Press Information Bureau
Government of India
* * * * * *
ENVIRONMENT FEATURE
Restoring Health of Kashmir Lakes -A crying need
M.L.Dhar**
"The place (Kashmir) is more beautiful than the heaven and is the benefactor of supreme bliss and happiness. It seems to me that I am taking a bath in the lake of nectar here," wrote Sanskrit poet Kalidasa. Sir Walter Lawrence on visiting Kashmir was compelled to write; "The valley is an emerald set in pearls; a land of lakes, clear streams, green turf, magnificent trees and mighty mountains where the air is cool, and the water sweet …".
Kashmir is endowed with some large pristine lakes and wetlands besides the river Jehlum and its tributaries that make the valley a lively hydraulic society. They include Asia's largest freshwater lake – the Wullar and India's most beautiful lake - the Dal. The livelihood of hundreds of thousands of people in tourism trade, fisheries, agriculture etc. depends on these water bodies. They are also major source of water for drinking and other purposes. They also support a rich bio-diversity. But, unfortunately these water bodies are shrinking fast due to ecological degradation caused by human interference.
The ecological degradation of the water bodies has in recent years reached to crisis magnitude and caused loss of sustainability. Human settlements in and around the lakes and associated commercial activities along their shores have reached to alarming proportions. The farming activities in the catchment areas have considerably increased causing heavy nutrient pollution load and silting into the lake waters.
Wullar Lake
Located 60 kilometers from Srinagar at the basin of the Jhelum River, Wullar lake plays a very important role in maintaining the Valley's hydrographic system. Being a huge absorption basin for floodwaters, it regulates the water regime of the region. The lake meets about 60 percent of the valley's fish demand. It is also a major source of water borne products like water chestnut and lotus-stem locally known as 'Nadru', one of the major local vegetables. Wullar sustains a number of endangered and endemic species of flora and fauna and along with its satellite wetlands it is a favourite winter abode of a number of migratory birds including the common pochard, pintail, common teal, shoveller, mallard and many other species. Wullar has also been a favorite haunt for visitors especially foreign tourists.
But all these activities have been adversely affected as the lake has been reduced to less than 70 sq. kms. A century ago, Wullar extended up to almost 190 sq kms and would spread to over 270 sq kms during floods. Human encroachments into the lake, particularly into the associated wet lands, are the chief reason for the lake's shrinking. According to official estimates over sixty-nine thousand kanals of the lake area have been converted into land and occupied illegally by locals. Environmentalists hold partly government sponsored programmes for agricultural development responsible for shrinking of the lake's area and changing its ecological character. They allege that parts of wetlands were drained and embankments built to protect settlements as well as crops. A survey conducted in 2006 under court orders revealed that 60,000 kanals area in the lake have been encroached mainly by raising plantations under social forestry programmes of the Forest Department. Experts say that due to it Wullar has lost its capacity to regulate water flows leading to increased floods and droughts in the Valley.
In addition, the sewage from Srinagar and other towns upstream passing into the River Jehlum that flows through Wullar has degraded the lake's water quality. It has led to increased euthrophication resulting in growth of aquatic weeds that damage local flora and fauna and clogging of its fresh water arteries. This has caused sharp decline in the yield of fish and water borne products in the lake. Records for last 50 years reveal that the fish catch has declined from 10,544 metric tons to 1,476 metric tons per annum. This has endangered the livelihood of more than 8,000 fishermen who depend on Wullar Lake.
For its unique hydrological and socio-economic values, Union Ministry of Environment and Forests included Wullar Lake in its Wetlands Programme as a Wetland of National Importance in 1986. Subsequently, the lake was designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1990.
Dal Lake
The jewel in Kashmir's splendid beauty, Dal Lake too has suffered from devastating impact of human greed and negligence. Located in Srinagar, Dal lake has considerably shrank and its crystal clear serene waters are polluted. The lake is now ranked among 100 most polluted water bodies globally. From 75 sq kms nine centuries ago the lake had reportedly shrunk to 25 sq kms two decades ago and is today confined to mere 11 sq kms. It has also become shallower at least by four meters due to silting and accumulation of remains from sewage flowing into it. Like Wullar, it too has suffered due to euthrophication process with weeds chocking the lake and adversely affecting its flora and fauna. Here too annual fish yields have significantly reduced.
The lake's unparalleled spectacular beauty is the main tourist attraction in the valley. Living in the Victorian-era houseboats and enjoying 'Shikara' ( small boat) rides in the lake is a life-time experience. Moghul emperors were so overwhelmed by the lake's beauty that they set up huge gardens on its banks that continue to be favourite of tourists and locals even today. Around 1,200 houseboats, which were first introduced in 1888, are moored year-round in and around the lake. Enjoying huge popularity since their inception, the houseboats in recent years have been in focus for wrong reasons. Local officials say that the houseboats contribute thousands of liters of untreated human waste into lake waters. This has been contested by the houseboat owners association which claims that waste from houseboats account for just 3% of Dal's pollution. They hold the untreated city sewage flowing into Dal and blocking of the lake's water circulation canals responsible for degradation of its water quality.
While the blame game goes on, Dal suffers. The state government stopped making of new houseboats in 1991 and subsequently ordered a ban on them. But houseboats continue to moore in its waters without any structural changes ordered by the High Court.
Manasbal
Valley's deepest lake, Manasbal, located about 30 kms from Srinagar city, is spring-fed like the Dal and other lakes of Kashmir Valley. It harbours rich quantity of water chestnuts, lotus stem and fish specie including Schizothorax, Common Carp and Mirror Carp. It too has suffered from pollution, siltation and encroachments with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) warning in 1997 that the lake would be lost to posterity in absence of immediate conservation measures. The government response came in 2006 with the setting up of the Wullar-Manasbal Development Authority (WMDA). But by that time the lake had shrunk to less than 7 sq kms as more than 4 sq kms had turned into marsh.
With community participation, WMDA turned the corner and partly restored the Lake's health. The quarrying and lime extraction in the vicinity of Mansbal had completely chocked around 1200 springs, which are its main water source, making the lake to stink. The quarries were closed and lime extraction stopped, which proved an important conservation measure in restoration of lake's springs. Encroachments in the lake's peripheral areas were, despite stiff resistance, removed and a pedestrian walkway constructed to demarcate the lake's periphery. With sustained dredging and de-weeding by the WMDA, the lake's area increased by one-and-a-half sq kms. WMDA's success in restoring Manasbal led the environmentalists to say that it should serve as a role model for conservation of Valley's other water bodies.
Conservation
The Government has been making efforts to save the water bodies which Chief Minister Omar Abdullah termed as 'icons of our heritage, for which the entire people of the state feel concerned.' A number of reports and action plans have appeared in recent years to come to terms with the problem of these lakes. These include IIT Roorkee report and comprehensive report of House Committee of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for conservation of the Dal (2002), the Study of Wullar Lake, Soil Conservation Scheme for Catchment Area of Wullar Lake, Wullar Wetland Conservation Project (1993), WWF - India funded the Wullar Lake study (1994) and the Ecological Restoration Plan for Erin Watershed of Wullar Catchment (1988) besides studies by Kashmir University and S.P. College, Srinagar on different aspects of various lakes and their satellite wetlands.
Environment Committee of the state Assembly recently stressed the need for a well knit policy for conservation and protection of water bodies. The Chief Minister conceded during Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest Shri Jairam Ramesh's visit to the valley in June that although various steps have been taken to protect the water-bodies, particularly Dal Lake, an intensified programme is required to be launched to protect the water bodies.
Several authorities namely the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), the Wullar Manasbal Development Authority etc. have been set up to clean and conserve the lakes. About Rs.79 crore have so far been spent by LAWDA on different schemes to conserve Dal Lake. These include setting up of sewage treatment plants, solid waste management, hydraulic works, catchment management works, awareness programme and acquisition of land and structures. The Authority has also relocated about 1,400 families out of 10,000 families living in the lake area. Three Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) have been constructed to stop unchecked flow of sewage in the Dal waters, but experts say that atleast a dozen big and small STPs are needed to completely check the sewage flow.
Central Government's Support
The centrally sponsored National Lake Conservation Action Plan initiated in 2001 covers only one water body from Kashmir, the Dal lake. After personally surveying along with the Chief Minister some of the lakes and water bodies of the valley this summer, Shri Jairam Ramesh assured that the entire Rs.1,100 crore comprehensive state plan for Dal cleaning would be funded by the Centre out of which Rs.300 crore have already been allocated. He said, "We need to find the remaining Rs 800 crore for resettlement and rehabilitation of the Dal dwellers." He also promised liberal funding for other projects. Extending support for restoration of Wullar Lake, Shri Jairam Ramesh said that Rs.386 crore Wullar project would be expedited and Rs.250 crore cleaning project of the Jhelum river, the lifeline of Kashmir, would be taken up on the pattern of Ganga-Yamuna conservation plan. Under it sewage treatment plants in Srinagar city and at Annantnag, Sopore and Baramullah towns located on the Jehlum would be set up.
The Government says that 40 percent of work on the Dal project, scheduled to be completed by 2010, has been completed and the rest would be finished in the next two years. Relocation and rehabilitation of people is always slow who need to be assured of proper and suitable rehabilitation packages and that is bound to speed up reclaiming of encroached areas of the water bodies.
There has to be a holistic approach in protecting and rehabilitating the water bodies to almost their pristine glory in which peoples' active participation is a crucial factor. For this mass awareness has got to be generated so that the common man becomes the custodian of the eco safety of the water bodies. That would be the best insurance against the 'slow death' of Kashmir lakes
Disclaimer : The views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of PIB
**Freelance Writer
rts/vn/ss-107sf-107/22.09.2009/dk/kol/10:54 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
* * * * * *
ASI FEATURE
Archaeological Survey of India and its latest excavations
Alok Deshwal**
Established in 1861, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) functions as an attached office of the Department of Culture. The major activities of ASI are: Survey of archaeological remains and excavations; Maintenance and conservation of centrally protected monuments, sites and remains; Chemical preservation of monuments and antiquarian remains; Architectural survey of monuments; Development of epigraphical research and numismatic studies; Setting up and reorganization of site museums; Expedition abroad; Training in Archaeology and Publication of technical report and research works.
Under the Ancient Monuments and archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, the ASI has declared 3667 monuments/sites to be of national importance in the country which includes 21 sites that are inscribed in the World Heritage List by UNESCO.
Conservation and Preservation of Monuments
The conservation, preservation, maintenance and development of environs around centrally protected sites are ASI's prime tasks.
Structural repairs of a special nature and day-to-day maintenance is looked after by the 24 circle offices located in different parts of the country.
Greater emphasis is given for the development of cultural tourism integrating with the monuments. For this purpose, cultural hubs encompassing facilities for tourists such as information centers, public conveniences, modern ticket counters, better signage and drinking water facilities etc. have been created at monuments inscribed in the World Heritage List and other important and more frequented monuments.
ASI has undertaken about 1700 schemes (works) for structural conservation, chemical preservation and horticulture operations based on the priorities, commitments and financial resources. Emphasis is also given to provision of tourist amenities to the World Heritage Sites and the ticketed monuments.
After successful completion of the Phase-I of the Ajanta-Ellora Conservation and Tourism Development Project with loan assistance from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC), the works for Phase-II have been taken up. An integrated programme of comprehensive conservation, chemical preservation and overall environment development of Ajanta, Ellora, Pitalkhora and Aurangabad caves, Daulatabad Fort, Bibi-ka-Maqbara, Patnadevi Temple and Lonar group of temples has been taken up in Phase-II of the project with an outlay of Rs.37.68 crores. ASI has incurred an expenditure of Rs.20.3 crores upto March 2009 on the project and a provision of Rs.8 crores has been made for it during the year 2009-2010.
Also, ASI contributes towards the conservation and restoration of the Ta Prohm Temple in Cambodia under the ITEC programme of the Ministry of External Affairs. Archaeological Survey of India has conducted scientific studies and investigations pertaining to structural, geo-technical, water stagnation and arboriculture aspects of this temple. Conservation work at three locations is in progress in accordance with the Project Implementation Programme approved by the International Coordination Committee and APSARA National Authority.
Archaeological Excavations
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) carried out excavations through its Circle and Excavation branch offices during the field season 2008-09. Significant results of excavations are seen at the following sites
Excavation at Barabati Fort, Cuttack District, Orissa
Barabati Fort is located in Cuttack City and in the delta of the Mahanadi river. The excavation was carried out at the north eastern part of Barabati Fort complex. The excavation brought to light a 4.30 mtrs thick deposit assignable to circa fourteenth-seventeenth century AD was marked by two structural phases. The structures were made of laterite, khodalite and coarse sandstone set in mud/lime mortar. Sporadic traces of plaster made of lime, kankars and shells were also noticed on the surface of the walls.
The important antiquity finds include a seated Goddess, Gandharva, lion-head; lamp fragment, balls and pot fragments of stone; sling balls, fragments of animal figurines of terracotta and axe and a stylus made of iron. The pottery finds comprised storage jars, spouted vessels, lamp, pot stands, knobbed lids, miniature pots, dishes and bowls, the final portion of a hukkah and pieces of Chinese porcelain.
Begampur, District Nalanda, Bihar
This village is situated 1.4 kms north from the ruins of Nalanda Mahavihara. There is a huge mound towards south of the village Begampur. About 400 feet to the south of the hamlet is a large square mound with ruined brick structures. The whole mound is under agriculture and owned by the villagers. Presently the area of the mound is approximately 300 x 300 mtrs and height is about 5 mtrs from the surrounding place.
Ghorakatora, District Nalanda, Bihar
Archaeological potential site, namely Ghorakatora near Giriyak Police Station in the District Nalanda is situated between Biharsharif and Nawada on the National Highway No. 31, 300 mtrs west from Giriyak Police Station. The River Panchana flows west of the site and also connects with the motorable road leading to Tapovan, Jethian and Rajgirh. It is a massive mound measuring about 900 mtrs (north-south) x 500 mtrs (east-west) x 40 to 500 feet in height, first noticed by Buchanan. There was a tomb of Hussan-Hussain at the northern portion of the mound according to the local villagers. At the center of the mound was a small square fort with bastion at the four corners. The ceramic found is red ware, black slipped ware, N.B.P. and black and red ware potsherds. Some antiquities have also been collected such as terracotta beads, gamesman and fragment of Sunga plaque. It indicates that the site may start from chalcolithic culture leading to Northern Black Polished Ware culture, Sunga-Kushana up to the medieval period.
St. Augustine Complex, Goa
During the excavation at St. Augustine complex, Goa, boundary walls, jars, drainwells and platform pottery etc. were found. Several ceramic potsherds in blue and white were collected in the area which fell outside the refectory. A large quantity of the sherds (in heaps) suggest that this area might have been used to throw (dump) the sherds that must have been broken and thrown as waste at the time when the comment was occupied. It is believed this place was the burial of Queen Katherine of Georgia.
The Agra Circle of the ASI also carried out excavation at Ahichchhatra as a sequel to the multi-disciplinary investigations at this site. Three mounds to the southwest of the main habitation mound at Ahichchhatra were taken up. The excavation yielded structural remains of the historical period. This was done by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur.
**Dy. Director (M&C), PIB, New Delhi
rts/vn/ss-106/sf-106/18.09.2009/dk/kol/10:53 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
* * * * * *
ROAD TRANSPORT FEATURE
Growth of Indian Road Networks and The Emerging Problems
Dr. Sunil Ashra**
Road transport and road transportation is essential ingredient for rapid growth of an economy and a vital input to economic development, trade and social integration, which rely on the conveyance of both people and goods. Reduction in transport costs promote specialization, extend markets and thereby enable exploitation of the economies of scale. Global competition has made the existence of efficient transport and logistic systems in delivery chain an absolute imperative. Easy accessibility, flexibility of operations, door-to-door service and reliability have earned road transport an increasingly higher share of both passenger and freight traffic vis-à-vis other transport modes. Road transport has emerged as the dominant segment in India's transportation sector with a share of 4.5 per cent in India's GDP in recent years (NRTP, 2008).
However, the road infrastructure industry has become grossly inadequate and is increasingly unable to meet emerging requirements on Indian industry and people. This is mainly due to the inadequacies of the road network in terms of mileage as well as quality, which if expanded and upgraded could go a long way in promoting efficiency of vehicles' operations. Part of the problem also lies in the inability of service organizations, especially in the public sector driven mechanism, to deliver services efficiently. With the industry having suffered from very little technological and managerial improvements in the design and construction of roads, there is urgent need to effect these changes immediately.
The road infrastructure network contributes and complements significantly to economic activity through its backward and forward linkages with other sectors of the economy, especially in rapidly developing countries such as India. It creates employment for semi-skilled labour, besides cement, steel, construction equipment, tar and many other related products. Even after the road network is completed its maintenance requires output of many industries.
Many research studies provide evidence of beneficial impact of infrastructure development on economic growth and income distribution (see for example Calderon & Serven, 2004. This study of over 100 countries shows the positive impact of infrastructure on growth and income distribution.
Just like most of the infrastructure sector industries in India, road infrastructure is also grossly underprovided for. Whereas the vehicles on the roads have increased at the rate of 10.9 percent per annum since 1950 the road length in terms of National Highways has increased by only 2.2 percent per annum. Though from 1991-2004 the National Highways have grown at more than twice this rate of 5.3% per annum. But since then the growth has slowed down to 4.5% per annum. The overall road length has grown at even slower rate of 3.7 percent from 1951 to 2004 for which the data is available.
An overwhelming proportion of the total length of National Highways is two or single laned (56% and 32 % of the total length of national highways are double/intermediate lane and single lane respectively) and only 12 per cent of the length of the National Highways are four lane and more (NRTP, 2008).
Surprisingly there is close to zero percent growth in the National Highways length in the last 5 years indicating something has been going wrong in the policy circles. If one looks at the latest yearbook of Road Transport 2006-07 this becomes amply clear.
Length of National Highways in the country during the year 2003 was 58112 kms, 2004 was 65569 kms, 2005 was 65569 kms, 2006 was 65569 kms, 2007 was 65569 kms and in 2008 it was 66754 kms.(Source: Road Transport Yearbook 2006-07, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 2009).
The National highway account for only 2-3% of the total roads but they carry more than 40% of traffic of the country according to various estimates (NRTP, 2008).
The quality of roads is also not up to the required level besides the road discipline and enforcement of traffic rules has made India lead in terms of road accidents and road causalities in the world. The poor quality of roads is one of the most important causes of high level of wear and tear of the vehicles in India.
Over the last few years there has been many initiatives but most of them have been half hearted which have helped very little in improving the supply bottlenecks in the road sector. A lot needs to be done to expand the national highway network as also in terms of quality to carry higher level of traffic. To quote Greenspan (Mint September 8, 2009),"Due to the lack of developing world infrastructure to support spending, (people are) induced extraordinary savings." In simple words due to the lack of infrastructure the economy especially the industrial sector is growing at much slower pace in India. Also opportunities to invest correspondingly are also fewer. The market integration impact of the roads network is not as strong as it should be and could be.
Last 5 years have seen unprecedented growth in the Indian economy and many experts have pointed out that if there is adequate infrastructure in place then the growth of 10 percent is not very difficult for a country like India.
The mostly 4 lane national highways programme did well when it was initiated in 1998. Contracts were awarded which led to some 6,000kms being completed by the end of 2005 at a cost of about $7bn, mostly on the Golden Quadrilateral that links India's four biggest cities. There were of course massive delays in certain sectors because of slow land acquisition, corruption, bureaucratic lethargy, and extortion by gangsters and Naxalite (Maoist) rebels – but it was a success.
By the end of April, 2009 however, the total completed had only gone up to just over 11,000 kms, and awards of new contracts had slowed to such an extent that work was only started on 9,700 kms compared with a five-year target of 16,000 kms. The programme seems to have lost the momentum and drive of the 1998-2004 years, and urgently needs to be revived by the present government.
There has been regular interference in the detailed functioning of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), whose financially-sensitive responsibilities include drawing up initial lists of tenderers, and issuing partial and final completion certificates, as well as placing contracts. The NHAI chairman has been changed five times in last 5 years showing whims and fancies of the people in charge of the affairs in the Ministry.
Much of the 1998-2004 success had been due to heavy government funding. This was needed to get the construction programme moving quickly on highways that would not yield profits, as well as on those that could be operated as private sector toll roads. The Planning Commission, however, did not like this approach and switched the emphasis to private sector financing, stopping primary government funding and allowing only built-operate-and transfer (BOT) contracts. That virtually halted new contracts from the end of 2005.
A Government Committee on Infrastructure was formed, serviced by the Planning Commission for enforcing the BOT system has increased bureaucratic wrangling, and the committee took about two years to agree on a new model concession agreement (MCA) and prepare associated forms of contract and procedural documents. In economic policy context, the Planning Commission had argued to take highway construction out of the government's "inclusive" approach to economic growth, where money is spent on uneconomic but socially desirable projects, and had put it into the "exclusive" growth area where the private sector is expected to invest and reap profits. With rising interest costs this led to fewer contractors coming forward to bid. When tenders were invited in 2008 on 60 projects, no bids were received on 38 and, of the 22 that were tendered, only 12 led on to fully-financed contracts. The NHAI been active and responded with amended designs to reduce construction costs and has put these 38 left out projects for fresh tenders along with 22 more.
Here it is important to note that emerging bottlenecks are in form of the road quality as well as quantity. As this sector, just like most of the other infrastructure sector, is increasingly moving away from being a pure 'public good' to 'congestible public good' and in many places has become like any 'private good'. In addition there are strong economies of scale attached to it which gives monopoly advantage to the operators of these roads. As of now most of these have been in Government hand and therefore they are offered at zero price. This leads to excessive demand for these as is to be expected considering there is no direct user charge for these. It makes it very difficult to maintain these roads later. However, people pay indirectly in terms of their time, fuel cost, and damage to their vehicles due to these poor roads. As the roads are priced at zero price so effectively there is no responsibility on any institution/person at least directly. According to a study by World Bank (1989) it costs almost 50 percent more to people/goods to travel on these roads in terms of these other costs of congestion, fuel cost, accidents and vehicle wear and tear.
It is time to consider the SPV based models to provide for the road infrastructure and also let government and private run companies to come to manage these projects to ensure cost efficiency. There is evidence from the history of railway construction in India which suggest that for rapid growth we need to involve reputed players in the market. Credibility is crucial for sustenance of the growth momentum in the road sector without which there could be many misses between cup and the lip and many of the initiatives can die slow death by getting entangled in the overburdened judicial system which will benefit only short term players as has happened in Electricity, Oil and Airport sector. If these issues are resolved in an imaginative and radical manner then there is no reason that for Indian growth story to not to become part of most successful examples of development in the world. (PIB Features)
Disclaimer : The views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of PIB
**Professor, Department of Economics, Management Development Institute, Gurgaon
rts/vn/ss-105/sf-105/17.09.2009/dk/kol/10:54 hrs.
No comments:
Post a Comment