-The Hindu Projects in critical forest habitats are being considered or have been given clearance by the Environment Ministry Few countries are witnessing such severe direct and indirect devastation on account of the COVID-19 pandemic as India. Yet, there is little attention on the roots of our vulnerability. Our challenge is hardly limited to escaping a virus with lockdowns and Masks in the short term, and vaccination in the long term. It would...
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At the forefront of India’s healthcare system, ASHA workers soldier on — unprotected and poorly paid -Anuradha Raman
-The Hindu Every government health scheme, including the one to fight COVID-19, needs ASHA workers to implement it at the grassroots level. So why can’t they at least be paid on time? If Anita Sharma*, an ASHA worker (or Accredited Social Health Activist), had a Twitter account, she could have tagged @drharshvardhan, the health minister, and introduced herself thus: My name is Anita. My job profile has changed since the coronavirus pandemic....
More »Draft EIA notification institutionalises 1 season data for baseline -Ishan Kukreti
-Down to Earth Such data is needed for assessing impact of a project on the environment; experts fear Environment Impact Assessment studies will become misleading Data from only one season can be used to create a baseline for projects under the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020 unveiled by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) March 12. Baseline data is needed in EIA reports that predict the impact a...
More »Clutching at straws -TK Rajalakshmi
-Frontline.in The government uses specious arguments on COVID deaths and recoveries in comparison with other countries to cover up for its ill-thought-out strategies. On June 1, while briefing the media, the Joint Secretary (Health), Lav Agarwal, presented several PowerPoint graphs showing how India’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic was on a par with, if not better than, many countries vis-a-vis mortality and recovery rates. This was on a day when the number...
More »30 million people, one coronavirus testing lab: Crisis in eastern Uttar Pradesh -Supriya Sharma
-Scroll.in As migrant workers return to the region, the number of cases is rising – as is the backlog of tests. On Sunday morning, June 7, the chief medical officer of Jaunpur district sat in his office, shooting muffled instructions to his staff from behind his N-95 Mask. “Arrange 10 mattresses quickly,” he told a man who tentatively stood next to his desk. “We need to prepare 100 beds immediately.” “Why have 25 thalis...
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