Environment

Space institute to axe fragile land
 
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has agreed to the land in Ponmudi Hills, near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala,  for setting up the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology. After many a controversy regarding the land, which saw the government and the ISRO in a tug of war, the Space Institute campus is coming up on the Ponmudi Hills, which has been earmarked as ecologically fragile.
As the country has made advances in the field of space, a Space Institute is a necessity and no one would ever question this. But the real question is about the location chosen.  The ISRO from the beginning of the proposal was quite determined for a location at a higher altitude. They opine that the campus should be at a higher altitude, as that could only cater to their requirements. This itself is contradictory as most of the reputed Space Institutes in the world have their campuses in the plains and an observatory at a high altitude.  When almost all the ISRO’s establishments are on the plains, why can’t it think of the plains?  Why is it that they want to infringe into the ecologically fragile land?  The land that has been chosen is entirely a forest stretch and is thick with threatened ”Gluta travancorica”, which is included in the red list of International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. 

Issues/land

Reversing Land Reforms; Are Communists for it?

Will the Communists scrap or reverse the ”Land reforms” in Kerala, a landmark resolution which had transferred agrarian power to the agricultural labourers and poor peasants in this tiny state of India? This has become a hot topic of discussion, and a decision if at all, would surely backtrack the rebellious ”land reforms” Act of the first Communist government?

 The ”Land reforms” have helped in shaping the Kerala society by bringing down to a great extent the economic, class and caste inequality and ended the statutory landlordism and the ”janmi” system, and limited the ownership of landholdings.

Soon after the formation of the state in 1957, The Land Reforms Bill of 1959 introduced by the first Communist ministry had the very clear objective of breaking landlordism. It realised the slogan of ”land to the tiller” which had been the promise of the freedom struggle. The tenants became the owners of the land they cultivated and tenancy was banned in all forms. It also imposed limits on landownership and distributed surplus land to the landless.

A new thought has been kick started now with the Communists again at the helm of power. Kerala Industries department has suggested that the Kerala Land Reforms act be repealed taking into account the changed circumstances. The department has also pointed out that the law was binding on the industrial development in the state and the land reforms, having served its purpose, were no longer relevant.

Information Technology

Gods Own Country becomes smarter in IT

Kerala, the gods own country, has taken a leap forward in Information Technology, finding a place in the global IT map with the Smart City project becoming a reality. The foundation stone for the ”Smart City” was laid jointly by Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and Smart City Executive Director Farid Abdul Rahman. With this Kerala, the southern state in India which was till known for its tourist spots, is all set to take a big leap in knowledge-based industry.
The project, first major FDI in the IT sector in the state, would spread over in an area of 8.8 million square feet, of which 70 per cent would be for IT and its enabled services. To be modelled along the lines of the Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City, Smart City is going to be home to the best IT companies
from India and abroad.

Environment

 ’Water budget’, need of the hour in God’s Own Country

Despite 44 rivers, copious lakes, and a good deal of rainfall, Kerala, which receives more water than

Water experts and hydrologists in the state feel that unless there is a proper ”water budget” on the availability, allocation and conservation/preservation of water resources, Kerala would face a severe shortage of water in the near future.

The State of Environment (SoE) Report, Kerala 2005, released last month, has come out with this startling find. ”Total availability and allocation should be done appropriately. There should be a water budget on availability, needs, economic, social, ecological and environmental aspects,” says E J James, Director, Centre for Water Resource Development and Management.