Down To Earth

Four stroke LPG autos only

Will Kolkata succeed in phasing out two-stroke autos by July end?

Cess on diesel car

Luxury diesel cars may become dearer and bulk diesel consumers may no longer get fuel at subsidized rates. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas plans to impose 25 per cent cess on big diesel cars and charge industrial consumers the market price of Rs 57 per litre, Rs 22 more than the current price. The railways and state transport undertakings will be exempted from paying the market price.

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The dawn of pollution

A walk in pre-sunrise hours may increase chances of asthma

Health enthusiasts living near freeways should minimize their outdoor exercise timings during the early morning hours; they should also keep their windows closed through the night.

Not a dead society yet - January 15, 2009

Air to lung to DNA

Air pollutants damage genes, affect human behaviour

THE air you breathe in may affect your health in more ways than you think. Besides causing respiratory disorders and hypertension, pollution may be damaging genes and changing human behaviour, revealed a study on health of urban population in Delhi and rural population West Bengal and Uttarakhand.

Rubber-stamp Authority - November 30, 2008

1,620.361 ha of discontent - July 31, 2008

Reservoir of dams - May 15, 2008

Arunachal Pradesh is awarding hydroelectric projects to private companies at the breakneck speed of one every nine days without proper scrutiny. The government says hydroelectricity is the key to the state’s development. But ARNAB PRATIM DUTTA finds out that the people exposed to risks will not gain much from the projects.
 
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EIA: A nice formality - Aug 31, 2007

Today a lot of state governments promise companies investment opportunities free of ‘encumbrances’. Investors are assured of government assistance in securing requisite clearances for projects. Sample, for example, the following sentence from a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between an international investor of a high profile project and the Orissa government.

Mining firms set up shop in Orissa - July 15, 2007

At its summit, the northeastern ridge of the Niyamgiri hill range has a bald patch, typical of hilltops with bauxite deposits. A dense tree cover that provides a welcome shade to climbers struggling some 8 km up the steep forest path gives way to a vast stretch of open grassland. 
 
A full-grown leopard silently pads across the open expanse. Up here, all is at peace. For now.