Beneficiaries of the scheme to replace houses vulnerable to natural calamities along the coast with disaster-resistant dwelling units are entitled for one-time shifting charges and reimbursement of monthly rent for 12 months. Enquiries reveal that Collectors of coastal districts, other than Chennai and Tiruvarur, had identified a total of 52,569 houses located within 1,000 metres from high tide line (HTL) and 200 metres from backwaters, as vulnerable to natural calamities. They had suggested that the houses be replaced with disaster-resistant dwelling units under the World Bank-assisted Emergency Tsunami Reconstruction Project (ETRP) and financial assistance from the Centre. The government decided to take up construction of 22,000 houses (15,869 in rural areas and 6,131 in urban localities) out of 52,569 units in the first phase under the Union government-funded Tsunami Rehabilitation Programme (earlier known as Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation Programme). These houses would be built at the cost of Rs. 2.38 lakh per unit at the same site where the old and weak structures stood. Apart from funding the construction of new houses, one-time shifting charges of Rs.1,000 would be extended to the beneficiaries who were also entitled to a monthly rental reimbursement of Rs.500 for 12 months from the date on which they handed over possession of vacant land to the contractor. It was obligatory on the part of the beneficiaries to raze the old structure and level the site before handing it over, official sources said. Inspecting the Tsunami Rehabilitation Programme works being carried out in Tiruporur block on Saturday, Secretary, Rural Development, Ashok Vardhan Shetty, directed officials to immediately release one-time shifting charges to 39 families at Pattipulam, who had been identified as beneficiaries. He also inspected on-going cement concrete road laying works, with assistance from the Asian Development Bank, in tsunami affected hamlets in the block.

UN report predicts 55 per cent of Indians will live in cities by 2050 Half of the world's population is expected to turn urban by the end of this year. A UN report now estimates that cities in Africa and Asia will account for most of the growth in urban population by 2050. However, over 45 per cent of India's population may continue to live in villages, down from the 70 per cent now. In comparison, only 30 per cent of Chinese are expected to live in the countryside, against 60 per cent now. The growth in urban population is a historical trend and India can't be an exception. People have historically moved from rural areas to urban enclaves due to social and economic reasons and aspirational factors. Cities generate more jobs than villages, especially in the organised sector. They have good schools and hospitals, diverse markets, vibrant cultural spaces and are assumed to offer a better quality of life. People naturally prefer to migrate to cities when given the opportunity. The flip side of this trend is that cities can get overcrowded and stretch public utilities. Many Indian cities face this prospect. One way to address this problem is to incentivise reverse migration so that our overcrowded cities are decongested, besides, of course, upgrading the facilities in urban centres. Reverse migration is now a realistic proposition due to social and economic changes and emergence of new forms of technology. Our democratic institutions are now more representative and inclusive thanks to Panchayati Raj. Women and lower castes have a visible presence in local government. Social oppression that forced many people to flee villages to cities is on the decline in most parts of the country. The IT revolution is changing the concept of work and workplace. Many non-metros have benefited from these changes. As local economies grow in size markets too will diversify and more jobs will be created in and around these cities. More small towns could reap the benefits of the emerging economy if local governments pursue the right policies. The task before the government is to make policies to ensure that urban amenities presently available only in big cities reach small towns and even villages. States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu have demonstrated that this could be achieved. These two states have built a seamless network of small towns and villages well connected by roads and communication links. As the Budget has revealed India does not face shortage of capital. The task is to ensure that resources are deployed in the right manner. An urbanised population spread more evenly over a large number of cities would be a better option for the future than a handful of overcrowded mega cities.

Endangered sea turtles such as the Olive Ridley have inspired campaigns to save the seas, sandy beaches, and dunes. To save turtles is to save an entire ecosystem. But this protected mascot species faces a rising threat from avoidable coastal development, the planting of exotic trees, and the illumination of beachfront dwellings. The building of coastal structures, including groynes and walls, blocks off access and exacerbates erosion; the planting of casuarina trees preve nts nesting; and lights along the coast confuse turtle hatchlings, fatally attracting them inland. Unless these threats are addressed quickly and scientifically, the Olive Ridley may lose its nesting habitats in the Indian subcontinent and suffer a sharp decline. For many years now, Olive Ridley deaths traceable to human interference have been high. Despite high levels of awareness, recent reports speak of a continuing tragedy. Indian Institute of Science ecologists fear that about 10,000 turtles die annually in Orissa, where they nest en masse. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh provide low or medium density habitats but they are vital to the health of the species. The planting of casuarina trees on the coast, particularly along the high tideline, is a man-made stressor for the Olive Ridley. Although the intention is to protect habitations from cyclones using a tree belt (as in Tamil Nadu), using an exotic species to create a barrier is at best naive. The outcome of massive tree planting on the high tideline on the basis of shaky evidence threatens to deprive the Olive Ridley of its nesting habitat, and many other species of their general habitat. Scientists at a conference organised in Tamil Nadu in 2006 by the Forest Department, the UNDP, and the Nature Conservation Foundation outlined such negative outcomes of poorly conceived interventions. Clearly, it is futile to attempt engineering solutions to make coastlines resilient to natural events such as cyclones and tsunamis: the ecological costs are just too high and the benefits uncertain. There is little merit in creating coastal casuarina plantations (which many fishermen do not favour around their habitations) and concrete groynes and walls (which accelerate coastal erosion elsewhere). The substantial funds available for such projects from multilateral and official agencies can instead be used to mitigate fundamental problems that affect ecosystem health: pollution, saltpans, aquaculture, and inappropriate constructions. A healthy future for the Olive Ridley and the rest of the ecosystem depends on providing active protection on the coast and allowing coastal ecosystems to regenerate naturally.

The future of India lies in the health of her children. The latest Human Development Report shows that 47 per cent children are underweight. Over 34 per cent of Indians live on less than Rs 40 a day. The mid-day meal (MDM) scheme is thus a necessity. It is an investment the country makes in the health of its children. But unfortunately, the government's implementation of the scheme leaves much to be desired in most parts of the country. Recently, some of our young MPs

M. Rajivlochan Towards Water Wisdom: Limits, Justice, Harmony by Ramaswamy R. Iyer. Sage. Pages 270. Rs 350. Towards Water Wisdom: Limits, Justice, HarmonyOUR pot of water woes is brimming over. That does not seem surprising, according to Ramaswamy R. Iyer, since even though India is one of the few countries in the world which is blessed with an adequate quantity of water, there is a tremendous amount of mismanagement of water resources. While the country has over 4,000 billion cubic meters (bcm) of annual rainfall and almost 2000 bcm of river flow, the reality remains that we have had constant lamentations about the shortage of water and the destruction of fertile soil because of the overuse of water. According to experts, we have already poisoned most of our major rivers to the extent that their waters are not fit for drinking any more and very soon would be unfit for irrigation as well. Under such circumstances, Iyer suggests, it is important to remove ourselves from the hurly-burly of water conflicts, mull over our relationship with water a little more than it has been possible till now and then, serendipitously think of a constructive way out. That calls for wisdom which has been lacking till now in our management of water resources. In this thought-provoking book, Iyer quickly takes us through the various conflicts that have marked the use and misuse of water since Independence. He looks at the various demand-driven policies made by the government for the management of water. However, fulfilling the demand does not necessarily result in an efficient use of water. For a long time, the main focus of the government was to increase the amount of water for irrigation to increase food grain production. Today, over 80 per cent of the total water used in India is for agriculture. However, of the water available for irrigation, more than 60 per cent is wasted. India is one of the few countries in the world where the cities provide as much as 200 litres per capita per day of water. It goes without saying that most of it is wasted, used for cleaning toilets, washing cars and maintaining gardens. No wonder our fields and cities constantly starve for water and our states busy fighting over it. Karnataka battles Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra fights with Karnataka, Punjab has its sword drawn against Haryana and Madhya Pradesh is getting ready to battle both Utter Pradesh and Gujarat. The fights have become so intense that today even the Supreme Court is wary of pronouncing firmly on the judicious distribution of water resources lest it be drawn into an irresolvable conflict. While the state governments battle each other for water, they find it increasingly difficult to manage the supply to their own citizens. Hence they are trying to palm off the management of water resources to private parties in the hope that private ownership of water would ensure market rates being charged for the water use and correspondingly less wastage. Whether this would generate even more inequalities is a matter that the states are not willing to consider at the moment. All this suggests that we are completely lacking in water wisdom, insists Iyer. Hitherto we have left the matter of planning for water in the hands of experts. Engineers, planners and economists may be very well in providing suggestions on how best to go about using our water resources, but for every expert there seems to be an equal and opposite expert who under political pressure is willing to provide contrary advice equally strongly backed by scientific evidence. Hence, Iyer suggests, the need of the hour is to get out of the conundrums created by experts and apply some Gandhian thinking. First and foremost this means restraining our greed for more water and bringing about a change in the way that we think about water as a resource. The state needs to play the role of a trustee over this resource and the people have to be involved in preserving it and encouraged to live in harmony with nature and each other.

Key aspects of Tamil Nadu project may be replicated in other States National Urban Health Mission implementation likely in 3-4 months' time Tamil Nadu is the best performer in the implementation of the National Rural Health Mission, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has said. Speaking to press persons after a review of the implementation of the NRHM in Tamil Nadu, Dr. Anbumani said the team from the Health Ministry was very impressed with the State government's performance in the sector. The number of deliveries in PHCs had increased dramatically

The Chamarajanagara Zilla Abhivriddhi Horata Samiti and Hogenakal Jalapata Ulisi Zilla Samiti has urged the Governor to seek the immediate intervention of the President for stalling the Tamil Nadu Government's "unethical' attempts to build a reservoir across the Cauvery in the vicinity of Hogenakal Falls. It has clarified that the ongoing works on the reservoir should be stalled until a joint survey by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Government was conducted and the Supreme Court pronounced its stand on the Cauvery Waters Dispute Tribunal's final report. Office-bearers The office-bearers of the samitis, Ashwathnarayana, Puttaraje Urs, Simeon D'Silva and K. Veerabhadraswamy, told presspersons here on Friday that it was not clear on what grounds work orders for the reservoir in the forest area had been issued. The Tamil Nadu Government had approved the drinking water project contradicting its own stand. It was know that Karnataka wanted to launch a drinking water project to Male Mahadeshwara Hills. But the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J. Jayalalithaa objected to it, they said. Encroachment They alleged that encroachment of the Karnataka lands, illegal sand mining from Gopinatham, black stone mining from Palar Munji tank, increasing illegal structures at Hogenakal Island, Atnakampatti, Jambutapatti and Alambadi villages had reflected the "connivance' of the Karnataka Forest Department officials with the Tamil Nadu at the cost of agricultural production.

The Government is investing heavily in the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme and the Rainfed Area Development Programme and in the management and augmentation of water resources. Notwithstanding some shortcomings, the growth of agricultural credit has been impressive and for this I have to thank our scheduled commercial banks and Regional Rural Banks. Between them, they account for about 75-79 per cent of agricultural credit disbursed during any year. We will exceed the target set for 2007-08. For 2008-09, I propose to set a target of Rs 2,80,000 crore. Short-term crop loans will continue to be disbursed at 7 per cent per annum and I am making an initial provision of Rs 1,600 crore for interest subvention in 2008-09. What ails agriculture, among other things, is the fall in investment. However, there seems to be a turnaround. Gross Capital Formation (GCF) in agriculture as a proportion of GDP in the agriculture sector has improved from a low of 10.2 per cent in 2003-04 to 12.5 per cent in 2006-07. This, however, needs to be raised to 16 per cent during the Eleventh Plan to achieve the target growth rate of 4 per cent. Government is investing heavily in the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) and the Rainfed Area Development Programme and in the management and augmentation of water resources. Under AIBP, 24 major and medium irrigation projects and 753 minor irrigation schemes will be completed in this financial year, creating additional irrigation potential of 5,00,000 hectares. The outlay for 2007-08 was Rs 11,000 crore with a grant component of Rs 3,580 crore. These are being increased in 2008-09, and the estimated outlay is Rs 20,000 crore with a grant component of Rs 5,550 crore. The Rainfed Area Development Programme has been finalised and will be implemented in 2008-09 with an allocation of Rs 348 crore. Priority will be given to those areas that have not been the beneficiaries of watershed development schemes. The centrally sponsored scheme on micro irrigation launched in January 2006 has brought an area of 5,48,000 hectares under drip and sprinkler irrigation within two years. I propose to allocate Rs 500 crore for the scheme in 2008-09 with a target of covering another 4,00,000 hectares. Pacts with World Bank Agreements have been signed with the World Bank by the Governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka under the project to repair, renovate and restore water bodies. The three agreements are for a total sum of $738 million that will benefit a command area of 9,00,000 hectares. I am confident that similar agreements will be signed soon between the World Bank and the Governments of Orissa, West Bengal and some other States. While these ongoing programmes will raise the level of investment in agriculture, I think that we need an ambitious scheme of a much larger proportion. Government is of the view that massive investments are required to be made in irrigation projects. Recently, Government has approved 14 projects that satisfy certain criteria as national projects and three of them alone would require Rs 7,000 crore during the Eleventh Plan period. Having regard to the magnitude of the challenge, I propose to establish the Irrigation and Water Resources Finance Corporation (IWRFC) with an initial capital of Rs 100 crore contributed by the Central Government. State Governments and other financial institutions will be invited to contribute to the equity. It is our intention to mobilise the very large resources that will be required to fund major and medium irrigation projects. I hope to be able to incorporate IWRFC as a company before March 31, 2008. Pending a decision on an alternative crop insurance scheme that is acceptable to the farmers as well as viable to the insurer, the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) will be continued in its present form for kharif and rabi 2008-09. I propose to provide Rs 644 crore for the scheme. Government will continue to provide fertilisers to farmers at subsidised prices. Government is examining proposals to move to a nutrient based subsidy regime and alternative methods of delivering the subsidy.