Letters

Japanese lake in danger

One of Japan's most important wildlife sanctuaries is being threatened by plans to build a floodway for the Chitose river on the northern island of Hokkaido. The government plan would divert water from the key river feeding into Lake Utonai, which is a wildlife sanctuary supporting about 20,000 geese at the peak of the migratory season. The lake is also the country's first nature reserve to be established by Japan's largest non-governmental organisation, the Wild Bird Society of Japan.

According to the proposal by the Hokkaido Development Agency (HDA), the floodway would cut cross an area at the source of the Bibi river, which accounts for 80 per cent of the lake water. The result would be a damaging reduction in the amount of water flowing into the lake, witdevastating consequences for its wildlife. The Bibi river--one of the few whose banks remain unspoilt -- would also suffer significant environmental damage.

The floodway has been proposed as a measure against flood damage along the Chitose river, a tributary of the Ishikari river. We agree that some control measures are necessary, but alternative solutions exist that would be less damaging to the environment.

We are anxious to inform all concerned throughout the world of this serious issue. We are also afraid that contractors will be forced by the HDA to start construction. It is the most urgent issue for our society and we request international support.

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Need for self-criticism

The Rio summit opened up "eco-politics" between the North and the South, the beginning of which was in Stockholm in 1972. It is true the consumerist culture of the North is primarily responsible for the present ecological crisis, but our role has been no less damaging. If the North's consumption levels have increased, our consumer numbers have also increased.

It is true the North has no moral right to ask the South to conserve rain forests after destroying their own to fuel Northern industrialisation. But it is equally immoral for Southern nations to consume their forests in order to sustain ever-increasing populations. There are alternatives that are economically viable and ecologically sustainable that we can adopt for our development but it needs political will. We must set our own house in order before we criticise others.

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Correct attribution

The four reasons why Indian scientitsts prefer to publish in overseas journals, referred to in Mere volume will not sell research papers abroad (August 15), should have been attributed to a study conducted by my colleague B Dutt and myself.

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No funds for FORE

In the article Move to nationalise NGOs (October 15), the statement, "The Commission allocated Rs 10 crore to N K Singh of the Foundation for Organisational Research and Education (FORE), a Delhi-based management agency with no record of voluntary developmental work" is not correct. I am directed to clarify that FORE neither asked for nor was given a sum of Rs 10 crore by the Planning Commission.

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Seminar on farming

The National Council of Developmental Communication is organising a national seminar on "Indigenous Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture" in Delhi from March 23 to March 25 next year. About 50 NGOs and many farmers are expected to attend it. For details contact the following:

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Not limonoids

In the article Neem gains honour as India's wonder tree (October 15), one photo caption states that the neem oil's active ingredients are known as limonoids. The attributed active ingredients are the contraceptive fraction NIM-76, which are not limonoids. And the latter also cannot be isolated by steam distillation.

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Useful statistics

Your magazine is extremely informative and very professionlly done. It is one magazine that I pick up from our library regularly to read. I have also begun to refer some of the articles to our students. We are also planning to use some of the statistics and information from the magazine with due credit for a Bengali newsletter we are bringing out for communities. I am sure you will like the idea of reaching out information from your magazine to non-English readers. Since many scientists, science groups, clubs etc approach us for information, posters and video cassettes on environment, information from your magazine will of great help.

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