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Contents page
Oct 1-15, 1999
Cover Story
Further dilution of the rules safeguarding the Indian coastal ecosystem has just been proposed. Under the guise of providing land to poor fisherfolk for their settlements, is the administration surreptitiously letting in Indian companies and multinationals who eye coastal regions for commercial activity? Picturesque beaches right from Gujarat to West Bengal are seen as geese that lay greenbacks. In its pursuit of economic gain, the government seems to be turning a blind eye to the country's rich marine resources. Sun, sand and the sea may make a perfect vacation. But will not the garbage on the beach and poison in the waters kill the goose that lays the golden egg?
Editor's page
News
Negotiators at a United Nations-sponsored meeting in Geneva have decided to eliminate eight toxic pesticides and chemicals. However, DDT remains a contentious issue
India's nuclear establishment has been asked to account for radiation-related health hazards
An unusual drought threatens agriculture in the Kashmir valley
New York city battles with E coli bacteria
A hurricane wreaks havoc in North Carolina in the US
A massive earthquake rocks Taiwan
Air pollution in several US cities was severe this summer, says a recent report
There is growing opposition to the setting up of a power plant in Madhya Pradesh
Indonesia is once again engulfed by forest fires
An immolation bid by a Bhopal resident leads to closure of polluting factories
Participants at a recent workshop in Hyderabad expressed concern over the growing rate of air pollution in South Asia
Interview
S K SINHA national professor at the Water Technology Centre, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, spoke to Manish Tiwari on food secur...
Science & Technology
Changing climate conditions in the Northeast are wiping out the fragile orchids. Will other species follow?
People who seek fulfilment only in material well-being are not satisfied, says the shrink, looking at the 'dark side' of the American dream
Ultrasound therapy can quicken the healing of lingering fractures
Do headaches, stomach upsets and several other minor ailments have their roots in the speed of genetic mutations?
Guess what is common to viral strains that infect bacteria and two supposed partners in crime
The 'executive arm' of the brain also helps in making decisions
Analysis
Further dilution of the rules safeguarding the Indian coastal ecosystem has just been proposed. Under the guise of providing land to poor fisherfolk for their settlements, is the administration surreptitiously letting in Indian companies and multinationals who eye coastal regions for commercial activity? Picturesque beaches right from Gujarat to West Bengal are seen as geese that lay greenbacks. In its pursuit of economic gain, the government seems to be turning a blind eye to the country's rich marine resources. Sun, sand and the sea may make a perfect vacation. But will not the garbage on the beach and poison in the waters kill the goose that lays the golden egg?
For several years, governments of coastal states have been trying to persuade the Centre to relax the crz rules. Here is how some major 'developmental works' are set to proceed once that happens
Special Report
While some commend the Delhi government's proposal to ban the sale of new two-wheelers fitted with two-stroke engines from January 2000, others feel it might put a restraint on technology
India's most agriculturally prosperous state, Punjab, is staring at an impending groundwater crisis. Over-extraction of groundwater and faulty cropping practices could affect India's foodgrain production
Life & Nature
Does India need to import exotic fish species, when the experience with them has not been particularly good? Besides, the country already boasts of a treasure-trove of fish diversity
The Fortnight
Global warming, say researchers, was responsible for mass extinction of life forms some 200 million years ago
Caught between floods and poachers, one-horned rhinos live on the edge
Debate
Ever since the Supreme Court (sc) ordered closure/relocation of polluting units in Delhi, which subsequently left nearly 50,000 people jobless, it has often been debated whether a conflict exists between environment conservation and labour rights. Trade union leaders argue that the relocation and closure will benefit the industrialists. On the other hand, we have seen that closure of industrial units does not necesssarily benefit the environment. The Centre for Science and Environment (cse) organised a debate to polarise opinion on the subject. Participants at the discussion included Sunita Narain , cse 's Deputy Director, Dunu Roy of The Other Media, cpi (Marxist) leader and academic Biplab Dasgupta , Supreme Court advocate S Muralidhar , Jamia Milia Islamia professor Mohammad Talib and Devaki Panini from Human Rights Law Network. Given below are excerpts of what each speaker had to say:
Crosscurrent
The government's fuel pricing policy is the very essence of irrationality
Misconceptions about steroids and the real reasons for their bad reputation
Grassroots
Two decades of toil have given back to Seed village in Udaipur a forest that villagers felt had been destroyed forever
