Citizens' Rights and Duties
To Sir, with love and belief
Posted on 15 Oct, 2018 02:26 PMDr G.D. Agrawal passed away on October 11, 2018. He was 86 years old. But he didn’t die of old age. After 111 days of fasting, he died of a heart attack. Why was he fasting? We will come to that in a while.
State of drinking water supply schemes in Rajasthan
Posted on 11 Oct, 2018 11:24 AMOn March 16, 2017, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India began a performance audit of the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) by discussing with the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation the scope and methodology of the performance audit. Records relating to the implementation of the programme in 27 states for the five-year period (2012 to 2017) were examined.
Swachh Bharat Mission: It’s all about numbers
Posted on 02 Oct, 2018 11:06 PMWe have just a year to go for Swachh Bharat Mission’s (SBM) deadline of making India open-defecation free (ODF). In the last four years, the government has built 86.08 million toilets (as on September 26, 2018) throughout the country as a part of this flagship programme on providing safe sanitation to all by October 2019.
Kerala floods and after
Posted on 27 Sep, 2018 05:11 PMEvery time there is a huge flood in India with massive loss of lives and extensive physical damage, there is a hue and cry. Especially, if this takes place in an area not normally prone to such floods. Assam and Bihar, for instance, are regularly laid waste by floods and so, there is not much agitation over that anymore.
Jaundice grips Raipur
Posted on 20 Sep, 2018 04:09 PMThe family of Somesh Manikpuri of Amasivani colony in Raipur is still in shock of his sudden demise from jaundice in May this year. Six similar deaths have been reported from Raipur since April 2018. Memsingh Chandrakar, a resident of Naharpara, another locality in Raipur, was also affected by jaundice in May.
Delhi stands up for its trees
Posted on 20 Aug, 2018 11:28 AMRecently, Delhi saw an urban Chipko movement of sorts with the people coming out in large numbers with a single agenda—save the last of the trees left in the city. In the famous Chipko movement of 1973, local communities in Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand emblematically embraced trees to demand an end to deforestation through forest exploiting contractors.
Maharashtra’s plastic ban: Another missed opportunity?
Posted on 09 Aug, 2018 11:03 AMThe recent plastic ban in Maharashtra has opened a can of worms and has raised many uncomfortable questions—about the setting of rules with clarity and foresight, better research to understand the challenges in implementing them and the role of citizens in making it a success.
The Mahanadi tussle: Why Chhattisgarh and Odisha spar
Posted on 08 Aug, 2018 05:08 PMThe interstate dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh over the Mahanadi's water is an ongoing one and it looks like both the state governments have no interest in finding a long-term solution.
Toxins on our plate
Posted on 08 Aug, 2018 03:45 PM“The recent scare due to the detection of formalin-laced fish across Goa, Kerala, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya points to a link between water quality and food safety. Fish traders find it cost-effective to use formalin, a carcinogen, instead of ice to prevent the decomposition of fish during transportation to distant markets.
Trash out: People get together to clean the Himalayas
Posted on 06 Aug, 2018 10:50 AMMy first trek in the Himalayas was a transcendental experience. Even a decade after, I remember the intense beauty of every vignette I came across. That’s why I was excited about the Himalayan Cleanup, held on May 26 this year.