English newspaper of
the Sikh diaspora, Surrey Canada-based CHARHDI
KALA, (Issue of June 20-June 26, 2001 : Vol. 17 ; No. 25). (http://www.khalistan-affairs.org/)
It was also published in the third week of June in the Vancouver-based PUNJAB GUARDIAN, Toronto-based SANJH SAVERA, Calgary-based SIKH VIRSA
and numerous other Punjabi/English weekly and monthly publications which cater
to the three million strong Sikh diaspora in Europe, Africa, Asia and
Australia. It can be viewed on the Khalistan
Affairs Centre web site :
http://www.khalistan-affairs.org/main/k_calling/kc06202001.htm.
The Overseas Sikhs, unlike their 19 million compatriots captive in India, are
free and prosperous and they are determined - as they believe it is their
destiny and pray for it every day; Raj
Karay Ga Khalsa; Sikhs will rule - to carve a sovereign, democratic,
egalitarian Sikh buffer state of KHALISTAN
in South Asia, stretching from the Jumna
river on the East to the Pakistan border on the West, China on the Northeast
and Kashmir on the North.
Khalistan Calling newsletter dated
June 20, 2001.
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INDIA MOST POLLUTED COUNTRY IN ASIA - PERC
Survey
--------------
Haryana tries new tactics on SYL canal
issue to steal Punjab's water
---------------
BY
Dr. Amarjit Singh
956-National Press
Building, Washington DC 20045 USA
Tel: 202-637-9210 ::
Fax: 202-637-9211
INTERNET SITE
INFORMATION:-
Web Site: http://www.khalistan-affairs.org/
E-mail Address:mailto:k_affairs@hotmail.com
Washington DC:
June 20, 2002: According to a recent
regional survey India was percieved to be the most polluted country in Asia
while Singapore, Malaysia and Japan are the cleanest. Pollution, (which covers
the quality of air and water, noise levels and traffic congestion) has been
singled out as the biggest complaint among expatriates living in Asia,
according to the latest survey conducted by the prestigious Political and
Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd (PERC) this according to India's leading
newspaper The Times of India.
For the Survey, PERC asked
expatriates living in twelve Asian countries and territories to rate the
quality of air and water, noise as well as traffic. "Air pollution is
generally considered to be the biggest single environmental problem in Asia
while traffic congestion is another headache throughout the region," PERC
said. Ratings for each category were averaged into an overall grading scale
from zero to 10, where zero was the best and 10 the worst.
In the overall grade
Singapore topped the Survey with a score of 3.38, beating Japan with 3.63 and
Malaysia with 4.50 to become the only three countries with a score better than
the average of 5. Thailand had an overall grade of 7.02, South Korea 6.25, and
Taiwan 5.84. They were followed by Vietnam with 7.63, the Phillipines with
7-55, Indonesia with 7.33 and Hongkong with 7.28. India emerged with the worst
pollutions in Asia with an overall score of 8.31.
According to the PERC Survey
India's major cities have among the highest levels of sulphur dioxide and
nitrogen oxide pollution of any country in the world. "A fifth of the
urban households in India (this includes Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and
Chennai) have no access to safe drinking water, just 23 per cent have toilets
and only 48% have sanitation coverage," the report said. "Air
pollution is generally considered to be the biggest single environmental
problem in Asia, while traffic congestion is another headache throughout the
region," PERC said in its report. "The perception of water and noise
pollution is more mixed and in terms of water resources, this is not a crisis
waiting to happen - it is already there," the PERC report said.
In the quality of air people
breathe the Phillipines scored the worst in air quality with a grade of 8.60.
Hongkong came next with 8.47 and India at 8.13. For water quality Vietnam
scored the worst with a 9.0 followed by India with 8.63. The PERC report said
that; "China was the worst in terms of noise pollution with 8.13 followed
by India and Vietnam tied at 8.00. In terms of traffic congestion, expatriates
gave the thumbs down to South Korea with a score of 9.00. The Phillipines with
8.60 was neck and neck with India at 8.50." The report has raised the very
valid question of: "how sustainable the economic development of India can
be in the medium term with this kind of pollution?" Why would foreign
money invest in such a cess pool?
How sustainable India's
economic development will be, and how serious the Indian government is to
tackle the problem, was brought out in another issue of The Times of India - June 04, 2001 - by a writer, Chandrika Mago who wrote; " A year
after a government committee (chaired by the Industrial Toxicology Research
Centre chief) painted an alarming picture of environmental pollution in India -
and the health care system's inability to handle the fall out - NONE of its
recommendations have actually begun seeing the light of the day. Its report
hasn't even been sent to all ministries as there was a shortage of copies."
Shortage of copies???
According to this May 2000
report by the Toxicology Institute, an estimated half a million Indians die
each year from indoor pollution, particularly the use of traditional fuels.
Ambient air pollution kills an estimated 84,000 people each year. India a poor
developing country spends about Rs. 4,600 crore (a billion dollars) a year to
make up for health damages caused solely by ambient air pollution."
Another noted
environmentalist, Anil Agarwal, asks
in the Hindu newspaper; "Will India ever be able to control polution? Most
of our rivers, specially the smaller ones, today are toxic drains: Sabarmati,
Bhadar, Yamuna, Damodar, Betwa, Noyyal, Bhawani to name just a few. Groundwater
too, is becoming polluted, which is a major source of drinking water - and most
of it is drunk without any treatment." Agarwal forgot to mention the air
pollution and the pollution of the small rivers of the Punjab and the depletion
and pollution of its groundwater. Delhi is considered one of the most polluted
cities in the world and when its pollution level reached 1,055 ug/cum in 1997
it was considered a disaster. Nobody talks of Chandigarh's horrendous air
pollution which in comparison stands at 1,254 ug/cum. Ludhiana's pollution is
even worse.
With the pollution in the Punjab
(the worst in India) and depletion of its over ground water resource - which
could help in keeping the underground water clean - being syphened free of
charge to Rajashthan and Haryana for the last forty years, a report in the
Tribune of May 28, 2001 states that, a new assault on Punjab's future has been
launched by the crafty Hindu landlords of Haryana. We quote verbatim: "a
farmers (?) delegation from Haryana, accompanied by women and children - some
of them Haryana Sikhs - went to Darbar Sahib to seek the Akal Takht Jathedar's intervention on 'humanitarian grounds' for the release of
Punjab river waters in the controvertial Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal.
The visit was organized by the Haryana chapter of the Bharatya Kisan Union,
which is known for its agitational approach to solving problems." End
quote. Maybe humanitarian grounds for Haryana but suicide for the Punjabi
Sikhs!!!
Incidently the Punjab
chapter of the Bharatya Kisan Union 'wisely' did not join Haryana farmers in
the charade of pleading their case at the Harmandir Sahib. Our sources in Delhi
however, report that the crafty morally repugnant 'Hindu-Brahmin' lobby in
Delhi is trying to tempt and influence Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh to
betray the Sikh homeland on the SYL water issue with an offer of a federal
ministry for his son. Is Badal about to betray the Punjab as he betrayed the
Sikh farmers of Udham Singh Nagar? Will Badal do anything about the pollution
levels in the Sikh Homeland of Punjab, Khalistan for our children and their
children? The answer unfortunately, seems to be YES for the first question and
NO for the second.
KHALISTAN
ZINDABAD
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