Water may shift from State to Concurrent List
Panel to make the suggestion before the Cabinet in June
Fabric of nature
Organic cotton is much in demand across the globe. But lack of support from government agencies may impede its growth
Blind to danger
The government turns a Nelson's eye while the construction sector makes hay on phosphogypsum, a carcinogenic byproduct of the fertiliser industry
People's initiatives
Orissa and UP villages once again prove that people are better managers of natural resources than today's obdurate governments
Wishful thinking
The finance minister's budget speech has come and gone. As analysts sit down to shred it to bits, Down To Earth looks at a wish list of …
Ublic outcry greets uranium mining project in AP
"There is radiation everywhere on earth. Mining in Nalgonda will not increase it." This comment of S D Prasad, adviser to public sector …
Forest states want money in lieu of felling
On August 1, 2003, Madhya Pradesh made a plea in the Supreme Court seeking a fund-generating mechanism for forest protection. Earlier, in June, …
Move to leash NGOs
Government and political parties see NGOs with suspicion. Arm-twisting has already begun
‘Energy conservation is a moving target’
A decade has passed since the Energy Conservation Act was enacted in 2001. Most provisions of the law are yet to be implemented properly. Ajay …
Plastic Unlimited
New rules to restrict the use of plastic in India may end up promoting the polymer industry
We plan to involve panchayats in monitoring pollution levels
Sheila Rani Chunkat has recently been appointed chairperson of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). She spoke to Binayak Das on how …
Carry the burden
Of your waste, the government needs to tell the plastic industry. Other countries have done so. At times, to developing nations' detriment. …
Rise of third sector
NGOs’ relationship with the government has been redefined over the years with changing social and political scenario
Effluent treatment plants have not proved effective
Tishya Chatterjee , member secretary, Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) spoke to Manish Tiwari on the presence of persistent …
Probing a pesticide tragedy
Laboratory tests nail the Plantation Corporation of Kerala. The state government sets up an inquiry committee
Waiting for a miracle
Citizens approaching the courts for protecting lakes in cities is all very well. But in the end, it is a choice between using land for water or …
Swamped
The convoluted laws of the country fail to tackle the menace caused by the exponentially growing and powerful plastic industry in India
Stumbling blocks
The Gujarat earthquake struck at the very foundation of urban India. The disaster highlighted the haphazard manner in which the country's towns …
Controls off for diesel generators
Key environmental clause deleted from rules governing diesel generator sets barely six months after implementation
Right diagnosis, wrong pills
While the Centre has rightfully recognised medical devices as a separate category for policy making, its decision to allow 100 per cent foreign …
Old Batteries New Rules
The Indian government comes out with the draft rules for recycling lead acid batteries. Their effectiveness is questionable
In reverse gear
The Mashelkar Committee's interim report on the country's auto fuel policy proves to be a major setback for the CNG campaign
A public eyewash
The inspection and maintenance programme is nothing more than testing tailpipes of vehicles in India. The government should stop wasting …
Accountable automatically
Emission warranty and recall system have compelled the automobile manufacturers in the US and Sweden to take serious anti-pollution measures
Weed them out
The challenge is how to isolate "gross polluters" from the vehicle fleet and send them back to the manufacturers