On BIO-FUELS + Nuclear Energy (India-US Deal) + Water Pricing For Industries

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NEWS Bulletin from Indian Society For Sustainable Agriculture And Rural Development ******************************* 1. Bio-Fuel Plan: States compete to grow oil on soil 2. ICRISAT - Global research body to promote bio-fuels in India 3. India-US Civilian Nuclear Deal ; Nuclear energy not the only option to arrest climate change, says German expert 4. Water pricing for industries likely

to be finalised soon ----- Bio-Fuel Plan: States compete to grow oil on soil http://www.financialexpress.com/news/BioFuel-Plan-States-compete-to-grow-oil-on-soil/214424/0 ASHOK B SHARMAPosted online: Tuesday , September 04, 2007 at 1706 hrs IST Taking the cue from the Planning Commission’s suggestion for largescale Jatropha plantation for bio-fuel

production, the state governments are now busy setting their own targets. Planning Commission has suggested Jatropha cultivation in 400,000 hectare land for four years in the first phase and in 2.5 million hectare in the second phase for meeting the needs of 10% doping of auto-fuel. On August 27, the Orissa government formulated a policy for

encouraging plantation of Jatropha and Karanja in 20 lakh hectare of “degraded” land. The state government has announced incentives to panchayats, cooperatives, self help groups (SHGs) and farmers for undertaking largescale cultivation of bio-fuel crops. The policy has claimed that the bio-fuel crop plantation would not only help production of 14,000 kilo litre of bio-fuels but also produce 42,000 tonne of organic matter for soil fertility and create jobs for 100 million mandays. However, the civil society groups have criticised the government’s bio-fuel policy and have said that it would amount to diversion of land from food crops to fuel and would

ultimately endanger food security of million. Debjeet Sarangi of the Orissa Coalition for Food Safety and Sovereignty (OCFSS) said : “Area under crop cultivation has already declined. Most of the degraded lands can be brought back to cultivation. Instead of ensuring food security the government is rolling out red carpet to corporate houses to undertake largescale Jatropha cultivation." According to the state government’s Economic Survey per capita availability of cultivable land has declined from 0.39 hectare in 1950-51 to 0.14 hectare in 2004-05. About 999,000 hectare farm land was diverted to non-agriculture use in 2004-05. Also 28,044,965

hectare forest area have been diverted for non-forest use. Andhra Pradesh government has entered into a formal agreement with Reliance Industries for Jatropha plantation in 200 acre land in Kakinada. Chhattisgarh government has decided to plant 160 million saplings of Jatropha in all the 16 districts of the state with the aim of becoming a bio-fuel self-reliant state by 2015 and plans to earn Rs 40 billion annually by selling seeds. The central government has provided Rs 135 million to Chhattisgarh government, this year, for developing Jatropha nurseries. Tamil Nadu government has entered into contracts with Mohan Breweries and Distilleries, Shiva Distilleries, Dharani Sugars and Chemicals and Riverway Agro Products for largescale Jatropha plantation in the state. The state government has abolished purchase tax on Jatropha. In Rajasthan Jatropha plantation have been undertaken in Udaipur, Kota, Sikar, Bansara, Chittor and Churu districts. Kerala has also launched a programme for largescale

Jatropha cultivation. From September, this year, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd and the Maharashtra State Farming Corporation will undertake Jatropha plantation on 500 acre land in Nasik and Aurangabad. The State Bank of India has signed a MoU with DI Mohan Bio Oils Ltd to give loans to contracted farmers to the tune of Rs 1.3 billion for Jatropha plantation. ---- ICRISAT - Global research body to promote bio-fuels in India http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Global-research-body-to-promote-biofuels-in-India/213773/ ASHOK B SHARMAPosted online: Saturday , September 01, 2007 at 0246 hrs IST New Delhi, Aug 31 The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has decided to promote bio-fuel revolution in India by empowering the poor. ICRISAT, which one of the affiliated institutes of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR), has developed hybrid sweet sorghum which

can be used as an alternative bio-fuel crop as it has high oil content. Speaking to FE, the ICRISAT director-general, William D Dar said that his organisation has also the responsibility of improving the conditions of dryland farmers of India as it is headquartered in a village close to Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. "We have found out a simple solution to the ongoing debate on fuel versus food. We have developed hybrid sweet sorghum which has more sugar content and has major environmental advantage over corn used

as a bio-fuel crop in US. Sweet sorghum produces grains as well as sugar, so that the poor do not have to choose between food and fuel," said Dar. According to Dar, ICRISAT has also formulated a concept paper—BioPower—which calls for cultivation by small and marginal farmers on wastelands. BioPower means empowering the poor in the chain of bio-fuel production. The produces of the farmers would be marketed by distilleries for extraction of oil. Rusni Distilleries is providing farmers necessary inputs and marketing their produces. Advocating that ICRISAT model for bio-fuel revolution should be adopted in the interests of small farmers, Dar said : "We work with the government inprojects that grant rights to the poor - right to plant and harvest trees on unused wastelands even though they do not own it." He said that ICRISAT was working on Jatropha Curcas and Pongamia Pinnata for growing them on wastelands. -------------------------- Nuclear energy not the only option to arrest climate change, says German expert http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Nuclear-energy-not-the-only-option-to-arrest-climate-change-says-German-expert/214589/ http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=91774#compstory ASHOK B SHARMAPosted online: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 at 1443 hrs IST New Delhi, September 4: Nuclear energy is not the indispensable one for ambitious greenhouse gas emission. Other green options should also be used for ensuring energy security as well as for addressing the problems of climate change, according to a noted German expert on applied ecology, Felix Christian Matthes. Commenting on India’s plan to generate 20,000 MW nuclear energy by 2020 under the recent pact signed with US, Matthes said : “There is no doubt that among other technologies nuclear energy plays a crucial role in abatement of greenhouse gases. But the use of nuclear power has been subjected to much controversy since it was introduced in the energy market, particularly relating to safety and investment.” Matthes is the coordinator of the energy and climate division of the

Berlin-based Institute for Applied Ecology – Oko-InstituteV and has many scientific papers to his credit. According to Matthes on a global scale the nuclear power generation suffered a setback after the Chernobly disaster and other accidents. He said that increasing public resistance to nuclear power in many countries was due to possible accidents, problems of disposal of radioactive wastes, hazards connected with transportation of nuclear materials and possible use of nuclear materials produced in the chain by terrorists and other undesirable elements. He said that some of the associated risks could be addressed by improved nuclear reactors and governments ensuring safety measures. Matthes was recently in India to participate in a seminar on India-US nuclear deal. According to Matthes problem of huge investment is another factor which is responsible for the slow growth of nuclear power worldwide. “Comparatively low prices for fossil fuels and strong improvement in competing power production is another cause,” he said. However, the growing debate on climate change has brought back the need for nuclear power on the agenda, especially after the European Union introduced an emission trading scheme. The emission of carbon dioxide being no longer free of charge, nuclear power has been more and more presented as a key technology portfolio of emission

abatement options, he said. Matthes suggested that all the viable options for generating clean power should be undertaken. Nuclear power generation should be one of the options, provided adequate safety measures are ensured. He advocated that clean technologies for power generation was the need of the hour to save the world from warming and climate change. ---------------------- Water pricing for industries likely to be finalised soon http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Water-pricing-for-industries-likely-to-be-finalised-soon/214486/ ASHOK B SHARMAPosted online: Tuesday , September 04, 2007 at 2355 hrs IST New Delhi, Sep 4 The ministry for water resources is likely to finalise soon the issue of pricing of water for industrial use, which will then be sent for Cabinet approval. Water resources minister Saif-ud-Din

Soz, while expressing concerns over the fast-depleting groundwater table in various parts of the country, called for a restraint on over-exploitation of this resource and encourage its conservation. Addressing mediapersons in the capital on Monday, he said groundwater table had reached critical levels in parts of seven states and Union territories, namely Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. “About 80% of the water is used for irrigation, which is necessary for ensuring food security. But we would suggest more judicious use of water in agriculture. For industrial use, pricing of water is an issue. We have to see how much social and public good is involved in the work of the industries concerned,” the

minister said. He added that 10 states had already enacted legislations to regulate the use of groundwater following the model Bill circulated by the Centre. Nineteen other states and Union territories would flow suit, he said. The 10 states and Union territories which have enacted laws for regulating the use of ground water are – Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep, Kerala, Pondicherry, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Chandigarh. Punjab has expressed its reluctance to regulate the use of ground water Soz, however, said that the northeastern states, namely, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh have said that there was no need for any law to regulate the use of ground water as the region

has high rainfall and adequate availability of surface water. -------------------------------

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