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~0~Cf51~
Government of India
~~nCJT
Central Water Commission
~ q,qT~lIlO1~&01 ~~~
Flood Forecast Monitoring Directorate
Tele/ Fax: 011-26106523,26105274 e-rnail : fmdte@nic. in, ffmcw,:} Fll I.
Room No. 5th Floor(S), Sewa Bhawan,
R.K. Puram, New Delhi-110066.
Hindustan Times ( Delhi) ~ssam Tribune ( Guwahati ) The Deccan Hearld ( Bengluru ) .,.f5~ CI~RI ( m0:~1) The Times of India ( Mumbai ) The Deccan Chronical ( Hyderabaa ) The Tribune ( Chandigarh ) The Telegraph ( Kolkata ) Central Chronical ( Bhopal) The Hindu ( Chennai ) F$
V#1'idustan Times ( Delhi) The Assam Tribune ( Guwahati )
zsrxr (' (~ The Deccan Hearld ( Bengluru )
d-:'~~ 13("211)
The Times of India ( Mumbai ) The Deccan Chronical ( Hyderabad )
The Tribune ( Chandigarh ) The Telegraph ( Kolkata ) Central Chronical ( Bhopal)
The Hindu ( Chennai ) %""$~IOi ( qccilT )
Monsoon not over yet, rain
expected over the weekend
t ff.T..c:.«>'rJ:~.~fI.~ ,
• htroporters@l;ndustantimes.oom
Monsoon withdrawal dates
Year Delhi Rajasthan
NEWDELHI:Ifthe present dry spell
has given youanimpression that 2017 October 10 September 27
monsoon is over, then you are 2016 October 11 October 7
mistaken. The IndiaMeteorologi- I
2015 Sep 30 September 28
cal Department has said mon-
soon is far from over and Delhi is 2014 October 4 September 23
likely to witness another wet 2013 October 18 September 9
spell over the weekend.
"We are expecting another received a single drop because of The maximum relative humidity
spell of rain between October 21 which the mercury level is rising. was 89%.The combination ofheat
and 25.A low pressure that has While the maximum tempera- and humidity is making matters
developed over the Bay ofBengal turewas recorded at 31.5degrees worse ," said the official.
is likely to move westwards and CelsiusonOctober9,ithasrisen "But once the rain hits Delhi,
reach northwest India during to 34degrees on Monday. the mercury level is expected to
that period. It is likely to trigger Meteorologists said the rising drop again," said an IMDofficial.
some rain in Delhi and other heat index is adding to the dis- Officials said therain expected
parts of NCR," said BP Yadav, comfort level and making the to hit Delhi over the next few days
deputy directorofIMD. weather muggy. Heat index or is a part of the monsoon, which
Delhi had last received rain on 'humiture' is a measure of how usually starts retreating from
October 9. The Safdarjung sta- hot it really feels when relative Rajasthan by the third or last
tion, considered to be a represent- humidity is factored in with the week ofSeptember. It withdraws
ative of Delhi's weather, regis- actual air temperature. from Delhi around the first week
tered 5.8mm rain on that day. "The maximum temperature ofOctober. "Wehave not spotted
But since then, over the past on Monday was recorded at 34.1 any withdrawal symptoms ofthe
eight days, the city hasn't degrees Celsius, which is normal. monsoon yet," said Yadav.
------
m'J"l/cB 17·09'2() fa
............ '"
Hindustan Times ( Delhi)
'OfOWf"?(f ~ ( m~~) The ~ssam Tribune ( Guwahati )
The Deccan Hearld ( Bengluru )
The Times of India ( Mumbai )
The Tribune ( Chandigarh ) The Deccan Chronical ( Hyderabad )
The Telegraph ( Kolkata )
~Hindu ( Chennai ) Central Chronical ( Bhopal)
i%a-§ \kif Cif ( QGCifT )
Pleasant weather likely
to continue in city
Some areas may have rain, say officials
r-
Respite from heat: Several areas in the city witnessed rains on Sunday. A scene from Anna
Nagar East in Chennai, oM. VEDHAN
The rainfall occurred due to
STAFF REPORTER
CHENNAI
Q Nungambakkam convective activity, officials
After days of humid weather, recorded 0.8 em of said.
the city received thunder- rain, while Nungambakkam record-
showers on Sunday. Resi- Meenambakkam ed a maximum temperature
dents can look forward to registered 3 em of 37.3 degrees Celsius and a
enjoying the pleasant weath- MET DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS minimum of 25 degrees Cel-
er on Monday too, as rain is . sius. In Meenambakkam, it
likely to continue. Nagar, Thoraipakkam, Roya- was 36.3 degrees Celsiusand
The sky will be cloudy pettah and Kodambakkam 24.3 degrees Celsius respec-
and some areas in the city received sharp spells of rain. tively.
may get rain or thunder- Many areas had heavy winds Some areas of Tamil Nadu
showers, officials in the Me- and rain with thunder and and Puducherry may receive
teorological Centre said. lightning. heavy rainfall. On Sunday,
On Sunday afternoon, While Nungambakkam re- Tiruttani, Puducherry and
several areas in the city like corded 0.8 em of rain, Mee- Vellore got the maximum
Anna Salai, Arumbakkam, T. nambakkam received 3 em. rainfall of 3 cm.
Central Water Commission : ."
Technical Documentation Directorate
Bhagirath(English)& Publicity Section
West Block II, Wing No-5
R K Puram, New Delhi - 66.
Dated I'B· q ,~()ff '
Subject Submission of News Clippings.
The News Clippings on Water Resources Development and allied subjects
are enclosed for perusal of the Chairman, ewc, and Member (VVP&P/D&R/RM),
Central Water Commission. The soft copies of clippings have also been uploaded on
the CWC website.
. jp~.\~'
10\ \~.q
~ ,
S A (Publicity)
Encl: As stated above.
De ut Director TO Dte,~& P
Dte
~--I 19 1
For information of Chairman &Member (WP&PID&R/R.M.). CWC and all concerned,
uploaded at www.cwc.nic.in
News item/letter/article/editorial published on _(--".8=-
News item/letter/article/editoria! published on lB. ()9. 2()18 in the
Hindustan Times Nav Bharat Times (Hindi) M.P.Chronicle
State s rn an Adj \ii!!\u.!]
The Times of India (N.D.) The Hindu Indian Nation
Indian Express Rajasthan Patrika (Hindi) -Nai Duniya (Hindi)
Tribune Deccan Chronicle The Times of India (A)
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Herald Business standard ~
and documented at Bhagirath(English)& Publicity Section, CWC.
/Horticulture challenge
Govt needs to playa more proactive role /2 S _/ (
he agriculture ministry's latest crop estimates for 2017-18,which indi-
_"'1'1''""'1::
catethat the output of horticulture has outsttlpped that of foodgrains
for the sixth year in a row, also unfold some significant emerging
trends in agriculture that call for pertinent policy responses. A notable
pointin this data is thatwhilethe foodgrain harvest has been oscillating, dipping
markedly during the back-to-back drought years of2014 and 2015,horticulture
has maintained a steady uptrend, regardless of the monsoon's performance. The
area under vegetables, fruit and other horticultural products, such as spices,
herbs, flowers and plantation crops, has also been expanding. Clearly, agricul-
ture has begun to diversify with farmers and farm land shifting gradually to rel-
atively lucrative and quick cash-yielding fruit and vegetable farming. This is a
desirable drift that needs to be sustained. Horticulture, together with livestock
husbandry and fisheries, comprises the high-value segment of agriculture,
which, if prompted to grow to its potential, can mitigate farm distress.
This trend assumes significance also because it has come about without
much official backing. Had the same kind of attention been paid to horticulture
as has been the case with foodgrains, India could have become the world leader
in this field. At present, India's share in the globalbazaar of fresh and processed
fruit and vegetables is meagre though even today the country is the wor1d's sec-
ond-largest producer of these items. Horticulture needs to be promoted for
another reason as well. Thanks to gradual rise in income levels>the consumption
of and, hence> demand for fruit and vegetables are growing while those for cere-
als are on the slide. Admittedly, priority to foodgrains was justified in the past to
combat widespread hunger. This goal has, more or less, been achieved. So
emphasis should now shift to augmenting the availability ofrelatively nuttltious
fruit and vegetables to alleviate malnutrition, which still persists.
This can be done by providing assured marketing at remunerative prices for
horticultural producethe way it isproposed for many other crops. Equally impor-
tant is to facilitate the development of post-harvest value chain of cold stores,
refrigerated transportation and processing of perishable horticultural products.
Promoting organised retail with backward linkages with growers can also help pro-
vide assured marketing at reasonable prices. Unfortunately, none of the fruit or
vegetables figures in the present list of over 20 farm commodities for which the
minimum support prices are routinely announced by the government. Itis imper-
ative to include in this list some key fruit and vegetables, notably the three main
mass-consumed kitchen staples - tomato, onion and potato (dubbed quite apt-
1yas TOP).These are the crops whose production and prices fluctuate the most.
In 2017-18,too, the output of these commodities registered a decline, bucking the
overall uptrend in horticulture production. The absence of stable import-export
policies concerning these rapidly decaying products 1spartly to blame for their
price volatility. Though a price stabilisafionfundforperishable farm produce exists
for years, it serves little purpose because of its meagre corpus and shoddy admin-
istration. It is time the government realised, the need to create a prudent and
4 longer-lasting policy environment to let the output of key vegetables and fruit
Covering L., YI
move in tandem with their demand in the domestic and export markets.
Otherwise, the welcome trend offarm diversificationmay not endure. -
News itemlletter/article/editorial published on /8,09. Ro 18 in the
Hindustan Times Nav Bharat Times (Hindi) M.P.Chronicle
Statesman Punjab Keshari (Hindi) Aaj (Hindi)
The Times of India (N.D.) The Hindu Indian Nation
Indian Express Rajasthan Patrika (Hindi) Nai Duniya (Hindi)
Tribune Deccan Chronicle The Times of India (A)
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Herald Business standard
and documented at Bhaqirath(Enqlish)& Publicitv Section, cwe. ECONOMIC TIN!? S
WWWECONOMICTIMES.COM
Economy: Macro, Micro & More
Jr
I I . ~~~:;Ia'~~~ty "I. ti~_~'J, , .. " ~:-:' .: q N~ ~I""
Countrywide ~ II .. """,II ,"nf,II over northern It' ~t Highest~a~ barrll~~11,11/
1I . recorded
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.
rainfall since
June t
remainedJ
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;
~ :~:I~~= on Mone'''Y
Mostofeastern&
plains likely to II;
Increase Friday
d .
emp r ur~recor ~
!.
at 38.5 Celsiusrn
coastal Andhra
"
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, Uttarakhand,
~_ to remain
dry over
" "'", 9% below / I northeastern states, onwar~ .. .,.:, :.. I.onsoncev . .,. ,next2days
normal I;, ';// G~Ja~;:C~~da:J:~~:~ ~'-I/t~' _'.'
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Increased rainfall activity likely
DefJClentralnsrecorded'~/1f ninHofar
. ever arxeeea ot tne ) I . /. ,./ over Central & adjoining peninsular
. ( 'countrysfnceJuneli "- India between September 21 and 2S
~ ) ..., .
News itemlletter/article/editorial published on IB,09. ::2(}!'3 in the
· (H' di) M.P.Chronicle
Hindustan Times Nav Bhara t T irnes In
Statesman Punjab Keshari (Hindi) Aaj (Hindi)
· d Indian Nation
The Times of India (N.D.) The H In u
. h P trik (Hindi) ·Nai Duniya (Hindi)
Indian Express Rajast an a n a
. I The Times of India (A)
Tr ibune Deccan Chronic e
ld Business standard
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Hera THE £(O/'lOt!/C 'Tftf8 $. V
and documented at Bhaqirath(Enqlish)& Publicity Section, CWC .
•.
-'.,1tmmlllllllnllllJlllllllllllllt,II,.I •••..•.._~_
,~pot Power Prices
Hit Record High ~1
of~4.08 per Unit
against sell bids .ofJ.92 MU in
sarita5ingh@timesgroup.com Monday's trading. Spot mar-
ket prices .in the peak hours
New Delhi: Spotelectricitypri- rose to~9.61 per unit whileihe
ces in the country soared to are- averagewasl1igh at
News item/letter/article/editorial published on IB·O 9. !!2018 in the
Nav Bharat Times (Hindi) M.P.Chronicle
Hindustan Times A . (H' di)
Punjab Keshari (Hindi) aj 1n.1
Statesman Indian Nation
The Times of India (N.D.) The Hindu '.
Rajasthan Patrika (Hin-di)·Nai Duniya [Hindi)
Indian Express Deccan Chronicle The Times of India (A)
Tribune Business standard~
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Herald
and documented at Bhaqirath(Enqlish)& Publicity Section, ewe .
•
r
a e
&ANJEEB MUKHERJEE Alikelywesterndisturbance fall in the first half ofthem on-
New Delhi, 17September over north India during the soon, but in others the condi-
weekend might cause heavyto tions are staring at a drought.
new low pressure over very heavy showers in a few The data also showed that
A the Bayof Bengal and a
western disturbance are
ikely to further delay the with-
places, including New Delbi.
"Heavyto veryheavy rain is
likely over north India from 23
out of the 662 districts, the
monsoon wasnormal in 62per
cent of them between June 1
irawal of the southwest mon- September... Allstates must be' and September 16.In the rest,
soon this year and cause rain- warned for flooding," Jatin it was deficient.
'all over north India over the Singh, chief executive officer. Encouraged by the late
veekend. The rains were sup- of private weather forecasting withdrawal of monsoon, sow-
iosed to retreat from agency Skymet, tweeted. ing of kharif crops has also
;eptember 1. Till September 17, the picked up pace and crossed
The revised forecast said southwest-monsoon has been lastyear's level - almost 1per
he monsoon withdrawal Heavy rainfall is expected over northern India, including in 9 per cent below normal with cent more than the area sown
vould start from September New Delhi, during the weekend rains deficient in 12 of the 36 in 2017.
0-12. Now, it seems this will meteorological sub-divisions. Waterlevelsin the 91major
akelonger. withdrawing from early withdrawal has been delayed. Theseinclude westRajasthan, reservoirs across the country
. "The withdrawal will not September from western The delay might aide plant- Saurashtra,Gujarat,north inte- were also at a comfortable131
tart this week," India Rajasthan. The process is usu- ing of rabi crops, but if the rior Karnataka, Rayalseerna, per cent more than last year
1eteoroiogicaI Department ally complete by end-October, showers-aremore-than expect- Bihar, Jharkhand, and the and 114per cent of its 10"Year
lMD) Director General X J signaling the end of the four- ed they might cause damage entire Northeast India. ·average. This should also
:amesh said. month season that starts in to the standing kharifharvest, In IIianyparts, the deficitis augur well for the rabi sow-
The rains usually start June. For the past few years, particularly croJ?ssown late. largely on account oflowrain- Ing season.News item/letter/articleleditorial published on 18,09. ::20/8 in the
Hindustan Times Nav Bharat Times (Hindi) M.P.Chronicle
Statesman Punjab Keshari (Hindi) Aaj (Hindi)
The Times of India (N.D.) The Hindu Indian Nation
Indian Express Rajasthan Patrika (Hindi) Nai Duniya JHindi)
Tribune Deccan Chronicle The Times of
India (A)
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Herald Business standard~
and documented at Bhagirath(English)& Publicity Section, CWC.
'b~r \News item/letter/article/editorial published on~B ' O~. /2018 in the
Hindustan Times Nav Bharat Times (Hindi) M.P.Chronicie
Statesman Punjab Keshari (Hindi) Aaj (Hindi)
The Times of India (N.D.) The Hindu Indian Nation
Indian Express Rajasthan Patrika (Hirtdi) Nai Duniya (Hindi)
Tribune Deccan Chronicle The Times of India (A) ~
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Herald Business standard~
and documented at Bhaqirath(Enqlish)& Publicitv Section, CWC.
power ore ase
Non MUKUl&5HREYAJAI Me.. #" , ~ the open market and 2DY
New Delhi, 17September •Y under-recovery would be char-
ged to the distribution compa-
At a time when demand con- ny.1fpower is sold at a premi-
cerns have dogged the power um, theprofit would be divided
sector, Power Trading Corpo- equally between discom and
ration (PTC) is playing the role thegeneratingfinn. The arran-
of an aggregator and bas suc- gement would be different
cessfully completed bidding for from the normal powerpurcha-
1,900 Mw of short-term power se pact under which a discom
contracts. Simultaneously, it is pays:fixed charge even if itdoes
looking for a second tranche of not drawthe contracted power.
powerprocurement andis pla- Power under this mecha-
nning to go the whole hog into nism would be mostly from
trading through power excha- stressed power assets belong-
nge in tie-up withlCICI and ing to RKM PowerGen,
ESE. . Jaiprakash ASsociates, IL&FS
TN, Telangana, Haryana, andMB Power. With the fate of
Punjab, Jbarkhand and Bihar these assets hanging and there
arelikelyto signthe power sales being high chances of them
agreement (PSA) for the first landing in insolvency tribunal,
tranche ofl,900Mw, for which there is a question mark on
PTC has aggregated bids. signing of contracts.
"Through the use of schedul- Amitabh, however, said sale
ing, wewill able to caterto the of plants under insolvency
demand of the state without should not be an issue. "1 don't
the power plant "Suffering. see any difficulty in signing.1f
Within a month, the final PSA an exemption is required, we
should be signed," PTC Chai- Will ask the government" he
rmanandMDDeepakAmitabh said. Accordingto him.the fact
said in an interview with was that no financial closure
Business Standard. The pact for coal-based power plant has
would be for threeyears with a taken place in the last three-
composite charge and just 1 four years though coal contin-
paise fixed chargein the tariff. ued.to be important as base
At 55per cent plant load factor load. "Over aperiod of time, as
(PLF), states would be buying new refineries and other indus-
power at ~4.:i4akilowatt an try come up, demand will
hour (unit), said Amitabh. grow." For the volume of sec-
Further, every 5 per cent ond tranche, he said 2,000-
increase in PLF would get a 1 3,000 Mw is the sweet spot
per centdiscountin tariffunder where there is always a
the agreement. In case PLF demand.
•Covering L., VIS
goes below 55per cent the dif-
ferential power would be sold More on business-standard.com
_.._ _ -..- - - -..-.~..- - --.-.="'=-'-~.~ -rial published on 18·09. POlS in the
Hindustan Times Nav Bharat Times (Hindi) M.P.Chronicle
Statesman Punjab Keshari (Hindi) Aaj (Hindi)
The Times of India (N.D.) The Hindu Indian Nation
Indian Express Rajasthan Patrika (Hindi) ·Nai Duniya (Hindl)
Tribune Deccan Chronicle The Times of India (A)
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Herald Business standard
and documented at Bhagirath(Enqlish)& Publicitv Section, ewe.
India can, and must, tac~~
the problem of hot cities 'i\
South Asia has a unique opportunity to show the rest of '
the world the way to providing cooling access for all
One example to emulate is Almeria, Spain,
which has a unique tradition ofwhite wash-
ingits greenhouses. Remarkably, based ona
20-year study compar:ing weather station
data, researchers found that Almeria cooled
downbyO.4°CcomparedtoaO.3°Criseintem-
peratures in surround:ing regions lacking
whitewashed greenhouses. An alternative
strategy is the introduction of "green roofs,"
he:intenseheatwave that has struck wbichinvolves the planting ofvegetation on
SouthAsia:inthelastfewmonthshas roofs, wbich also reduces urban tempera-
proved to be particularly challeng- tures. Fortunately, some South Asian cities,
:ingfor those liv:ingin cities. While :including AhmedabadandDhaka, arerecog-
global temperatures are ris:ing, urban tem- nisingtheimportance ofcool and green roofs
peratures are climb:ing at even faster rates. to combat high urban temperatures and are
The problem is only likely to get worse as implementing programmes to encourage
South Asian cities grow more crowded, while their use.
heat waves are expected to become more Adoptingthese strategies is important in
extreme, last longer and happen more fre- another way. The growing middle class in
quently. One study predicts that cities can South Asia is likely to buy more air condi-
expect the average high temperature to tioners to beat the heat. But many devices
:increase by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius and their will be low-cost and :inefficient models that
lowest temperatures to rncrease by 3 to 7 will only consume more energy powered by
degrees Celsius by 2050. Extreme heat, the fossil fuels that contribute to global
already the deadliest natural disaster in an warming. We face the prospect of a vicious
average year, will become even deadlier. cycle where a warming planet creates the
Addressingurbanheatis mucb more than need for more cooling that could result in
"avoiding a negative". It is an :investment more damaging emissions.
that would boost urban economies around South Asia already has at band simple,
the world -fromPhoenix andNew York City afIordable and efficient solutions at the local
to New Delhi,Karachi and Dhaka. A growing level to deal with the problems of rising
body ofresearch finds that the broad benefits urban heat. This provides a unique opportu-
of cooling down cities - such as improved nity for the region to show the rest of the
energy efficiency, worker productivity, air world the way to providing cooling access for
quality, health and equity -are potentially all.
worth billions ofdollars to a single city. This .Kurt Shickman is executive director of the Global Cool
represents an economic benefitforvulnera- Cities Alliance, Washington, DC
ble low-income urban populations. The views expressed are personalNews item/letter/article/editorial published on 16· Oc9. 'i2,o/8 in the
Nav Bharat Times (Hindi) M.P.Chronicle
Punjab Keshari (Hindi) Aaj (Hindi)
The Hindu Indian Nation
Rajasthan Patrika (Hindi) Nai Duniya (Hindi)
Deccan Chronicle »: The Times of India (A)
Deccan Herald -:»: Business standard
AmbarishB from the constable to the higher-ups missioners, Forest Department officials the sand mafia. Butthen, why does illicit
in the police department, the adminis- .and evenIAS officers have been attacked sand mining continue unabated in the
anumantha Bhangi, a so- tration is involved in the sand mining
H
by the sand mafia. lnApril 2017, two state at the cost of people and natural
cial activist in Raichur, who business," Hanumantha told DR. On women bureaucrats, including an !AS resources?
has been fighting against the same day, Devadurga police station officer, were attacked by agroup of sand Social activists and experts who have
the illegal sand mining re- registered the EIR, but did not take any miners in Udupi district. The Depu- been watching the trade closely since
lentlessly for years, saw the action citingjurisdictional issues. Ittook ty Commissioner of Udupi district, Pri- long attribute it to the continuous un-
bloodyfaceofthemafiajustfourmonths two monthsforthe police to find outthat yankaMary Francis, andAssistantCom- accounted casb flow.A buge profit mar-
ago. the crime spotIell under missioner, ShilpaNag, gin with no control over rhe price by
On May 3J, 2018, he bad visited Kr- the Shahapur police sta- conducted a raid on any government agency is one of the
ishna riverbed at Kolooru village in tion limits. On July 21, an illegal sand mining main reasons why illegal mining of river
Shahapur taluk, in Raichur district, on 2018,thecasewastrans- block in Halnad and sand continues unabated in the state.
receiving Information about illegal ex- ferred to Shahapur po- took six persons into The sand mafia in the state is largely
traction and transportation of sand. lice station. The police custody. They later controlled by politicians and their close
A known activist in the district, Hanu- arrested three persons •.•...•. raided another block inner circles and thus, it dares to take
mantba was soon identified and tbe and are stilllooking for .•••••• in Kandlur village in onthelaw.
perpetrators pounced on him. They the other accused. Udupi district, but "There is a directconnection between
kicked him and attempted to drown him Therearereasonswhy were attacked by the big infrastructure, irrigation projects
in the river, When he tried to film tbe Hanumanthaistargeted sand mafia. The police and illegal sand mining. The construc-
illegal loading of sand, the perpetrators in and around Raichur arrested 14 persons tion boom has resulted in a sharp in-
snatched his mobile phone and money. district. He has filed a public interest liti- for the attack on the officials. crease of this illegal trade," an official
"Isomehowsurvivedtheattack.Afew gation before the KarnatakaHigh Court Karnataka is one ofthe leading states, told DB. According to the Union MiD-
in the mob gotto know that I have been and the court bas directed the officialsto after Madhya Pradesh, Mabarashtra istry of Environment, Forest and Cli-
activelypetitioningvarious departments submit a detailed report on illegal sand and Andhra Pradesh, to witness the mate Change guidelines, sand isa minor
against illegal sand mining. They threat- mininginthedistrict. Therelentlessfight devastating effects of rampant sand mineral and the mining of sand comes
ened mewith dire consequences and let against illegal sand mining has earned mining. Between 2015 and 2018, the under the state jurisdiction. Hence,
me go. I had to run from pillar to post to him the title of a 'rowdy-sheerer'. state has officiallyregistered 20,779 eas- illegal sandmining is rampant instates
register an Fill. Instead, several false Hanumantha's experience is Dot an es ofillegal sand mining, and 9,599FIRs. that are seeing huge infrastructure and
cases were filed againstrne and I was in- isolated one in the state. Revenue offi- No doubt, the Department ofMines and irrigation projects.
---------~----~~~------~
cluded ~ tI1nJi"d~ow.d'(@eeter'. Right cials such as tahsildars, assistant com- Geology has been taking action against ,. Sand mining, Page 4News item/letter/article/editorial published on in the
Hindustan Times Nav Bharat Times (Hindi) M.P.Chronicle
Statesman Punjab Keshari (Hindi) Aaj (Hindi)
The Times of India (N..Jl-)-- The Hindu Indian Nation
Indian Express ~ Rajasthan Patrika (Hindi) Nai Duniya (Hindi)
Tribune . Deccan Chronicle The Times of India (A)
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Herald Business standard
and documented at Bhagirath(EnglishJ& Publicity Section, CWC.
Drowning in sweetness
The sugar industry faces a crisis of plenty. Unless bold steps are
taken quickly, it can prove costly to the Modi government
•
BY ASHOK GULATI AND
SIRAJ HUSSAIN
THE SUGARSECTORis heading for a major
aisis of plenty. India will begin thesugar sea-
son (October to September) with a sugar
stock of about 10 million metric tonnes
(MMT). The industry's production estimate
Jor2018,-19 is35.5 MMT. up from 323 MMT
in 2017-18, against an annual consumption
ofabout26 MMT.Contrast this with the pro-
ductionofjusr203 MMTin2016-17,and one
can imagine the enormity of over-flowing
, stocks. But the real problem is of rising ar-
rears to cane farmers. which stood at Rs
21,675 crore on April 15, up from Rs 8,784
crore a year earlier (see graph). And itwon't
be a surprise if these arrears spike further by
50 to 100 per cent by April 2019, if no bold
corrective action is taken quickly by the gov-
ernment. More than half of these cane ar- CANE ARREAR AS ON APRIL 15 DOMESTIC AND GLOBAL SUGAR PRICES
-~
rears will be in Uttar Pradesh. And this may
hirthe Narendra Modi governmenthard, po- , 25000 21837 21675 40~7001
I 35 600 '"
Jitically, as it heads for parliamentary elec- .~ 0"
tions, presumably in March-April, 2019 .. ~ 20000 ~~
;;;20 300E
Before we think of possible solutions, we
must get the diagnosis right The root cause
ofrhe mounting cane arrears is that in 2016-
~ 15000
~ 10000
-~
'
I g =~
~oo I
,17,domestic sugar production was as low as ~ ~ ~ ~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
203 MMT, necessitating imports, and do-
mestic sugar prices (ex-mill) crossed Rs
I 500: 8 : ~ ~ 1 M 8 $'~ ~
36/kg (see graph). Global sugar prices were
~~~~~~~~~~~
Apr,14 Apr, 15 Apr,18
Soun::e: Domesticpricefrom ISMA and I'JOrldpricejrom World Bankpinkshee[
.fX-millpriceaJllndia(i{fkg).asugar(mrld~/nremationaISvgarAgreement(~~raw
also high ($490/tonne in October2016). This Source: lSMA .Alllndia(fCrores) (S/tonrJes),8Ex-miUPriceaJllndia($/lonnes)
led to an expansion of the area under the
crop. and with a good monsoon, improved SuvajitDey
yield and recovery ratio, lead to dramatic in- stocking costs. For the 2018-19 season, while the Colis
crease in sugar production from 203 MMTin The fourth option is.to divert cane to tryingto ensure 50 per cent margin over cost
2016-17 to 32.3 MMTin2017-18, a historic ethanol. The government has already taken .A2+FLfor kharif crops, in case of sugarcane
increase of 59 percent This production boost a bold step by allowing ethanol from sugar- this is already 87percentatalllndia level and
substituted imports and replenished stocks, .canejuice or B-molasses and deserves com- _ 97 per cenlin UP.The problem is thatthe SAP
but it became a problem when the world pliments forthis decision. It will help the in- is quite divorced from prevailing sugar prices.
prices of sugar dropped by almost 50 per dustry diversify and reduce risk. Just to cite Ideally, cane price should be a contract price
cent to $244/tonne by August 2018 (see arrexample, in 2017-18, Brazil put almost 60 between cane farmers and sugar mills, with
graph), making Indian sugar non-competi- per cent of its cane to produce ethanol as the government acting as a referee. The
tive in global markets. global sugar prices were depressed. The Rangarajan Committee on the pridngof sug-
What are the policy options when the Government of India (Gol) has also an- arcane had recommended 75 percentofthe
sugar sector isjolted by such volatility? The nounced soft loans to the sugar industry for sugar price to be given to farmers as cane
firstoption is trade policy.lnJune 2016, India capacity expansion to produce ethanol. This For the 2018-19 season, while 'Price. Kamataka and Maharashoa had agreed
had imposed an export duty of20 per cent to is a proven technology and much better than the GoI is trying to ensure to this formula but UP did not. Anything
discourage exports as domestic production the idea of producing ethanol from agri- above this 75 per cent threshold speaks of a
was low and sugar prices high. In 2017-18, waste. an idea that some oil companies are 50 per cent margin over cost political component to cane pricing.
when production jumped, export duty was toying with, with capital investments ofRs A2+ FL for kharif crops, in Ifthe UPgovtwants to give a higher price
removed, though belatedly, in March 2018, 8,000-10,000 crore. However, one critical case of sugarcane this is for sugarcane than 75 percentof sugar price,
and import duty raised from 50 to 100 per point in ethanol business is its pricing. Since already 87 per cent at all the bestwaywould be to give itas bonus di-
cent in February 2018. Although the import ethanol is a substitute for petrol from im- rectly to farmers, as Chhattisgarh and
duty ofl00 per cent seems very high,yetthe ported crude, its pricing sbould be linked to India level and 97 per cent in Madhya Pradesh did for paddy(Rs300/quin-
direction of trade policy is broadly right. the import parity price of petrol (IMPP~ Ata UP. The problemis that the tal land wheat(Rs 265/quintal), respectively
The second option is exporting 5-7 MMT crude price of about $75-80/l>arrel, IMPP SAP is qui te divorced from this year';\ similar principle should apply to
of sugar. But at prevailingwortd prices, this works to around Rs 47/litre, after account- sugarcane. Else, if we force the sugar indus-
prevailing sugar prices.
is not feasible. Unless the rupee falls further ing for its refining and other costs. But the . try to pay irrationally high prices of cane, it
and global prices improve, the export situa- sugar industry is asking for ethanol price of Ideally, cane price should be will be pushed towards sickness, large NPAs,
tion may remain grim. Exporting sugar Rs 52/litre based on its cost of production, a contract price between cane and an even bigger mess.
through heavy subsidisation has its limits, as where pricing of cane remains a key factor. farmers and sugar mills, with Can the Narendra Modi government con-
exporting countries like Brazil, Thailand, and That brings us to the core of this problem vert this crisis into an opportunity to reform
the government acting as a
Australia may drag India to the WTO. - the pricing of sugarcane. The Gol an- sugar policies? lfitdoes, It will be good eco-
The third policy option is to create a larger nounces Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP),. referee. The Rangarajan nomics and good politics, ensuring sizeable
buffer stock (of say 5 MMT). This may help butthe UPgovernment tops itwith the State Committee on tile pricing of votes from UPin the parliamentary elections.
India stabilise prices in lean years. But it will Advised Price (SAP).In UP, the SAPwas about sugarcane had recommended
cost quite a bit and, given the surplus sup- 39 percent higher than what its adjusted FRP I Gulati is Infasys Chair Professor for
plies and low domestic prices, the sugar in- .would havebeenduring201!l-11 t02017-18. 75 pe.r cent of the sugar price Agricultumand Hussain isfonnersecretary,
dustry cannot bear this burden without the 'No wonder, sugarcane remains one of the to be given to farmers as cane Agriculture (Gal) and currendy VISiting
government underwriting a part of the most profitable crops. price. Senlorfellow at ICRIERNews item/letter/article/editorial published on ~I.L--=-=-....L-~~~....=.' the
Hindustan Times Nav Bharat Times (Hindi M.P.Chronicle
Statesman Punjab Keshari (Hindi) Aaj (Hindi)
The Times of India (N.D.) The Hindu _ Indian Nation
Indian Express Rajasthan Patrika (Hindi) Nai Duniya '(Hindi)
Tribune Deccan Chronicle The Times of India (A)
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Herald Business standard
and documented at Bhagirath(English)& Publicity Section, CWC.
;;! ..
_._----,,"-""-_.
__
..
_-_..
_----------_._
..
1~1l~
MohitChandela@timesgroup.com t.~E~~~---l~~mj~~~~ZJ
• ~ll1:!Atqit~~~
~~t ~fCtOO~~~
w 3!MNews itemlletter/article/editorial published on 19, 08,;;2.()18 in the
Hindustan Times Nav Bharat Times (Hindi) M.P.Chronicle
Statesman Punjab Keshari (Hindi) ~ Aaj (Hindi)
The Times of India (N.D.) The Hindu Indian Nation
Indian Express Rajasthan Patrika (HindJ)-Nai Duniya (Hindi)
Tribune Deccan Chronicle The Times of India (A)
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Herald Business standard
and documented at Bhaqirath(Enqlish)& Publicity Section, ewc.
6411l"H 254 filaTlI tI ISf1;(1 "H(J»unmr
~ ~, ("lJ1!IT): ~"BR'f 3T%Tam:~ ~ -mm: ~ ~
~~ l1ffifI ~ ~ Gl'lfur ~ ~ ~~ WNTI 40
~~ii~~w.mrfl~fcNr1~~~~,
~ "f!.IliC ~ l1ffifI ~ ~
, ~~~News itemlietter/ariicleleditorial published on
Hindustan Times Nav Bharat Times (Hindi) M.P.Chronicle
Statesman Punjab Keshari (1jj.o.3-i1 Aaj (Hindi)
The Times of India (N.D.) The Hindu ~ Indian Nation
Indian Express Rajasthan Patrika (Hindi] Nai Duniya (Hindi)
Tribune Deccan Chronicle The Times Of India (A)
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Herald Business standard
and documented at BhagirathCEnglish)& Publici tv Section, CWC.
ManyOdisha schoolchildren ~
hit by fluoride contamination ~~
. . . ~ ,
Water sources in 54 schools and anganwadis show high fluoride presence
SATYASUNDAR "BARIK ing 65 'hostel boarders, of the
BHUBANESWAR school have little option for safe
The spectre of fluoride contamina- drinking water as water samples
tion has come to 'haunt schoolchil- . from 15 sources in Bharuamunda
dren in Odisha's Nuapada district village sent for laboratory tests con-
with potable water sources in as firmed fluoride contamination in
many as 54 schools and anganwadi 2018-19.
premises testing for fluoride pre- "It is very important to make im-
" sence beyond permissible limits. "mediate alternative arrangement
Prolonged consumption of fluo- for safe"drinking water for students.
ride-contaminated water leads to Adverse Impact of fluoride contam-
dental and skeletal fluorosis. Com- ination is very high on .children.
monly, mottled teeth and crippled ProLongedconsumption of fluoride- Bones in children are in formation
backbone and limbs are manifesta- contaminated water Leadsto dentaL stage while fluoride tends to dam-
tion of the disease. fluorosis. -SPEOAl ARRANGEMENT age bones;' said Bimal Pandia, an
expert on water. .
Health hazard Drinking Water Programme under Mr. Pandia said the State govern-
Consumption of water having fluo- the Union Drinking Water and Sani- ment should make fresh health as-
ride content above 1.5mgper litre is . tation Ministry found 5.25 mg per., sessment of all students consuming
considered dangerous to health.· litre fluoride content in water .fluoride-laced water and try to find
An alarrningJevel of fluoride pre- sourced from a tube well in the out if they have developed dental
sence has been found in Bharua- school. Water of another tube well fluorosis. "Once their backbone
munda High School in Sinapali dug recently on the school premis- and limbs are affected subsequent
block of Nuapada. Laboratory tests- es has Dot been esteo. to dental fluorosis, it will be difficult
certified by the National "Rural -ss many as 232 students, includ- to cure the disease," he pointed out.News itemlletter/articleieditorial published on /B . Os), ~O/B in the
Hindustan Times ~ Nav Bharat Times (Hindi) M.P.Chronicle
Statesman Punjab Keshari (Hindi) Aaj (Hindi)
The Times of India (N.D.) The Hindu Indian Nation
Indian Express Rajasthan Patrika (Hindi) Nai Duniya ,(Hindi)
Tribune Deccan Chronicle The Times of India (A)
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Herald Business standard
and documented at Bhagirath(English)& Publicity Section. CWC.
lVlonsoon not over yet, rain
expected over the weekend
~~~;;;:..*News item/Ietter/artlcie/editortat published on /8, oc!) , f:ok9 in the
Hindustan Times Nav Bharat Times (Hindi) M.P.Chronicle
Statesman Punjab Keshari (Hindi) Aaj (Hindi)
The Times of India (N.D~ The Hindu
Indian Express
Tribune
v--- .
Rajasthan Patrika (Hindi)
Deccan Chronicle -
Indian Nation
Nai Duniya '(Hindi)
The Times of India (A)
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Herald Business standard
and documented at Bhagirath(English)& Publicitv Section, CWC,
Weakening rnonsoon
!. may be due to EI Nino
. _::;r date issued by theWorld Meteor-
I ANJALI MARAR ' ~ ological Organisation (WMO)
r PUNE.SEPTEMBER17 ~' datedSepteniberlO,thereisa70
per cent chance of development
1HEONSETofEI Nino,with some of a weak EINino by November.
warming trends observed over' , "Amajority of weather mod-
the Pacific Ocean since july and els forecast that sea surface tem-
August, may be responsible for. peratures will rise anywhere be-
weakening the Indian monsoon tween OJ;>to '1.2 degrees during
in the latter half of the season. November 2018 - January 2019.
The country-wide rainfall for Anevent ofstrongEl Ninoappears
August was 94 per cent of the unlikely,"read the statement
long Period.Average (UJA). , -Though Sea Surface
Meteorologists at India Temperatures since April haye
.Meteorological Department' remained in their neutral condi-
(IMD)have suggested a strong of tion, other influential weather
a possibility ofEI Nino develop- paramaters have begun to show
ing soon after the monsoon. variations, WMO stated. "During
EINinoisan abnormal Warm- the last few weeks, low-level
ing of thel'adfic Ocean. noted for winds in the westtropicaI Pacific
a few months, and known to in- Ocean have remained anom-
fluence weather around the alously westwards. indicating a
world. EINino has a direct influ- possible onsetofEfNino," it said.
ence on the Indian monsoon, and WMO has ruled out the de-
rainfall recorded duririg EINino velopment ofI..aNina;the atmos-
years has remained belownor- pherically opposite phenome-
mal. Inrecent times, the strong- non to EINino. overthe Northern
est,EINino was experienced dur- Hemisphere in winter.
ing 2014 and 2015. . . The monsoon, which is in its
D SPai,bead, dimate 'predic- final leg this year, has some last
tion at dimate research division rainfall spells in store for central
at IMD.said. "Some warming of -lridia This,with the formation of
the oceans (Pacific) has begun. a fresh cydonic circulation from
Many weather systems, that the Bayof Bengal,is likelyto con-
would have brought:rain over centrate into a depression by
India during August and early Tuesday. "Thissystem is likely to
September, were instead pulled move westwards over to central
over these eastern Pacific ocean Indai,resulting in increased rain-
! regions, off China coast. Heavy , falloverOdisha, Andhra Pradesh,
.predpitation was recorded over Madhya Pradesh during mid-
oceans during the recent weeks." week," the IM,D forecas"/of
According to the EINino up-' Monday stated, '
- .News item/letter/article/editorial published on 18. 0-9. j26/8 in the
Hindustan Times Nav Bharat Times (Hindi) M.P.Chronicle
Statesman Punjab Keshari (Hi~ Aaj (Hindi)
The Times of India (N.D.) The Hindu ~ Indian Nation
Indian Express Rajasthan Patrika (Hindi) Nai Duniya (Hindi)
Tribune Deccan Chronicle The Times of India (A)
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Herald Business standard
and documented at Bhagirath(English)& Publicitv Section. ewe.
NITI Aayog for clear policy on jhurn' cultivation
Proposes that land for shifting cultivation be recognised as agricultural land under agro-forestry
SHIV SAHAY SINGH calls for policy coherence, between 2000.and 2010, the
KOLKATA
said land for shifting cultiva- land under shifting cultiva-
A recent NIT! Aayog publica- tion should be recognised as tion dropped by 70 %.
tion on shifting cultivation "agricultural land" where The publication also ad-
~ which is particularly prac- farmers practise agro-fores- dresses the issue offood and
tised in the northeastern try for the production of nutritional security of corn-
States, has recommended food rather than as munities involved in jhum
that the Ministry of Agricul- forestland. cultivation during transition
ture should take up a "mis- and transformation by broa-
sion on shifting cultivation" Falling area dening the public distribu-
to ensure inter-ministerial Locally referred to as jhum tion system (PDS) to ensure
convergence between cultivation, this practice is widespread access to cereals
ministries. considered as an important and other basic food items.
"Central as well as State mainstay of food production The publication also sug-
government departments of for a considerable popula- gested that shifting cultiva-
forests. and environment, At the grass roots: Tiwa women harvesting paddy in a 'jhum' tion in northeast India in tion fallows must be legally
agriculture and allied de- field in Karbi Anglong district of Assam .• FILE PHOTO States like Arunachal Pra- perceived and categorised as
partments often have diver- desh, Nagaland, Mizoram, 'regenerating fallows' and
gent approaches towards grass-roots level workers and Cultivation: Towards a Meghalaya, Tripura and Ma- that credit facilities be ex-
shifting cultivation. This jhum farmer," said the report Transformational Ap- nipur. tended to those who practise
creates confusion among titled, "Mission on Shifting proach", The document that The publication notes that shifting cultivation,News itemlietterJarticleJeditorial published on /6 ,0,9-. )!
News item/letter/articleleditorial published on L!l..:8L:-'.l..O.L.:.9~'~'-.l..
News item/letter/article/editorial published on in the
Hindustan Times Nav Sharat Times (Hindi) M.P.Chronicle
Statesman Punjab Keshari (Hindi) Aaj (Hindi)
The Times of India (N.D.) The Hindu Indian Nation
Indian Express___ Rajasthan Patrika (Hindi) Nai Duniya (Hindi)
Tribune ~ Deccan Chronicle The Times of India (A)
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Herald Business standard
and documented at Bhaqirath(Enqlish)& Publicitv Section, CWC.
Canal irrigation system in tatters, overhaul overdue
Parts of Malwa affected by waterlogging, while others are parched; water table depleting at an alarming rate
TRmUNE News SERVICE walls, which were plugged
using sand bags and that, too,
.QA.THlNDA, SEPTEMBER 17 ••
We are aware of the condition of with the help of affected
With the canal-based irriga-
g'
the canal water irrigation system farmers. In the last couple of
bon system in a bad shape and it will be revamped across the months,manyfunners,m~
d the water table depleting state on priority. As far as poor of them in tail-end villages,
an alarming pace, the maintenance of canals is concerned, had to block traffic on high-
armers are at the receiving the budgetary allocation to the ways when their crops were
~dinMalwa. Some areas are Irrigation Department was less last deprived of sufficient water
:racing waterlogging, while fiscal year due to which the work reportedly due to rotation sys-
pthers are crying for water, suffered. However, we will address all tem that was enforced citing
I Continuous seepage of the issues concerning canal water low-level of water in darns.
water from the damaged supply to farmers soon.
brick-lining of the (Within punjab) Sukhbinder 5ingl]Sarkaria,IRRlG.\TIO~ MINISTERIll-timed cleaning, d~ilting
Rajasthan Feeder (RF) and The shortage of canal water
Sirhind Feeder (SF) canals 18~500cusecs •• Most of the areas in the Malwa has also hit farmers in Muk-
has left 11 villages of'Farid- Discharge at head in region are largely dependent on tsar district. At the time of
kot waterlogged. The Rajasthan Feeder canal tubewells for irrigation as the sowing of cotton crop, a
Hydrological Investigation 5,272 cusecs groundwater is unfit for the purpose majority of canals were dry
Division of the Agriculture and there is an acute shortage of as the Irrigation Department
Department has found that Discharge at head in canal water. The government has had shut them for routine
11 villages, situated near -=S::.:irh:.:;:,in::d~F..:e..:ed:.e:;r..;c::a;.;n;;;al:""-I
failed to provide the required quantity cleaning and de-silting pur-
~e banks of the RF and SF 1,800 cusecs of canal water to the farm sector. poses. The water supply was
canals in Faridkot district, Water loss due to seepage There is a need to revamp the resumed after almost a
are reeling under waterlog- (of both canals) irrigation infrastructure and also boost month of the start of crop-
ging and salinisation prob- the capacity of canals to address the sowing season. Incidentally,
lems due-to excessive seep- irrigation woes offarmers. the farmers are still not get-
age of water from the Seepage fromdamaged brickliningofthe SirhindFeederleaves many Faridkotvillageswaterlogged.""BU~E PHOTO, I'Al'/AN SHARMA Joginder Singh Ugrahan,SL\IEPflf5WENT,
BKU ('1(11 UGR.\II\H}ting adequate canal water
damaged side and hed lin- supply to their fields as the
!ng of these canals. canals are being closed on
lining is seriously affecting Repairs awaited forWaterReiourcesNitin Gad- Southern, Roranwali, worsened the situation. scarcity of canal water. rotation basis.
Seepage woes crop production in an area Seven years ago, the state keri and discussed with him Hauzkhas, Chackpakni and In Ferozepur, the main Sources in the Canal Depart- Mukhtiar Singh, Execu-
Sources in the Agriculture pf 3.5 lakh acres in Punjab government had mooted a therelinmgmthe~~ Khuranj, offer water to problem is in the Ladhuka ment said the scheduled tive Engineer, Irrigation
Department revealed that due to waterlogging. Due to proposal of relining of 97 and Sirhind feeder canals. Fazilka subdivision vil- and Mamdotdistributaries as maintenance, including Department, said, "If we
after the construction of high loss of water in seep- km ofthe RF and 100 km of lages, and most of them fall both these channels run repairs and cleanliness, of the release water in all canals
these two parallel twin age, the farmers at the tall the SF canals and it was Tail-end misery at the tail-end of these along the international bor- canal system had not been and minors, the water level
canals in 1960s, the end of these canals are the approved by the Central Fazilka is perhaps the. only canals. Canal Department der due to which the done for the last five years. will remain low because of
groundwater table had ultimate sufferers, as they government to be complet- subdivision where non- sources said 1,050 cusecs of approach is not easy. In the In Abohar, there has hardly the shortage of water in the
risen from 140 ft in 1960 to get little or no water. As per ed in four years. However, perennial canal system water was required to irri- Mamdot distributary, ade- been any improvement in the dams and headworks. The
the present level of about 3 the estimates of the Direc- the project could not take exists for irrigating the gate the-fields these days, quate water is not reaching canal water-based irrigation canaJs and distributaries are
ft due to continuous seep- torate of Irrigation and Pow- off so far. The RF and SF crops. Farmers have been but only about 500 cusecs the tail-end and same is the system. Vartous instances of being run on the rotational
age of water from the deep er Research Institute, Pun- are two parallel channels bearing the brunt of canal was released in these canals case with Ladhuka where the breach in the sub-canals were basis so that adequate water
cracks and damaged side jab, there is seepage of starting upstream of the water crunch ever since the and that, too, on rotation villages situated at talI-end, reported due to discharge of reaches the villages located
lining of both canals. about 1,800 cusecs of water Harike Headworks. commencement of the sow- basis. The subsoil brackish including Chakk Khiva, Lad- excess water from water. at the tail-end of canals."
Besides causing an exten- from the RF and SF canals Earlier this month, Chief ing season. Official sources water is unfit for irrigation huka, Behak Haste, Lakho logged villages of the Lambi (WOhinputs fromBa~ Garg,
sive loss of water, these due to damaged side and Minister Capt Amarinder said seven distributaries, purposes. The theft of water Ke Uthar, Lakho Ke Hi1har segment. No efforts were Archit Watts, Anirudh Gupta.
cracks and damaged side bed lining of the canals. SinghaJsometUnionMinister namely Fazilka, Jandwala, by affluent farmers had Behak Vattu are facing made to repair the breached Praful Nagpal and Raj Sa- !\Iews item/letter/article/~rial published on If) 09 ..;
•
News item/letter/article/editorial published on /6 ,09. !t2I~ in the
Hindustan Times Nav Bharat Times (Hindi) M.P.Chronicle
Statesman. Punjab Keshari (Hindi) Aaj (Hindi)
The Times of India (N.D.) The Hindu Indian Naiion ~
Indian Express Rajasthan Patrika (Hindi) Nai Duniya (Hindi) ~
Tribune " Deccan Chronicle The Times of India (A)
Hindustan (Hindi) Deccan Herald Business standard
and documented at Bhagirath(Engfish)& Publicity Section, ewe.
4 DECCAN HERALD
,
and! aprofitablebu iness'
sand mining, from Page 1
40m MT of sand goes
AJmost all the major rivers in the state.
such as Cauvery,Hemavathi, 'Iungabhad- unaccounted
ra, Krishna, Ghataprabha, Bhima, Vedava- The state government is receiving
ti and Netravati, are bearing the brunt ofil- approximately Rs 150 crore as roy-
legal sand mining. Numerousstreams and alty from legitimate sand mining
tanks are also exploited indiscriminately. blocks every year. As per estimates,
According to social activists, the sand the state government is losing
mining mafia is growing stronger despite aroundRs 200 crore per year due to
the state having a separate sand mining illegal sand mining.
policy. Here is a ballpark estimation to find
"Karnataka state introduced a sand out the consumption of sand in the
mining policyin 2016.Theconceptisgood, state. Accord-
however, there is a huge gap between the ing to cement
policy and its irnplemenration. The rules manufactur-
framed in 2016 mandate setting up of ta- ing compa-
luk level and district level committees for nies' data,
sand mining. The taluk committees iden- around 18
tify the blocks for sand mining and the million metric
district committee grants permit through tonnes of ce-
tender or auction. Every block needs to be rnent is sold
cleared by a committee for environmental in the state
clearance:' a senior official said. every year.
Any violation of the permit condition The cement-
attracts the provision of the Mines and sand mix ratio r'l:'••
Minerals Act (Development and Regula- is either 1:4
tion). While the Department ofMines and orl:6 (four
Geology is short-staffed, police consider ventured into small rivers, streams and The contractors are all backed by poli- region. However, machines are used to depots should seUsand, and not the con- or six bags
illegal sand mining as a non-cognisable even village tanks. The Jayamangali river ticians and the government servants are abstract sand and to load it to.the trucks," tractors or transporters," Justice Adi says. of sand per
offence. in Madhugiri, Undinanglu river near Sira hand in glove with them. In a recent raid, Girish Achar, an activist from Hosanagar Retired IFS officer Dr D V Singh, who cement bag).
MaIlikarjun Bhattrahalli, a social activ- and Ankasandra river near Chikkanaya- 47,000 cubic metres of sand was seized taluk, said. was part of various committees and com- Evenifl:4
ist from Chikkanayakanahalli in Tumaku- kanahalli have been damaged beyond res- and in a court auction, the same was sold Former Upalokayukta Justice Sub- missions constituted to enquire into the ratio is taken,
ru district, explains: "We used to complain toration,"he reveals. atRs3.80crore. hash B Adi had conducted several raids illegal mining, including sand mining, sug- a whopping
about illegal sand mining to officials.Now River Sharavati, which flows through and.reported to the government on the gests certain modifications in the permit 70 million
we have stopped complaining because it Farmers at stake the Western Ghats, is the major source of shortcomings in regulating sand mining. and regulations. metric tonnes
is ruming out to be valuable information Mallikarjun says thousands of acres of sand for miners in the region. Hosanagar "Sand is a profitable business. TiU2015, "Usually,sand mining permits aregiven of sand IS approximately used in the
for the officialsto make more money. Just coconut groves and numerous water taluk in Shivamogga district and Henna- extraction of filter sand was rampant in for a period of five years. Once the mon- state everyyear. The official data
last week, we filed a complaint with elec- sources in Sira, Chikkanayakanahalli var taluk in Uttara Kannada district are Chikkamagaluru, Kolar and Bengaluru soon sets in,the trenches dug to mine sand from the Department of Mines and
tronic evidence. The police registered a and Madhugiri taluks have been badly af- the main areas of sand mining. rural. We had conducted raids and made get washed off and it is difficult to gauge Geology shows that from the blocks
non-cognisable offence and sent us back. fected by sand mining. As a result, once "For illegal operators, one legal permit surprise visits to many illegal river sand the quantity of illegal sand abstracted. permitted by it, a total quantity 30
How can the theft of natural resource be self-sustaining agriculturists, the farmers is what is required to carry out large-scale mining spots. What I have found is that We had suggested earlierto issue permits million metric tonnes of sand (from
passed off as a non-cognisable offence?" here have quitfarming and are heading to illegal activities. There are no Weigh- there is no coordination among the of- for 6-7 months, instead of five years. U all types of blocks - river sand,patta
MaIlikarjun says the sand monitoring Bengaluru in search of jobs. Illegal sand bridges, no CCTV surveillance and load- ficials of the deparrments of Revenue, the permit is granted for a period from land, blocks allocated to govern-
committees are an eyewash and remain mining is rampant in around 60 km area ed trucks ply right in front of police Mines and Geology, and the Police. De- October to May, illegal sand mining could ment departments, and manufac-
only on the paper. "Every elected public of Krishna and Tungabhadra riverbeds, stations and check posts. Permit partment of Mines and Geology must be regulated to a large extent. Besides, tured sand) is produced in the state.
representative will have his or her own covering Manvi, Devadurga, Shahapur conditions stipulate that heavy be provided with additional staff and the environmental clearance should also As perth is, there is a difference of
associates to continue the illegal mining and Surpur taluks. In 2016, the permits machinery, including JCB the power to prosecute. There is one be for this specific period and then the around 40 million metric tonnes of
business to ensure the flowof illicitmoney. were given to 20 blocks. Instead of rnin- and Hitachi machines, more way to end this menace. All the blocks susceptible to exploitation can be sand in comparison to the cement
After causing irreversible damage to ma- ing up to 3 feet depth as permitted, the should not be sandminedshouldbedepositedtothe monitored regularly'tbe said, sold in the state.
jor rivers, the illegal sand mafia has now
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contractors go 10 to IS feet deep, used in this state government. The government DH News ServiceYou can also read
