Tranparency desperately required

Legislation making it mandatory to have maximum tranparency in all public works across India whether the projects are of Central, State or District level bodies, right up to the Panchayat level. BACKGROUND - From Rajiv Gandhi to his son Rahul Gandhi, we keep hearing how of each rupee that the government spends, only 15 paise - or 10 paise or whatever - reaches the target group. We need to bring in transparency across all public projects. For instance, if a road is being repaired in Amravati, the contractor needs to put a notice board there which clearly mentions the following- 1. Total cost of the project - repairs in this case 2. Time lines - start of the project and promised deadline for it to be completed 3. Name of the contractor along with the name of his company, its address and telephone number 4. Name of the government department responsible for the execution of this project. 5. Name of the government employee who is directly responsible for overseeing this project, along with his working phone number. 6. Name of the employee's immediate supervisor along with his designation and phone number. 7. Clear mention of the penalities that are likely to be imposed on the contractor and / or the government supervisor if the project completion is delayed with reference to the timelines expected. The legislation should also be clear that besides the contractors, even the government employees have personal responsibility towards completion of public works and delays will have an impact on their future promotions within the department.

Back to basics

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Edit Blog Posts The more we learn the more we go back to the past. At least the past that India was witness to, when it used to be Bharat.One of the great religions of the world, Buddhism, born in India, professes very clearly the love for all living things no matter how dangerous they may be. At its core, Hinduism professes the same respect for nature and all things living. It is the religion that treats even rivers and mountains as living beings.I am not professing religion here. All i am saying is that we need to get back to the basics and spread awareness amongst people around us, living where we live, the importance of being in tune with the environment.Tumblers made of clay - kullhad, plates made of leaves - pattal, are important milestones towards eliminaton of harmful stuff like glass and plastic. These not only generate local employment but also are very environmentally friendly. Tradition in India preaches that one can attain Nirvana if one plants 5 trees - Banyan, Peepal, Neem, Mango and Tamarind. Imagine if we were to get a significant chunk of our 1 billion people to plant 5 trees such as these shady trees in their lifetime...Just imagine the possibilities.I remember when i was a kid and when my family used to go to Hridwar to take a dip in the Ganga, my grand dad used to tell all of u to wash our feet outside the river Ganga before we enter her holy waters. One had to take care to wash feet away from the river so that the dirty water did not flow into the Ganga. Imagine if we were able to get this simple fact to each Hindu who takes a dip in the waters of the Holy river Ganga. If people wash their feet and enter the waters, i am sure they will think twice before letting sewage get into the river.These are but two examples merely to illustrate that the need of the hour is to ensure that the message of environment reaches the masses rather than being restricted in the boardrooms, on blogs, on the internet and some five star hotels. We need funds directly at the grass roots level. What we dont need is government sponsored actions on the ground. What we do need is government sponsored rules, regulations and policies that insist on Environment first.Unless we bring in some local benefits in this environment drive, government can do little. If we care about human beings around the world, we must accept that it is not the planet that is in danger, it is Us.

In India, plant the traditional trees

Subsequent to my earlier post, there are several Indian trees that are inherently capable of reducing pollution, both, of air and of sound. They not only reduce pollution but help in significant improvement in the quality of soil and water retention. The icing on the cake is that if planted in significant numbers within cities they help stabilize and even improve the water table. With so much power retained within them, it is a pity that such fabulous trees have lost out the mind share of our intelligent and modern town planners.Neem, Peepal, Paakad, Jamun, Mango, Banyan, Bel trees are known for their high water retentin capabilities since times immemorial in India. In fact the botanical name of Neem - Azadirachta Indica - is derived from a persian word given to it by Arab traders when they first came to India. The traders found that this tree grew just about every where in India and hence they started referring to it as Azaad-Darakht-e-Hind - The independent tree of India.These trees not only retain high quantities of water but also help reduce sound pollution, specially beneficial in urban centres - since their wide canopies break sound waves. The widely spread out canopies further aid in a higher level of retention of Carbon di Oxide than most other trees. Their leaves and fruits falling to the ground help improve the nutritional value of the soil below in no uncertain terms. These are proven scientific facts and also substantiated by the value assigned to these trees in our Vedas. Right from Ashok to Sher Shah Suri there are records of how they insisted on planting these trees along highways, urban centres, shelters for traveller and water baoulisThe advent of the Britishers did not do anything to diminish this. Infact the British further aided in planting green trees all along the Highways they developed. It is the advent of Democracy and the rise of the people in the lat 60 years that has impacted our tryst with destiny so significantly. The sab chalta hai attitude has impacted our environment as much as any other facet of our daily lives.Further, the so called literate population, aided and abetted by what it feels is the correct 'western truth' has further aided the downfall of our country in as little as 6 years. They have not yet realized that even the 'West' no longer practices or preaches what they continue to abide by to this day.This is the reason why i feel that our future lies in the hands of the millions who are religious, even though they may be illiterate because while they may be illiterate, they are certainly not uneducated, as mentioned even by Pandit Nehru. The key is to be able to associate the environment with religion and then spread the word around across the length and breadth of this country.Now for some scientific facts -A single average tree absorbs 12 kg of CO2 while providing enough Oxygen for 4 human beings for a year. Trees planted in a single hectare of land absorb more than 6 tons of CO2 whereas a single long haul flight generates about 3.75 tons of CO2.1. Trees and plants that help trap dust particles, reduce temperature and trap other exhaust particles - Neem, Amaltas, Sheesham, Cane, Peepal, Mango, Jamun, Arjun, Saagwan, Tamarind2. Trees that help convert wasteland to fertile land - Babul, Arjun, Gulmohar, Kadamb, Amaltas3. Trees that reduce sound pollution - Ashok, Neem, Kachnaar, Banyan, Peepal, Semal4. Trees that help reduce air pollution significantly - Bel, Siras, Neem, Ulu neem, Bougainvillea, Sheesham, Peepal, Mahua, TamarindWe dont need too much funds. We need a lot much more of dedication and conviction and people on the ground to do that. Are we ready...