Commonwealth Games hurt the commons

By Gaurav Sharma
17 May 2010

The madness of government and sports officials to ‘prepare’ New Delhi for hosting Common Wealth Games (CWG) in October 2010 has once again come under severe criticism from social workers, civil society and intellectuals. The latest charge is that to create a glittery image of Delhi for CWG, poor and marginalized sections of the society are deprived of their basic human rights. The authorities are putting in the war like efforts for beautification of Indian capital for CWG. But instead of delivering benefits to the masses, holding of such mega events, which will cost Rs 30,000 crore to India, have done a great damage to the economic and social fabric of New Delhi.

A comprehensive report “The 2010 Commonwealth Games: Whose Wealth?” prepared by Housing and Land Right Network and released recently in New Delhi raises many disconcerting questions related to the big sporting event.

“When one in three Indians lives below the poverty line and 40 per cent of the world’s hungry live in India, when 46 per cent of India’s children and 55 per cent of its women are malnourished, does spending thousands of crores of rupees on a 12-day sports event build ‘national pride’ or is it a matter of national shame”, asks the report.

Forced eviction, diversion of funds, cost escalations, bypassing of democratic institutional framework and rampant exploitation of workers at CWG construction sites will have negative socio-economic impact on the city, points out the report.

“There are serious issues about the socio-economic impact which the forthcoming CWG will have on Delhi”, said Former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice M P Shah while releasing the report.

“In the name of beautifying Delhi, the government can not throw street vendors, beggars, rickshaw pullers, and poor out of the city. These people play a pivotal role in the city by providing their services to common man”, remarked Justice Shah.

Ridiculing the Delhi government’s anti-beggar drive, Justice Shah said “The state government has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court to deport beggars to their states of origin. Fraudsters, thieves and corrupt politicians can stay in the city, but not beggars!”

The report highlights that beggars and homeless citizens are being arrested and arbitrarily detained under the Bombay Prevention of Beggary Act, 1959. The Department of Social Welfare had also announced “no-tolerance” zones in Delhi and there are plans to send the beggars back to their States of origin.

Dr Ambitabh Kundu, Professor of Economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, described the Commonwealth games as very powerful tool to exclude the marginalised section of the society.

Shedding light on the ambiguity of slogans coined in run up to the Games like ‘slum-free city’ and ‘affordable housing’, Professor Kundu said “These slogans mislead people as poor think ‘slum-free city’ means better housing facilities for them whereas elite think that slum-dwellers will be thrown out.”

“The question is not the benefit of holding Commonwealth games but the beneficiaries who are politicians, private players, and elite class,” added Prof Kundu.

Director of Hazards Centre, a professional support group and resource outfit, Dunu Roy alleged that decision making process in planning Games was undemocratic in nature.

Mr Roy charged, “Much of the planning has not been done within the democratic institutional framework”.

Expressing dismay at the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement during Copenhagen Summit that Common Wealth Games will be green and add carbon credit to India, Roy said that such statements represent either poor information or ‘deliberate’ and ‘wilful ignorance’.

According to the report, the budget for the CWG has risen from an initial projection of Rs 1,889 crore to an official figure of Rs 10,000 crore. Independent experts have pegged the budget at Rs 30,000 crore.

In contrast to the report’s findings Roy said that if we include several related infrastructure projects, total budget estimate would reach Rs 80,000 crore.

The report also highlights that “While the total budget for ‘beautification’ projects on Delhi is undisclosed, the amount already spent by the government is hundreds of crores. The streetscaping of just one street, Lodhi Road, is estimated to cost Rs 1855 crore.”

The experts believe that CW Games are unlikely to improve level of sports in India since investment is concentrated on stadiums, which lie largely unused after the event, as in the case of the 1982 Asian games.

The report demands a detailed inquiry into the decision-making and bidding process as well as the total expenditure on the Games. It states that the government should have a long-term legacy plan based on human rights and environmental sustainability.

There is also a need to investigate officials who had overstated the benefits of the Games, withheld critical information and misappropriated funds and also to investigate allegations of human rights violations related to the Games.

“A post-Games audit and detailed social and environmental impact assessment are also required,” the report said.

Real estate SEZs flourish courtesy MoEF

By Kanchi Kohli
13 May 2010

The ministry of environment and forests has diluted and ignored its own rules and regulations to favour real estate developers in the SEZs.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry claims that the existence of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) is not new to India, which, they say, has the history of setting up its first Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Kandla, Gujarat way back in 1965. But, from April 2000 with the announcement of the SEZ policy, the Government of India set into motion a new trade promotion model to attract larger foreign investments in India. Subsequently, the SEZ Act came into being in 2005 and its Rules in 2006.

In practice this new age SEZ model is critically different from the erstwhile EPZs. SEZs of today are integrated zones which allow for construction of educational, residential and leisure facilities along with trade development areas. These areas are also open to private developers who through single window clearance, enhanced tax benefits and fewer procedural "hurdles" have set themselves to work their way towards an institutionalised land grab.

The SEZ Act is in operation with five critical objectives, generation of additional economic activity; promotion of exports of both goods and services; promotion of investment from domestic and foreign sources; creation of employment opportunities in the trade realm; and development of infrastructure support to facilitate all of the above.

Since its enactment, both Indian and foreign investors have sought to benefit by bringing contiguous tracts of land up to 5000 hectares under various kinds of SEZs, be it petrochemical, information technology, or multi-product. As of 1st May 2010, 580 SEZs have received formal approval and another 150 have in-principle approvals. But all this has not been without a backlash from affected communities and people's movements. Their struggle has been for continuing of access, rights and land use that has been sought to be compromised by the pushing through of SEZs in India.

Despite widespread criticism and people's struggles around SEZs, this lucrative option for 'global trade wallahs' is continued to be pushed around in India. While the promotion of exports of goods and services, employment generation and infrastructure remain important, the most enticing aspect of an SEZ for investors is the availability of numerous tax benefits. Any project once accorded an SEZ status gets tax exemptions related to import procurement, income tax, central and service tax and so on. This has made the SEZ model attractive not only for goods and services sector, but also for construction companies and real estate giants.

For most urban Indians, signposts, advertisements and propaganda for new and upcoming constructions promoted by real estate companies have become routine. Vast amounts of cultivated or wild land uses have been 'converted' through huge financial transactions. Big investors, after having bought the land, convert it into commercial or residential areas. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this urban built up mindset continues to spread its extent.

While we digest this overaching reality, it is also important to note how SEZ and real estate projects have come to play themselves out within India's environment regulation. The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, 2006 deals with SEZ and construction projects separately. SEZs are listed as Item 7(c) requiring environmental clearance only after following the full procedure of public hearing and preparation of EIA reports. While this is true for the entire SEZ, the individual units within the SEZs are exempted if they are for the same purpose for which the SEZ was first granted approval.

Real Estate and construction projects are listed as Items 8 (a) and 8 (b) in Appendix I of the EIA notification. Item 8 (a) is for building and construction project > 20,000 sq. mtrs and < 1,50,000 sq. mtrs built up area. 8 (b) is township and area development projects covering an area of > 50 ha and/or a built up area of > 1,50,000 sq.mtrs.

The EIA notification also distinguishes between Category A and Category B projects, with the first requiring approval from the central government and the second at the state level. These have their own screening, scoping and public consultation requirements which have to be followed before appraisal for approval. Building and township related projects enjoy a special status under the EIA notification. Termed as B1 they don't require to carry out an EIA or a public consultation, and only need to submit a specially designed form.

This privilege was a result of substantial push and lobbying by real estate developers at the time the EIA notification was being revamped. In their response to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), many large and small developers had argued that their operations were not as polluting or environmentally degrading as other industrial units. In fact it has been argued in a comment to the MoEF that the real estate industry does not cause any damage to the environment since the "occupants emit only human breath and human solid waste is treated."

Even though the promoters of these projects had sought a complete exemption, the amendments had led to a partial reprieve, but one that makes the process of building and construction project clearances miniscule as compared to others projects. Once the ball was set rolling, the MoEF put in to place other intriguing exemptions not in word of law but through practice.

Today there is a unique understanding within the MoEF for the clearances to real estate or construction projects which also enjoy an SEZ status. Information on this was revealed through a response to a Right to Information (RTI) Application. The applicant had asked as to how many SEZs had been granted approval by the MoEF and how many of them were exempt from the requirement of the mandatory public consultation. The background to this was a reading into the minutes of the meetings of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) dealing with SEZ projects where it was said that a particular project was considered by the committee and exempted from public hearing.

The response from the MoEF dated 24th December 2009 is intriguing. The total number of SEZs granted environmental clearance by the MoEF as of December 2009 was 28. Quite interestingly half of these (14 projects) were from the state of Tamil Nadu. Karnataka state is second with having granted approval to 6 SEZs.

The response further adds that while no proposal covered under Item 7(c) has been granted exemption, there are some SEZs which have been considered under Item 8 (a) and 8 (b). What this implies is that building, construction and township projects have managed to circumvent the EIA notification in such a way that despite being SEZs, they are treated differently by the environmental regulation. Ironically, the procedural requirement for SEZs as per the EIA notification is much more lengthy and stringent than for construction and township projects.

So, before we even begin to fathom this, the real estate giants and construction companies have figured this one out in their favour. Of course, with a little help from our Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Flawed policies behind water crisis

By Devinder Sharma
11 May 2010

Governments in power cite water scarcity as the prime reason behind their failure to ensure regular supply of safe drinking water to all citizens. But how come the private tankers and water bottlers always find enough water to sell?

During water scarcity, supply through private tankers becomes
thriving business
Every year during summer, the people in most cities and villages of India face the crisis of pure drinking water. With temperatures soaring, and with the major reservoirs drying, the battle for drinking water is becoming louder and bloodier, day by day. Unable to get their daily requirement of drinking water, angry protestors in various cities are taking to streets.

In the weeks to come, non-availability of water is sure to adorn the news. The warning bells have been ringing for over 15 years now, but nobody cared. Even now, when projections show that 70 per cent more ground water has been depleted in the past decade than in the last decade of 1990s, and that water sources across the country have been contaminated in almost all the states leading to serious health problems like cancer and fluorosis that damages bones, teeth and muscles, the nation is not perturbed.

Parliament was informed recently that 1.80 lakh villages (out of the 6 lakh villages in the country) are afflicted by poor water quality. What these villages drink is nothing but slow poison. In addition, what Parliament is not informed is that almost all the tributaries of our major rivers have become drain channels for the industry. Take, for instance, Ammi river flowing in the outskirts of Gorakhpur. For years now, over 1.5 lakh people who live on the banks of the river have been protesting against industrial effluents that have turned the river - the only lifeline for hundreds of villages on its banks - into a source of misery.

Ammi is not the only tributary that has turned into a drain. Almost all tributaries of the major Indian rivers flow dirty. Somehow the policy makers and planners treat the dirty rivers and tributaries as a misplaced sign of industrialisation, and thereby treat it as an index of development.

Returning back to the issue of shrinking drinking water availability, a parliamentary standing committee has informed that while more than 84 per cent of the households in rural areas are covered under rural water supply, only 16 per cent population gets drinking water from public taps. However, just 12 per cent of rural families have individual taps in their houses. This too is highly skewed in favour of the more progressive States. In Orissa, for instance, only 9 per cent households have access to tap water. If you travel to Kalahandi district, the percentage of population having access to tap water drops to a mere 2.76 per cent.

The picture isn't very rosy for the urban areas. Only 37 per cent of the households (both urban and rural) have access to tap water. In other words, not only food entitlements, there is an urgent need to ensure right to safe drinking water.

Isn't it shocking that after 63 years of Independence, only 12 per cent of the rural households have drinking water taps? This is despite the National Rural Drinking Water Programme being operative, for which Rs 8,000-crore was provided in 2009-10.

What is more shocking is that while the drinking water taps are going dry; there is never a shortage of water supply from tankers? In Mumbai, for instance, an estimate shows that nearly 48 per cent of the drinking water gets lost due to leaks from damaged pipelines. Some people suspect the tanker mafia is behind this major loss. Not only Mumbai, cities across the country are under siege by tanker mafia. In the rural areas too, the water mafia has been continuously at work. If the water sources are drying up across the country, I wonder from where the tankers get water. Every one knows that the tanker mafia is leaving the countryside parched and dry, but who cares?

Well, the corporate sector certainly gives an impression that it cares. It has to. After all, much of the water crisis is its creation. First the industries guzzle up water, and pollute the rivers and water bodies, and then they launch water saving initiatives under Corporate Social Responsibility. The ITC for instance has launched a project in Gurgaon to teach housemaids on how to save water while cleaning the utensils. Teaching the maid servants on how to save one mug of water is surely some responsibility!

What the corporate sector refuses to point at is the recent decision of the Andhra Pradesh government to allocate 21.5 lakh litres per day from the Krishna River in Guntur district to Coca-Cola. While several hundred villages in Guntur district are grappling with acute drinking water shortage, the government perhaps thinks that rural poor can quench their thirst from drinking Coke instead. To justify its exploitation of water, Coca-Cola claims to be buying mangoes for its Maaza brand under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. Hitting two birds with one stone, isn't it? But who cares?

Unfortunately, providing clean drinking water is no longer a national priority. Somehow the government believes that the more pressing need is to make the water resources available to the bottled water industry. With the elite and the middle class are satisfied at the easy availability of bottled water, the rest of the population continues to suffer. Over the years, the State and the Central government have shifted focus to the middle class, as if the rest of the country does not need water.

Power production sans efficiency

By Shankar Sharma
06 May 2010
Without taking actions to drastically reduce power sector inefficiency, our policy makers continue to push conventional power projects detrimental to environment.

Despite knowing well that the gross inefficiency in power sector in India has serious economic and legal implications, affecting overall growth and welfare of the society, there is no serious action plan to take corrective actions. The inefficiency in the energy sector is considered to be one of the biggest stumbling blocks in societal development. Studies by International Energy Agency show that energy efficiency has the potential to be the biggest single source of GHG emission savings in the energy sector by 2050.

Since independence, installed electricity generating capacity in the country has grown phenomenally from about 1,400 MW in 1948 to about 157,000 MW in Feb 2010; an increase of 110 times. Annual electricity generation from all sources has increased from about 61,000 MU in 1970-71 to 724,000 MU in 2008-09, i.e. an increase of 12 times in 30 years.

Despite such phenomenal increases in capacity, various forms of electricity crises are continuing even after six decades of democratic rule. While the state capitals and larger cities in each state are getting electricity supply for 23-24 hours every day on an average, the connected villages are getting less than 12 hours in a day, not to mention about 40% of the house holds, which are still without access to electricity.

The inefficiency prevailing in transmission & distribution, and in the end use of energy is so much that the Integrated Energy Policy has estimated that the energy intensity of our economy can be reduced by 25% by 2031-32. The usage of electricity for night time sports, air conditioned shopping malls/housing complexes even in cooler places, heavy usage of illumination for advertisements, unscientific use of illumination for street lights, avoidable & inefficient use of a large number of electrical and entertainment appliances, whether in houses, shops, offices, public places or factories are all escalating, but are also largely resulting in unproductive and non-essential applications.

Studies by International Energy Agency show that energy efficiency has the potential to be the biggest single source of GHG emission savings in the energy sector by 2050.
The unreliable electricity supply has led to serious problems on the social, economic and environmental front whereas the relevant Acts of parliament are not being complied with. Severe consequences are observed in the areas of drinking water supply, agricultural activities, education, health etc not only in villages but also in many urban areas. People's displacement is the most serious social implication of large conventional power projects.

As per the report of the 13th finance commission, the combined losses of electricity companies due to inefficiency of operations may increase from Rs. 68,643 crores in 2010-11 to Rs. 1,16,089 cores by 2014-15. Such huge losses year after year have led to deprivation of adequate funding to other crucial sectors of our developmental process such as drinking water supply, poverty alleviation, health, education, rural infrastructure etc. The ever increasing number of conventional power projects based on dams and coal, and nuclear power projects require large amounts of natural resources such as land, water, coal etc and add huge amounts of pollutants to our environment.

The coal power plants need large tracts of land and huge quantities of fresh water. They burn enormous quantity of coal and generate mountains of ash, and require opening up of a large number of additional coal mines, which are all below thick forests. The technical efficiency of converting coal energy to electrical energy in Indian power stations is about 30% only. With Transmission and Distribution loss level of about 30%, and end use loss of about 15% prevailing in the country, the overall efficiency in coal energy to electrical energy put into productive / economic use can only be of the order of about 10%.

Large dam based hydro power plants drown large tracts of agricultural and forest lands, produce Methane which is a much more potent GHG than CO2, reduce forest and tree cover, and lead to loss of bio-diversity.

Nuclear power plants have their own share of concerns. The inadequate reserves of Uranium within the country, the massive damage to our environment from nuclear mining, the radiation safety issues, and the huge cost to the society of safeguarding the spent nuclear fuel for generations have all become major concerns to the society.

The country has been known to be exhibiting one of the lowest levels of efficiency in the overall management of a vital resource like electricity. The average Plant Load Factor (PLF) of the coal power stations in the country is reported to be about 63% as compared to about 90% in case of some of the best run power plants such as NTPC plants.

The inability to optimize the installed capacity is not much different in nuclear power plants and hydel power plants.

As per the sections 48 (a) and 51 (a) (g) of our Constitution, it is the duty of the State and every citizen to make honest efforts to protect and improve our environment by protecting and improving rivers, lakes, forests and living beings. The conventional power plants are destroying thick forest cover, interfering in the natural flow of rivers, and destroying the bio-diversity by hastening the extinction of many species.

It is almost impossible to notice the compliance of the letter and spirit of Indian Electricity Act 2003, and National Electricity Policy as far as salient features such as efficiency, economy, responsible use of natural resources, consumer interest protection, reliable supply of electricity, protection of environment are concerned.
While the National Forest Policy recommends that 33% of the land mass should be covered by forests and trees for a healthy environment, our practice of continuing to divert forest lands for large power projects will bring this percentage even lower than the present level of 24% in the country.

The prevailing inefficiency will not allow the fulfilment of the stated objectives of National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) unless a commensurate action plan is implemented earnestly.

Though it will be impossible to satiate the ever escalating demand for electricity in our urban areas in the business as usual scenario, efficiency improvement of the existing electricity infrastructure to the international best practice levels can provide us with a virtual additional capacity roughly equivalent to 30-40% of the present available capacity.

In the background of all these glaring issues, it would tantamount to letting down the public if the State continues to spend thousands of crores of rupees of the state's revenue and precious natural resources in establishing additional conventional power plants without harnessing all the techno-economically benign alternatives first.

Media owners critical of Paid News report

By Gopal Krishna
27 Apr 2010

The Press Council Meet to discuss its report on “Paid News” remained inconclusive.
Due to the objections raised by media barons, the meeting of Press Council of India (PCI) to discuss its sub-committee’s report on the Paid News scandal ended without conclusion on April 26. The Council will convene another meeting to conclude the proceedings on the said report.

After the meeting, PCI Chairman, Justice G N Ray said, “It was inconclusive. The report will be discussed at the next meeting. The Press Council’s views on the sub-committee’s report would be concluded in the next meeting within two months.”

Owners and managers of the newspapers who are in the Press Council objected to the contents of the sub-committee’s report and said that the report was defamatory towards the whole media. However, the authors of the report denied the charge. The media owners also questioned the reason for hurry in finalizing the report.

“There was absence of consensus among the 23 members (out of 28) who were present. As of now the report has neither been accepted nor rejected. Consequently, a larger committee might be constituted by the Chairman that would work to find consensus based on this report”, said Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, a member of the Press Council and one of the two authors of the report.

Four members of Parliament who are members of the Press Council were not present in the meeting.

The media owners alleged that the report mentioned names of the media houses that were violating the provisions of Income Tax Act and Companies Act by not accounting for the money received from the candidates. The report is said to refer to the SEBI’s letter to the PCI on the issue of “private treaties” between media companies and other corporate entities.

This report on “paid news” tracks the incidents of newspapers demanding money from candidates for favourable coverage during the April-May 2009 Lok Sabha Elections and September-October 2009 assembly elections of Maharashtra and Haryana.

The sub-committee’s 71 page report condemns the unethical practice of Paid News and calls upon all editors of the country to desist from publishing any form of advertisements masquerading as news. The report puts the onus on media organizations to clearly distinguish between news and advertisements with proper disclosure norms.

The report is based on the testimonies of aggrieved politicians of almost all the political parties and senior journalists who have named many newspapers which asked for money and offered ‘rates and packages’ for blurring boundaries between news and advertisements or “advertorials” to help the candidates in the elections.

Seeds under siege

By Pandurang Hegde
26 Apr 2010

International Seeds Day (April 26) reminds us of concerted attempts by the large seed corporations to destroy seed diversity of the world to expand their markets and profits.

How can governments snatch growers' rights over seeds?
Following on heels of Earth Day (April 22) comes the International Seeds Day (April 26). But there is no doubt that it will not be celebrated in the United States and many countries in Europe. Neither will this be endorsed by the United Nations or Food and Agricultural Organisation. The reason is obvious; it is launched by common people, especially by the ordinary farmers in Iraq who lost the sovereignty not only of their country, but of their seeds. It was on April 26, 2004 the Order 81 was passed by the Coalition Authority that prohibits the farmers in Iraq from using their own seeds and forces them to buy the seeds from Multinational Seed Corporations from the US and Europe.

The world has witnessed innumerable wars and occupations, but the invasion of Iraq is unique because it has led to an order to terminate the life from seed, taking away farmers' freedom to grow what they want to grow. The common people in the world thought that the war was for oil, but the perpetrators of the occupation have clearly shown their meanness by attacking the life giving seed. Having failed to find any WMD (weapons of mass destruction), they attacked the seed sovereignty, backed by the sheer unethical greed of global seed giants. It is the launching of world war for the control of seeds.

The invasion of Iraq is unique because it has led to an order to terminate the life from seed, taking away farmers' freedom to grow what they want to grow.
What does the Order 81 say? It says that the farmers shall be prohibited from re-using seeds of protected varieties or any variety. The terminology might sound funny, but the intention is clear, according to the Order the genetically altered seeds are called "protected variety" and the unregistered or local seeds are referred to as "infringing variety"! The new order gives corporations complete control over farmers' seeds. Iraqi farmers have to sign an agreement to pay a "technology fee" plus an annual license fee. Plant Variety Protection (PVP) made seed saving and reusing illegal as well as "similar" seed plantings punishable by severe fines and imprisonment.

This is the ideal autocratic law the corporate seed giants would like to impose on the rest of the world. What is unfortunate is that it was backed by countries like the US and Europe who chant the mantra of democracy and human rights. By enacting Order 81 they want to erase the 8000 old farming history of Iraq, which is part of "fertile crescent", the origin of diversity of crops, especially wheat. The order gives the corporations monopoly over seeds.

The seed war in Iraq is clear indicator of how the corporates want to take control over seeds in different parts of world. They might not send coalition forces in other countries, but the silent war is on through diplomatic channels, through back door maneuverings and enticing the politicians of democratic nations through the power of money. The recent controversy on bt brinjal in India is basically another seed war being waged to cave in those age old civilizations which are the centres of diversity.

Almost fifty percent of the annual 21 billion USD seed market is dominated by just ten Seed Companies, who also own pesticide companies. By controlling the seed and inputs, they are aiming to control the entire food chain of the world. In order to deeply entrench the seed monopoly, the first thing they need is to destroy the diversity of the local seeds, especially those used and reused by the farmers. This is called seed replacement rate. In India this rate is 70 per cent, as most of the farmers re-use and exchange the seeds among themselves. Iraq had 90 percent replacement rate.


Obviously, this culture of saving and sharing seeds is the biggest threat that hinders the growth of seed corporates. By passing Order 81 they removed this threat in Iraq. But in India our elected government and the pro establishment scientists are willing to surrender control of our seeds to large Agricultural corporations. The Indo-US Knowledge Initiative on Agriculture Education, Research, Services and Commercial Linkages is the modem through which such controls will be exercised.

The vast majority of Indian farmers are dependent on local seed supply and exchange. This process, being low key appears to be lacking in technical know how, but has resulted in conserving the enormous diversity of crops through centuries. However, the introduction of modern technology through green revolution has led to decimation of seed diversity in crops like wheat and rice. Both the public and private seed developers are keen to breed those varieties that respond to intensive chemical and pesticide inputs. This trend of corporate seed control will ultimately destroy the remaining biodiversity in food crops.

The Corporate lobby is so influential that it can easily penetrate into the highest decision making process in any country. The lure of making windfall profits from sale of agricultural seeds in a country like India is making agri-business desperate. They have tasted success in the accelerated sales of bt cotton, where Monsanto and its associate companies reaped huge benefits over the last five years. In the process India lost 90 percent of the local cotton seed diversity.

Emboldened by the bt cotton experience, the corporations know that much more money can be earned from cereal crops like rice and wheat. This is the logic behind them launching the attack through bt brinjal to enter into the food crops.

Seed is the basis for food sovereignty. It is only through the control of our seeds that we will be able reach the goal of food security. The passing of the Food Security Act will have no meaning if we do not have the freedom over our seeds and inputs to grow our crops. But do our policymakers who daydream to remove hunger through legislation understand the severity of war over seeds?

Jairam is not so green

By Gaurav Sharma
25 Apr 2010

Under attack from his colleagues for delaying development projects, Jairam Ramesh gets unprecedented support from environment activists for his green agenda. However, the facts disclose that he is not yet willing to change the environmentally destructive development philosophy of his government.

Jairam Ramesh, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests (E&F), who received bouquets and brickbats in equal measure from media, scientists, and fellow ministers for imposing moratorium on commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal in February this year, has once again come under attack for alleged slow pace of environmental clearance of development projects proposed by other ministries.

Environment activists, who are quite impressed by the recent pronouncements of the E&F minister, have responded by mobilising support in favour of Mr Ramesh. But a detailed analysis of the data of forest clearances approved by the MoEF since Mr Ramesh has taken its charge reveals figures which could silence both the pro-Ramesh and anti-Ramesh forces.

Last month, three cabinet ministers, Road Transport Minister Kamal Nath, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Water Resource Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal complained to the Prime Minister that Ramesh’s ministry was delaying environment clearances for key infrastructure projects.

Consequently, PM had to step in and ask the Planning Commission to formulate a procedure that will help put environment clearances on a fast-track. Although Mr Ramesh may be becoming unpopular in his cabinet, he has earned accolades from environment activists for his stand on some of the environmentally sensitive projects.

His several decisions in recent months to cancel, postpone or downsize projects perceived to be harmful to environment have made him an unlikely hero of environment activists and nature lovers. So much so that many of the activists who have been severest of critics of successive governments’ environment and development policies have recently written letters to the Prime Minister and Congress Party president showering praise on Jairam Ramesh and requesting the PM to let him work freely as the custodian of India’s environment and forests.

However, his earnest approach towards protection and conservation of forests has not always been the same. Perhaps, the minister realized the widespread scepticism among enlightened citizens towards working of E&F ministry after holding public consultations on Bt brinjal which eventually led him to put moratorium on it in February 2010. The post moratorium praise heaped on him by people probably played a crucial role in re-alignment of priorities by the articulate and sensitive minister.

If we look at the MoEF figures of forest clearances for various projects in 2009, it is evident that Jairam Ramesh was quite liberal in giving permission for clearing forests for infrastructure projects in the first 6-7 months of his tenure as E&F minister. Though, his approach is more conservative now but still he continues to take pride in clearing most of infrastructure projects coming to his ministry.

In an interview to an English newspaper few days back, Mr Ramesh himself disclosed, “Before I came here I also subscribed to the general theology that environment and forest clearances can be speeded up. If you had asked me then, I would have also said, push comes to shove, projects could have been cleared faster. But having come here and seen the system and multiple stakeholders involved and the need to look at long term issues...”

After assuming office on May 22, 2009, Jairam Ramesh cleared 13642.99 hectares of forests for various projects by 31st December 2009. In addition to that, 55339.95 hectares were removed from the list of forest areas and allotted to cultivation and habitation areas in Ropar district of Punjab. In comparison, a significantly lesser forest area of 7597.52 hectares was cleared by his predecessor during January to May 2009, before Mr Ramesh was given the task to protect India’s forests.

Out of 13642.99 hectares of cleared forests between June and December 09, Kamal Nath’s ministry (Road and Transport) received the lion’s share. Mr Ramesh allowed clearing of 2202.382 hectares of forests to construct roads and highways. It is another matter that Mr Nath’s ministry has not even been able to reach the halfway mark of his ambitious projections made in 2009.

Of late, the E&F ministry has woken up to the cause of illegal mining. Jairam Ramesh, in his new avatar as anti-mining green crusader, imposed a moratorium on mining activities in Goa. Sadly, this decision came far too late to reduce the impact of mining and was taken only after the minister came under severe criticism for failing to protect Goa.

The moratorium on mining in Goa was followed by a wider study jointly conducted by the E&F and coal ministries, which found that as much as 35% of coal mines are located in ‘no go’ zones’. Though Mr Ramesh might have expressed shock over these findings but it was under his instructions the E&F ministry divested 3812.092 hectares of forests for the purpose of mining activities within a span of seven months (June to Dec 2009). What environmentalists do not know is that during the first five months of the year 2009, his predecessor gave permission for clearing only 1133 hectares forest area for mining purposes.

The E&F ministry under Mr Ramesh, during the seven month period (Jun-Dec 09), also cleared 1250.509 hectares of forest area for the purpose of generating power, even if it led to massive deforestation.

The states which incurred maximum loss in terms of forest areas due to liberal clearances by Mr Ramesh are Orissa, Gujarat and Chattisgarh.

Orissa, abundant in natural resources and one of the dream destinations of mining giants, tops the chart where 2805.563 hectares of forests were destroyed during the first few months of environment friendly minister’s tenure.

While 1102.167 hectares of forest area was cleared in Gujarat; Chhattisgarh witnessed the diversion of 910.515 hectares for the so called development projects. Out of this figure of 910.5 hectares, 883.22 hectares of forests were sacrificed only for mining. In comparison only 323 hectares of forest area was cleared in the Maoist affected Chhattisgarh from January to May 2009 before Jairam Ramesh took the charge at MoEF. Similar figures for other states also reveal that initially Mr Ramesh was more liberal in granting environment clearances than his predecessors.

But, for the past few months, since public consultations on Bt brinjal took place, in fact from January 2010, the minister has been treading the path cautiously in giving forest clearances to the infrastructure projects.

Consequently, this sudden transformation in the approach of E&F ministry under Mr Ramesh has come under attack for stalling the infrastructure projects of different ministries lately.

However, it would be naïve to conclude that an environmentally enlightened Jairam Ramesh is reversing the trend.

From January 2010 till date, road and transportation ministry has already been allocated 438.6405 hectares of forests in comparison to 2202.382 hectares cleared between June and December 2009.

Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had also complained about Ramesh’s anti-development drive. But the forest area cleared for power projects during his tenure is much higher than the area cleared from January to May 09.

Of late, mining seems to be the utmost concern of Ramesh as he put a hold on the mining activities in Goa. But the forest area cleared for mining during the first three months of this year is not negligible either. In comparison to the 3812.092 hectares cleared between June and December 2009, the favourite minister of environmentalists has given a go-ahead to clear 471.669 hectare forests till now.

But, Jairam Ramesh, the chief strategist of ruling party during the last two parliamentary elections, knows well to impress people with big words and little actions without altering the agenda set by his leaders in the party and the government. As if overcome by guilt for being blamed for stalling development projects, he exclaimed in the recent interview, “With a rate of acceptance of over 95% for environmental clearances and 85% for forest clearance how can you say we are stopping economic growth?”