenario,” he told the Vice- Chancellors Conference here. India Inc in favour of taxing farmersNEW DELHI, January 09, 2008: India Inc has mooted the proposal of bringing the agriculture sector into the tax net in the Budget 2008-09. Besides, corporate leaders have urged for the waiver of 10% surcharge on corporate tax and increase in the personal income-tax ceiling to Rs 1.5 lakh in view of increasing cost of inflation index. This was brought out in a survey of industry body Assocham that saw participation of 300 CEOs. Close to 80% of the respondents were in favour of bringing agriculture sector into the the tax bracket. The chamber would take up the issues highlighted in the survey in its pre-Budget consultations with the finance ministry on Tuesday. Govt. must educate farmers about climate change: Pachauri New Delhi, (PTI): Climate change can adversely impact the production of crops like wheat, rice and pulses in India and the government needs to educate farmers in this regard, Nobel Laureate and Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change Chairman, R K Pachauri, said. "Agricultural production in many countries including India would be severely compromised by climate variability. Therefore, farmers really need to be concerned about its impact," Pachauri said in an interview. The country needs to educate its farmers about the impact of climate change on agricultural production and food security, he added. "Basically, yields of some crops like wheat, rice and pulses will go down. We have got an evidence on decline in the productivity of wheat in the country. It is high time farmers should know why their yields are not growing," he noted. The livelihood of a vast population in India depends on agriculture, forestry, and fisheries and land use in these areas is strongly influenced by water-based ecosystems that depends on monsoon rains. Pachauri said farmers have to realise that they cannot take natural resources for granted. They should be aware of water scarcity, which is likely to grow in future. "Farmers would probably need to pay much higher price for water in future," he said, pointing out that a lot of water is wasted by farmers because electricity is provided free or at low cost. He elucidated on how annual monsoon is expected to change resulting in severe droughts and intense floods in various parts of the country. "Also, farmers perhaps need to change their cropping pattern and agricultural practices to adapt to climate change. Moreover, the government should develop new strains of crops which are drought-resistant, can handle higher temperature and also which can thrive under lower water availability conditions," Pachauri said. He said scientists predict that by the end of the century the country will experience a 3-5 degree Celsius rise in temperature and a 20 per cent rise in all summer monsoon rainfall. The noble laureate Pachauri blamed it on industrialisation for adverse effects of climate change. "For 150 years, we have been industrialising at a very rapid rate emitting green gases on a large scale. All of that now is affecting the climate in several adverse ways across the world. Now, we are reaching a stage of crisis," Pachauri said. AGRICULTURE NEEDS DIVERSIFICATION, MODERN MARKETING, COLD CHAIN MANAGEMENT November 29, 2007: Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, has stated that the agriculture sector needs diversification, modern marketing, cold chain management and private sector linkages. Speaking at the inaugural session of the 8th India-EU Summit: Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), he informed that India is the world’s second largest producer of fruits and vegetables and has a huge opportunity to become global food supplier if only it has the right marketing strategies with efficient supply chain. The Minister said: “I believe India’s farm sector can be lifted up just like the manufacturing sector and the country has the potential to become an international powerhouse. I am also confident that with some inclusive planning and smart innovation, Indian agriculture can lift its growth rates above the last ten years average of 2.5% to 4-5%. The Farm Policy recently presented in the Parliament is the beginning of new Green Revolution – green linked to agriculture, environment and dollars. The Summit was attended by Mr. Peter Mandelson, European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner; Dr. Basilio Horta, President of the Portuguese Development Agency; Shri Ajay Shankar, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion; Shri G.K. Pillai, Commerce Secretary; senior officials and representatives of business communities from both India and EU.Source: PIBSubsidy scheme for precision farming PUDUCHERRY, November 16, 2007: Minister for Industries and Agriculture V. Vaithilingam on Thursday announced a subsidy scheme for farmers who took up precision farming and cultivated crops such as brinjal, tomato, ladies finger, banana and sugarcane. He told reporters here that the Department of Agriculture would be calling for applications from November 19 and the government’s involvement in the projects would be up to Rs 2.25 lakh per hectare. “In the first year, we will provide 100 per cent subsidy, in the second year it will be 90 per cent, in the third year, 80 per cent. Farmers will take up the projects on their own after that,” he said. The farmers would be guided by resource persons at each stage and provided with seeds, imported water-soluble fertilizer and plant protection chemicals. This kind of farming is being practiced in locations where water was scarce such as Hosur and Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University would be the consultant for the project. Planting would begin by Pongal, he added. December 10 is the last date for submitting the filled in application forms. A total of 400 farmers would be chosen and the subsidy would be provided to a maximum of two hectares, he added.Source: The Hindu
India’s Peasants Protest for Land Rights New Delhi, October 28, 2007: Thousands of peasants arrived in New Delhi on 28th October to demand that India guard their rights as it seeks economic growth. More than 27,000 peasants have marched more than 200 miles, in 26 days to reach the capital from Gwalior, in central India, with the hope of telling their government how they had been cast aside by India’s roaring economic growth. They arrived Sunday morning in an orderly, peaceful three-mile-long procession. The Ekta Parishad, or Unity Council, which organized the march, mobilizes people, particularly the “poor and deprived,” to seek “proper and just” use of land and other resources. The marchers’ principal grievance was over land, and their presence in the capital was a stark reminder of one of India’s biggest challenges as it seeks to balance the needs of a vulnerable countryside with the demands of economic expansion. More than half of the population makes its living from agriculture, and most peasants subsist on tiny plots fed by fickle rains. While industrial and public works projects displaced people in past decades, the pace of industrialization has accelerated significantly in recent years, sharpening competition over land, one of India’s most coveted resources. Peasants’ protests, some of them violent, have delayed several proposed projects — including steel mills, power plants and Chinese-style Special Economic Zones — postponing several billion dollars in investments in the past two years. The government has been compelled to revisit its Special Economic Zone policy, which gives developers generous tax breaks, and is writing a policy to compensate those whose lands and livelihoods are lost. The peasant procession, which began in Gwalior, carried sacks over their shoulders, containing a few clothes, a steel plate and cup, and thin quilts for warmth at night. Three marchers were killed last week, hit by a speeding truck along the road in neighboring Uttar Pradesh State. They were joined by a fair number of foreigners. The cost of the procession, about $1.25 per person per day, the organizers said, was defrayed by foreign aid agencies. The marchers’ demands included enforceable property deeds and fast-track courts to settle land disputes, which can take several years. “Land. Water. Forest,” read a banner strung on a jeep that led the procession. NEW DELHI, October 30, 2007: The nearly month-long march of around 25,000 Dalits, tribals and landless peasants from Gwalior to Delhi ended on a positive note here on Monday with the government accepting all their demands pertaining to land reforms.
More than 25,000 peasants have marched more than 200 miles, in 26 days to reach the capital from Gwalior, with the hope of telling their government how they had been cast aside by India’s roaring economic growth. NEW DELHI, October 30, 2007: The nearly month- long march of around 25,000 Dalits, tribals and landless peasants ended on Monday with the Govt. accepting all their demands pertaining to land reforms.
Indian farmer suicides spiral despite cash plans MUMBAI (Reuters) Jul 6, 2007: By Krittivas Mukherjee : Source: Reuters Hundreds of farmers unable to repay crop loans killed themselves in India's richest state in the past year, despite a multi-million dollar cash plan to improve their lot, activists said on Friday. The spate of suicides in Maharashtra since last July touched 1,132, they said, highlighting the failure of highly publicised efforts by New Delhi to ease the financial burden of cotton farmers. Debt-ridden farmers have been committing suicide in four Indian states and government statistics have recorded more than 4,500 deaths in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala in the past six years. Activists and farmers' groups say the figure is at least five times more. They say the "accumulated distress" of the cotton growers of Maharashtra was the highest because of $400 million in one-time grants, interest waivers and debt restructuring announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year had not been properly implemented."Even crop seeds promised were never given," said Kishor Tiwari, head of Vidharba Jan Andolan Samiti, a farmers' lobby. "The money lies unutilised because of a callous bureaucracy. There are at least 1.2 million farmers under distress now."STILL DYINGMost of India's farming community is poverty-stricken and many farmers borrow -- often amounts that would only buy a few drinks in an upmarket London or New York pub -- from the village moneylender at rates as high as 10 percent a month. Their debts soar when crops fail due to poor rains or when prices tumble. Those borrowing privately are not eligible for government relief. Even those who borrow from banks, including state-run rural banks, often have to pay bribes for their loans. Agriculture supports 600 million of India's 1.1 billion people, but contributes only a fifth of gross domestic product and accounts for only 12 percent of bank credit. A Maharashtra government Web site said 454 farmers had killed themselves between January and May this year. Officials said the relief plan was starting to benefit farmers, but more time was needed."Suicides have come down by 50 percent in the last one year," said Ramesh Kumar, a top Maharashtra relief official. But activists said the government was playing down the crisis which the special relief package had not been able to deal with. "Just go and see if there has been any change in their lot. They are still dying," said Sharad Joshi, chief of Shetkari Sangathan, a powerful farmers' group. Climate Change Kills farmersNew Delhi, December 8, 2006 A world Bank study released on December 6, 2006 has found a link between climate change and farmer suicides. It says poor farmers who are unable to adapt to changing climate fall into debt and later, death traps. The study found that richer farmers adapt better to the vagaries of climate since they had the resources to diversify and try out other crops that suit the changed climate pattern. " Small farmers fall into a debt trap because of their inability to pay. The situation is worse in villages where private money lenders hold their sway," the report said. The report is based on pilot studies conducted by The Energy and Research Institute (TERI) in various parts of the country. After a study of draft-prone villages in Andhra Pradesh and Maharastra, the report said there was a need to shift to less water-intensive crops. In Chitoor district of Andhra Pradesh, the experts suggested that long-term micro credit was the only way farmer can escape the debt trap. The report pointed out how areas where sugarcane was cultivated extensively had reported a drop in income as they had become arid due to climate changes. "There is need to change the crops to mitigate the impact of climate change," it said.
source: Hindusthan times
India’s wheat worries The international seminar on ‘Wheat and Wheat products: Vision 2020’ that concluded a few weeks ago in Bangalore brought together a diverse group of participants, including Indian policymakers as also industry and trade representatives from within the country and outside. The meeting took note of the emerging issues of the wheat sector and possible responses to address the challenges. The effect of climate change was one of the key issues for scrutiny. Grain prices, in general, and wheat, in particular, have reached new highs in recent times. Across the world, there are howls of protest against rising food prices. Why are grain prices so high? Clearly, demand-side and supply-side factors are at work. Traditionally a food crop, wheat is currently used as food, feed and fuel. Asia has emerged as major consumer of wheat for food purposes. Two of the world’s most populous countries, China and India, are the top two wheat producers and consumers. Wheat demand as feed is also rising rapidly. Expansion of the livestock industry in Asia and the West is leading to rapid growth in feed consumption. Emergence of bio-fuels — bio-ethanol, in particular — has also meant diversion of wheat for fuel purposes in the US, Canada and elsewhere. Wheat is one of the minor feed-stocks for ethanol, which is produced mainly from either corn (maize) or sugarcane. So, the demand side looks rather robust with diversified and expanding uses of the grain. The supply side, on the other hand, is becoming increasingly uncertain. Weather aberrations, competition for acreage and trade barriers skew the market. Weather has emerged as a big risk factor in the last two years, sending the grains market into a tailspin. For instance, one of the important suppliers to the world market, Australia, suffered drought two years in a row in 2006 and 2007, which affected availability and, consequently, prices. Some others too suffered minor weather hiccups. India, for instance, had a less-than-satisfactory crop in 2005 and 2006. Competition for acreage is becoming increasingly fierce. In the US, one of world’s largest producers and exporters of grains, wheat, corn and soyabean compete for acreage.
Grain prices, in general, and wheat, in particular, have reached new highs in recent times. Two of the world’s most populous countries, China and India, are the top two wheat producers and consumers.
Wheat procurement crosses 10 million tons in current season New Delhi, April 25, 2008 : (PTI): The wheat procurement has crossed 10 million tons in the current season, government data released said on Friday. The Food Corporation of India and other agencies have procured 104.48 lakh tons of wheat till yesterday out of 110.87 lakh tons arrival in the market so far. Last year, the total wheat procurement by the government was 111 lakh tons. "With today's wheat procurement, the total purchases will cross 11 million tons," a senior government official said. Out of 55.54 lakh tons wheat arrived in Punjab, the government has been able to procure 54.31 lakh tons while in Haryana, the purchases are 35.03 lakh tons out of 35.23 lakh tons arrival. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had recently exuded confidence in government procuring 170 lakh tons of wheat this year as against the target of 150 lakh tons. During the last 10 days post-Baisakhi, the minister had said that wheat procurement was over 60 per cent of the set target. According to the 3rd crop estimate, India's food grains production is estimated at 227.32 million tons (MT) for the crop year 2007-08 ending May, which is 10.04 MT higher than in 2006-07. The foodgrains demand in the country is projected at 214.03 million tons for 2007-08. The Agriculture Ministry scaled up wheat production to 76.78 MT against an estimated domestic demand of 71.19 MT. Wheat estimate was 74.81 MT for this year according to the second estimate in February. Poor Farmers Commit Suicide in UPLUCKNOW, April 11, 2008 : Authorities in northern India have banned the sale of a cheap variety of hair dye after debt-ridden farmers were found to be drinking it to end their lives, an official said Friday. At least 11 farmers have died from swallowing the hair dye in a drought-hit region of Uttar Pradesh state in the past three months, said Rajiv Agarwal, a senior state official. In UP most of people depend on agriculture, and most have been left out of India's economic boom. In parts of western and southern India, the dire economic state of farmers has been blamed for thousands of suicides in recent years. Farmers not to celebrate holi Ghaziabad, March 20, 2008 (PTI): More than 10,000 farmers in Murad Nagar on Thursday declared that they would not celebrate Holi in protest against government's reluctance to pay them "fair price" for the lands to be acquired by the authorities. The farmers said they decided in a Mahapanchayat that they would not celebrate the festival in protest against the government's reluctance to pay them a "fair price" for their lands which were to be taken up by the government for construction of the peripheral express highway and demanded a rate equal to Noida land rate. However, farmers leader and MLA Rajpal Tyagi has appealed to the farmers to withdraw their decision. He said the matter would be settled as Chief Minister Mayawati has assured all possible help to the farmers. Tyagi said he would be with the farmers whatever be their decision and would fight for them. Rajasthan Government announces cash relief package for farmers Jaipur, March 17, 2008 (PTI): In an apparent bid to woo farmers, the BJP government in Rajasthan on Monday announced a cash relief package for about 25 lakh poor farmers in the state. Replying a debate on appropriation and finance bills, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said about 25 lakh small and marginal farmers would get relief of Rs 1500 each in the coming fiscal. She also announced that small and marginal farmers, who have paid loans at a rate of seven per cent, would be given a concession of two per cent. The state government would bear the rebate. This would benefit another 15 lakh farmers, she said, adding about 35 to 40 lakh farmers would get benefit out of the entire package. Criticising the UPA government's loan waiver, Raje said so far there was no action plan for the purpose. As per estimates, the small and marginal farmers in the state would get no major benefit from the central scheme, she claimed. Crop planning, organic farming recommended by experts IMPHAL, March 16, 2008: The need for proper strategy and crop planning for future food security and organic farming practices to reduce problems like global warming due to green house effect were among the recommendations of the agricultural scientists who participated in the recently concluded national seminar on soil health and food security with special reference to the north east region of India in Imphal. The food production in Manipur needs to enhance by double from the present level by 2025 AD observed the participants during the technical session on food security. To achieve the target of increasing the present food production level to 30% the scientists recommended the need for imparting training to the farmers on the proper crop management practices. They also recommended the need for rain water management technology to the farmers and adoption of seed village concept for good seeds which has a great role in increasing crop productivity to meet the requirement. Exploring organic farming practices can reduce problems like global warming due to green house effect, the recommendation said while also putting down the need for imparting technical support to the organic growers. "Biodegradable city wastes after proper screening of heavy metals should be converted to compost so as to support the organic farmers and which also help in keeping the city clean," the recommendation said. Regarding the farming system, the scientists recommended that integration of different enterprises like poultry, piggery, dairy and crop husbandry should be introduced among the poor and marginal farmers for maintaining soil health and productivity in the long farming system approach. Acknowledging that agro- pastorial farming system can help in increasing socioeconomic status of the rural masses as dairy farming is one of the most profitable and feasible enterprises in the north eastern India, it recommend fodder production of guinea grass and broom grass round the year by growing in the terraces.Source: The Imphal Free Press Govt downplays FAO's note on wheat fungus NEW DELHI, March 07, 2008: The Directorate of Wheat Research on Thursday downplayed the alerts by UN agency Food and Agriculture Organisation that a deadly fungus may enter India from Iran where its outbreak has been confirmed. FAO on Wednesday sounded alerts to six countries, including India, on dangerous fungus ‘UG 99’, which, it is said, can wreak havoc on wheat production. “We do not see the fungus coming to India in near future,” Directorate of Wheat Research director B Mishra said. The Karnal-based Directorate of Wheat Research is the nodal body for wheat. He said though the outbreak of virulent wheat fungus has been confirmed in Iran, the disease may not spread beyond that country.FAO on Wednesday sounded alerts to six countries, including India, on the fungus. “Countries east of Iran, like Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, all major wheat producers, are the most threatened by the fungus and should be on high alert, FAO had said. India, the third largest producer of wheat in the world, has not seen any epidemic of stem rust (fungus) in the past 35 years, he said , adding: Even if the disease spreads, India is much ahead of other countries with its systems to tackle the disease. Currently, four UG 99-resistant varieties have been released in the country. Since last two years, India has been researching jointly with International Wheat Research Centre to develop new UG 99-resistant varieties. Source: Economic Times Rs. 60,000 crore debt relief package benefiting four crore farmers New Delhi , February 29, 2008: Presenting the budget in the Lok Sabha today the Finance Minister, Shri P. Chidambaram, announced Rs. 60,000 crore debt relief package benefiting four crore farmers, in the Union Budget for 2008-09. Under the debt waiver and relief package, small and marginal farmers (with holdings up to 2 hectare) there will be a complete waiver of all loans overdue on December 31, 2007 and which remained unpaid until February 29, 2008. For other farmers, there will be a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme. Under the OTS, a rebate of 25 per cent will be given against payment of the balance 75 per cent. Loans re-scheduled in 2004 and 2006 through special packages and those re-scheduled in the normal course will also be eligible for a waiver or an OTS. The debt relief scheme will be implemented by June 30, 2008 and the covered farmers will be entitled to fresh farm loans from banks in accordance with normal rules. The total value of overdue loans being waived is estimated at Rs. 50,000 crore and the OTS relief at Rs.10,000 crore. The scheme is likely to benefit about three crore small and marginal farmers and one crore other farmers. Expressing the hope that the target of agricultural credit for 2007-08 would be exceeded, the Finance Minister has set the target of Rs. 280,000 crore farm credit in 2008-09. Short-term crop loans will continue to be disbursed at interest rate of 7 per cent per year. Investment in agriculture is vital to India NEW DELHI, February 16,2008: Greater investment in agriculture in transforming economies like India is vital to the welfare of 600 million rural poor, mostly in Asia, says the latest World Development Report (WDR) of the World Bank. Presenting the India highlights of the report here on Friday, WDR co-author Alain de Janvry said there was "much mis-spending on agriculture" in India, with investments accounting for only 25 percent of public expenditure, while subsidies took up 75 percent. The report, titled Agriculture for Development, warns: "The international goal of halving extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 will not be reached unless neglect and under-investment in the agricultural and rural sectors over the past 20 years is reversed." Talking about the large number of farmer suicides in India, de Janvry said the way out was crop insurance. Gulati said the recent cold wave in north India had ruined up to half the vegetable crop in Punjab, "but hardly any of the farmers have insurance". He said, "Growth originating in agriculture is two-three times more effective for the poor than growth originating in non-agriculture." UPA plans Rs 65,000 cr waiver for indebted farmers New Delhi, January 24, 2008: The UPA government is planning a massive loan waiver for small and marginal- income farmers. Far removed from the disappointment of falling stock prices, families of farmers who are unable to repay loans of a few thousand rupees are committing suicide. In an attempt to provide these farmers some relief, the UPA government is planning to write off small, marginal and big farmers' loans over four years."For the last few months, we are have been seriously working on how to support farmers suffering from indebtedness," says Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. Even though the Finance Ministry initially opposed the plan, it is now seems to be coming round to the idea. In financial terms, it is a waiver of Rs 65,000 crore over four years, a hit that banks may not agree to. "It's not easy. We have to protect the burden of the financial institutions or else they will collapse," Pawar says. "Don't take loans from private money lenders and don't return the money is all I can say," Pawar suggests.Union Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar warns of food crisis NEW DELHI, Januaray 20, 2008 : Union Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Saturday warned of a crisis in the food sector if farm production and productivity were not enhanced and the approach to research was not changed. Referring to the quality of imported wheat, he said the availability of wheat in the world that matched Indian habits was limited. Only Australia has that kind of wheat but even that country had faced drought in the last two years. Russia, the other country from whom India imports, has imposed trade barriers to virtually ban wheat export. “The wheat available from Hungary, Ukraine and Eastern European countries is the red grain, which is not liked in India. It is a question of our habits. Therefore, there is no way out but to improve productivity in India.” In response to the complaints of poor quality of imported wheat made by Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Mr. Pawar said these two States could go in for decentralised procurement for the Public Distribution System, as well as for wheat import on their own. “The government will reimburse them the difference in price between the minimum support price and the imported wheat.” Mr Pawar said although India was not expecting to import rice, importable rice was only available in two countries of the world — Vietnam and Thailand. But the production in Vietnam and Thailand has also dropped and the former has also imposed trade barriers to ban export.” Emphasising the need for development of new crop varieties, he said wheat production, which grew after the Green revolution, had been in the range of 68 to 75 million tonnes in recent years, with an average yield of 11 to 14 million tonnes, while that in oilseeds has touched 25 million tonnes, which is well below the domestic demand. A situation of mismatch between demand and supply is emerging in wheat also. Mr Pawar said that in the case of pulses and oilseeds, the country has to meet its demands through imports. “The cost of pulses imports was Rs 3,851 crore, while that of edible oils was Rs 9,416 in 2006-07. Some of the stakeholders have begun to question the efficacy and relevance of agricultural research in such a scenario,” he told the Vice- Chancellors Conference here. India Inc in favour of taxing farmersNEW DELHI, January 09, 2008: India Inc has mooted the proposal of bringing the agriculture sector into the tax net in the Budget 2008-09. Besides, corporate leaders have urged for the waiver of 10% surcharge on corporate tax and increase in the personal income-tax ceiling to Rs 1.5 lakh in view of increasing cost of inflation index. This was brought out in a survey of industry body Assocham that saw participation of 300 CEOs. Close to 80% of the respondents were in favour of bringing agriculture sector into the the tax bracket. The chamber would take up the issues highlighted in the survey in its pre-Budget consultations with the finance ministry on Tuesday. Govt. must educate farmers about climate change: Pachauri New Delhi, (PTI): Climate change can adversely impact the production of crops like wheat, rice and pulses in India and the government needs to educate farmers in this regard, Nobel Laureate and Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change Chairman, R K Pachauri, said. "Agricultural production in many countries including India would be severely compromised by climate variability. Therefore, farmers really need to be concerned about its impact," Pachauri said in an interview. The country needs to educate its farmers about the impact of climate change on agricultural production and food security, he added. "Basically, yields of some crops like wheat, rice and pulses will go down. We have got an evidence on decline in the productivity of wheat in the country. It is high time farmers should know why their yields are not growing," he noted. The livelihood of a vast population in India depends on agriculture, forestry, and fisheries and land use in these areas is strongly influenced by water-based ecosystems that depends on monsoon rains. Pachauri said farmers have to realise that they cannot take natural resources for granted. They should be aware of water scarcity, which is likely to grow in future. "Farmers would probably need to pay much higher price for water in future," he said, pointing out that a lot of water is wasted by farmers because electricity is provided free or at low cost. He elucidated on how annual monsoon is expected to change resulting in severe droughts and intense floods in various parts of the country. "Also, farmers perhaps need to change their cropping pattern and agricultural practices to adapt to climate change. Moreover, the government should develop new strains of crops which are drought-resistant, can handle higher temperature and also which can thrive under lower water availability conditions," Pachauri said. He said scientists predict that by the end of the century the country will experience a 3-5 degree Celsius rise in temperature and a 20 per cent rise in all summer monsoon rainfall. The noble laureate Pachauri blamed it on industrialisation for adverse effects of climate change. "For 150 years, we have been industrialising at a very rapid rate emitting green gases on a large scale. All of that now is affecting the climate in several adverse ways across the world. Now, we are reaching a stage of crisis," Pachauri said. AGRICULTURE NEEDS DIVERSIFICATION, MODERN MARKETING, COLD CHAIN MANAGEMENT November 29, 2007: Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, has stated that the agriculture sector needs diversification, modern marketing, cold chain management and private sector linkages. Speaking at the inaugural session of the 8th India-EU Summit: Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), he informed that India is the world’s second largest producer of fruits and vegetables and has a huge opportunity to become global food supplier if only it has the right marketing strategies with efficient supply chain. The Minister said: “I believe India’s farm sector can be lifted up just like the manufacturing sector and the country has the potential to become an international powerhouse. I am also confident that with some inclusive planning and smart innovation, Indian agriculture can lift its growth rates above the last ten years average of 2.5% to 4-5%. The Farm Policy recently presented in the Parliament is the beginning of new Green Revolution – green linked to agriculture, environment and dollars. The Summit was attended by Mr. Peter Mandelson, European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner; Dr. Basilio Horta, President of the Portuguese Development Agency; Shri Ajay Shankar, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion; Shri G.K. Pillai, Commerce Secretary; senior officials and representatives of business communities from both India and EU.Source: PIBSubsidy scheme for precision farming PUDUCHERRY, November 16, 2007: Minister for Industries and Agriculture V. Vaithilingam on Thursday announced a subsidy scheme for farmers who took up precision farming and cultivated crops such as brinjal, tomato, ladies finger, banana and sugarcane. He told reporters here that the Department of Agriculture would be calling for applications from November 19 and the government’s involvement in the projects would be up to Rs 2.25 lakh per hectare. “In the first year, we will provide 100 per cent subsidy, in the second year it will be 90 per cent, in the third year, 80 per cent. Farmers will take up the projects on their own after that,” he said. The farmers would be guided by resource persons at each stage and provided with seeds, imported water-soluble fertilizer and plant protection chemicals. This kind of farming is being practiced in locations where water was scarce such as Hosur and Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University would be the consultant for the project. Planting would begin by Pongal, he added. December 10 is the last date for submitting the filled in application forms. A total of 400 farmers would be chosen and the subsidy would be provided to a maximum of two hectares, he added.Source: The Hindu
India’s Peasants Protest for Land Rights New Delhi, October 28, 2007: Thousands of peasants arrived in New Delhi on 28th October to demand that India guard their rights as it seeks economic growth. More than 27,000 peasants have marched more than 200 miles, in 26 days to reach the capital from Gwalior, in central India, with the hope of telling their government how they had been cast aside by India’s roaring economic growth. They arrived Sunday morning in an orderly, peaceful three-mile-long procession. The Ekta Parishad, or Unity Council, which organized the march, mobilizes people, particularly the “poor and deprived,” to seek “proper and just” use of land and other resources. The marchers’ principal grievance was over land, and their presence in the capital was a stark reminder of one of India’s biggest challenges as it seeks to balance the needs of a vulnerable countryside with the demands of economic expansion. More than half of the population makes its living from agriculture, and most peasants subsist on tiny plots fed by fickle rains. While industrial and public works projects displaced people in past decades, the pace of industrialization has accelerated significantly in recent years, sharpening competition over land, one of India’s most coveted resources. Peasants’ protests, some of them violent, have delayed several proposed projects — including steel mills, power plants and Chinese-style Special Economic Zones — postponing several billion dollars in investments in the past two years. The government has been compelled to revisit its Special Economic Zone policy, which gives developers generous tax breaks, and is writing a policy to compensate those whose lands and livelihoods are lost. The peasant procession, which began in Gwalior, carried sacks over their shoulders, containing a few clothes, a steel plate and cup, and thin quilts for warmth at night. Three marchers were killed last week, hit by a speeding truck along the road in neighboring Uttar Pradesh State. They were joined by a fair number of foreigners. The cost of the procession, about $1.25 per person per day, the organizers said, was defrayed by foreign aid agencies. The marchers’ demands included enforceable property deeds and fast-track courts to settle land disputes, which can take several years. “Land. Water. Forest,” read a banner strung on a jeep that led the procession. NEW DELHI, October 30, 2007: The nearly month-long march of around 25,000 Dalits, tribals and landless peasants from Gwalior to Delhi ended on a positive note here on Monday with the government accepting all their demands pertaining to land reforms.
More than 25,000 peasants have marched more than 200 miles, in 26 days to reach the capital from Gwalior, with the hope of telling their government how they had been cast aside by India’s roaring economic growth. NEW DELHI, October 30, 2007: The nearly month- long march of around 25,000 Dalits, tribals and landless peasants ended on Monday with the Govt. accepting all their demands pertaining to land reforms.
Indian farmer suicides spiral despite cash plans MUMBAI (Reuters) Jul 6, 2007: By Krittivas Mukherjee : Source: Reuters Hundreds of farmers unable to repay crop loans killed themselves in India's richest state in the past year, despite a multi-million dollar cash plan to improve their lot, activists said on Friday. The spate of suicides in Maharashtra since last July touched 1,132, they said, highlighting the failure of highly publicised efforts by New Delhi to ease the financial burden of cotton farmers. Debt-ridden farmers have been committing suicide in four Indian states and government statistics have recorded more than 4,500 deaths in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala in the past six years. Activists and farmers' groups say the figure is at least five times more. They say the "accumulated distress" of the cotton growers of Maharashtra was the highest because of $400 million in one-time grants, interest waivers and debt restructuring announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year had not been properly implemented."Even crop seeds promised were never given," said Kishor Tiwari, head of Vidharba Jan Andolan Samiti, a farmers' lobby. "The money lies unutilised because of a callous bureaucracy. There are at least 1.2 million farmers under distress now."STILL DYINGMost of India's farming community is poverty-stricken and many farmers borrow -- often amounts that would only buy a few drinks in an upmarket London or New York pub -- from the village moneylender at rates as high as 10 percent a month. Their debts soar when crops fail due to poor rains or when prices tumble. Those borrowing privately are not eligible for government relief. Even those who borrow from banks, including state-run rural banks, often have to pay bribes for their loans. Agriculture supports 600 million of India's 1.1 billion people, but contributes only a fifth of gross domestic product and accounts for only 12 percent of bank credit. A Maharashtra government Web site said 454 farmers had killed themselves between January and May this year. Officials said the relief plan was starting to benefit farmers, but more time was needed."Suicides have come down by 50 percent in the last one year," said Ramesh Kumar, a top Maharashtra relief official. But activists said the government was playing down the crisis which the special relief package had not been able to deal with. "Just go and see if there has been any change in their lot. They are still dying," said Sharad Joshi, chief of Shetkari Sangathan, a powerful farmers' group. Climate Change Kills farmersNew Delhi, December 8, 2006 A world Bank study released on December 6, 2006 has found a link between climate change and farmer suicides. It says poor farmers who are unable to adapt to changing climate fall into debt and later, death traps. The study found that richer farmers adapt better to the vagaries of climate since they had the resources to diversify and try out other crops that suit the changed climate pattern. " Small farmers fall into a debt trap because of their inability to pay. The situation is worse in villages where private money lenders hold their sway," the report said. The report is based on pilot studies conducted by The Energy and Research Institute (TERI) in various parts of the country. After a study of draft-prone villages in Andhra Pradesh and Maharastra, the report said there was a need to shift to less water-intensive crops. In Chitoor district of Andhra Pradesh, the experts suggested that long-term micro credit was the only way farmer can escape the debt trap. The report pointed out how areas where sugarcane was cultivated extensively had reported a drop in income as they had become arid due to climate changes. "There is need to change the crops to mitigate the impact of climate change," it said.
source: Hindusthan times
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