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1-15 MARCH, 2017

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SLEEPLESS IN
THE CITY
It's time India woke up to the threat of sleep disorders

PET COKE
CONUNDRUM
I
N HINDUISM the god of destruction is more powerful than
the god of creation. There is an environmental lesson here.
Today we are creating stuffand lots of itwhich is not pos-
sible to destroy in our lifetime. Think of plastic or carbon di-
oxide emissions. Or think of pet coke, a petroleum industry
by-product. It is extremely polluting because of its high sulphur con-
tent as well as emissions of heavy metals and mercury. In fact, its the
pollution that has been transferred from one product to another.
Over the years we have progressively improved the quality of
fuel for automobiles. To do this, the sulphur content in petrol and
diesel has been reduced from 10,000 ppm in the mid-1990s to
50 ppm today. To meet BS VI vehicle emission standards refineries
will further bring down sulphur to 10 ppm or lower. Only then can
the after-treatment devices installed in vehicles work. We thought
once this is done, the problem of air pollution will
go away. Wrong.
The fact is that the same sulphur, which is
removed from the fuel, ends up in the waste prod-
uct, pet coke. There are no regulations for pet coke
quality. Its sulphur levels are between 65,000
ppm and 75,000 ppm! This, when burnt, will
greatly add to air pollution. It is just that instead
of the tailpipe, emission will be emitted from
the chimney.
The question then is what can be done with
this by-product. The best would be to find a way
to use it without adding to the pollution. But for
this, we need to have a policy for pet coke.
Currently, it is literally a black hole.
At present, India produces 12-13 million tonnes of pet coke. But
what is most alarming is that our imports are soaring. This fiscal
year till November, we had already imported 10 million tonnes of
pet coke, which is equal to the total imports of the previous year. At
this rate we could end up with some 30 million tonnes of pet coke
by year end, which is roughly equal to what China was using at its
peak in 2014.
It is no wonder then that today pollution is the only business in
which India is rivalling China. The latest Global Burden of Disease
report shows not just the high levels of air pollution and early deaths
in Indian citiesroughly 1 million a yearbut also that the total
number is matching China. Worse, while China is beginning to bend
the curve on pollution, with the growth in the number of early
deaths linked to pollution slowing down, ours is rising steeply.
This is the big difference between China and India. This is also
where pet coke comes in.
1-15 MARCH 2017
EDITORS PAGE
www.downtoearth.org.in/blogger/sunita-narain-3
In 2014, Chinese premier Li Keqiang declared war on pollution.
China set targets for the reduction of coal power plants and now has
also come down on the use of pet coke. It is clear from global trade
information. China was the largest importer of pet coke from the
US, finds the 2015 paper from the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for
Global Policy in Beijing. In 2013, US pet coke exports to China
accounted for 75 per cent of its total and were as high as 7 million
tonnes. It is also important to note that the US, with the worlds big-
gest oil refinery capacity, has massive pet coke to dispose ofsome
36 million tonnes in 2014. This is increasing as the country is now
refining more and more heavy oil, like the Canadian tar sands, which
produce more pet coke by volume. The countrys new President
Donald Trumps approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, to bring
more tar sands oil to the US for refining, means even more pet coke
will be produced. All this will have to be sold in the
global market.
Thats because the US is using less and less of
its domestic manufacture, precisely because of
pollution concerns. The countrys Environment
Protection Agency has mandated rules for pet coke
storage, as it fears contamination from heavy met-
als and particulates. The US is moving to cleaner
natural or shale gas. And it needs to dump this
dirty fuel on the world. With the Chinese getting
smarter about their air, we are the takers of this
fuel. We are buying the worlds dirtiest fuel as if we
have no worries of air pollution.
So, what is the way ahead? First, we should en-
SORIT / CSE
sure that we utilise our domestic pet coke and do
not end up dumping it on others like the US does. But this also
means we should stop the import of cheap pet coke. Second, we
should use the domestic pet coke only in the industries where
emissions can be controlled. For instance, in the cement industrys
clinker plants. But all other uses should be stopped.
More importantly, in this circular economy of the world, where
products do not die but have to be reused, we have to be smart,
very smart. We cannot be the dustbin of the world. We have our
own garbage that is drowning usand killing us, and not even
softly anymore.
@sunitanar
www.downtoearth.org.in 3
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Losing a culinary heritage
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All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction

in any manner is prohibited. Printed and published by
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IN CONTEXT worldwide. Down To
Connected events and difficult future

Earth had highlighted the T

wo major events happening at two ends of the more natural gas. This will put a strain on the European

Communications. Printed at International Print-o-Pac

As Down To Earth enters its worldJapans natural disaster and nuclear fa-
llout and unrest in Libya and other countries of
the regionhave one thing in common. Ener-
gy. The fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant,
oil and gas markets, which have common buyers. Already
gas futures in Europe have risen. All this will, of course,
mean more revenue and global influence for oil and gas
exporters like Russia.

25th year of publication, we

hit by earthquake and then the tsunami, has not yet been This comes at a time when new oil fields have been di-

ambiguity about energy

contained. As I write this, news is breaking about possible fficult to find. The new oil that does exist is found in eco-

Limited, B-204, 205, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase I, New contamination of the seawater surrounding the damaged
installation. Fears are it could lead to groundwater conta-
logically fragile areas and in areas where man is finding it
difficult to go, like deep sea where BP met with its accid-

bring to you glimpses from

mination and radioactive toxins in the food and fish. Last ent. This is not to say the oil-addicted world is not trying.

Delhi-110020, India, and published at 41, Tughlakabad

week there was a scare when Tokyos water was reported There is a mad rush for the Arctic now. Ironically,

in the aftermath of the

to have iodine 131 in excess of safe limits. Nobody really because of climate change, caused by the use of fossil fuels,
knows how badly the core of the reactor is damaged. the Arctic melting has opened the region for more oil
Nobodys clear how Fukushimas problems will be buried. exploration. Countries are vying to get into the Arctic

Institutional Area, New Delhi 110 062. our archives

However, this nuclear accident quickly to begin drilling, whatever the
has stoppedeven if temporarily environmental consequences. This
the resurgence of the nuclear industry. week, in high drama, a Stockholm

Fukushima disaster in 2011.

Italy had only recently restarted its court blocked a controversial deal

To subscribe, sms `dte Subscribe' to 56070 nuclear programme after a post-

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In Connected events and
on the four proposed nuclear reactors. open the region to drilling but may
The US and China, both remain wed- soon find itself in the race to this last
ded to nuclear energy, but have frontier.

An Achilles' heel
slowed down developments and sus- The other big find is the shale gas
pended future expansions. Europe has in the US. Oil companies are using

FOR ADVERTISEMENT CONTACT called for a safety review of its 143 hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, at

difficult future (1-15 April,

plants. In all this it is clear the world high pressure to unlock gas trapped in
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Jyoti Ghosh
and requirements, which in turn will add to cost. The parts of the world are busy looking for shale in their terri-
nuclear industrys renaissance may not be stillborn but is tory. How much of this is available and at what cost is still
certainly delayed. Clearly, this will put pressure on global hard to say.

On February 9, 2017, there 2011), editor Sunita Narain

energy supplies. But the bottomline is that energy constraints on the
At the same time, the unfolding violent conflict in worlds emerging economies will grow. We know that the

jghosh@cseindia.org West Asia and North Africa has led to oil prices peaking to
over US $105up some 24 per cent from February 15.
Again, there is a huge uncertainty about where this con-
flict could lead to. Already coalition governments are
price of energy determines the price of growth.
India will need to work out its own energy options.
There is no doubt that we need more energylarge parts
of the country remain deprived of this basic need which is

was an explosion at the had noted: Energy is clearly

bombing Libya in the hope of stopping Colonel Qaddafi, unacceptable. It is also clear that our options are limited.

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but there is no real plan about where this will end. Yemen We already import huge amounts of oil and gas and will
is falling apart, and even though it is a small oil producer, need more in the future, particularly because we seem to
it is located strategically at the Gulf of Aden. Bahrain, a be unclear about how much gas reserves we have. We also
major oil producer, is edging towards collapse. The zone dont really have a plan on how we should use energy

K C R Raja raja@cseindia.org Flamanville Nuclear Power the world's Achilles' heel.

of unrest is growing. The world is too scared to exhale.
The question is what this will do to the already precar-
ious energy situation in the world. The recent recovery of
the world economy has driven up demand at a time when
oil production is stretched and even perturbation can
spike its price. In the coming months, Japan will fuel this
more efficiently and wisely. We only want to dig deep into
forested regions for cheap coal.
But this is the real tough question for the future.
Energy is clearly the worlds Achilles heel. But we will get
nowhere if we keep harping on the old answers. We clear-
ly need to secure energy sources, but equally we need to

COVER DESIGN Ajit Bajaj Plant in north-western But we will get nowhere if
demand further as 30 per cent of its electricity needs came
from its 54 nuclear reactors. Now many are closed and in
the coming months, the post-earthquake recovery will
find new ways of doing much more with much less. It is
time we learnt this lesson. Fast.

need more energy. It will be in the market for importing Sunita Narain

France. The fire caused by we keep harping on the old

April 1-15, 2011 Down To Earth 3

Down To Earth editorial does not

the explosion resulted in answers. We clearly need to ways of doing much more with
endorse the content of advertisements five people getting injured. secure energy resources, but much less. Clearly, the world
printed in the magazine The incident reignited the equally we need to find new has still not learnt its lessons.

4 DOWN TO EARTH 1-15 MARCH 2017

letters

AGNIMIRH BASU / CSE

Treat farmers on a par with govt staff
The debate How to inspire India's youth to take up farming and column
Farmers need maximum government (16-31 January, 2017) were
informative. Young people do not want to take up agriculture as an
avocation. Those who stick to it are often forced to take the extreme step
of suicide. This is because of the huge gap between what the producer
gets and what the consumer pays, especially for fruits and vegetables.
While the additional dearness allowance (ada) for government
employees is commensurate with the hike in the price index, the minimum
support price (msp) for farmers is unrealistic. In 2015, ada was 12 per cent,
but the increase in msp of wheat and paddy was just 3-4 per cent. With farm
inputs becoming expensive, msp should be linked to ada vis-a-vis the price
Statement about ownership and other particulars about Down To Earth, index. Besides, farmers cannot reap profits as long as food grains are
required to be published under Rule 8 of the Registration of Newspapers
(Central) Rule, 1956 highly subsidised. They should be compensated by subsiding inputs and
1. Place of publication
FORM IV (See Rule 8)
: New Delhi should also get remuneration for the labour of their family members. The
2. Periodicity of publication
3. Printers name
: Fortnightly
: RICHARD MAHAPATRA government has recently declared its ambition to double the income of
Whether citizen of India
If foreigner, state country of origin
: Yes
: Does not apply farmers in five years, but is there a plan to achieve it?
4. Publishers name : RICHARD MAHAPATRA R C MISHRA
Whether citizen of India : Yes
If foreigner, state country of origin : Does not apply VIA EMAIL
Address : 321, Azad Hind Apartment
Sec. 9, Dwarka,
New Delhi-110 075 * The need of the hour is to motivate India's youth to take up farming. This can
5. Editors name : SUNITA NARAIN
Whether citizen of India : Yes be made possible by inculcating in them a passion for agriculture. A child must be
If foreigner, state country of origin : Does not apply
Address : A-17, Green Park explained that the value of grains is not just monetary. We must also pay our gratitude
New Delhi-110 016
6. Names and addresses : Owner
to farmers for their hard labour. Such an attitude can help farmers deal with adverse
of individuals who own the newspaper Society for Environmental situations. I agree with the views of A Palanisamy, research associate with the Tamil
partners and shareholding more than Communications
one per cent of the total capital 41, Tughlakabad Nadu Agricultural University, that the government should introduce Indian Agriculture
Institutional Area,
New Delhi-110 062 Service, on the lines of the Indian Administrative Service, to encourage the youth to
I, Richard Mahapatra, hereby declare that the particulars given above are
true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
pursue agriculture.
Sd/- GEE TANJALI RATH
RICHARD MAHAPATRA
Dated: 1st March, 2017 (Signature of publisher) VIA EMAIL

1-15 MARCH 2017 www.downtoearth.org.in 5

letters * This is apropos of "Farmers
need maximum government"
(16-31 January, 2017). The
modern agricultural system
forces them to first take loans,
and then sell their land to
pay off the loan or take their
own lives. The solution lies in
enabling farmers to use their
own seeds, organic manure
TARIQUE AZIZ / CSE

and cattle for ploughing. They

should be made self-reliant
in irrigation, post-harvest
activities and transport of
agricultural produce. This way
they will be able to withstand
the shock of crop failures.
A M PAREKH
VIA EMAIL
Why revive the extinct?
This refers to the article
Wannabe Noahs (16-31
January, 2017). About a decade
ago, an extinct wild goat was
brought to life. Though it died
10 minutes later, scientists are
trying to revive 24 such extinct
species. But the question
is should we revive extinct
animals, and if so, then why?
If the theory of evolution
holds true, then extinction is a
natural process and bringing
back extinct species would be
a moral and ethical minefield.
The greater need is to conserve
species, which are threatened
or on the verge of extinction
due to various factors, inclu-
ding climate change impacts.
More so, an animal goes extinct
only after its native habitat
disappears. Then, why go
through all the trouble just to
make the animal extinct again?
H N RAMAKRISHNA
BENGALURU
Let's do our bit
The cover story On the
move (1-15 January, 2016)
narrates the heroic details
of Down To Earth's (dte's)
writers undertaking long
and arduous journeys into
difficult terrains to explore
the local ecology. I salute
the writers and those who
live in the midst of nature,
without modern facilities and
yet do everything to save the
environment. dte has also
inspired me to do my bit for
the environment. I preserve
paper bags and cartons and
encourage my vegetable
vendor to reuse them.
KIRAN SHARMA
VIA EMAIL
Saving the Olive Ridley
It is heartening to learn that
a group of citizens spurred
conservation efforts to protect
Olive Ridley turtles near the
Astaranga coast of Odisha

http://www.facebook.com/down2earthindia
Can the government's plan
to connect 150,000 villages
with high-speed internet
help improve healthcare?
The standard message this infrastructure
will carry would be prevention is better
than cure. And then the government will
say, We told you so!
SWARNA LATHA
How will it bring positive changes when
the budget allocation for healthcare as
well as education has always been pitiful
since Independence.
S R P KODURU
The government plans to connect
villages through high-speed internet,
but in the current budget, it has
escalated the prices of smart phones.
How will this help the government in
its plan?
P OOJA SHARMAN
One of the Centre's flagship programmes,
the National Optical Fibre Network , which
aims to provide broadband connectivity
to 100,000 gram panchayats by March
2016 has already been delayed. The
government seems to be day dreaming on
this project, which holds high importance
for the prime minister. Wonder how it will
meet its new goal.
RANJEE T KUMAR

6 DOWN TO EARTH 1-15 MARCH 2017


AGNIMIRH BASU / CSE
(Turtle turnaround, 16-31 January,
2017). The conservation effort was
successful because it was a community-
led initiative. Such initiatives can set
trends for other conservationists.
D B N MURTHY
BENGALURU
Protect consumers
This is in reference to the article Claims we
buy (16-31, January 2017). Reputed food
manufacturers are exaggerating nutritious
claims and calorific values of products to
mislead consumers and boost their sales.
This happens because India does not have
a strong regulatory mechanism governing
food labelling. To ensure the well-being
of consumers, it is imperative to take
strict action against defaulters within an
established time frame.
K R SRINIVASAN
VIA EMAIL
Making waste useful
This is in reference to the editorial
Garbage is about recycling (1-15
June, 2016). The remediation of urban
waste requires, among other things,
strengthening the recycling industry.
Compostable bio-waste should be
shifted to barren wasteland, which
can then be developed
into green pastures.
Dredged remains from
sewer channels, sewage
treatment plants and
water bodies can also be
used to enrich soil. This
approach can also help
generate employment.
A JIT SE SHADRI
VIA EMAIL
1-15 MARCH 2017
Failure of Indian banks A welcome edition
This refers to Banks at a loss (1-15 I got to know about the Hindi edition of
March, 2016). The failure of the Reserve Down To Earth at the recent World Book
Bank of India and other banks to recover Fair in Delhi. This is a gift for Hindi readers.
loans from defaulters is inexcusable. The stories are written in a way that a
Banks are advancing huge loans to the common reader understands complex
corporate sector to set up industries issues. Congratulations to the team.
without a mandatory clause to ensure MANOJ NIGAM
that the environment is protected. The VIA EMAIL
government and banks must ensure
that adequate funds are set aside by the NOTICE BOARD
corporate sector to mitigate any damage
caused to the environment.
K R SRINIVASAN
VIA EMAIL
TEJASWI DANTULURI
Great analysis
This is apropos of the cover story,
Sweet 'n' sour(16-30 September,
2016). I appreciate the writers, Karnika
Bahuguna and Shreeshan Venkatesh, for
their in-depth research. Further studies
can help increase the production and
supply of moringa and tamarind and
thus, help improve the socio-economic
status of people in the regions where
these trees grow.
JAYANTA TOPADAR
VIA EMAIL
NOTICE BOARD
CENTRE FOR LEARNING, ORGANIC
AGRICULTURE AND APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
(CLOAAT)
P.O. Box 57, Kodaikanal 624 101
MATURE STUDENT PROGRAMME
Inspired by the philosophy of J. Krishnamurti, CLOAAT is
located in a beautiful unspoilt valley at 3800 ft. altitude.
Students having a good knowledge of English of 18
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theoretical: Bio-dynamic Organic Agriculture, English
Literature, Appropriate Technologies, World Affairs, Art and
Design, Computer Applications etc..
We incorporate those wishing to study distance learning
University Degrees and A levels but the focus for students
from India and abroad is on learning to understand oneself
and life through our daily relationships and in meaningful
discussions. Fresh lacto-vegetarian organic fare, no smoking.
Apply for brochure and application form to:
Brian Jenkins BA (Hons.,) Sussex University.
Email:cloaat@yahoo.com Website:www.cloaat.com
www.downtoearth.org.in 7
contents Two nations,
two approaches
Swaziland and Tanzania's
island of Zanzibar present two
contrasting pictures of waste
management in Africa
18

26

11

THE FORTNIGHT
Closure at last?
The Supreme Court raises
compensation to the oustees
of the Sardar Sarovar Dam
30

Sanitation
success
Himachal Pradesh has
achieved total sanitation,
but tourism could derail its
achievement

Trudging back
In Madhya Pradesh's Singrauli,
a tribal community displaced a
decade ago by a mining project
is slowly making its way home
to the forests

Lethal air
New data reveals an alarming increase in early 28
deaths from particulate and ozone pollution,
with India accounting for a quarter of
the deaths
16 Slow poison?
Long-term exposure to
organophosphate insecticides
raises the chances of diabetes,
shows a study in Madurai

22
8 DOWN TO EARTH 1-15 MARCH 2017
 58

46
INTERVIEW
An ocean rises
Author Sanjeev Sanyal says Diversion tactics
the Indian Ocean will regain its wto prepares to brush issues
importance as the centre of global of farmers from developing
realpolitik in this century countries under the carpet
once again by focussing on
e-commerce

55
44 50

FOOD
Tangy spice
Kodampuli, used to add
sourness to food items, has
its own health properties

COVER STORY
Truth v hype
The boundaries between
Sleep science fact and fiction are Arm-twisting moves
Lack of proper sleep opens the door to serious blurring in today's post- India is placed at the bottom of
diseases. What is causing us to lose our sleep? truth world a biased global intellectual
property index to make it change
its patent laws

REVIEW
FACTSHEET Green death
Commercial agriculture
Dipping funds is driving the
Investment in research on destruction of tropical
neglected diseases decreased by forests, says a
2.3 per cent in 2015 new book

52
45
SCIENCE OPINION
Paths of change
Roads, which intersect wildlife habitats Hope for captive
are causing evolutionary changes among jumbos
plants and animals, says a study The Supreme Court will decide on
captive elephants in July
48 56
41
20-PAGE DTE SUPPLEMENT
WITH SUBSCRIPTION COPIES

HEALTH P L A N E T P E O P L E P O L I T I C S
GOOD NEWS
The real
test Feel the GOBAR TIMES
59-78
The government may contours
have put a price cap Finally, Braille maps
on stents. But will the for the visually
benefits trickle down challenged Supplement Editor: Sorit Gupto
Copy: Arif Ayaz Parrey, Priya Talwar
to patients? Design: Ajit Bajaj, Ritika Bohra and Surender Singh
Illustration: Sorit Gupto, Tarique Aziz and Ritika Bohra
42
1-15 MARCH 2017 www.downtoearth.org.in 9

K60 lakh for Narmada-displaced
THE SUPREME Court has ordered
final compensation in the 38-year-
old legal battle over the Sardar
Sarovar Project or ssp on the Narmada
river. The court directed that a
compensation of `60 lakh each be
paid to 681 project-affected families
who had refused to accept cash
compensation of `5.58 lakh for every
1-15 MARCH 2017
THE FORTNIGHT
CROSS HAIRS BY SORIT GUPTO
POINT
4.6
0.8 ha submerged. It further ordered
that compensation of `15 lakh each
be paid to another 4,216 families,
who had accepted the compensation million sq km
money. The court asked the families to
The area of Zealandia, a newly-discovered
vacate the land by July 31 so that the
continent on which New Zealand sits
dam could function to its full capacity.
If they do not, then the authorities
would be free to forcibly evict them. Source: The Geological Society of America
www.downtoearth.org.in 11
 THE FORTNIGHT

1 ,0 0 0 WO R D S BY VIKAS CHOUDHARY

RESTORED Farmer Narendra Singh Yadav stands in a well in Burja Ki Dhani village in Rajasthan's Sikar district. Till a year ago, the well could not
store water beyond the wet season. Between January and June 2016, the state government built 73 water harvesting structures, including check
dams and contour trenches, across the village as part of the Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Yojana. As a result, soil moisture in the area has
increased. Now the well has water, even in the dry season. It has become a steady source of irrigation for the nearby fields.

Hepatitis C drug India's farm exports decline for

patents challenged second consecutive year
I N D I A' S AG R I C U LT U R E
IN THE latest push to make Hepatitis C exports have shown a decline for
drugs affordable to millions of patients, four the second year in a row. Govern-
civil society groups have filed five challenges ment data shows that India's farm
to patents of pharmaceutical corporations exports declined by 6 per cent from
in India and Argentina. These are meant US $10.81 billion during 2015-16 to
to ease the production and distribution of $10.20 billion in 2016-2017. In fact,
affordable generic versions of direct-acting the export of 16 key agricultural
antiviral medicines, including sofosbuvir, products, including fresh vegetables
daclatasvir and velpatasvir. Patents on and seeds, pulses, wheat, milled
drugs not only prevent affordable generic products, cereals and basmati rice,
versions from being produced or imported, has registered a negative growth.
but also restrict progressive innovation Farm exports were on an
that could benefit patients. People living upward trajectory till 2014-
ISTOCK PHOTO

with hiv-aids, in collaboration with health 2015, when the country exported
organisations, have already filed challenges goods worth $23 billion. Experts
to patents on sofosbuvir in several countries. say demonetisation, high Indian
The Hepatitis C virus afflicts over 12 million export prices and the government's some of the major causes for
people across India. removal of export incentives, are the dip.

12 DOWN TO EARTH 1-15 MARCH 2017


I N FO C U S
ISRO studies killer tide
ISTOCK PHOTO
The Indian Space Research
Organisation (isro) has studied the
occurrence of killer rip tides in
collaboration with a private lifeguard
agency appointed by the Goa government
to safeguard its beaches.
Rip tide is a strong sea current which
pulls the water away from the shore,
often dragging swimmers and people into
deeper water. Rip tides are one of the most
common causes for drowning in the shallow
waters off Goa's popular coastline.
Rip tides can be identified by discoloured
water, choppy waves and a foamy
surface. They can be filled with debris.
Using the Indian Regional Navigation
Satellite System, the scientists tested the
presence of active rips along some beaches
between January 31 and February 1.
The team was able to identify a rip current
at Calangute, to which several tourists have
fallen prey.
isro will be conducting a more detailed study
on the factors responsible for the
formation of rip currents along Goa's
coastline, thereby improving public safety.
Over the last few years, lifeguards have been
instructed to direct tourists off the shore-
line when such tides occur unpredictably.
Studies are critical to augment our
services and enable us to pre-empt
an incident, says Ankit Somani of Drishti
Lifesaving Pvt Ltd, the agency collaborating
with isro on the study.
Goa's beaches attract nearly four million
tourists every year.
1-15 MARCH 2017
THE FORTNIGHT
I N CO U RT On February 8, the Supreme Court
directed the Centre to frame a
On February 2, the National Green
Tribunal (NGT) allowed the waste-to-
policy to protect wetlands by June
30. The court's direction will cover
energy plant in Delhi's Okhla area to over 200,000 wetlands across the
continue operating on the condition that country, identified through satellite
it would pay a fine of `25 lakh to the imagery by ISRO. The court has
Central Pollution Control Board and the also asked the Centre to draw up a
Delhi Pollution Control Committee for plan of action to conserve the
curbing air pollution in the area. waterbodies.
On February 13, NGT slapped
fines of `20,000 each on the
Uttarakhand government,
Delhi state forest department,
On February 15, the Bombay
High Court said the progress Uttarakhand Chief Conservator of Forests,
and prosperity of and Senior Superintendent
of Police of Pauri district for
Maharashtra is pointless
not filing their replies in time
when 50 per cent of children
Maharashtra regarding a matter connected
in the state are
with the restoration of
malnourished. It was hearing
a bunch of petitions fundamental rights and
highlighting increasing Karnataka relocation of people of 10
instances of malnutrition- hamlets from the territory of
related deaths in the the Rajaji Tiger Reserve.
Melghat and other tribal
On February 15, a week after the Centre decreed
regions of Vidarbha.
that the Aadhaar number would be mandatory
for people who wish to avail of subsidised
foodgrain from ration shops, the Karnataka High
Court, responding to a petition by a tailor,
directed the appropriate government
departments to provide subsidised foodgrain to
the petitioner without the production of an
Aadhaar card.
SO FAR...
Total cases on
environment and SUPREME HIGH NATIONAL GREEN
COURT COURTS TRIBUNAL
development tracked
since January 26, 2017, 15 9 82
till February 15, 2017
NGT slams Namami Gange programme
for inaction
T H E N A T I O N A L Green Tribunal (NGT) has slammed the Central government for what
it called its inaction in cleaning the Ganga. An NGT bench headed by Justice Swatanter
Kumar criticised government agencies for only wasting public money in the name of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious Ganga-cleaning project, Namami Gange. It is
the fault of the Central Pollution Control Board and other agencies that are not doing their
job properly. Had you [the authorities] done your job properly, you would not be standing
here [before the court]...You have done nothing. You are only wasting public money. Not a
single drop of the river has been cleaned, the bench said.
Compiled by DTE-CSE Data Centre. For detailed verdicts, visit bit.ly/1CIFrcf
www.downtoearth.org.in 13
 THE FORTNIGHT

Gujarat's ration shops go cashless

G U J A R A T H A S become the first state in the country
to establish cashless distribution of food grain in its public
distribution system. The state government has installed Aadhaar
enabled payment system in 17,250 fair price shops (fps). From now,
those who are eligible to receive subsidised food grains under the
National Food Security Act will need to carry only Aadhaar cards
for getting food grains in Gujarat. Besides food distribution, a
consumer will also be able to get his or her rail, air and bus ticket
reserved at the fps itself. Farmers can also deposit crop insurance
premiums and Life Insurance Corporation premiums at these
centres, besides getting the soil health card and registration for
Centrally-sponsored schemes.

EXTREME
Q & A W H Y : There is no readily available

50 days
The time, spanning January and February, for
which the temperature in Moree town of Australia's
New South Wales did not dip below 35C. It is a
record for Australia
47.6C The highest recorded temperature in
New South Wales' Ivanhoe town, on Febryary 10
46.9C The record temperature in Penrith, a far-
western Sydney suburb, recorded in February
42.9C The temperature at Sydney Airport in
Botany Bay on February 10, the hottest February
day in the area in over 37 years
0.9C The increase in average temperature in
Australia since 1950, according to a 2014 study by
the Climate Council of Australia
Coordination is the key
W H O : Banwari Lal,
Expert on bioremedial methods to clean
up oil spills. He works with The Energy
and Resources Institute, Delhi
W H A T : On January 28, 2017, two
cargo ships collided off the Ennore port
in Chennai, causing oil to spill into the
sea. Is India well-equipped to handle
such spills in its territorial waters?
technology to treat the oil/chemical
spills in Indian territorial waters. The
National Oil-spill Disaster Contingency
Plan (nosdcp) has been framed by the
Government of India, in which various
ministries and departments play a
fundamental role to respond to spills in
the maritime zones of India. The nosdcp
protocol uses the latest international
norms, national guidelines and best
practices. The Indian Coast Guard is
the first-responder for oil/chemical
spills in Indian waters and has a crucial
role to play in their preservation and
protection. However, only proper co-
ordination by all agencies, including
the Coast Guard, in the immediate
aftermath of a spill, can mitigate its
harmful impact on the environment,
marine life and people.

Biodiversity Act to be implemented soon in entire Himachal

T H E H I M A C H A L Pradesh
government has announced that the
Biodiversity Act of 2002 will soon be
implemented in all 12 districts of the
state so that village communities can
avail its benefits. The Act mandates that
monetary profits made by industries and
companies using biological resources of
the state be shared with gram panchayats.
In 2005, the newly formed Himachal
Pradesh State Biodiversity Board had
implemented the Act in Chamba, Kullu,
CREATIVE COMMONS
Sirmaur and Shimla districts. Now, state
Chief Secretary V C Pharka has asked
panchayats to constitute biodiversity
management committees (bmc) by March
15 for implementing the Act.
Most states in India are yet to
implement the Act fully. Right To
Information responses from 15 states
reveal that while these states have
61,000 panchayats, only 1,400 peoples'
biodiversity registers have been set up to
document biodiversity.

14 DOWN TO EARTH 1-15 MARCH 2017

 THE FORTNIGHT

GI tag for
Nilambur teak
N I L A M B U R T E A K , obtained from
Nilambur taluk in north Kerala and
known for its durabilityit was used
for making ships and cabinetswill be
added to the list of Kerala produce with

the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
The process of registering Nilambur
teak was started in 2013 at a workshop
organised by the Kerala Agricultural
University's Intellectual Property Rights
Cell. In December 2015, an application
for GI registration was submitted to the
GI Registry, Chennai. The GI tag will be
formally bestowed at the next sitting of
the Registry. The need for bestowing a GI
tag was felt because fake products have
been flooding the furniture markets since
the Nilambur teak rose to fame. Other
Kerala products with GI registration
include Pokkali rice, Vazhakulam
pineapple, Wayanad rice varieties
Jeerakasala and Gandhakasala, Tirur
betel vine, Central Travancore jaggery
and Chengalikodan Nendran, a
banana variety.
Just 30 vaquitas left in wild
T H E V A Q U I T A , a small porpoise
found only in the northern Gulf of
California off Mexico, is on the brink
of extinction. Classified as the world's
rarest marine mammal, vaquita
numbers have seen a steady decline
since 2012. That year, the population
was 200 individuals, which declined
to 97 in 2014, and to 59 in March
2016. Now, according to a report
released in January 2017, by the Comit
Internacional para la Recuperacion
WIKIMIEDIA COMMONS
de la Vaquita (cirva), an international
group of scientists trying to prevent
vaquita extinction, just 30 individuals
are left. Vaquitas are dying as they
get caught in illegal gillnets meant for
the totoaba, a sea fish. Totoaba are in
great demand because of the alleged
medicinal properties of the swim
bladders. cirva says only a complete ban
on illegal totoaba fishing and a captive
breeding programme can save the
vaquita now.

L AT I T U D E V E R B AT I M
An international team has
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE

developed a way of combining

data from mobile phones and
satellite imagery to create high
resolution maps to measure
poverty. The researchers mapped
the rates of poverty and its
distribution across Bangladesh in
"There is no
conclusive data
this manner. For example,
A B C
available to
monthly credit consumption on establish direct
mobiles, and the proportion of correlation of death
DHS Wealth Index likelihood of being below $2.50 per day Income (USD) people in an area using mobiles, exclusively with air
2.2
0.1
>45%
>75%
443
205
can indicate household access to pollution"
-1.2 >90% -68.3 financial resources, while Environment Minister
movements of mobiles and their Anil Dave in response to
use of networks provide Greenpeace's claims that
Bangladesh poverty maps showing national estimates for wealth index (A), progress out of
information on individuals' polluted air kills 1.2 million
poverty index (B), and household income (C). Maps were generated using mobile data, satellite
data and geostatistical models. Red indicates poorer areas. economic opportunities. in India every year

1-15 MARCH 2017 www.downtoearth.org.in 15

 AIR POLLUTION
What are we breathing?
New analysis shows an
A
IR POLLUTION is the cause of
4.2 million premature deaths in
alarming increase in the world each year. Of these,
1.1 million deaths happen in
the early deaths from India, suggest the recent global burden of
particulate and ozone disease (gbd) estimates by US-based Health
Effect Institute (hei). The reportState of
pollution. India accounts Global Air 2017serves as a warning to
India, which now rivals China in the highest
for over a quarter of number of premature deaths due to PM2.5,
these deaths tiny particles suspended in the air that can
lodge into lungs and cause diseases. The
ANUMITA ROYCHOWDHURY country also has the highest number of ear-
ly deaths due to ozone pollution.
| new delhi The rate of increase in early deaths in
India is alarming (see Dubious distinction
p17). While early deaths due to PM2.5 in
China have increased by 17.2 per cent since
1990, in India these have increased by 48 per
cent. Similarly, early deaths due to ozone in
China have stabilised since 1990, but India
has registered an astounding 148 per cent
increase, highlighting the need for urgent
action. We are seeing increasing air pollu-
16 DOWN TO EARTH
PM2.5 jumped to dangerous
levels in New Delhi in the week
after the Diwali celebrations on
October 30, 2016
VIKAS CHOUDHARY/ CSE
tion problems worldwide and the new re-
port explains why air pollution is a major
contributor to early death. We have seen
progress in some parts of the world, but se-
rious challenges remain, says Dan
Greenbaum, president of hei.
Interestingly, Indias Environment Mi-
nister Anil Madhav Dave has discredited the
report saying Indian institutions should be
trusted in such matters. He has said that the
Union health ministry will soon release a re-
port on the trends and impact of pollution
on human health.
Ominous signs for India
The report, which analyses figures between
1990 and 2015, suggests that though India
started off with a much lower number of ear-
ly deaths in 1990 it has quickly caught up
with China. In 2015, China recorded 1.11 mil-
lion premature deaths and India recorded
1.10 million deaths. The number of early
deaths in India is also the highest among
South Asian countriesit is nine times high-
1-15 MARCH 2017
 AIR POLLUTION
www.downtoearth.org.in/air

er than in neighbouring Bangladesh and

eight times higher than in Pakistan. This is Dubious distinction
serious as past gbd estimates suggest that air India now rivals China in the highest number of premature deaths due to PM2.5...
pollution is the fifth largest killer in India.
1,200,000
Without anyone noticing, ozone, a very China

Number of early deaths due to PM 2.5

reactive gas, has become a serious health 1,000,000 India
problem in India. Even though the absolute
800,000
number of early deaths due to ozone is far less
than those caused by PM2.5, India records 600,000
the highest in the world. Ozone aggravates
400,000
respiratory problems, especially chronic ob- European Union
structive pulmonary disease (copd). In fact, 200,000 Russia
India recently included copd in its non-com- Pakistan
0
municable diseases programme.
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
In 1990, ozone-related deaths in India
were far less than in China. Today the coun-
try stands at 33 per cent higher than those re- ... And has the highest number of early deaths due to ozone pollution
corded for China. India has also recorded a 1,200,000
faster rate of increase in ozone-related deaths India
Number of early deaths due to ozone

than China. On an average, cases of early 1,000,000

deaths due to ozone rose by 20 per cent in
India since 1990 as opposed to 0.50 per cent
in China. Ozone deaths in India are 13 times
higher than in Bangladesh and 21 times
higher than in Pakistan. Population increase
and ageing are partly responsible for the in-
crease in ozone-related deaths in India.
Ozone is not directly emitted but is
formed from the reaction of a variety of gas-
es like nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide
and volatile organic compounds in the pres-
ence of sunlight. Rising temperature is ag-
gravating this trend. In fact, new science
projects that ozone levels will rise further in
countries that are in the tropics and sub-
tropics or close to the equator. Some recent
studies show that pollutants in tropical re-
gions cause more ozone per tonne of emis-
sions than in the north like Europe and
North America. So not only are the emis-
sions of gases increasing, but the locational
disadvantage is adding to Indias plight.
Already the connection between urban heat
island and ozone has drawn attention in
Indian cities.
India should take early steps to control
ozone precursors, which are difficult to con-
trol as the developed world has already ex-
perienced. This means stringent control of
gaseous emissions from combustion sourc-
es, including vehicles. The air pollution
problem cannot be dismissed as dust. Ozone
precursors also have serious local public
health impacts. Ozone is likely to become
more important in India. As we know from
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0 Bangladesh
1990
Source: State of Global Air 2017
the US story, it is harder to manage, warns
Robert O Keef, vice- president, hei.
Global scourge
The new analysis shows that long-term ex-
posure to fine particulate matter has also
contributed to a loss of 103 million healthy
years of life globally in 2015. Out of the 79
risk factors considered in this report, it is the
fifth highest risk factor for deaths after heart
disease and stroke, lung cancer, chronic lung
disease and respiratory infections.
The European Union ranks the third
highest in terms of health risks from partic-
ulate matter and ozone. The US stands sixth
in health risks from particulate pollution
and fourth in ozone pollution.
It is important to note that the devel-
oped world, due to early action, has seen
some improvement. The US has seen about
27 per cent reduction in average annual
population exposures to fine particulate
matter. The reduction in Europe is lower. Yet
China
European Union
United States
1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
some 88,000 Americans and 258,000
Europeans still face the risk of dying early
due to particulate levels today.
The results leave no room for denial of
the problem anymore. As gbd analysis now
becomes an annual tracker of change, it is
possible for the world and India to know the
trend in emerging health risks from air pol-
lution. This has to influence policies and ac-
tion to protect public health.
The developing world is running against
time. Even if the air pollution does not get
worse, the number of lives lost will continue
to grow as the population in developing
countries grows and ages. And Asia is espe-
cially poised on the brink of an enormous de-
mographic and epidemiological transition.
So it is not enough to contain air pollution.
It must be significantly reduced. India needs
to implement a nationwide strategy to con-
trol both particulate and gaseous pollutants
to meet clean air standards. n
@AnumitaRoychowd

www.downtoearth.org.in 17
 AFRICA
Africa's waste challenge
For the fast urbanising
African continent, solid
waste management is
turning out to be a major
concern. SWATI SAMBYAL
travels to ZANZIBAR and
SWAZILAND to report two
contrasting scenarios,
both offering solutions
to the continent's
new-age problem
PHOTOGRAPHS: SWATI SAMBYAL / CSE
A
FRICA HAS been undergoing the
fastest rate of urbanisation for
the past two decades at 3.5 per
cent a year, suggests the African
Development Bank Group (afdb). About
36 per cent people in the continent now live
in urban areas, a share that is expected to
reach 50 per cent by 2050, according to the
World Bank. A fallout of this is the enor-
mous amount of solid waste. Whats worse,
the bulk of the urban population stays in
slums where waste management services
are often woefully inadequate, according
to a 2014 UN Habitat note, titled Urbani-
sation Challenges, Waste Management,
and Development.
The island state of Zanzibar, a semi-
autonomous part of Tanzania with a popu-
lation of 1.3 million or just 12 per cent of
Delhis population, is a classic example of the
challenges associated with rapid urbanisa-
tion in the continent. It has no official strat-
egy on solid or biomedical waste manage-
ment. About half of the waste generated in
the capital city of Zanzibar Town is either
burnt locally or dumped in the neighbour-
hood. The rest reaches the lone landfill serv-
ing the city, the Kibele landfill site. But this
site, set up in 2011 with the help of the World
Bank, is also plagued with problems. It is
just a kilometre away from settlements and
falls in the buffer zone of the Kibele forest.
Communities often complain about the
open burning of waste, says Aboud Jumbe,
officer, Department of Environment. The
World Bank invested US $33 million be-
tween 2011 and 2016 to develop the area
into a modern sanitary landfill site. It is still
used only as a dumping site. As a result, the
World Bank has decided to extend the fund-
ing for three years. Another $55 million will
be sanctioned for the next three years to de-
velop a sanitary landfill site, says Makame
Machano Haji from the Zanzibar Urban
Services Project, Ministry of Finance.
The country is also struggling with its
biomedical waste. It has an injection safety
and waste management protocol, developed
by the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention of the US, but has no guidelines on

biomedical waste. The lack of mandatory
waste segregation and the burning of mixed
waste means hospitals are emitting two
highly carcinogenic pollutants, dioxin and
furan, into the air. The country has eight
major hospitals and several small clinics.
Mzazi Moza, the largest hospital in
Zanzibar, generates 500-1,000 kg of hospi-
tal waste a day. The waste, which includes
injection vials, syringes, saline bottles, cath-
eters, blood bags and needles, is burnt in the
hospital backyard. The liquid effluent, in-
cluding sewage, urine, blood and other in-
fected body fluids, is drained into the sea,
risking the marine biodiversity of the island.
We have little information on how the clin-
ics handle their waste, says Jumbe.
Poor biomedical waste management
practices have encouraged the illegal mar-
ket of used syringes that has increased the
spread of infections such as Hepatitis B and
hiv/aids, says a senior Mzazi Moza official
on the condition of anonymity.
Zanzibar Town has 86 designated waste-
dumping points. It has another 92 illegal
waste-dumping points, with no collection
system in place. The collection efficiency in
Stone Town, a unesco world heritage site of a
Swahili trading town that is spread over 35
ha in the capital city, is 86 per cent. The col-
lection efficiency in the rest of the city is less
Poor biomedical waste management practices in Zanzibar
have encouraged the illegal market of used syringes that
has increased the spread of infections such as HIV/AIDS
than 40 per cent. Only Stone Town has the
facility of door-to-door collection, says Mzee
Khemis Jume, sanitation engineer, Zanzibar
Municipal Council (zmc).
Bad for tourism
Waste mismanagement is impacting tour-
ism, which accounts for 40 per cent of
Zanzibars economy. Many tourists from
developed countries complain about the
garbage and stench on the beaches, says
Julia Bishop, vice-chairperson, Zanzibar
Association of Tourism Investors. She adds
that the country needs to move towards eco-
tourism, otherwise the progress of the island
will halt. Every year, 0.5-0.6 million tourists
visit Zanzibar.
One of the biggest problems is the lack
of garbage collection. If garbage is not col-
lected daily, it will dissuade foreign tourists,
says Alok Gupta, manager, Hotel Maru
Maru in Stone Town. zmc charges every
household 2,000 Tanzania Shilling or Ts
($1 equals 2,200 Ts) per month for collect-
ing solid waste. But just 43 per cent of the
households pay this fee. Commercial estab-
In Zanzibar
(extreme left),
authorities
collect only
40 per cent of
garbage.
Local urban
bodies in
Swaziland
create
displays out
of waste to
promote a
culture of
recycling
AFRICA
www.downtoearth.org.in/Africa
lishments pay 6,500 to 350,000 Ts per
month for garbage collection.
The island state is working on a
National Strategy for Waste Management
and developing Environment Impact
Assessment guidelines for hotels, says
Farhat Mbourak from the Zanzibar
Environment Management Authority. It
has also allowed private players to collect
waste. Zanrec is one such company that
collects and recycles waste, mainly from
hotels and communities in north, central
and south Zanzibar with the support of the
local government and communities. We
started in 2011 and today have 42 employees
who collect segregated waste from 44
hotels, says Shabbir Adamali, general
manager, Zanrec. They compost the wet
waste and sell the dry waste to recycling
companies. Plastic, metal and glass waste is
sold to recycling companies in India, China
and Germany. The inert waste goes to the
Kibele landfill site. The company also
awards certificates to hotels which follow its
waste management guidelines. Zanrec
charges $18 a month per hotel room and
serves the communities for free. The
company, which is currently collecting
waste from 900 hotel rooms, says it is
making losses. We need at least 1,600
rooms to break even, says Adamali.
A culture of reuse
While Zanzibar is struggling, Swaziland, one
of the smallest countries in the world with a
comparable population, is promoting its in-
herent culture of recycling waste products.
Seeds, flowers, plants, paper, plastic as well
as glass waste are reused or upcycled into
new products in Swaziland. Even local urban
bodies have installed grand displays made of
upcycled products such as abandoned vehi-
cles, tyres and e-waste to promote reuse and
spread awareness across the country.
The culture of recycling waste can be
best seen in Swazilands handicraft industry
that has flourished through cooperatives. It
started with a handful of companies, all with
a similar social mission to empower com-
munities. They first founded the Pure Swazi,
www.downtoearth.org.in 19
 AFRICA

and later the Swaziland Fair Trade (swift).

Since its inception in 2010, swift has pushed
the industry to new heights and supported
new companies, says Sibusiso C Msibi,
Swaziland Environment Authority (sea).

Recycling glass
In 1987, Ngwenya Glass started making
glasswareusing only recycled glass, main-
ly old cold drink bottles. Each and every
piece is handmade using the glassblowing
method, says Armstrong Nsibandze of sea.
Ngwenya Glass works with local schools and
colleges to instill in the children a sense of

environmental awareness. And people from
all over Swaziland collect bottles to sell it to
the company. Ngwenya must be the clean-
est area because any bottle that catches the
childrens attention finds its way into the
factory, says Nsibandze.
The company, started by Swedish Aid,
has survived because of Sibusiso Mhlanga,
the companys production manager, who in-
troduced the Swedish glassblowing tech-
nique in the region in 1979. I spent nine
months in Sweden, training at the world fa-
mous Kosta Boda glassworks under Jan
Erik Ritzman, says Mhlanga. On returning
to Swaziland, he joined the company, which
was shut down in 1985, but reopened in
1987. Mhlanga has since trained the entire
workforce of 70 people. It is the only glass-
blowing factory in Africa and among a select
few in the world.
Close to 0.5 tonnes of glass is collected
per day from communities at the rate of
1 rand per kg ($1 equals 13 rands) of glass
deposited at the collection centre, says
Mhlanga. The glass pieces are washed to re-
move paper and mud. They are then crushed
and fed into the furnace. To see a blob of
glass turning into colourful art in front of
your eyes is inspiring, says Mhlanga.
Women artisans with Gone Rural create apparels using placemats and baskets
Advantage women
Another initiative that is using waste is
Gone Rural, which was founded to empow-
er women in the remote areas of Swaziland
in 1992. Jenny Thorne, the founder of the
initiative, started a small craft shop in a mud
hut in the 1970s. As the business grew,
Thorne decided to focus on hand-woven
products and turned to the indigenous
Lutindzi grass, which has a natural waxy
finish, making it water- and stain-resistant.
It is working with over 770 artisans in 53
communities across the country. The initi-
ative promotes upcycling of plastic and
magazine paper by making jewellery pieces
and artefacts out of waste. Besides
promoting a culture of reuse, it is
COURTESY: MADEINSWAZILAND.BLOGSPOT.IN
helping the women of Swaziland to become
financially independent. It also educates
women about hiv/aids, which is a major
problem in Swaziland, says Banele
Nyamane, an art collector in Swaziland.
While the Swaziland examples are en-
couraging and have been able to make chan-
ges at the community level, recycling hand-
icrafts alone will not be enough. According
to afdb, Africa will continue to be the fast-
est urbanising continent till 2050 and its ur-
ban population will almost double by 2060.
So countries need to immediately develop
comprehensive waste management practic-
es and ensure their effective implementa-
tion. Till then, the urban waste situation
will only worsen. n @swatissambyal

Artefacts made out of recycled glass at the Ngwenya Glass factory

COURTESY: NGWENYA GLASS

20 DOWN TO EARTH 1-15 MARCH 2017

 TOXINS

Toxic spray
Long-term exposure to organophosphate insecticides puts the farming
community at a higher risk of developing diabetes, shows a study
MEGHA PRAKASH | madurai

I
N 2011, a 15-year-old girl from
Madurai was admitted to hospital
for diabetes ketoacidosis. It is a life-
threatening condition that develops
when cells in the body are unable to get
the sugar (glucose) they need due to the
lack of insulin. Krishnan Swaminathan,
an endocrinologist and president of the
Coimbatore-based Kovai Medical Centre
and Hospital, saw that the girl was not re-
sponding to treatment. We reinvestigat-
ed the case and found high residues of an
organophosphate (OP) insecticide in her
ARUL / MADURAI KAMARAJ UNIVERSITY
blood and urine samples. When we asked
her parents, they told us she had con-
sumed the insecticide because she had
scored less marks in her school examina-
tion, he says. Derived from phosphoric
acid, OPs are a popular class of pesticides.
They are also notorious as the poison cho-
sen by farmers to commit suicide.
Around the time, the case of a 12-year-
old boy suffering from a similar condition
was reported from Mysuru, Karnataka. The
boy had eaten tomatoes from a field with-
out washing them only a few hours earlier.
Swaminathan says that it was due to this
impact of the chemical on the bodys insu-
lin function that he first thought there
could be a link between OP exposure and
diabetes. The observations in these cases
formed the premise of a study conducted
by a team from the Madurai Kamaraj
University to investigate the high preva-
lence of diabetes being reported from rural
areas. Chronic exposure to organophos-
phate not only induces diabetes but also
leads to impaired glucose tolerance (type II
diabetes) in both humans and mice, says

Ganesan Velmurugan, lead author of the
paper published in the January issue of
Genome Biology. Previous studies had
shown a high prevalence of diabetes in ru-
ral Tamil Nadu, but this is the first study to
link pesticide exposure to the disease.
The researchers surveyed 3,080 people
from seven villages in Thirupparan-
kundram block of Madurai district. Par-
ticipants were above the age of 35 years.
Almost 55 per cent of them were from the
farming community and were, hence, more
likely to be exposed to OPs. Based on the
blood test results, it was found that the
prevalence of diabetes among the farming
community was three times higher (18.3
per cent) than that in the non-farming co-
mmunity (6.2 per cent), despite the low lev-
el of typical risk factors such as obesity, high
cholesterol and physical inactivity.
Take the case of Sakthivel, a 50-year-
old farmer from Vadapalanji village near
Madurai. He grows vegetables such as to-
matoes, okra, snake gourd and bitter gourd,
in addition to paddy, on his 0.8-hectare
farm. Once every week, he sprays his own
farm and those of others with pesticides. He
dislikes wearing a mask or gloves and even
Researchers from
Madurai Kamaraj
University draw
blood samples of
village residents to
test for diabetes
TOXINS
www.downtoearth.org.in/health
Lethal OPs
Gut microbiota is the pathway for the developing of diabetes, says study
Study shows The prevalence of Gut microbiota The idea that OP
direct link diabetes among break down OPs, exposure could be
between chronic the farming producing short- linked to diabetes
exposure to community was chain fatty occurred to the
organophosphate three times acids, such as author when he
(OP) pesticides and higher (18.3 per acetate, which came across a case
prevalence of Type cent) than that in lead to elevated of attempted
II diabetes among the non-farming blood sugar levels suicide from
farmers and farm community (6.2 and glucose consuming an OP
workers per cent) intolerance insecticide
skips wearing protective boots. Until his faecal material from OP-fed animals to a
blood was tested by the researchers in 2016, new set of mice and found that the latter ex-
he was unaware that he was suffering from hibited significant glucose intolerance and
type II diabetes. Sakthivel is neither obese developed diabetes. The authors also no-
nor does he have a family history of the dis- ticed changes in the gut microbiota, includ-
ease. Like others diagnosed with diabetes ing higher numbers of OP-degrading
during the survey, he has now been put on bacterial enzymes. Degradation of organo-
metformin, a common diabetes medicine, phosphates produces short-chain fatty ac-
and a strict diet. idsspecifically acetatewhich in turn
lead to the generation of glucose, elevated
Gut clues blood sugar levels and glucose intolerance.
To confirm whether chronic exposure to The findings of the study assume im-
OPs leads to diabetes, the researchers fed portance as India is the diabetes capital of
insecticide-laced water to a group of mice the world. As of 2015, more than 69 million
for 180 days, which is equivalent to 12-15 people in the country were estimated to be
years of human life. They found that the living with diabetes (see Diabetes Capital,
mice showed a slow and steady increase in p24). Changing diets, sedentary lifestyle,
their blood glucose levels, resulting in sig- and a genetic predisposition to developing
nificantly high levels after 180 days. the disease are expected to result in an in-
Just like nerve agents used in chemical crease in the number of type II diabetics to
warfare, OPs inhibit the function of an en- 79.4 million by 2030. With factors such as
zyme called cholinesterase, which ensures the increasing and indiscriminate use of
proper functioning of the nervous system. pesticides now coming into play, diabetes
But researchers were surprised to find no no longer remains an urban preserve.
changes in levels of the enzyme in the treat- But which factor is more responsible
ed mice. They then investigated whether for causing type II diabetes is still not well-
gut microbiota may have a role to play in the understood. Before we conclude anything
developing of diabetes. They transplanted from a single study, many more such stud-
ies should be undertaken to establish the
problem and to substantiate the findings,
In 2015, the International says S Ramakumar, a diabetologist with
Agency for Research on Apollo Hospital, Chennai.
Cancer declared certain
organophosphate (OP) Toxic chemical
insecticides as carcinogens. The potential health impacts of chronic
exposure to OPs have been indicated in
Other studies show OP many studies. In 2015, the International
exposure is associated with Agency for Research on Cancer declared
Parkinson's disease and that organophosphate insecticides such as
Alzheimer's disease tetrachlorvinphos, parathion, malathion,
www.downtoearth.org.in 23
 TOXINS
diazinon and glyphosate are
carcinogens. Other studies have
shown that organophosphate
exposure is associated with neuro-
degenerative disorders such as
Parkinsons disease and Alzhe-
imers disease and metabolic dis-
orders such as diabetes and hyper-
tension. It is also known to cause
neurological disorders in infants
and young children.
What makes OP exposure
worse is the lack of awareness about
safety gear among farm workers.
In Sundarajpuram village near
Madurai most farmers do not take
precautionary measures such as
wearing masks and gloves while
spraying insecticides. I do not of-
ten wear a mask or gloves because
it is inconvenient. Sometimes, I
forget to wear them, says 67-year-
old Subramanya, president of the
local farmers association. Others
say that though pesticide sellers in- Subramanya from Madurai uses monocrotophos pesticide
form them about the precautions to as suggested by agricultural colleges. It is banned for use
on vegetables
take, they do not follow them. OPs
are sprayed by diluting them in water. They
are, hence, easily absorbable through direct
exposure to skin, mucosal linings and res-
piratory tracts.
Curbs on use
After countries started regulating or ban-
ning ddt (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroeth-
ane), an organochlorine insecticide, in the
1970s due to its effects on the environment,
OP insecticides came to be used widely
across the world. OPs account for 40 per
cent of the global pesticide market.
Though many studies have called for
OPs to be banned, they continue to be used
in many countries. In India, pesticide use is
regulated by the Central Insecticides Board
and Registration Committee (cibrc) and
the Food Safety and Standards Authority of
India (fssai). As of October 20, 2015, the
cibrc has completely banned two OP pes-
ticides and regulated the use of four others.
Of the four are methyl parathion, which is
banned for use on fruits and vegetables,
and monocrotophos, which is banned for
use on vegetables. Yet, they are used exten-
sively by farmers in Tamil Nadu, says
Velmurugan. In fact, he had filed an rti
24 DOWN TO EARTH
MEGHA PRAKASH
Diabetes capital
India is one of the top three countries
with the highest number of diabetics
69.1 million
people were living with diabetes in 2015
79.4 million
people will have type II diabetes by 2030
10.2 million
adults died due to diabetes in 2015
16 per cent
of all deaths from type II diabetes in 2014
were reported by Tamil Nadu
Source: International Diabetes Federation, Ministry of
Home Affairs, research papers
against some of the states agricul-
tural universities, which listed
these banned pesticides on their
websites and even recommended
their use. But the response to his
queries was not satisfactory.
Kalpana Ramasamy, assistant
professor at Agriculture College
and Research Institute of the
Tamil Nadu Agriculture Univer-
sity tells Down To Earth that
though agriculture universities are
now recommending green-la-
belled pesticides (a green label
means slightly toxic) to farmers,
a complete ban will not be success-
ful until an alternative to OP pes-
ticides is found.
According to a 2016 report
by the Federation of Indian Cha-
mbers of Commerce and Industry,
60 per cent of Indias crop protec-
tion market is occupied by insecti-
cides. The studys authors insist
on the importance of spreading
awareness about the effects of OP
insecticides, especially in an agrar-
ian country like India. One must educate
farmers about measures such as washing
and soaking vegetables before use and
wearing appropriate gear before spraying
the pesticide. If awareness is not created
now, in the next 10 years, the burden of
this problem will be immense, says
Swaminathan, an author of the study.
To deepen their understanding of the
impact of organophosphate exposure, the
researchers will investigate the molecular
mechanism and genetic interactions of gut
microbiota to devise diagnostic and thera-
peutic strategies. The team has, in collabo-
ration with Kovai Medical Centre &
Hospital in Coimbatore and the Indian
Institute of Technology, Chennai, collected
a large set of human blood and urine sam-
ples from rural, semiurban and urban re-
gions to study the impact of all kinds of
chemicals. They are also collaborating with
Madesh Muniswamy, scientist at Temple
University, Philadelphia, usa, to study the
effect of chemicals on the function of mito-
chondria, the organelle of the cell responsi-
ble for energy production, in people suffer-
ing from diabetes and cardiac diseases.n
@down2earthindia
1-15 MARCH 2017
 SANITATION
Two steps ahead
After becoming the first
T
OTAL SANITATION is no mean feat
in a state where 90 per cent of the
large state to achieve people live in hamlets scattered
across the Himalayan mountain
total sanitation, Himachal range and only 30 per cent of the households
Pradesh is all geared up had toilets five years ago. But in October
2016, Himachal Pradesh not only became
to manage its waste and the first large stateand the second state af-
ter Sikkimto achieve open defecation-free
ensure cleanliness. But (odf) status under the Centres Swachh
tourist influx may derail Bharat Mission, but also achieved the status
six months ahead of its target. And now,
its efforts there is no looking back.
Rakesh Kumar Prajapati, additional
RASHMI VERMA deputy commissioner of Shimla district,
| shimla says, We are now moving towards odf Plus,
under which we recycle and reuse toilet
waste as well as greywater from bathrooms
and kitchens. We also ensure that no toilet
gets clogged and drinking water sources do
26 DOWN TO EARTH
PHOTOGRAPHS: VIKAS CHOUDHARY / CSE
Mahila mandals of
Salvahan gram panchayat
in Himachal Pradesh's
Mandi district regularly
clean the toilets of this
primary school and
ensure that clean water is
available to students
not get contaminated.
District authorities in the state have se-
lected gram panchayats from each block and
are developing them as a model for efficient
solid and liquid waste management.
In Koti gram panchayat of Mashobra
block, for instance, the authorities have pro-
vided two bins to each householdone for
biodegradable waste and the other for non-
biodegradable waste. People now sell the
non-biodegradable waste to scrap dealers.
We are motivating communities to dig soak
pits for greywater and compost pits for in-
house disposal of biodegradable waste,
which can be later used as compost in farms
or kitchen gardens, says Block Develop-
ment Officer Kalyani Gupta.
Villages in Koti and their surroundings
now look clean as no one litters or dumps
waste on hillsides. Kotis transformation has
1-15 MARCH 2017

inspired the other 13 gram panchayats in
Mashobra, where communities have volun-
tarily dug soak pits and compost pits.
Technicians at the block office imme-
diately visit households that complain of
overflowing latrines or discharge from sep-
tic tanks and offer design suggestions, says
Gupta. To ensure total sanitation in future,
we issue ration cards to new families only af-
ter they have constructed toilets, she adds.
Where women lead campaign
In Mandi, which was declared the cleanest
hill district in Swachh Survekshan, a coun-
try-wide cleanliness survey by the Centre in
2016, the authorities are developing 50
gram panchayats as Swachh Gram.
The gram panchayats are being devel-
oped under the district authoritys flagship
programme, Mandi Vikas Abhiyan, which
focuses on the holistic development of the
district, right from total sanitation to wom-
an empowerment and girl child education,
explains Sevak Singh, district coordinator of
non-profit Mandi Saksarta Evam Jan Vikas
Samiti. The programme comes handy in
maintaining hygienic needs of the district.
Today, Mandi has 4,490 mahila man-
dals (women groups), comprising about
70,000 women, who take turns to ensure
cleanliness in villages and sensitise people
about total sanitation and water conserva-
tion. We devote two hours a week on clean-
1-15 MARCH 2017
ing activities, which may involve cleaning of
public places, roads, schools, toilets in
schools and anganwadis, water tanks, tra-
ditional water bodies and drains, and creat-
ing soak pits, garbage pits and vermi-com-
post pits, says Neeta Kumari, who heads
one of the four mahila mandals in Salvahan
gram panchayat. People now think twice
before littering as they know that one of
their family members would have to clean
it, says Geeta Devi, head of a mahila man-
dal in Bhayarta gram panchayat.
In fact, the mahila mandal of Kothi
gram panchayat has innovated ways to
manage waste. They collect polythene bags
from households and weave those to prepare
a sheet, which is then used to line compost
pits to regulate its moisture level and aid in
composting. Using the plastic waste, the
women have also prepared bin bags, which
are hung from trees along trunk roads, so
that people do not litter the roads.
To promote community participation
in sanitation, we have set up a development
fund for each gram panchayat, which rang-
es from `7 to `20 lakh, depending on
the number of households, says Sandeep
Kadam, deputy commissioner of Mandi.
We use the funds to set up concrete soak
pits, compost pits, vermicompost pits and
stormwater drains in the villages. We have
also introduced several annual reward sys-
tems for mahila mandals and village pan-
Mahila
mandal
members
in Bhayarta
gram
panchayat
in Mandi
district
construct a
stormwater
drain in
their village
SANITATION
www.downtoearth.org.in/water
chayats, he adds. In 2016, Khaddar gram
panchayat was declared a Swachh Gram and
received an award of `5 lakh.
While the officials and communities are
confident that they can achieve odf-plus
ahead of the target of October 2019, the
state, known for its hill stations and pilgrim-
age centres, may continue to struggle to curb
open defecation and littering by tourists.
Tourism threat
Every year, Shimla district alone is visited by
more than 3.5 million touristsfour times
its population. Such high influx of tourists
significantly increases the demand for wa-
ter and sanitation facilities. While the state
government has been trying to cope with the
demand by setting up more community toi-
lets, these appear highly inadequate.
Rajesh Sharma, caretaker of the com-
munity toilet at a major entry point to the
Mall Road in Shimla town, says, The toilet
complex has six toilets and one water tap,
but no water. As a result, the toilets always
remain choked. The unused ones have be-
come hotbeds of mosquitoes. Open defeca-
tion and littering by tourists is rampant in
Mashobra block, which is about 10 km from
Kufri tourist spot.
In Shimla, we have built 26 communi-
ty toilets along the national highway and
plan to build 15 more, says Prajapati. While
he admits that there is a need for more toi-
lets to cater to the tourists needs, people say
the existing toilets barely function during
the peak tourism season of November-June.
Since most land alongside the highway be-
longs to the forest department, the district
administration has installed makeshift toi-
lets, or e-toilets, which are programmed for
automatic flushing after use. They cater to
only 35-50 people a day.
Gram panchayats in the vicinity of na-
tional and state highways and tourist spots
are the worst affected by the tourist influx as
they do not have enough community toilets
and waste management strategies, says
Kamal Kar, director of Kolkata non-profit
Community Led Total Sanitation Founda-
tion. But considering that tourism is a ma-
jor source of revenue for the state govern-
ment, the local administrations should pro-
vide facilities to address their sanitation and
water needs, Kar adds. n
@lakewarriors
www.downtoearth.org.in 27
Nandlal Baiga used the compensation
money to buy a motorcycle and a diesel
pump for irrigating his field. He has
returned to the forest after having stayed
at a rehabilitation colony for over a year

Home is where mines are

A
Displaced Baiga tribals are NOMADIC COMMUNITY displaced
from forests is trying to reclaim
returning to the forests its land. The Baigas of Madhya
Pradesh were relocated by Rel-
taken over for mining iance Power Ltd after the company leased
by Reliance in Madhya two coal mines, Amlohri and Amlohri
Extension, in Singrauli district in 2006.
Pradesh. They say they They are now slowly moving back to their
original place of stay, citing irregularities in
were short-changed by the compensation and lack of facilities at the
company rehabilitation site.
According to official figures, 3,088
ANUPAM CHAKRAVARTTY | people from five villagesSidhikhurg,
Tiyyara, Jhanjhi, Sidhikala and Harrhawa
singrauli were displaced by the project. Of these, 419
opted to take residence in Krishna Vihar
Basti, a rehabilitation colony set up by
Reliance 10 km from the mines, while the
rest left after accepting the monetary
compensation. Since August last year,
around 70 people have returned to the
forests from the Krishna Vihar Basti.
Singrauli
Mahendra Singh, who initially helped
M A D H YA Reliance in convincing the Baigas to sell
P RA D ESH their land, says the process of providing
compensation was fraught with irregularit-
ies. The compensation has been inequitable

28 DOWN TO EARTH 1-15 MARCH 2017


and random, allege the Baigas. Families
belonging to the general category were
paid a compensation of up to R80 lakh per
acre (1 acre equals 0.4 ha) while the Baigas
received only R10 lakh per acre, says
Ramavtar Baiga, who shifted to the rehab-
ilitation site. Moreover, only those Baigas
who had land ownership documents (patta)
were compensated, he says.
A Reliance personnel told Down To
Earth that the compensation was based on
the prevailing land value. Reliance also says
they have spent R160.47 crore on the 3,088
people affected by the project.
Ramavtar also alleges, The company
took over the land by bribing some of our
people with alcohol and car rides, taking
them to expensive hotels. When some people
resisted, the officials forcibly made them
sign documents with the help of the police.
I am just helping the Baiga families to
fight for their rights. I know how they have
been wronged to give up their land, says
Singh. He himself is locked in a legal battle
with Reliance and says the company encr-
oached upon a part of his one-hectare plot
to build the Krishna Vihar Basti.
PHOTOGRAPHS: ANUPAM CHAKRAVARTTY / CSE
Ramavtar Baiga
says blasts at
Amlohri mine
have created
cracks in the
walls of his
house at the
rehabilitation
colony
1-15 MARCH 2017
False promises
People are also sore over broken promises.
Our hamlet, which is a part of Tiyyara, used
to have a middle school, but it has closed
now. When Reliance came here, we were
promised jobs, healthcare and education at
the rehabilitation colonies. But this did not
happen, recalls Nandlal Baiga. Nandlal was
allotted a plot along with a house in Krishna
Vihar Basti and lived in the rehabilitation
colony for two years. But he returned to his
original place of stay near the mine in
February last year. I am primarily a farmer
and also depend on forest produce, he says,
pointing at the paddy grown on a plot near
his house. He used his compensation money
to buy a motorcycle and a diesel pump to
irrigate his field. His neighbour, Sanatram
Baiga, who was not given a house in the
rehabilitation colony because he did not
have patta, says he worked as daily wage
labourer after being evicted but returned to
the forests last year.
Ramavtar, who owned about 1.2 ha in
Tiyyara, and shifted to Krishna Vihar Basti,
says he feels restricted in the rehabilitation
colony because he has never lived in tiny
concrete houses. A two-room concrete tene-
ment in the colony is built on just a 485 sq m
plot. Every morning people gather at a
provision store and talk about going back to
the forest. Here we pay for electricity but in
the forest we had lesser needs and mostly
forest fulfilled those, says Ramavtar.
Mines mortgaged
The Baigas have another reason to be jittery.
In August last year, Reliance mortgaged the
mines in August to its financiers, which
include sbi Capital Markets Ltd and Export-
Import Bank of the United States, to raise
more loans. This was the first time a private
player was allowed by the government to
mortgage mines and it is unclear what the
repercussions of the decision could be. Singh
thinks it could have an impact on the comp-
anys corporate social responsibility (csr).
He says that in 2007 the then Union Minis-
try of Environment and Forests and impos-
ed a condition on the company. A provision
of at least R2.5 crores per annum shall be
made towards csr-related activities till end
of mine life [sic]. The amount may require
to be increased with time based on actual
situation. The proponent shall conduct a
MINING
www.downtoearth.org.in/mining
In August 2016, Reliance
mortgaged the mines
to raise loans. Even coal
ministry officials say they
are now unclear about the
status of the tribal land
pre-mining socio-economic survey based on
key indices given in the undp Human Dev-
elopment Report and monitor the status
once every 3 years till end of project on the
socio-economic status of the displaced
communities and of the local villages, states
the ministrys order. Will these conditions
be fulfilled by the mine owners now that
they have mortgaged the mine? asks Singh.
His concerns are valid because even the
Union Ministry of Coal officials Down To
Earth spoke to said they are unclear about
the status of tribal lands which were acq-
uired by Reliance and have been mortgaged.
Why the mortgage
Reliance documents accessed by Down To
Earth show that the company mortgaged
the mine to make up for the losses it was
incurring. In 2010, the project cost was an
estimated $4.5 billion (R301.57 billion at
current exchange rate), financed 70 per cent
by loan and 30 per cent by equity. The total
project debt of $3.16 billion was originally
to be provided by Indian banks (led by the
State Bank of India), Export-Import Bank
of the United States, and a consortium of
Chinese lenders. In 2010, an unspecified
lender pulled out of the project. Concerned
about the projects high carbon emissions,
Export-Import Bank of the United States
withheld financing for the mining equipm-
ent in 2010. By November 2013, the project
incurred a construction cost overrun of
$1.45 billion (R97.17 billion)nearly 32 per
cent of the original costowing to the surge
in the cost of imports after a 35 per cent
depreciation of the rupee against the dollar.
But the losses do not justify what the
company did, says Singh. Ramavtar adds
that ever since the mines were mortgaged,
even the district administration does not
care whether the colony has access to basic
amenities, such as potable water. One thing
is certain, says Ramavtar, we will not go
back to the concrete jungle. n
@yield82
www.downtoearth.org.in 29
COVER STORY

FOR A GOOD
NIGHT'S SLEEP
 COVER STORY

Most urban Indians dread bedtime. Sleep

disorders ensure that 93 per cent of the
people living in cities don't sleep well or
worse, are not able to sleep at all. This
sleeplessness results in diseases, which can
cost their health and the country's economy
dearly. What is causing us to lose sleep? And
how can we sleep well again?
VIBHA VARSHNEY and KARNIKA
BAHUGUNA make sense of latest research

T
Gurmeet Singh
of Delhi cannot homas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, once
sleep well at night.
Incessant snoring said, Sleep is a criminal waste of time, inherited
and breathlessness from our cave days. His invention helped people
wake him up
frequently. He work more easily after dark. Even today, many people,
undergoes a sleep including world leaders and celebrities, boast of getting by
study at a clinic
with less sleep every night. But scientists and doctors have
started seeing adverse health effects in people who deprive
themselves of sleep and are trying to understand why this happens.
Dictated by our body clock, sleep allows us to rest and rejuvenate.
Studies have shown that areas in the brain involved in the repair
and restoration of the bodys physiological processes are more active
when we sleep. They have also shown that the brain processes and
consolidates memories as we sleep and the body winds down for a
few hours to save energy. Sleeping takes up a third of our lifetime.
Research is on to explore all the functions of sleep. We are trying
to find what happens to our biological and cognitive functions when
we do not sleep enough, or when we change our sleeping time due
to our lifestyle, jet lag or shiftwork. There is still much work to be
done to fully appreciate sleep and the consequences of not obtaining
sufficient sleep, says Gemma Paech, a postdoctoral research fellow
at the Rush University Medical Centers Biological Rhythms
Research Lab in Chicago, usa. Understanding these aspects would
help doctors devise treatments for people suffering from sleep
disorders, of which there are more than 80 kinds. The most common
disorders are insomnia (trouble falling or staying asleep), obstructive
sleep apnoea (when walls of the throat relax and narrow, blocking
PHOTOGRAPHS: VIKAS CHOUDHARY / CSE

the airway and disrupting breathing) and restless leg syndrome (an
urge to move ones legs). (See Why we should sleep, p33.)
Though there is very little documentation on the extent of sleep
deprivation in India, the few studies that have been done point to a
dangerous scenario. According to a study conducted by The Nielsen
Company, a market research company, for Philips Healthcare, 93
per cent of urban Indians in the age group of 35-65 years were sleep
deprived. The 2010 study said they were getting less than eight hours

www.downtoearth.org.in 31
 COVER STORY
Sleep is of sleep a day. While 58 per cent of these Indians felt
their work suffered from a lack of sleep, 11 per cent
dictated by
said they fell asleep at work. The study surveyed
our body 5,600 people from 25 cities. Studies by Heather
clock, which Schofield, an assistant professor in the Department
is, in turn, of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, University of
synchronised Pennsylvania, usa, have shown that low-income
with the 24- workers in Chennai are getting only five to five-
hour rotation and-a-half hours of sleep every night, possibly as
of the earth. a result of their living conditions.
This circadian People change their sleeping habits for a
rhythm tells number of reasons. Take the case of civil services
aspirant Mriganka Sekhar Borah, a 23-year-
us when it is
old who came to Delhi from Guwahati, Assam,
time to sleep to prepare for the exams. Like all candidates
preparing for competitive exams, Borah would
spend most of his time studying. But a few months
ago, he took things too far. To put in more hours of
studying, I started staying up till 4-5 am. By April,
I found that I could no longer go to bed in the early
32 DOWN TO EARTH
morning hours. At one point, I was not able to catch
any sleep at all, he says. He could not concentrate
on his studies, became irritable and avoided going
to bed because he was worried about not getting
any sleep.
Indians in urban areas are, however, not the
only ones losing sleep. A study published in the
Indian Journal of Pediatrics in May 2016 on the
prevalence of sleep disorders among primary
schoolchildren in four urban and four rural schools
showed that daytime sleepiness and symptoms of
sleep apnoea were more common among rural
children than children in urban areas. The reasons
for this have, however, not been investigated.
Sleep disorders are not only responsible for
increasing our risk factors for lifestyle and other
diseases, but also come at a great cost to the
economy. A study in 2006 said sleep disorders cost
the Australian economy US $7.49 billion in 2004.
The financial cost amounted to 0.8 per cent of the
1-15 MARCH 2017

Civil services
aspirant Mirganka
Sekhar Borah
would often study
till dawn. He soon
started finding it
difficult to get any
sleep at all and
realised he had a
sleep disorder
Australian gross domestic product. With 50 times
the population of Australia, Indias cost of sleep
disorders is likely to be exponentially higher.
Science is yet to fully understand whether
sleep deprivation leads to diseases or whether
diseases disrupt sleep. When their bidirectional
relationship becomes clear, it can be used to devise
targeted therapies for sleep disorders and reduce
the economic burden on public health.
Sleep disruptors
Sleep is dictated by our body clock, which is, in
turn, synchronised with the 24-hour rotation of
the earth. This circadian rhythm tells us when it is
time to sleep. Genetic factors determine our body
clock, but their influence is limited. Lifestyle and
environmental factors interfere with our genetic
blueprint and contribute to sleep disorders. Even
among twins, genetic factors contributed to only
33-38 per cent of cases of insomnia, while the
1-15 MARCH 2017
COVER
Why we should sleep
Sleep helps our body repair and recharge. But sleep disorders
affect these functions and can lead to serious health issues
W H I L E S C I E N C E prescribes a
daily average of eight to 10 hours of
sleep for all adults, most people do
not share similar sleeping habits.
Genes and external environmental
factors have retuned our body
clocks so that we go to bed at
different times and sleep for
different durations than others.
But humans need good quality
sleep to remain healthy. As we
sleep, we alternate between
periods of rapid (REM) and non-
rapid eye movement (NREM). It
is during these stages of deep
NREM sleep that our body repairs
and regrows tissues, builds bone
and muscle, and strengthens the
immune system.
There are 80 kinds of sleep
disorders that affect us, says
Manvir Bhatia, a senior consultant
in neurology and sleep medicine
in Delhi. These can be classified
into three main typesinsomnia,
parasomnia and hypersomnia. A
person is suffering from insomnia
when one cannot fall asleep,
cannot stay asleep or wakes up
too early. Hypersomnia includes
feeling very sleepy and exhausted,
not being able to concentrate
at work and the tendency to
sleep off during activities like
driving. In parasomnia, people
display abnormal behaviour in
sleep, including kicking, walking,
and shouting. Another common
condition is obstructive sleep
apnoea, which is interrupted sleep
caused by periodic gasping or
"snorting" noises or momentary
suspension of breathing.
"Insomnia has numerous
causes ranging from something
as simple as poor lifestyle to
apnoea to depression or any
medical disorder. People who
have depression, people who
have cough, women with PMS and
pregnant women have sleep issues.
STORY
Any change in the body affects your
sleep," says Bhatia. She adds that
some conditions are hereditary.
A 2015 study on corporate
employees, funded by healthcare
company Abbott India Ltd, found
the prevalence of insomnia in 13.8
per cent of over 600 participants.
Common co-morbid conditions
associated with insomnia such
as anxiety, hypertension and
depression were significantly
higher. The study also said
that alcohol consumption was
significantly higher among the
sufferers of insomnia. Insomniacs
agreed that insufficient sleep
affected their health, performance
at work, household duties and
relations with family.
Obstructive sleep apnoea
hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is
a far more prevalent disease in
India than generally believed,
says another study published in
Perspectives in Medical Research
in 2013. OSAHS is characterised
by snoring, snoring which disrupts
sleep, and repeated episodes of
complete or partial obstruction
of the pharynx during sleep.
These result in a drop in blood
oxygen levels at night, frequent
arousals, cardiac abnormalities
and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Sleep disorders also vary in
different parts of the country.
According to a study published in
the Journal of Diabetes Science
and Technology in 2010, the
prevalence of snoring and daytime
sleepiness is higher among urban
south Indians when compared
to people in western parts of
the country. Another study
published in the American Journal
of Respiratory and Critical Care
Medicine in 2004 on western India
reports habitual snoring in 26 per
cent and daytime sleepiness in 22
per cent of their subjects.
 COVER STORY
Inviting
trouble
Good quality sleep is as integral to living
a healthy life as are a balanced diet and
exercise. Mounting evidence shows that
sleep deprivation and sleep disorders
contribute to the development of lifestyle
diseases such as diabetes and cardiac
diseases. Sleep is also linked with cancer
and mental health
Sleep duration prescribed
Children Teenagers Adults
9-11hrs 8-10hrs 7-9hrs
93% Indians are sleep-deprived
DIABETES
Evidence | A study published in Sleep
Medicine in 2015 asked 2,579 healthy
adults between the age of 40 and 70
years to provide details of how much they slept every day. After
an average of 2.6 years, 558 (21.6 per cent) of them had
developed metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors for
diabetes and cardiac diseases. Those who slept for less than
six hours were more susceptible.
Mechanism | In an experiment, people's circadian cycle was
misaligned by imposing short night-time sleep. This resulted in
them being awake during their biological night. Their melatonin
levels, associated with the onset of sleep, also remained high.
Eating food during this period made things worse.
Implications | India has the second highest number of
diabetics in the world. The number of people suffering from the
disease has risen from 11.9 million in 1980 to 64.5 million in
India in 2014.
34 DOWN TO EARTH
People
sleep for as
much as
1/3
of their lives
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
Evidence | There is evidence that disturbed
sleep or lack of sleep is a risk factor for
Alzheimer's disease. Studies suggest that
people with sleep problems had a 1.55, 1.65 and 3.78 times higher risk
for Alzheimer's, cognitive impairment and preclinical Alzheimer's
respectively than people without sleep problems. The study, published
in Sleep in September 2016, says that some 15 per cent of Alzheimer's
disease in the population may be attributed to sleep problems.
Mechanism | Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of
Public Health in Baltimore found that sleep deprivation results in an
increase in the levels of beta-amyloid in the brain. This is a toxic
protein that forms plaques in the brains of people suffering from
Alzheimer's. Another team of scientists at the University of Toronto
found that sound sleep seemed to blunt the effects of APOE-E4, a gene
that increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
Implication | More than four million Indians have some form of
dementia. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia.
1-15 MARCH 2017
 COVER STORY

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
Evidence | Short sleep duration is associated with an increased incidence of
cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease, hypertension and
arrhythmias, says a review published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 2016.
Mechanism | Researchers compared the duration of sleep with changes in blood and
serum. They wrote in Scientific Reports in 2016 that sleep loss decreased the production
of cholesterol transporters and increased inflammation.
Implication | The cardiovascular disease death rate of 272 per 100,000 population in
India is higher than the global average of 235 per 100,000 population. Premature
mortality in terms of years of life lost due to cardiac diseases in India increased by
59 per cent from 1990 to 2010.

CANCER
Evidence | Studies have established a link
between the lack of sleep with breast,
prostate and colorectal cancers.
Mechanism | Lack of sleep increases inflammation and disrupts the
normal immune function of the body, which may promote cancer
development. In addition, the hormone melatonin, which is produced
during sleep, may have antioxidant properties that help prevent
cellular damage. Researchers calculated a 50 per cent increased risk of
colorectal cancer in people sleeping less than six hours per night.
GRAPHIC: RAJ KUMAR SINGH,

Implication | A little more than one million new cases of cancer are
diagnosed every year in India which has a population of 1.2 billion. The
TARIQUE AZIZ / CSE

incidence of cancer in India is lower than the global average, but

cancer cases are expected to increase to 1.73 million by 2020.

OBESITY MENTAL HEALTH

Evidence | In a survey between 2006 and
2008 on 28,150 American adults aged 21 to
65, it was found that short sleep was
associated with more time spent on eating
and drinking. This suggests a potential for increased calorie intake
in the form of beverages and distracted eating which can lead to
obesity.
Mechanism | Insufficient sleep affects the hormones by
increasing ghrelin and decreasing leptin. Ghrelin is a gut hormone.
Its levels are highest before meals. Increased ghrelin stimulates
appetite and food consumption. Leptin has the opposite effect on
appetite, fat oxidation, and energy expenditure. In a study where
people slept for four-hour periods, the ratio of ghrelin-to-leptin
increased by more than 70 per cent and led to an increase in the
consumption of 350-500 calories per day.
Implication | India has the third highest number of obese people
in the world.
Evidence | Studies show that chronic sleep
disruptions set the stage for negative thinking
and emotional vulnerability. It has been observed that sleep problems
develop before major depression in patients. In 635 Japanese day
workers with sleep problems, it was seen that the risk of suicidal
ideation increased in people with multiple sleep problems.
Mechanism | Mental illness breaks down the internal synchronisation
of the circadian network. Sleep and circadian-rhythm disruption in
patients with conditions such as schizophrenia occur whether or not
they are on medication. This suggests that mental illness and sleep
disruption may share common and overlapping pathways in the brain.
Implication | A third of the global burden of mental, neurological and
substance use disorders occurs in India and China. The burden of
mental illness will increase at a faster rate in India than in China over
the next 10 years. In 2013, 31 million years of healthy life were lost due
to mental illness in India. By 2025, this number will increase by 23 per
cent to 38.1 million years.

1-15 MARCH 2017 www.downtoearth.org.in 35

 COVER STORY
Roshan Ara lives with her family remaining was triggered by the environment. The
under a flyover in Delhi. She contribution of genes declined with age, the study,
gets only three to four hours of
sleep every day. Street lights, published in the journal Sleep, revealed.
traffic noise and the threat to Whether rich, poor, rural or urban, we are
her family's safety keep her
disturbed surrounded by triggers of sleeplessness. Noise
pollution, light pollution, temperature, humidity
and lifestyle choices such as working in shifts and
travelling across time zones can wreak havoc.
Researchers are divided, though, over which of
these environmental triggers is the biggest culprit
behind sleeplessness.
Artificial It could be attributed to the artificial light
light, noise, emitted by computers and mobile phones, say some
temperature, studies. The suprachiasmatic nucleus in our brain,
humidity which receives light cues from the environment
and lifestyle and sets the circadian rhythm, can be disturbed by
choices such something as simple as the e-reader. Sleep scientists
from the US and Germany asked 12 healthy people
as shift work
to read a book on a light-emitting device (LE-
and travelling eBook) before going to sleep for five days. The same
across time people then read a paper book for five days under
zones can the same conditions. Participants took longer to fall
disrupt our asleep after reading an LE-eBook and experienced
sleeping reduced evening sleepiness, reduced melatonin
habits secretion, later timing of their circadian clock,
36 DOWN TO EARTH
and reduced next-morning alertness, according
to findings published in pnas in January 2015. The
situation is likely to worsen in India as ereader
manufacturers are aggressively marketing their
products. According to media reports, Amazons
e-books business, including e-readers, is growing
over 200 per cent year-on-year.
Richard Stevens, a professor at the University
of Connecticuts School of Medicine, adds another
dimension. He says that people are unable to sleep
because they are darkness-deprived. He cites a
study which shows that people in areas where there
is no electricity sleep less than those in urban areas.
Yet these people do not show the adverse effects of
sleeplessness. Too much light in the evening is
bad for sleep; though the term too much must be
specified, he says. In the times before electricity,
humans transitioned to night-time physiology
at sunset when the body temperature drops,
metabolism slows, hunger abates, sleepiness
increases and melatonin begins to rise. A campfire
or a candle does not delay this transition, yet we
can see by its light. However, a bright compact
fluorescent light (cfl) will probably delay the
transition in the evening depending on how close
1-15 MARCH 2017
 COVER STORY

AD
1-15 MARCH 2017 www.downtoearth.org.in 37
 COVER STORY
you are to it, he explains.
Changes in diet may also affect sleep quality,
according to Michael A Grandner, director of
the Sleep and Health Research Program at the
University of Arizona, usa. Poor diet contributes
to poor sleep quality and vice versa. Poor diet can
lead to dysregulation of physiological systems.
This can lead to physical and mental discomfort
which can, in turn, cause sleep problems. And
sleep problems can lead to altered patterns of food
intake that are unhealthy, he says. Palmitate, an
antioxidant commonly found in processed and
fast foods, can reset circadian clocks in some
People with cells, but not all. Having some cells functioning
sleeping in different time zones has consequences for
trouble must our health, says David J Earnest, a professor of
consult a neuroscience and experimental therapeutics at
doctor, who Texas A&M University in an article on the news
website, The Conversation. Palmitate also induces
must perform
inflammation in different cell types. These two
a sleep study effects peak at night in fat cells. While there is no
to understand good time to eat saturated fat, it is probably not a
the problem. great idea to eat a meal rich in these bad fats late
Self-diagnosis at night, suggests Earnest.
must be While the noise of life-saving machines
avoided has been known to affect the sleep of patients
38 DOWN TO EARTH
in hospitals, noise tends to affect our sleep in
homes as well. A study published in the Annals
of Occupational and Environmental Medicine in
September 2016, showed that exposure to aircraft
noise disturbed the sleep of people living near an
airport. Insomnia and excessive sleepiness during
the day were approximately three times higher
among those exposed to aircraft noise than those
who were not. Living near a busy road can produce
a similar effect. Researchers have also associated
night-time traffic noise with sleep disturbances,
sleep fragmentation and sleep-disordered
breathing and found that these disorders are more
common in women. The study was published in
Sleep Medicine in March 2014. Mathias Basner,
associate professor at the Perelman School of
Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, ranks noise
as a big sleep disruptor. As noise is ubiquitous, its
contribution to sleep disturbance and sleep loss
should not be underestimated, he says.
Shift work too has emerged as one of the
biggest triggers of sleeplessness and even doctors
are at the receiving end. To study sleep deprivation
among doctors, researchers divided 18 physicians
aged 26-33 years into two groups: those with no
night work and those who did a minimum of 12
1-15 MARCH 2017

ISTOCKPHOTO
A study found
that 13.8 per cent
of 600 corporate
employees
suffered from
insomnia. In
another study, 11
per cent of urban
Indians said they
fell asleep at work
hours of night work per week. The results showed
that the doctors who did night work were unable
to complete their sleep during the day and had
higher daytime sleepiness. This resulted in reduced
attention and delayed response to the stimuli,
which may compromise patient care as well as the
physicians health and quality of life, says the study
published in Acta Mdica Portuguesa, a journal
published by the Portuguese Medical Association.
Paech says longer working hours (in shiftwork or
even during normal office hours) probably affect
more people than sleeping disorders.
Decoding the links between these external
factors and sleep, circadian rhythms, metabolism,
hormone functioning and other physiological
processes will help develop solutions to benefit
people in the real world, sums up Grandner.
Gaps in treatment
But before we can begin to treat the problem, it is
important to conduct a large scale study to find out
the true extent of sleep deprivation and disorders
in the Indian population. For example, insomnia
data for India is patchy, according to M S Kanwar,
president of Indian Sleep Disorder Association. But
such a study would be costly as it would require a
1-15 MARCH 2017
COVER STORY
large number of people to contact a large number
of households to come up with accurate findings.
Meanwhile, people continue to lose sleep.
As soon as civil services aspirant Borah realised
that he was probably suffering from some kind
of disorder, he sought medical help. The doctor
prescribed a sleep-inducing medicine for a few
days and then, impressed on Borah to introduce
important lifestyle changes (see How to sleep
better, p40). Not everyone seeks professional
help though. A study released in 2013 by the All
India Institute of Medical Sciences (aiims) showed
that only 700 patients had attended a specialty
sleep clinic in eight years. Given that more than
half of the population suffers from some sleep
disturbance or the other at some point in life, the
expected numbers of referrals to specialty sleep
clinics were expected to be very high, the study
said. It reasoned that there was possibly a lack of
awareness, both among the patients as well as their
primary physicians.
Due to this lack of awareness, people attempt
self-medication, says Manjari Tripathi, a neurology
professor at aiims. Medicines like Alprazolam
are addictive and should not be consumed, but
are available over-the-counter for insomnia,
she says. Patients with obstructive sleep apnoea
often worsen their condition with self-treatment.
Doctors prescribe the use of Continuous Positive
Airway Pressure (cpap) machines to patients with
moderate apnoea to help them breathe in and
Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (bipap) machines
to patients with severe apnoea to help with both
breathing in and out. But instead of consulting
a neurologist or pulmonary medicine specialist
to decide which machine would suit them best,
patients directly approach medical equipment
vendors. As bipap machines are more expensive,
vendors end up recommending them, explains
Tripathi, without any benefits for the patients.
Ideally, people who are experiencing trouble
sleeping must consult a doctor and the doctor
must perform polysomnography or a sleep study
to understand the problem, says Kanwar. The
result is a polysomnogram which provides data
on multiple biological functions during sleep,
such as brain wave activity, eye movement, muscle
tone, heart rhythm and breathing via electrodes
with monitors placed on the head, chest and legs.
The test costs R16,000-20,000. This high cost is
a significant barrier to treatment. People have to
pay out of their pockets since it is not covered under
insurance, says Manvir Bhatia, a senior consultant
www.downtoearth.org.in 39
 COVER STORY
How to sleep better
It is important to maintain `sleep hygiene'. This means
maintaining a sleeping routine and sleep duration
S L E E P D E P R I VAT I O N throws the circadian rhythm out of sync
and affects the hormone balance in the body. For example, levels of the
adrenocorticotropic hormone, which stimulates the production and
release of cortisol, are higher in people with insomnia. Cortisol is known
as the "stress hormone" and regulates changes in the body in response
to stress. Less sleep can also throw our prolactin levels out of balance,
weakening the immune system and resulting in carbohydrate cravings
during the day. Hence, good sleep is important and doctors recommend a
few principles of "sleep hygiene":
Going to bed and waking up at fixed times every day
Creating a relaxing bedtime routine and not using the bed for activities
such as working on the laptop
Going to bed when tired
Maintaining a comfortable sleeping environment that's
not too hot or cold
Reducing noise in the bedroom
Not taking naps during the day
Avoiding caffeine, nicotine and alcohol late in the evening
Avoiding heavy meals late at night
Reducing exposure to artificial lights
Increasing exposure to natural light
in neurology and sleep medicine in Delhi.
There are also gaps in our understanding of
sleep disorders. We need to better understand
the incidence, prevalence and variations in sleep
disorders in India, and also pursue research on
why such differences exists, says N Ramakrishnan,
director at Nithra Institute of Sleep Sciences,
Chennai. H N Mallick, president of the Indian
Society for Sleep Research, adds, We teach sleep
(as a subject) for hardly four to five hours in the
entire curriculum in medical colleges. We must
have at least three lectures in the basic sciences and
another four-five lectures across the curriculum.
New-age solutions
In addition to some lifestyle modifications, policy
fixes can also alleviate a part of the problem.
Allowing workers to choose flexible hours so
that they can sleep at a time that best suits their
circadian rhythm could be a solution to help people
sleep better, suggests Paech. If this is not possible,
offices could provide places to nap. For example,
Google offices have set up nap pods or reclining
chairs which shut down external stimulus and
provide a private space with soothing music and a
timer to enable employees to catch a nap.
40 DOWN TO EARTH
Basner recommends that there should be a
legislation to prevent operating loud machinery
at night. Policies could also ensure that the main
sleeping hours are protected from noise. The trick
would, however, be to enforce these limits. People
can also take some steps at the personal level.
For example, they can check the noise level while
looking to buy or rent a house/apartment. One
could also choose a bedroom that does not face the
road, install sound-insulating windows or keep
windows closed at night, suggests Basner.
While there is no government programme yet
in India to deal with the health outcomes of sleep
disorders, the world is waking up to the dangers
of sleeplessness. Twenty-four hours without sleep
or a week of sleeping for only four to five hours a
night can induce impairment equivalent to a blood
alcohol level of 0.1 per cent, which is reached after
consuming four or more drinks. This can result in
an increase in the number of road accidents. Many
states in the US, such as New Jersey, consider
driving while being sleep deprived an offence.
But detecting sleep deprivation is not as easy as
detecting driving under the influence of alcohol
because there are no devices such as breathalysers
to ascertain drowsiness.
Till these are developed, governments are
attempting to reduce sleep-deprived driving
through educational messages and by building
roads with dents, known as rumble strips in the
US. These cause noise when drivers wander outside
their lane. In western Australia, a Driver Reviver
programme allows drivers to get free coffee from
partnering coffee chains to help them stay awake.
People remain unaware of the gravity of
sleep deprivation and the effects it has on the
physiological process. People are aware of heart
diseases or cancer because we can see their effects
on our near and dear ones. A similar awareness
needs to be generated around effects due to sleep
loss, says Birendra Nath Mallick, a professor
of neurobiology at the School of Life Sciences,
Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.
In a majority of cases, it is easy to avoid
sleep deprivation and even treat the problem.
Cognitive behaviour therapy (changing the way
you think) and mindfulness therapy (a cognitive
therapy combined with meditation) can be used
to treat many cases of insomnia. Most of all, it is
imperative that we make sleep a priority. A good
nights sleep will not only improve our quality of
life, but also reduce the burden of chronic diseases
that economies can ill afford to bear. n
1-15 MARCH 2017
SCIENCE
BYTES
www.downtoearth.org.in/science-and-technology
Evolution crossing
Roads are driving evolutionary changes
among plants and animals
ISTOCK PHOTO
G
LOBALLY, ROADS are projected to increase 60 per cent
in length by 2050, yet their ecological impacts have
been least studied. Now a new study has found that
roads are triggering contemporary evolutionary changes
among plants and animals. The research shows how the
numerous negative effects of roads, such as pollution and
road kills, can cause rapid evolutionary changes in road-
adjacent populations. These findings are transforming
the scientific understanding of the biological impacts
caused by the ever-expanding network of roads.
Interestingly, some populations living in road-adjacent
habitats are evolving higher tolerance to pollutants,
such as road salt runoff. Frontiers in Ecology and the
Environment, March 1
1-15 MARCH 2017
C L I M AT E C H A N G E
Dehydrated songbirds
HEAT WAVES due to climate change pose an
increasing threat to wildlife across the world.
During heat waves, birds are especially at
risk of lethal dehydration due to scarce water
resources and high rates of evaporative water
loss needed for cooling their bodies. Scientists
say the recent mass die-offs of wild birds and
poultry in Australia, South Africa, India and
North America were due to heat events. They
say smaller species lose water faster than their
larger counterparts. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, February 13
H E A LT H
ISTOCKPHOTO
Additive alarm
A C O M M O N food additive found in
everythingfrom chewing gum to bread
can alter intestinal functions. Chronic
exposure to the nanoparticles of titanium
dioxide, the additive, can significantly
decrease the ability of small intestine cells to
absorb nutrients. Titanium dioxide is an inert
and insoluble material that is also commonly
used for white pigmentation in paints, paper
and plastics. It is also an active ingredient in
mineral-based sunscreens for pigmentation to
block ultraviolet light.
NanoImpact, January 2017
AIDS
Quick detection
S C I E N T I S T S H A V E developed a
biosensor that can detect HIV in less than
a week after infection. The biosensor uses
structures which are manufactured using well-
established microelectronics technology,
thus making large-scale, low-cost production
possible. This, combined with its simplicity,
could make it a great choice for use in
developing countries. The application is now
being used to detect cancer in early stages.
PLOS ONE, February 15
www.downtoearth.org.in 41
HEALTH
www.downtoearth.org.in/health
Treated,
but partly
The Indian government has heavily
slashed the prices of coronary
stents. Will patients with heart
conditions benefit from it?
KUNDAN PANDEY
At least 61.5 million people in
the country suffer from coronary
artery disease, which requires
implantation of a stent in the heart
42 DOWN TO EARTH
I
N A LANDMARK step to break the long-run nexus bet-
ween the medical devices industry and hospitals, the
Union government has slashed the prices of life-saving
coronary stents by up to 85 per cent. Stents are small,
expandable mesh-like tubes that are inserted into the
narrowed arteries of heart to treat coronary artery disease
(cad). In a notification issued on February 14, the National
Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (nppa) has capped the
prices of bare metal stents (bms) at `7,260, and their ad-
vanced variants, the drug-eluting stents (des), at `29,600.
Unlike bms, des emits a drug over time to help keep the
blockage from recurring.
Announcing the notification, Minister of Chemicals
and Fertilizers Ananth Kumar said that at this rate, and af-
ter including 5 per cent value added tax and other taxes, the
average price of bms will reduce to `7,623 from `45,000,
and that of des will reduce to `31,080 from `1,21,000.
This will result in a gross relief of `4,450 crore a year for
cardiac patients in the country, said Kumar.
Estimates show cad is responsible for 90-95 per cent
of the cardiovascular deaths in the country. At least 61.5
million people suffer from cad, says a 2015 report of the
National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health.
While nppas bold move has been appreciated by pa-
CSE PHOTO
1-15 MARCH 2017
tients groups and activists, a concern re-
mains: will patients benefit from nppas
price cap?
The government has already started
receiving reports of shortages of stents in
some hospitals following nppas order. On
February 16, the Union chemicals ministry
wrote to the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare (mohfw) and the Drug Contro-
ller General of India, informing them of
the artificial shortage of stents, and asked
them to ensure smooth availability of the
device, especially the imported ones. nppa
also tweeted: Manufacturers/importers/
retailers required to implement stents price
cap & not create any artificial shortage of
stents or cardiac services.
Many a slip between cup and lip
Before announcing the order, nppa had
conducted a market survey of stents at the
behest of the Rajya Sabha and published
the report on its website in January. The
report exposes the nexus between manu-
facturers, distributors and hospitals. For
instance, patients are charged more than
`1 lakh, and at times `1.98 lakh, for a des,
which costs only `5,126 to the importer. Of
the different parties involved in the busi-
ness of stent, hospitals pocket the maxi-
mum profit; some charge a hefty 654 per
cent margin over the original cost of stents.
Cardiologist and president of the Indi-
an Medical Association K K Aggarwal says
with the slashed stent prices, the cost of
angioplasty procedure should go down
by at least `1 lakh. But only time will tell
whether the benefit will trickle down to
patients, he says.
While announcing the order, Kumar
has also expressed apprehensions on the
ultimate effect of the order. He said that he
would write to mohfw to ensure that hospi-
tals do not increase the price of angioplas-
ty procedure, doctors fee and prolong the
patients stay in hospital to recover the cur-
tailed cost of stents.
The nppa order already has a few safe-
guards to ensure this. It directs hospitals
and nursing homes to bill the patients sep-
arately, detailing particulars of costs, name
of the maker and batch details.
Industry, as expected, has decried the
1-15 MARCH 2017
Stent: a device of profit
Down To Earth compares the maximum price of drug-eluting stents (DES) at
different levels. DES has a 90 per cent share in stent business in India
For an imported DES, a patient pays about five times its imported cost
Cost to importer Cost to distributor Cost to hospital Cost to patient
K40,820 K101,000 K170,000 K198,000
For a DES made in India, a patient pays about 24 times its making cost
Making cost Cost to distributor Cost to hospital Cost to patient
K8,250 K42,000 K90,000 K195,000
decision. Pavan Choudary, director gener- Chattopadhyay, adding that the capping of
al of the Medical Technology Association stent prices is just 10 per cent of the total
of India, says the move will impact innova- work needed to provide relief to patients.
tion in the still nascent industry. It will also Agrees Malini Aisola of the All India
dissuade manufacturers from selling des Drug Action Network, a non-profit that
in India, which will deprive patients of the works for access to medicines. She says
most advanced and cutting-edge technol- regulating stent prices is just the first step.
ogies, he says, adding that the nppa order The government needs to implement policy
should have fixed different prices for dif- measures, such as regulating the rate of an-
ferent stents. gioplasty procedures. It is also important to
However, the nppa notification has a monitor hospitals. While nppa can monitor
provision for superior products, including the prices being charged for stents, mohfw
des, under which makers can claim sepa- must start regulating hospitals. There is
rate prices by providing clinical evidence of also a need to develop standard operating
their products superiority. protocol, based on which the prices of an-
Sulagana Chattopadhyay, editor of Geo- gioplasty procedures can be fixed. Regular
graphy and You, who petitioned the Rajya audits should be conducted for these pro-
Sabha to investigate the nexus, says from cedures along the lines of auditing systems
her personal experience that patients are in the US and the UK, she adds.
often needlessly suggested to undergo an- Chattopadhyay says the government
gioplasty only because doctors and hos- should also develop literature that will
pitals want more profit. According to help patients take the right and informed
mohfw, 473,000 stents were implant- decision. For example, the literature should
ed in India in 2015up from 135,000 in help them decide what to do if there is an
2010. This shows the growing importance areterial blockade of 70 per cent or inform
of stents and also the eagerness of hospitals them about the life of a stent. All hospitals
to implant stents for monetary benefit, says must provide these literature to patients,
she suggests.
Now that the government has capped
The government should the price of stents, patients can choose hos-
make sure that hospitals pitals based on the procedure cost and the
do not increase the cost of doctors fee, says Sundeep Mishra, cardiol-
angioplasty, doctor's fee or ogist and editor of Indian Heart Journal.
prolong the patient's stay He adds that the government should now
in hospital to recover the cap the prices of other medical devices. n
curtailed cost of stents @kundanpandey158
www.downtoearth.org.in 43
COLUMN
H E D G E H O G TA L E S RAKESH KALSHIAN
The brew of `post-truth'
Popular opinion can now be engineered using fake news
grapevines spawned by new technologies. Here's how
P
EOPLE ARE still wringing their hands and scrat-
ching their heads over the stupefying rise and
eventual triumph of Donald Trump. They are
unable to get their heads around how he man-
aged to rouse the rabble with a rhetoric craftily embroi-
dered with lies and half-truths. But he is not the first.
Apparently, he learnt the latest tricks of political knav-
ery from his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who
has mastered the art of speaking power in such byzantine
ways as to blur the line between fact and fiction.
Welcome to the post-truth world. Oxford Dictiona-
ries declared post-truth to be their word of the year for
2016, defining it as an adjectiverelating to or denoting
circumstances in which objective facts are less influential
in shaping public opinion than appeals
to emotion and personal belief. To be
sure, governments have always been
in the business of manufacturing con-
sent using elaborate fictions.
However, the rapid proliferation
of the social media has taken the art of
deception to a new level. Recent events
like the Brexit referendum, the 2014
Indian general elections, and the US
presidential elections show how pop-
ular opinion can be finessed using
fake news grapevines spawned by new
technologies. By the time one calls the
bluff on one lie, thousands more spring up and spread like
digital wildfires, but often ending up in echo chambers
where they only confirm peoples existing biases. Peter
Pomerantsev, the Soviet-born British journalist, has ob-
served that while politicians have always liednow they
just dont care whether they should tell the truth or not.
Not surprisingly, Trump has deployed the same cloak-
and-dagger tactics to undermine the science behind cli-
mate change, or for that matter behind a large body of en-
vironmental laws. Calling climate change a hoax, he has
threatened to pull out of the Paris climate deal.
The trick is to insinuate doubt about a politically in-
convenient issue in peoples minds through well-calibrat-
ed falsehoods, except that in the post-truth world, this
old wine is sold in the new bottles of social media. The
44 DOWN TO EARTH
new strategy seems to be working, as according to a re-
cent survey a mere 27 per cent of Americans think that
over 95 per cent of scientists agree that humans are the
chief agents of global warming. Indeed, the merchants
of doubt have created so much cognitive dissonance that
a layperson is at a loss to know what counts for valid evi-
dence or who is a reliable expert.
Alternatively, as some thinkers like Yale psychologist
Dan Kahan would have us believe, this demonstrates that
when it comes to issues like climate change and abortion,
ideology and culture may trump facts. They argue that if
the media hasnt been able to convince climate skeptics
after years of incessant messaging, what will?
However, a recent study by the Cambridge Univer-
sitys Social Decision-Making Lab
shows that it might possible to vac-
cinate public opinion against alter-
native facts if people are given misin-
formation (that there is no consensus
among climate scientists) along with
its rebuttal (that there is actually 97 per
cent consensus), they are more likely
to fall prey to doubt than if they are
were presented with fact of 97 per cent
consensus alone. Meanwhile, Google
and Facebook are trying to stem the
TARIQUE AZIZ / CSE rot early by nipping fake news be-
fore it goes viral by flagging it through
credible fact-checkers. But many like the whistleblow-
er Edward Snowden believes are not convinced. He be-
lieves that critical thinking matters now more than ever,
given the fact that lies seem to be getting very popular.
But for this to happen, scientists will have to get off
their high horse and engage with the doubts, confusions,
and, more importantly, even the unfounded beliefs of the
lay public. As Richard P Grant, a biochemist turned blog-
ger, recently wrote on the Guardian website, Most science
communication isnt about persuading people; its self-af-
firmation for those already on the inside. Look at us, it says,
arent we clever? We are exclusive, we are a gang, we are
family. That definitely needs to change if scientists want to
save science from the alternative universe of Trump and his
ilk. Taking out a protest march will just not do.
1-15 MARCH 2017
FACTSHEET

Cash crunch
Global investment into research and development
(R&D) of products to combat most of the
neglected diseases declines, while funding for
Ebola sees an unprecedented increase

Neglected diseases are a diverse group of diseases that disproportionately affect people in developing countries, need new products such as
vaccines or medicines, but do not have the sufficient commercial market to attract R&D by private industry

R&D funding for neglected diseases falls by $68 million (mln) between 2014 and 2015
All neglected diseases
$3,041 mln
R&D funds for 2015 2.3%
Decrease from 2014
7.1 mln
Deaths in developing world in 2015

Funding for the three neglected diseases that claimed the maximum lives drops by $65 mln
HIV/AIDS

$1,012 mln
R&D funds for 2015
33%
of 2015 global funding
5.4%
Decrease from 2014
1.2 mln
Deaths in developing world in 2015

Diarrhoeal Diseases

$567 mln
R&D funds for 2015
19%
of 2015 global funding
11%
Decrease from 2014
1.2 mln
Deaths in developing world in 2015

Bacterial pneumonia & meningitis

$92.1 mln
R&D funds for 2015
3%
of 2015 global funding
12%
Increase from 2014
1.6 mln
Deaths in developing world in 2015

Funding for Ebola and other African viral haemorrhagic fevers increases by $464 mln
Ebola and other African viral haemorrhagic fevers

$631 mln
R&D funds for 2015
21%
of 2015 global funding
258%
Increase from 2014
5,498
Deaths in developing world in 2015

Prepared by DTE/CSE Data Centre: Infographics: Raj Kumar Singh; Analysis: Kiran Pandey and Rajit Sengupta; Data source: Neglected Disease Research and Development: A pivotal moment for
global health report by G-Finder project; For more such infographics visit: www.downtoearth.org.in/infographics

1-15 MARCH 2017 www.downtoearth.org.in 45

 `Indian Ocean has been
the central theatre
of human existence'
VIKAS CHOUDHARY / CSE

Economist, environmentalist, urban theorist, SANJEEV SANYAL wears many

hats. He has written four bestselling books on Indian political history and
geography. Sanyal speaks to RAJAT GHAI about his latest book, The Ocean of
Churn: how human history was shaped by the Indian Ocean. Sanyal says that
the Indian Ocean has always been the fulcrum of human civilisation, and with
the re-emergence of Asia, it will once again inherit that role. Excerpts
46 DOWN TO EARTH 1-15 MARCH 2017
How different is the maritime history of
the Indian Ocean as compared to that of
the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Arctic?
What similarities and dissimilarities at-
tract you the most?
From a historical perspective, the Arctic
hasnt really played a big role. It is up
there, frozen. It is not very important. The
Atlantic became very important in the
19th century because of trade between
North America and Europe, and it re-
mained so for most of the 20th century.
Before that, it was not that important. The
Indian Ocean was. To give you an exam-
ple, in the 17th century, when the Dutch
exchanged the island of Manhattan for the
tiny Indian Ocean isle of Palau Run (in to-
days Indonesia) with the British, it was
thought that the Dutch had got the better
deal. And now, it is unthinkable that this
tiny, almost unknown island would be
more important than Manhattan.
The Pacific became important only in
the second half of the 20th century, with
the rise of Japan and China. Today, it is the
centre of economic and other interactions.
That is how history has shaped so far.
There is a section of scholarly opinion
which says that in the 21st century, the
balance of power will once again shift to
the Indian Ocean due to the rise of India,
Indonesia and Africa among others.
What are the most striking aspects of the
Indian Ocean that have, and will continue,
to influence the world?
The interesting thing to remember about
the Indian Ocean is that it has been the
central theatre of human existence since
the very beginning. As a species, we evol-
ved on one side of it, in East Africa. Then,
we migrated all across the globe. But even
after that, many of the worlds greatest civ-
ilisations rose and fell in and around the
Indian Oceans rim: the civilisations of Ja-
va and Sumatra, India, Persia and Arabia.
These civilisations traded with each other
for a long period of time, exchanged ideas,
people and goods.
When you look at the Europeans and
the Chinese, who were not traditionally a
part of the Indian Ocean world, they were
making great efforts to connect to it. In
1-15 MARCH 2017
fact, the discovery of the Americas is an is the core of the Harappan landscape, but
unintended consequence of trying to find it extends over a much larger area, which
a way to the Indian Ocean world. But is hinted at in the Rig Veda.
when we look at studies in this area, we see The Harappan and Vedic civilisations
that they are usually from the perspective importance lies in many things. Modern
of the West. The overall perception that Indian civilisation is directly derived from
one gets after going through such them, mixed in with influences from oth-
Western-oriented literature is that the er parts of the country and abroad over
Indian Oceans story started when the the centuries.
Europeans came, and ended when they
left. What I have tried to do through my You have also hinted in the book that cli-
book is tell that the natives of the Indian mate change could have played a part in
Ocean rim had an existence before the ar- the decline of the Indianised empires of
rival of Europeans, one that goes back to Southeast Asia. Is it true?
the very beginning of time, and it is not Possibly. We cannot be sure. There are so-
just about growing and trading in spices. me signs in the archaeology that there was
some possible breakdown in the hydrau-
lic systems that regulated rice farming. It
is not very clear, however, as to why that
In the 21st century, the happened. It could be because of political
balance of power will once reasons. The important thing to remem-
ber here is that all these kingdoms col-
again shift to the Indian lapsed at the same time. So something did
Ocean, due to the rise of happen. But it remains in the realm of
India, Indonesia and Africa, speculation as to what exactly happened.
among others On the other hand, we now have cred-
ible data to show that there are many in-
stances where climate change caused big
We evolved in East Africa changes in human history. The Harappan-
and then migrated all across Vedic, Sumerian and Egyptian civilisa-
the globe. At some point tions are examples of this. People have to
in time, East Africa will take into account that the landscape we
live in and see around us is not stable.
become a continent in its Irrespective of humans, climatic change
own right is a reality in human history. As far as cli-
mate change is concerned, that is some-
thing humankind has lived with through-
In your book, you have delved extensive- out history.
ly into the civilisations of the subconti-
nent. Do you think there is a distinction How will the breaking away of East Africa
between the Harappan and Vedic civilisa- from the rest of the continent due to tec-
tions? What according to you are the most tonic movements (though not in our life-
significant contributions of the Harappan time) influence the Indian Ocean?
and Vedic civilisations that matter in the What will happen in the very, very distant
contemporary world? future is that the East African Rift would
One of the things that I talk about in my become deeper and deeper and, at some
book is that the Vedic people were a part of point, it would allow the sea to enter from
the Harappan world. The Vedic people either the Indian Ocean side or the Red
were a subset of the broader Harappan Sea side. And remember the Red Sea is
landscape. If you read the Rig Veda for in- also a rift. So yes, at some point in time,
stance, it, by and large, deals with the la- East Africa will become a continent in its
ndscape of what is now Haryana, Indian own right. But obviously, that is millions
Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh. This of years into the future.
www.downtoearth.org.in 47
 GOOD NEWS

Geography on
fingertips
India's first indigenously developed atlas for blind children
enables them to study geography more effectively
ROHINI KRISHNAMURTHY
PHOTO: J P DAVIDSON; MONTAGE: RITIKA BOHRA

48 DOWN TO EARTH 1-15 MARCH 2017

S
TUDENTS AT the jpm Senior Sec-
ondary School for the Blind in
New Delhi had some exciting
news recently. They now have
intricately carved Braille maps that depict a
gamut of information provided with the
help of legends, dots, bars and symbols.
Earlier, blind children used to learn
geography, but they were not exposed to
maps. Now thanks to the Kolkata-based
National Atlas & Thematic Mapping Or-
ganisation (natmo), India has, for the first
time, indigenously developed Braille maps.
This breakthrough could change the way
52 million visually impaired people and
0.27 million blind children in India study
The Braille map
(in the background)
was developed using
the silk screen printing
technology, derived from
traditional stenciling
1-15 MARCH 2017
geography. The atlas is updated till 2011-
2012, and was released by the Union
Minister of Science & Technology, Harsh
Vardhan on February 10.
Maps are an integral part of geography
lessons in school. Realising the lack of effi-
cient maps catering to the visually cha-
llenged in India, natmo, introduced a cost-
effective and an indigenous method of
producing Braille maps, says Tapati Ban-
erjee, director of natmo. The organisation
employed the silk screen printing tech-
nology, derived from traditional stenciling,
to develop the maps. The current price of
the atlas is R600, but efforts are underway
to make them more affordable.
Visualising the contours
The atlas contains 20 maps covering topics
ranging from physical and socio-economic
features to river systems, natural vegetation,
metropolitan cities, roads and railways and
food and cash crops. In addition to this, six
continents are also a part of the atlas. Using
the technology of Braille, natmos maps in-
corporate raised and embossed lines that
enable the visually challenged gain a sense
of land coverage and also aid in differ-
entiating boundaries separating states and
countries. Legends help users gain insights
on the information conveyed.
For students with low vision, colour
schemes have been chosen which are suit-
able for them. natmo has prepared large-
scale maps (1:10,000 scale) on various
themes to help them learn micro-level
planning like irrigation and agriculture
using information from its own database.
Previous designs
Attempts to develop Braille map dates back
to 1997. Metallic plates, polyvinyl sheets
and paper pulp were used to design Braille
maps. Unfortunately, these didnt stand the
test of time owing to their inefficiencies,
says Banerjee. For instance, the Durgabai
Deshmukh College of Special Education,
an institute that trains teachers to educate
blind students, employs a rather tedious
method. They make use of thermoform
machines that mould thermoform sheets
to the desired shapes with the help of
The atlas contains 20 maps
covering physical and
socio-economic features;
river systems; natural
vegetation; metropolitan
cities; roads and railways,
food crops and cash crops.
NATMO plans to print this
atlas in regional languages
as many students are not
comfortable with English
master maps.
Preparation of master sheets is labour-
intensive. The thermoform sheets cost
R2,000-3,000, adds Banerjee. Swati San-
yal, principal of this institute, however,
says, These sheets are expensive, but we
can reuse them.
Not just the overwhelming responses,
natmo got suggestions for improvement
from teachers and blind students. Anshu,
who aims to become a teacher one day,
hopes natmo maps would include direc-
tions and Braille labelling of states. He also
suggests that embossing can be made more
prominent. Ramakanth, another student,
says prior training should be imparted to
students on how to read the maps to enable
them to utilise these maps more effectively.
In response, Banerjee says, natmo has
tried to depict maps for the visually cha-
llenged students using dots and bars along
with symbols. The users, who have no prior
exposure on how to read maps, may find
some difficulties initially, but if they could
be helped with some minor tips and gui-
dance, they can read the maps easily. We
will incorporate the new suggestions.
As for future plans, natmo is planning
to set up another printing unit to cater to
the demand. This would be funded by the
Union ministry of social justice and em-
powerment. The organisation plans to dis-
tribute the atlas free to schools initially. It is
also planning to print the atlas in regional
languages, as many students are not com-
fortable with English. Less privileged chil-
dren finally have something to cheer as well
as to learn about.
@down2earthindia
www.downtoearth.org.in 49
 FOOD
www.downtoearth.org.in/food
Taste the W
tangy
A little-known ingredient
from Kerala, kodampuli, is
full of medicinal properties
CHITRA BALASUBRAMANIAM
VIKAS CHOUDHARY / CSE
50 DOWN TO EARTH
HILE DISCUSSING exotic or unusual ingredients, a friend
of mine recalled kodampuli. She practically drooled
over its sour taste. Being from Kerala myself, I was in-
trigued. I had never tasted it in my life. She told me
that it is usually used to prepare fish dishes. Being a vegetarian,
my curiosity diminished considerably. But when I probed further,
I got to know that kodampuli is a souring agent loaded with me-
dicinal properties. It is also used to prepare vegetarian dishes. So
what is kodampuli?
Kodam means pot and puli means tamarind in Malayalam
describing the shape of the fruit. Kodampuli (Garcinia gummi-
gutta) is also called Garcinia cambogia and Malabar tamarind. It
is often confused with kokum, but is, however, quite different. In
the case of kodampuli, the pumpkin-shaped fruits are yellow in
colour and it is more of a backyard crop. It is the rind of the mature
fruit that is dried naturally over a number of days which is used.
Kodampuli rind has a fruity, muddy or earthy flavour when eaten
raw. When dried, it tastes very sour and leaves an aftertaste akin
to jamun.
Rasam made using
kodampuli is said to
cure fever and cold
1-15 MARCH 2017

Unlike tamarind, there is no need to extract the pulp of kodampuli. It can be simply added to the dish
Properties and uses
The best part of kodampuli is that unlike
tamarind, there is no need to extract the pu-
lp. It can be simply added to the dish; the
strips are allowed to cook and disintegrate
in the dish itself. Rasam prepared using
kodampuli is said to cure fever and cold.
Kodampuli is very easy to use too. A small
piece, soaked in water for some time, can be
added to the dish and be allowed to dissolve
along with other ingredients.
Many people use kodampuli as an alter-
native to tamarind. However, except for a
few spice processors, who extract the
hydroxycitric acid (hca), its commercial use
is still limited. Kodampuli is popular in
central and southern parts of Kerala, says T
John Zachariah of the Indian Institute of
Spices Research, Kozhikode. It is also widely
used in Sri Lanka to make fish curries.
Kodampuli is widely promoted as a
weight loss supplement. hca, an organic acid
Kodampuli has anti-
obesity properties and
is widely promoted as a
weight-loss supplement.
It is known to treat bowel
problems, intestinal
parasites and rheumatism.
It has also been used to cure
digestive disorders
1-15 MARCH 2017
component of kodampulis fruit rind, has
anti-obesity properties and reduces food
intake. Various molecules isolated from hca
in the fruit rinds have body trimming effects,
and are a valuable commodity for health
practitioners and companies. According to
a study published in the journal Fitoterapia
in 2015, kodampuli can be used to treat
bowel problems, intestinal parasites and
rheumatism. It has also been used as a
traditional remedy for digestive disorders.
So if it is loaded with health benefits,
why is it not used regularly in homes? There
are many reasons. Kodampuli costs about
R285 per kg, compared to tamarind, which
costs about R50 per kg. The other reason
could be that it has certain components
which result in appetite loss, says Zach-
ariah. Home cooking is seen from the view-
point of increasing appetite, and kodamp-
ulis appetite-killing property could be one
of the reasons why it is not used widely in
day-to-day cooking.
Moreover, studies have pointed out that
hca impacts the production of fatty acids
and cholesterol which may directly influence
the production of sterols (organic mole-
cules), thus restricting the production of
steroid hormones. Thats why it is not reco-
mmended for pregnant women.
Regular consumption may have
repercussions for diabetics too. Also, the
possible toxicity associated with the regular
RECIPE
Rasam using kodampuli
INGREDIENTS
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp jeera
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 small whole dried red chilli
A small piece of kodampuli
1 small onion, well chopped
A small piece of jaggery
A pinch of Asafoetida and
salt to taste
GARNISHING
Curry leaves
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp jeera
2 tsp of oil
METHOD
Wash kodampuli and soak it in
lukewarm water for around 10
minutes. Add some oil in a pan and
shallow fry the onions with jeera and
coriander seeds, pepper and red
chilli. Grind this to a fine paste. The
kodampuli would be disintegrating
by now. Pour the paste into a pan
with a little more water. Add turmeric
powder, salt, jaggery and asafoetida
to it. Let it boil for a few minutes.
There is no need to filter kodampuli
water like tamarind or boil till the
raw smell goes. Once it begins to boil,
add the paste. Let it boil for a few
minutes more and take it off the fire.
In a small wok, add a spoon of oil;
add mustard and jeera seeds. Once
it starts spluttering, pour the boiled
ingredients. Garnish with curry
leaves. The rasam is ready.
use of dietary supplements made from
kodampuli extracts has raised concerns
among health practitioners.
However, it has preservative properties
and remains an integral ingredient in many
of Keralas kitchens.
(The writer is a Delhi-based freelance
journalist. Among other things, she writes
on unusual food)
www.downtoearth.org.in 51
REVIEW
www.downtoearth.org.in/reviews

Forest-risk
goods
Export-oriented commercial
agriculture is the single largest
driver of tropical deforestation,
argues a new book
DEEPANWITA NIYOGI

WHY FORESTS? WHY NOW ?
THE SCIENCE , ECONOMICS AND
POLITICS OF TROPICAL FORESTS AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
Frances Seymour and Jonah Busch
Center for Global Development |
42 9 pages | $24.95
T
ROPICAL FORESTS, which are essential to arrest climate
change, are falling prey to the consumption patterns of
the modern world. Why Forests? Why Now? puts the
spotlight on the role of rich nations, pointing out that
while the global demand for certain commodities is a key driver of
tropical forest loss, industrialised countries have done little to
combat greenhouse gas emissions arising due to deforestation.
Export-oriented commercial agriculture is the single largest
driver of tropical deforestation, with demand for soybean, palm
oil and wood products constantly soaring in the international
market. The book also contradicts the conventional wisdom that
blames smallholders or poor people for converting forestlands into
agricultural farms, thus, leading to deforestation.
While Latin Americas primary forest loss can be blamed on

52 DOWN TO EARTH 1-15 MARCH 2017

 TARIQUE AZIZ / CSE
beef production and
soybean cultivation, in
Southeast Asia, pulp and
paper, timber and palm oil are
the major contributors to defor-
estation. Rubber, coffee and cacao
have also contributed to forest loss. Spi-
ces and beverages have always been in
demand in the temperate latitudes, and this
led to earlier explorations by European
settlers in the tropics. However, in recent
times, the scale of demand has changed, as
the affluent are demanding more food and
fibre. Between 1963 and 2005, there was a
30 per cent increase in croplands due to
dietary demands.
Perverse government policies are also
encouraging this trend by providing subsidy
for biofuels. Such subsidies in the European
Union and the US have increased the pre-
ssure on precious forest resources, threate-
ning food security in developing countries
through higher food prices.
Citing the example of a hypothetical
dinner table in Milan and its forest foot-
print, the book mentions a study conducted
in 2014 that estimated that four forest-
risk commoditiesbeef, soybeans, palm
oil and wood productswere produced in
eight countries by cutting 3.9 million hec-
tares of forests in 2009, or roughly one-
third of the deforestation that took place
globally that year.
The positive sign is that many private
companies have pledged to break the link
between commodity production and forest
clearing. Many reputed brands now want to
eliminate deforestation from their supply
chains. The authors argue that there is an
urgent need to reduce the demand of
unsustainably-produced goods, especially
by the rich countries.
However, they concede that the forest
footprint of globally traded commodities,
given the increasing demand, will only grow
in the future. The book is a much-needed
treatise on tropical forests.
1-15 MARCH 2017
A U T H O R S AY S
`Clarify forest rights, tenure'
FRANCES SEYMOUR, co-author of the book, is Senior Fellow, Tropical Forests
for Climate and Development Initiative, Center for Global Development,
Washington DC. She speaks to Down To Earth on the factors leading to
deforestation. Excerpts from an interview
What are the various ways we can combat deforestation?
Our book focuses mostly on what rich countries can do
to provide incentives, including finance, to forest-rich
countries to reduce deforestation. We need to ensure that
the forest-risk commodities that they import are legally
and sustainably produced. How to address smallholder-
driven deforestation is one of the most difficult challenges
faced by forest-rich countries. There are no one-size-fits-
all solutions, in part because the term smallholders
encompasses a broad range of land-users, some with more
legitimate claims on forestland than others.
While our book does not provide an in-depth treatment
of this issue, evidence from other studies suggests that often the first step
needed is to clarify forest resource rights and tenure, in order to establish
who owns a particular area of forestland, and under what circumstances it is
legal to convert forests to other land-uses or to exploit for forest products. For
example, there are many cases in which indigenous or other local communities
want to protect their forests from encroachment by third parties, but lack the
legal recognition of their rights or official back-up to do so.
Is there a need to change our dietary habits to arrest forest loss?
The analysis in our book makes it clear that production of forest-risk food
commodities such as beef are the key drivers of deforestation and associated
emissions. And because the costs of those impacts are not reflected in
commodity prices, current dietary choices are effectively being subsidised
by the people, who are adversely affected by the loss of the un-priced
ecosystem services provided by forestsboth locally, and in the case of
climate emissions, globally. We recommend that governments of consumer
countries enact policies to ensure that imported commodities are legally and
sustainably produced. We further recommend that governments should not
subsidise biofuels based on food-based feedstocks. Because such policies
would only increase the demand and prices for those commodities, which
in turn, is associated with greater deforestation. While our book doesn't
prescribe dietary choices for individuals, it's clear that eating less beef would
decrease a person's carbon footprint.
What kind of global policies can help reshape timber trade to reduce the
growth of forest-risk commodities?
The European Union's Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (flegt)
initiative, and similar policies in other timber-importing countries, have
stimulated constructive processes in a number of timber-producing countries
to establish systems for verifying the legality of timber exports. Based on
the progress made under such initiatives, a similar approach could also be
applied usefully to other forest-risk commodities.
 Storm front
From myth to reality, how storms have
shaped human history
SHREESHAN VENKATESH
STORM: NATURE AND CULTURE
John Withington
Reaktion Books Ltd, UK (Ear th Series)|
190 pages | `1,75 8
PHILIP JAMES DE LOUTHERBOURG
A
T FIRST, art imitates life. Then life
imitates art In many ways,
John Withingtons book, Storm,
is a tribute to this exhortation,
first made by 19th century Russian author
Fyodor Dostoevsky. Using this inimitable
quote, the author examines how extreme
weather events have influenced the course
of human history and art. The predomi-
nantly Eurocentric account is broadly struc-
tured as a dissection of Dostoevskys quote.
The author first seeks to describe life
through an inquiry into the nature of sto-
rms. He then fleshes out turning points in
European history caused by violent weather
events, before moving on to a chronology of
human perception of storms.
Before delving into the natural, With-
54 DOWN TO EARTH
ington attempts to locate storms in the
realm of the spiritual. Not surprisingly, he
finds a discernible common thread joining
religions across the world when it comes to
describing weather as instruments of des-
truction and creation wielded by the divine.
Withington uses these recurring beliefs to
locate weather within the human percep-
tions of creation.
In the second chapter, he takes the sci-
entific route to explain the dynamism and
violence wrought by storms. Briefly tracing
the history of meteorology, the author un-
ravels the driving factors and the uncer-
tainties surrounding storms. The path from
myth, reality to legend is completed in the
third chapter which deals with history.
Withington details numerous examples
PEEK 'N' CHOOSE
THE BIG CAT MAN
Jonathan Scott
Bradt | 368 pages | US $30
THIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY by
wildlife celebrity Jonathan Scott
celebrates the extraordinary life
of one of the world's most popular
wildlife presenters and photographers.
Ultimately, The Big Cat Man is a love
story: one man's infatuation with
Africa and his unfailing devotion to
the woman who shares his passion.
Jonathan's writing makes for a
fascinating safari through a life
lived in the world's most spectacular
wilderness area. His book raises
uncomfortable questions about the
future of wildlife on a continent where
the needs of the people sometimes
seem overwhelming and it will bring
hope to those who have struggled but
were afraid to seek help.
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT: RESPONSE
TO GLOBAL WARMING AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
Saligram Bhatt et al
A P H Publishing Corporation | `1,495
T H E B O O K is a collection of articles
by eminent Indian scholars on the
shape of things concerning global
environment and civilisation. It
analyses sustainable development, as
a response to control global warming
and climate change. It presents
strategies to meet some of the 17 new
Sustainable Development Goals.
of how weather has played a critical role in
shaping history. For instance, one might
remember the attempt by US President
Jimmy Carter in 1980 to bring back Ameri-
can hostages in Iran. Having failed to anti-
cipate a dust storm, the Americans lost eight
soldiers in the operation. Indeed, the world
might have looked distinctly different if not
for the gale force of nature.
1-15 MARCH 2017
COLUMN
PAT E N T LY A B S U R D L AT H A J I S H N U
Devious US index of IP rankings
India has been put very near the bottom of an illogical
global intellectual property index to arm-twist it
Y
OU COULD perhaps argue whether Miss
Venezuela is more beautiful than a 100 odd
contestants, all of whom appear to have gone
through an assembly line makeover process.
So if the Spaniards are miffed that their representative
was passed over although her smile was more charming
they know it is part of the game. The decision ultimate-
ly is subjectiveand political as everything usually is.
On the other hand, in the case of indices where strict pa-
rameters are laid down for arriving at the results, there
should be no room for dispute over the outcome. Yet, for
five years running, the US Chamber of Commerce has
been ranking select countries on the strength of their
Intellectual Property (IP) standards which, far from
being objective, have turned into a
farce. The rankings are being used to
browbeat countries to accept US de-
mands for higher IP standards than
those required by the World Trade
Organization (wto).
In the 2017 index of the Global
Intellectual Property Centre (gipc) of
the US Chamber of Commerce, India
is ranked 43rd out of 45 countries;
only Pakistan and Venezuela come
below it. The highest ranked coun-
tries are, of course, the US, the UK,
Germany and Japan. India scores
8.75 on the index (out of a possible 35) compared with
32.65 for the US. Here lies in the deviousness of the gipc
ranking. According to its parameters, any country which
complies with wtos IP regime known as the Trade-
Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (trips)
Agreement would automatically add 16.63 to its score,
whereas a country that implements the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (tpp)it is in limbo after Donald Trump
pulled the US out of itwould get 25.39. India has long
been acknowledged by wto as fully compliant with trips
(see wto gives India clean chit, Down To Earth, 16-30
June, 2015). However, gipc has determined, perversely,
that India is not a trips signatory.
Nor does the US Chamber explain why the contro-
1-15 MARCH 2017
versial and hugely contested tpp, a trade pact among 12
nations, should serve as the benchmark for IP indexing.
A clear example of how skewed the rankings are is the
positioning of Algeria above India. Algeria is not a wto
member or a trips signatory. Besides, there are major
holes in legal framework for enforcing copyrights, as the
gipc admits. In fact, the ranking is so riddled with biases
as to be worthless. If, as the US Chamber claims, the in-
dex provides a clear roadmap for any economy that wish-
es to be competitive, it should also explain how innova-
tive Brunei (rank 29), Colombia (25), uae (24) and Saudi
Arabia (21) are. Were David Hirschmann, president and
ceo of gipc, to be honest, he would confess the rank-
ings are intended to bring in maximalist IP standards
globally. Among the measures gipc
seeks are extension of the patent mo-
nopoly beyond the 20-year term pre-
scribed by the wto and the rescinding
of safeguards against the abuse of pat-
ent rights by multinational drug firms.
In the case of India, the US busi-
ness lobbies have long sought a re-
peal of a particular section of the
Indian Patent Act that has reined in
mncs from brazenly extending the
patent terms through the practice of
evergreening. This is Section 3(d)
TARIQUE AZIZ / CSE
which explicitly bans the grant of pat-
ents to new formulations based on old molecules barring
some exceptions. The gipc report lists Section 3(d) as one
of the challenges. It also lists problems with the patenting
software and the recent decision of the Delhi High Court
allowing the photocopying of sections of books as study
material for students.
Should one take note of such a flawed index? Yes,
but merely to caution the Modi government not to get
flustered. Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman,
who formulated a National ipr Policy in 2016 to mol-
lify the US, should remember the United States Trade
Representative is now conducting its annual review.
India will continue to be on its Priority Watch List all
said and done. She should just ignore the gipc index.
www.downtoearth.org.in 55
OPINION

THE PAIN OF
TRUNCATED LIVES
The Supreme Court's much-
awaited judgement on ownership
rules for captive elephants could
bring clarity on regulation
AMBIKA NIJJAR

ISTOCK PHOTO

1-15 MARCH 2017

I
N THE wild, elephants can live up to 70 years. However, captive
elephants have a different story to tellone of torture, cruelty
and neglect. Between January 2016 and December 2016, 28
captive elephants died in Kerala alone. None of them were 70
when they diedone elephant was not even two years old, while
three were between the ages of 10 and 20. These figures are alarm-
ing, but the situation may be much worse since we are aware of only
a limited number of cases.
Captive elephants are used for performing in a number of ac-
tivitiesreligious ceremonies, parades, circuses and tourism. They
are tied for most of the day; they do not get a chance to socialise with
other animals; and, are fed the same diet every day. As a result, they
suffer from anxiety and depression. They are beaten to perform
and spend the rest of their time tied up, often on concrete floors
with two of their legs restrained by heavy metal chains. Among the
methods used to tame wild elephants is the use of the cruel belt
trap, which is a thick metal chain embedded with nails. The trap
is placed around the legs of the animal, forcing it to limit its move-
ments as excessive movement would cause severe pain. Another
tool used is the ankusha sharp metal object used to poke the ele-
phants in their sensitive spots like the trunk and mouth.
The wildlife authorities seem to have misunderstood their
mandate. Rather than conserving and protecting animals, they
have become agents to promote their sale. Worse, they remain
oblivious to their pain. Take the case of Evoor Kannan, a 25-year-
old tusker owned by the Travancore Devaswom Board (tdb).
Unable to withstand the severe beating of its mahout, the elephant
retaliated and the mahout died. As a punishment, the tdb left
the elephant unattended in the temple backyard. The sto-
ry of Siva Sundaram, an elephant owned by the famous
Rajarajeswara temple is no less heartbreaking. The el-
ephant was tied for so long that the chain had got
embedded into its hind legs. Or take the case of a
72-year-old elephant, Guruvayur Padamanabhan,
which was forced to stand on three legs as part of
a ritual to pay homage to Lord Guruvaurappa.
These instances have been documented by
V K Venkitachalam, secretary of the Heritage
Animal Task Force, a Thrissur-based non-profit.
Legal loopholes
As breeding elephants in captivity is rare and dif-
ficult, elephant calves are illegally trapped and sold.
Every year at least 100 elephants from the Northeast,
especially Assam, are sold at Bihars Sonepur Faira huge
live animal market, explains Gauri Maulekhi of the Kerala
Elephant Task Force. But given that elephants are wild ani-
mals, should private ownership be permitted at all? Trapping an
elephant from the wild amounts to hunting, which is an offence
under Section 9 of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.
Moreover, the permission granted for transferring ownership is
another area that needs revision. To keep an elephant, one requires
an ownership certificate under Section 42 of the Act and a decla-
1-15 MARCH 2017
ration of this ownership has to have been made within 180 days, as
per the Wildlife Stock Declaration Rules, 2003. But owners simply
do not declare or possess ownership certificates and the local forest
department does not keep a vigilant eye on such matters.
In an attempt to stop illegal trade, alleviate the cruel condi-
tions of captive elephants and push state governments to set up res-
cue centres, the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (wrrc)
filed a case in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has passed
various orders directing that no cruelty shall be meted out to cap-
tive elephants and that the chief wildlife warden must ascertain the
number of elephants and determine if they have ownership certif-
icates. A state-led investigation found 289 elephants that either
did not have ownership certificates or were not declared. In a ma-
jority of the cases where ownership documents were found, the el-
ephant was found to be in the custody of a person who was not the
one with the ownership documents. In a number of cases where the
ownership certificate was provided by the chief wildlife warden, it
was found that the corresponding declarations were missing. The
investigation exposed a huge trade nexus.
The investigation also found that in a short span of five months,
To keep an elephant, one has to obtain an
ownership certificate within 180 days,
as per the law. But owners hardly do so. In
cases where ownership documents were
found, the elephant was in the custody of a
person who did not have those documents
89 elephants from Kerala had gone missing. An rti response re-
ceived from the state in May 2015 revealed that there were 684 cap-
tive elephants in Kerala. However, at a meeting held by the State
Level Task Force on October 9, 2015, the Chief Wildlife Warden
submitted that there were 599 elephants in captivity.
The culture of owning elephants needs to be reversed. Not
just temples, tour operators and circuses, even celebrities are
known to possess elephants or ivory tusks. In October 2016, the
Muvattupuzha Vigilance Court found that actor Mohanlal was in
possession of 13 pairs of ivory tusks. The case was later withdrawn.
A writ petition filed by the wrrc will be finally heard by the
Supreme Court in July. Conservationists and activists are hoping
the apex court will ban the selling, exchanging, leasing, renting and
gifting of elephants. They want the seizure of elephants without
ownership certificates. They are also campaigning for the setting up
of rescue centres in states and to make state governments accounta-
ble. As Suparna Ganguly of the wrrc puts it aptly, Elephants are an
extremely sensitive and intelligent species, much like humans. They
should be shielded from the kind of abuse that we are witnessing
today in the name of religion, tourism, entertainment and culture.
We must fight against the fragmentation of their habitats, which is
leading to increasing human-elephant conflicts.
(The author is an advocate and legal adviser to People for
Animals, a Delhi-based non-profit) @ambika_nijjar
www.downtoearth.org.in 57
LAST WORD
R I G H T TO D I S S E N T L AT H A J I S H N U
Poor farmers cannot move WTO
As India seeks a lasting solution to the public stockholding
issue, it is clear the agenda of rich nations will prevail
W
HEN WORLD Trade Organization (wto)
Director General Roberto Azevedo came
calling in early February, he was flooded
with representations from a host of farm-
ers organisations with a list of pressing demands. They
wanted a permanent solution to the issue of public stock-
holding of grains to ensure food security and also sought
a focus on special safeguard mechanism (ssm) which
protects developing countries from unexpected surg-
es in imports of farm products. But poor farmers from
India and the developing world found the dice loaded
against themas usual. Azevedo made it clear that these
issues needed to be reformulated before they came up for
discussion at the next ministerial meeting of the wto in
December in Buenos Aires.
Even before the wto boss
landed in New Delhi, it was ap-
parent that he would talk about
the agenda he had come withe-
commerce, the Trade Facilitation
Agreement and not the highly
contentious issues on agriculture
that have split the wto.
Just days earlier in Geneva,
a news report had quoted Indias
ambassador to the wto Anjali Prasad as being highly crit-
ical of Azevedos assessment of the critical issues before
wto at a closed door meeting of trade envoys. According
to Azevedo, who is also the chair of the trade negotiations
committee, a permanent solution for public stockhold-
ing issue and ssm had been discussed in the run-up to the
last ministerial meeting in Nairobi in 2015. He claimed
there had been wide divergences. Instead, he spoke of
the interest of developed countries such as Japan to en-
sure that developing countries did not place barriers on
exports of farm products.
Trade analysts here believe that the highlighting of e-
commerce was taking centre stage because rich nations
wanted to divert attention from the long-pending de-
velopmental issues of the Doha Round of negotiations.
This conflict of interests although not new by any reck-
58 DOWN TO EARTH
oning, is certain to result in yet another fractious meeting
in Argentina this December with the G33 group of de-
veloping countries pitted against the rich club yet again.
What has annoyed India is Azevedos purported
statement to the closed door meeting of trade ambassa-
dors that it would be difficult to find a definitive solution
to the question unless the G33 proposal is revised alto-
gether. As of now, under a peace clause India is per-
mitted to continue its purchases of grains for public dis-
tribution without attracting penalties till a permanent
solution is found. But Indias proposals for a permanent
solution are not acceptable to developed countries.
In a detailed letter to the wto chief, major farm-
ers representatives reminded Azevedo and oecd or the
club of rich nations that Indian
farmers receive nominal support
through the administered price
a price that barely covered the cost
of production. On the other hand,
trade distorting subsidies came
from developed nations, special-
ly the US which gives out 44 per
cent of its value of production as
TARIQUE AZIZ / CSE applied domestic support. As for
ssm, there has been no movement
although import surges could wipe out the livelihoods
of millions of farmers in India in one go.
Given the repeated failure of wto to address such
concerns should agriculture be taken out of the trade
body? That is what farmers are asking. Why has the wto
still not delivered on farm issues under its development
mandate? When it has done nothing for farmers in de-
veloping and least developing countries why is wto un-
leashing new issues like investment which will threaten
access to land, water and undermine their existence fur-
ther? There is also alarm over moves to discipline fish-
eries subsidies without applying the principle of special
and differential treatment.
The farmers appeal says they will not support any
move to eliminate the subsidies that the fishing and farm
sectors receive. But will New Delhi remain as resolute?
1-15 MARCH 2017