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16-30 JUNE, 2016
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EDITORS
PAGE
www.downtoearth.org.in/blogger/sunita-narain-3
REDEFINING GENDER
ISSUES & CONSERVATION
T IS time we redefined what we mean by conservation and
what constitutes gender issues. I am in Almora, where a group

of anguished women are telling me how their already hard life
has become harsher because of marauding monkeys and wild
boar. Their stories are heart-rending. One woman tells me
how her young daughter was attacked. Another one talks of how she
was mauled. She shows me her scars. All talk about how their crops
are being devastated. We get one-third (yield) or even less now.
Nothing is left, another says. We cant sleep at night wild boars
plunder our crops.
This comes after back-breaking work to get the food. In the
Himalayas, women (there are no men to speak of in agriculture in
this region) collect large loads of green fodder, carry them on their back up and down precipitous
slopes, all to feed the livestock, not for milk but for
manure. The steep mountain terraces are poor in
fertility and this is the only way to improve productivity. Now even this is threatened.
Their pain is palpable. Their livelihood is being destroyed. One woman tells me with obvious
contempt: The government says it will give us
grain under the Food Security Act. We tell them,
Keep it. Your grain is substandard and poor in
nutrition. Protect our land and we will give
you double the grain. Our mandua is nutritious
and healthy.
I ask them why they are raising this issue now.
After all, they have always lived in this forested region where animal
attacks are common. The older women reply, quickly and strenuously, We have never seen anything like this. The numbers have
multiplied many times. I then say that this is clearly because we
have destroyed habitats of monkeys and other wild animals. Forests
are being destroyed and so animals are turning to human settlements to find food. It is our fault, I say. We have not encroached on
the forests. It is the city that has grown and taken over forest habitats, they point out. What surprises me is the next response: These
are not our monkeys. These are aggressive and violent. I probe
more. The forest department, it seems, was bringing drugged monkeys from other places and leaving them in the forested villages. All
this was being done at night and people had no information.
This does not surprise me. Even in Delhi where the rich and famous live, when monkeys became a big menace they were relocated to forested regions on the outskirts of the city. Now people like
me can be wildlife enthusiasts without having to deal with animals
in their backyard. But it does make me realise just how callous (in-
16-30 JUNE 2016
03Editors.indd 3
deed criminal) our conservation policies are.

I summon courage to ask what they want. After all, monkeys are
worshipped as descendants of Hanuman. Will they allow killing?
First there is silence. I can feel the tension. Then one woman bursts
out, Yes. These monkeys are not Hanuman but Balithe evil one.
The rest join in. We want government to act. This would mean that
the Uttarakhand government would have to declare monkey vermin and then undertake culling.
Currently, governments struggling to deal with the menace are
relocating and sterilising monkeys. This measure is clearly failing.
Sterilisation requires capturing the animal and holding it for three
days before sterilising and freeing it. The programme is designed to
fail. There are too many animals, capturing is difficult and it is impossible to know which animal
has been sterilised. Worse, there is no clear idea of
the optimum number that needs to be sterilised,
so breeding continues. Primatologists say at least
one-third of the population needs to be sterilised
to stabilise (not reduce) growth. This is impossible to achieve.
What then is the solution? It is difficult to say.
The Uttarakhand government has recently declared wild boar vermin, but who will kill the animal? In neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, the
monkey has been included in the category. But
where are the guns? The forest department is least
bothered to help villagers. These villages are run
by women; the men have migrated or are looking for jobs outside
agriculture. In one case, the women described how they ganged up
and took out sticks to beat the animal that was marauding their
field. It turned on us and we had to take cover.
The problem is urgent, real and causing huge damage and pain.
It cannot be shrugged off. It needs resolution.
This is where it gets complicated. One, the issue concerns largely women. But who will take up this gender issue? It is women who
farm the mountain slopes. We have no time for them. Two, the issue
concerns how we practise conservation. We want the pleasure of
seeing animals in the wild, but without paying the real price of that
protection. This is not acceptable. Should not be.
@sunitanar
www.downtoearth.org.in 3
07/06/16 5:20 PM
ON THE WEB
WHAT'S HOT
Down To Earth
FOUNDER EDITOR
Anil Agarwal
EDITOR Sunita Narain

MANAGING EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Richard Mahapatra
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Vibha Varshney, Archana Yadav,

S S Jeevan
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Arnab Pratim Dutta
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ajit Bajaj
GRAPHIC EDITOR Sorit Gupto
REPORTING TEAM
Anupam Chakravartty, Jitendra Choubey,

Kundan Pandey, Rajeshwari Ganesan,
Shreeshan Venkatesh, Karnika Bahuguna.
Jigyasa Watwani
COPY DESK
Snigdha Das, Rajat Ghai, Jemima Rohekar,

Aditya Misra, Rajit Sengupta, Deepanwita
Niyogi, Aakriti Shrivastava, Priya Talwar
VIDEO
Saurians on the brink

The gharial, a unique crocodilian species
native to South Asia, is listed as critically
endangered by the IUCN. But there are
people fighting to bring it back from the
brink. Down To Earth travels to the Gharial
Breeding Centre at Deori in Madhya
Pradesh's Morena district. The wild gharial
population has increased to 1,162 individuals
at this centre, which is part of the Gharial
Conservation Programme, one of India's
best-faring wildlife conservation efforts. We
find out how the programme is rolled out and
what makes it successful.
ISTOCK PHOTO
INTERVIEW
POPULAR
DESIGN TEAM
Chaitanya Chandan, Shri Krishan,

Raj Kumar Singh, Tarique Aziz, Ritika Bohra
PHOTOGRAPHER Vikas Choudhary
PHOTO LIBRARY Anil Kumar
Ìndonesia will go for renewable energy'
WEB TEAM
Rajendra Rawat, Jaidev Sharma

PRODUCTION
Rakesh Shrivastava, Gundhar Das

INFORMATION AND RESEARCH SUPPORT
Kiran Pandey
www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in team
CONSULTING EDITORS
Chandra Bhushan, Anumita Roychowdhury

Vol 25, No 3; Total No of Pages 68
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Down To Earth editorial does not

endorse the content of advertisements
printed in the magazine
4 DOWN TO EARTH
04Web and Credits.indd 4
Down To Earth speaks to

Agung Wicaksono, ViceChairman, Programme
Management Office for
the 35 GW Electricity
Project in Indonesia, which

envisions an additional 35
Giga Watt of power for the
country. Wicaksono says
almost half of the 35 GW
will be generated by clean
coal on the main islands.
The smaller isles will
produce the rest through
renewable energy.
@down2earthindia
ARCHIVE
IN CONTEXT
As Down To Earth enters its

25th year of publication, we
bring to you glimpses from
our archives
When El Nio
was a child
As one of the worst El Nio

years ends after having
brought terrible drought
conditions to India, here is
something on the weather
phenomenon from 25 years
ago. `Clearing the clouds',
published in Down To Earth's
On web
How safe is your daily bread?
On Facebook
CSE welcomes FSSAI steps
to ban the use of potassium
bromate
On Twitter
E-agriculture can drive
rural development, boost
agriculture
www.downtoearth.org.in
very first edition (16-31

May, 1992), talks about how
scientists in India then were
slowly reformulating their
ideas about the southwest
monsoon. Vasant Gowariker,
scientific advisor to then
Prime Minister Narasimha
Rao, had formulated new
weather models to be able to
predict the monsoon more
accurately. The model's
parameters included a tillthen unknown weather
phenomenon called El
Nio (Christ's Child), which
occurred in the eastern
@down2earthindia
Pacific. Then, as now, there

was controversy regarding the
accuracy of the models.
16-30 JUNE 2016
07/06/16 11:48 AM
NIDHI JAMWAL
letters
Down To Earth received an enormous response to its special issue on drought
I read with great interest the drought issue of Down To Earth (1-15 May, 2016). I
agree with Richard Mahapatra that what we now call drought is a cumulative
outcome of decades of policy neglect. In 1973, in my Sardar Patel Memorial
Lectures on All India Radio, I devoted one lecture out of three to describe what
anticipatory measures could be taken to avoid the kinds of problems described
beautifully in Down To Earth. A two-pronged strategy was designed to maximise
the benefits of a good monsoon through a good weather code and to minimise the
adverse impact of an unfavourable monsoon through drought and flood codes.
In fact, I applied these concepts on the ground in 1979, when India experienced
an unprecedented drought and there was an interim government at the Centre
headed by Charan Singh. I was then the Principal Secretary to the Union Ministry
of Agriculture and was in a position to put into operation the drought code. As a
result, The Economist wrote an article titled The famine that could have been.
I also involved all the vice chancellors of agriculture universities and National
Service Scheme (nss) students in implementing the code.
As pointed out in your vision, much can be done to avoid the kind of hardship
and water insecurity faced this year in parts of India. Thank you very much for
highlighting that we can manage such problems if we take anticipatory action in
the areas of water harvesting, water management and water use efficiency.
Down To Earth welcomes

letters, responses and
other contributions from
readers. Send to Sunita
Narain, Editor, Down To
Earth, 41, Tughlakabad
Institutional Area,
New Delhi - 110062. Email:
editor@downtoearth.org.in
16-30 JUNE 2016
05-07Letters.indd 5
M S SWAMINATHAN
FOUNDER, MSSRF
* This refers to your story on drought. This classless drought makes for a crisis that is more
severe and calls for solutions that are more complex. The insensitivity on the part of governments
and the business class is appalling. The brutality and intensity of drought is not about a lack of
rainfall; it is about criminal neglect and the lack of planning and foresight.
VINOD C DIXIT
AHMEDABAD
* Government policy in India is also to blame for causing droughts. There is wrong selection
07/06/16 10:06 AM
letters
of geographical area for

reservoirs and check dams.
There is also promotion
of water-intensive crops
in drought-prone areas by
providing licences to farmers
(like in Marathwada).Instead,
the government should
promote drought-resistant
crops in these areas. It should
increase the minimum
support price for these crops
so that farmers can switch
to them. Apart from this, the
government should inspect
tanks, reservoirs and check
dams on a regular basis.
Citizens also need to become
socially conscious about
drought. The authorities
and citizenry need to come
together to prevent any

recurrence of drought.
BHUPENDRA DAYAL
FATEHPUR SHEKHAWATI
Drought relief
programmes must be based on

rainfall actually realised. Agrometeorologically, it is possible
to forecast any likely decline in
crop production in the various
rainfall zones a month ahead
of harvest. Hence, the Union
Budget should be shifted to
November 1.
By that time, the Met
department would have
measured the actually realised
rainfall across the country,
except for the retreating and
dual monsoon areas in Tamil
Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala,

and gauged the intensity
and spread of crop drought
and actual storages in dams,
reservoirs and other water
bodies. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
and Kerala should present
their budgets on January 1.
Secondly, states
exaggerate spread and/or
intensity of crop droughts.
Therefore, an independent
National Crop-Weather Watch
Group consisting of officials
from the Indian Council
of Agricultural Research,
the India Meteorological
Department and state
agricultural departments
should be constituted to
continuously monitor crop,
http://www.facebook.com/down2earthindia
Do you agree with the Food Safety

and Standards Authority of
India's (FSSAI'S) decision to remove
potassium bromate from the list
of food additives following a CSE
study on bread?
6 DOWN TO EARTH
05-07Letters.indd 6
It is a very good decision. And there

is a lesson in it for all of us. Not just
bread, but almost any foodstuff one
buys would have chemical contents.
This is because the raw materials used
for making these food items such as
grains, vegetables and fruits are grown
by chemical farming. It is high time we
switched to organic farming.
Potassium bromate and iodate have

already been banned in many countries
because of their possible carcinogenic
qualities. However, India had not taken
such an action till now as people were
not aware. Moreover, food products
were not being regularly checked by
the agency.
RAVI BHANDARI
BHUVANE SH SHARMA
It is a good decision. Potassium

bromate is intentionally mixed with
flour to make bread more flavoursome.
It is without doubt a good decision. But

we should exclude all types of chemicals
from our diet by going organic.
NISHA GAMBHIR
16-30 JUNE 2016
07/06/16 10:06 AM
universities. Instead of blaming the ruling

party and its leader, you should be pointing
your finger at the scientific community that
is behind policy decisions.
S SURE SH RAMANAN
THRISSUR
REUTERS
Down To Earth replies
droughts and assess the damage on a

taluka basis.
S VENKATARAMAN
PUNE
I take offence to the headline of the
article, Mr Prime Minister good news. My

humble query to Down To Earth is why did
it have to involve the prime minister? What
really gets my goat is that the mistakes
being attributed to the prime minister
are in reality being made by other people.
Firstly, we have water resource ministries
at both the Central and state levels. Why
did not Down To Earth accuse these very
competent institutions and individuals?
Secondly, when you say that droughtmitigation measures being promoted by
the Centre have failed to yeild any result,
just pause for a second and consider the
fact that the Centre's decisions are based
on research carried out by scientific
institutes like the National Institute
of Hydrology and state agricultural
The story is not an indictment of the

prime minister in any way as you have
mentioned. It is rather a magazine's
genuine feedback to him on how to
achieve his promise of doubling
farmers' income.
This refers to the article, Mr Prime
Minister good news. A paradigm shift

is needed in our agriculture policy. It is
time we adopted organic farming in a big
way. Organic farming has many built-in
advantages. It reduces dependence on
fossil fuels, uses natural nitrogen from the
air instead of human-made urea, reduces
pollution of air, water and food, improves
human and animal health, and has a ready
market all over the world at remunerative
prices.
To begin with, small farmers should
be encouraged to adopt organic farming
so that their net income doubles only by
reducing the cost of production. Besides,
this would not affect our food security
because small farmers do not contribute
much to the food stock of the country. No
wonder, the Centre-appointed Experts
Committee in 2009 recommended such
a shift.
MANOHAR PAR CHURE
VIA EMAIL
Happy 25th year, DTE

I want to convey my hearty felicitations to
Down To Earth for entering its 25th year
of publication. I marvel at your unfailing
regularity, choice of content and targets,
background research and analysis and
outputs. I wish you strength for the future.
SAMAR SINGH
VIA EMAIL
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16-30 JUNE 2016
05-07Letters.indd 7
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07/06/16 10:06 AM
contents
Manali
break
What's causing the
delay in the world's
highest CNG station?
18
32
26
THE FORTNIGHT
Tobacco is injurious
to environment
A Parliamentary Standing Committee

calls for environmental impact
assessment of tobacco cultivation
11
On a bumpy road
Bus aggregation services are on
rise, but India is yet to prepare a
legal framework for them
Ìnnovation'
through IPRs
On being
tolerant
Debate at the launch

of Sunita Narain's
collection of essays on
the environment and
environmentalism
The new Intellectual

Property Rights Policy is
based on a tenuous premise
that having more IPRs will
result in more innovation
22
16
Water wars
The water crisis
escalates into social
conflicts in the
drought-hit states
28

8 DOWN TO EARTH
08-09Contents.indd 8
16-30 JUNE 2016
08/06/16 5:59 PM
52
SCIENCE
64
The X-ray
of yummy
A new discovery on what
makes fats taste good
62
49
COVER STORY
WILDLIFE
Mark of a
man?
Discovery of butchery
marks in the Siwalik
Hills unsettles the
dominant view of
human evolution
Pill spill
Chemicals from
pills you pop
can find their
ways into the
municipal water
supply and even
into the sea
Common
in the wild
again
Three decades since
its extinction, the
scimitar-horned oryx
will be released into
their natural habitat
A 5-day
revolution
Agriculture
ministry's efforts
to bring seeds
under compulsory
licensing was
short-lived
DEBATE
Which way
to flow?
Will shifting water
to the Central
list encourage
privatisation?
58
50
66
BIOLOGY
Junking
GDP
Fart
diagnosis
The failure of GDP

to provide a true
measure of the
economy has spurred
the demand for an
alternative indicator
Gut health has a new

and unconventional
tool for diagnosis
ANALYSIS
King coal
The decline in global coal
prices may bring minimal
benefits to India
45
54
SCIENCE POLICY
Paper tiger
India is churning out more

research papers but is it
having a greater impact?
16-30 JUNE 2016
08-09Contents.indd 9
08/06/16 5:59 PM
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10/06/16 1:00 PM
THE
CROSS HAIRS
BY SORIT GUPTO
Curing tobacco harms environment

Standing
Committee report has said that
tobacco cultivation is not just harmful
for human health but also for the
environment. In its report, Effects
of Tobacco Curing on Environment
and Health, presented recently in
the Rajya Sabha, the committee
said, Tobacco curing and cultivation
A PARLIAMENTARY
16-30 JUNE 2016
11-15The Fortnight.indd 11
FORTNIGHT
is not only destroying forests but

also contributing to the greenhouse
effect." Tobacco curing is the drying
of tobacco leaves with wood fire
to deprive them of cholorophyll.
The committee recommended an
environmental impact assessment
of tobacco cultivation to know its
harmful effects on environment.
POINT
19%
Source: Korn Ferry Hay Group
This is the
difference in
earning between
Indian men and
women. It is
higher than the
global average
due to lack of
representation in
high-paying jobs
07/06/16 4:34 PM
THE
FORTNIGHT
1 ,0 0 0 WO R D S
BY VIKAS CHOUDHARY
TRASH MOUNTAIN Construction and demolition (C&D) debris dumped by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation for the past six years has formed a small
hill in the Shastri Park neighbourhood of East Delhi. In a first for India, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change recently released
guidelines about the recycling and management of C&D waste. Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said that C&D waste was not waste but a
resource. However, managing it is going to be a problem in the future. India generates nearly 530 million tonnes of C&D waste annually. This number is
only going to increase, considering that two-thirds of the buildings that India will have in 2030 are yet to be built.
T H E N A T I O N A L Academies of Sciences,
Engineering and Medicine of the US recently

released a report, Genetically Engineered Crops:
Experiences and Prospects, which states that
genetically modified (GM) crops are safe to eat and
do not harm the environment. The study committee
examined 900 research and other publications
on the development, use and effects of GM
characteristics in maize, soya bean and cotton. It also
heard from 80 speakers at three public meetings
and 15 public webinars and read more than 700
comments. However, the study has been questioned.
Washington-based non-profit Food & Water Watch
has alleged a conflict of interest stating that the
Academies has ties with the biotech industry and
other corporations.
12 DOWN TO EARTH
Many Indian women unable to

prosper due to lack of energy
of energy supply in
several parts of India affects women
in the informal economy. That is
the conclusion of a report Energy
Access and Women's Livelihood,
recently released by non-profit Self
Employed Women's Association
(sewa) and social enterprise SELCO
Foundation.
The study, conducted in
Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Bihar and
Karnataka, found that women street
vendors did not receive enough
power for storing vegetables and
fish. Agricultural workers had to
do double the work since they were
deprived of mechanised tools.
However, the study is limited in that
it covered only four states. Also, it
THE LACK
ISTOCK PHOTOS
GM foods safe for

health, environment,
says US agency
did not gather information on the

aspirational needs of people.
16-30 JUNE 2016
07/06/16 4:34 PM
THE
I N FO C U S
Sappho's sky
On May 29, the ngt pulled up the

Uttarakhand government for nonimplementation of its order on
pollution in the Kosi river
in Nainital.
I N CO U RT
On May 30, the National Green
Tribunal (ngt) restrained the
throwing of any debris from an
ongoing road-construction project
from Udhampur to Banihal, in the
rivers Chenab and Tawi.
On May 23, the Supreme Court
refused to relax restrictions on
the number of tourist
vehicles-800 petrol and 400
diesel run cars per day-passing
through Rohtang Pass.
WIKIM EDIA
The poem describes a star cluster known as the

Pleiades having set at around midnight, when
supposedly observed by Sappho from the
Greek island of Lesbos. It is said that the poem
was written between mid-winter and early
spring in 570 BC, the year in which

Sappho died.
The researchers used an advanced software,
Starry Night, to identify the earliest date when
the Pleiades would have set at midnight or
earlier in Lesbos in 570 BC.
The software demonstrated that in 570 BC, the
Pleiades set at midnight on January 25,

which would be the earliest date that the poem
could relate to. As the year progressed, the
Pleiades set progressively earlier.
The researchers also found that the last date
that the Pleiades would have been seen at the
end of astronomical twilight the moment
when the Sun's altitude is minus 18

degrees and the sky is regarded as perfectly
dark as March 31.
The study, Seasonal dating of Sappho's
Midnight Poem, was published in May in
the Journal of Astronomical History

and Heritage.
16-30 JUNE 2016
On May 19, the Delhi High

Court asked civic bodies in
the city to examine and
adopt procedures used in
other countries to tackle the
problem of garbage.
Kerala
Himachal Pradesh
Uttarakhand
Uttar Pradesh
Tamil Nadu
On May 30, the Kerala High

Court stayed the ngt order
(dated May 23) which
directed the state
government not to register
any diesel vehicle in the
capacity of 2000 CC and
more, except public
transport and local
authority vehicles.
SO FAR...
On May 30, the ngt said that Metro

projects must have environment
clearance from state environment
impact assessment authorities
before work begins on the ground.
Jammu &
kashmir
Delhi
Researchers have used advanced astronomical

software to state that Hellenistic poet Sappho's
Midnight Poem, which describes the night
sky over Greece, was written between late
January and March, 570 BC. Sappho was the
leading female poet of her time and closely
rivalled the author and poet, Homer.
FORTNIGHT
Manipur
On May 23, the ngt asked the state

government to rehabilitate people
affected by construction activities and
encroachment at the Lamphelpat
wetland on the outskirts of Imphal.
On May 18, the ngt directed the

Tamil Nadu Pollution Control
Board to take action against
industries which discharge raw
and untreated trade effluent
into the Cooum river in Chennai.
Total cases on
environment and
development tracked
since January 1, 2016 till
May 31, 2016
SUPREME
COURT
HIGH
COURTS
NATIONAL GREEN
TRIBUNAL
42
61
405
Apex court nixes plea to stop water

supply to Maharashtra liquor industry
T H E S U P R E M E Court recently declined to entertain a plea seeking a 100 per cent
cut in the supply of water to the liquor industry in Maharashtra so that drought-affected
citizens could be provided with water. Dismissing the plea, the vacation bench of Justices
Prafulla C Pant and D Y Chandrachud said it was a policy matter and any interference in
this by the judiciary would amount to taking over governance. The bench also wondered
whether the plea was for publicity. The petitioner Sanjay Bhaskarrao Kale had
questioned an interim order of the Bombay High Court which said that a balance had to be
struck between the needs of the people for drinking water and the needs of industry.
Compiled by DTE-CSE Data Centre. For detailed verdicts, visit bit.ly/1CIFrcf
13/06/16 10:54 AM
THE
FORTNIGHT
Burn all fuel, raise temperature by 9.5C

C A N A D I A N S C I E N T I S T S have calculated that if humans
keep on burning fossil fuels at the current rate, by the end of the
22nd century, the earth would become unlivable. The study, The
climate response to five trillion tonnes of carbon, was recently
published by Nature Climate Change. The researchers calculated
that burning all known reserves of oil, gas and coal would inject
EXTREME
five trillion tonnes of heat-trapping carbon into the atmosphere,

mainly in the form of carbon dioxide. This number is about 10
times the 540 billion tonnes of carbon emitted since the start
of industrialisation. They further found that average global
temperature would climb by up to 9.5 C (17 F)-five times the cap
on global warming set in Paris in December 2015.
Q & A
Beheaded
A camel in Rajathan's Barmer district that was
tied outside its owner's house in the heat all
day severed the owner's head when the man
finally remembered to untie the animal.
25 The number of residents that were finally

able to calm the animal down
6 The number of hours the residents took to
calm the camel
43 C The temperature in which the camel

was standing outside its owner's house with
its legs tied
51 C The temperature recorded in May in
Rajasthan's Phalodi town, the highest in India
Curbing diesel necessary

W H O : Anumita Roychowdhury
Executive Director, Research and
Advocacy, Centre for Science and
Environment (cse), New Delhi
W H A T : The National Green Tribunal
(NGT) has given three weeks-from May
31-to states to present reports before
deciding to extend the ban on diesel cars
beyond Delhi and Kerala.
W H Y : The NGT proposal stems from

the current ban that the Supreme Court
has imposed on luxury diesel cars of
2,000 cc engines and NGT's own order to
ban 10-year-old diesel cars in Delhi. The
apex court has explained that the ban on
luxury diesel models will stay till the time
environment compensation charge (ECC)
on all diesel cars is fixed. Luxury diesel
cars should not misuse subsidised diesel
for farmers and freight. The ECC charge
can make people aware that they are
buying a polluting vehicle. Curbing diesel
is necessary as the WHO has listed diesel
emissions as Class I carcinogen, having a
strong link with lung cancer. Diesel cars
also emit several times more particulate
matter and nitrogen oxides than petrol
cars. These are pollutants of concern.
Climate change helping octopuses and squid thrive

CEPHALOPODS, WHICH
ISTOCK PHOTO
14 DOWN TO EARTH
include octopuses, squid and

cuttlefish, are known for rapid
growth and short lifespan. These
creatures, say scientists in a
study, are now living longer due to
climate change. The study, Global
proliferation of cephalopods, was
published in May in Current Biology.
The researchers studied the
numbers of 35 cephalopod species
from 1953 to 2013 and found that
they had increased significantly

over the last 60 years. For instance,
the authors noted a strong hot
El Nio season, followed by a cold
La Nia season could delay the
maturation cycle of the Humboldt
Squid in the eastern Pacific and
allow it to survive more. The
development, say the researchers,
could impact both the marine
food chain as well as cephalopod
fisheries in the future.
16-30 JUNE 2016
07/06/16 5:20 PM
THE
FORTNIGHT
Jan Dhan
vulnerable to
misuse: RBI
Bank of India (rbi)
has warned that the 220 million bank
accounts opened under the Pradhan
Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana are very
vulnerable to frauds. rbi deputy
governor S S Mundra highlighted a recent
case where an idle account was used for
receiving and transferring large funds
without the knowledge of the account
holder. It was an account of a daily
labourer in Punjab and the account was
opened as a basic one where there is
limitation on the amount of transactions.
This amount of transaction was of
` 10 million, he said. The case came
to light when the income tax authority
served notice to the account holder.
Mundra warned that if banks failed to
take proactive measures to stop such
fraud transactions, they could face
action from the rbi as well as from other
enforcement agencies.
VIKAS CHOUDHARY / CSE
THE RESERVE
Draft water bills made public

grapples with drought,
the Centre has placed two draft
model bills for water conservation in
the public domain for feedback. The
water resources ministry has invited
comments from the states and others
for the National Water Framework
Bill, 2016, and the Model Bill for the
Conservation, Protection, Regulation
and Management of Groundwater.
The National Water Framework Bill
sets a binding national water quality
AS INDIA
NATURE GEOSCIENCE
L AT I T U D E
Region of polluted dust deposition

Region where subsurface dissolved oxygen has depleted
due to polluted dust deposition
The map shows how iron dust from East Asia is deposited across the Pacific
16-30 JUNE 2016
standard and pushes for a national

water security plan. It also requires
states to prepare drought mitigation,
management policy and action plan
within six months of the bill becoming
law. The model Bill, on the other hand,
aims to ensure groundwater security
and proposes a penalty for its misuse.
It will also charge a fee for industrial
and bulk use of groundwater. The
government hopes to introduce the
final bills in the winter session.
Pollution in the western

Pacific is creating dead
zones in other parts of the
ocean, says a study.
Industrial dust containing
iron and nitrogen produced
in East Asia is transported
by ocean currents to
equatorial areas in the
ocean where it is
photosynthesised by
phytoplankton. Thus,
oxygen in the oceanic
depths escapes into the air
and an oxygen-minimum
zone is created, killing off
marine life there. The study
also highlights the role of
dust in polluting the world's
major oceans and seas.
V E R B AT I M
"I hope to gain

market share in
some areas"
John Watson, CEO,
Chevron Corp, while
saying that climate change
could help business
07/06/16 5:20 PM
GOVERNANCE
What drives
innovation?
HE CONFUSION is apparent from

the start. The 28-page National
Intellectual Property Rights (ipr)
Policy released on May 12 has a vision statement which says: An India where
creativity and innovation are stimulated by
Intellectual Property (IP) for the benefit of
all; an India where intellectual property
promotes advancement in science and technology, arts and culture, traditional knowledge and biodiversity resources; an India
where knowledge is the main driver of development, and knowledge owned is transformed into knowledge shared. In other
words, it is ipr that will drive innovation;
propel S&T discoveries, not to mention creativity in the arts.
This proposition is key to the report prepared by a controversial think tank set up in
October 2014 by the Narendra Modi government (see Rethinking IP think tank,
Down To Earth, 1-15 December, 2014). The
think tank was set up to formulate the coun-
The new Intellectual Property Rights

policy is based on a tenuous premise
that having more IPRs will result in
more innovation
LATHA JISHNU | NEW DELHI
trys first ipr policy. For a government short

on institutional memory, it was understandable that Commerce and Industry Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman seemed unaware of the
evolution of Indias ipr policy, specially the
1959 Rajagopala Ayyangar Committee report that balanced the constitutional guarantee of economic and social justice with the
grant of ipr. This was followed by a policy revision in 2005 to accommodate the World
Trade Organization requirements.
So what does the new policy advocate?
It has seven objectives. First of all, it wants
to create public awareness about the economic, social and cultural benefits of iprs
among all sections of society. It then seeks
to: stimulate the generation of iprs; modernise and strengthen service-oriented ipr
administration: get value for iprs through
commercialisation; strengthen the enforcement and adjudicatory mechanisms for
combating ipr infringements; strengthen
and expand human resources, institutions
and capacities for teaching, training, research and skill building in iprs.
Since the pharmaceutical sector and the
ecosystem for biomedical R&D, which are
at the heart of the debate on IP policy, is connected to the issue of affordable generic
medicines, there is a huge sense of let down.
Leena Menghaney, who works with Mdecins Sans Frontires (msf), a humanitarian
organisation, says, The policy is not new or
innovative. It simply underlines IP creation
and generation repeatedly without addressing the core issues facing biomedical R&D
todaylow levels of public investment, lack
SORIT / CSE
16-17Governance.indd 16
08/06/16 5:57 PM
GOVERNANCE
www.downtoearth.org.in/governance
of clinical trial platforms needed to generate
evidence and data and IP barriers that make
licensing of technology difficult.
The overemphasis on IP creation and
generationit occurs 15 and 21 times respectively in the documentis what worries
IP experts. The biggest complaint is that it
is built on the highly tenuous claim that
more IP means more innovation. Noted IP
academician Shamnad Basheer says, This
ill-conceived assumption results in problematic assertions such as the exhortation
that all publicly funded scientists and professors compulsorily convert all of their discoveries into IP assets, much before they
have even written this up and published it in
reputed science journals. Basheer dismisses the policy as empty of any worthwhile
content. Calling it a classic paradox, he says,
While it touts the virtues of creativity and
innovation, it itself is bereft of any creativity
or imagination.
The other thread running through the
criticism is that it has been undertaken under pressure from the US. Menghaney,
who heads msfs South Asia Access
Campaign, points out that IP enforcement
measures are invariably directed at generic
producers to shut down competition. She
warns that the prominence given to IP enforcement under pressure from the US will
lead to situations like the seizures of Indian
generics by EU customs. Besides, she adds,
There have been a spate of IP enforcement
cases in the Delhi High Court aimed at
stunting competition from biosimilar producers on grounds as flimsy as copyright infringement of package inserts.
To some there is a discernible shift in favour of ipr holders. Dinesh Abrol, professor
at Delhis Institute for Studies in Industrial
Development, says the policy aims at maximising the rights of IP owners at the cost of
public interest. By focusing on a strong IP
framework in publicly funded R&D institutions and universities along with proposals
to get rural and remote areas to practice IPbased innovation, it encourages the privatisation of traditional knowledge and biodiversity. This is a reversal of the Indian IP
philosophy which, Abrol argues, sought to
balance incentives for innovation with the
diffusion and dissemination of knowledge
for affordable medicine, seeds, food and other essential needs.
16-30 JUNE 2016
16-17Governance.indd 17
Where the new IPR

policy falters
"While the new
policy touts
the virtues of
creativity and
innovation, it
itself is bereft of
any creativity or imagination"
Shamnad Basheer, Visiting Professor of Law,
National Law School, Bengaluru
"The policy
simply underlines IP creation
and generation
repeatedly,
without addressing the core issues facing
biomedical R&D today"
Leena Menghaney, Head of South Asia Access
Campaign, Mdecins Sans Frontires
"Shifting of
copyrights from
the Ministry
of Human
Resources
Development
reorients India's approach,
which was focused on the
access to knowledge "
K M Gopakumar, IPR lawyer and legal adviser,
Third World Network
"The policy aims

at maximising
the rights of IP
owners at the
cost of public
interest"
Dinesh Abrol, professor, Institute for Studies in
Industrial Development, Delhi
Concurring with him is K M Gopakumar, a legal adviser to Third World Network, an international development notfor-profit, who believes the policy marks a
clear shift in Indias development-oriented
approach to IP in favour of concrete measures to push a maximalist agenda. Even the
administrative changes proposed for the
patent office to create a service-oriented
culture to make IP user friendly is fraught
with danger, he warns. This approach fully
ignores the role of patent offices as custodians of public policy.
Although many administrative reforms
are proposed, the worry is in the new format
of IP administration which will be centralised with the Commerce Ministrys Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
taking over functions such as processing of
copyright and protection of semi-conductor
designs from other ministries. Shifting of
copyrights from the Ministry of Human
Resources Development marks the reorientation of Indias approach to copyright
which was focused on access to knowledge,
says Gopakumar.
So is there anything at all to commend
in the policy? Basheer admits that on the administrative aspect, there are some noteworthy proposals but no indications on
how they will be achieved. It speaks of expedited examination (and yet falls short on
how it plans to effectuate it), an IP exchange
(again sans any details) and a promising
proposal to encourage Corporate Social
Responsibility funds into open innovation
(which again will depend on corporate largesse and interest). But Menghaney has
reservations on the issue of expedited examination. At the end of the day, India must
recognise that the majority of pharmaceutical patents granted are aimed at blocking
generic competition and exports. If they are
of poor quality, they will increase the number of vexatious litigation against generic
producers. The recent grant of the Sofosbuvir patent is a case in point. It will destroy
the exports of active pharmaceutical ingredients from India of the drug.
The fundamental flaw is that the document fails to explain the rationale for a new
policy since it concedes that India has robust IP laws and strong IP jurisprudence.
So what then is the point?
@ljishnu
08/06/16 5:57 PM
ENVIRONMENT
www.downtoearth.org.in/environment
Tourists wait for a ride on Rohtang Pass after the

National Green Tribunal limited the number of petrol
and diesel vehicles that can ply the eco-sensitive area
AMAN GUPTA
Stranded at top
Rohtang Pass faces an uncertain future
as Himachal Pradesh drags its feet over
introducing a CNG transport system in the
highly eco-sensitive area
SHREESHAN VENKATESH | new delhi
18 DOWN TO EARTH
18-20Environment.indd 18
N MAY 10, when the National Green Tribunal (ngt)

eased curbs it had imposed on tourism activities in
Rohtang Pass in the past two years, it brought relief to
the local people. Over 80 per cent of those living in villages and valleys around the high mountain pass of Himachal
Pradesh depend on tourism for a living. But a sense of uncertainty
persists. The prime reason for this is the states failure to implement
an ngt order that directs it to plan a transition to an eco-friendly
transport system on the 51 km stretch, which connects important
tourist destinations and is located at an elevation of 3,978 metres
on the Himalayas .
The ngt directive is based on reports that say increasing footfall due to tourism has hastened melting of glaciers and snow
capped mountains in the region. As an immediate measure to safeguard the fragile area, ngt in 2014 banned tourist activities like
16-30 JUNE 2016
13/06/16 10:55 AM
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19Gail ad.indd 19
10/06/16 5:38 PM
PROCEEDINGS SO FAR
Feb 6, 2014: Acting on a 2013
petition, NGT recognises the right to
wholesome and decent environment
as a right to life, and directs the
Himachal Pradesh (HP) government
to plan a transition to CNG and electric vehicles. NGT bans all commercial activities in and around Rohtang
Pass to curb carbon emissions
March 27, 2014: The HP government says it has taken a policy decision to implement the orders
June 25, 2014: NGT finds that none
of the orders has been implemented. The HP government assures that
steps will be taken
Nov 20, 2014: Dissatisfied with the
status of implementation, NGT issues ultimatum to the government
Jan 8, 2015: The HP government
seeks more time for implementation
May 5, 2015: NGT restricts the
number of tourist vehicles visiting
Rohtang Pass to 1,000 a day, including 600 petrol and 400 diesel, on a
first-come-first-serve basis for
three months
July 6, 2015: NGT restricts tourist activities at Solang, Rohtang and
Marhi
Aug 19, 2015: NGT extends vehicular
restrictions until November 30
Dec 11, 2015: NGT clamps down further; allows only 500 petrol vehicles
a day; bans plying of petrol vehicles
older than 15 years
April 7, 2016: State submits progress report
May 10, 2016: NGT eases the ban on
tourist activities in certain areas;
allows to increase the total number of vehicles entering the region to
1,200800 petrol and 400 diesel.
The government says the cost of setting up CNG stations is unaffordable
May 25, 2016: GAIL & HP government submit a report on the feasibility of the CNG transition. It is yet to
be made public
20 DOWN TO EARTH
18-20Environment.indd 20
paragliding, snow scooter riding and all

terrain vehicles, horse riding and renting of
local traditional dresses for photography. A
year later, it restricted the number of diesel
and petrol vehicles entering the Pass to
1,000 a day, including 600 petrol and 400
diesel vehicles (see Proceedings so far).
Estimates show around 7,000 vehicles
used to ply the Pass in a day during the peak
tourism season between June and August.
While the state is yet to introduce an
eco-friendly transport system, on May 18 it
asked ngt to lift all restrictions on tourism
activities in Rohtang Pass.
Why the reluctance

As per the ngt order, the Himachal Pradesh
government was to set up two cng stations
along the routeone at Tahliwal in Una district and the other in Manali districtand
introduce cng buses by May 2016. Once operational, these would be the worlds highest cng transit system. But little has materialised so far. The state government is
acquiring land for Tahliwal station, while
Manali station has not moved beyond the
planning stage.
The biggest hurdle is who will fund the
transition and how. No thought has gone
into where the funds would come from in
case assistance from the Centre does not materialise, says Sanjay Gupta, additional secretary-in-charge of transport, Himachal
Pradesh. The expected capital expenditure
for the two cng stations is 17.5 crore.
In December 2015, the state said that it
can afford only the cost of setting up the
plants, and asked the ngt to arrange for a
subsidy on the fuel. Later, it said that it cannot even afford setting up the cng stations.
To the states relief, the Centre has agreed to
lend its support, provided the state government submits a business model. But the
state is yet to submit one.
Feasibility of the green fuel and the stations is another concern the state has not assessed properly. The Gas Authority of India
Limited (gail) which was asked by ngt to assess the costs of transition, says the costs can
be reduced considerably by setting up multiple cng plants along the route. But the state
has not even asked them to assess the option.
S P Sharma, chief operating officer, gail,
says the government is not considering the
fact that the station at Manali would be open
The cost of CNG along the

Manali-Rohtang Pass route
would be around 98 per kg
compared to 37.20 per kg in
Delhi, according to GAIL
only for six months when Rohtang Pass is
accessible. Moreover, there are other costs
and difficulties involved in constructing the
pipelines in such a terrain.
To determine the efficacy of cng vehicles in high altitudes, the state government
should have conducted dedicated trials, but
so far it has not. The Himachal Pradesh
government ran only two single journey trials of cng buses, while ngt had directed it to
run a month long trial.
According to a feasibility report by gail,
cng along the Manali-Rohtang Pass route
would cost approximately 98 per kg compared to 37.20 per kg in Delhi. The state
claims that these estimates are exaggerated.
Is there a way ahead?

Experts suggest some measures can improve viability of the project. Sharma says
there should be a demand for the green fuel
to make it cheaper. Compelling industries
to shift to cng can be one of the ways, he
adds. The ngt suggested the polluter pays
principle, wherein polluting industries and
vehicle owners incur a cess, can help finance the transition to cleaner fuel.
Another suitable option for the steep
slopes of Rohtang is electric vehicles. The
state government has already floated tenders for these but without studying their
suitability and environmental and social impacts in the Rohtang area. K Munshi, professor, Indian Institute of Technology,
Mumbai, says conventional e-vehicles are
unlikely to work in the region because battery performance drop drastically as temperatures dip below 10oC. Temperatures at
Rohtang dip up to -20oC in winters. Electric
vehicles can be suitable only if designed specifically for the terrain and conditions, he
adds. The problem, it seems, is not of resource, but of lack of intent.
Balak Ram Thakur of the Him-Aanchal
Taxi Operators Union says he would not
mind shifting to a cng vehicle, but first the
government should make the transition.
@shreeshanV
16-30 JUNE 2016
08/06/16 6:03 PM
21Building Sense ad.indd 21
21 JAN 15, 2015
DISCOUNTS
10% on course fee for participants (Up to 15th July,
2016) Additional 10% for group registrations (four or
more participants applying together).
This includes course material, lunch, beverage

breaks, eld visits and one year free subscription for
Down To Earth science and environment fortnightly
magazine.
Accommodation can be made nearby the training
centre, would incur extra charges.
COURSE FEES
`9,500/- for professionals.
`8,000/- for academicians, NGOs and researchers.
`5,000/- for students.
LAST DATE FOR APPLICATION

August 5th, 2016
HOW TO APPLY
The course fee should be paid in advance by
demand draft/cheque in the name of CENTRE FOR
SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT payable at New
Delhi. Registration form can be obtained from the
contact given and can be posted/faxed to CSE.
PROGRAMME SCHEDULE
Date: August 24th - 26th, 2016
Timing: 10.00 am to 6:00 pm
Venue: Centre for Science and Environment
38, Tughlakabad Institutional Area
New Delhi- 110 062
ELIGIBILITY
This course is open to students, young professionals, academicians, NGOs and researchers
from eld of environment, engineering, architecture & planning.
The programme will be conducted by eminent architects, energy and building experts and CSE
professionals.
The interactive modules are designed to encourage participants to acquire a 360 degree
understanding and hands-on experience to look for their own solutions for designing better buildings.
The programme will be conducted by eminent architects, energy and building experts and CSE
professionals.
The itinerary includes more than 15 sessions including classroom lectures, site visits, group
exercises etc. The course would cover an array of aspects which explore real sustainability
by deconstructing the green building sector; design, technologies and equipment options for
energy efcient buildings; intelligent water management; emerging building related policies
and regulations and more. The nuances of these aspects would be elaborated through case
studies and examples from across the country. To enable rooted learning across the table, the
participants would be presenting and sharing their learning and perspectives based on the visits
and lectures.
DAY 1
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: BUILDING POLICIES, CODE AND REGULATIONS
Centre for Science and Environments Sustainable Building and Habitat Programme is organizing
Building Sense, a certicate course on sustainable buildings, from 24th to 26th August, 2016.
The programme aims to enable participants to adopt a common sense approach to green
buildings, one that blends traditional wisdom with modern science.
FOR DETAILS AND REGISTRATION

Inderjit Ahuja
41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi - 62
Phone: +91 (011) 29955124/125 (ext. 309)
Fax: +91 (011) 29955879
Mobile: 9958168487
Email: inderjit@cseindia.org
Resource efciency: Construction and demolition waste

Excreta matters: Waste water treatment techniques and management in buildings
Waste management: Solid and hazardous waste management practices in india
Green building tour of CSE: Visit to DWWT and RWH system in CSE
In search of sense: Site visit to green building in Delhi-NCR
Class room exercise: Group presentations on classroom exercise
DAY 3
THE WAY AHEAD: FIELD TRIP & BUILDINGS WASTE
Sustainable architecture: Learning through design principles and case studies

Building technologies: Green materials and high performance envelope
Energy efcient technologies: HVAC and lighting
Operational efciency: Ground realities of operational energy in buildings
Water efcient technologies: Rain water harvesting and water efcient xtures
Let there be sun: Basics of solar energy use
Green rating: Assessment of green rating of buildings
Movie: Film on net zero buildings
10/06/16 12:59 PM
DAY 2
AGENDA FOR CHANGE AND ACTION: SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGIES
Green buildings environment connection: A big picture

National Building Code: A new approach to Sustainability
Energy Conservation Building Code: Towards performance based approach
EIA for buildings and townships: Making it deliver on sustainable principles
Affordable housing: Policy and practice in India
Hands on exercise: Assignment discussion
COURSE OUTLINE
ABOUT THE COURSE
24th 26th August, 2016
Training programme of Centre for Science and Environment
Building Sense:
Sustainable Building Policies, Practices and Performance
PHOTOGRAPHS: VIKAS CHOUDHARY / CSE
BOOK
The launch of Sunita Narain's (extreme right) book on the eve of World Environment Day triggers a debate on intolerance, sustainability and smart cities
A JOURNEY, A JOURNAL
AND A FEW NOTES
Sunita Narain's Why I Should Be Tolerant discusses why the developed world
must not shut out the voice of the poor and the marginalised
ANUPAM CHAKRAVARTTY | new delhi
N PARIS it was unbelievable to see how any narrative which
was inconvenient was not there at all. Any country which

was bringing up the concerns of equity or climate justice
was ignored. The whole press reporting about the Paris
climate talks was seconded by the government, said Sunita
Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment
(cse), at the launch of her book Why I Should Be Tolerant. The
event, held in New Delhi on the eve of World Environment
Day also marked Down To Earths 25th year of publication.
The quasi-autobiographical book which chronicles
the global development discourse from the 20th and 21st
centuries is a compilation of essays on such inconvenient
and unpalatable truths. Economist and niti Aayog member
Bibek Debroy; Group Editorial Director of India Today,
22 DOWN TO EARTH
22-24Book.indd 22
Raj Chengappa; and Senior Executive Editor, ndtv, Ravish

Kumar were part of the panel that discussed the theme of
the bookthe intolerance of the rich towards the needs of
the poor.
The discussion started with Debroy who, in a lighter
vein, said that the title of the book suggests that the book is
about Sunita Narains reasons of not tolerating the policies
and injustices of the rich and developed countries, and their
reasons of being intolerant towards her. He also said that
there should be no global environment protection norms.
The norms of environmental protection that the developed countries articulate now, when their average per capita
income is US $40,000, and try to impose them on the rest
of the world...I find it an unacceptable proposition, he said.
16-30 JUNE 2016
09/06/16 3:00 PM
19may31, 2016
23AMway ad.indd 23
10/06/16 12:59 PM
BOOK
"Nobody wants
inconvenient
truths"
We do not want
inconvenient
truths. We are
bubble wrapping
conversations. So
SUNITA NARAIN
Director General, CSE
in an informationrich age we are
knowledge-poor...
We cannot allow the intolerance
of the rich dictate the way we design our
new and our old world
"Forces you to
think"
The essays force
you to think. Like
what is the real
cost of buying a
car. I just came
to know that one
RAJ CHENGAPPA
Group Editorial
should factor in five
Director, India Today
variables before
buying a car. For
instance, the cost of parking
Debroy also problematised the concept of sustainability.

The word sustainable cannot be defined without making a
reference to the future generation. Any attempt to define the
word sustainable today will amount to evaluating costs and
benefits on behalf of the future generation and today we are
in no way equipped to figure out what the perceptions of costs
and benefits will be for future generations, particularly because
we have absolutely no idea what kind of technology they will
have access to.
Chengappa praised the book for simplifying complex
scientific ideas and making them more accessible. The
problems that we discussed in the 1980s, 1990s or 2000s still
exist with very few solutions. We thought that some of these
problems will be sorted out... that governments are there, civil
society is there. However, the problems remain. Its a bit like
24 DOWN TO EARTH
22-24Book.indd 24
"We read, we
know, but still
forget"
Most of the
encroachment [in
Chennai] was done by
educated people. The
ones who suffered
RAVISH KUMAR
most during floods
Senior Executive
Editor, NDTV
were educated. In
the state election,
the educated people forgot
about the floods. Now all of us educated
people are here for Sunita to remind us again
"Represents
environmental
movement in
India"
This is a very useful
compilation... It is a
collection of essays.
It also, in some
BIBEK DEBROY
sense, represents
Member, NITI Aayog
the trajectory of
environmental
movement in India down the years
ignoring a lump in your own body, thinking that somehow its

not cancer, but as you get along you find that its malignant.
Speaking with his trademark wit, Ravish Kumar said
that the government is busy turning some of the already
well-maintained cities into smart cities. He also spoke on
Chennai, where encroachment of wetlands made the floods
devastating. Most of the encroachment was done by educated
people. The ones who suffered most during the floods were
educated. In the state election, the educated people forgot
about the floods. Now all of us educated people are here for
Sunita to remind us again, he said. We read, we know, but
we still forget, Kumar added, urging that the state should pay
heed to the inconvenient message environment experts have
been delivering.
@ yield82
16-30 JUNE 2016
08/06/16 6:03 PM
25 DTE ANNUAL 2015
25Nabard ad.indd 25
10/06/16 1:25 PM
URBANISATION
Stops, too many

While bus aggregation
services are on the rise,
the country is yet to
prepare a legal framework
for them
ANUPAM CHAKRAVARTTY
schools and companies. Government data

suggests that there are more than two million
such buses in the country.
But the execution is difficult. For starters, private bus owners can apply for two
kinds of licences under the state Motor
Vehicles Act (mva)contract carriages permit for plying within a city or stage carriage
permit for plying inter-city. The Act is silent
on the issue of bus aggregatorsa company
that works as an intermediary between bus
operators and users. As of now, bus aggregators are operating in a grey area, says
R S Minhas, spokesperson and transport expert, Delhi Transport Corporation (dtc).
Problems aggregated
While mva does not explicitly say a no to bus
aggregation services, enforcement bodies often interpret it in this way. For example, in
December 2015, around 20 vehicles operated by private company Ola Shuttle in
COURTESY: OFFICECHAI
| new delhi
N APRIL 22, the Delhi government

announced the start of the Premium Bus Scheme by June 1
to strengthen the public transport
system in the capital state. Under the
scheme, people can book their seats in
private buses through mobile apps. Three
days later, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG)
Najeeb Jung stalled the scheme, saying it will
benefit only certain private companies.
Jungs office returned the file to the government saying the issue needs to be investigated. Despite the LG stay, on June 7, the Delhi
government published advertisements on
the benefits of the scheme in leading newspapers. The recent controversy has once
again highlighted how politics and outdated
laws come in the way of an effective public
transport system.
The logic behind such schemes is simple:
to utilise private buses in the country that operate for not more than a few hours a day for
26-27Urbanisation.indd 26
08/06/16 10:50 AM
URBANISATION
www.downtoearth.org.in/urbanisation
Bengaluru were seized in violation of the

contract carriages permit. H G Kumar, additional commissioner for transport and secretary, State Transport Authority, Karnataka,
says, While anybody can take a contract carriages permit, it allows only transport from
one point to another. You cannot pick up or
drop passengers en route.
The term bus aggregator has been recognised for the first time in the proposed
Road Safety Bill, 2015, which was introduced in Parliaments monsoon session last
year. The Bill is now under consideration by
a Group of Ministers, which is expected to
submit its final report by July 2016. Section
2 of the Bill defines aggregator as including a digital intermediary or online marketplace for a passenger to connect with a driver for the purpose of transportation. While
introducing the Bill, the Union government
had also issued advisories to all the states
for licensing, compliance and liability of
on-demand information technology-based
transportation aggregator.
The Delhi government announced its
Premium Bus Scheme on the basis of this
Road Safety Bill, 2015, has

for the first time recognised
the term aggregator as a
digital intermediary for a
passenger to connect with
a driver for the purpose of
transportation
advisory. Karnataka has also introduced a
set of bus aggregation rules following the
advisory. While the Delhi bus aggregation
policy is stuck between the LG office and
the state government, private aggregation
companies, Ola and Uber, have moved
Karnataka High Court against the state
rules. They have challenged a clause in the
rules that prohibits surge pricingcharging a premium during peak hours.
Meanwhile, bus aggregation continues
in an ad-hoc basis. In the absence of a legal
framework, we are at the mercy of the officials, says Suchitra Singh of Shuttl, a bus
aggregator in Delhi ncr. For example, in
Bengaluru, bus aggregators are allowed
only on routes where buses of state-owned
Bengaluru Transport Authority do not ply.
Advantage aggregators
Bengaluru bus
aggregator
firm ZipGo
launched its
operations
in New Delhi
in December
2015, coinciding
with the OddEven scheme
of the Delhi
government
Almost all Indian cities are struggling with

their public transport system. This can be
seen in the remarkable number of private
cars that are being sold today. According to
the Union transport ministry, in 2015,
about 88.27 million new vehicles were added to Delhi roads. Bengaluru added 6 million vehicles that year.
It is here bus aggregation can help, primarily because it targets car-goers. The
scheme announced by the Delhi government, for example, says only air-conditioned buses will be allowed and tickets
need to be pre-booked through mobile
apps. The scheme also has a provision of penalising bus operators on cancelling trips.
There is a very large and growing
population of commuters who would
rather not deal with the hassle of parking if
a reliable daily commute is available, says
Anupam Mittal, an angel investor who has
invested in Ola Shuttle in Mumbai. This
scheme will attract such people because
these buses will not be over-crowded and
will be air-conditioned. Bus aggregators
also say that the model has a lot of business
potential. The bus aggregation sector can

grow bigger than the radio taxi service,
which has an estimated market size of over
`60,000 crore, says Mittal. No wonder,
several private companies have already
entered the sector. One such example is
Shuttl, which has raised an investment
worth US $3million within one year of its
launch in April 2015. The app-based bus
aggregator claims that it on an average
arranges 15,000 rides a day.
Similarly, Bengaluru-based ZipGo provides air-conditioned bus rides throughout the city for just `29. Its app also gives
real-time data on city traffic. One of the first
bus aggregation services was started in
Mumbai in 2015 by rBus. The company today covers 17 routes in Mumbai, and caters
to over 500 commuters. Using its Android
app, commuters can pick a route and timing for their travel. The company also provides services like Wi-Fi, app-enabled payments, live tracking of buses and flexible
timings. It charges `500 for 10 rides a week.
A few bumps
The office of Delhis Lieutenant Governor
rejected the Premium Bus Scheme over
fears that it can lead to monopoly of the
public transport sector. Speaking to Down
To Earth, Gopal Rai, Delhi transport minister, says checks and balances are in place
to avoid monopoly. While they (bus owners) will decide their fares, the government
would prescribe an upper limit and retain
the option of taking steps to check predatory pricing. Many also fear that private players can actually weaken the existing public
transport system. Aggregators, however,
refute the claim. Bus aggregation is a premium service that works on a model of prebooking, says Minhas.
Safety is another issue. The Delhi
scheme says licences would be given only to
bus operators who have at least 50 vehicles.
The buses would have two cctv cameras,
WiFi and gps. In view of womens safety,
bus aggregators will also have to ensure
panic button in their apps, says Rai. Even
the Road Safety Bill proposes the setting up
of the National Transport Authority to
make and monitor schemes pertaining to
aggregators. A proper legal framework will
benefit both companies and customers,
says Singh.
@ yield82
26-27Urbanisation.indd 27
08/06/16 5:59 PM
28-29Env Day Spl.indd 28
08/06/16 5:56 PM
Matatila
Four of the 10 drought-hit states in the

country face chronic conflicts because of
poor water management and diversion
of water to urban areas
WATER
Jhansi
Conflicts over
DROUGHT 2016
in drought-hit states
Almatti
Ghataprabha
Malaprabha
2%
Nagarjuna
Sagar
Srisailam
3%
Salandi
21%
Hirakud
ODISHA
0%
5%
ANDHRA PRADESH
2%
3%
Harangi
Hemavathy
12%
Lower
Manair
11%
Matatila
Sriram
sagar
6%
Jhakam
8%
RAJASTHAN
Bhama
Asakhed
22%
Barna
Tawa
2%
6%
6%
Dudhganga
TELANGANA
Isapur
Yeldari
Bhandardara
UTTAR PRADESH
5%
MAHARASHTRA
Panchet
0%
Maithon
Minimata
3%
23%
10%
33%
Krishnaraja
sagar
15%
MADHYA PRADESH
8%
10%
JHARKHAND
Vanivilas
sagar
Tungabhadra
CHHATTISGARH
6%
1%
KARNATAKA
n Water available in the reservoir as on May 26, 2016
8% is the average water left in major reservoirs
Pratapgarh
Hoshangabad
Lalitpur
Bhopal
Matatila
Rajghat
Pipariya
Sohagpur
Jhansi
Chhatarpur
Barna
Beniganj
Bareli
Ambikapur
28-29Env Day Spl.indd 29
79%
Reported cases of ater conflicts: Yes
No
Drought declared states

Reservoirs
Connecting channels
Cities/districts where the drinking water is supplied
Bengaluru
Harangi
Hemavathy
Gorur
Vanivilas sagar
Krishnaraja sagar
Mysore
Mysore
Farmers of Karnataka's Kasaba hobli

and Madadakere hobli are fighting the
state administration for diverting bulk of
the water from
Vanivilas sagar
to Chitradurga
groundwater
district. The
sources are
channel that
critical
connects the
reservoir with
the two villages has also been highly
encroached in the recent past
jun
ilam a Saga
r
Srisa
oo
Karnataka
rn
Ku
groundwater
sources are
critical*
94%
Ramdurg
Tungabhadra
Bailhongal
Raichur
Dharwad
Koppal
Malaprabha
Belgaum
Dhanbad
Neamatpur
groundwater
sources are
critical
81%
Section 144 has also been imposed around the Yeldari reservoir, which supplies water to Parbhani and Jintur
districts, after people started protesting against poor water distribution
Residents of villages in Pune district are fighting the state government for diverting bulk of the water from the
Bhama Asakhed reservoir to urban areas of Khed and Pune districts
n
n
Prepared by DTE/CSE Data Centre

Infographics: Raj Kumar Singh, Shri Krishan and Chaitanya Chandan;
Analysis: Rashmi Verma
Note: * All groundwater sources with water level more than 2 metres below ground level are classified as critical
Data source: Central Water Commission, Central Groundwater Board and media reports
For more such infographics visit: www.downtoearth.org.in/infographics
Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code has been imposed around the Mula
reservoir which prohibits people from assembling around the water body. The order was
passed after the district administration received complaints that water from the reservoir
that caters to Ahmednagar and Pune was being taken by farmers for irrigation. The order has triggered
agitation among the farming community in the area
groundwater
sources are
critical
86%
Farmers of Guntur district are protesting against poor

water distribution of the Bugga vagu reservoir
Water distribution from the

nearly dry Srisailam reservoir
has triggered widespread
protests in Mahabubnagar
district, where people allege
that the bulk of the water
is being diverted to
Kurnool district
Andhra Pradesh
Desperate tribals from Thane's Shahapur tehsil, which is home to Tansa, Modaksagar
and Bhatsa reservoirs that provide water to Mumbai, have started puncturing the
pipelines to get water
Salanadi
Maithon
Panchet
Maharashtra
Korba
The drying Beniganj
Tawa
reservoir has triggered
a caste war in the
Minimata
villages of Chhatarpur
Hingoli
district. Desperate for
water, village residents
Isapur
Yeldari
Nanded
have started overBhatsa
Nashik
Sinnar
Parbhani, Jintur
drawing from dug wells. Shahapur
Thane
Sangamner
As a result, the few
Bhandardara
ur gar
dug wells with water
Manjara
Lat imna Lower Manair
Koraput
Osmanabad
Khed
have been taken over
Kar
Sriram sagar
Pune
by the upper caste
Warangal
Bugga vagu
Bhama
communities who are
Hyderabad
Asakhed
stopping the lower caste
Kolhapur
Mahbubnagar
Dudhganga
people from accessing
Bijapur
Nag
Ghataprabha
the water bodies
Almatti
ar Guntur
Madhya Pradesh
Jhakam
Tungabhadra
08/06/16 5:56 PM
ADVERTORIAL
A Green Building Initiative of AAI

By: D.K. Kamra, GM Engg (Project), Airports Authority of India
he New Integrated Terminal building of

Chandigarh International Airport is equipped
with modern state of the art facilities, green and
well developed landscapes and interior decorated
with art, paintings and mural works.
The new Terminal can handle 1600 Passengers
(Domestic 575 Pax. Incoming + 575 Outgoing &
International 225 Pax. Incoming + 225 Pax. Outgoing)
at peak hours, with annual capacity of 4.5 million.
Fully Air-Conditioned equipped with modern
facilities, 03 nos. Aerobridges, 04 nos. Baggage
Carrousels, 14 nos. Elevators, 06 Nos. Escalators,. The
car park has got a capacity for 500 cars, separate
provision for VIP car park and Bus parking. Aircraft
Parking Main apron and Cargo Apron has got a
capacity of 10C Type Aircrafts and 1 E Type Aircraft
at a time.
Brief Description of overall strategy, aims and
objectives
Airports Authority of India (AAI) had started the
construction of new International Terminal Building
in Aug. 2012 and completed the same in May 2015
within schedule time with completion cost of Rs.
460.00 Cr. Without any cost overrun and time
overrun.
The new Terminal Building was inaugurated by
Honble Prime Minister of India on September 11,
2015. In a public rally at Chandigarh, Honble Prime
Minister openly praised the new Terminal Building
constructed by AAI.
The new Airport was operationalized in record time
and smoothly functioning from 19.10.2015.
environmental impact of construction

Acoustic proof Silent diesel Generator sets
Preservation of trees in the construction area
Re - plantatation of trees
Jute bag to minimise wastage of water
Maximise the green area
Various environmental friendly materials used

as per green building concept
Fly Ash Bricks-Around 55 Lakhs
Double Insulated Roofing System
DGU & High Performance Glasses
Low VOC Paints
Cavity Walls
Energy Efficient Chillers With 6.3 COP For HVAC
Enery Efficient Gearlesss Motors for Elevators
VFDS For High Capacity Motors
Led Type Electrical Fixtures
600 KLD STP Plant Installed for Treating Sewarage
and Waste Water.
Treated Water from STP Plant will be wsed for
HVAC, Flushingand Gardening Etc.
Rain Water Harvesting Wells. Sensor Based
Plumbing Fittings for Water Conservation.
1. GREEN INITIATIVE
During construction
Minimumenvironmental impact concept has been
followed during construction of New Integrated
Terminal of Chandigarh International Airport.
Following measures have been adopted :
Top soil conservation
Sedimentation channels for water
conservation and ground recharge
Waste management during construction,
separate area for construction waste and
segregation of waste as per norms of Griha
Wheel washing facility tominimize the
30-31Airports Authority goes green.indd 30
2. BENEFITS
The electricity for the entire airport is proposed
to be generated through 100% solar initiative
for which Chandigarh International Airport
Ltd (CHIAL) is shortly putting up 3.0 (three)
mega watt solar plant. Therefore entire energy
requirement of airport shall be met from green
energy without having any dependence on State
Electricity Board.
Due to functioning of STP, the water requirement
for maintenance of green area and HVAC etc.
will go down as water will be treated before
getting reused.
10/06/16 12:57 PM
ADVERTORIAL
Solar Power Projects at AAI Airports

By: B.P.S. Gaur, GM (Engg-Elect), Thomas Mathew, AGM (Engg-Elect), Airports Authority of India
irports Authority of India (AAI) has taken

significant strides towards sustainable
development and energy neutrality by
installing solar power plants at various airports in
the country. Wherever feasible, roof top of terminal
buildings, office and ancillary buildings are being
utilized to harness solar power. In addition, vacant
lands at airports are also being used.
Suitable roof tops of airports / units have been
identified for solar power projects at 27 airports.
4.8 MWp Solar projects at 13 airports are completed
& another 4.9 MWp solar power plant works are
in progress at 14 airports. These efforts have been
recognised by MNRE and conferred 2nd place to
AAI among the PSUs for installation of cumulative
capacity of grid connected roof top solar plants in
the country.
In a matching response to Prime Ministers
visionary steps towards solarisation, AAI further
explored the possibility of ground mounted solar PV
plants wherever vacant land is available. Accordingly
the works of ground mounted solar projects of 19.8
MWp capacity awarded at 03 airports & installation
is in progress.
4. Impact of Solar Power Projects at Airports

The implementation of these Solar Power Projects at
AAI Airports shall not only help AAI in reducing its
energy bill, it shall also substantially reduce the
carbon footprint of civil aviation sector in the
country. This Green Initiative also serves as a
Corporate Social Responsibility of AAI.
PROJECT DETAILS
1. Solar Roof Top Power Projects Completed
Under Capex/Resco Model
Total capacity of solar plants commissioned up to
April-2016: 4.80 MWp at 13 airports.
2. Solar Roof Top Power Projects in Progress
Under Capex Model
Roof top Solar Power plant works are in Progress at
14 Airports for a total capacity of 4.90 MWp.
3. Ground Mounted Solar Power Project Works
In Progress (Capex/Resco) Model
The Ground Mounted Solar Power Plant works in
progress under CAPEX/ RESCO Model at 03 airports.
30-31Airports Authority goes green.indd 31
10/06/16 12:58 PM
COVER
STORY
HUMAN
PUZZLE
32-44Cover story.indd 32
Signs of butchery in the

Siwalik Hills of India
2.6 million years ago make
the story of human evolution
more intriguing than ever
ARCHANA YADAV | masol, punjab
13/06/16 10:54 AM
COVER
STORY
ets go back 5 to 8 million years ago. Thats when the human branch split
off from our common ancestors with chimpanzees. The earth was beginning to cool. Dense forests were gradually being replaced with open
woodland. Grasslands too began to appear. Our ancestors began to adapt
to life on the ground while still at home in the trees. Over time they became efficient walkers. Sometime around 2.5 million years ago some of
them acquired a large brain and began making tools.
These were the pre-modern humans, placed in our
own genus Homo. It was only 0.2 million years ago
that the modern human, Homo sapiens, appeared,
full of curiosity.
All this happened in Africa. It was through waves of migration out of
Africa that our ancestors spread to other parts of the world. The first one
was 2 million years ago when pre-modern humans colonised Asia and
Europe. There they evolved into other species like Neanderthal. The last
one was about 50,000 years ago, when modern humans quickly spread
across the world. All the other Homo species were soon wiped out and
only we the Homo sapiens thrive.
This is the mainstream view of human evolution in a nutshell. This
was not always the dominant view. But ever since Africa disgorged an
amazing number and variety of fossils of archaic and early humans in
the later part of the 20th century, the continent has been established as
the cradle of humankind.
A fossil bone with cut

marks on display at the
Government Museum and
Art Gallery in Chandigarh
PHOTOGRAPHS: VIKAS CHOUDHARY / CSE
Siwaliks throw a challenge

Early this year, an Indo-French team published papers in a French journal, claiming they have found butchery marks on 2.6 million-year-old
fossils in the Siwalik Hills of India. These marks, they claimed, were
left by someone who belonged to that human brancha homininwho
broke the bones to eat the marrow. If the claim stands up to scrutiny,
this will be the oldest sign of early pre-modern humans outside Africa,
and hundreds of thousands of years before the first hominin is believed
to have set foot outside Africa. Antiquity of this evidence goes far beyond my daring, writes Yves Coppens, French anthropologist of Lucy
fame, in the special volume of the Proceedings of the French Academy
of Sciences, Comptes Rendus Palevol. Honorary Professor at the College
of France and patron of the Siwaliks project, Coppens is of the view that
the pre-modern human (Homo) appeared as early as 3 million years ago
and moved out about 2.5 million years ago.
We never thought we would find a fossilised bone with scavenging
marks, says Mukesh Singh, president of the Society for Archaeological
and Anthropological Research in Chandigarh, who co-led the team. The
researchers were hoping to find stone tools close to fossilsa sign of
hominin presencefrom 1.8 million years ago in the low Siwalik Hills
of sandstone and clay near Chandigarh. In this region with sparse vegetation the sedimentary layers have been raised into folds by tectonic activity. At places, the layers are broken or eroded by monsoon so that the
inner, older layers stand exposed.
07/06/16 4:14 PM
COVER
STORY
Luck struck in 2008. Singh found a chopping

tool on an outcrop near Masol village, some 15 km
from Chandigarh. Here the fossil-bearing sedimentary layer appears like an eroded dome. A seasonal rivulet has cut through the dome, evacuating
the sediments. Excited, the team visited the spot
again in 2009 and collected several fossils, quartzite cobbles, choppers and flakes. Several steps away,
one of them, Manjil Hazarika, picked up a fossil
bone with distinctive marks on it. It belonged to the
bovid family of mammals that includes bison and
buffalo. The cut marks resembled signs of butchery.
This was a turning point. Was this a scavenging site
visited by early humans, and how early?
The team pored over publications on the
Chandigarh Siwaliks and found that this particular fossil-rich zone was dated 2.6 million years old.
It was then I realised the importance of the discovery, Anne Dambricourt Malass, a palaeoanthropologist at the Institute of Human Paleontology in
Paris who led the team, tells Down To Earth (dte).
Stone tools found at

Masol do not seem to
belong to the lithic
traditions known in
the region. (Below)
The Indo-French
team collects pieces
of the skeleton of
a giant terrestrial
turtle in a gully in
the Siwalik Hills
Later, they found two more bone fragments

with similar cut marks and collected hundreds of
animal fossils and stone tools. The fossil species belong to the transition period between two epochs,
Pliocene that ends 2.58 million years ago and the
next Pleistocene. One fossil of a giant turtle had to
be carried on a camel. Nearly 46 kg of sediments
were sent to France to study the rock layers, environmental variations and dating.
The team reconfirmed the age of the locality where the first cut-marked bone was recovered
through palaeomagnetism. This dating technique
relies on comparing the polarity of the sedimentary
rock with the earths record of changing magnetic
field. Experts studied the geology and geomorphology of the area and the speed of erosion and rivulet
incision to ascertain that the fossils and tools were
exposed recently by the dismantling of the old sedimentary layer. The sediments are getting broken
under tectonic pressure. If they (collected material) werent here at the time of deposition you could
have found them further south of this locality, says
Singh. The material is just left on the surface.
This is the first detailed, multidisciplinary work
on Masol since the 1960s, says G L Badam, former
professor of palaeontology and scientific consultant to Palaeo Research Society in India.
The bones with cut marks were sent to Paris to
study the traces on a scale of a thousandth of a millimetre (see The cutting edge, p36). Dambricourt
Malass then procured a pig foot from the market.
She cut its skin using the sharp edge of a quartzite.
The marks this experiment left on the bone were
compared to the ones on the long fossil bone. They
were strikingly similar.
PHOTO COURTESY: INDO-FRENCH RESEARCH TEAM
07/06/16 4:14 PM
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Cutting edge
How cut marks on fossil bones were verified
cutting-edge
technology in Paris to observe the marks
on three fossil bones on a micron scale and
to compare them with other marks. The
fossils included a long bone, a foot bone
and a splinter of three animals of the bovid
family that includes buffalo and bison.
The fossil marks on the foot bone were
observed using X-ray microtomography
at the AST-RX platform of the National
Museum of Natural History. It is a highperformance scanner that allows a 3D
high-resolution view from the surface
to the internal structure of the fossils. A
binocular microscope was used to look
at the surface features of the splinter.
Then 3D digital Video Microscope Hirox
helped capture 3D images of the surface
of the long bone, bringing into focus the
whole section of grooves and scratch
marks. These technologies allowed an
examination of the mineralisation of
the marks. Mineralisation was found
to be similar to that of bone tissue,
distinguishing the marks from a fresh trace
made by shepherds.
RESEARCHERS USED
The cut marks

on fossils were
first compared
with animal marks
on other fossil
bones from Masol
(carnivores, rodents)
and a collection in
Paris (bear, lion, wolf,
hyena, Panthera, wild
cat). The researchers
then created cut
marks on bones of
extant species with
quartzite stone
collected at Masol
for comparison.
Comparison of fossil (left) and experimental cut marks
First they obtained
flakes of quartzite
France. A quartzite cobble from Masol
by striking a stone with a hammer (a
was broken and its sharp edge used
quartzite cobble) on anvil (another
to cut the skin until reaching the hard
large quartzite cobble). Using this flake,
surface of the bone. The topography of
they cut the surface of long bones of a
the cut marks on experimental bones
deer skeleton collected at Masol in the
was compared to the fossil marks of
area where the tendons are attached.
the long bone. They showed the same
Next, they procured a pig foot in
shape, profile and very fine details.
Hominin in savannah
From the organisation of the cut marks and their
trajectories Dambricourt Malass is able to glean
some information about the maker of these marks.
The gestures are that of a hand-held stone with a
fine sharp edge (struck) to cut the tendons in very
precise locations and then to break the bone in order to eat the marrow, she says. A long sequence of
intentional choices and technical gestures reveals
a high level of reflexive consciousness, and a social
and cultural organisation around planned scavenging activity.
Scavenging activity is extremely rare. Asian
Pongo (orangutan) can eat small carrion of squirrel
but never do the wild chimp or Pongo create spontaneously a sharp edge in stone to cut the meat, says
Dambricourt Malass. As a specialist in palaeoneuroanatomy and palaeo-psychomotricity, I do
not need more data on the cut marks. They attest to
a level of complexity/consciousness which matches to a hominin and in no case to a wild great ape.
Tool-making is associated with members of the
Homo genus. Recent evidence shows probably their
36 DOWN TO EARTH
older relative, Australopithecus, also used tools.

The Masol hominin would have lived in a subtropical savannah among giant elephants, giraffes
and hippos; small and large buffalo and equids
(horses and related animals); and rare carnivores
like Panthera. Giant terrestrial turtles would have
occupied ponds and mud holes. At that time the
Himalayas had formed but not the Siwalik Hills
that run parallel to it. The Masol area was a floodplain of meandering rivers emerging from the
Himalayas. These calm rivers would have turned
torrential in monsoons. The researchers propose
that torrential floods might have transported cobbles from the foothills and swept away the herbivores and giant turtles. After the water receded, the
plain would have been littered with cobble beaches and cadavers. This would have attracted scavengers, among them early humans. Cobbles would
have come handy for fashioning cutting tools.
Caution, questions and imagination

But a hominin in Asia 2.6 million years ago is an
extraordinary claim. It evokes caution, even scep16-30 JUNE 2016
07/06/16 4:14 PM
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STORY
Asian
challenge
Possible stone tools
Possible stone tools found at

Pabbi Hills in Pakistan have been
dated to more than 2 million years
old. But they have been found on
eroding surface
found at Yiron in Israel are

dated to more than 2 million
years old. But very few
objects have been found
The dominant notion is that the

human lineage evolved in Africa.
Right from our last common
ancestor with chimpanzees to
the emergence of the big-brained
tool-makers (Homo) to the
modern man (Homo sapiens).
Homo erectus was the first one
to venture out of Africa a little
later than 2 million years ago
and populate Asia and Europe. A
growing number of discoveries do
not fit into this view
GEORGIA
CHINA
ISRAEL
PAKISTAN
INDIA
INDONESIA
Dmanisi hominin found at Dmanisi,

Georgia, looks like a primitive form of Homo
erectus. Earlier, the fossils were thought to
be 1.77 million years old, representing the
snapshot of migration at the very moment it
happened. New evidence showed they were
probably 1.85 million years old
GRAPHIC: RAKU / CSE
Alternative views
Siwalik Hills in India along with stone tools.

The bones are claimed to be 2.6 million
years old and cut marks attributed to
scavenging hominin. But they were found
on eroding surface, not in situ
Ways to explain the evidence that does not agree with the dominant view of human evolution
Early migration out of Africa. Several

palaeontologists now believe that the
Homo genus evolved 3 million years
ago and very soon a member of it,
older than Homo erectus, moved out
of Africa. Scientists will have to
consider whether conditions across
the migratory routes were suitable
for migration and the reason for
moving out.
38 DOWN TO EARTH
Bones with cut marks were found in
Homo evolved in Asia. A few paleontologists

propose that probably an Australepithecus
(slightly older than Homo), or a contemporary
species, migrated out of Africa much earlier and
gave rise to Homo in Asia, which then went back
to Africa. Specimens of Homo in Africa around
the time of its origin, between 2.5 and 3 million
years ago, are few. This theory explains some of
the anomalies in the Eurasian fossils but lacks
conclusive proof.
16-30 JUNE 2016
07/06/16 4:14 PM
COVER
Stone tools found at Riwat in Pakistan

are believed to be more than 1. 9 million
years old. But the collection is very small
Possible stone tools

recovered from Renzidong in
Anhui province of China are
more than 2 million years old.
Renzidong fissure was open
briefly between 2 and 2.5
million years ago. But the tools
lack clear signs of hominin
modification
Possible stone tools found in Longgupo cave

in Gansu province of China. Fresh dating of the
cave showed some of them were 2.48 million
years old. But uncertainties persist over the
chronological sequence of the site
Hobbit/Homo floresiensis found in

Flores island of Indonesia, lived till 50,000
years ago. Its brain was exceptionally small
but brain is believed to have grown bigger
in humans with evolution. It had many
primitive features, too, as if it evolved from
Australopithecus, slightly older than Homo
Early human in Asia evolved from

Asian great apes. This is an
extreme view with very few
takers, mostly in China. Some
fossil teeth and jaw bones found
in China appear ambiguous and
are attributed to either Homo
erectus or a mystery ape. But no
unambiguous fossil of human
forebears has been found in Asia.
16-30 JUNE 2016
STORY
ticism, among other palaeoanthropologists, especially because of the context in which the cutmarked bones and stone tools were found. They
were scattered on outcrops and their slopes, not extracted from an undisturbed buried layer (in situ).
Unequivocal Early Pleistocene butchery evidence,
say, in Africa and China, has usually come from excavations of archaeological layers little disturbed
since deposition, says Parth R Chauhan, Assistant
Professor of archaeology and palaeoanthropology
at the Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research in Mohali, who has also done research
in the Siwalik Hills. The geomorphology of the
Siwaliks is not similar to the large African plateau
with horizontal layers. The slopes are eroding and
rugged hills not easy to excavate.
Good thing about their study is that they got
the bones from a well-dated locality, says A R
Sankhyan, former palaeoanthropologist of the
Anthropological Survey of India and now Visiting
Fellow there. But unless you find the stone tools at
least 3-5 feet (1-1.5 metres) below the surface and
beyond the gullies, it is doubtful to call them in situ.
They must excavate the raised rock layers.
This is the next step, says Dambricourt Malass.
The team first had to understand the characters
of rock layers and the erosional process of the
Masol dome to find the best locality to excavate.
Then the priority was to study the cut marks, their
exhumation, environment and date. This is done.
Now we know the best localities to open an excavation. The Indo-French collaboration can pursue
the investigations.
Not everybody is convinced of the butchery
marks. The palaeoanthropologists DTE spoke to
said contact with naturally sharp stones and gravel and trampling by animals, can also leave similar
marks. From what I have seen (research paper), I
think the authors cannot discard that such marks
were caused by natural processes such as abrasion
or trampling. Remember these fossils derive from
surfaces where abrasive sediments, such as gravels
and clasts, are abundant, says Manuel DomnguezRodrigo, a palaeoanthropologist at Complutense
University in Madrid, Spain, who is an expert on cut
marks. More serious work is necessary before we
are convinced that the marks are genuine and that
the fossils have the age the authors claim.
Chauhan says since with great claims comes
great scientific responsibility, it would have been
better to invite neutral taphonomists and experts
on stone tool cut marks to have a look at the bones
for objective interpretations. He also points out
that pig bones were unsuitable for convincing comparisons. The fossilised cut-marked specimens
07/06/16 4:14 PM
COVER
STORY
Ìt is perfectly possible that Homo genus evolved in Asia'
ERNARD A WOOD is University

Professor of Human Origins at
the Centre for Advanced Study of
Human Paleobiology, George
Washington University, USA. He was part
of Richard Leakey's first expedition to
the Koobi Fora site in Africa in 1968. A
medically trained palaeoanthropologist,
Wood speaks to ARCHANA YADAV about
alternative views on human evolution
How do you make sense of the
emerging evidence of hominin
presence outside Asia more than 2
million years ago? Signs of hominin
activity, 2.6 million years ago, have
been reported in the Siwalik Hills of
India and the age of fossil teeth at
Longgupo cave in China was revised to
2.48 million years ago.
I was one of the people who originally
thought the Longgupo mandible might
belong to a hominin, but I am increasingly persuaded that it is a fossil of
orangutan. So I think the evidence from
Longgupo is not as compelling as some

of us initially thought.
I am not a bioarchaeologist but I
know that the people who are familiar
belong to a bovid, whereas pig bones are morphologically, dimensionally and compositionally different. While they rightly explain about avoiding
experimenting on a cow carcass in India (to respect
Hindu religions sentiments), they could have easily
butchered a buffalo carcass, he adds.
Dambricourt Malass says both pigs and bovids
are ungulates and the comparison is between homologous bones. She insists she is confident of the
age and the hominin origins of the marks.
Future investigations may shed more light on
this. As Sankhyan puts it, The actual hominid
(hominin in new classification) fossil evidence is
important to establish any claim of hominid activities on the bones. However, the new findings give
us new imagination...we work on that...thats how
we progress.
Out of Africa questioned

And imagination they do stir. Masol findings are
the latest in a growing number of discoveries that
challenge the grand narrative of Out of Africa and
force palaeoanthropologists to think outside the
box (see Asian challenge, p38). Most of these are
40 DOWN TO EARTH
with trying to analyse whether marks on

bones are produced by stone artefacts
remain to be convinced that those marks
are made by stone tools and not by
controversial stone tools found at various places in

Asia that point to hominin presence earlier than 2
million years ago. The most obvious way to accommodate them is to revise the time of first migration
out of Africa. In fact, debate has never ceased over
exactly when the first hominin left Africa and exactly which species was it.
Widely held belief is that Homo erectus, with
its big brain, long limb and sophisticated tools,
was the first eligible migrant. But the oldest Homo
erectus fossil is only 1.9 million years old. Some scientists propose it was perhaps an older hominin,
Homo habilis or Australopithecus, who first colonised Eurasia. This doubt arises because of two fossil finds: one at Dmanisi in Georgia and the other
on Flores Island in Indonesia. The Dmanisi fossils
are dated almost as old as the oldest Homo erectus
fossils in Africa. With an ape-like face and small
braincase they seem to represent the earliest form
of the species. Flores Man, nicknamed Hobbit because of its small size, is even more confounding.
It has a brain half the average size of Homo erectus
and several primitive features as if it evolved from
an Australopithecus. Some scientists who have
16-30 JUNE 2016
07/06/16 5:05 PM
COVER
natural means. This is because when

animals are trampling around they can
leave marks on bones that really look like
marks made by stone tools.
There are lots of sites in Africa where
people got very excited that they had
found what they called cut-marked
bones, and most of these turned out to
be the results of natural processes and
not human behaviour. There must be
evidence of early hominins in the Indian
subcontinent but at the moment the
evidence is few and far between.
I somehow doubt that the marks on
those particular bones from the Siwalik
Hills were made by stone tools.
Is it possible that the Homo genus
evolved in Asia?
It is perfectly possible. At the moment
everybody assumes that most of the
evolutionary novelties in relation to our
own evolution occurred in Africa, and the
forms that evolved migrated out of
Africa. I think it is perfectly possible,
depending on how you define Homo, that
Homo erectus itself might have evolved
outside of Africa and then migrated

back to Africa.
Unless we continue to entertain that
possibility we are in danger of ignoring
evidence just because it is not consistent
with the dominant paradigm that
evolutionary innovations in our own
evolutionary history largely took place
in Africa.
Could early hominins have crossed
over to Asia before 2.6 million
years ago?
There isn't a good enough evidence to
say that this is impossible. So my feeling
is that even though there is not a lot of
evidence in support of Homo originating
in Asia, we need to keep that possibility
in mind. Otherwise, when the evidence
is discovered, we are not going to
recognise it.
If we just make the assumption that
something like Homo habilis was
incapable of exploiting habitats that
would have been found in Asia then we
are in danger of prejudging the evidence.
The difficulty in palaeoanthroplogy and
studied these fossils even propose an out of Asia

hypothesis. It is feasible that Homo erectus evolved
in Eurasia from a more primitive species and migrated back to Africa, David Lordkipanidze of the
Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi has said.
Very few palaeoanthropologists entertain such
a radical shift in the story of human evolution.
Unless we continue to entertain that possibility we
are in danger of ignoring evidence just because it is
not consistent with this dominant paradigm that
evolutionary innovations in our own evolutionary history largely took place in Africa, Bernard A
Wood, University Professor of Human Origins at
the George Washington University, tells dte (see
interview).
A more open-minded approach may be preferable, whereby early Homo erectus was simply one
of several hominins that might have had the ability to disperse out of Africa at a time when environments were becoming more open, writes Robin
Dennell, a British scholar of South Asian prehistory who has done extensive research in the Pakistan
part of Siwalik Hills, in the book Out of Africa I:
The First Hominin Colonization of Eurasia. The
16-30 JUNE 2016
STORY
palaeontology is that the absence of

evidence is not the evidence of absence.
Just because there is no evidence of
Homo habilis in Asia does not mean
Homo habilis was not there.
Could Asian great apes possibly have
evolved into hominins just like African
apes did?
The problem with that hypothesis is that
the molecular evidence suggests African
great apes are much closer to modern
humans than Asian great apes. So as
much as I am willing to give Asia the
benefit of the doubt, the people who
continue to claim that modern humans
are more closely related to orangutans
than they are to the African apes are to
my mind just crazy. The evidence against
that hypothesis is so overwhelming, and
it is not just molecular evidence. There is
also morphological evidence. Anyone
who continues to support the hypothesis
that we are more closely related to the
Asian than to the African great apes is
indulging in an extreme version of
wishful thinking.
hominin in Masol could be one of these pioneers.

Or could it have evolved in Asia from an Asian
great ape? If the suggestion of the Asian origin of
Homo erectus was radical, this one borders on heresy. It involves redrawing the family tree.
View from Asia

Before the weight of fossil evidence conferred on
Africa the distinction of being the Mother continent, palaeontologists were looking to Asia as a
possible birthplace of humankind. Siwalik Hills
that span 2,400 km from the Indus river in the west
to the Irrawaddy river in the east were the focus of
attention for a major part of the 20th century. They
were yielding a dazzling array of fossil fragments of
apes, Sivapithecus and Indopithecus. Several ape
species were found in China and elsewhere in Asia.
Some Chinese scientists still believe early humans
evolved parallelly in Asia.
In 2009, two US researchers stirred up a hornets nest by suggesting that humans are more
closely related to orangutans, found only in Asia,
than chimpanzees that are found only in Africa.
Jeffrey H Schwartz, professor of anthropology at
If the Masol
evidence stands
up to scrutiny, it
will be the oldest
sign of early
humans outside
Africa, about half
a million years
before the first
hominin is believed
to have set foot
outside Africa
07/06/16 5:05 PM
COVER
STORY
Mukesh Singh, who co-led the

research team, shows a site
where he found stone tools
near Masol. Till a few decades
ago the Siwalik Hills were the
focus of attention for signs of
early humans
No hominin fossil
older than 1.85
million years is
known in Eurasia.
In Africa, the
fossil evidence
goes back to 7
million years ago,
from the earliest
possible hominin,
Sahelenthropus, to
Australopithecus
to the earliest
Homo
42 DOWN TO EARTH
Pitts School of Arts and Sciences, and John Grehan,

director of science at the Buffalo Museum, analysed
the physical features of humans, great apes and fossil apes, and published the results in the Journal of
Biogeography. Their conclusion flew in the face of
by then widely accepted common ancestry of humans and chimpanzees. A comparison of genomes
shows humans share 99 per cent of their dna with
chimpanzees and 97 per cent with orangutans. The
two researchers also questioned the basic assumption that greater molecular similarity between two
species means they are more closely related. Wood
calls such suggestions of closer links with the Asian
great apes an extreme version of wishful thinking.
Today, barring some Chinese scientists, few believe in parallel evolution of hominin. Dambricourt
Malass, however, does not hesitate to entertain
such a possibility. She looks at human evolution
from the perspective of embryogeny. She says she
has observed that the origin of erected anatomy is
the increasing complexity of the nervous system
during embryogenesis (8 weeks after fertilisation)
and not the choice to walk. In other words, it is primarily driven by internal factors rather than external environment. She has studied in detail the skull
base of apes and hominins. A key bone of the base
is the sphenoid. It is among the very first bones to
form in the embryo. Its form dictates the position
of other bones. Dambricourt Malass believes it is
the rotation of this bone at the end of the embryonic period and consequently the bending of the skull
base that has marked human evolution among primates. Each time the base of the skull has flexed it
has allowed a more vertical orientation of the central nervous system, leading to bipedality. This
started with monkeys 40 million years ago, repeated with great apes, then Australopithecus and finally Homo sapiens 0.2 million years ago. Curiously,
over the course of evolution the centre of the skull
base has changed repeatedly in the same way. As
the African and Asian great ape species inherited the same genetic memory governing the axial
embryogeny, I wonder if parallel evolution could
be possible also in Asia. Properties with ecological
stresses are maybe memorised in the sexual cells,
Dambricourt Malass says.
It is a fascinating argument. But there is no fossil evidence of early hominin in Asia. No hominin
fossil more than 1.85 million years old is known
in Eurasia. In Africa, fossil evidence of human
evolution goes back to 7 million years ago, from
the earliest possible hominin, Sahelenthropus,
to Australopithecus to the earliest Homo. Africa
has also been lucky in this respect. Formation of
Rift Valley there created an environment that favoured the preservation of hominin remains. As
Dambricourt Malass observes, The rift is a future ocean, like a book open on its fossiliferous (fossil-bearing) pageswhereas the Himalayas result
from the closure of an ocean, and are like a book
closed on its oldest history. (See Masol threatens
dominant views, p44.)
In the field of palaeontology fossil remains the
final arbiter. Unless one finds well-preserved fossils, discoveries like the one in Masol will stir imagination, but not shake up the family tree.
16-30 JUNE 2016
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Masol threatens
dominant views
Future discoveries may reveal scenarios more complicated than the linear vision of
a single cradle of hominisation in Africa, with a single sense of migration
F
ANNE DAMBRICOURT
MALASS
Paleoanthropologist, Institute
of Human Palaeontology, Paris.
She led the research at Masol
TARIQUE AZIZ / CSE
44 DOWN TO EARTH
ROM THE records of fossils and tools we know

that walker and scavenger hominins, able
to create sharp stone tools, lived in Ethiopia
long before 2.6 million years ago. I think
the question is not to know if a very old species
of Homo lived among these hominins, but how
tribes of hominin, with males and females, could
cross the Red Sea. Salty water and marine currents
form an ecological barrier, and the Arabian coast
was not necessarily visible from Africa 3 million
years ago.
Masol is in the sub-tropical zone of the
Northern Hemisphere and bears comparison with
the African Rift Valley. The cave of Longgupo in
China, 3,000 km east of Masol, is at the same latitude. There, artefacts and fossils were recovered
from a hominid settlement dated to 2.48 million
years ago. In Pakistan, 500 km west from Masol,
Robin Dennell found artefacts in stratigraphy at
Riwat, south of Islamabad. He located them relatively to the position of the magnetic pole (north
or south). Two dates are possible, 1.9 million years
ago or 2.5 million years ago. Masol and Longgupo
now allow to understand that the second date is
quite possible.
Then the diversity of great ape species was im-
portant. Fossils have been recovered along the

Himalayan foothills, in Myanmar, South China
and Thailand. In the foreland basin along the
Tibetan plateau Sivapithecus lived since 13.4 million years ago. Five species were living in the region of Masol 7-8 million years ago. Overall, it
draws a picture of a consistent biogeographic unit similar to the Rift Valley. The difference
is the tectonics. The rift is a future ocean, like a
book open on its fossiliferous pages with the oldest great apes dated to 20-23 million years ago,
whereas the Himalayas result from the closure of
an ocean, and are like a book closed on its oldest
history, with small surfaces offering, by chance,
fossil-bearing pockets.
Masol Man was a hominin. Now it will be
necessary to put in mind they could be the ancestors of more recent fossils. Other lithic assemblages in Asia belong to an evolved tradition. For
example, the hand-axes (Acheulean) dated to
1.2 million years ago at Isampur in Karnataka.
Paleanthropologists believed this is the result of
migration of Homo into Asia around 2 million
years ago.
Whatever the origins of Masol and Longgupo
Man, African or Asian, if we accept migrations
from Africa into Asia, there is no reason to reject
migrations from India into Africa during the same
period. The white of the map is Arabia. Future
hominin fossils may reveal scenarios more complicated than the linear vision of a single cradle of
hominisation in Africa with a single sense of migration since only 2 million years ago.
If the ancestors of Masol Man cannot be
African hominins, is it possible that Asian great
apes evolved like African species exposed to planetary cooling? This question concerns the evolutionary process which changed the orientation
of the nervous system common to the African
and Asian great ape species. I have studied
this question for 30 years. These
changes occurred during ontogeny
in utero.
16-30 JUNE 2016
07/06/16 4:15 PM
ANALYSIS
www.downtoearth.org.in/energy
Fall of the
black diamond
Turbulence in the global coal market suggests that India should
carefully assess its strategy to rapidly increase its coal production and
thermal power capacity
PRIYAVRAT BHATI | new delhi
SUGANDHA JUNEJA / CSE
A man carries coal from coalmining area Hazaribagh to

Ranchi. Increase in coal-based
power may be slower than
currently expected
45-48Analysis.indd 45
ING COAL appears to be in troubleat least in the US. On April

13, Peabody, the largest privately held coal miner in the US filed
for bankruptcy. Peabodys filing follows
bankruptcies of some of the largest coal
miners in the US, including Arch Coal and
Alpha Natural Resourcesthese firms are
among the four largest in the US with
around 40 per cent of the total US capacity.
Peabodys travails have followed a wellknown storylinethe rise and fall in the
global commodities markets with Chinas
demand. But they also highlight issues
which may have cautionary lessons for
Indias coal mining sector as well as its electricity generating companies.
India has embarked on an ambitious
plan to increase domestic coal production
to enhance energy security and support increase in electricity generation. Indeed, the
power minister recently announced its intentions to eliminate coal imports by 201718, except by power plants based on highcalorific value coal and by steel plants that
require metallurgical coal. The second goal
is 24x7 power for all, which can be met only
by a sharp increase in coal-based electricity generation. Coal India Limited (cil) targets increasing coal production to 1 billion
tonnes by 2020, up from 536 million
tonnes in 2015-16, to meet these goals.
But the turbulence in the global coal
markets suggests that the strategy to rapidly increase coal production and thermal
electricity capacity needs to be carefully as-
08/06/16 10:54 AM
ANALYSIS
The sustained decline of the US coal

market started in the mid-2000s, driven
largely by the shale gas revolution. Tighter
environmental standards made matters
worse for coal power plantshundreds
shut down as a result. By 2015, demand for
coal from the power sector had fallen to
739 million short tonnes (MM st), a 29 per
cent fall from the peak of 1,045 MM st in
2007 (see US coal market runs out of
steam). The US Energy Information
Administration predicts that gas will overtake coal as the leading fuel for electricity
generation in 2016.
Coal companies tried to stanch this
bleeding by doubling down. They made a
bet that demand from China and India
would continue to grow. Peabody and others took on huge debt to purchase mining
assets in Australia and elsewhere, especially mines producing higher-calorific value
metallurgical coal.
Power sector's demand for coal falls by 29 per cent between 2007 and 2015
Production
Consumption
Imports
12,000
1,000
800
-0.7%
-11.0% 5.1% -4.3%
600
-11.3% 4.0% -0.7%
-12.7%
400
200
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
Coal's share in electricty generation reduces from 50% to 32% within a decade
Coal
Hydro
Natural gas
Others
Nuclear
Non-hydro renewables
60%
50%
40%
33%
32%
30%
20%
19%
10%
8%
6%
1%
0%
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Sources: US Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review, and Short-Term Energy Outlook (March 2016)
The strategy proved to be spectacularly wrongaround the same time when the
US companies were busy buying coal
mines, Chinese commodities demand
started to cool off as its economy slowed.
China also started making attempts to
tamp down growth driven by investments
and substituting it with increased consumption. Declines in Chinas key industri-
As the demand for coal fell in both India and China, the
international coal prices sank, leaving in its wake a
string of bankruptcies of US companies
46 DOWN TO EARTH
Exports
Consumption % change
2016 forecast
Disastrous wager
US coal market runs out of steam
(in MM st)
sessed. By March 2016, the stockpile at cil

climbed to 48 million tonnes. An additional 26 million tonnes was stored in power
plants, the highest in three years, translating to 28 days of average inventory.
Meanwhile, the coal-based power capacity
surged to 185 gigawatts (GW) by March
2016, a 22 GW increase in last year alone.
Despite electricity demand growing at a
healthy rate of 7.4 per cent during 2015-16,
the plant load factor (plf), or capacity utilisation, for the coal-based power sector was
less than 65 per cent in March 2016a
sizeable portion of the thermal power sector is distressed due to low plf.
Further increase in thermal power capacityalmost 70 GW is in pipelineand
of renewables may result in continued pressure on thermal power plant plfs, which in
turn will financially strain them. The outlined scenario is not just a short-term problem; if Indias integrated energy policy is
not carefully thought through, there is a
danger that significant investments that
are planned in coal production and power
generation may be stranded.
al sectors such as power, cement and steel,

and coal demand followed suit. Simultaneously, local air pollution problems and
international climate change concerns have
forced China to act. In March 2016, Chinas
National Energy Administration announced steps that may halt the construction of around 200 power plants with a total capacity of 105 GW, The New York Times
reported. At the same time, in India, the
government made a push to increase domestic production to reduce reliance on imports. During 2015-16, Indian imports declined as cil production, responsible for 80
16-30 JUNE 2016
08/06/16 6:00 PM
47Aquaguard Ad.indd 47
march 31, 16
10/06/16 12:55 PM
ANALYSIS
Mayhem in the global coal market

Following slow growth in its economy, Chinese coal demand falls by 4.6% in 2015
10.4%
Coal
demand
2015 E
-4.6%
-0.6%
0.0%
11.3%
4.3%
Coal-fire
power
-5.9%
Cement
demand
Source: Compare Economic Data for over 120 Countries and Rhodium Group estimates
Indian coal imports decline by around 15% during 2015-16

April-March total v
previous year
(in million tonnes)
20
10
0
2014
2015
2016
Source: Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis
Between Jan'14 and March' 16, thermal coal prices fall by around 40% in Australia, a major coal exporter
90
($ per tonne)
80
70
60
50
40
Source: https://ycharts.com/indicators/australia_coal_price
which is past its useful life (typically 25

years) rather than invest in pollution control. These outcomes will influence new
thermal capacity requirement.
Finally, the generating sector can be
put on a sound growth path when the distribution companies are stabilised. The
For India, lower coal prices may bring minimal benefits

since it plans to import as little coal as possible.
Negative consequences are likely
48 DOWN TO EARTH
2013-2014
11.8%
6.2%
Steel
demand
-2.1%
7.3%
15.7%
What it means for India

For India, lower coal prices may bring minimal benefits since it plans to import as little coal as possible. Negative consequences
are likely. Under pressure from climate
change activists in the US and Europe,
some investors such as Calpers, and
Norways sovereign fund have decided to
exit from fossil-fuel investments. Global
equity markets are already skittish about
coal. In the recent past, large commercial
banks, including JP Morgan, Citibank,
Morgan Stanely and Bank of America have
announced they will cut back on financing
coalas of now this would impact developed markets but the signs are ominous for
emerging markets too.
Another issue is that Indias goal to
have 175 GW renewable capacity by 2021
and Intended Nationally Determined
Contributions targets do not seem to have
been factored into its coal production. It is
also unclear how much additional thermal
power capacity is needed over the next 5-10
years. Since a significant share of the existing capacity is financially stressed, it is no
surprise that private sector players are reluctant to start new projects. Private sector
contributed almost two-thirds of thermal
capacity installed during the Twelfth Five
Year Plan and was expected to play a dominant role going forward. Thus, a clear and
credible energy roadmap is essential to encourage continued domestic financing for
the thermal power sector.
Third, the government recently announced tighter emission standards for
coal-based power plants. Investment in
pollution abatement technology would impact tariffs and would make renewables
more competitive. Also, it may be economically advantageous to shutter capacity
2002-2012
Dec 31, 2013

Jan 31, 2014
Feb 28, 2014
Mar 31, 2014
Apr 30, 2014
May 31, 2014
Jun 30, 2014
Jul 31, 2014
Aug 31, 2014
Sep 30, 2014
Oct 31, 2014
Nov 30, 2014
Dec 31, 2014
Jan 31, 2015
Feb 28, 2015
Mar 31, 2015
Apr 30, 2015
May 31, 2015
Jun 30, 2015
Jul 31, 2015
Aug 31, 2015
Sep 30, 2015
Oct 31, 2015
Nov 30, 2015
Dec 31, 2015
Jan 31, 2016
Feb 29, 2016
Mar 31, 2016
per cent of the domestic supply, increased

to 535 million tonnes.
As the demand for coal fell in both India
and China, the international coal prices
sank leaving in its wake a string of bankruptcies of US companies. (See Mayhem in the
global coal market).
Central Electricity Authoritys latest electricity generation and demand figures show
peak power and energy deficits of 1.5 per
cent and 1.7 per cent, respectively in March
2016. The healthy headline numbers hide
the obvious factthe end user demand is
far higher but is choked by the discoms inability to purchase power.
Indias energy policy needs to address
all these issues to right size both coal mining and the coal-based power sector.
@pvrat
16-30 JUNE 2016
08/06/16 10:55 AM
SCIENCE
BYTES
DAMS
www.downtoearth.org.in/science-and-technology
Islands of extinction
pattern is emerging linking
species extinction to the construction of
hydropower dams. Researchers studied 200
islands created by the construction of large
dams across the world said these reservoirs
do not maintain the same levels of animal
and plant life found prior to flooding. These
islands undergo sustained loss of species
every year after dam construction, a pattern
otherwise known as 'extinction debt'. Biological
Conservation, July
A GLOBAL
Cool it down
Cooler roofs can reduce consumption and

expenditure even in cold environments
BIOLOGY
Domesticated, twice!
that man's
best friend may have emerged independently
from two separate (possibly now extinct) wolf
populations that lived on opposite sides of the
Eurasian continent. This means that dogs may
have been domesticated not once, as widely
believed, but twice. The team reconstructed
the evolutionary history of dogs. They also
analysed the mitochondrial DNA from 59
ancient dogs living between 14,000 to 3,000
years ago and compared them with the genetic
signatures of more than 2,500 previously
studied modern dogs. Science, June 3
RESEARCH SUGGESTS
H E A LT H
ISTOCK PHOTOS
EBUNKING POPULAR belief that cool roofs don't work
in colder climates, researchers have demonstrated

that they, in fact, provide net energy and monetary
savings. They used modelling software to simulate energy
consumption for several prototype office and retail
buildings in four cold-climate cities in North America:
Anchorage, Milwaukee, Montreal and Toronto. They cooled
down roofs by using reflective surfaces, and found that
cool roofs for the simulated buildings resulted in annual
energy expenditure savings in all municipalities. Energy and
Buildings, February 15
16-30 JUNE 2016
49S&T bytes.indd 49
Fat structure
decoded the secret
structure of fats using X-ray science. The
basic molecules that make up edible fats
are triglycerides, or three hydrocarbon
chains known as fatty acids and a sweettasting glycerol molecule. The computational
model could help us understand what makes
chocolate and cheese taste so good, and how
the taste and 'mouth feel' of yummy fats could
be mimicked in healthier alternatives. Food
Chemistry, July 15
S C I E N T I S T S H AV E
07/06/16 12:18 PM
SCIENCE
BIOLOGY
Sniffing
around
Scientists look for innovative
ways to analyse flatus gases
to understand gut health
JIGYASA WATWANI
N THE late 18th century, Joseph Pujol (stage name Le Ptomane), a
fart professional, could blow out candles and smoked cigarettes from
his posterior as part of his performances in France. In April this year,
Japan instructed tourists, especially the Chinese, to be discreet, or
avoid bodily functions such as belching or flatulence entirely, when visiting Japan.
Everyone farts in a different way at different timesthe average is 14
times a day. There is a shy variant that one tends to ignore, an ambivert fart
that makes a little noise provoking joke, and then there are the uninhibited
braggarts who are met with a disgustful smirk or a twitching of the eyebrow.
Now a team of researchers led by Peter Gibson from Monash University
and Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh from the Royal Melbourne Institute of
Technology, Australia, believe that it is time to move beyond the usual toilet humour, the shame and the disgust, and embrace flatus as they could be
a diagnostic tool to analyse a patients digestive health.
They have developed a tiny sensor that can be swallowed like a medical
pill. Through its journey from the mouth to the rectum, the sensor picks up
SORIT / CSE
50 DOWN TO EARTH
50-51Biology.indd 50
16-30 JUNE 2016
07/06/16 12:11 PM
the gases that emanate from various parts of

the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and relays the
information to a mobile phone. It also picks
up temperature readings and acidity, which
can be used to ascertain which gases are generated from which part of the GI tract.
The scientists are yet to conduct human
trials. But tests on pigs have reversed several
existing assumptions such as the effects of fibre on the gut. The tests showed that a lowfibre diet produced four times more hydrogen in the small intestine than a highfibre diet. This was a surprise. Hydrogen
is produced through fermentation. So we
naturally expected that more fibre would
equal more of the fermentation gas, says
Kalantar-Zadeh.
The paper, published in Gastroenterology in April 2016, indicates that highfibre diet produces more methane gas in the
16-30 JUNE 2016
50-51Biology.indd 51
Studies show that volatile organic compounds present

in flatus form a fingerprint or signature pattern for a
particular microorganism, which could be linked to a
particular disease
large intestine. The study cautions Irritable
Bowel Syndrome (ibs) patients against consumption of high-fibre diets, as excessive
methane is often linked to ibs. We hope this
technology will enable researchers to design personalised diets or drugs that can efficiently target the problem areas in the gut,
and help millions of people affected by digestive diseases and disorders worldwide,
adds Kalantar-Zadeh.
Breaking convention
This is not the first time flatus analysis has
received huge scientific attention. In early
2000s, Chris Probert of Bristol University
in the UK and Norman Mark Ratcliffe of the
University of West of England established
the correlation between GI diseases and
flatus composition. They found that volatile organic compounds in flatus form a fingerprint or signature pattern for a particular microorganism, which could be linked to
a particular disease.
For instance, the presence of furans in
flatus is indicative of the presence of the bacterium Clostridium difficile, while ammonia is indicative of the small round-structured virus 2, also known as Norwalk virus
or astrovirus or adenovirus. Ethyl dodecanoate is indicative of the presence of rotavirus. In 2007, Probert and Ratcliffe patented their method, which involves collection
of rectal gas in a collection chamber or associated vessel and analysing it using various
diagnostic and treatment therapies.
The other unconventional methods include measuring the amount of hydrogen in
a patients breath and comparing it with a
standard. This method, published in Gut in
2006, is based on the principle that bacteria
produce hydrogen when they are exposed to
unabsorbed food. This hydrogen is eventually absorbed by the blood and released into
the lungs. So, traces of ones flatus come out
of the mouth.
But the problem with this method is
that it does not inform where in the alimen-
tary canal a particular gas (problem) originates. Additionally, the gas is contaminated
by other gases, such as those brewed by bacteria between the teeth.
Another indirect method involves faecal sample testing. This involves keeping a
spoonful of poop in a jar and securing it with
a lid containing a sensor that detects the
molecules of gas fuming inside. Published
in PLOS One in March 2013, the paper reveals that faeces of ibs patients had significantly high amounts of organic acids, such
as acetic acid and propionic acid. But again,
this method fails to reveal the problem in the
early stages of digestion.
There are simplistic methods too: collecting a patients flatus in a rectal tube
over a few hours and analysing the samples through gas analysis techniques such
as chromatography and spectroscopy.
Michael Levitt, famously called Dr Fart,
is a researcher at the Minneapolis Veterans
Affairs Medical Center, usa, who used this
approach to cure a 32-year-old male computer programmer, who would fart 129
times per day. After treating him through
multiple treatment procedures, he finally
found that air swallowing was the cause of
increased flatulence.
Many experts say such unconventional diagnostic tools are inaccurate. The basic problem with flatus analysis is that collection is very cumbersome. Moreover, it
all falls apart if there is not more data correlating flatus gases and GI diseases, says
Dinesh Kumar Singal, a gastroenterologist at the Pushpawati Singhania Research
Institute Hospital in New Delhi.
The data suggesting correlation between disease and the gases found in a persons flatus is not very reliable. There havent
been sufficient studies to back the results of
the select few that have indeed found a correlation, adds Ajay Kumar, a gastroenterologist at Fortis Hospital in New Delhi. For
now, the fart jury is out in the open.
@jigyasawatwani
07/06/16 12:11 PM
COLUMN
H E D G E H O G TA L E S
RAKESH KALSHIAN
Undetected infiltration
Pharmaceutical drugs that we consume are travelling

through our pee and poo and contaminating water sources
O NOW even bread, the proverbial staff of life,

can imperil health. Recent revelation by the
Centre for Science and Environment that most
branded breads sold in the capital are laced with
known carcinogens has caused much alarm and dismay.
The bakers first denied it vehemently, and then went on
to promise never again to use the culpable chemicals in
their products.
Ever since farming became industrial and processed
food the staple of modern life, chemical contamination
of our foodstuff has become a clear and present danger.
But there is another, probably more insidious, world of
chemical malefactors that are slowly infiltrating our ecosystems: pharmaceuticals. What is scary is that we
know it is happening, but we choose
to look the other way. Recently, the US
Geological Survey found triclosan, an
antibacterial added to products like
soaps and toothpaste, in nearly 58
per cent of freshwater streams in the
country. Triclosan crumbles into compounds that can potentially disrupt
hormones. Three years ago, Klaus
Kmmerer, a researcher at Leuphana
University of Lneburg, Germany,
TARIQUE AZIZ / CSE
detected high levels of metformin,
the most popular anti-diabetic drug in the world, in water samples collected from sea and river water, drainage
streams, even in municipal drinking water supply. This
is worrisome as humans excrete the drug unaltered even
24 hours after popping it. Recent studies have indicted
the drug for tampering with the reproductive machinery of male minnows.
That drugs like metformin as well those that break
down into potentially harmful derivatives are vitiating
the environment is not a new discovery. Unfortunately, as
a special issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal
Society B on pharmaceuticals in the environment points
out, ecologists have examined the impact of only a sprinkling of the estimated 4,000 pharmaceuticals used across
52 DOWN TO EARTH
52Hedgehog Tales.indd 52
the world. So far, most impact studies have focused on

antibiotics and female sex hormones such as estradiol
used in contraceptives, but recent research has implicated anti-depressants such as Zoloft and Prozacsignificant portions of which are flushed unused into our waste
streamsin meddling with the biology of aquatic life.
Pharmaceuticals can also have a domino effect where
species higher up in the foodchain end up ingesting these
drugs at levels much higher than those found downstream. The mysterious decimation of vultures in India
and Pakistan a decade ago is a classic illustration of this
knock-on effect. After much speculation, it turned out
that the majestic scavengers had absorbed diclofenac in fatal quantities
from the carrions of livestock that
had been treated with this drug for
lameness and fever.
Pharmaceuticals make their
way into wastewater predominantly
via human urine and faeces. Sewage
treatment plants take care of a few (at
least in the US), but a large number
of drugs still slip through undetected.
New technologies like nanofiltration
can take care of a few more, but are
very expensive. So most of the drug
residue escape sewage plants and
landfills and find their way into our water sources.
The trouble with drugs is that they are so designed as
to remain robust on their long journey from the factory
to the drug store and eventually to the patient. A few of
them remain stable even inside the human body. This robustness, however, is the bane of the current problem as it
makes the drugs persist and accumulate in the environment, thus posing a hazard to human health.
Some researchers suggest we should nip the problem
in the bud by designing drugs that break down into benign substances in the environment. A radical idea, but,
as always, the question is: who will bell the cat? Will drug
companies do it voluntarily or will it require a new law to
make it happen?
16-30 JUNE 2016
07/06/16 12:02 PM
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10/06/16 12:55 PM
SCIENCE
POLICY
Quantity v quality
Though India is
churning out research
papers at a higher
rate, scientists are not
celebrating as yet
tribution to the global research output in the field of science and technology (s&t) has increased at an
astounding rate in recent years. Between
2009 and 2014, it has grown at a compound
added growth rate (cagr) of nearly 14 per
centthe highest in the world, says a recent
report of Elsevier, an international academ-
SORIT / CSE
JIGYASA WATWANI
IRST, THE good news. Indias con-
54 DOWN TO EARTH
54-56Science policy.indd 54
ic publishing company. The global average

cagr for s&t research output is 4.1. For the
past three years, India has also been ranked
13th among over 150 countries on the
Nature Index by scientific journal Nature.
The index analyses research performance of
institutions and countries.
Now the bad news. The publications
suggest though India churns out more research material, few make an impact.
According to the Elsevier report, commissioned by the Department of Science
and Technology to assess its own
achievement, Indias international
collaboration was only 16 per cent
of its total output in 2013; its national collaboration stood at 32 per
centmuch less than that of Brazil
(see Research breakdown). That
year, Indias citation impact was a
measly 0.75 per centthis is 25 per
cent less than the world average.
Citation count is an important
parameter to gauge the impact of a
research, but it is not always the case,
says K L Chopra, professor at the
Indian Institue of Technology (iit), New
Delhi. A paper is cited if it reports new research, phenomenon, theory, breakthrough,
product or process; or supports or contradicts some important result already published. A paper is self-cited by an author in
the form of reference of earlier workimportant or not. But even a very good paper in
an esoteric field such as pure mathematics
may not attract many citations as not many
researchers are involved in the area.
Besides, papers published in globallyreputed journals attract more citations,
and not many Indian papers are published
in them, Chopra explains.
But the data for citations implies otherwise, even if one takes into account field
weighted citation impact (fwci)the number of citation a research receives as a fraction of the average number of citations in the
same field in the year. cagr for fwci in India
16-30 JUNE 2016
07/06/16 12:13 PM
ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGERS
TRAINING PROGRAMME
August 8-12, 2016
Environmental issues like climate change, water
availability, pollution, waste generation and disposal
are commanding considerable global attention.
Industries, as a major user of raw materials
and energy and source of pollution and waste
generation, have a major role in addressing current
and emerging environmental issues. Environment
managers in industry have a challenging task to keep
industry clean, competitive and compliant with
national and international rules, Acts and treaties.
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)
had been conducting training programme to build
capacity in industry for the past two decades and has
trained hundreds of environment managers. This
year a five-day training programme is scheduled in
August, 2016 in New Delhi.
COURSE FEES
Rs 20,000
The takeaway from this training programme includes

improved understanding for participants in:
1. Identification of legal requirements under current
Acts and Laws related to the environment;
2. Roles and responsibilities of environment managers
to comply with such legal requirements and
strengthening self regulation mechanism;
3. Processes and procedures to obtain environment
and forest clearance, Consent to Establish (CTE),
Consents to Operate (CTO), authorization for
hazardous wastes and other clearances/licenses;
4. Compliance monitoring and performance monitoring
of pollution control equipment and Continuous
Emission Monitoring System (CEMS);
5. Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Management
System and its implementation;
6. Use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Market
Based Instruments (MBI) for pollution prevention
and control;
7. Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), Cumulative
Impact Assessment (CIA) and Social Impact
assessment (SIA) and
8. Implementation of sustainability management system
and sustainability reporting as per GRI G4 guidelines.
FORREGISTRATIONSmail at: nivit@cseindia.org
COURSE DURATION
August 8-12, 2016
TIMING
9.30 am to 4.30 pm
COURSE VENUE
CSE, 38, Tughlakabad Institutional
Area, New Delhi 62
LAST DATE FOR APPLYING
July 22, 2016
OPEN FOR ALL
Industry professionals such as
Environment Managers; Health
Safety and Environment Experts;
Environment Auditors; Environment
Consultants and Environment
Engineers
For details contact: Nivit Kumar Yadav, Environment Governance Unit
Centre for Science and Environment
Ph: 91-11-2995 5124 / 6110 (Ext. 251); Fax: 91-11-2995 5879
Mobile: 9968023535 Website: www.cseindia.org
55Environmental Managers Training ad (August 8-12, 2016).indd 55
10/06/16 12:38 PM
Research breakdown
What impedes quality
2009
2014
Share in global scientific

research output (%)
Brazil
Australia
India
China
the UK
USA
0
10
15
20
25
30
Share in global
citations (%)
Brazil
Australia
India
China
the UK
in 2013 was -0.4 per cent.

There is no denying that there are fundamental problems staring s&t research in
Indias face! For instance, lack of innovation
plagues Indian science. Its ranking in the
Global Innovation Index has slipped consistently, from 62 in 2011 to 81 in 2015.
Most papers from India are essentially minor extensions of the work of others. They
are only nano-increments to knowledge,
says Chopra.
Its like looking through windows others have opened but never managing to open
a window ourselves, says R A Mashelkar,
former director general of the Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research (csir).
Pathways not taken
USA
0
10
20
30
40
50
Brazil
Share of international
collaborations in
country's output (%)
Australia
India
China
the UK
USA
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Brazil
Australia
Spending on
R&D (%) of GDP
India
China
the UK
USA
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
Australia
Share of academiccorporate collaborations

in country's output (%)
Brazil
India
China
the UK
USA
0
India
Australia
Brazil
China
Global Innovation
Index Rankings
the UK
USA
0
10 20
30 40 50 60 70
80
Source: International comparative performance of India's

Research Base (2009-2014); Global Innovation Index
56 DOWN TO EARTH
54-56Science policy.indd 56
How can Indian scientists open new doors?

Recounting his personal experience, Mashelkar talks about the Kite-Flying fund he
floated in 1989-95 as director of the National Chemical Laboratory. A small budget
was earmarked for funding proof of concept studies on some out-of-the-box ideas.
On the same lines, a New Idea fund was
created by csir between 1995 and 2006,
when Mashelkar was director general.
Both initiatives yielded some top-class
research. A project on spin computing by
N Chandrakumar received a US patent.
Mashelkar suggests that we need to create
new mechanisms to trigger out-of -thebox thinking.
Unfortunately, Indias reseach and development (r&d) spending has remained
fairly constant, at less than one per cent of
gdp since 2006. In contrast, South Korea
spends nearly four per cent of its gdp on
r&d. And in such countires, industries contribute nearly 80 per cent of the total expenditure on r&d. Mashelkar says there is a
need to provide incentives such as tax exemptions to the industry to forge public-private partnerships in r&d.
Some initiatives such as csirs New
Millennium Indian Technology Leadership
Initiative (nmitli) offer hope. The largest
public-private partnership in r&d in the
country, nmitli has created 57 collaborations in diverse fields, such as agriculture
and plant biotechnology, general biotechnology, bioinformatics and pharmaceuti-
cals, chemicals and communication technology and energy. One of its achievements
is an enzyme-based biological leather processing technology to replace the highlypolluting chemical-based technology.
Experts also point out the need to build
a robust infrastructure. K VijayRaghavan,
secretary, department of biotechnology,
Ministry of Science and Technology, says the
process for the release of funds needs to improve. Our finance system needs to understand that a grant proposal is not wine. A file
does not improve with age. There are scientists and students at the other end whose
livelihoods depend on timely release, says
VijayRaghavan.
Mashelkar says bureaucracy, at least in
part, is responsible for the declining quality
of scientific research. Institutions hold scientists responsible if their experiments do
not yield desired results, which reflects in
their audit and, perhaps, the funds directed
to them. All the while, they forget that science is an exploration, unaware of the scientists desires.
Others suggest better utilisation of existing infrastructure. Y S Rajan, formerly
with the Indian Space Research Organisation and founder of organisations like the
Technology Information, Forecasting and
Assessment Council, says institutions like
iits have more than enough facilitiesa lot
of the space in these institutions is unused.
India is doing extraordinarily well in
some aspects of s&t research. Yet, we fail miserably on two counts, says VijayRaghavan.
First, we grossly underperform by not collaborating enough nationally and internationally. Second, there is little effort to implement s&t initiatives through Central or
state governments, or through other mechanisms. Scientists must also propose ambitious collaborative programmes that rise
above individual or institutional needs,
VijayRaghavan adds.
At the same time, its important to go
beyond cold numbers, and focus on how
much of the research has been useful in solving socio-economic problems. What is the
role and the contribution of corporate
India? Most importantly, have common
people benefitted?
@jigyasawatwani
16-30 JUNE 2016
07/06/16 12:13 PM
57rites 1-2-2012.indd 57
ADVERTORIAL
10/06/16 12:37 PM
D E B AT E
A QUESTION
OF CONTROL
Water is under the
I agree, but was afraid

it would provoke a
controversy. We will
start proceedings in
this direction"
Concurrent List. It
should be brought
under the Central List
otherwise our country
will be ruined"
Uma Bharati, Union Minister of Water

Resources, River Development and
Ganga Rejuvenation
Sharad Yadav, Member of Parliament
Rajya Sabha proceedings, April 27, 2016
This rare agreement

between the treasury
and the opposition
has created a ruckus
outside Parliament.
Will water as a
Central government
responsibility solve
inter-state disputes?
SUSHMITA SENGUPTA
curates a debate
among India's top
water policy
experts. Excerpts
58 DOWN TO EARTH
58-60Debate.indd 58
K J JOY
Coordinator, Forum
for Policy Dialogue
on Water Conflicts
in India
Against the spirit

of decentralisation
HE RATIONALE for
shifting water from
the Concurrent to
the Central List of
the Constitution is that this will
help the Centre to deal with
inter-state water disputes
better. But this may not be the
case. First, this is against the

spirit of decentralisation.
Second, most of the states
would not agree as this would
be seen as taking away their
powers. Third, the Centre
already has powers to
effectively intervene in
inter-state water issues and
disputes through the Interstate
River Water Disputes Act, 1956
(irwd Act) and the River
Boards Act, 1956. Our
experience with water
tribunals has been dismal, and
governments have never made
serious attempts to implement
the River Boards Act for
political reasons. There is a
need to revisit both these acts
to ascertain whether we can
streamline them and make
them more effective.
If water is moved to the
Central List, then the ambi16-30 JUNE 2016
08/06/16 6:02 PM
tious project of river interlinking

will become easier. In fact, this is
one of the primary reasons for
pushing this agenda. The
so-called surplus states are
already up in arms against the
interlinking project. So shifting
water to the Central List would
give more powers to the Centre to
push this agenda, which in any
case will not solve the problem of
water scarcity.
be local, but the implications will

be at basin level only. It is time to
think of demand management,
rather than source exploitation.
Every time there is a dispute
among the states, a tribunal is
constituted. Our aim should be to
avoid setting up tribunals. If you
create basin boards, then we can
avoid conflicts between states.
States should have a clear
understanding about their share
ASHVANI
KUMAR
GOSAIN
Head,
department
of civil
engineering,
Indian Institute
of Technology,
New Delhi
Shifting water to
the Central List will
become essential
ATER IS not a
commodity to be
handled at the
local level. It is a
complex subject, as someone
knowingly or unknowingly can
use somebody elses water. It
should be handled in a manner as
recommended in the National
Water Policy. The approach
should be at the basin level.
Shifting water to the Central
List will become essential in the
long run. No doubt, solutions can
16-30 JUNE 2016
58-60Debate.indd 59
of water. There are scientific tools

available to quantify resource
availability; to measure how
much of it is surface water; and,
how much is groundwater. Even
environmental flows can be
quantified. A demand agreement
can be worked upon.
Once water comes under the
Central List, the pollution
problem can be tackled easily.
We need to legislate for this.
We need to ensure that the river
water is clean before it leaves a
certain state and enters another
state. An adequate observational
approach needs to be put in
place, which can be done by the
Union government.
Water is a
common heritage
PHILIPPE
CULLET
HE NEED for local
regulation of water has

become more
pertinent since
groundwater extraction has
increased significantly since the
Constitution was adopted.
Cooperation among states has
become paramount since water
needs to be addressed simultaneously, both at the local and global
levels. This implies that the
Statewhether at the level of
panchayats, state or Union
levelcannot assert ownership
or exclusive control over water
because its regulation needs to
take into account its multiple
functions at multiple levels.
Ultimately, water needs to be
seen as a common heritage. At
the same time, the fact that water
is a state subject does mean that
the Union government has no
role to play; it needs to be a
subsidiary. The Waterways Act,
2016, is an assertion of this
centralisation, and this can be
done within the existing
constitutional frameworka
number of rivers have already
been given the national tag.
The real issue is how to
Senior visiting
fellow, Centre for
Policy Research,
New Delhi
08/06/16 6:02 PM
resolve conflicts arising over

allocation of water to different
uses. One of the shortcomings of
the River Boards Act is that it does
not offer a framework to solve
disputes. So each water tribunal
has to adjudicate without any
legal framework. This explains, in
part, the length of the proceedings
and the difficulty in getting
awards implemented.
M K RAMESH
Professor of law,
National Law School
of India University,
Bengaluru
60 DOWN TO EARTH
58-60Debate.indd 60
Against the grain
HE PROPONENTS of
this line of thinking,

base their argument on
the following: the
difficulty in the resolution of
longstanding inter-state water
conflicts under the existing
scheme of things and the present
practice of states, being non-uniform, discourages a national
consensus on water-sharing
principles, and a shared national
concern for conservation, and
equitable use.
This argument flies in the
face of certain systemic aberrations, institutional incapacities
and conceptual problems
inherent in legal formulations.
Much has been written about

the Constitutional difficulties in
making the law work effectively
in relation to resolution of
inter-state water conflicts. The
reference is obviously to the
Inter-State Water Disputes Act,
1956. This has, indeed, been used
as a handle for strengthening the
arguments on centralisation of
law-making power with the
Union. There is hardly any
concrete evidence available to
demonstrate, in very clear terms,
that such a route is more
desirable and effective than
trusting the states in that regard.
The problem is, essentially,
the attitude of the central bureaucracy. A message attempted to be
conveyed through this is that the
Centre has the monopoly of
wisdom, vision and direction for
better management of resources.
This, if not anything else, is
undemocratic and against the
grain of the Constitutional
evolution leading to decentralisation of not just political power,
but in the management of
resources as well, ushered
through the 73rd and
74th Amendements.
It will push
privatisation
HIFTING WATER to the

Central List will not
solve inter-state water
disputes, such as the
Mullaperiyar water dispute. In
longstanding issues like the
Mullaperiyar, the judgement of
the Supreme Court and legal
recourse taken by Kerala is
binding, even if water is shifted to
LATHA ANANTHA
River Research Centre, Thrissur

Central List. The solution lies in a
combined strategy of local water
harvesting, improving irrigation
efficiency and ecosystem-based
river basin planning for Tamil
Nadu. As for Kerala, the river
Periyar has lost much of its flows
due to dams and diversions,
which were built after the
Mullaperiyar dam. It is presently
struggling to reach the sea. The
changed circumstances over the
last 120 years since the
Mullaperiyar dam was built
compel us to take a holistic
approach towards resolving
inter-state water disputes.
Importantly, it is suspected
that such a move by the Centre is
to provide legality to the
interlinking of rivers and push for
privatisation of waterbodies.
Down To Earth
To celebrate 25 years
of Down To Earth, we
will carry a debate
every month on an
emerging issue
16-30 JUNE 2016
08/06/16 6:02 PM
Advertisement
61Chattisgarh Advt.indd 61
13/06/16 10:27 AM
WILDLIFE
www.downtoearth.org.in/wildlife-and-biodiversity
Wild bet
Gone extinct in the wild, scimitar-horned oryx are
reintroduced in their natural habitat in Chad
RAJAT GHAI | NEW DELHI
ARCH 14 was a momentous day
for wildlife conservation in

north Africa25 Scimitarhorned oryx (Oryx dammah) were released in Chad three decades
after they disappeared from the country.
The oryx had been sent by the government of the United Arab Emirates as part of
a plan to reintroduce them to Chad and
Niger, where they were wiped out in the
closing years of the last century. The initiative is a collaboration between Chads Ministry of Environment and Fisheries; the Sahara Conservation Fund (scf), a non-profit
working for Saharan wildlife; the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (ead), a uae government body; the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington; and,
the Zoological Society of London.
For now, the oryx will stay in pre-release
pens in the Ouadi Rim-Ouadi Achim Game Reserve. They would be released into the
core area of the reserve in the rainy season.
We will release them once they are acclimatised to the local conditions, climate and
food. Each animal will have a gps collar and
would be carefully monitored by satellite
62 DOWN TO EARTH
62-63Wild life.indd 62
and ground teams to assess their movements and survival, says John Newby, chief
executive officer of scf.
The scimitar-horned oryx is one of the
four distinct antelope species that constitute
the genus Oryx. The East African Oryx and
the Gemsbok are found in the south of the
African continent, while the Arabian Oryx
is found in the Arabian Peninsula. The scimitar-horned oryx is named so because its
curving horns resemble a scimitar. The
scimitar was what Europeans called any
curved sword originating in the Islamic world. Its horns were also said to have inspired
the myth of the Unicorn in Europe. Theorists reason that European travellers to
Africa in the Middle Ages might have seen
oryx with single horns, as the horns break
easily and do not grow again.
The oryx, in fact, features in the cultures
of Egypt, Greece and Rome. It is depicted in
frescoes and reliefs on tombs of the Pharaohs and noblemen in Ancient Egypt. It
was bred in captivity to be either used in
religious ceremonies or as a source of food.
Ancient Greek historian Herodotus and
Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder have
described the animal in their works. It was

primarily a hunting target for a number of
Saharan tribes, including Nedmadi of Mali
and Mauritania, Aza and Mahalbi of Niger,
and Haddad of Chad and Sudan.
Road to extinction
The scimitar oryx, which had roamed across
north Africa since antiquity, declined once
Europeans began to colonise the Sahara in
the 19th century. In the south, hunting by
the Europeans for meat, hide and most
importantly, horns, accelerated the decline.
Habi-tat loss and competition with livestock
add-ed to the problem. Ultimately, the oryx
was confined to Chad and Niger. Interestingly, the Oryx was also being bred in captivity
in several countries, including the US and
the Gulf nations, as European colonists sold
them to zoos across the globe. At that time,
no one would have imagined that the captive
animals would play a critical role in the
reintroduction of the species in north Africa.
The plight of the animal became worse
when France conquered the area now known as Chad in 1900. Six decades of colonial
French rule exacerbated the differences
16-30 JUNE 2016
08/06/16 10:59 AM
COURTESY: SAHARA CONSERVATION FUND
Twenty-five scimitar-horned
oryx were released in Chad's
Ouadi Rim-Ouadi Achim Game
Reserve this March
between Chadian populations, who are divided by geography, religion and race. There
was a civil war between northern parts,
dominated by Muslim Arab, Berber and
Sahelian people, and the Black African
south. In 1979, soldiers from Libya, Chads
northern neighbour, entered the country to
help a local leader win over his rivals. This is
when the extinction of the oryx truly began.
The Libyan soldiers ran amok across the
Sahelo-Saharan landscape, along with their
local allies, killing any animal that came
their way. By the time the Libyans were sent
home in 1987, the population of oryx was
reduced to just 500.
Chads troubles continued. In 1990, the
countrys military chief, Idriss Deby, seized
control of the country and became president. He continues to hold that position.
During this time, Chad has seen continuous
droughts and intermittent fighting. By
2000, the scimitar-horned oryx had been
declared extinct in the wild in both Chad
and Niger (where drought and over-hunting
decimated them). This is when ead and scf
began planning for a re-introduction. We
had been planning the reintroduction since
16-30 JUNE 2016
62-63Wild life.indd 63
2008, when we started a series of stakeholder and technical workshops to assess

options and interest, says Newby.
ead has been nurturing what it calls
the world herd of scimitar oryx. One of
our goals was to build a world herd of oryx
in the uae derived from zoological institutions and private collections throughout
the US and Europe, as well as different
collections within the uae, informs Justin
The scimitar-horned oryx

is named so because its
curving horns resemble a
scimitar or a curved sword
common in Islamic nations
Chuven of ead. These animals would be

mixed with those from eads own oryx
herds to ensure a genetically diverse and
healthy population, resilient enough to
survive in the wild, he adds.
The only question that remains now is
whether the reintroduced oryx can last in a
country that is still a tad unstable? The oryx
will face many challenges but we strongly
feel that the odds are in favour of a successful
outcome. It is true we will have to work very
hard to manage the risks but this is very
much what modern conservation is all about, says Newby. Oryx experts agree. This is
a very well-planned operation with long
term aims. I am confident that it will succeed, says David Mallon of the International
Union of Conservation of Nature (iucn).
If this project is successful, it will be
first time that a free-ranging population of
scimitar-horned oryx would have been
reintroduced in their natural habitat in their
indigenous range since their extinction in
the wild. This will be a truly remarkable and
historic event, says Tania Gilbert, a UKbased conservation biologist.
@Timsah_al_Nil
08/06/16 11:00 AM
COLUMN
PAT E N T LY A B S U R D
L AT H A J I S H N U
Seed revolution that lasted five days
Agriculture ministry's bravado in bringing seeds under

compulsory licensing was short-lived
OR MORE than a decade now various state govern-
ments have tried several ways to control the pricing

policy of agri-biotech giant Monsanto on its genetically modified (GM) Bt cotton seeds. Essentially,
they have tried to get the US multinational to bring down
the high royalty fees it charges for its technology, a battle
that started shortly after Bt cotton entered India in 2002.
Monsantos Indian licenceesdomestic seed companies that insert Monsantos GM technology in their own
hybrid seedshave been claiming that the royalty or trait
fee charged by Monsanto on its Bt cotton is extortionate.
Over the years, several states have
backed the domestic seed industry
by issuing executive orders fixing Bt
cotton prices, orders that were challenged by Monsanto. The confrontation came to an unexpected flashpoint on May 18 when the Ministry
of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
notified the Licensing and Formats
for GM Technology Agreements
Guidelines, 2016. These guidelines
were clearly targeted at Monsanto
and were rather sweeping in their
ambit. The notification said the licensor shall not refuse grant of a liTARIQUE AZIZ / CSE
cence to any eligible seed company and that the licence should be given within 30 days
to companies wanting to incorporate the GM trait into
their own hybrids.
The ministry cited frand (fair, reasonable and nondiscriminative) licensing terms for its order and also
capped the royalty at 10 per cent of the sale price. The
order, of course, created a sensation since the Narendra
Modi government has been stepping on eggs where intellectual property rights (ipr) are involved. It has gone out
of its way to assuage the US which has been complaining
about Indias ipr laws which, although compliant with
the World Trade Organization rules, are deemed below
Washingtons expectations.
Expectedly, the ministrys notification evoked outrage from the biotech giants. Its lobby, the Association
of Biotechnology Led Enterprises-Agriculture (able-
64 DOWN TO EARTH
64Patently Absurd.indd 64
Ag) said it was indicative of the governments intention

to disregard research and innovation and thereby not
protect intellectual property in the sector. The licensing
rules, the industry felt, were tantamount to unrestricted compulsory licensing since innovator companies had
been left with no choice whatsoever.
able-Ag is composed primarily of multinational
seed firms and its clout cannot be gainsaid. Within five
days, the order was practically withdrawn with an official press release saying the notification will be put in
the public domain for 90 days for comments from all
stakeholders. Agriculture Minister
Radha Mohan Singh was clearly on
the back foot when he insisted in a
newspaper interview that it was not
a rollback but was intended to get
wider suggestions.
While the confrontation over
the past decade has primarily been
between states and Monsanto, the
Modi regime has been taking on the
mnc frontally. The May notification comes on the back of a series of
measures to curb the huge trait fees
charged by Monsantos Bt Bollgard
I and II varieties. So far there has
been an inquiry by the Competition
Commission of India into Monsantos licensing practices and more significantly a Cotton Price Seed Control
Order issued in December 2015 which slashed the royalty payable to the biotech giant by 74 per cent. What has
prompted these measures is the whopping profits that
Monsanto earns on its Bt cotton patent. In 2013 alone it
earned R685 crore in fees.
Some bjp ministers have taken the nationalist or
swadeshi line advocated by some outfits belonging to the
partys ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh (rss). The agriculture minister appears to have
been persuaded by leading domestic company Nuziveedu
Seeds which has been vigorously pushing frand terms.
Nuziveedu is one of the top franchisees of Monsanto. At
the end of 90 days we will know which of these lobbies is
more powerful.
16-30 JUNE 2016
08/06/16 2:51 PM
Training programme
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nvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an important tool for decisionmakers, regulators and stakeholders to understand the potential impacts
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Centre for Science and Environment is conducting a five-day training

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sector-specific EIA for mining, thermal and cement sectors specified under
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The training inputs to participants would improve their understanding of:
1. Screening and scoping of the study, including identification of legal
requirements and formulation of ToR
2. Understanding relevant baseline data to be collected (primary and secondary)
and the methodology of data collection
3. Interpretation of data to assess assimilative capacity of the study area
4. Impact and risk assessment of project activities
5. Mitigation and monitoring plan
6. Environment Management Programmes (EMP)
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8. Public Hearing
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65GRP EIA Course ad July 4-8, 2016.indd 65
10/06/16 12:37
may31,16,
BCPM
LAST WORD
CIVIL LINES
R I C H A R D M A H A PAT R A
GDP obsession
If the growth rate is so great, why are the poor not

getting a taste of it?
AST FORTNIGHT , just before Prime Minister

Narendra Modi embarked on his five-nation
foreign tour, India celebrated a contemporary
superlative: the fastest growing large economy in
January-March quarter of this year with a gross domestic product (gdp) growth rate of 7.9 per cent. Politically,
and also for Indias global image makeover, this is a great
news. This news was preceded by the bjp victory in Assam
and a forecast of a normal monsoon. And Modis much
perceived capacity to turn around the country is
finally in public display. For him,
economic growth, measured only
through gdp growth rate, is all
about his performance. This is
understandable given that in the
era of neo-liberalism, gdp is the
sacred mantra.
But it turns out the world is
having doubts over gdp, even
though hesitantly. First, experts
questioned the Indian gdp growth rate. Many of them, after
questioning the methodology, put
the growth figure at around
3.5 per cent, a bit higher than
TARIQUE AZIZ / CSE
Indias infamous Hindu growth
rate. Caught unawares, the government and the countrys top statisticians had to scramble to defend the figure. But judging from their interactions with the media,
it is clear that we dont have a robust system of measuring growth. T C A Anant, Indias chief statistician, admitted that imperfect information on gdp was better than
no information. Would you rather walk with your eyes
shut or with a pair of spectacles which are very dirty?
Anant asked a restless media. The answer is often that
you will wear spectacles which are dirty.
The world is increasingly questioning this dirty indicator of economy. gdp is a deeply foolish indicator of
how were doing economically. It measures the gross volume of monetary transactions in the economybut it
doesnt care what the money got spent on, and it doesnt
66 DOWN TO EARTH
66Last word.indd 66
care about the elements of our economic wellbeing that

come to us without a price tag, says US-based economist
Eric Zencey, who is championing an alternative to gdp
called Genuine Progress Indicator (gpi).
There is also a growing demand to tone down our obsession with gdp as a measure of economy. Another significant development happened during this time. And it
came from the champion of free economy, the International Monetary Fund (imf). In a report titled
Neoliberalism: Over-sold? the imf conceded that this
economic model has failed in triggering economic growth. Rather it
has increased inequality. This observation is important because it
supports the demand for a new
measure of growth. Once gdp is
junked as an indicator, the real picture will come out.
In fact, there have been sporadic debates on the issue. For instance
in 2011, the Uttarakhand High
Court admitted a public interest petition on adding the states environmental value to the usual gdp calculation as the latter was hardly
reflected in the forested states economy. There is a trend globally to green the gdp or to include environmental factors into gdp measurement. This
points out the faulty ways of assessing the economy
through gdp. Many states in usa, such as Maryland and
Vermont, are seriously experimenting with alternative
such as the gpi.
It is imperative we adopt a new economic indicator.
India is an informal and subsistence economy with natural resources like land and forest accounting for 60 per
cent of peoples livelihoods. gdp, by design, does not include this in its calculation. It also doesnt include costs of
environmental degradation which impact the livelihoods
of Indias poorest. That could be the reason the poor are
yet to get a taste of this astounding growth.
@richiemaha
16-30 JUNE 2016
07/06/16 4:26 PM
DownToEarth
We are turning 25 with a bang!

Celebrate this milestone with us.
Tell us what you want to read about
in the magazine. Or let us know what
topic interests you and we'll organise
a lecture.
Get ready for a year of insightful
reporting, book releases, lectures,
festivals and more. Get ready for a
year of Down To Earth, your way!
Contact at:
editor@downtoearth.org.in
67DTE 25 years ad.indd 67
Engage with us at:

@down2earthindia
@down2earthindia
10/06/16 1:25 PM
R.N.I. NO. 53588/92 POSTAL REGN. NO. DL(S)-17/3109/2015-2017
ISSN 0971-8079. Licensed to Post without Pre-payment U(SE)-44/2015-2017 at Lodhi Road HO,
New Delhi-110003. Published on 14-15 every month. POSTED ON: 16-17 of the same fortnight.
Training programme on
CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY PLANNING
AND IMPLEMENTATION
COURSE FEES
Rs 10,000 for CSR Foundations,
Companies, Public Sector
Undertakings, Consultants
Rs 7,500 for academicians, NGOs and
researchers, Rs 5,000 for students
Note: Accommodation can be arranged
nearby the training centre, would incur
extra charges
COURSE DURATION
July 11-13, 2016
TIMING
10.00 am to 5.30 pm
COURSE VENUE
CSE, 38, Tughlakabad Institutional Area,
New Delhi 62
July 1, 2016
OPEN FOR ALL
CSR practitioners, officials from
companies, PSUs, consultants,
academicians, students, NGOs
Selection will
be done on first
come first
basis
entre for Science and Environment (CSE) recognisesCSR as a key business

process that helps organisations demonstrate their commitments to being
socially responsible. In fact, after the amendment of Companies Act in 2013
and promulgation of CSR Rules in 2014,addressing and reporting CSRperformance
has become mandatory.
This training programme is designed based on the provisions of the Act and
Rules. The training programme aims at giving practical exposure to participants on
CSR with specific reference to the regulatory framework, formulating CSR strategy
and policy, stakeholder engagement, methodologies for implementation, performance
evaluation and statutory reporting.
The objective of the programme is to build a cadre of CSR leaders and professionals
who would assist in effective development and implementation of CSR activities
of organisations for the benefit of communities as well as business. This training
programme will be relevant and effective for CSR heads, senior and mid-level
managers, CSR practitioners and implementation partners, NGOs, etc.
What participants would learn?
1. Regulatory Framework for CSR
Companies Act 2013 and CSR Rules 2014
International guideline and best practices
2. Developing CSR Policy
SWOT Analysis and Identification of Major Risks & Opportunities
Developing Strategy and CSR Policy
3. Stakeholder Engagement
Identification of Stakeholder
EngagementSocial Need Assessment
Prioritisation of Key Issues
4. CSR Planning and Implementation
Participatory Planning
Implementation (Social and Gender Inclusion)
5. Monitoring, Measurement and Evaluation
6. Grievances Redressal (Processes and Practices)
7. Guidelines for CSR Reporting
Training MethodologyLectures, case studies, class room exercises, discussions and
role plays
For registration: Kindly email at: digvijay@cseindia.org

For details contact: Digvijay Singh, Sr. Research Associate, Industry and Environment Unit

Ph: 91-11-2995 5124 / 6110 (Ext. 204); Fax: 91-11-2995 5879
Mobile: +91 9891921959, +91 9899676027 Website: www.cseindia.org
68GRP CSR Course July 11-13, 2016 (digvijay).indd 68
10/06/16 12:34 PM
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