Faulty policy causes Maharashtra's farmlands to go dry

Water crisis in Maharashtra is the making of the states faulty strategy and misguided policies. A recent report, Combating drought in Maharashtra, explains how by critically analyzing Maharashtras irrigation projects, recurrent floods and water policy. Released by Dushkal Hatavu Manus Jagavu (Maharashtra Drought Forum), a network of ngos, the report is a comprehensive study of the states water scenario.

Big trouble

In May 2005, the Arunachal Pradesh government filed an application in the Supreme Court regarding the Subansiri (Lower) project, expressing serious concerns about large storage dams: "...the adverse effect of the mega power projects on the environment cannot be overlooked. Storage projects like the Subansiri (Lower) may not be ideally suited for the state of Arunachal Pradesh due to the possibility of massive earthquakes, fragile geological conditions, needs to preserve rich flora and fauna in the state, sentiments of the tribal people who may have to be displaced/relocated."

Food prices spur inflation

in the first week of April, thousands of people stormed the presidential palace in Haiti, throwing stones and demanding the resignation of President Rene Preval over soaring food prices. In reasonably prosperous Malaysia, the ruling coalition was nearly ousted by voters who cited food and fuel price increases as their main concerns.

Anthony McMichael on health risks from climate change

What are the impacts of climate change on disease outbreaks? In the past two decades, we have recorded several changes in disease outbreaks across the world. When taken together, it seems they tell us a story about the impacts of climate change. Interviewee:  Anthony Mcmichael

Health schemes caught between government & World Bank

india is set to make another round of changes in procurement norms for health schemes funded by World Bank loans. This follows the bank's review of Indian projects running on its loans, highlighting corrupt practices in procurement of drugs and other items by the government and drug companies. While such practices are well known--the bank's own reviews have repeatedly mentioned them--the timing of the latest review has raised eyebrows.

Bank's world

some of India's critical public health schemes have a long track record of corruption. The World Bank has a long record of hiring expensive consultants to tell us so. In this cynical theatre arrives another review by the bank of health programmes funded by its loans. It tells us how corruption dogs procurement of drugs and other essentials under programmes designed to deal with serious diseases like tuberculosis, malaria and hiv/aids.

Supa dam displaced lease out lands to paper mill

Twenty-six years ago, people displaced by the Supa dam were resettled in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district. The better irrigation facilities promised to them after they were relocated in the district's Ramnagar panchayat haven't materialized. They still face an uncertain future.

International meet on Avian flu agree on a roadmap

the International Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic influenza, conducted recently in New Delhi, came up with a New Delhi Road Map for 2008 for the 60 countries currently affected by the avian influenza virus h5n1, and the rest that are at risk. The roadmap, prepared by the government of India, is a template that will be adapted by countries to ensure they are ready to control the highly pathogenic avian influenza and contain and mitigate the influenza pandemic.

South Asia

No littering in bhutan:

Online: Northern response

www.worldbankcampaigneurope.org There has been lot of pressure on the World Bank of late. A recent tribunal in New Delhi recently came down heavily on the institution. Now it is been challenged by more than 70 European NGOs which say they "have fundamental concerns about the way the Bank operates". The organizations backing the campaign are calling European governments to press the bank to take a second look at its fossil fuel lending. It's also called for lesser strings attached to Third World loans.