Latest News
In this Issue
Most Popular on DTE Site
- Chaos in the iron age 2
- MPS, a rare disease with costly cure
- Poison in disguise 1
- Mirage of a river 1
- It’s a demographic disaster
- Measure of tolerance
- Bhopal gas leak: curative petition downplays number of deaths
- No ozone depletion over India yet
- The truth about solar mission 22
- 18 tribal villages in Maharashtra get tendu rights, finally
- Environment ministry wants to restore night traffic through Bandipur tiger reserve 52
- A green facade 44
- Diesel: when bad policy makes for toxic hell 38
- Gujarat pollution board gets a makeover in efficiency 33
- What’s good insulation? 30
- How vulnerable are India's nuclear power plants to disaster 28
- Grand distraction called river interlinking 28
- Eat at your own risk 27
- Green energy takes toll on green cover 26
- Temporary solution, permanent jam 25
On Facebook
Of shotguns and samples
0 Comments
Issue Date: Jul 31, 2002
I set off towards Meerut on the trail of a transporter's crew suspectedly involved in fuel adulteration. Officials nearly stumped my investigations. Thankfully, Bhure Lal, chairperson of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority intervened. The district magitrate, then, called an urgent meeting of officials and insisted that the seals of the fuel tankers be opened only in the presence of the district supply officer, additional district magistrate and an official of the petroleum company. The 'busy' officials came together only by dusk.
Policepersons at the scene blatantly pushed that I draw samples from only two tankers. I was, however, determined that all tankers be checked. For the first time since I set foot in Meerut, I felt fear tug at my innards. It was dark and raining, and I was surrounded by police officials. The atmospherics of the time added to the effect: the rain and the dark godown. But it was too late to back out.
Halfway through the collection, we heard gunshots. The police rushed to investigate. I collected the required samples and scampered. These fuel samples were later found to be grossly adulterated -- mission accomplished!
O
P
E
N
DTE Must Read
Good job bringing this to light. People won't realise how huge the problem is and municipalities are woefully ill equipped to...
Agreed; mining can never be sustainable, but then how do you get the metals to make all the things you need in the course of...
Very good piece.