GUWAHATI, August 7: The Phralung Buddhist Tribal Youths' Organisation has chalked out a 10-point programme for the uplift of the Phralung Buddhist community of Assam. The organisation was set up on December 2, 1998 on the occasion of the 770th foundation anniversary of Assam with its headquarters at the Patsako Central Thai Academy in Sibsagar district. The programme of the organisation includes establishment of Buddhist monasteries, temples, prayer halls, libraries and Pali and Thai educational institutions and construction of buildings for the purpose of housing the socio-cultural and educational organisations and institutions of the community. The programme includes a social campaign for getting the Phralung Buddhist tribal population enumerated as a distinct entity in the census records and arrangements for inclusion of the community in Scheduled Tribes list of the state and reservation of two Assembly seats - Mahmara and Thowra in the district of Sibsagar - for the community, besides a Parliamentary seat for the community in the Upper Assam districts as per the provision of reservation for ST communities. Phralung Buddhists are mainly a priestly clan. They have been demanding for the past several decades constitutional safeguards to them as Scheduled Tribes and government steps for their socio-economic uplift and safeguard to their religion, language and culture. (Staff reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 8, 1999)

IMPHAL, August 7: Hundreds of human rights activists from the entire northeastern region have come out unitedly to fight the draconian laws imposed in the region. The human rights defenders from West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh have also agreed to observe November 27 as Anti-Armed Forces Special Powers Act Day until and unless the Act is repealed. This was announced by a team of human rights activists of Manipur who participated in the recently-concluded Amnesty International workshop at Bhubaneswar. The executive director of Human Rights Alert, Babloo Loitongbam, said the recent gathering also urged the armed forces and the armed opposition groups involved in the armed conflict to conform to the relevant international laws enshrined in the Geneva Convention of 1949 and its subsequent optional protocols. It also requested the Union government to invite the International Committee of Red Cross to offer its services in the Northeast. Altogether 15 activists of nine groups from Manipur participated in the meet. They also urged the Indian government to seek political solutions to the problems of the Northeast by respecting Articles 1,19 and 25 of the ICCPR as recommended by the UN Human Rights Commission. Regarding the restrictions imposed on access of international human rights monitors, they also urged them to allow Amnesty International Researcher and the UN Special Rapporteur on Execution and Torture to visit the region. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 9, 1999)

GUWAHATI, August 8: A pilot project to reduce the maternal and infant mortality and morbidity rate has been launched in four districts of Assam by the state branch of the Indian Council of Child Welfare (ICCW). The project, sponsored by United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), if found successful, will be expanded to more districts later. According to the National Family Health Survey 1992-93, the under-5 infant mortality rate in Assam is 142 per thousand, one of the highest in the country. The all-India figure is 109 per thousand. Similarly, the maternal mortality rate in Assam is 544 per lakh births against the national rate of 453 per lakh. In Kerala, the rate is only 87 per lakh. The project, known as Integrated Approach to Reduce Maternal and Child Mortality and Morbidity in Assam, was launched in the second quarter this year after initial survey were carried out last year. Three villages each, in Nagaon, Kamrup, Jorhat and Darrang districts have been selected for the purpose. The villages are Rangamati, Paka Bangipara and Bezpara in Darrang; Bhito Kakila Kalbator, Mout Gaon and South Sarenia gaon in Jorhat; Dilkabasti, Malibasti and Bordol in Nagaon and Baliajhar, Rajapukhuri and Saru Tezpur in Kamrup. The project is likely to expand to eight villages each in the four districts if the initial phase of the programme shows the desired results. More district may be brought under its ambit in the later phases. The state general secretary of the ICCW, Nibedita Hazarika, said Rs1.38 lakh has been allocated by UNICEF for the first phase of the programme. This amount is to be made available through the state government. The programme aims at improving the health of the mother and child, reduction of maternal morbidity (sickliness) and infant mortality rate, generating awareness among rural women and adolescent girls. Its objectives are to carry out baseline demographic information assessment of maternal and child health care and utilisation in the selected villages, identifying such services, working out practical and community based systems for emergencies and monitoring the progress through community checking of records and mid-term evaluation. (Staff reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 9, 1999)

KOHIMA, August 8: The Centre has assured the Nagaland government of all help to contain seasonal viral epidemics like typhoid and malaria. PR Thapar, deputy director of the National Malaria Eradication Programme, New Delhi, who recently visited Dimapur, Jalukie and Kohima for an on-the-spot study of the malaria viral outbreaks in the state, expressed satisfaction over the preventive measures taken by the state medical department, and said the epidemic was now under control, official sources said here today. Prior to his departure for New Delhi, Thapar lauded the department for effectively containing the viral diseases without immediate assistance from the Centre. Out of 4,000 people screened, 500 cases were found to be malaria positive, of which 30 cases were of cerebral malaria, he said. Thapar assured the state government of fulfilling its proposal on containment of the seasonal epidemic and sufficient supply of anti-malaria drugs immediately. (United News of India; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 10, 1999)

MOKOKCHUNG, August 9: Altogether 650 people have died of communicable diseases in two Nagaland districts since mid-June, official sources said. Malaria, viral fever, hepatitis, typhoid and gastroenteritis have swept across most of the villages in Mokokchung and Mon districts and Peren subdivision in Dimapur district claiming 650 lives in the past two months, the sources said. Even as public health officials claimed to have contained the spread, the toll in likely to go up with no official figures available from remote villages which are inaccessible to mobile medical teams. (Press Trust of India; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 10, 1999)

GUWAHATI, August 9: Both structural and non-structural methods should go hand in hand in taming the Brahmaputra. For the purpose of taming the river, a method should be designed in a manner, which gives equal emphasis on bamboo plantation near the roads and embankments and cane/nal and katah plantations near the river courses, according to Manik Kar, Professor of the Centre for Disaster Management, Tezpur University. He also called for an all-out social move in a concerted manner to mitigate disasters like floods. Kar who developed a flood history of the state through arduous research work, has also designed a model for effectively checking the erosion caused by the Brahmaputra and its tributaries. The model gives emphasis on developing cane and katah (a thorny and bushy bamboo) near the river course and a bamboo forest along the ridges of the embankments or roads running along the river. Similar patterns of developing forests on the other side of the embankments or roads, facing human habitats, should also be followed to resist the erosion caused by the rivers, said Kar, adding that disaster mitigation methods are, however, complex and interdependent. These methods require for their implementation effective leadership and coordination, he said. Mitigation will be most effective if safety measures are spread through a wide diversity of integrated activities. However, active mitigation measures that rely on incentives are more effective than passive ones, which base on restrictive laws and controls, Kar observed. But, he said, mitigation must not be isolated from related elements of disaster planning such as preparedness, relief and reconstruction, and, where resources are limited, priority should be given to the protection of key social groups, critical services and vital economic sectors. Without continuous monitoring of the changing patterns of hazards, vulnerability and resources, mitigation measures suffer from handicaps, while public apathy and lack of political commitments also make the mitigation measures suffer, he said. Legal frameworks, particularly enactments related to disaster management, usually do not tend to lay much emphasis on mitigation. But, incentives can often provide better inducement for mitigation than legal impositions. government grants or subsidies may help persuading commercial and other institutions to include mitigation measures in their programmes. Adequate emphasis should also be laid on training and educating all those involved, including common people, in mitigation planning, Kar said. Non-structural mitigation measures should be complemented by structural measures. Both the government as well as individually-owned structures should be so planned that they are built on safe sites with proven materials and skills. Academic institutions, research establishments, technical authorities, scientific programmes, agencies like the meteorology department, transport authorities, agriculture departments, producers of hazardous chemicals and industrial safety organisations, among others, should also take coordinated and well-concerted moves for disaster management. For, mitigating disasters, like floods, an all-out social move is what is the most required, he observed. Commenting on the model he has designed, Kar said if implemented, it will provide a good environment with sufficient bamboo, needs, cane, besides protecting the embankments from the forces of erosion, which will minimise the regular repair cost too. (Ajit Patowary; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 10, 1999)

ENVIRONMENTGUWAHATI, August 10: At a time when efforts are on worldwide to protect and preserve the environment, the Assam government is all set to evict the Khanapara Muga Seed Farm, which is acting as a green belt in the city, for constructing residential buildings as part of the permanent capital of the state. The seed farm has more than 3,100 som and soalu trees which provide the necessary leaves for muga worms. Muga is available only in Assam. The som and soalu trees also play a major role in maintaining the ecological balance of Assam. The Khanapara Muga Seed Farm has about 80 bighas of land and has so far been providing the backbone to the official efforts for developing the Assamese sericulture industry - which enjoys enormous popularity among sericulture scientists all over the world for its brilliant texture and colours. The farm was set up in 1954. Apart from playing a major role as a basic seed farm, producing quality basic muga seed cocoons for supply to the muga rearers in various parts of the state, it also serves as an institution for visitors and researchers of other parts of the country as well as abroad on different sericulture related activities like muga worm production and rearing, muga cocoon reeling and silk worm seed and cocoon seed preservation. The farm's cold storage plant was set up in 1983-84 with financial assistance from the North Eastern Council (NEC). The plant is used for preserving the mulberry silk worm seeds and muga seed cocoons not only of the state but also of the Central Silk Board of the Union government and other states of the Northeast. Most of the 80 bighas of land of the farm are covered by more than 3,100 som and soalu trees. It is the largest block plantation available within the limits of Guwahati city and its contribution to the city environment cannot be ignored. The National Waste Land Development Board has estimated that one hectare of woodland consumes about 3.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide and contributes about two tonnes of oxygen to the environment annually. Moreover, trees also play a major role in controlling the rain cycle for the benefit of life on the earth. Against the availability of per capita 0.89 hectares of forest on an average the world over, the country has only 0.11 hectares of forest per head. The scene in Guwahati, in this connection, is much deplorable. The move to destroy the Muga Seed Farm plantation of the rare som and soalu trees should be considered with this premise in view. (Staff reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 11, 1999)

ITANAGAR, August 11: The National Afforestation and Eco-development Board has honoured DN Singh, field director of the Namdapha Tiger Project in Arunachal Pradesh with the Mahavriksha Puraskar for preserving the finest specimens of dipterocarpus macrocarpus (hollong) trees. The award carries a plaque, a citation and a cash of Rs 25,000. The Namdapha Tiger Project was created in March 1983 as the 15th tiger reserve of the country under Project Tiger scheme. Singh said the Namdapha project was spread over 1985 sq kms of virgin forest ranging from tropical, temperate to alpine vegetation and was a safe home to many endangered species including big cats like tiger, leopard, clouded leopard and snow leopard. Rare species like Malayan sun bear, red-headed parrotbill bird and illusive red panda have made Namdapha their safe home, he said. Its inhabitants include six species of fish and four species of amphibians which are new to the scene. Besides these, Namdapha flying squirrel and Namdapha shortwing bird are found in the reserve. Its biological diversity includes 1,046 species of plants, 15 species of earthworms and leeches, 430 species of insects, 140 species of butterflies, 76 species of fish, 25 species of amphibians, 50 species of reptiles, 453 species of birds and 96 species of mammals, Singh said. (United News of India; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 12, 1999)