Water on the moon

1997 repeated

Yet another instance of the timber mafia encroaching upon the rights of tribal people has come to light. Close to 100 trees on private tribal land were cut down in November 2002 in Chhattisgarh's southern district of Dantewada. The landowner, who died about a month after the felling, was paid a pittance for the timber that is estimated to be worth lakhs of rupees. This violates several special laws made to protect tribal people, who are unaware of the commercial worth of trees on their land.

Perpetually ill-prepared

it was in October 2002 that media reports surfaced about children succumbing to a mysterious infectious fever in Saharanpur town of western Uttar Pradesh (up). The disease struck neighbouring districts too. Within the first two weeks the toll reportedly mounted to 100 in the area. The local administration first denied that there was an outbreak and then dismissed it as an annual occurrence.

Bureaucratic coup

In a surprise move, the Union ministry of environment and forests (mef) was subjected to a major reshuffle recently. There was, however, a predictable side to the shake-up: officers without the requisite specialisation were handed over key technical portfolios such as impact assessment. On the one hand, sources in the ministry justify the exercise claiming that there were those who had been holding charge of one section for as long as 10 years.

The pig-headed species

Churning issue

the Supreme Court (sc) has asked the Union government to consider linking the country's rivers within 10 years, advancing the government's own deadline. Earlier, the Union ministry of water resources had filed an affidavit stating that this project, which it claimed would control flood and drought conditions, would be completed by 2043.

Mine games

New Delhi, November 15

Debt trap

one year ago, Sri Lanka was asked to consider an unusual proposal by the us. The latter offered to waive the island nation's debt in exchange for control over four tropical forests. The Lankan government had then responded with an unequivocal 'No, thank you'. But with its back to the wall due to a deepening economic crisis, it has now been forced to rethink its stand.

Focus on pledges

future commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are likely to be among the most contentious issues at the eighth climate conference of parties (cop-8) to be held later this month in New Delhi.

Slipping through

too little, too late. Four words that pithily describe steps taken by the authorities to plug hazardous waste oil imports in a case involving several Indian companies. For, it is after two years that the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (mpcb) has filed a petition against 11 firms which shipped hazardous waste oil into the country on the sly during August and September in 2000.