Cleaning the dying rivers in India (again)

Bharatapuzha - Kerala

How often do you find clean running water in rivers, which are unfortunate enough to have major cities in her banks? As my friend once told about Musi River flowing through Hyderabad city, “it’s not river, it’s just a drainage channel”. I had to see it with my eyes to understand what he really meant.

According to recent press release from Ministry of Environment and Forests, GOI, pollution abatement works are going on in various major rivers across 20 states under ‘National River Conservation Plan’ on a cost sharing basis between centre and state.

S. No.	State	State Implementing Agency	River	Funds Released (Rs. crore)
1	Andhra Pradesh	Public Health Engg. Department. Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board. AP Tourism Corporation Ltd.	Godavari & Musi	259.80
2	Bihar	Bihar Rajya Jal Parshad Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation	Ganga	92.07
3	Jharkhand	Mineral Area Development Authority	Damodar, Ganga & Subarnarekha	4.45
4	Gujarat	Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation	Sabarmati, Mindhola	131.76
5	Goa	Deptt. of Science, Technology & Environment	Mandovi	9.26
6	Karnataka	Karnataka Urban Water Supply & Drainage Board Karnataka State Pollution Control Board	Bhadra, Tunga-bhadra, Cauvery, Tunga & Pennar	47.83
7	Maharastra	Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran Nasik Municipal Corporation Kolhapur Municipal Corporation	Krishna, Godavari, Tapi & Panchganga	128.79
8	Madhya Pradesh	Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board Public Health Engineering Deptt.	Betwa, Tapti, Wainganga, Khan, Narmada, Kshipra, Beehar, Chambal & Mandakini.	79.0
9	Orissa	Orissa Water Supply and Sewerage Board	Brahmini & Mahanadi	61.41
10	Punjab	Punjab Water Supply & Sewerage Board	Satluj & Beas	321.69
11	Rajasthan	Public Health Engg. Department Urban Improvement Trust, Kota	Chambal	41.12
12	Tamilnadu	Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board Tamilnadu Water Supply and Drainage Board	Cauvery, Adyar, Cooum, Vennar, Vaigai & Tambarani	623.65
13	Delhi	Delhi Jal Board. Municipal Corporation of Delhi.	Yamuna	656.69
14	Haryana	Public Health Engineering Deptt.	Yamuna	305.63
15	Uttar Pradesh	Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam	Yamuna, Ganga & Gomti, Ramganga	1262.88
16	Uttrakhand	Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam	Ganga	89.40
17	West Bengal	Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority Commerce & Industries Dept for CETP	Ganga, Damodar & Mahananda	656.22
18	Kerala	Kerala Water Authority	Pamba	2.78
19	Sikkim	Water Security & Public Health Engg. Department, Govt. of Sikkim	Rani Chu	90.41
20	Nagaland	Public Health Engineering Deptt., Govt. of Nagaland	Diphu & Dhansiri	4.50
Total				4628.79

According to this report, we spent around a whopping 4629 crores in cleaning the rivers. However another GOI report states that,

“With the pollution abatement works completed So far, despite significant increase in urbanization, industrialization and growth in population in cities along the banks of river Ganga, the water quality in terms of BOD (Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand) values reported to have improved as compared to the pre-GAP water quality on major monitoring locations. However, the levels of bacterial contamination in terms of fecal coliform are reported to be exceeding the maximum permissible limit at a number of locations”

“The water quality of river Yamuna has not shown the desired improvement owing to a large gap between the demand and availability of sewage treatment capacity and lack of fresh water in the river”

In central India, many small rivers don’t exist even for namesake in off-monsoon season. In my last journey through Madya Pradesh I could see a lot of dry river beds here and there. If this is the situation in December then just imagine what will happen in summer?

In south also situation is not so good. In earlier days Bangalore had a lot of lakes, overtime many lakes were levelled to build big residential areas. As a result, now city is facing severe water shortage. Even in God’s own country – Kerala, blessed with two monsoon and 44 rivers over a small stretch of land in the laps of Western Ghats– condition is not good. At Pattambi, once the river used to touch the bridge on the height of monsoon, now water level is not coming anywhere close to it. Forget about touching the bridge, it is hardly flowing in summer.

Conclusion

It is good to hear that government is spending money in cleaning rivers. At the same time, it is also important to make sure that, an adequate amount of water is flowing through it. It was only other day someone reported about, how the falling water level affects crocodiles in Chambal.

At first we need to make sure that, enough water is flowing through the river to maintain its ecological needs, then we have to make sure that there is enough dissolved Oxygen in river for aquatic species to maintain a healthy life, then comes sewage treatment to make sure that humans can consume the water.

Sajeev.

References

1. Ministry of Environment and Forests, GOI.

Ireland Doctors still sticking with Stone Age ideologies?

Savita Halappanavar’s death in last October left behind a lot of questions about Irish policy on anti-abortion laws. The main question was, could doctors able to save her life if they agreed to her request for abortion?

Apparently, she was 17 weeks pregnant when admitted to ‘Galway University Hospital’, and was found to be miscarrying. Later "an inquiry into Savita’s death found that she could have been saved had doctors not focused all their attention on saving the foetus. Doctors refused her repeated requests for abortion even when her life seemed in danger." - The Hindu.

This indeed forced Irish government to reconsider their policies on abortion. They formed a committee to investigate the matter and probably policy changes may introduce later. What concerns me here is the view of Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) on abortion.

"IMO’s annual conference in Killarney voted down a motion calling for abortion to be allowed in cases where there was a substantial risk to the life of the mother. It also rejected motions on allowing abortion in cases of rape or incest and certain other special circumstances." - The Hindu

As doctors, they have to consider patient's health first. Clinging tightly to ultraconservative anti-abortion policies, they are indeed going against the universal conventions like allowing abortion in cases like substantial problems in foetus, threatening the life of mother, pregnancy due to rape, incest etc.

Conclusion

If someone want to follow an ideology they can do it, but they don't have any right to force their opinion on others, sometimes even at the cost of valuable lives. Being doctors, they have double responsibility in assuring the welfare of their patients than sticking to Stone Age ideologies.

Sajeev.

References

1. Setback to Irish anti-abortion plans - The Hindu

The Open Source World and Kerala’s ‘IT@School’

Linux Logo

What can be the major reason for Microsoft Windows Operating System's success? Foremost among them may be, its deals with PC makers and its ability to catch kids at very young age. Once a person is very much familiar with windows, it’s difficult make the transition to another one in a later stage. One of my friends often says change is the only thing, which will never change rest are subject to transformations. At the same time, implementing change is a difficult task as well.

In my last journey to Kerala, I visited a cousin’s home. In between she gave me her Lenovo laptop and asked how to install 'Ubandu' in it? I just turned the laptop on, it was running in Windows 7 - one of the best sellers from Microsoft' stable. She started explaining her problem, in school (6th standard) learning is in Ubandu but her system runs on Windows. So she would like to use Ubandu in home as well.

The agent of change here is, Kerala government’s flagship program called 'IT @ School' which runs on Free and Open Source Software. 13 years back, in 2000, started with the formation of a task force headed by Prof U.R. Rao, this program currently covers around 8000 schools. According to Kerala Government, "An estimated 50 lakh students and 2 lakh teachers are now part of this project".

After talking to her for some time, I left; but her question forced me to think, if so many students are going to learn things on Ubandu and open source software, Microsoft is going to lose a chuck of potential market right away. More than that, a new generation is coming up with good exposure to open source. People may start speaking more about F-Spot, GIMP, QCad, Konqueror etc.

Sajeev.

1. IT @ school - Government of Kerala

Third front – Will it ever see the light of the day?

When elections are about to come and hit the door, politicians suddenly woke up from bed and start shouting about third front. When they say third front, it is quite common for others to think first and second front exists. Interestingly, people who are in first and second front themselves don’t know whether the amalgamation can be called as front or not.

Possible members

Third front used to be a non-starter; this time also it may not be different. Other than making some noise pollution just before elections, these two words won’t create any storm in the teacup. Assume that, there is a realistic possibility for the formation of a third front; then who are all can be the possible members?

Let’s start from India's biggest state by population - UP.

1. UP (80 seats in Loksabha)- Two potential candidates for third front are SP and BSP. Both parties engaged in such a brotherly love that, if SP is in third front then BSP may opt for first front - or probably to fourth front.

2. West Bengal (42) - Will TMC join the fray? They are too smart to commit a political (and economical) mistake like that. At any cost they may not want to sit in opposition (decision may come only after the elections). However, CPM, CPI, RSP are sure candidates.

3. Andra Pradesh (42) - TDP, YSRC, TRS are good candidates but it is difficult for all the three to go together.

4. Kerala (20) - CPM, CPI and allies, these parties are sure members in third front.

5. Karnataka (28) - BSY group, JD (S) can be the possible candidates.

6. Tamilnadu (39) - DMK, AIADMK, MDMK etc. Brotherly love between DMK and AIADMK are so high that, they can't be in same group for years to come. DMK may go with Congress (in politics nothing is permanent, neither friendship nor enmity); AIADMK may go with second front or stand alone.

7. Punjab (13) - There is little possibility for Akalidal to join third front.

8. Odisha (21) - BJD, this party always sits on the edge. They can go with any front, but, if there is a chance for third front then they will definitely try that one.

9. Bihar (40) - JD (U) may become nosier but may not go all the way to sink the current alliance.

10. J & K (6) - National conference may go with INC. As PDP can't join either first or second there is a possibility.

11. Haryana (10) - There is a little chance for third front to achieve any breakthrough here.

12. Asom (14) - Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Bodoland People's Front (BPF) may continue with current arrangement. All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) may join in the fray.

13. Maharashtra (48) - Shivsena, MNS, NCP. Without a clear possibility for third front acquiring majority in the centre, there is little for NCP to gain from third front. MNS may remains alone - probably supporting from outside. Shivsena may continue with current setup.

14. Nagaland (1) – Local parties may continue the alliance with INC.

15. Tripua (1) - Left bloc will surely be a constituent in third block.

16. Jharkhand (14) - Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) can ally with any front. But this also depends on state level political equations. I believe they will ally with ruling party in Jharkhand.

First front and (or) second front are prominent in states like Gujarat (26), Rajasthan (25), Madhya Pradesh (29), Chhattisgarh (11), Goa (2), Sikkim (2), Manipur (2), Meghalaya (2), Mizoram (1), Himachal Pradesh (4), Uttarakhand (5), Delhi (7) and Arunachal Pradesh (2). Third front may not be able to anything here.

Third front as a political block

This may be a non-starter. Even if third front is up and running, it may be difficult for them to agree on any politically sensitive points. There is a good possibility that, painful economic reforms may pushed back to cold storage. Will they able complete 5 years? I don’t have any reason to think so.

Conclusion

I think third front is simply an argumentative position for parties (except left and its allies) in their dealings with national parties. They have more to gain by saying about third front, but a lot to loss by actually going for that (in case third front didn’t able to form a government). Even if someone able to form an anti-INC, anti-BJP alliance there is little chance for it to sustain without power.

Sajeev.