Water related problems are acute in many parts of Kerala during summer. The situation could worsen further as rapid urbanisation, indiscriminate sand mining and salinity intrusion into groundwater reservoirs gradually transform the State’s environmental scenario for the worst.
Time and again, plans for cleaning of the Ganga have been put forth by the central government, with little success. For a river like the Ganga that drains through nine states, this is easier said than done.
Even as the population of lions surpassed its saturation point in the core area of the Gir National Park, the Gujarat Government turned a deaf ear to the Supreme Court’s injunction of relocating a few lions to neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.
Discovery of new species have aided the understanding of future probabilities. It has been analysed that these newly discovered species are habitants of the few desolate forests that may be home to a diverse groups of medicinal and natural antidotes.
Coal blocks were allotted to private companies for captive mining through a 1993 amendment to the Coal Mines Nationalisation Act (1973). However, the CAG found that the blocks were not allotted in a transparent manner, neither had the companies begun production.
Notwithstanding its polluting nature, coal remains the cheapest and most convenient fuel for meeting India’s energy needs. Since hydro power and nuclear power have safety issues, and green energy remains expensive, the answer lies in working towards cleaner coal-based technology.
The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency LARR Act introduced a mandatory social impact assessment to correct the historical injustices. The ordinance by the current government overturns this clause.
The present government has placed a huge stake on the Land Acquisition Amendment Bill. It is convinced that without it all the proposed schemes in the social sector and reforms in the industry will not take place. It also treats two classes—consent and social impact assessment, as major hurdles in achieving its objectives. Only time will tell whether the government has got the correct assessment of the ground situation.
