Chhattisgarh's Industrial Jungle

The rich green fields of Darramuda village in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh were almost peaceful. A JCB backhoe loader whirred on as it dug in and pulled out lumps of wet brown earth.

Big numbers

Chhattisgarh is industrialising fast: within 10 years of its creation, the state has 200 large industrial units and scores of small ones. More than 700 are on their way. A handful of units existed when this largely agricultural state was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000. Known as central India's rice bowl, Chhattisgarh is speeding towards industrialisation.

What does it all add up to?

On an industrial roller-coaster, Chhattisgarh has not once stopped to take stock of the cumulative environmental impact of the many projects. On a spree to usher more and more, the government does not consider important an analysis of a project's incremental impact combined with the effects of other projects.

47 power plants in Vidarbha

Maharashtra’s target is to generate 33,000 MW from 47 new thermal power plants. This is a measure for its power-starved western part; some of it would go to the Nor-thern Grid. Vidarbha, in eastern Maha-rashtra, is power surplus; the region produces 67 per cent of the total power in the state. A chunk of this is already supplied to western Maharashtra. Why then is the state keen on 47 more power plants?

Villagers take on polluting plant

Relief stalled

CPI(M)-Trinamul rivalry affects aid to cyclone Aila victims relief funds from the central government to help victims of cyclone Aila in West Bengal have hardly reached the needy. Political one-upmanship between the ruling cpi(m) in the state and Mamata Banerjee's Trinamul Congress, a coalition ally of the Congress party at the Centre, has stalled distribution of relief material.

Aravallis undermined

SC mining ban alone won't save Haryana's natural lakes

Don't let it go waste

Four alternatives to disposal facilities 1) burn it with cement

The town farmers built

Faced with an encroaching city, old world farmers created--and now own--a new world town

Thermal Power projects threaten Ratnagiri's Alphonso mangoes

It could be a bitter end to a sweet, juicy story. Maharashtra is planning mega power plants in Ratnagiri district, a horticulture zone known for its finest Alphonso mangoes, which are exported to Japan and Singapore. This year, farmers in the region exported the famous fruit to Europe for the first time. But they are not sure of the future of the business; they fear emissions from the plants could harm mango plantation.