Opinion
Clearing the air: many roadblocks on the CNG route
02 Sep 2001 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Times of India
The government now appears to be seized of the recent problems caused by the CNG crisis and has set up yet another committee to recommend a new auto fuel policy. However, much hardship has already been caused to the ordinary citizen by the CNG experiment. It was supposed to be the fuel of the future for India and the Delhi experience should prove cautionary for other states. A prominent Delhi school recently sent out letters to parents requesting them to consider forming car pools. The same letter also mentions that the school would have perforce to resort to two increases in the bus fee this year, the first on account of increase in the price of diesel fuel, and the second which is to take effect from October 2001 when CNG buses are introduced. Unfortunately, this communication is symptomatic of a much larger reality, which those who recommended the switch-over to CNG for public transport in Delhi, did not bother to consider. CNG is an economic extravagance. There are determined attempts to see that sales tax is not levied on CNG, even though in Delhi it is heavily subsidised, costing only Rs 12.21 per kg as opposed to Rs 18.35 in Mumbai.
Electricity reforms: what next?
01 Sep 2001 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| The Hindu Business Line
The reforms programme in the electricity sector was initiated largely because of the recognition of the need for large infusions of capital if power shortages were not to grow exponentially. The economic compulsion for such reforms arose, undoubtedly, from the impact electricity shortages would have on industry and commerce. However, it can be argued that the political buy-n came from the realisation that the socio-olitical consequences of not catering to the minimum needs of the non-emunerative agricultural and residential sectors could be enormous.
Consumer must get quality service and value for money
25 Aug 2001 |
Mr S Sundar
| The Times of India
Until recently, the quality of infrastructure service provided to consumers was of no concern, either to the government or to the service providers. The law regulating these sectors also did not address the quality of service. For example, while the Electricity Act, 1910, set standards of safety, it did not set any standards for quality of service. Similar was the case in the telecom and port sectors. As a result, consumers usually received poor quality of service. No time limits were set, for instance, for fault repair in the electricity or telephone services, power fluctuations were rampant, or telephones remained dead for days on.
The buses and bicycles option
24 Aug 2001 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Newspaper Today
There has been a great deal of debate on air quality in Delhi, measures taken to bring about an improvement, and their effectiveness. There is a popular perception that CNG, which has been introduced in the city in recent months, has made a substantial difference to air quality in the city. In actual fact this is not borne out by data on air quality provided both by the CPCB from its seven monitoring stations and TERI from its eleven stations. Undoubtedly, there has been a significant improvement in air quality at CPCB's monitoring station located at the ITO crossing, but it would be very difficult to ascribe any improvements that have taken place to the impact of transport-related emissions in general and CNG-related emissions in particular.
Engineered genes: roll over Darwin
20 Aug 2001 |
Dr M S Lakshmikumaran
| The Daily Pioneer
I feel that this whole debate over GM or no GM is a lot in the air. There are no logical reasons to oppose GMOs or their introduction into India. First, the technological aspect: There is absolutely no reason to suppose that GM crops, when introduced on Indian soil, will result in uncontrollable cross-pollination with other indigenous species or with the same plants' non-GM variety. The second argument, that India's food security will be lost to corporates is equally unfounded. Farmers are free to save, reuse, distribute or otherwise channelise their seeds and farm produce.
Trade facilitation and WTO
19 Aug 2001 |
Mr S Sundar
| The Economic Times
The forthcoming Doha Ministerial Conference has put the debate on WM issues in sharper focus. There has, however, been little discussion on the proposal to have a multilateral agreement on trade facilitation in WTO.
Access to information: vital to improve environmental quality
17 Aug 2001 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| TERI Newswire 7(16)
In recent weeks there has been considerable discussion on the state of air pollution in the city of Delhi. CPCB (The Central Pollution Control Board) which uses the monitoring station located at the ITO crossing as an indicator of air quality in the city as a whole has put forward the claim that air quality, based on the measurements carried out at this location, has improved substantially. As opposed to this TERI has collated data available from 7 stations at which air quality is monitored by the CPCB and 11 stations, which TERI manages independently, to come up with a very different conclusion.
Information the cleanest option of all: how information technology can improve public transport
16 Aug 2001 |
| TERI Newswire 7(5)
As experts in transport, fuels, and air quality continue their fight over the choice of a clean fuel for Delhi's public transport, cheered by the press and television, the fate of Delhi's commuting millions - who make about 6.5 millions trips a day - hangs in balance: will I make it to work in time on 1 October? Will my child reach school safely? How do I take my ailing father to the hospital in an overcrowded bus? Such questions are uppermost in the minds of the masses. Perhaps, things would have turned out different had the experts been regular users of public transport themselves.
Talking about the weather
12 Aug 2001 |
Mr C Dasgupta
| The Telegraph
How important is global warming? Last month, it figured prominently in President George W. Bush's talks with European leaders as well as in the group-of-eight ministerial meeting in Genoa. The Bonn meeting on climate change was the subject of headlines in the international press.
Corporates and Civil Society
11 Aug 2001 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Newspaper Today
Some major developments have taken place in the past two weeks that seem to signify a more effective voice for civil society in matters dealing with the environment and social responsibility of organizations that are the flag bearers of globalisation. Perhaps, the most important of these developments is the agreement that was reached in Bonn at the extended 6th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC). What was agreed on after intense negotiations and compromises by many is certainly weaker than the original Kyoto Protocol, but the fact that there is agreement at last provides a basis for further global action to mitigate the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that are contributing to global warming and climate change.