Unesco adds Western Ghats to heritage list

If you have travelled along the Western Ghats which stretches 1,500 km from Tapi valley in the north along the Arabian sea, touching six states - Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu - 44 districts and 142 talukas, you will realise that it is a treasure trove of biodiversity. It is home to 1,500 endemic species of flowers and plants and around 500 species of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. The ghats are also called the 'Water Tower' of Peninsular India as many of the rivers flowing through the southern parts of India originate here. But these natural resources are far from preserved in the ghats. Practically every river has been dammed, many dams are silted because of encroachment and deforestation in catchment areas, scores of mines have scarred the land, destroyed forests and polluted water bodies, and large tracts of land have been hived off for future special economic zones (SEZs) and new hill stations. Only the places marked as protected areas or wildlife sanctuaries have remained unaffected.

Given this background, it is puzzling to find the Western Ghats Ecological Panel report that is now up on Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) website with a disclaimer: "The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel report has not been formally accepted by the ministry and that the report is still being analysed and considered by the ministry." 

In the latest development on this move, on Monday, July 2, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, better known as Unesco, has identified and added India's Western Ghats to its World Heritage List, thereby further putting a question mark over projects such as mines and power plants located here. Thirty-nine sites of the Western Ghats have been selected as heritage sites and all these are protected areas. This means that mining and power plants and any other infrastructural development cannot be operational here. The cluster of sites are in Agasthyamalai, Periyar, Anamalai, Nilgiris, Upper Cauvery in Kodagu, Kudremukh, and Sahyadri. Sites are selected for their outstanding universal value, based on the magnitude of identifiable biological and cultural significance.

Special: The Great Indian Green Trick 

Will this move now awaken the state governments and the MoEF in accepting the Western Ghats Panel report that calls for environmental governance? 

One has to move back in time to understand the context of the situation. Alarm calls raised by activists to protect the Western Ghats guided the MoEF, during the tenure of Jairam Ramesh as Minister of Environment, to constitute the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) in March 2010. This initiative was led by noted Pune-based ecological expert Madhav Gadgil. Since the report was presented by Gadgil in August 2011, little action has been taken by MoEF and most of these findings were out of bounds for the public. Had it not been for the persistent petitioning by environmental groups and right to information activists across these six states, the report would not have been made public until two months ago. The Central Information Commission (CIC) ordered the report be made public.

The reason for MoEF's reticence is obvious: the 13-member panel had concluded that the entire Western Ghats is an ecologically sensitive area. And, within this overall ecologically sensitive area, it has defined three types of Ecologically Sensitive Zones, namely ESZ1, ESZ2 and ESZ 3.

In all three zones, it has recommended that there should be no SEZs, no new hill stations, no inter-basin linking of rivers and that dams which have outlived their utility should be decommissioned. In ESZ 1, the highest sensitive zone, it suggests no new mines, existing ones to be phased out, no new polluting industries, existing ones to be converted to zero pollution, no large storage dams or thermal power plants and no new railway lines or national highways. New mines will also not be permitted in ESZ 2, but existing ones can operate under strict conditions. In addition to no new polluting industries, existing ones to be made zero pollution, no new large storage dams but existing thermal plants can continue if they eliminate pollution. And in ESZ 3, new mines, new industries and thermal power plants will be permitted under strict conditions and a social audit.

  Sindhudurg's last stand

India already has a slew of environmental laws, including the Biodiversity Act of 2002 and the National Biodiversity Authority in 2003, apart from the National Green Tribunal that has just started functioning. But the real significance of the WGEEP report is its recommendation that the best way to protect biodiversity is to vest gram sabhas and panchayats with the power to look after their own ecological wealth. "There is no democratic process in which decisions are taken while giving ECs. Inclusivity should be there," says Gadgil. ECs are short for environmental clearances.

WGEEP's recommendation overturns the accepted norm of creating centralised decision-making bodies that have little idea of local conditions or sensibilities. A very good example of how localised authorities can be effective is the Dahanu Taluka Ecology Authority in Maharashtra, set up on directions of the Supreme Court, which has succeeded in protecting the eco-sensitive nature of that area despite its proximity to Mumbai and pressure from strong political and business interests.

The WGEEP argues that rather than dividing the entire region into "go" and "no-go" areas, this type of categorisation allows conservation and development to coexist. It has also recommended "adaptive co-management" where decisions are taken after full consultation and involvement of the local gram sabhas. The statutory body to clear projects will be the Western Ghats Ecology Authority (WGEA) with powers under Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1983. It is expected to work alongside state-level bodies in the six states located along the Western Ghats.

"We are not anti-development. But, calling for some environmental governance," says Gadgil. "The expert panel's report is being misinterpreted. It is being interpreted as if our guidelines and recommendations are imposition of conservation measures by us," explains Gadgil.

The MoEF and the respective state authorities have yet to approach the WGEE panel to discuss the report. Gadgil says: "Formally no authority has approached us yet. But Patangrao Kadam, Maharashtra's forest minister, and Pravin Paradeshi, forest secretary of Maharashtra, discussed this issue with me when the matter came up in a public meeting in Pune on 9th June. Shri Kadam told me that he would try to arrange a meeting with Chief Minister to discuss the matter." But so far this has not happened.

Goa Mining industry For Goa, the mining and quarrying industry comes second only to tourism in terms of revenues earned.  Most of the mining in Goa is in the Western Ghats extending 65 km from southeast to northwest spanning some 700 sq km. Goa is the only state in India, as a result of a historical regulatory legacy, where iron ore mines are concentrated in lease areas of less than 100 hectares. Most mining leases are located in and around wildlife sanctuaries and forest areas. For example, 31 leases are within two km of sanctuaries, of which seven are working mines. Up to 13 leases are within a km of wildlife sanctuaries. Around 2,500 hectare of forest area waw lost to mining in the period 1988 to 1997. According to a report by environmental NGO Vanashakti on mining in Goa, some 400 mining leases had been granted in the state till 2002-03, covering approximately 303.25 square km. This works out to almost eight per cent of the total geographic area of the state.  "Number of mines is increasing every year. Assuming that total mining project that came to expert committee since June 2007, gets cleared then another 8.4 per cent and 5.3 per cent geographical area of Sanguem Taluka  and Quepem Taluka respectively will get converted into mines," says the report. Mining in Goa has relied on the open-cast method which requires the clearing of large tracts of forests, removal of the overlying nutrient rich top soil, and finally excavating the ore rich soils. Open cast or strip mining is one of the most destructive forms of industrial activites in the world. In many areas of the world, companies have replaced the method with better practices like 'room and pillar' extraction, which does not envisage destruction of forests or destruction of nature on the surface. Goa has deposits of iron, manganese and bauxite, and the mining belt of approximately 700 sq. km is mostly concentrated in four talukas of Bicholim of North Goa and Salcete, Sanguem and Quepem in the South Goa district. Mining and associated activities have greatly affected the natural landscape in and around these areas, which is characterized by the presence of pits and waste rejects. Iron ore production in Goa has always been 100 per cent export oriented. The first export of 100 tonnes was in 1947. The figure rose to one million tonnes by 1954, 10 million tonnes by 1971, and 13-15 million tonnes in the 1980s. Today, due to the demand from China, the quantity has reached 33 million tonnes. One description of the situation is that Goa is being hollowed and being relocated to China. One of the main reasons for the mining business to thrive in Goa and elsewhere in the Western Ghats is because of faulty Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) reports that are required to be drafted by the mining companies to get an environment clearance (EC). In most cases, these reports are prepared by consultants who are appointed by the project proponent themselves and are consequently riddled with incomplete and false information. The EIA drafts are also to be presented to the public in their local language which very rarely takes place. Public hearings are even more rare. Further, the EIA drafts are to be vetted by anExpert Appraisal Committee (EAC) that is supposed to have a fair representation of experts from the region in which the project is located - in most cases, this never happens. Also, the EAC deliberation typically takes place in Delhi, without, a visit to the project site to find out what is written in the EIA draft is accurate or not. Despite all these loopholes, ECs are granted to projects. WGEEP recommends an indefinite moratorium on new environmental clearances for mining in Ecologically Sensitive Zones 1 and 2 in Goa and a phasing out of mining by 2016 in highly sensitive layer of the area. Other recommendations are: no mining should be allowed in the Western Ghats in Goa in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries and closure of all mines that have been extracting ore beyond limit allowed by ECs and those operating in the catchment areas of dams used for drinking water.

E-commerce companies take up to five years to show profits: Subrata Mitra

Subrata Mitra, Partner at Accel, is on the board of top Indian e-commerce companies Flipkart andMyntra. He says that some companies may take up to five years to show profits. 
What does Accel think about the path to profitability for e-commerce firms in India? So far, most have been burning cash because of delivery models such as "cash on delivery". How long will it take for players that emerged around 2007 to be profitable? We don't believe that the delivery model is causing these companies to burn cash. It's a question of weighing customer acquisition costs to a reasonable lifetime value; today acquisition costs are high, repeats are low and basket sizes are low for most ecommerce companies. However, as companies mature in terms of their brands, product selections and customer experience, they should see significantly better repeat behavior, and that is the only way that ecommerce would make sense. 

At the unit level most companies cannot afford to have negative margins; however, e-commerce is capital intensive due to inventory and infrastructure requirements, and therefore overall profitability can only come with some minimal scale. So, the short answer would be that these companies might want to scale in the immediate future (assuming capital is available) and then try to get to break-even by increasing efficiencies as scale starts to taper off. If historical data from other geographies is any indicator, companies may take up to five years to show major profits.
 
What does Accel make of the competitive landscape for e-commerce in India? They are many players and none of them have any pricing power. Given such a scenario, what is the financial viability of e-commerce players in the country? The somewhat older companies have started to show volumes and therefore have better price economics than before. As more and more consumers buy online the markets would expand, and companies will get to scale. The exact timing of it is hard to predict, but longer term our feeling is that there will be several successful e-commerce companies in India. We are starting to see online sales contribute significantly in many categories to a brand's overall commerce.  More interestingly brands believe they are reaching new customers through e-commerce whom they otherwise cannot reach given their current (offline) retail networks.
 
Would the profitability graph (time before they can become profitable) of Indian e-commerce firms be different from that of its US or Chinese peers? Please substantiate. Not totally sure, but companies like Amazon took many years to become profitable, and when then did, they are (at least partially) responsible for Borders going out of business. Likewise, there are many ecommerce companies in China which are burning (way more than numbers in India) cash. So, our feeling is that it's a characteristic of the category. We need a reasonable size of internet savvy user-base for successes to happen, and that might still take some time; however, beyond that tipping point, many e-commerce companies might become viable; possibly more than US, since organized retail in India might never have high penetration.
 
Talk about Accel's investments in the e-commerce space. 
In the time horizon of our currently active funds, we do expect several e-commerce companies to scale and become successful. Our investments are in line with that philosophy; e.g., we have recently made new investments in BlueStone and Zansar, which are in large unexplored e-commerce categories. Obviously, lot of the outcome depends on how online savvy users are and the numbers of such users that are available; all indicators are that these numbers are moving in the right direction, and will likely get to critical mass in a few years. However, it's equally important for these companies to execute very efficiently, keeping the burn lower and scaling in tune with the market. 

Leading with Examples of Innovation

Straddling two worlds

Burberry reinvented itself by combining the traditional with the digital

  

GLOBAL 
Area of innovation: Customer experience
Year: 1997 to date

To survive in the intensely competitive industry of high fashion, companies typically compete by continuously reinventing their styles and offerings. Burberry, the traditional British clothing brand, decided to gain a competitive edge by focusing on providing an enhanced customer experience - both in their brickand-mortar stores as well as online. 

The new customer experience was created by combining traditional British fashion designs and in-shop boutique displays, with cutting-edge technology. This unique mix enabled Burberry to reinvent itself as a highly desired and admired luxury fashion house.

To deliver superior customer experience, Burberry prioritised its own branded boutique outlets over multi-brand stores. The new boutiques were re-styled to combine the traditional Burberry designs and classical British style with modern technology, such as touchscreens, iPod docking stations and the like - a mix that resonated well with today's luxury shoppers who value tradition, but at the same time embrace modern technology and lifestyle.

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TODAY'S CONNECTION
Burberry trebled revenues over 13 years, a big turnaround for a waning luxury brand. It has two American CEOs to thank for this - Rose Marie Bravo and incumbent Angela Ahrendts.

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Burberry did not limit itself to embracing modern technology only in its stores - it aggressively exploited the opportunities offered by the Internet, digital marketing and social media by making its online experience just as distinctive and 'branded' as its in-store experience. By doing so, it also widened its reach to a wide global audience.

Burberry began streaming 3D live broadcasts of its runway shows from five cities around the world and then putting these shows online through 80 partner websites, reaching a potential audience of one million.

In comparison, the traditional catwalk show in Milan or London is limited to a few hundred of its exclusive clients. Customers around the world can now view the show on their iPads, click on a product they like and have it delivered in a few weeks via Burberry's 'Worldstore' portal. 

Burberry was among the first to build a presence in social networks. It now has over six million 'fans' on Facebook - more than any other fashion brand, including competitors such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci.

Focusing on "virtual marketing" has also helped Burberry reach out to luxury-obsessed shoppers in emerging markets. With the help of technology and the Internet, Burberry has become one of the most recognisable and desired fashion brands in the new world economies like China - driving revenue growth both in the new markets as well as in Burberry's traditional markets.

This year, while other fashion retailers continue to report revenue decline and decreasing profits in the aftermath of the financial crisis, Burberry's revenue is expected to rise by around 27 per cent to $1.5 billion, with operating profit close to $300 million.

Deep Kalra, Founder & CEO, MakeMyTrip.com Innovation breeds efficiency In the rapidly growing and dynamic market of today, innovation is necessary for a company's growth, as well as to establish a brand. In this fast-paced world, increasing efficiency is the key requirement in order to face competition and sustain growth. Hence, innovation is essential as it breeds efficiency. With the impact of globalisation, increased access to the Internet and Web 2.0, there is significant development for companies that undertake quick, intelligent solutions that will help them build sustainable competitive advantage. Burberry has focused on creating customer delight through innovation in technology and providing best-in-class customer experience, both online and in its boutique stores, which is the right step forward. Burberry's customer approach is based on the premise that customer experience needs to be enhanced in order to elevate the brand's perception. India is potentially a big market for the brand, and Burberry has changed its global product, as well as its marketing strategy in accordance with the demographic changes in the Indian market. The products that have been added to the Indian offering are from the global portfolio, but still aligned to Indian audiences' preferences and taste. So the brand is moving in the right direction. Keeping the Indian context in mind, I would say it is extremely crucial Burberry uses Indian models on its website, as it would give potential Indian customers a realistic product presentation that they can relate to. In order to drive faster adoption, Burberry could try a hybrid model, in which it could display its key products in a few stores across major cities in India and use this to drive purchases online. In the present market scenario, it becomes important for all companies to innovate in order to stay ahead of competition. Local industry bodies and the government should set up innovation hubs and forums to drive leadership through innovation in growth industries such as retail, travel and technology. Also, companies should allocate funds to incubate projects that breed innovation and experimentation. But at the same time, they should build resilience for failure if it happens.

Ethos, Pathos, Logos

A General Summary of Aristotle's Appeals . . .

The goal of argumentative writing is to persuade your audience that your ideas are valid, or more valid than someone else's. The Greek philosopher Aristotle divided the means of persuasion, appeals, into three categories--Ethos, Pathos, Logos.

Ethos (Credibility), or ethical appeal, means convincing by the character of the author. We tend to believe people whom we respect. One of the central problems of argumentation is to project an impression to the reader that you are someone worth listening to, in other words making yourself as author into an authority on the subject of the paper, as well as someone who is likable and worthy of respect.

Pathos (Emotional) means persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions. We can look at texts ranging from classic essays to contemporary advertisements to see how pathos, emotional appeals, are used to persuade. Language choice affects the audience's emotional response, and emotional appeal can effectively be used to enhance an argument.

Logos (Logical) means persuading by the use of reasoning. This will be the most important technique we will study, and Aristotle's favorite. We'll look at deductive and inductive reasoning, and discuss what makes an effective, persuasive reason to back up your claims. Giving reasons is the heart of argumentation, and cannot be emphasized enough. We'll study the types of support you can use to substantiate your thesis, and look at some of the common logical fallacies, in order to avoid them in your writing.

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Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.

Logos (Greek for 'word') refers to the internal consistency of the message--the clarity of the claim, the logic of its reasons, and the effectiveness of its supporting evidence. The impact of logos on an audience is sometimes called the argument's logical appeal.

Ethos (Greek for 'character') refers to the trustworthiness or credibility of the writer or speaker. Ethos is often conveyed through tone and style of the message and through the way the writer or speaker refers to differing views. It can also be affected by the writer's reputation as it exists independently from the message--his or her expertise in the field, his or her previous record or integrity, and so forth. The impact of ethos is often called the argument's 'ethical appeal' or the 'appeal from credibility.'

[P]athos (Greek for 'suffering' or 'experience') is often associated with emotional appeal. But a better equivalent might be 'appeal to the audience's sympathies and imagination.' An appeal to pathos causes an audience not just to respond emotionally but to identify with the writer's point of view--to feel what the writer feels. In this sense, pathos evokes a meaning implicit in the verb 'to suffer'--to feel pain imaginatively.... Perhaps the most common way of conveying a pathetic appeal is through narrative or story, which can turn the abstractions of logic into something palpable and present. The values, beliefs, and understandings of the writer are implicit in the story and conveyed imaginatively to the reader. Pathos thus refers to both the emotional and the imaginative impact of the message on an audience, the power with which the writer's message moves the audience to decision or action.

Man and Nature...

Kyun raahe tu udaas sa,

kyun khoya behisaab sa,

puche tujhse ye saara jahaan,

kya hai teri aisi dastaan...

neeli jheel ki nirmal maya,

behti thi jo chanchal kaya,

kari ho gayi uski chaya,

jeevan usne apna ganwaya...

puche mujhse ye saara jahaan,

sunlo dekho ye hai meri dasataan..

Kyun raahe tu udaas sa,

kyun khoya behisaab sa,

puche tujhse ye saara jahaan,

kya hai teri aisi dastaan...

uchhe kad ki vinamr thi chaya,

usme me jo bachpan tha bitaya,

iss jag ne hai seesh nawaya,

jeevan usne apna ganawaya,

puche mujhse ye saara jahaan,

sunlo dekho ye hai meri dasataan..

shor hai itna tumne badaya,

dhuanwe ka tumne dhund banaya,

dushman sa mujhko hai sataya,

jeevan tumne apna hai ganawaya,

puche mujhse ye saara jahaan,

sunlo dekho teri meri dasataan..

Nayi peedi ki swach dara tu, 

Haath pakad kar waqt ka chal tu,

Dhara ki kanchan pulkit varan tu,

Nayi soch ka mod lekar chal chala tu,

Ab to sunle ye saara jahaan,

Ek nayi anokhi hogi apni dastaan.....

-----Being a PAL

     Nikhil

If Only..my dedication to its inspiration..

A thousand muted words,

A thousand countenances,

Draped in a smile thou behold,

And a fire that unfold.

Like the dawn of the day,

Like dreams of the night,

All shadowed now, all that swayed

In the gilded petals of frozen might.

Of all the chords and speech,

Nay I am not the note, not right,

Of the all the colors of the life,

Nay I am not the blue and the brown.

But, is a blossom of a floating time,

Wanderings in a rainbow heart,

A fragrance that sublime,

Morning dew on thy nature's art.

Nay not hate me,

With the gleam dropt down afar,

Nay never pain thee,

For the cold of the moment ajar.

Beam like the sun,

Flow like the river,

Twinkle with the stars,

Belong to the serene calm.

Just row the valley within,

Beseech the brows from the way in,

Thou knowest after all,

The symphony of only a longing ode.

A thousand muted words,

A thousand countenances,

Wild is a fire,thou unfold,

And a smile thou behold.

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