Don’t say bamboo

In Maharashtra’s tribal district of Gadchiroli, naxalism appears to have a status akin to Voldemort’s (the evil wizard in Harry Potter books). The word must not be said by anyone, including government officials. Naxalites are referred to as “those people”, “inside people” or “bhai log” (big brothers) in the region.

Bamboo under siege

Battle over paper

The Argentine government has won control of the country’s newsprint supplies after a vote in the Senate.

Resource war India after 2020

What is the shape our climate-challenged world is in? Rich developed countries have made it clear they are not interested in any talk about their past emissions.

Crank it up

Arnab Pratim Dutta Sugar mills have doubled up as power generators, with help from sound policies. But profits are falling now. Can states find a way to sustain cogeneration?

Rs 3,300 crore omission

Government grants huge tax exemptions to industries for installing pollution control equipment. This is done to achieve certain environmental, social and economic goals. But it has failed to monitor the working of this subsidy regime.

Letters

What bamboo costs

Betrayal via bamboo

In April this year, Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra made history. One of its villages became the country’s first to win the right to sell and harvest bamboo. Environment minister Jairam Ramesh handed over transit pass books to residents of Mendha Lekha village, allowing them to exercise community forest rights over bamboo guaranteed in the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006. But for the rest of the villages bamboo is still a distant dream.

Letters

Applaud, not evade, policies In the write-up “Taking on industry’s risks” (April 16-30, 2011), the authors question the proposed symbiotic venture plans of the Department of Biotechnology in collaboration with some multinational companies.

The big idea for change: bamboo as grass

“Stroke of the pen” reform is critical as in many cases policy is dastardly and change is laggardly. The essential element is to find that big-ticket item that can have impact on a scale and at a pace that is needed. I believe Union environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh’s letter addressed to all chief ministers clarifying that bamboo is indeed a grass and not timber, is such an item.