Bon Mahotsav 2016 kicks off Thursday

KOLKATA: The state forest department has come up with elaborate plans to celebrate 'Bon Mahatsav 2016' that would kick off on Thursday and will continue till July 20. The event will be inaugurated by state higher education minister Partha Chatterjee under the chairmanship of state forest minister Binay Burman at Eco Park in New Town on Thursday.

Air Pollution Could Cause Over 500,000 Premature Deaths in India

Air pollution could lead to 570,000 premature deaths in India, according to a report.

Furthermore, the researchers say, the problem likely costs the Indian economy hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
Air pollution has been a public health concern in India for years, but in February, a report by Greenpeace said it surpassed China in the quantity of fine particulate matter in the air. It found there were 128 micrograms of fine particulate matter in New Delhi's air. By comparison, Washington, DC, had 12. The World Health Organization recommends no more than 10 micrograms. The report said the "Indo-Gangetic" region, the north of the country, had the most pollution.
For the new study, researchers at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and the US National Center for Atmospheric Research created computer simulations using 2011 data, and found that air pollution could kill more than 570,000 people prematurely.
According to The Washington Post, researchers not involved with the study said that was in line with models they had worked on.
However, Michael Jerrett, chair of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, told the Washington Post that there's no way to really count the people who die because of air pollution in India because the models use "concrete observations" about the effects of air pollution on health from Europe and North America, where pollution levels are relatively low.
"We don't have any epidemiological studies from China or India that look at the long-term effects of air pollution on mortality," he told the paper.
Nevertheless, he added that the modeling used in the India study, published in the Geophysical Research Letters journal, is one of the only options until there are better statistics on the actual effects of air pollution. VOA Thursday 12th May, 2016 Courtesy:: www.bignewsnetwork.com

Kolkata air toxic, warns study

KOLKATA, January 31, 2016
CSE has analysed the data from the official ambient monitoring reported by the CPCB and West Bengal State Pollution Control Board.

Official ambient air quality monitoring has shown 61 percent increase in particulate matter in four years from 2010 to 2013, a Centre For Science and Environment study said here on Saturday.

“Kolkata is in the grip of rising air pollution and multi-pollutant crisis. Official ambient air quality monitoring has shown 61 percent increase in particulate matter in four years from 2010—2013. The levels exceed standards by 2.7 times. The nitrogen dioxide levels exceed by close to two times,” said Anumita Roychowdhury of CSE.

CSE has analysed the data from the official ambient monitoring reported by the CPCB and West Bengal State Pollution Control Board. “Official monitoring shows that particulate levels (PM10) in 78 per cent cities of Bengal exceed the standards,” she said.   [Courtesy:The Hindu]

GREEN CRUSADERS on the volatile situation in Kashmir.

GREEN CRUSADERS expresses its grave concern at the deteriorating situation in Kashmir. Till now quite a number of people, mostly youth, are reported to have been killed and hundreds injured.

Massive people’s unrest erupted after the encounter death of Burhan Wani and his associates. The brutal force used against protesters by the police and the armed forces that resulted in these unfortunate killings is condemnable. The administration should desist from using such excessive force against the protesters. Those responsible for killing innocent unarmed protesters should be identified and punished.

The present growing unrest is also an expression of people’s alienation, anger against the oppressive policies and killings of unarmed civilians by security forces. While the activities of the extremist groups need to be checked to maintain law and order and civilian rule, it cannot be an excuse for such use of force against stone-hurling protesters. 

The governments concerned would do well to immediately initiate a political process of dialogue with all the political forces and groups concerned to end this growing strife in the state and to restore peace and normalcy.

LIVE AND LET LIVE

Sowmen Mitter

The news of an Amazonian Indian tribe trying to make contact with the outside world, beyond the confines of the thick of the forest they have been dwelling in for generations and somehow still surviving the onslaught of civilization has come to the fore and very obviously, jolted some of us out of the slumber, or rather smug indifference with which we have looked up to things thus far. It has set us thinking about how we are going to deal these indigenous people who have, so far, remained so detached and removed from the influence of the sophisticated world that it seems, it's not only unlikely for them to get along with it, but instead, will also be highly prone to falling prey to the germs their system has not developed any immunity to.

But what led them to try to establish contact with the settled population living in the flanks of the forest? It is alleged that it is because of the drug traffickers that they were compelled to go and seek help from the people living somewhat close to them; having felt somewhat uncannily that the people living on the outskirts might treat them with sympathy. And they did. Members of the Ashaninka community, themselves indigenous but settled, tried to help them out with clothes, while maintaining that it was for the first time in decades that the former group, still uncontacted, tried to pay a visit to the neighbouring village.

First, it was the loggers and now, it's the drug peddlers, as alleged, have made life so unbearable for them. Lust for lucre and complicity of the powers that be have made it possible. In this case, the manoeuvring parties concerned or their activities may be apparently unlawful, but that is just another stupefying paradox because when corporates are involved, things are made to appear lawful and sundry other obstacles or clearances, however insurmountable they may appear to be, are made to give way to the marauding magnets, and thereby  the complaisant politicians as well.

So, the need of the hour is to continually widen the scope and periphery of our awareness and if need be, take a check of our 'human quotient' at repeated intervals, while at the same time intensifying our zeal to resist. If it sounds funny, I am helpless. But that's how, I think, we can somehow ensure our passage to safety, however brittle and make a success of the motto, "Live and let live."

Indigenous people from a previously uncontacted tribe are filmed at Alto Envira, Acre State, by Brazil’s National Indian Foundation

EPA/Funai
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/video-shows-amazonian-indian-tribe-making-contact-with-brazil-village-9640077.html

Courtesy: http://waterfordwhispersnews.com

RSS-BJP: No love lost for the Tricolour | Hard News

RSS-BJP: No love lost for the Tricolour | Hard News

The Hindu : News / National : Jethmalani kicks off Binayak Sen's defence

The Hindu : News / National : Jethmalani kicks off Binayak Sen's defence