Letters

Ban on BST hormone

The article on bovine somatotropin (BST) concerns a growth hormone that is presently banned in the European Economic Community and in USA, where it is produced (November 30). BST is being sold in developing countries as a wonder drug that can increase milk production at no extra cost. The ban on the drug is because of suspicions about the quality of milk from BST-treated animals. Developing countries are being targeted because they are often short of milk and aid funds to these countries can be used to offset financial losses of companies manufacturing BST.

Without entering the controversy whether milk from BST-treated animals is safe, the fact remains that the extra milk from these animals does not come for nothing. BST cannot expand the gut size of the animal, which more often than not limits feed intake. The response to BST in the long run can come only if more concentrated feeds are given to the animals.

I hope developing countries will not allow the wool to be pulled over their eyes, as often happens when unscrupulous multinational firms want to get rid of drugs that cannot be sold in developed countries. I congratulate the Indian Council of Agricultural Research on its sensible judgement to withhold approval for import of BST in commercial quantities.

E R ORSKOV
The Rowett Research Institute, Aberdeen, Scotland...

Hypocritical ads

Uday Shankar's article on the Damodar Valley (January 31) has shocked and dismayed me. But what is especially distressing is the extent to which Bokaro Steel Plant, a public sector unit, is polluting the valley.

The irony is that Bokaro aggressively projects itself as an environmentally conscious company, advertising frequently in the mass media. Surely, a more judicious use of its advertising budget would be to spend it on cleaning up its surroundings.

It is high time Indian industries gave up their "pseudo-environmental" policies and worked sincerely towards bettering the environment.

PRASHANT M TELANG
Bombay...

Eager reading

Down To Earth is the second magazine that I look forward to eagerly every fortnight. Being an activist, I read it from cover to cover. Keep up the excellent work.

PRADEEP MEHTA
Consumer Unity and Trust Society, Calcutta...

Cultural sham

Dialogue among different cultures is necessary and healthy. But when in Kerala, culture is made instant and sold for the tourist dollar, it is an entirely different matter. For example, the well-known Pooram festival is held in Thrissur in April-May and the Onam festival is celebrated in August-September, both for valid socio-historical reasons. But when a folk art or festival is taken out of its particular cultural context and held at other times whatever the cause, it loses essence and soul and becomes mere buffoonery.

The Great Elephant March put on annually by the Kerala tourism department with great pomp and ceremony, is yet another example of mindless tourism promotion. State officials said they expected 600 foreigners at least to attend the tamasha his year, but less than 150 showed up. The four-day festivity beginning January 17, cost the government Rs 14 lakh; its earnings: Rs 4 lakh.

K C SANTHOSH KUMAR
Thrissur...

Putting weeds to use

I am not a botanist but it was interesting to read about the research being done with lantana and the water hyacinth (December 16, 1992 & January 15, 1993).

Your readers may be interested in knowing that in the Andes mountains in South America, native Indians preserve their potato crops, which is their staple diet, by storing it underground and covering it with layers of lantana to keep it free of pests. I'm told knowledgeable farmers plant lantana on the boundary of their fields because the plant is a natural pest controller.

As for the long-despised water hyacinth, people living near waterways pull out this weed, dry it in the sun and then pound it to straighten out its fibres and use them to make strion, natural-colour material that can be used to cover suitcases, wallets and even as wall-paper. This has become a cottage industry in West Bengal and bulk supplies are being exported to Germany.

I wonder if any of your readers can clarify whether water hyacinth harbours in the stem a red bacterium that eats up chemical and mineral industrial effluents in the water and so prevents such noxious and toxic materials from spreading.

GOMATHY VENKATESWAR
Principal
Bombay International School...

Letters Letters