Opinion
Key challenges for new govt
19 May 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| Financial Chronicle
The Congress-led UPA government has come back, to its own surprise, with stronger numbers and a less unwieldy coalition than in its earlier term. Clearly its focus - real and apparent - on the poor and their development challenges has yielded rich dividends to the party. However, and in all honesty, the new UPA government must face up to the delays and shortcomings in delivering on some of their most touted development programmes. Some such programmes that must get priority attention are those that have the most obvious linkages across the living environment of the poor and their health. Nearly 24% of the health impacts in India are caused due to pitiable living conditions and the vulnerability of the poor and women and children to environmental stresses must be recognized and addressed.
Who cares for power shortage?
05 May 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| Financial Chronicle
Just a few months ago, when oil prices started their seemingly unrelenting climb, media interest in the subject was also peaking. However, over a period of time the variations in oil prices have become routine with just the standard line item stating the day’s oil price. Electricity shortages have been with us for so long that we seem to have become immune to the consequences.
We are building energy guzzlers
02 May 2009 |
Dr R K Pachauri
| The Urban Vision
The way we design and construct buildings is critical to addressing the climate change challenge given that the building sector currently contributes around 40 per cent of global carbon emissions. Commercial and residential buildings in India account for more than 30% of the country’s total electricity consumption. In view of the growth of the economy and the Indian population, building activities are expected to continue at a high level. This could lock us into large consumption of energy unless we design and construct buildings that are energy efficient and conserve natural resources.
India Inc. initiates
22 Apr 2009 |
Mr Nitin Desai
| The Economic Times
Climate change in the form of global warming induced by the accumulation of green-house gases in the atmosphere is already underway. For strategic purposes, one can distinguish between the implications of a moderate increase (2° C) and a catastrophic increase (5° C+). The moderate increases will affect hydrology, coastal zones, mountain ecosystems and biodiversity with significant impacts on agriculture, health, settlements. It is probably unavoidable because of the accumulation of greenhouse gases that are already there; but we can cope with the consequences if we put our mind and money on the job. On the other hand, a temperature increase that approaches 5°C threatens a catastrophic scale of disruption; but it may not happen for decades. So, we still have time to prevent the worst if we start acting now.
How fresh is the air we breathe?
22 Apr 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
,Dr T S Panwar
| The Economic Times
Several new media have happily started reporting the air quality situation in different cities of the country. Several times the concentration of pollutants exceed the standards specified at an alarming level. Unfortunately, these have become mere statistics that neither the governments seem to be responding to nor the society at large. Delhi is one city that has seen maximum pollution related interventions in the country - phasing out of old vehicles, introduction of CNG, BRT system, huge investments in road infrastructure to ease congestion, etc. However, as reported recently, New Delhi has the world\'s worst air pollution.
Oil price on slippery ground
21 Apr 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| Financial Chronicle
When oil prices were reigning above $100 per barrel last year, the world, including India, was anticipating oil prices going up to nearly $200 in just a few months and as such had started preparing itself for oil “independenceâ€. Today, when prices have been in the less than $50 range for some time, the fear of just a few months ago seems unreal.
Climate issue on poll agenda
07 Apr 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| Financial Chronicle
The manifestoes of both major parties in the country have devoted some space to green issues - possibly so explicitly for the first time in India\'s election history - and this should be viewed as an extremely positive development. Having said that, these statements would probably remain mere platitudes given the language in which they are couched. When US President Barack Obama made a similar commitment during his election campaign, he committed a significant amount ($150 billion) of resources to the development of green jobs based on alternative energy forms. \"We\'ll invest $15 billion a year over the next decade in renewable energy, creating five million new green jobs that pay well, can’t be outsourced and help end our dependence on foreign oil.\" A clear and contestable statement of intent. By saying so, Obama made himself accountable to the American public and to the world at large. India\'s political parties must be willing to stand up and make themselves accountable on such issues as well.
The right development choice
24 Mar 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| Financial Chronicle
The World Development Report 2009 (WDR), which focused on reshaping the economic geography, has received a lot of attention in India. This is primarily because the report seems to be implicitly criticising a number of programmes of the government as inhibiting mobility of labour within the country. A case in point is the national rural employment guarantee scheme (NREGS), which has created a wage floor that is being seen as a barrier to the flow of labour within the country to demand centres.
India’s energy conundrum
10 Mar 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| Financial Chronicle
Following the usual pattern of the past several decades, half way into a Plan period the estimates for electricity capacity expansion have been severely downsized from the original level to roughly half of it. The electricity capacity expansion estimates for the Eleventh Plan seem to be suffering the same fate - Kirit Parikh, member (energy), Planning Commission, has recently indicated that against an ambitious target of nearly 80,000 mw, the likely capacity addition in the Eleventh Plan will be about 40,000 mw. This pattern has become so predictable that associated players can almost sit back and relax under the assumption that they would be under no pressure to deliver - a good case in point being the coal industry. Further, shortages in generation are attributed to shortages of coal supplies due to various factors. How can we go so wrong, and consistently so, in our projections?
Arise, before your tap runs dry
24 Feb 2009 |
Dr Leena Srivastava
| Financial Chronicle
Just a few days ago, Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh achieved the dubious distinction of being declared the first city in the country whose only option for supplying drinking water to its populace was reduced to supply by tankers. This situation arose because the Gambhir dam, which accounts for 96 per cent of the city’s water supply, went dry. The city government had to appeal to the railway minister to provide adequate capacities on the railway system to ferry water to the city. The situation in surrounding areas/districts is no better.