Air pollution is detrimental to public health
Ever since globalisation set its foot in, one needs to take a critical look at activities that have taken place in the name of development. People have been able to access a lot of facilities in the name of modern technology. But the impact of this unabated development has been largely negative on the environment. Official statistics say one among eight deaths happens due to air pollution. Pure air is becoming dearer with every passing day.
A global survey indicates the average life of Indians is getting reduced by 1.7 years owing to pollutants in the air. Lung cancer, heart attack, difficulty in breathing, stroke, and diabetes are caused due to air pollution. Industrial effluents, unabated construction, dust emanating from sub standard roads, the carbon emanating from the vehicles, smoke that arises when garbage is burnt, all this has turned into a major threat to the prevailing quality of air in the country. Supreme Court has been issuing warnings to state and Central governments regarding this issue time and again.
Environmental experts and scientists, along with activists of social service organisations have been voicing their concerns in no uncertain terms regarding this. But the administrators who sit in AC chambers hardly care about this. Government issues license to businesses like mining which cause great harm to ecology. Influential politicians have license to those businesses that render irretrievable damage to atmosphere. Though this damages everyone, those who are sitting in corridors of power are totally deaf to this cause. Not just this, those sitting in corridors of power protect the wrong doers who are politicians and bureaucrats.
The level of this pollution may be less in Karnataka compared to other states, but Bangalore is all g those cities which suffers massively owing to air pollution. Compared to Delhi, Bangalore is home to more gardens and number of industries are very less too. But this city is home to over 80 lakh vehicles that can destroy the atmosphere. If this has to be checked, there has to be a cap on number of private vehicles that can be owned by people. In a city like Bangalore, a family of four members usually own four cars too with one car per member. This can lead to serious destruction to environment. Hence the government has to improve public transportation and reduce the usage and need of private vehicles. The wood fire stove used by people living in villages contributes significantly to air pollution.
North India has high instances of this. Hence the government has to provide every household with bio gas powered stoves or solar cooking units. If the waste part of crops is allowed to decompose in the soil, it would serve as a good fertiliser. Use of diesel generators have to be restricted. Pollution Control Board has a large role to play in this regard. But at the moment this agency is almost non existent. More than anything else, this issue has to become a prominent topic in election manifesto.
Without addressing these issues, spending thousands of crores on public health would be a total waste of resources. Not just the government, even NGOs and citizens groups have to be proactive in checking this menace. Mining is the most pertinent and majorly contributing factor to this menace. The result of unabated mining is not just plundering of resources, but also massive destruction of ecology. When mining took place in Bellary around the time when BJP government was in power, it rendered the whole area useless. Both legal and illegal form of mining thrived in this area. Since the most influential occupying high offices were involved in mining, it was difficult to catch and penalise them. Mining stopped only after relentless crusade by Justice Santosh Hegde and environmental crusader S R Hiremath.
Mining continues in many parts of the country beyond Karnataka as well. Influential politicians are behind this. Central government has entered into agreement on consuming the forest resources that was protected and safeguarded since many years in states like Odisha, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and other resource rich states. So the tribals who were settled in those areas since ages have been uprooted. Those who oppose this are being shot to death. If the government is really concerned about ecology, it should stop displacing the tribals. Lip service isn't enough to check air pollution. Effective steps have to be initiated to ensure this is done in letter and spirit. Checking air pollution leads to improved public health. A healthy citizen makes for a strong country. Modi government does not have a clear environment policy. At least in the coming elections environment has to be made the election manifesto.
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US SEC summons Gautam Adani, nephew Sagar in bribery case
New York (PTI): Adani group founder and chairman Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar have been summoned to explain their stand on the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) allegation of paying USD 265 million (Rs 2,200 crore) in bribes to secure lucrative solar power contracts.
Summons have been sent to Adani's Shantivan Farm residence in Ahmedabad and his nephew Sagar's Bodakdev residence in the same city for a reply to SEC within 21 days.
"Within 21 days after service of this summons on you (not counting the day you received it)...you must serve on the plaintiff (SEC) an answer to the attached complaint or a motion under Rule 12 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure," said a November 21 notice sent through the New York Eastern District Court.
"If you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint. You also must file your answer or motion with the court," it added.
Gautam Adani, 62, and seven other defendants, including his nephew Sagar, who is a director at the group's renewable energy unit Adani Green Energy Ltd, allegedly agreed to pay about USD 265 million in bribes to Indian government officials between approximately 2020 and 2024 to obtain lucrative solar energy supply contracts on terms that expected to yield USD 2 billion of profit over 20 years, according to an indictment unsealed in a New York court on Wednesday.
Separate from the indictment brought by the US Department of Justice, the US SEC has also charged the two and Cyril Cabanes, an executive of Azure Power Global, for "conduct arising out of a massive bribery scheme".
The ports-to-energy conglomerate has denied the allegations and said it will seek all possible legal resources.
"The Adani Group has always upheld and is steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency and regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions of its operations. We assure our stakeholders, partners and employees that we are a law-abiding organisation fully compliant with all laws."
An indictment in the US is basically a formal written allegation originating with a prosecutor and issued by a grand jury against a party charged with a crime. A person indicted is given formal notice to reply.
That person or persons can then hire a defence lawyer to defend.
Prosecutors said the investigation started in 2022 and found the inquiry obstructed.
They also allege that the Adani Group raised USD 2 billion in loans and bonds, including from US firms, on the backs of false and misleading statements related to the firm's anti-bribery practices and policies, as well as reports of the bribery probe.
"As alleged, the defendants orchestrated an elaborate scheme to bribe Indian government officials to secure contracts worth billions of dollars and... lied about the bribery scheme as they sought to raise capital from U.S. and international investors," US Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement announcing the charges on Wednesday.
"My office is committed to rooting out corruption in the international marketplace and protecting investors from those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the integrity of our financial markets."
