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May 2012 VANA PREMI

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MAY - 2012Vol .13 No. 5

JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED FOREST OFFICERSANDHRA PRADESH

Yearly Subscription - Rs. 200/-

Photo contributed by Sri Sarvotham Rao.

May 2012 VANA PREMI

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1. President : Ex-Officio President of Assn.2. Editor : Qamar Mohd. Khan

Tel : 40121132, 9849233624e-mail : [email protected]

3. Associate Editor : Sardar Iqbal Singh,

Tel : 99898508984. Member : A.H. Qureshi, IFS (Retd.)5. Convenor : Ex-officio Secy.of Assn

VANA PREMI

Vol : 13 No. 5May 2012

Editor : Qamar Mohd. Khan Associate Editor : Sardar Iqbal SinghThe Association of Retired Forest Officers,

Andhra Pradesh(Regd. No. 557/1990)President : Sri. S.D. Mukherji, I.F.S. (Retd.)

Tel : 23551065, 9885236493Vice President : Sri. Krishna Bhoopal Rao, I.F.S. (Retd.)

Tel : 23743774, 9866307808Secretary : Sri K. Santokh Singh, I.F.S. (Retd.)

Tel : 27962929, 9848808101Jt. Secretary : Sri. P. Upender Reddy, Dy. C.F.(Retd.)Cum Treasurer Tel. 23342582, 9848754778

Editoriral Board

Contents

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Excutive committee members1. Sri C. Subba Rao, I.F.S. (Retd.), 9848018796

2. Sri Sultan Mohiuddin, I.F.S.(Retd.), 9440057333

3. Sri M. Padmanabha Reddy, I.F.S. (Retd.), 9849269105

4. Sri J.V. Subba Rao, 9848486146

5. Sri A. V. Govinda Rajulu, 9440764611

Totla pages 48

1. Editorial ..................... QMK 2

2. My days at Ishgaon Rehabilitation

Project ....................... S.D. Mukherji 5

3. Forest Conservation- Coal Mining –

Looking forward -Environmentally.

................Surendra Pande 13

4. "Sharma's Hell"... A comment

......... Dr. B. Raghotham Rao Desai 17

5. A Billion Trees for His Efforts 20

6. Himachal Pradesh - An Abode of Me

dicinal Plants .........V.V. Hari Prasad 23

7. Guess Who Calls lodhi Gardens

A Forest? ................... 27

8. Birthday Greetings ... S.S.S 31

9. Advantages of Blood Donation 32

10. Invitation ................... Secretary 33

11. Why Indians are Stressed

and Unhealthy ........... 34

11. Did You Know? ......... 37

12. News and Notes ....... 38

13. India's Most Powerful

Business Women...... 45

14. Legal Notes ............... K.B.R. 46

15. 63rd General Body Meeting 47

16. Burns ......................... 48

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Forests in Private sector:- Subah Hoti Hai

Sham Hotihai: Yun Hi Umar Khatam (Tamam)

Hoti Hai.

Are we conscious of changes happening on our

planet? Perhaps ‘no’; at least to the level we

should. The changes are real and substantial.

There appears to be a sort of indifference if not

callousness in our reaction/response to these

changes of far reaching consequences. If only we

care to know, the simplest which cannot miss

attention is that the rainfall is erratic and there is

perceptible change in rainfall pattern.

Temperatures are rising and there are alarming

reports of ice melting in eternal snow zone.

Glaciers are becoming thinner and avalanches

more frequent. There is perceptible decrease in

rainfall. Ozone layer, the shield which protects

the earth from the hazards of outer space is

getting punctured. Sea levels are rising and

island nations are in constant threat of being

swamped by oceans. Earth quakes are becoming

common and tsunamis, not known to people

earlier, are feared at the slightest tremors in

aquatic regions. Recently there was an earth

quake at Delhi twice, and on 14th of March a

severe earth quake took place in Japan. There

was severe earth quake in Indonesia on 11th of

this month and it measured 8.6 on Richter's scale,

this continued even to our country and there

were tremors on the east coast. Tsunami warning

was given in 28 countries, but luckily it was

withdrawn after it weakend. Again there was

strong earthquake struck off the coast of Mexico

on Thursday, (12-4-2012) waking up residents

EDITORIALliving near the Gulf of California, only hours after

a separate temblor swayed tall buildings in

Mexico City, causing evacuations. Some time

ago, Mohammed Nasheed, former President of

Maldives, held his cabinet meeting under sea

water to attract world attention to the perils of

global warming. There is the famous Sun Temple

in Arsavalli village in Srikakulam district of

Andhra Pradesh and it has been observed for

times immemorial that the sun rays touch the

feet of the Presiding Deity (the Lord) on 9th, 10th,

and 11th of March every year. But surprisingly it

did not happen this year on all the three days

and everyone was alarmed. It makes us believe

that it could be due to change in the position of

our planet. Till few decades ago these extreme

climatic features and their regular occurrences

were unknown to human beings. Human

population was low, and forests were found

everywhere. Agricultural yield per unit area was

fairly good even with primitive farming

methods?

Forest Department was established in our

country about 150 years ago. Earlier to that, as

already stated, the population was less and so

also the area under agriculture. Rest of the land

area was under tree growth. Noble Souls in the

middle of nineteenth century foresaw the need

to protect and manage these woodlands on

scientific basis and thus was the Forest

Department brought into existence. Forests

being one of the most important components

of the environment, they formed environmental

asset and had been playing their role to maintain

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good environment in the past. Uncontrolled

increase in the population and attendant

manifestations had drastically altered the

balance resulting in degradation and even

decrease in forests. Added to it, we have further

polluted our planet by burning fossil fuels.

Burning of fossil fuels, like oil, coal, and natural

gas is adding CO2 to the atmosphere. The current

level is the highest. Unfortunately, India, earned

the dubious distinction of being among the first

five worst polluters on the globe.

As per the national Forest policy, “the goal should

be to have a minimum of one-third of the total

land area of the country under forest or tree cover.

In the hills and in mountainous regions, the aim

should be to maintain two-thirds of the area

under such cover in order to prevent erosion and

land degradation and to ensure the stability of

the fragile eco-system”.

Total geographical area of India is 32, 80,500 sq.

km, out of this we should have minimum of 10,

93,500 Sq. km of land under forest, as per the

national forest policy, but we are having only 7,

50,500. Sq. km area, under forests, which works

out to only 22.87%. Even this figure does not

hold good as lakhs and lakhs of Sq. Kms. of forest

areas were given away for various purposes

including to the beneficiaries of “The Scheduled

Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers

(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006”. All the

developed countries have got more than 60% of

the total area under forest mostly under private

forests.

Per capita area of forest in India is only 0.11

Hectare which is perhaps the lowest in the world.

We are losing our forests every day and there is

no hope of increasing the area under forests of

our country under public sector. Awareness

deficit among ruling elite is huge that despite

their high moral ground in public in favour of

environment, they appear to feel; why should

we have forests? Why should we not bring this

forest area also under Agriculture? Why save or

protect Forests? Can’t we live without forests?

They refuse to believe the importance of forests.

They do not appear to have faith in facts like if

there are no forests there will be no oxygen, if

there are no forests there will be more carbon

dioxide, if there are no forest there will be no

water, and if there are no forests, there will be

more human and animal conflicts. Human beings

will not be able to live on this planet if there is

no forest. This is the reason why we should have

forests.

Days have changed, rainfall has reduced, rivers

and tanks have dried up, water table has gone

down and yield in the agricultural lands has

drastically reduced. This has happened

exclusively due to our negligence. Agriculturists

are committing suicides as they are not able to

pay back the loans taken from money lenders

and banks due to failure of monsoon and low

yields. With changing times we also have to

change. Instead of totally depending on

agricultural crops which are profitable only with

irrigation, it is necessary to go for alternative

options of planting forest species like teak,

Bamboo, and sandalwood in our dry lands. This

does not require irrigation and will give very

good returns after few years. This may be taken

up in our agricultural lands, either on periphery

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or in the entire land. If it is taken up on the

periphery, in addition to the agricultural crop

yield, owners of land will also get additional

income from teak, bamboo sandal wood and

many other forest species. This will not only give

additional income to the agriculturists, which will

be of great help to him but also improves the

environment. This was earlier also brought to

notice of readers through these columns in the

Editorial of February 2010. India has got

1,9,84,702 Sq. kms. of agricultural land and if only

1% of the area is brought under forest

plantations we will have 19,847 Sq. Kms. i.e. 19,

84,700 Hectares which will be a very positive

step towards improving our environment.

Alphabetically Andhra Pradesh is the first state

in the list of states of our country (Andaman is a

union territory and not a state) and should take

this up ahead of all the other states of our country

and should also become number one in the list

of areas of private forests in any state. Let the

Government and Forest Department of our state

take up this task and start bringing awareness

among our agriculturists about planting, and

maintaining of plantations, felling and marketing

of the forest species in agricultural fields of our

agriculturists to bring prosperity to them. These

Teak stumps, Bamboo rhizomes or other

seedlings of other species may be given free of

cost to the agriculturists, initially to attract them,

and if tissue cultured or clonel seedlings are

given, this will improve their profits and greatly

help them. The department should not leave it

here only but should guide them regarding

planting and maintenance, for at least two years.

Bamboo will start yielding from the 6th or 7th year,

and teak and Sandal will start yielding from 15th

or 16th year. By protecting nature, we can

improve people’s lives and provide solutions for

a changing planet.

Alphabetically Andhra Pradesh is the first state

in the list of states of our country (Andaman is a

union territory and not a state) and should take

up this ahead of all the states of our country and

should also become number one in the list of

private forests in any state. Let the Government

and Forest Department of our state bring

awareness to our agriculturists about planting,

maintaining of the plantations, felling and

marketing of the forest species in agricultural

fields to bring prosperity to them. The planting

stock, like stumps, rhizomes, or seedlings may

be, given free of cost to the agriculturists, initially

to attract them and if tissue cultured or colonel

seedlings are given this will improve their

profits and greatly help them. The department

should not leave it here but should guide them

regarding planting and maintenance at least for

two years. Bamboo will start yielding from 6th or

7th years, and teak and Sandal will start yielding

from 15th or 16th year. By protecting nature, we

can improve people’s lives and provide

solutions for a changing planet.

All the retired foresters if they happen to visit

villages can popularise the idea among

agriculturists and advise them to plant forest

species in their fields either on the periphery or

in the entire area of their lands to change their

living conditions and to alleviate poverty.

Jahan Hai Haryali - Wahan Hai Khush hali.

QMK.

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August 1947 is the year of independence for

India and Pakistan. We all rejoiced on achieving

independence-liberation from over century old

colonial rule- after prolonged struggle. However,

there were many who suddenly found their

existence threatened rather than liberation. To

their surprise they became aliens in places

where they were born and brought up. They

found themselves in a wrong place, surrounded

by old friends who had turned foes because of

the partition. There was no place for those who

now belonged to other side of the line drawn

between India and Pakistan. Communal riots

broke out in different parts of India and Pakistan.

These riots resulted in brutal killings. To save

their lives, a huge number of Muslims migrated

from India to Pakistan and Hindus from Pakistan

to India. However, even after the migration,

almost half of the Muslims living in the Sub-

continent were left in India and a sizeable

number of Hindus in Pakistan. Those who were

left behind were unable to become an integral

part of the societies they were destined to live.

The people and government looked upon them

as suspects. They were unable to assure the

government and the countrymen of their loyalty.

MY DAYS AT ISHGAONREHABILITATION PROJECT

ByS.D.Mukherji

2. The Hindus in East Pakistan were in a situation

where they were treated aliens in their own birth

place. The government of Pakistan, mostly ruled

by military Generals from West Pakistan, always

suspected the Hindus of East Pakistan. The

Hindus in East Pakistan, mostly Bengali speaking,

failed to become integral part of Pakistan and

were subjected to ill treatment. They tolerated

the atrocities as long as their life and honor was

not threatened. They migrated to West Bengal

for the safety and security of their families. There

were waves of migration in 1962 and 1964 and

even subsequently. Those who crossed over to

West Bengal during the freedom movement of

Bangladesh went back but the families that had

migrated earlier had no chance to return. The

congress government in West Bengal led by

Bidhan Chandra Roy had approached the Central

government for the rehabilitation of the

migrants in other States as West Bengal was

unable to look after such a large number of

families, estimated about 2.3 lakh, which had

migrated. However, the opposition party, CPI (M),

had objected to shifting the migrants to other

States and demanded their rehabilitation in West

Bengal. Government of India had accepted the

request of the West Bengal government and

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distributed the migrant families in different

States of India. Accordingly, 2000 families were

sent to Andhra Pradesh (AP) for permanent

rehabilitation.

3. Migrants allotted to AP were first kept at Mana

camp in Madhya Pradesh. Some other families

were brought to Nagarjunsagar Project. In the

meantime about 10,000 acres of forestland at

Ishgaon forest block was disreserved and

allotted for the rehabilitation purpose. Ishgaon

Rehabilitation Project Office was established

near Sirpur Kaghaznagar. The migrants started

arriving at Ishgaon project from 1970. Majority

of these families were from district Khulna. The

migrants had come from a place with rivers and

water bodies all around. They had the freedom

to swim and catch fish. In contrast Ishgaon

project greeted them with dry sandy lands with

not even a perennial stream. Initially they were

kept in the transit camp and given dole,

subsistence allowance, for survival till the land

were reclaimed and measures for permanent

rehabilitation commenced. The migrants had to

work at Ishgaon project in the scorching sun. The

summer temperature would touch 50 degrees

Celsius. The whole environment was totally alien

for the families coming from distant place. On

the top of it there was complete absence of

communication between the migrants and the

project administrators. The migrants could

speak only Bengali and did not understand

Telugu, Hindi or English. Hence no

communication existed between the migrants

and project officers. The migrants suspected

leakages in the delivery system and looked every

disbursement with suspicion. There was running

feud between the migrants and officers and at

times it escalated to strikes and ‘dharnas’. The

project administrators were fed up with the

belligerent attitude of the migrants. There were

occasions when the trouble shooters were

locked in the police station, established in the

project. The whole atmosphere was vitiated and

working against the process of rehabilitation. It

was a worrying matter for the State and Central

government. In order to deal with this situation,

government started looking for a suitable Project

officer, preferably Bengali knowing, who could

communicate with the migrants and carry out

the rehabilitation programme smoothly.

Unfortunately, the government did not find a

suitable officer in the revenue department.

Finally, the choice fell on me as I was a Bengali

and could communicate with the migrants

although without any experience in such a

programme.

4. It was the year 1975. I was working in the

Preinvestment Survey of Forest Resources under

the Ministry of Agriculture, government of India

since 1969, with head quarter at Shimla. I was

sent to Bhutan in the year 1974 to establish the

Preinvestment Survey of Forest Resources office

by 15th August 1974 as a part of a package agreed

between the government of India and Bhutan,

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to survey their forests and make proposals for

the establishment of wood based industries. I

was enjoying the challenge of the new

assignment when suddenly the news of my

transfer came in the month of June 1975. I was

soon relieved as there was pressure from AP

State for early relief. I reported for duty at the

Ishgaon Rehabilitation office on 1st August 1975.

5. There was a small but comfortable house for

me to live with my family- wife, daughter of 4

years and 1 year old son- close to the project

office near Sirpur Kaghznagar town. The project

area was about 7 kilometers away from the office.

When I joined the project, 10 villages were

formed and about 100 families were shifted to

each village in temporary accommodation.

There were still families in the transit camps and

some more were to arrive. My first visit to the

village was on a rainy morning. After going

around the village and exchanging greetings

with the waiting men and women, I entered a

house. Water was dripping from the roof of the

house. A lady with a baby embraced in her

bosom was standing in a corner, trying to save

the baby from the falling water drops. There was

another elderly widow standing in her soiled

white sari. Her eyes were telling the hidden pain

accumulated from years of torture and neglect.

The elderly lady looked at my face and spoke

softly in Bengali: “Sir, please listen to me. So far

nobody has ever heard us here. We have

completely failed to communicate with the

project authorities even after attempting several

times. Whenever we went near to the officers to

convey our grievances we were driven away as

if we are untouchables. We do not mind if you

cannot do what we want. At least allow me to

speak and listen to us.” She narrated the

difficulties faced to make the both ends meet as

the available assistance was grossly inadequate.”

I assured her for a better tomorrow and

requested to give me some time. I told the

villagers to feel free to speak to me and convey

their problems. This was my first experience in

life to witness the human tragedy brought by

the independence for which we feel proud.

6. Every day streams of refugees used to walk to

the office with all sorts of problems. They had

found new hope as they were able to convey

their feelings in their own language. I had to

spend good deal of time moving from village to

village, check the progress of work, give a patient

hearing to what they say while assuring for an

early solution to their problems. We had to

obtain sanction for different works from the

collector office at Adilabad, 180 km away. At

times the delay in sanction was creating

problem to carry out various works of urgency.

However, soon government issued order placing

me directly under the administrative control of

the Commissioner for Rehabilitation and Ex-

Officio Secretary to government of Andhra

Pradesh, Hyderabad. Mr.Qureshi IAS was the

Commissioner. When I met him and briefed

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about the project, he assured me all possible

help and gave free hand to run the project. This

facilitated faster approvals and decision making

as routing the file through Collector Adilabad

was causing administrative delays.

7. There were multifarious tasks for the

rehabilitation of migrant families, who had come

with empty hand leaving everything behind in

Bangladesh. Government had placed different

offices under the project to attend to different

works. There was a land reclamation unit with

heavy machinery for the clearance of wild

growth, uprooting stumps and land leveling.

There was an Assistant Director of Agriculture

with supporting staff for land improvement,

procurement of seed and other inputs to enable

the migrants to start cultivation and grow food

for them. There was an Assistant Director of

Survey and Land Records with half a dozen

surveyors for preparation of Land records for

grant of pattas to each family. There was a

Veterinary Surgeon with staff to procure plough

bullocks and look after the health of cattle

population. There was a doctor with nursing staff

to attend to medical problems but most of time

the show was managed by the nursing staff.

There was an Assistant Engineer with

supervisors for Road and Building works.

Rehabilitation package for each family included

a house plot of 0.3 acres with a well, a dwelling

house, 5 acres of dry land for cultivation,

agriculture implements along with necessary

inputs for cultivation, a pair of plough bullocks,

a school in each village, roads connecting the

villages, drinking water by sinking bore wells and

all other necessities to provide sustainable

livelihood.

8. It took about 6 months for me to get a grip on

the project activities. By this time people had

also gathered some faith in the project

administration. There was urgency to provide

regular wage employment to the families as the

dole given was insufficient to meet all the

requirements of a family. Many of the young men

and women were engaged in selling firewood

and charcoal in Kaghaznagar market, braving the

risk of being caught by the Forest Guard. We

succeeded in getting allotment of wheat to start

food for work programme. Migrants were

engaged to work on the fields for bunding and

leveling the reclaimed lands. They were

permitted to sell wheat in the market in

exchange of rice. Additional land was required

as land at Ishgaon was not sufficient for all

families. About 2500 acres of forestland was

disreserved in Bapur-Gangapur forest block

near Koutala, about 50 km away from Ishgaon.

This land was to be reclaimed as it had thick

vegetation. Along with the earth moving

machinery some families were sent to Bapur-

Gangapur area to assist in land reclamation

work. Nobody was prepared to stay in the forests

as they faced poisonous snakes and scorpions

while clearing the forestland. Moreover, there

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was no township nearby to sell firewood and

earn some extra money. After lot of persuasion

some families agreed to go and work by rotation.

In the meantime three more villages were

formed at Ishgaon and some more families were

shifted from the transit camp. Shifting the

families to villages was the first step in the

process of rehabilitation. Two more villages were

formed at Bapur-Gangapur and some more

families were shifted against their wishes. By the

end of 1976 there was lot of progress in

allotment of house plots, land reclamation,

survey and preparation of land records,

procurement of bullocks and running the

schools. Special permission was obtained from

the government to appoint Bengali qualified

boys among the migrants as teachers so that

there is no communication problem. This

provided jobs to a good number of educated

Bengali boys. 13 villages in Ishgaon and 2

villages in Bapur-Gangapur were established.

The villages in Ishgaon were named Nazrul

Nagar, after Nazrul Islam, a famous Bengali poet.

Bapur-Gangapur villages were named Ravindra

Palli, after Ravindra Nath Tagore. By the way my

son was also named Ravi and villagers preferred

this name although some objected to Nazrul

Nagar.

9. Two small dams were constructed at Ishgaon,

named Upper and Lower dam. This provided

about 1500 acres of low land that could get

water and be used for paddy cultivation. Rain

water compounded in the dams was used to

grow fish by releasing fingerlings during the

rains. To improve water for irrigation about 10

deep bore wells were drilled successfully and

fitted with submersible pumps. This

development was pleasing surprise to the

families who had lost all hopes of successful

rehabilitation. As most of the families belonged

no ‘namasudra’ community, equivalent to

Scheduled caste, I was authorized to issue the

caste certificate. It helped number of educated

men and women to get employment in

government departments. A large number of

men had found employment in Kaghaznagar

paper mill and Sirsilk factory at Kaghaznagar. Thus,

gradually there was some improvement in

employment and consequent financial

condition of the migrant families but still lot of

work was to be attended.

10. By early 1977 all families were sent to the

villages from the transit camps. Land distribution

to individuals with patta certificate was

completed. One acre of wet land under the dam

was taken equivalent to two acres of dry land.

There was heavy demand for this land. Entire

distribution of land was done by drawing lots in

presence of the villagers to avoid any complaint

and it was completed peacefully. The digging of

open wells in the homestead plots was

successfully completed. The wells had sufficient

water and he villagers had started growing

May 2012 VANA PREMI

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vegetables in their homestead plots. They were

able to meet their family requirement and find

surplus to sell in the market. A market was

established at Ishgaon where shops were

constructed and allotted to families choosing to

take up business as against agriculture land.

There was some semblance of progress in the

positive direction. Soon the migrants were

registered as Indian citizen and voter identity

card was provided. The villagers were able to

cast their vote in 1977 election in AP. However,

State election in West Bengal brought the Left

Front government in power and it opened a new

problem in the rehabilitation process.]

11. The migrant leaders in all the rehabilitation

centers in India were in constant touch with the

political development in West Bengal. The

establishment of Left Front government in West

Bengal had revived the hopes of the migrants to

go back to West Bengal as was promised by the

left parties of West Bengal (see para 2) when they

were in opposition. In early 1978, when I was

away from the project, Mr.Ram Chatterjee, a CPM

political leader in West Bengal, visited Ishgaon

project and held a public meeting at night. He

assured the migrants for a sympathetic

treatment if they come to West Bengal. There

were many families who had not reconciled to

the new environment that was thrust on them.

This new political development gave renewed

hope to return to Bengal. The migrants were in

regular touch with their counter parts in the

States of Maharashtra (Chandrapur), Orissa

(Malkangiri), Madhya Pradesh, Mysore, Uttar

Pradesh and other places and planning to go to

West Bengal. Soon the news of migrant families

departing to West Bengal from other centers

started floating. There were regular meetings in

the villages to finalize the departure strategy. By

mid-March 1978 the situation had gone out of

control. The Bengali newspaper was covering

the whole movement. An island called

“Marichjhapi” in Sunderban area of West Bengal

was identified where the migrants were given

indication of finding land for rehabilitation. By

this time the migrants had known me well and

respected my words. I tried my best to convince

them that it would be impossible for any

government to rehabilitate so many families.

However, the lure of going back to familiar

environment, close to the place where from they

had come, was much stronger than any advice.

They were prepared to take any risk to go back

to ‘Sonar Bangla’, golden Bengal. They felt 1 acre

of land in Bengal was better than 5 acres in AP. In

spite of all the efforts made by me fifty percent

families left the project. Desertions from other

places were much higher. The State and Central

Government was kept aware of the

developments. They sold all the saleable

belongings- including the bullocks, roof tin

sheets, agriculture implements, etc. and

boarded the trains bound for Howrah in groups.

The government of West Bengal stopped the

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trains’ enroute and all the families were forcibly

detained at various stations in West Bengal

before reaching Howrah station and advised to

return. The migrants were in no mood to return.

They waited and took different routes to reach

their destination. The migrants were subjected

to untold hardship to reach ‘Marichjhapi’ camp

set up by some leaders. The unhygienic

condition in the camp and scarcity of sweet

water resulted in spread of diarrhea and cholera

to which young children and older people

succumbed. The State government took a firm

decision and evicted all families from Sunderban

area and finally they were sent back by August/

September 1978. The return of families was

informed by telegram received from Delhi

indicating the train and number of families

returning on different dates. The families were

received and kept in the transit camp as there

was no shelter left in the villages from where

they had gone. Medical checkup was done for

all the returnees and treatment was arranged as

most of them had turned into skeletons. Fresh

rehabilitation package was announced by the

Central government to put the families back in

the villages.

12. After about a month the deserted families

were sent to their respective villages. The

families who had stayed back had surely

benefited but they felt cheated when fresh pair

of bullock was sanctioned to the deserters but

the same was not extended to those who had

lost their bullocks because of natural deaths or

other reasons. The desertion had put a reverse

gear to the process of rehabilitation. It was

resumed with all the energy. It may not be

correct to blame the migrants as their aspiration

was kindled by the ruling political leaders of

West Bengal. However, this experience was a

lesson for the migrants to forget the aspiration

of their return to West Bengal. They were now

reconciled to accept the rehabilitation that was

available. The villagers were given sanction for

the construction of house. A novel method of

brick preparation at the village site was adopted

by mixing soil with coal ash freely available from

the paper mills. Iron sheets from Chandrapur

rehabilitation center was procured at very cheap

rate as it was from the dismantled transit camps.

Similarly, wooden poles were purchased from

the forest department in public auction and it

was much cheaper than the market rate. The

villagers were permitted to build their houses

without confining to any fixed size. Most of the

villagers added their own hard earned money

and made a much better dwelling house than

what government sanctioned amount could

provide. Except the supply of bullocks most of

the item sanctioned was supplied. The families

were preparing their lands for the coming rains.

13. The procurement of bullocks for about 1000

families got into a controversy as the then

minister was interested to give to a contractor.

May 2012 VANA PREMI

12

Government had announced a rate of Rs 15,000

for a pair of bullock. A committee of migrants

with the veterinary surgeon was formed to select

the bullocks in the cattle market before they

are transported to villages for distribution and

release of payments. It was not agreeable to the

contractor. He started transporting the bullocks

by trucks before it was approved by the

committee. We rejected the supplies and did

not make the payments for about 40 pair of

bullocks brought by the contractor. In the

absence of aftercare the animals started dying.

The contractor complained to the minister and

wanted to pressurize me to accept the bullocks

and release payments. As I did not agree the

pressure was building from the Minister side in

favor of the contractor. I requested the

Commissioner, Sri B.R.K.Sastry IAS, to repatriate

me as the CCF (Sri P.S.Rao) was writing to

government repeatedly for my repatriation. I left

the project in June 1979. On the day of my

departure all the families had assembled to bid

farewell. They spoke of the change witnessed

after my arrival and wanted me not to leave

them. Their words saddened me. I could not stop

the drops of tears that rolled on my cheeks. I do

not know when this deep bondage was

developed. I wished them a better tomorrow

and took leave from the assembled families.

14. I am happy to report that the Bengali families

kept regular contact with me wherever I was

posted. I was posted as Conservator of Forests

Adilabad Circle in 1985 and visited the villages

when a rousing reception had welcomed me.

When Joint Forest Management was started in

AP I had approached the Ishgaon villages and

they had formed VSS and did very well. I am

proud to place on record that today Ishgaon

project villages are the most progressive

villages in the region. They have done very well

in improving the land and get good crop yield,

highest in the region. Some of the teachers have

become headmasters/principals. The children

of migrants are well educated and some are

working in IT Companies on responsible

position. Some have become successful civil

contractors. Many have joined the Indian army.

There are more than 20 cars in the villages.

Almost every house has a motor bike. Some have

purchased additional lands. Some have built

spacious houses in Kaghaznagar town. There are

many who have done very well in the business.

Ishgaon market is now a bussing business center.

Some have air-conditioned houses. Many are

financially better off than me. Some have joined

politics and were elected as Sarpanch. They have

a strong vote bank of more than 10,000 and

hence local politicians try to keep them on their

right side. Two months back I had spent three

days in project villages. I was overwhelmed by

the hospitality shown to me. I am sure the

Bengali families will do still better in the future.

I have no hesitation to say that days spent in the

project were the best days in my working life. I

wish a better future to them.

May 2012 VANA PREMI

13

Abstract:-Sustained economic development

and alleviation of poverty among the masses

can go hand to hand when the efforts are based

on environmentally sound principles. Mining is

no exception, it requires concerted efforts to

survey, explore, develop and exploit mineral

wealth in a eco-friendly and scientific manner.

In India the installed power generation capacity

is about 1, 47,000 MW but due to its population

increase, the per capita power consumption still

remains one of the lowest in the world. The

country is making great strides in enhancing the

power generation capacity. Nearly 75% of India’s

total installed power generation capacity is

thermal, of which coal based generation is nearly

90 percent. To meet the target of electricity

generation more and more coal is going to be

mined. The long term aim of economic

sustainability can be achieved only when

development is ecologically sustainable.

Habitat loss, fragmentation, soil erosion,

reduction in eco-system functions, pollution of

water and rivers are some of the manifestations

of the mining, if not taken required care in

improving the environment.

The State of Environment Report 2009 also

acknowledges that, though power generation

increased, over 600 million people have no

access to electricity. India contributes only ~5%

FOREST CONSERVATION- COAL MINING –LOOKING FORWARD -ENVIRONMENTALLY.

global CO2 emissions @ 1.2T/capita/annum. It

also means that in near future Coal mining is

going to continue f or thermal power

generation.

Introduction:-India is the world’s 6th largest

energy consumer and demand for energy, is

growing at an average of 3.6% per annum over

the past 30 years. The installed power

generation capacity is 147000 MW while per

capita consumption remains at 612 kWH. The

total demand for electricity is expected to cross

950,000MW by 2030.

About 75% of the electric consumed is

generated by thermal power plants. More than

50% of commercial energy demand is met

through Coal. Coal shortage continues to haunt

power producers as such new and new coal

mining areas are proposed besides import. This

will put additional pollution load on the

environment if not taken proper care. Coal

whether imported or mined in the country on

burning will generate emissions which are

required to be taken care by Clean

Development Mechanism.

The long term aim of economic sustain ability

can be achieved only when development is

ecologically sustainable. Development

dependent on uncontrolled consumerism may

BySurendra Pande

May 2012 VANA PREMI

14

not long indefinitely without creating adverse

impacts.

During last few years issue of Climate change

has been at the top of the environmental

agenda. The world is now experiencing effect of

Climate Change and efforts are being made at

Global level to optimize or minimize emissions

activities. There is need to act on things which

are in our control and where we can make some

change. Our future generations have to also

survive preferably in better environment than

we are living with and we have to give evidence

to this effect.

Coal is the only natural resource and fossil fuel

available in abundance in India. Consequently,

it is used widely as a thermal energy source.

Mining as an industry is having positive as well

as negative impact. Coal and certain other major

minerals being site specific are usually found in

forest areas or areas near to forests. Any mining

activity, more particularly mining of any major

mineral where soil has to be removed, is having

its adverse impact on the flora and fauna and

watershed of the area as well as adjoining areas.

Mining whether carried out inside forest areas

or outside, adverse impacts are more or less

same except the magnitude of effects on the

forest growth, Wild life, and bio-diversity.

The fauna is forced to accommodate its

movement into reduced extant of area. Soil

erosion from the mining activities is directly

causing adverse impact on the streams/river

support systems and biodiversity. Noise and air

pollution are other parameters which have to

be remediated. Every user agency while

applying for mining permission, submit report

on Environmental Impact Assessment. In some

of the cases the required quantification of the

impacts are lacking. Identifying the range of

potential pollution sources and their

quantification will go a long way in improving

the environment. Mining, involving major

minerals create great changes to the landscape.

There shall be sound deflecting bunds or sound

barrier walls or dense plantations but hardly

these are followed.

Suggestions for considerations:-No doubt,

loss of natural forests eco-system cannot be

compensated. However, adapting of different

approaches for mitigating impact on the eco-

system arising from mining may help the area

during mining as well as post mining lease plan.

Both long term and short term strategies may

work for reducing the adverse impact of mining

on the eco-system. Certain measures if

stipulated in the Forestry/ Environmental

clearances may help in mitigating and reducing

the impact of mining on adjoining forests and

wildlife.

1. In the field of survey and exploration

faster methods may be found out and opted. The

machinery of drilling to be kept in forest area

for minimum period to avoid disturbances to

wildlife.

2. First attempt is to have, complete

May 2012 VANA PREMI

15

description as for as possible of the different

fauna and flora belonging to given eco-system

of the area proposed for diversion for mining,

instead of mere replication of some major flora

and fauna from the Working Plans. Agencies of

repute viz ICFRE & WII may be involved by the

user agencies for species inventories and

mapping of localization for various species so

that future monitoring in post mining scenario

will be easy and accordingly mitigation

measures to be adopted. In EIA emphasis to be

on quantification of impacts and re-mediation

measures.

3. At present, as per provisions under Para

4.7 (ii) under FC (Act) Safety zone area

calculation in the proposal is taken only up to

7.5. Meters strip all along the outer boundary

of the mining lease area. Taking up of plantations

in this area is of little precious value compared

to large scale landscape changes take place after

mining starts in the area. The user agency may

be asked to take up afforestation at least in 100

Meter radius (if the adjoining land is forest and

density is lesser than 0.4) and maintain it till the

life of the Project. It will work as noise breaks,

control soil erosion, add to landscape value and

provide buffer zone to the fauna and flora.

The Singareni Colleries Company, Andhra

Pradesh has adopted this measure and it is

showing good results. The Compensatory

Afforestation taken elsewhere away from the

Project site is of little help in minimizing impact

of mining in the impact zone of the project.

4. User agencies may be advised to take

up or promote plantation (Agro/ Farm Forestry)

on farmers/private land adjoining to the

mining lease at least to the extent of forest area

diverted for mining. This will have positive

influence on the people in improving their

economic status as well as improving

landscape.

5. In underground mining, the user agency

does not have any right to use the surface area.

However, once mining starts in the area, the

biotic interference due to increased population

in and around the Project site and continuous

movement of the vehicles involved in transport

of excavated minerals, day and night, is definitely

causing biotic disturbances. In underground

mining there is involvement of more number of

people which changes the scenario of the

adjoining areas by adding biotic pressure. This

can be reduced if the user agency is asked to

take up afforestation on the surface land (of

underground lease area), if the density of the

growth is less than 0.4 and maintain it till the

life of the Project.

This will help to reduce the indirect impact of

mining on the adjoining eco-system. Similarly

user agency may also be asked to raise multi-

linier plantations along the road through which

transport of mined mineral takes place.

6. User agency may be asked to take up

de-silting of forests/village tanks if situated

within buffer zone from the Project site

whenever it is found that there is increased

May 2012 VANA PREMI

16

siltation in these tanks due to inflow of soil from

the project site.

7. NPV being collected to be utilized in

order of priority, starting from the areas

adjoining to the areas diverted. Once areas

in that particular Forest Beat /Range (where forest

land is diverted) are saturated then only other

areas may be considered for utilization of NPV.

8. A Habitat Improvement Plan as

prepared by the forest department for the areas

having good number of wildlife will help in

protection and conservation of wildlife. The user

agency shall extend suitable financial help for

the implementation of the Plan and amount to

be deposited directly with the concerned

Divisional Forest Officer for timely operations.

9. All the above stipulations (if become

part of the mining plan ) may not cost more than

Rs.30/MT, but will help in protecting invaluable

fauna and flora, at the same time helping in

development process of the country without

affecting adversely on mining needs

10. Concept of Eco-Forestry shall be

followed in the areas being reclaimed, instead

of economic forestry

11. The over burdens (in open cast mining)

being created and simultaneously afforested are

going to be there on surface for at least 30 to 40

years. By the time the planted species as well as

natural succession will establish suitable

stocking in the area. As on now, as per

stipulations, practice is there to remove this soil

once again for refilling the quarry pit created for

mining. If this rehabilitated over burden is

allowed to be there permanently instead of

backfilling, this will help in controlling soil

erosion, burning of diesel, wear and tear of

vehicles, plantations raised and over all national

wastage. The Pits being created may be allowed

to be filled with water (after diverting the

streams on case basis) which can be utilized for

irrigation.

12. The shale material coming out of

underground mining shall be stowed or

deposited at suitable place particularly in

streams (with the permission of the Forest

Department) to work as check dams instead of

scattered approach.

13. In some of the cases, huge quantity of

water that is pumped out during mining is

simply drained out in the natural water courses

without utilizing it. This water can be used in

improving the habitat of the area by developing

suitable plan by the forest department. It will

help in wildlife conservation.

Conclusion:-Owing to increasing demand of

power generation, the volume of coal

requirement is foreseen to be increasingly

higher in the coming years. There is need to

adopt environment friendly technologies so that

the impact can be minimized. The suggested

measures may help the area at local levels. The

measures suggested are economical and

practical.

May 2012 VANA PREMI

17

Initially, Vana Premi started as an in-house journal

of the Association of Retired Forest Officers, AP.

Thereafter it has thus far travelled quite a

distance during its decade-and-a-quarter period

of existence. Copies of the journal reach

thousands of its subscribers promptly every

month, with unbelievable regularity, having

become more and more popular with time,

among the forest fraternity, with its ever-

improving get up and eminently readable

material. When people with power and finances

find it difficult to run the magazines with success,

and are forced to close the publications

unceremoniously, Vana Premi stands out as a

shining example of dedication and commitment

of the persons behind the effort, notably when

they are retired and old. Incidentally, I happen

to know the three prominent motivators, T

Narayan Swamy, K Buchiram Reddy and Jayanthi

Venkateshwar Sharma since my student days, all

of them also being ‘Osmanians’ and ‘SFRCians’,

while retiring contemporarily from Indian Forest

Service as well. Sri Qamar Mohammed Khan who

had since taken over as Editor has improved the

profile of Vana Premi very significantly, making

it that much more attractive, catering to the

tastes of heterogeneous clientele. As for its

contents, it has become by now a habit for me

“SHARMA’S HELL” ... A COMMENTBy

Dr. B. Raghotham Rao Desai

and scores of other discernible readers to

eagerly look for Sri J V Sharma’s articles the

moment copies reach the respective

subscribers, and exchange our views over phone

or in person.

True to my habit, when I opened the July 2011

issue of Vana Premi, I was more than surprised to

see the caption “Sharma in the Hell” and

mercifully, it was in the name of Sharma himself!

Curiosity compelled me to go through it, and

my first impression was that the article is so

different from what he normally doles out with

his prolific pen. It was indeed so absorbing that

I could not put it down even for a while. After an

hour or so I read it again and I thought I found

something new. Then I read it again after

sometime to see more in it. I read it again and

again afterwards over a period of time, finding it

more and more enjoyable, as I went on getting

interesting insights differently. Not satisfied with

it, a few of us in Bangalore debated over it in at

great extent. I am of the view that the article

honestly reflects the mind and personality of the

author, despite his assertion that it is “Fiction”.

Sri Sharma’s love and commitment to the forests

and the cause of forests needs no special

mention. His articles on forests and allied

May 2012 VANA PREMI

18

matters published in Vana Premi and other

notable journals should easily make a sizeable

volume by itself, if & when compiled and

brought in a book form. He writes extensively

on his favourite subjects of forests, wildlife, tribal

affairs and related problems. His opposition to

Forest Rights’ Act, and his spirited fight and

crusade against the legislation — legal and

otherwise — is too well-known in forest circles.

He is the first person in the Country to initiate

legal battle against the Act and is instrumental

in inspiring similar battles in a few more States,

making the Government of India that much

uncomfortable. He earned a special place among

the Forest Fraternity and made the SFRC Alumni

so proud of him.

JVS hates highlighting the personal exploits. He

argues that if anyone has done good deeds in

service, he is paid for it and he is expected to do

only good and not otherwise. He, therefore, says

that none need gloat over instances of good

work done while in service. It is for this reason

that he writes only on contemporary issues that

are relevant to the present day society.

A million dollar question is: ‘Should such a man

ever go to Hell?’ If ever it happens, it will be a

travesty of justice! This must be the reason why

Dr.Maslekar, retired PCCF (Maharashtra)

commented by promptly writing a letter to the

Journal’s Editorthat Sharma is not good for Hell.

But to go by Sharma himself, he finds Hell better

than the Earth, expressing his preference for

Purgatory indirectly. This is the central theme of

the article in which no word is wasted and no

sentence is superfluous.

The substantive part of the article starts with his

demise (imaginary, of-course). The description

is apt as it happens with the death of any person

who lived his life and any living being that enters

this mortal world. Very much expected — with

not many tears to spare — yet condolences are

still held: ritually than emotionally. Once in

inferno (of Dante’s Divine Comedy), he creates a

‘hell’ that looks better than the earth. Inmates

are not treated shabbily until they are

pronounced guilty. The dignity and honour of the

individual are adequately taken care of. Under-

trials are comfortably accommodated while

living conditions are made easy & in a vastly

improved state. Having striven all his life to

protect the forests and their sanctity, Sharma

creates an ironical situation, to live like an under-

trial in the ‘august’ company of late Y S

Rajasekhara Reddy (the then CM of AP who did

the maximum damage to forests in the name of

Forest Rights’ Act) lodged in the adjoining cell.

Sharma does not conceal his ire against all those

bureaucrats and officials who went out of the

way to abuse the process of implementation of

the Act. He also mentions of their lobbying &

May 2012 VANA PREMI

19

manipulative skills even in the hell, a legacy they

carried from their earthly life. He is very critical

of all those forest officers who behaved

unprofessionally, and surrendered their

individuality, honour and even conscience, just

to please the administration, and powers that

be. He has been particularly harsh on the legal

fraternity. He made them liable not only for all

those acts of commissions and omissions but

also for their failure to do things which they ought

to have.

Needless to say that the central issue to the

article is the Forest Rights’ Act and its

implementation. This is evidence enough how

deeply he is committed to protect the forests.

The message conveyed is loud & clear that the

earth bereft of trees is worse than Hell. After all

those who made and implemented FRA are

convicted, the punishment awarded by Lord

Yama is so novel: it is not conventional ‘lashing

or hauling upon coals’ (as we read in religious

books) but to ‘lodge the convicts without privacy

in a huge hall of a cement-concrete-building

without ventilation, constructed in dry &

desolate place, without a blade of grass in view’!

Adding to the discomfiture, the convicts are

ordained to use the water ‘for drinking and

washing purposes’ from the Vaitharani River

known for its filth. To cap it all, the sentence is to

last till the tree growth over the areas alienated

under the Act is restored. The author’s love for

forests is such that he seeks parole from Lord

Yama to permit him to visit earth once, not to

see his people, but to see the beautiful forest

areas he saw while alive.

It is a short article (convening, however, a

message in entity like “Rubaiyat” or a quartet in

Persian/Urdu) but it has everything in it –a story,

a fiction, a sentiment, love, hatred, anger, anguish,

pun, sarcasm, humour, revenge and above all, a

message! Perhaps a litterateur or a literary critic

would have done more justice than me.

LAUGHTER THE BEST MEDICINE

A Quality Engineer married an average girl. After 24 months of tough life with her,

finally the Engineer got angry and sent a note to his father-in-law Stating that:

YOUR PRODUCT IS NOT MEETING MY REQUIREMENTS’

The smart father-in-law replies

“WARRANTY EXPIRED. MANUFACTURER NOT RESPONSIBLE”

May 2012 VANA PREMI

20

Setting down his trading tools, Rajkot’s Premji

Bhai picked up a spade and began planting trees,

and finding ways to water them even in the

driest of places. He is responsible not only for

planting millions of trees, but also finding

ingenious ways of watering them in dry regions.

After long years of leading a trader’s life in the

city, when Premji Bhai decided to return to his

village he was shocked to see most of the

roadside trees either drying up or dead. That

immediately spurred him to action and he

ended up developing a device for scattering

seeds — about 45 billion of them, in fact, till date.

From his homeland Saurashtra, his work soon

spread to parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya

Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Born into a farming community in Upleta Taluka,

Rajkot district, Premji became a distributor for

Reliance Textiles and moved to Mumbai in

1975Yearning to retire from his trade and the

urban life style in Mumbai, he looked for ways to

make a difference to the world. His mind kept

returning to a character called Gopal Bapa in a

Gujarati play, written by the well-known

educationist Manubhai Pancholi, who generated

employment for young people through

horticulture and growing trees. Emulating this,

Premji began by supporting tree planting near

the temples in his village. He reasoned that

religious faith would prevent people from

A BILLION TREES FOR HIS EFFORTScutting them.

He hired a person to organise this work and met

all expenses. Soon his work spread to temples

in more villages. Finally, in 1984, he entrusted

the work to a local voluntary organisation.

His son, an industrialist in Ahmedabad,

forwarded him an article from a local magazine

that described the work of Elzeard Bouffier

(which originally appeared in a story titled The

Man Who Planted Trees by the French writer Jean

Giono). A shepherd, Bouffier devoted his retired

life to tree planting and is credited with creating

a forest 10 km wide and 50 km long within 35

years. Premji was inspired by this too, and his

son supported him wholeheartedly.

THE FIRST SEEDS

In the beginning, Premji set out every morning

with a bagful of seeds and a small spade. He

planted seeds on the bunds of fields and along

roadsides. People aware of his wealthy

background greeted his effort with derision. Next

he got himself a motorcycle to move around for

his tree-planting work. He also roped in

volunteers, and even schoolchildren, to sow the

seeds.

“When I ran out of seeds, I bought more from

any dealer I came across and resumed my

journey to find collaborators. In this way I

travelled over 1.4 lakh km during the first five

May 2012 VANA PREMI

21

years on my bike,” he says.

SPREADING THE MOVEMENT

He, however, stuck to one rule — he never went

back to check whether the individuals/

institutions he gave the seeds, had sown them

or not, or whether they used them for personal

gain. ”This was a conscious decision, and perhaps

the secret of my success in mobilising a large

number to join my mission,” he says. But he did

refuse to give seeds to those who came

repeatedly for more, and instead directed them

to seed dealers.

He is also trying to persuade district education

authorities to shift the annual school vacation

from April-May to October-November so that

students can participate in tree-planting and

farming operations. “The authorities have not

responded, but I am not likely to give up so

easily,” he asserts.

In the meantime, Premji began to look for better

ways of broadcasting seeds to ensure the trees

were properly spaced. He recalls how he used

to set out in a four-wheeler with 10-12

volunteers and a sack of seeds. “I gave a bag of

seeds to each volunteer and dropped two of

them at each milestone. I asked them to

broadcast seeds on both sides of the road while

walking towards the next milestone. This way

we covered a 150-km stretch.”

MECHANISING THE GREEN EFFORT

However, the trees grew in a haphazard manner

as the seeds were broadcast by hand. That led

Premji to think of air-blowing seeds through a

mechanised device to disperse them evenly. His

daughter and son-in-law, who run a steel

business in Rajkot, chipped in with suggestions

and encouragement.

He bought a motor, a fan and pipe from the scrap

market and started work on his innovation. Soon

he had ready a petrol-driven mechanical blower

mounted on the back of a jeep. The blower,

fabricated in Rajkot at a cost of around Rs 12,000,

could disperse seeds up to 15 metres. Premji

soon adapted it for use on railway tracks as well,

to broadcast seeds alongside the tracks. He now

has two such machines. Within a year, he

managed to broadcast 10 tonnes of tamarind

seeds in villages around Ahmedabad. He also

lends the machines to other tree-planting

organisations.

A TREE FOR EVERY KIND OF LAND

When it comes to planting trees within clusters

of thorny bushes, which offer natural protection

from grazing animals, he uses a specially-devised

hollow crowbar to dig safely amongst the thorny

shrubs and drop the seeds in. Besides roadsides,

railway lines, bunds and other common land, he

also plants in wastelands by first loosening the

soil using hired tractors. He has found a way to

green even drought-prone places such as Kutch,

Bhuj and Saurashtra.

May 2012 VANA PREMI

22

A plastic pipe seven inches in diameter and 1-

1.5 ft long is planted in the soil with the seedling

beside it. The pipe is filled with a mixture of sand,

soil and gravel. It is then taken out, leaving the

column of mixture behind. Now, when water is

poured on the sand, it directly reaches the plant

roots, thereby eliminating loss of moisture and

promoting plant growth in the water-scarce

area.

COST-SAVING CHECK DAMS

Currently, Premji is focusing on watershed

development through his organisation Vruksh

Prem Seva Sanstha Trust. About 150 nature clubs

are active in this work on 1,000 hectares.

Although the government offers several

subsidised schemes to encourage the

development of check dams on farmers’ fields,

these are mostly seen as government projects

and the people rarely take on the responsibility

of maintaining them.

Premji’s scheme offers assistance to people who

are willing to join together and bear all the costs

of a check dam, except that of the cement. Till

date, he has built 1,500 check dams by providing

complete financial support and 400 others for

which he met the cement cost.

He encouraged farmers to improve the design

to help save on labour and cost. They were

motivated to innovate as they met much of the

cost. Thus, while the government schemes had

uniform design and, often, uniform costing

norms, variability became the hallmark of those

promoted by Premji, with an emphasis on cost-

effectiveness and efficiency.

A WORLD WIDE SURVEYA World wide survey was conducted by the UN. The only question asked

was: “Would you please give your honest opinion about solutions to the

food shortage in the rest of the world?”.The survey was a huge failure,

In Africa they didn’t know what ‘food’ meant, In India they didn’t know

what ‘honest’ meant, In Europe they didn’t know what ‘shortage’ meant,

In China they didn’t know what ‘opinion’ meant, In the Middle East

they didn’t know what ‘solution’meant, In South America they didn’t

know what ‘please’meant, And in the USA they didn’t know what ‘the

rest of the world’ meant!

May 2012 VANA PREMI

23

All plants have potential medicinal value .This

was recognized more than 1000 years ago.

“There is nothing in this universe which is non-

medicinal, which cannot be made use of for

many purposes, by many modes. ”It was written

in Sanskrit in sutra.ch. 9-verse 10 of ASHTANGA

HRIDAYA as quoted above. “ASHTANGA HRIDAYA”

is accepted as the third major treatise on

ayurveda. Around 5000 A.D. Vagbhat compiled

this samhita. It contained knowledge

comprising the two schools of Ayurveda, the

school of surgery and the school of physicians.It

dealt with number of grey areas of Ayurveda.

It was on 18th March 2012 that I along with my

colleagues working in A.P.Medicinal and

Aromatic Plants board was proceeding from

Chandigarh to IHBT (Institute of Himalayan Bio

resource technology) Palampur in Himachal

Pradesh. The Chief Executive Officer APMAB, a

senior officer of additional principal chief

conservator of Forests rank took initiative in

sending the team of officers to Palampur with

an objective of increasing awareness in them

on medicinal plants in general and those of sub-

temperate region in particular. APMAB has been

straining its every nerve to promote cultivation

HIMACHAL PRADESH - AN ABODE OFMEDICINAL PLANTS

ByV.V.HARI PRASAD

of medicinal plants and also to assist the

concerned in post-harvest management

practices in Andhra Pradesh.

It is in this connection that the meaning of a verse

written in Sanskrit was quoted above.

Incidentally the road travel from Chandigarh to

Palampur is worth describing .We were

travelling by a car on a serpentine track. The road

was hardly about 20 feet in width.

In the car I was sitting in the front seat next to

the driver .The driver, an experienced and well

acquainted with those kind of tracks that he must

be, was driving with such a high speed that at

every blind turn I was apprehensive that a

collision with a vehicle coming in the opposite

direction was imminent. The foothills of Sivaliks

on one side and the deep valleys on the other

side left the vehicles plying there with narrow

tracks to be driven on. I began to curse myself

for grabbing the opportunity of sitting in the

front seat of the car. The tense moments persisted

until we reached Palampur. The greenery on

both the sides, more in the valley portion was a

feast to the eyes of the onlookers.

“ONE IMPULSE FROM VERNAL WOOD

May 2012 VANA PREMI

24

MAY TEACH YOU MORE OF MAN

OF MORAL, EVIL AND OF GOOD

THAN ALL SAGES CAN.”

said William Words Worth a great poet.

The trees of different species such as

Meliaazedarach, Syzygiumcuminii, Taxusbaccata,

Salix alba, Cedrusdeodara etc. on one side and

old plantations of Pinusroxburghii of gigantic

heights on the hillocks abutting the road on the

other side constituted the scenic beauty to meet

the eye of an onlooker. Here and there landslides

were noticed leaving scars on the face of the

“mother earth” indicating the unavoidable biotic

interference caused most probably by the

recalcitrant local inhabitants.

On the night of 18th March 2012 we reached

IHBT claimed to be “an ultimate destination for

research on bio resources”. The mandate of this

institute comprises

� Bio diversity survey mapping and

conservation.

� Chemical characterization and value addition.

� Plant genomics ,proteomics & metabolomics

� Microbial bio prospection.

� Plant health management

� Adaptation biology

� Regulatory research

� Bio informatics &

� Nano Biology.

On that very night itself we met Dr Virendra Singh

a senior principal scientist and the training

coordinator and exchanged pleasantries with

him.

A strict disciplinarian that he was, he prepared

the schedule of training in such a way that every

day from morning to evening we were kept

preoccupied either with lecture classes or field

visits. Down the memory lane I could recollect

my forest college days of Coimbatore.

Institute of Himalayan Bio resource Technology,

is located in the picturesque town of Palampur

perched in the lap of majestic snow clad

Dhaualadhar range of Himalayas of Himachal

Pradesh.

The training was imparted from 19th to 24th of

March 2012. .The group of participants

comprised a lady asst. professor from the

university in Chandigarh, two scientists from

Shimla, two persons with industrial background

from New Delhi ,two farmers from Himachal

Pradesh and three of us from APMAB.

At IHBT we were shown a house fully built with

bamboo by incurring an expenditure of about

24.00 lakh rupees which can easily

accommodate a family of about 5 members.

Under natural bamboo mission this was built

under the supervision of Dr Anil Sood with

Dendrocalamushamiltonii .Dr Sood who has been

espousing the cause of bamboo, with his usual

rhetoric insisted, “At places like palampur which

May 2012 VANA PREMI

25

is in the seismic zone bamboo houses are safe

to live in. ”The beautiful and eye catching interior

decoration of” BAMBOO HOUSE” is to be seen to

be believed.

On 22nd March we proceeded to Dharmasala and

from there to Meclode Ganj where number of

Tibetans took shelter in India. Buddhist monks

were seen everywhere there, in the Melcode

Ganj. When we went to visit the temple of

Buddha we came across number of interesting

events.

There we found that the temple of Buddha was

in the 2nd floor. In the first floor we saw a number

of Tibetan Buddhist monks clad in their usual

unique attires communicating loudly with

typical gestures. It appeared as if it was a small

mela. Among number of pairs of monks

communicating with each other, in each pair one

was sitting whereas the other one, in a standing

posture appeared to be preaching the sitting

one.

While moving towards and away from the one

who was sitting, the standing monk was making

sounds through clapping by touching the palm

of the left hand which was kept at the shoulder

level, by bringing down the right palm atleast

once every minute. This kind of activity was going

on among a huge number of Buddhist monks

who were scattered all over the big hall. When

we interrupted one of the monks and out of

curiosity asked him as to what was going on, he

said that a discussion was going on, on the basic

tenets of Buddhism.

On that night number of Tibetan men and

women conducted a big procession with lit

candles in their hands reportedly as a mark of

protest against the live burning of Tibetans in

the hands of Chinese military personnel in Tibet

a few days earlier. It is a well-known fact that

DALAILAMA the religious head of Tibetans was

given political asylum in India.

Another interesting issue was with regard to the

purchase of a BRONZE BOWL from the Tibetan

market which was believed to resemble to that

of BUDDHA carrying which he used to seek for

alms as a hermit. On rotating a small wooden

hammer about 5 to 6 times all around the bowl

touching the same, without lifting the hammer,

the sound similar to “OM” is generated. The

decibels of sound so generated, for a

considerable period of time is only to be heard

to be believed.

While returning back from Meclodganj we met

the conservator of forests Sri Rammohan Reddy

IFS who hails from Kadapa and we had the

privilege of enjoying his hospitality in his official

residence which was said to be built by the

British Govt.

In the process of training, propagation

May 2012 VANA PREMI

26

techniques and cultivation packages of species,

to name a few Podophyllumhexandrum,

Aconitum heterophyllum, Acoruscalamus,

Bacopamonnieri, Artemisia annuaetc. were

explained in detail.

While dealing with the aspect of extraction,

isolation and quality control the following topics

were dealt with.

a) Instrumental methods, for analysis of the

products derived from medicinal and aromatic

plants.

b) Pharmacopoeia standardization of herbal

medicine and aromatic plants.

c) Production of essential oils.

d) Herbal extraction, isolation and estimation of

marker compounds for market need.

The plantation of which is called Ginkgo bilobaa

living fossil in view of its primitive characters

was raised in the IHBT campus. A few plants were

supplied to APMAB to be planted on trial basis

in A.P. Crataegusoxycanthaa rare medicinal plant

was also raised as a plantation here.

On the last day our trip when we went to KULU-

MANALI .At MANALI we visited the temple of

HIDIMBI the wife of BHEEMA of MAHA BHARATA

fame and also the temple of GHATOTHKACHA

the powerful son of the couple BHEEMA and

HIDIMBI. Enroute Manali we got disappointed

by seeing the apple trees devoid of leaves and

just sprouting.

Himachal Pradesh a small hilly state which is

endowed with huge potential of rare and

endangered medicinal plants is worth to be

visited by all those who are interested in ethno

Botany and relevant issues. A visit to the

Himalayan mountains near Manali, abortive

attempts of ice skating , a ride on the horse to

Siva temple , getting photographed by sitting

on the yak there, and visiting the hot springs in

the temple of Agastya nearby, were some of the

events that we will be keeping in mind down

the memory lane. It is definitely not an

exaggeration to say that Himachal Pradesh is a

haven for Botanists.

“Discussion is always better than argument” becauseargument is to find out who is right! Discussion is to

find out what is right

"NO and YES are two short words which need a longthought...most of the things we miss in life are due to

saying no too soon and yes too late..!!!”

May 2012 VANA PREMI

27

The government does. It says area under forests

has been increasing for the last 13 years.

M. Rajshekhar finds this is the outcome of

statistical jugglery and the use of flawed

definitions by India’s forest bureaucracy. The bald

truth is India’s forests are in serious decline, both

in numbers and in health.

In February, the latest instalment of a little

environmental kabuki played out when the

Forest Survey of India released its biennial report

card of forests. It declared India’s forests were in

fine fettle, with a net addition of 1,128 sq.km. or

0.16%, in the last two years. At 692,000

sq.km.forests covered 23% of India’s land, and

were directionally headed to reach the targeted

33%.

What the Dehradun-based FSI did not declare,

and tucked it away in definitions and

methodologies, is how it computed that number.

Take the very definition of ‘forest cover’ it has

used since 2001. The FSI breaks up land into

1-hectare plots (100 meters by 100 meters) and

looks at their satellite images. If tree canopy

covers more than 10% of a 1-hectare plot, the

FSI classifies it as a forest, regardless of who owns

it, for what purpose and what kind of trees it has.

It’s an expansive definition, says Harini Nagendra,

a researcher studying how forests in India are

changing. Under it, tea and coffee plantations,

orchards, parks and timber plantations, among

GUESS WHO CALLS LODHIGARDENS A FOREST?

others, qualify as forests. So, Delhi’s Lodi Gardens,

a favoured early-morning haunt of India’s

ministers and bureaucrats that is a mix of trees,

grassy knolls, toms and dirt tracks becomes a

forest. As does a cricket ground lined by trees

along its boundary.

While the trees and plantations counted in the

FSI’s definition do perform some ecological

functions-like holding soil, retaining moisture,

capturing carbon, providing a roost to some

birds and wildlife outside protected are as-it’s

no patch on what makes forests critical to the

continuity of life as we know it.

Native forests - as opposed to urban trees and

plantation - are complex, natural eco-systems

that evolved over millions of years. They are in

tricately woven into our lives. For example, only

if they are large can they trap enough rainwater

to birth rivers like the Narmada; or support a

genetically viable population of tigers; or

support India’s 140 million scheduled tribals,

whose livelihoods revolve around gathering

non-timber forest produce for eight months in

a year.

A 10% tree cover in a hectare cannot do this.

Neither can the largest of timber plantations.

The FSI does not break up the 692,000 sq.km by

native forests and plantations. “Mapping is a

biennial exercise”, says AK Wahal, director

general, FSI. “Time doesn’t permit a detailed

May 2012 VANA PREMI

28

analysis of the data generated”.

But independent studies suggest native forests

are in decline and plantations are driving official

forest- cover figures. A 2011 paper titled ‘cryptic

destruction of India’s native forests’, by researcher

PriyaDavidar and others, says area under

plantations doubled between 1995 and 2005,

from 146,200 sq.km. to 300,280 sq.km.

During the same period, the FSI says forest cover,

as defined by it, rose from 660,337 sq.km. to

690,250 sq.km. The paper extrapolates from the

FSII number to say that native forests fell from

514,000 sq.km. to 390,000 Sq’km’ “Both the core

and the periphery of our forests are losing trees”,

says Nagendra, a Ramanujam fellow at Ashoka

Trust for Research into Ecology and

Environment(A TREE).

Environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan could

not be reached as she was initially unavailable

and then travelling abroad. PJ Dilip Kumar, the

bureaucrat in charge of India’s forests, declined

to participate in the story. All the 10 officials from

FSI, ministry and various state departments that

ET spoke to agreed that India was losing forests.

“What we are seeing is not forest cover, but forest

cover-up”, says a senior official in Himachal

Pradesh’s forest department, requesting

anonymity.

AFFORESTATION = ASSET CREATION

It gets worse. Compensatory afforestation,

meant to revive degraded forests and to replace

forests lost to industrial projects, is not working.

Last month, Natarajan told the Rajya Sabha that

8,640 sq.km of forests were cleared for non-

forest use in the last 11 years.

Whenever this happens, the project owner has

to pay the government for compensatory

afforestation on an equivalent amount of land.

This money is used to either convert new tracts

of land into forests or to regenerate degraded

forests.

Earlier, project owners paid states, but this

money was often used for sundry purposes. So,

the government floated a new fund for

compensatory afforestation, CAMPA, which

would be managed by the central ministry,

with states making fund requests for

afforestation.

CAMPA has been around for two years, but the

utilization flaws seem to persist, as documented

by ‘A Pocketful of Forests’, a 2011 book on

compensatory afforestation in India by Kanchi

Kohli, an activist with Pune-based NGO

Kalpvriksh, and others. The book points out that

Goa used 69% of its allocation on buildings,

vehicles and computers.

Similarly, Andhra Pradesh wanted to spend 43%

on construction activities, Sikkim 53%,

Himachal Pradesh 53% and Tamil Nadu 67%.

“This is blood money”, says Praveen Bhargav, a

former member of the National Board for

Wildlife. “We got it in lieu of the forests we lost.

It has to be used for natural afforestation and

consolidation of habitant”.

Even at the ministry, DG forests Kumar proposed

using Rs.1, 000 crore of CAMPA funds to set up

May 2012 VANA PREMI

29

two research institutes. Natarajan refused, saying

the funds can be used only for compensatory

afforestation. Further, she asked the government

auditor to audit how CAMPA money was being

used.

Even when the money is going for afforestation,

there are issues. “Land is not available, especially

in the same ecosystem”, says Kohil. Agrees, one

of the senior most officials in the forest

department: “States like HP and MP say they have

no revenue land to give”, he says, on the condition

of anonymity, adding that his department does

not track how much land came back from the

revenue department.

INFERIOR REPLACEMENT

And even when afforestation happens, the

outcomes are below par, “If you benchmark it

against the type and quality of forest lost,

compensatory afforestation is not working”, says

TR Shankar Raman, a biologist working on forest

restoration. “Forests in the area we lost used to

have at least 30-40 native species (of trees),” says

a forest officer in Rajasthan, on the condition of

anonymity. “But we do not plant more than 9-10

species”.

The forest department is planting fast-growing

species to meet demand for fuel-wood and its

afforestation targets. “We cannot plant trees like

Sal. They grow very slowly and are vulnerable to

grazing,” says the senior ministry official quoted

earlier. “In contrast, a tree like Acacia grows in

two to three years, and fills out the canopy. It can

be used for pulpwood and poles. It fixes nitrogen”.

In the process, a forest changes: the tree species

originally found in it move towards extinction,

as do birds and animals dependent on them.

Raman Kumar, a project co-ordinator studying

migratory birds with Bangalore-based National

Centre for Biological studies, documented one

such example in a paper titled '‘how good are

managed forests at conserving native

woodpecker communities'’.

Kumar compared woodpecker species and

numbers in four landscapes: natural Sal trees, old

and managed Sal, young and managed Sal, and

Teak plantations. He chose woodpeckers as they

are “reliable indicators of forest health and avian

biodiversity”. Natural sal had the highest

woodpecker density, teak plantation the lowest.

Yet, since 1992, the push is on plantations. This is

partly due to programmes like the National

Afforestarionprogramme, and partly due to

private-sector plantations and funding from

international donors like the Japan International

Cooperation Agency (JICA).

In their paper, Davidar and others estimate that

India is adding 15,400 sq.km. of plantations every

year --about 15 times the overall increase in

forest cover in the latest survey. These are fast

growing, short-rotation species like Eucalyptus,

Acacia and Rubber. “If you travel through Punjab,

you will see large tree plantations to meet

demand for plywood, etc”, says a former FSI

researcher, not wanting to be named. “Most are

from the private sector. There are similar

plantations around Ooty and Nagpur”.

May 2012 VANA PREMI

30

DATA MINING

India’s forest cover is changing. One, forests are

becoming utilitarian. Two, the area under

plantations is increasing. Three, natural, non-

forest ecosystems, like the Banni grasslands of

Kutc hand the Shola forests of the Western Ghats,

are changing into wooded forests due to the

afforestation drive. Four, protected areas are

degrading.”Dense forests have become

moderately dense, which have, in turn, become

open forests, “says the ex FSI researcher. In

another paper, Davidar and others say, Tamil Nadu

lost about 500 sq.km. of dense forest between

2001 and 2003, and gained about 1,600 sq .km.

of open forest.

However, few of these changes show up in FSI

reports, which only report aggregates. They don’t

measure the respective area under plantations

and native forests. Nor do they measure how

much afforestation comprises native species

and how much non-native species.

“We also don’t know if forests are fragmenting,”

says Bhargav. “How many are over, say 5,000

sq.km.3,000-5,000 sq.km.and so on? “This is

important because a forest of 5,000 sq.km. is not

the same as 10 forests of 500 sq.km each. As a

forest shrinks, it houses fewer large animals and

gives rise to fewer and smaller rivers.

Wahal says FSI is acquiring satellitie technology

that will “lower the mappable threshold to 0.25

hectare”, from 1 hectare. This will further

accelerate the shift towards counting threes as

forests, and help the FSI report better numbers,

as happened in 2001, when the minimum

mappable unit was reduced from 25 hectares

to 1 hectare.

Nagendra of ATREE argues that if the FSI can

acquire better satellite technology, why can’t it

put out data that is more granular, reliable and

updated. “Most forest researchers in India go to

great lengths to create their own maps of forest

change for specific areas, “she says, “FSI maps

have many in accuracies for specific locations”.

Also, FSI data is old by the time it comes out. Its

2012 report is based on satellitie images

collected between October 2008 and March

2009. “Given the lag, it is difficult to go back to

locations and check accuracy, and identify why

the decline took place,” she says, adding that

Brazil provides data on forest change at a 25

hectare scale every two weeks. “There is no

reason why we can’t do this given India’s premier

position in satellite technology and

applications”.

It is the tiger census all over again. In 2006, under

pressure to show a jump in tiger numbers, the

forest department inflated numbers till it looked

like India had over 3,500 tigers. And then reduced

it, to 1,411 tigers. Today, the bald truth about

forests is that there is little understanding on

how they are doing.

THE FOREST COVER-UP

Every year, since 1999, the forest enumerator has

reported an increase in forest cover. This is partly

because the minimum area to qualify as a forest

has been reduced-from 25 hectares to 1

hectare-bringing in smaller patches like parks,

orchards and plantations into the definition.

May 2012 VANA PREMI

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S.S.S

We wish the following born on the dates mentioned

“ A very Happy Birth Day”

Birthday Greetings

S.No. Name of the member D.O.B.

Sarva Sri

1. G.Gurunathudu 10-05-1949

2. Shaik Noor Ahmed 22-05-1946

3. Qamar Mohd Khan 11-05-1947

4. S.Rama Rao 25-05-1950

5. P.Laxma Reddy 13-05-1929

6. T.Samboji Rao 01-06-1948

7. M.Purushotham Reddy 14-05-1952

8. Y.Ram Mohan Rao 02-06-1941

S.No. Name of the I.F.S. Oficer D.O.B.

Sarva Sri

1. B.Soma Sekara Reddy 10-05-1954

2. Faujdar 25-05-1954

3. M.A.Waheed 12-05-1953

5. B.Murali Krishna 25-05-1955

6. S.Ramesh 19-05-1974

7. M.Ramprasad 25-05-1955

8. Md.Diwan Mydeen 21-05-1978

9. C.Sarvanan 01-06-1978

10. B.S.Yousuf Sharief 23-05-1953

11. S.S.Sreedhar 04-06-1966

12. Chinmay K Misra 25-05-1957

S.No. Name of the S.F.S. Oficer D.O.B.

Sarva Sri

1. G. Kista Goud 08-04-1974

1. Smt.J.Asha Shaik 07-05-1975

2. K.Pradeep 28/5/1954

3. M.Babji 08-05-1968

4. T.Chakrapani 01-06-1966

5. B.Saidulu 09-05-1974

6. Ch.Parthananda Prasad 01-06-1954

7. N.Nageshwara Rao 10-05-1971

8. Syed Meer 01-06-1954

9. S.Kishan Das 10-05-1955

10. D.Chandrasekhar Rao 01-06-1959

11. K.Satyanarayana 15-05-1954

12. Smt.N.Kshitija 01-06-1976

13. K.Sekhar Reddy 16-05-1956

14. C.Viswanath 01-06-1954

15. P.V.Ramana Kumar 16-05-1956

16. K.Ramkishan 01-06-1963

17. Ch.Ganga Reddy 19-05-1966

18. P.Ramakrishna 02-06-1972

19. Y.Ramesh 20-05-1959

20. D.Ravindranath Reddy 02-06-1982

21. G.N.Pavan Kumar Rao 20-05-1967

22. G.satyanarayana 04-06-1954

23. K.Mahaboob Basha 21-05-1986

24. Shaik Salaam 04-06-1963

25. P.Balaswamy 25-05-1960

26. K.Srinivas 04-06-1977

27. V.Krishna 25-05-1966

28. A.V.S.R.K.Appanna 04-06-1963

May 2012 VANA PREMI

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As per below article blood donation improves

your cholesterol level, blood pressure level, get

rid of excess iron, saves someone’s life, reduce

chances of sugar, liver problems etc... so please

donate blood every 3 months approximately.

Blood donation, the voluntary act of allowing

one’s blood to be drawn out of body has many

advantages besides giving that wonderful

feeling of saving someone’s life. Most of the time,

it is an act of charity, though sometimes many

people donate blood for money and other

incentives. The blood donated is stored in blood

banks, to be subsequently used for transfusion.

No doubt the first and foremost advantage of

donating blood is the exalted feeling of saving

someone’s life. If we donatethe little excess

blood in our body, it could save someone’s life

without creating any problem for us. Instead it

would help to alleviate some major health

problems like heart diseases. Blood donation is

an excellent way to get rid of excess iron

accumulated in our body due to its

overconsumption. Excess iron in the body can

stimulate the formation of free radicals, which

are responsible for causing damage to body cells

and tissues. Free radicals are also associated with

many diseases like heart diseases and cancer

Iron overloading is also thought to increase the

ADVANTAGES OF BLOODDONATION

risk of heart diseases. Besides, iron oxidizes

cholesterol, which is harmful for the arteries.

Hemochromatosis is a genetic disease

characterized by excess accumulation of iron in

the tissues due to improper metabolism. The

disease can cause damage to many organs like

pancreas, adrenal glands, etc. It may also cause

diabetes, liver diseases and heart diseases. So,

donating blood on a regular basis would help

you to regulate the level of iron in your body.

Studies have shown that donating blood

regularly can be beneficial for the heart and

circulatory system andcan reduce the risk of

heart diseases, especially among young people.

Besides, blood donation also burns the extra

calories and reduces your cholesterol level. After

donating blood, the count of blood cells

decreases in our body, which stimulates the

bone marrow to produce new red blood cells in

order to replenish the loss. So, it stimulates the

production of new blood cells and refreshes the

system.

Before donating blood, your haemoglobin level

will be tested. If it is low, then you will not be

allowed to donate blood. Besides haemoglobin,

your blood pressure level and body weight will

also be checked. In addition, your blood will also

be examined for detecting the presence of five

diseases, namely, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Syphilis,

May 2012 VANA PREMI

33

HIV/AIDS and malaria. If you are not suffering

from these diseases, only then you will be

allowed to donate your blood.

There are no major disadvantages of donating

blood, except that sometimes one may

experience a drop in blood pressure due to

hypovolemia (a state of reduced blood volume),

which may necessitate cancellation of donation.

Sometimes, one may also experience mild

nausea or dizziness for a short while. But if you

compare the health benefits and mental

satisfaction that comes from saving a life, you

will feel that benefits of this act of charity, is not

only restricted to the recipient, but also helps

the donor immensely.

How often can one give blood?

Regulations in the United States allow people

to donate whole blood once every 56 days. The

waiting period between donations can be

different for other blood components. For

example, donating only platelets in a process

called apheresis requires only a 3 day wait

before a person can give again. Donating two

units of red blood cells through a similar process

doubles the waiting period to 112 days.

The Association of Retired Forest Officers, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad Congratulates the following

Forest Officers, who are retiring from service on attaining the age of superannuation on the dates

mentioned against their names and cordially invites them to join the Association of Retired Forest

Officers to keep in touch with their old colleagues and to keep themselves occupied.

For further details they may contact the following –

Sri. K. Santokh Singh, Secretary Mobile Number 9848808101

Sri. P. Upender Reddy, Jt.Secretary Mobile Number 9848754778

Name of S.F.S.Officer Date of Retirement

1.Sri K.Pradeep 31/5/2012

2.Sri Syed Meer 31/5/2012

3.Sri K.Satyanarayana 31/5/2012

4. Sri C.Vishwanath 31/5/2012 -SECRETARY

INVITATION

64thGeneral Body Meeting of our Association will be held onSunday 24th June 2012, 11-30 a m, at KBR National Park. All themembers are requested to attend the meeting with their spouses.

- Secretary

NOTICE

May 2012 VANA PREMI

34

Manmohan Singh had his arteries bypassed

recently, a procedure that increasing numbers

of Indians are having. Last year, medical journal

Lancet reported a study of 20,000 Indian patients

and found that 60 % of the World’s Heart Disease

Patients are in INDIA, which has 15 % of the

World’s Population.

This number is surprising because reports of

Obesity and heart disease focus on Fat Americans

and their food. What could account for Indians

being so susceptible — more even than Burger-

and-Fries eating Americans.

FOUR THINGS: DIET, CULTURE, STRESS and Lack

Of FITNESS

There is no doctrinal prescription for

Vegetarianism in Hindu Diet, and some texts

explicitly sanction the eating of meat. But

vegetarianism has become Dogma.

Indian Food is assumed to be strongly Vegetarian,

but it is actually Lacking in VEGETABLES. Our diet

is centred on WHEAT, in the North, and RICE, in

the South. The second most important Element

is DAAL in its various forms. By Weight,

Vegetables are NOT Consumed Much. You could

have an entire South Indian vegetarian meal

without encountering a vegetable. The Most

Important Vegetable is the Starchy ALOO/

POTATOES. GREENS are Not Cooked flash-fried in

the Healthy Manner of the Chinese, but Boiled

WHY INDIANS ARE STRESSED ANDUNHEALTHY

or Fried till much of the Nutrient Value is Killed

GUJARATIS and PUNJABIS are the Two Indian

Communities most susceptible to HEART

DISEASE. Their Vulnerability is recent. Both have

a Large Peasant Population — PATELS and JATS

— who in the last few decades have moved from

an agrarian Life to an urban one. They have

retained their diet and if anything made it Richer,

but their Bodies do not Work as Much. This

Transition from a Physical Life to a Sedentary one

has made them vulnerable.

GUJARATIS Lead the Toll for DIABETES as well,

and the Dietary Aspect of this is really the Fallout

of the State’s ECONOMIC SUCCESS. Unlike most

Indian states, Gujarat has a Rich and Developed

Urban Culture because of the MERCANTILE

Nature of its Society. Gujaratis have been Living

in Cities for Centuries.

His Prosperity has given the Gujarati Surplus

MONEY and, Importantly, Surplus TIME. These in

turn have led to SNACKY Foods, Some DEEP

FRIED, some Steamed and some, Uniquely in

India, Baked with Yeast. Most Indians are familiar

with the Gujarati Family on Holiday, pulling out

Vast Quantities of Snacks The Moment the Train

Pushes Off Gujarati Peasant Food — Bajra (millet)

Roti, a Lightly Cooked Green, Garlic and Red Chilli

Chutney, and Buttermilk — is actually supremely

healthy. But The Peasant PATEL has Succumbed

to the Food of the ‘HIGHER’ Trader and now

May 2012 VANA PREMI

35

Prefers the OILY and the SWEET.

MARATHI Peasant Food is Similar, But Not as

Wholesome with a Thick and Pasty Porridge Called

Zunka Replacing the Geen BOMBAY’S JUNK FOOD

was Invented in the 19th Century to Service

Gujarati Traders leaving Fort’s Business District

Late In The Evening after a Long Day. PAO BHAJI,

Mashed Leftover Vegetables in a Tomato Gravy

Served with Shallow-Fried Buns of Bread, was One

Such Invention.

The Most Popular Snack in Bombay is VADA PAO,

which has a Batter-Fried Potato Ball Stuck In A

Bun. The BUN — Yeast Bread — is Not Native to

INDIA and Gets Its Name PAO from the

PORTUGUESE who brought it in the 16th Century.

Bal Thackeray Encouraged Bombay’s

Unemployed Marathi Boys To Set Up VADA PAO

STALLS in the 60s, which they did and still do.

The Travelling Chef and TV Star Anthony Bourdain

called VADA PAO the Best Indian Thing he had

ever Eaten, But It Is Heart Attack Food Though

JAINS are a very small part (1% or thereabouts)

of the Gujarati population, Such is Their Cultural

Dominance Through TRADE that many South

Bombay Restaurants have a ‘JAIN’ Option on the

Menu. This is Food Without GARLIC and GINGER.

Since they are Both Tubers (as also are Potatoes),

Jains Do Not Eat Them, because in Uprooting

them from the Soil, Living Organisms may be

Killed (No Religious Restriction on Butter and

Cheese, however!).

Even in Bombay, This Intolerance Prevails.

Domino’s, the Famous Pizza Chain, has a

Vegetarian-Only Pizza Outlet on Malabar Hill

(Jinnah’s Neighbourhood). Foreigners like Indian

Food, and it is very Popular in England, but they

Find our Sweets Too Sweet. This Taste For Excess

SUGAR Extends also to Beverage: Maulana Azad

called Indian Tea ‘Liquid Halwa’. Only in the last

decade have Cafes Begun Offering Sugar On The

Side, as Diabetes has Spread.

India’s Culture Encourages Swift Consumption.

There is No Conversation at Meal-Time, As there

is in Europe. Because there are No Courses, the

Eating Is Relentless. You can be Seated, Served

and be Finished Eating at a Gujarati or Marathi

or South Indian Thali Restaurant in 15 Minutes. It

is Eating in the Manner of Animals: for Pure

Nourishment.

We eat with Fingers, as Opposed to Knives and

Forks, or Chopsticks, Resulting In The Scooping

Up of Bigger Mouthfuls. Because the Nature of

the Food Does NOT Allow for Leisurely Eating,

Indians do not have a Drink with their Meals. We

Drink Before and Then Stagger to the Table.

As is the case In Societies of Scarcity, Rich Food

is Considered Good — and GHEE is a Sacred Word

in all Indian Languages. There is No Escape from

FAT. In India, Advertising For Healthy Eating Also

Shows Food Deep Fried, but in Lower-

Cholesterol OIL.

The Insistence by Family - ‘Thoda Aur Le Lo’ —

At the Table is Part of our Culture of Hospitality,

as is the Offering of Tea and Perhaps also a Snack

To Visiting Guests and Strangers. Middle Class

Indians, even Families that earn Rs10, 000 a

May 2012 VANA PREMI

36

month, will have SERVANTS. Work that the

European and American do, The Indian Does NOT

Want To Do: Cooking, Cleaning, And Washing Up

Painting the House, Changing Tyres, Tinkering in

the Garage, Moving Things Around, Getting A

Cup of Tea at the Office, these are Things the

Indian Gets Someone Else To DO for him. There

is No Sense of Private Space and the Constant

Presence of the Servant is Accepted.

GANDHI’S Value to India was Not on his Political

Side, but Through His Religious and Cultural

Reforms. What Gandhi Attempted to Drill into

Indians Through Living a ‘Life of Action’ was a

change in our CULTURE OF LETHARGY and

DEPENDENCE. Gandhi Stressed Physical Self-

Sufficiency and Even Cleaned His Toilet out

Himself. But HE Wasn’t Successful in making us

CHANGE, and most Indians will Not Associate

Gandhi with Physical Self-Sufficiency though that

was his Principal Message. Indian Men Do NO

Work around the House. Middle Class Women

do Little, especially after Childbirth. Many Cook,

but the Cutting and Cleaning is done by the

Servant. Slim in their teens, they Turn Thick-

Waisted in their 20s, within a few years of

Marriage.

Since We are Dependent on Other People, we

Have Less Control Over Events. The Indian is under

STRESS and is ANXIOUS. This is BAD For His

HEALTH. He must be On Constant Guard Against

the World, which takes advantage of him: the

Servant’s Perfidy, Encroachment by His

Neighbours, Cars Cutting In Front of Him in

Traffic, the Vendor’s Rate that must be Haggled

Down. ALMOST Nothing is Orderly and

Everything Must Be WORRIED about.

In the Indian Office, the PAYROLL is a Secret, and

Nobody is Told what the Other Makes.

KNOWLEDGE causes great Stress, Though the

Lack of Information is Also Stressful, Leading to

SPY Games and Office GOSSIP. Because there is

No INDIVIDUALISM in India, Merit Comes From

SENIORITY and the Talented but Young Executive

is Stressed by the Knowledge that he’s not

holding the Position he Deserves. Indians are

PEERLESS Detectors of SOCIAL STANDING and the

Vertical Hierarchy of the Indian Office is

SACROSANCT.

Dennis Kux pointed out that Indian Diplomats

do not Engage Officially with an American of

Lower Rank, even if the American was

Authorised to Decide the matter. In the Last

Decade, when Indians Began Owning

Companies Abroad, the Wall Street Journal

Reported on CULTURAL Problems that arose.

Their Foreign Employees Learnt Quickly that

saying ‘NO’ would cause their Indian Bosses

Great Offence, so They Learnt to Communicate

With Them as With Children.

Indians Shine in the WEST where their Culture

Doesn’t Hold Them Back. In India honour is high

and the individual is alert to slights from those

below him, which discomfort him greatly. There

is NO CULTURE OF PHYSICAL FITNESS, and

Because of This Indians DON’T have An ACTIVE

OLD AGE.

Past 60, they Crumble. Within Society they must

May 2012 VANA PREMI

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Step Back and Play Their Scripted ROLE. WIDOWS

at that age, even younger, Have NO HOPE of

REMARRIAGE because SACRIFICE is expected of

them. WIDOWERS at 60 must also Reconcile to

SINGLEHOOD, and the Family would be Aghast

if they Showed Interest in the Opposite Sex at

that age, even though this would be Normal in

Another CULTURE.

Elders are cared for within the family, but are

defanged when they pass on their wealth to their

son in the joint family. They LOSE their Self-

Esteem as they Understand Their Irrelevance,

and Wither.

The Writer is a Former Newspaper Editor who

lives in BOMBAY.

1. Everyone knows about Alexander Graham

bell who invented phones, but he never made

a call to his family. Because his wife and

daughter were deaf; that’s life - “ live for others”.

2. The worst in life is “attachment” it hurts when

you lose it.

The best thing in life is “ loneliness “ because

it teaches you everything and when you lose

it you get everything.

3. Life is not about the people who act true

to your face. Its about the people who remain

true behind your back.

4. Egg broken from outside force-a life ends. If

an egg breaks from within, life begins. Great

things always began from within.

5. Its better to lose your ego to the one you

love than to lose the one you love ....... because

of ego.

DID YOU KNOW?6. A relationship doesn’t shine by just shaking

hands in good times.

but it blossoms by holding firmly in critical

situations .

7. Heated gold becomes ornaments. Beaten

copper becomes wires. Depleted stone

becomes statue. So more pain, more gain

(valuable).

8. When you trust someone trust him/her

completely without any doubt.

At the end you would get one of the two :

either a lesson for your life or a very good

person.

9. Why we have so many churches, if God is

everywhere?

A wise man said : air is everywhere, but we still

need a FAN to feel it.

May 2012 VANA PREMI

38

1. Solar Powered Bus Stops in Russia: -

MOSCOW: Though the Russian capital is not

known for its sunshine, authorities believe the

city gets enough sunlight to afford solar-

powered bus stops.

The stops, which will use solar energy collected

during day to provide lightning for passengers

at night, are part of the City Hall’s strategy for

tackling Moscow’s abysmal transportation

problems, said Deputy Mayor Nikolai Lyamov.

Moscow will invest 192 billion rubles (around

$6.5 billion) for updating its mass transit and road

network in 2012, Lyamov said.

In addition to solar-powered bus stops, money

will also be spent on roadside traffic jam warning

boards, and new “adaptive” traffic light systems.

The total number of solar-powered bus stops

was not specified.

Moscow gets about 1,700 hours of sunshine a

year — more than London — but the insolation

level, or measure of energy, the Russian capital

get from the sun is far below Miami or Paris, said

the Moscow-meteo.ru website.

2.Madurai to lay plastic roads:- MADURAI: In

an effort to find a solution for the plastic

accumulating in the corporation garbage yard,

the budget presented on Thursday has proposed

to construct a 3 km stretch of plastic roads. The

plastic road project has been estimated at Rs

1.55 crore and will be laid in the corporation

NEWS AND NOTESlimits.

The objective of the project was to reduce the

plastic menace in the city and use it for

constructive purposes. However, the

estimated period was not mentioned in the

budget as the Detailed Project Report has

been sent to the state government for

approval. Commenting on the proposal, A

Madhuram, city engineer (in-charge) said the

chief minister had announced that the

corporation should lay plastic roads of 3 km

while the municipalities should lay 1 km of

plastic road in their limits.

The plastic roads will be laid with a mixture of

bitumen and plastic derived from plastic

waste in the city. At present, the total plastic

waste from the city garbage is 0.7%. The plastic

roads would have a relative advantage from

the environmental aspect as well, reducing the

plastic waste load in the garbage yard, he said.

R Vasudevan, dean, Thiagarajar College of

Engineering, Madurai who invented and

patented it in the year 2002 said that plastic

acts as a binder with the bitumen and the roads

would last long. “The roads which were laid in

Thiagarajar College in 2002 are in very good

condition till date and many states have

adopted the method. The ratio of mixture is

one tonne of plastic with 9 tonne of bitumen

for laying one kilometre of road. Plastic binds

with the bitumen and prevents water seeping

in, thus the roads are not damaged for a very

May 2012 VANA PREMI

39

long period and are free of potholes,” he added.

Using the idea, more than 3,000 km of road has

been laid in the country, with the state of

Himachal Pradesh laying more than 200 km of

plastic road, he said. The chief minister took up

the idea during her last regime and had

announced it in her election propaganda, taking

up the project after she resumed power,

Vasudevan stated. Besides, it is cost-effective as

reduces the cost of one tonne bitumen per

kilometre while one tonne of plastic waste is

used in an efficient manner, he added.

3. Milkfish Died in Lakes: -For unknown reasons,

millions of milkfish died in lakes across the

country a week after the announced end of the

world. While surfaced a small volcanic lake near

the capital of the Philippines. Locals told us that

milkfish long swim in circles at the water surface

and then floated belly up. (Please see the last cover

page for Photograph)

4. Ten Native Tribes who have faced

extinction:-Diseases such as Tuberculosis and

Smallpox, wars with Europeans and interactions

with whites led to the decimation and extinction

of many native tribes. Various tribes

amalgamated with other tribes, while others

became extinct with time. Here are the top 10

Native Tribes which faced extinction after the

European contact.

1. Beothuk Tribes: The Beothuk people were

dark and tall with black hair and dark eyes. They

lived for thousands of years prior to the Vikings

in present day Newfoundland. When Europeans

under John Cabot began exploiting lumber and

fish in the area, the Beothuk were forced out. The

fear of white people, tuberculosis and

malnutrition decimated the population by

1700s. By 1829, no Beothuks were found in

Newfoundland.

2. Karankawa: They were a group of Native

Americans, who played an integral part in Texan

history. Disease, conflicts with Europeans and loss

of territory led to their extinction. The tribe had

a significant role in the Texas War of

Independence as they sided with the United

States over Mexico.

3. Mandans: Smallpox, war and treaties signed

with United States contributed to Mandans’

extinction. By 1837, their population was

decimated to 125 people with the outbreak of

smallpox, which they were not immune to. In

1934, the Mandans merged with two other tribes

with the Indian Reorganization Act. The last pure

Mandan died in 1971.

4. Chisca: The Chisca were a tribe living in

eastern Tennessee and southwestern Virginia.

When waging wars against Europeans especial

Hernando deSoto, the tribe was initially

successful. They were, however, defeated by

Juan Pardo of Spain. In the late 1700s, the tribe

combined with the Shawnee under the name

Chaskepe. By 18th century, they Chisca were

extinct and their towns were burnt down by

colonists.

5. Hachaath:Previously living on Vancouver Island

and Barcland Island, they were part of the Nootka

group of tribes. Contact with Europeans and

May 2012 VANA PREMI

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smallpox is blamed for their extinction.

6. Bo: For about 65,000 years Bo culture and

language existed in the Great Andaman region

of India. The tribe, culture and language

associated with Bo became extinct in 2010 when

its last surviving member, Boa Senior died.

7. Tasmanian Aborigines: An indigenous people

in the state of Tasmania were decimated by

diseases. The Black War between 1828 and 1832

between British colonists and Tasmanian

Aborigines also contributed to the group’s

extinction.

8. Ona: Ona were the last group of natives to be

reached by explorers. They used to live in what

is presently known as Chile and Argentina.

Although they had good relations with explorers,

their numbers decreased by early 1900s. They

were extinct by mid-20th century, despite efforts

made by Christian Missionaries.

9. Tainos: They were an indigenous population

living in present day Bahamas. With the arrival

of Europeans and raids, the Tainos were driven

out of their homes. In 18th century, the tribes

were decimated by smallpox. The Spanish took

many of the Tainos women and began to

interbreed. They are now extinct, with the

exception of many mestizos.

10. Powhatan: Powhatans were confederation

of tribes in Virginia. They spoke Algonquin

languages known as Powhatan and Virginia

Algonquin. Many tribes of the Powhatan became

extinct and now only 8 are left.

5. Indian grandmother is the world’s oldest

professional sharpshooter: -At 78, most

pensioners are reliant on the glasses to even read

a newspaper. But not Indian, Grandmother

Chandro Tomar. With a £1,200 pistol in hand, and

her sari draped over her long silver hair, it’s

believed she’s the world’s oldest female

professional sharpshooter.She has entered and

won over 25 national championships across

India as well as raising six children and 15

grandchildren.

Almost ten years ago Chandro took her

granddaughter to a local firing range in Johri

village, in Uttar Pradesh, India. Her biggest fan is

her daughter Seema, who is also an international

shooting star becoming the first Indian woman

to win a medal at the Rifle and Pistol World Cup.

(Please see the last cover page for Photograph)

6. Cute little Finger Monkeys: - Could you

imagine the existence of such tiny monkeys

which could crawl on human hands/fingers-

beyond fiction like Gulliver Travels!They are

native to rain-forests of Brazil, Peru, Bolivia,

Ecuador and Colombia. (Source: Buzzle) Finger

monkeys are, as a matter of fact, pygmy

marmosets. They are also known by the names

“pocket monkey” and “tiny lion”. This cute little

primate hugs and grips on to your finger so tight

that it pulls your heartstrings, and you wish you

could take it home with you.

The finger monkey is the tiniest living primate

in the world. It’s so small that it can hold on to

your finger. These primates belong to the family

Callitrichidae, species Cebuella and genus C.

May 2012 VANA PREMI

41

pygmaea.Enjoy! If it wasn’t for the Vana Premi,

would you have ever seen or have known about

these little creatures?

(Please see the last cover page for Photograph)

7.Red Crabs:-At the beginning of the wet

season on Christmas Island more than

150 million red crabs move from inland shelters

to the shore for their annual breeding season.

During this time, usually from October to

November, the entire forest floor, and even the

roads that run through it, are swathed

in a sea of red in one of the most spectacular

animal migrations in the world.

8. Bamboo bicycle:-Dodhi Pathak, a resident of

a small village, embarked on a journey of

innovation that helped fellow residents and

brought him national recognition.

It is said that necessity is the mother of all

inventions. Nowhere does this adage seem more

apt than in a small village in Nalbari district of

Assam in India. Driven by poverty and an

indomitable spirit to master all odds,

DodhiPathak a resident of the district, embarked

on a journey of innovation that has made his life

easy, helped fellow residents and brought him

national recognition.

Pathak was born in a poor family and commuting

for him was a daily struggle. He wanted to buy a

bicycle, but when he went to the market he

realized that even a second hand model was

beyond his reach. Undeterred, he returned home

and started thinking of ways to overcome his

problem of commuting. He hit upon a novel idea

of making a bicycle with the help of abundantly

available raw material – bamboo. A trained

artisan and a baul singer, Pathak began his heroic

effort with the enthusiasm of an entrepreneur.

9. Secret elephant graveyard discovered in

the heart of Africa:- Lying in crumpled heaps,

severed body parts strewn nearby, this is the

terrible toll of the ivory trade on a once-thriving

herd of elephants.

Thirty-five carcasses of the majestic gentle giants

were found mutilated in a single attack by

poachers at a popular safari destination in

Cameroon. The heart-breaking sight was

captured by a photographer last month - 20

years after the global ivory trade was officially

banned to protect Africa’s herds.

Cameroon is one of a number of African

countries whose elephants are at risk of

extinction due to a spike in organised gangs of

poachers targeting them for their tusks. Local

activists say 400 elephants may have been killed

in this park alone since the beginning of the year

– almost its total population according to the

World Wildlife Fund.

This region of the country did contain Africa’s

largest population of savannah elephants. There

are thought to be less than 5,000 elephants left

in the whole country.

10.Strong earthquake strikes off the coast

of Mexico :- A strong earthquake struck off the

coast of Mexico on Thursday, (12-4-2012) waking

May 2012 VANA PREMI

42

up residents living near the Gulf of California,

only hours after a separate temblor swayed tall

buildings in Mexico City, causing evacuations.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 6.9

magnitude quake hit the waters between the

Baja peninsula and the northern state of Sonora

at 12:15 a.m. local time. The temblor was

centered 82 miles northeast of Guerrero Negro,

and 133 miles west of Hermosillo, and it hit some

6.4 miles below the surface.

It follows a 6.4 magnitude quake which struck a

sparsely populated area in the mountains of

western Mexico on Wednesday, and caused

multi-story buildings to sway more than 200

miles away in Mexico City.

11. Fish building (NFDB head quarter) in

Hyderabad: - The fish building is constructed

by National Fisheries development Board. This

is located on Rajendarnagar, Vadi-e-Mahmood,

National highway 7 on the 5.13 acre land of

NFDB. To give colour to the Fisheries head quarter

complex a fish like shape was given with an

expenditure of nearly 20 crore rupees. This fish

building is another unique landmark for

Hyderabad, which is one of its kinds in India and

Asia. (Please see the last cover page for Photograph)

12. Ten Storey, tree house:- The world’s tallest

treehouse, located in Crossville, Tennessee,

makes the Swiss Family Robinsons look like a

bunch of amateurs - but that might be because

it was commissioned by God. The 1960 Disney

film about a family shipwrecked on an island

features an impressive treehouse complete

with its own water mill. But the Robinson’s home

pales in significance next to this structure, which

took builder Horace Burgess 11 years to build.

The enormous treehouse is a whopping 10,000

square feet but only cost Horace a reasonable

$12,000 thanks to his thrifty use of recycled

materials. Inside there are spiral staircases, a

sanctuary, a choir loft, a basketball court, and

countless rooms, walkways and balconies.

(Please see the last cover page for Photograph)

13. ‘Cycling must to stay fit and protect

environment’:-Health-conscious elites form a

cyclist club in Ongole on Sunday to stay fit and

protect the environment,.In a good initiative,

people from different walks of life on Sunday

formed a ‘Shantivanam Cycle Club’ to promote

the use of cycles for good health and also protect

the environment from further degradation.

District Legal Services Authority secretary G.

Ramagopal inaugurated the club, an initiative of

like-minded doctors and people from other

walks of life.

Town Development Committee president A

Kondal Rao led an impressive cycle rally on the

occasion.

Club secretary Machikanti Venkateswara Rao said

“we will organise events, including expeditions

on a regular basis to draw more health-conscious

people to the club’’.Indian Medical Association

Ongole chapter treasurer G Panidhar said

“cycling is the right exercise to keep oneself fit,

May 2012 VANA PREMI

43

particularly for those having knee pain’’.

Members of the Walkers Club at the

Rangarayuduchervu vowed to come by cycle

everyday and avoid use of motorcycles, while

coming for walking.

As more and more people turn diabetic, there is

an urgent need to change our lifestyles, Dr K

Sudhkar says. Cycling helps those suffering

diabetes keep blood sugar level well under

control, he adds.

Those interested in joining the club could

register their names at the Mega ENT Hospital

on the Sundaraiah road, Manchikanti added.

14.Desi version of porridge sold like hot

cakes: With the sun showing no mercy this

summer, tasty and delicious Palmyra fruits

(nongu), tender coconuts, watermelon, and fresh

fruit juice, are in good demand.

‘Kammankoozh ‘(pearl millet porridge) and

‘kezhvaragukoozh’ (ragi porridge), both

traditional drinks of the villages, have been

sought after this summer as they are believed

to keep the body cool.

Millets, one of the oldest grains to be consumed,

are healthy and non-acidic after consumption.

In south India it is taken as porridge or as

pancakes (adai and dosa). Pearl millet is a highly

nutritious and a gluten free grain, that is full of

vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

Mini temporary stalls selling kammankoozh and

kezhvaragukoozh, set up by villagers, have come

up in the nook and corner of the city. A glass of

kammankoozh keeps the body energetic and

cool for a couple of hours.

Saravanan, a villager from Madurai, who has set

up a makeshift stall at the busy Chathiram bus

stand, has to work overtime this summer.

Customers prefer kammankoozh to

kezhvaragu for beating the heat and regaining

energy.

It takes about an hour for him to prepare the

koozh , using about five to six kg of pearl millet

and ragi. However, the preparation

commences the previous evening itself. The

pearl millet and ragi mixed with water should

be kept in traditional mud pots overnight,

ensuring its delicious flavour gained through

the porous effect of the mud pot.

Mr.Saravanan says that mouth-watering side

dishes like pickles made of beans, fried

appalam, chillies, besides mango, never fail to

attract more customers. A glass of

kammankoozh and kezhvaragukoozh is sold for

Rs. 10 and his stall functions from 8 a.m. to 3

p.m. The business proves to be a good source

of revenue to villagers as is the case with

Mr.Saravanan whose stall attracts over 100

customers a day. It is a common sight to see

scores of villagers transporting the koozh by

bicycles to the city much ahead of the break of

dawn. A large number of stalls could be spotted

at all the busy areas and street corners like

Gandhi market, Chathiram bus stand, Palakkarai,

Cantonment, central bus stand, Tennur,

Subramaniapuram, Woraiyur.

May 2012 VANA PREMI

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May 2012 VANA PREMI

45

In a male-dominated world of business, these

Indian women have broken all barriers to get to

the top.

1. Name: Chanda Kochhar

Role: Managing Director and Chief Executive

Officer

Company: ICICI Bank Limited Chanda began her

career with ICICI as a Management Trainee in

1984 and has thereon successfully risen through

the ranks by handling multidimensional

assignments and leading all the major functions

in the Bank at various points in time.

2. Name: Vinita Bali

Role: Managing Director Company: Britannia

Industries Vinita has always made

unconventional decisions. Rising prices of wheat,

sugar and dairy products affect her as much as

they do every housewife.

3. Name: Kiran Mazumdar Shaw

Role: Chairman and Managing Director

Company: Biocon India Kiran is India’s bio-tech

queen. She says in a an interview to Forbes India

that she learnt the importance of self-reliance

and personal re-invention at an early age. From

starting of with Rs 10,000 in a garage her

company Biocon is today worth Rs. 1,511 crore.

4. Name: Mallika Srinivasan

Role: Chairman and CEO

Company: TAFE Mallika believes in a no-frills

working style. She has risen to become India’s

tractor woman making an indelible impression

in a heavily male-dominated industry. TAFE’s

turnover, a mere Rs86 crore in 1985 - the year

she joined - had risen to Rs5,800 crore by 2010/

11

5. Name: Ekta Kapoor

Role: Joint Managing Director and Creative

Director

Company: Balaji Telefilms Ekta has created a

niche for herself as the queen of the silver screen

soaps. She rules almost every television

network.

6. Name: Neelam Dhawan

Role: Managing Director

Company: Hewlett-Packard India Neelam has

been an icon for women in the IT industry. There

were just a handful women in the industry way

back in the early 80s when she began her career

accidentally at HCL.

7. Name: Preetha Reddy

Role: Managing Director

Company: Apollo Hospitals Preetha has been

instrumental in the group’s quality certification

process (ISO 14001 and 9001). As a trailblazer,

she ensured the JCI accreditation process in five

of the group hospitals in Delhi, Chennai,

Hyderabad, Ludhiana and Dhaka. Apollo

Hospitals group is India’s largest healthcare

company.

8. Name: Shobhana Bhartia

Role: Chairperson and Editorial Director

Company: Hindustan Times Media

Shobhana, a nominated member of the Rajya

Sabha, also runs one of India’s largest media

houses. HT Media made revenues of Rs 1,815

crore in 2010/11.

INDIA’S MOST POWERFUL BUSINESSWOMEN

May 2012 VANA PREMI

46

In this case the Government was trying to

protect the area which was in the forest and was

of religious significance and the mining which

was taking place was detrimental to

environment and hazardous to the health of the

inhabitants and those taking parikrama. The State

Government has notified the intention to

declare it as Protected Forest and has appointed

officers to make the record of rights envisaged

under Sec. 29 (3) of the Forest Act 1953 before

issuing notification under Sec. 29 (1) of the said

Act.

Aggrieved by the action of the Government, a

mining owner VishnukumarSinghal filed W.P No.

224 / 2010. The writ petition was heard by a

Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Arun

Mishra and Justice Miss Bala M. Trivedi. The matter

was decided by the High Court of Rajasthan on

25.7.2011.

The Court held that the proviso to Sec. 29 (3)

imposing reasonable restrictions in the interest

of general public and reasonable exercise of

rights enshrined under Art. 19 (1) ((g) is

unassailable in view of Art. 19 (6) of the

Constitution of India.

It was further held that the provision cannot be

said to be illegal or arbitrary or violative of any

of the rights of the petitioners. Mining is not the

only activity which is required to be protected.

It cannot be at the cost ecological imbalance

and detrimental to environ. Any development

has to be sustainable. On the other hand,

LEGAL NOTESVishnukumarSinghal Vs. State of Rajasthan &Ors.

environmental damage due to reckless mining

has assumed alarming proportion and once the

State Government has decided to ultimately

declare the area in question to be Protected

Forest, no mining operation could have been

permitted, same is a precautionary measure. The

notifications which have been issued on

13.11.2009 were fully in accordance with Art. 14,

21 and the statutory provisions concerned in

Sections 29 and 30 of the Act of 1953. The duty is

cast under Art. 48-A that the State shall, endeavor

to protect and improve, the environment and

safeguard the forests and wildlife. Therefore the

state Government has rightly declared the

intention to declare the area as a Protected

Forest under Sec. 29 (1) and has issued

notification invoking proviso to Sec. 29 (1) of the

Act of 1953 declaring area to be Protected

Forest. Notification under Sec. 30 has also been

rightly issued. As such, no mining activity can be

permitted to take place as provided under the

aforesaid provisions. The action of the State

Government restraining mining operations in

the area in question as precautionary measure

was perfectly within the framework of law and

the same was in conformity with the law laid

down by the Supreme Court.

Consequently, it was held that the proviso to Sec.

29 (3) of the Act of 1953 cannot in any manner

be said to be unconstitutional and violative of

Articles 14, 19 (1) (g), 21 and 300 A of the

Constitution. The writ Petition was dismissed.

K.B.R.A.I.R. 2011 (NOC) 439.

May 2012 VANA PREMI

47

At the outset Sri K.Santokh Singh, Secretary of

the Association, welcomed the Members &

Ladies to the 62nd General Body meeting. The

Chief Guest Sri Hitesh Malhotra, President, Vice

President, Jt. Secretary and Editor, Vana Premi

were requested to occupy their seats on Dias

and placed the agenda before the President with

a request to preside over the function.

1. Shraddanjali- The members stood in silence

for two minutes to pay homage to the departed

souls of Sri V.S.Sastry , Smt.K.Rameshwar & Sri

Narendra Kumar, I.P.S., who passed away recently.

2. Felicitation of Chief Guest- The Association

honoured the chief Guest, Sri Hitesh Malhotra

IFS, Prl.Chief Conservator of Forests, on his

appointment as the head of the Forest

Department.

3. Releasing of Telephone Directory, 2012- The

Chief Guest released the Telephone Directory

of the Retired Forest Officers Association

members which is printed in multi colours with

addresses, telephone numbers & e-mail IDs and

distributed to the members.

4. Address by the Chief Guest-The Chief Guest,

Sri Hitesh Malhotra addressed the members and

expressed his gratitude for the honour

bestowed on him. He elaborately explained the

details of forthcoming International Biodiversity

Meeting to be held in Hyderabad in the month

of October, 2012. He explained in detail on the

arrangements made by the Forest Department

for this prestigious meeting to be attended by

the members of more than 123 Countries and

sought the advice of senior members in this

regard.

5. ACTION TAKEN REPORT of the SECRETARY-

The Secretary in his report explained to the

General Body, the action taken on the decisions

of 62nd GBM held on 11/12/2011 and 74th

E.C.meeting held on 19/11/2011 and there upon

the General Body has taken the following

decisions on various issues.

6. Sri T.Krishna Murthy IFS, Retd.Prl.CCF

informed the members that the Indian

International Friendship Society has honoured

him with BHARATH JYOTHI AWARD and the BEST

CITIZEN AWARD was conferred by the

International Publishing House for the

exemplary works carried by him in the field of

Forestry & Environment. The Association

unanimously decided to felicitate Sri T.Krishna

Murthy during the next General Body Meeting

to be held in June,2012.

7. Sri P.Kanakaratnam once again explained

the benefits of having AASRA card of GHMC and

requested the members to utilize the

enrolement forms available with Sri BSN Prasad

to get the AASRA cards.

MINUTES OF 63RD GENERAL BODY MEETING OF THEASSOCIATION OF RETIRED FOREST OFFICERS HELD ON

11-03-2012

May 2012 VANA PREMI

48

8. The President expressed his unhappiness on

the dwindling attendance of members and

requested the members to attend the meetings

in large numbers in future.

9. Vote of Thanks- Sri P.Upender Reddy,

Jt.Secretary cum Treasurer proposed vote of

thanks to ladies and members who attended the

meeting. Thanks were extended to the Chief

Guest who accepted our invitation & attended

the meeting, inspite of his busy schedule, and

for addressing the members. Thanks were

extended to Wild Life Division staff for providing

meeting hall and also for making necessary

arrangements. On behalf of all the members,

special thanks were extended to Sri Qamar

Md.Khan , Sri C.Sudhakar Rao & Sri V.V.Rajam, who

hosted LUNCH to the members. Sri Iqbal Singh,

Sri A.Kishan & Sri Raman Goud volunteered to

host lunch during the next G.B.meeting.

Secretary

A young man sprinkling his lawn and bushes with

pesticides wanted to check the contents of the

barrel to see how much pesticide remained in

it. He raised the cover and lit his lighter; the

vapours inflamed and engulfed him. He jumped

from his truck, screaming. His neighbour came

out of her house with a dozen eggs, yelling: She

broke them, separating the whites from the

yolks. Another neighbour helped her to apply

the whites on the young man’s face. When the

ambulance arrived and when the EMTs saw the

young man, they asked who had done this.

Everyone pointed to the lady in charge. They

congratulated her and said: “You have saved his

face.” By the end of the summer, the young man

brought the lady a bouquet of roses to thank her.

His face was like a baby’s skin.

Healing Miracle for burns:

Keep in mind this treatment of burns which is

included in teaching beginner fireman this

method. First aid consists to spraying cold water

BURNSon the affected area until the heat is reduced

and stops burning the layers of skin. Then, spread

egg whites on the affected are. One woman

burned a large part of her hand with boiling

water. In spite of the pain, she ran cold faucet

water on her hand, separated 2, egg white, from

the yolks, beat them slightly and dipped her

hand in the solution. The whites then dried and

formed a protective layer.

She later learned that the egg white is a natural

collagen and continued during at least one hour

to apply layer upon layer of beaten egg white.

By afternoon she no longer felt any pain and the

next day there was hardly a trace of the burn. 10

days later, no trace was left at all and her skin had

regained its normal colour. The burned area was

totally regenerated thanks to the collagen in the

egg whites, a placenta full of vitamins.

This information could be helpful to everyone:

Please pass it on.

May 2012 VANA PREMI

49

Registered with RNI R.No. Apeng/2002.2185Postal Regn. No.LII/RNP/HDC/1154/2012-14

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