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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001221 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/STC, OES/SAT, OES/EGC, AND SCA/INS 
STATE FOR STAS 
DOE FOR INTERNATIONAL 
INTERIOR FOR FWS RILEY 
STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV TSPL TBIO MNUC ECON KGHG TRGY IN
SUBJECT: NEW DELHI EST OFFICE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEKS OF JUNE 01 TO 
05 AND JUNE 08 TO 12, 2009 
 
¶1. (U) Below is a compilation of environment, science, and 
technology highlights from Embassy New Delhi for the week of June 
08-12, 2009, including the following: 
 
-- Not-So-Expert Group Recommends Dilution of Environmental 
Clearance Process 
 
-- India to Establish Environmental Protection Authority 
-- Sariska Tiger Reserve - First Tiger Cub Litter Due By September 
-- Government Accountability for Tiger Conservation 
-- Sea Trials for India's First Indigenous Nuclear Submarine 
-- Team to Study Impact of Climate Change on Arctic Microbes 
 
------------ 
ENVIRONMENT 
------------ 
 
Not-So-Expert Group Recommends Dilution of Environmental Clearance 
Process 
 
¶2.  A so-called "expert group" brought together by the Department of 
Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, met to examine the 
Government of India (GOI) Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 
process for industrial and infrastructure projects, according to 
media reports.  Notably absent from the list of government and 
industry participants were the environment experts, including those 
from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) which is the 
government's nodal agency for all environment issues and who oversee 
the EIA process in India.  The lone environmental voice was that of 
WWF-India CEO and former investment banker Mr. Ravi Singh.  Although 
changes in the EIA process require Cabinet clearance, usually with 
significant input from the MOEF, the group delivered four 
recommendations including:  government outsourcing of the 
environmental clearance process for infrastructure and industrial 
projects; industry self-certification of the environmental 
appropriateness of projects; that State Industrial Development 
Boards, rather than State Pollution Control Boards, be allowed to 
hold the public hearings currently mandatory to obtain EIA 
clearance; and that a project be deemed cleared if EIA authorities 
do not respond within a fixed period of time.  ESTOffs believe these 
recommendations would, if implemented, lead to serious dilution of 
an already poorly-implemented EIA process. 
 
India to Establish Environmental Protection Authority 
 
¶3.  Jairam Ramesh, newly appointed Minister of Environment and 
Forests, announced plans to remodel India's ineffective Central 
Pollution Control Board (CPCB) along the lines of the U.S. 
Environment Protection Agency.  In a speech given in Hyderabad, 
Ramesh said the new CPCB model would create a central science-based 
environmental protection and regulatory authority and designate 
State Pollution Control Boards as the state environment protection 
authorities.  Minister Ramesh indicated the new authority would be 
given enforcement powers and entrusted with the responsibility of 
setting environmental standards; conducting scientific assessments 
for approvals or rejections of project proposals; and monitoring for 
compliance with environmental standards.  Ramesh stated the 
remodeled authority would be provided with resources and become 
functional within a matter of months. 
 
Sariska Tiger Reserve - First Tiger Cub Litter Due By September 
 
¶4.  The Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR), which gained notoriety in 2004 
for losing its entire tiger population to mismanagement and 
poaching, is expecting its first litter of tiger cubs from the three 
tigers (two female and one male) relocated to STR from Ranthambore 
between June 2008 and February 2009.  Kartik Shankar, research 
 
NEW DELHI 00001221  002 OF 002 
 
 
scholar at the Wildlife Institute of India, confirmed to ESTOffs 
that one of the females is expected to deliver a litter by early 
September marking the first tiger cubs born in Sariska in five 
years. 
 
Government Accountability for Tiger Conservation 
 
¶5.  MOEF Minister Jairam Ramesh said his ministry will adopt a 
collective responsibility approach to concerns regarding India's 
dwindling tiger population and the ineffective use of conservation 
funds.  Although funding from MOEF's National Tiger Conservation 
Authority increased substantially over the last few years, Minister 
Ramesh indicated many states had failed to use the money.  MOEF 
intends to sign three-way agreements with the State governments and 
the tiger reserves to ensure both accountability and proper 
utilization of tiger conservation funding. 
 
-------------------- 
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 
-------------------- 
Sea Trials for India's First Indigenous Nuclear Submarine 
¶6.  More than 30 years after conception, newspapers report India 
plans to conduct sea trials of its first indigenously-built 
nuclear-powered submarine this August.  The Advanced Technology 
Vessel (ATV) is based on a Russian design, and was developed jointly 
by the Defense Research and Development Organization, the Department 
of Atomic Energy, and private industry partners.  Powered by an 80MW 
light water reactor using 45 percent enriched Uranium, the ATV has a 
capacity of 12 ballistic missiles to meet India's goal of a nuclear 
sea-launch capability.  The submarine is intended to initially carry 
Sagarika 750KM range missiles, but later move to Agni-III 3500KM 
range missiles.  The Indian Navy currently plans to perform sea 
trials for two years before officially inducting the ATV into 
service.  If all goes as planned, the ATV will be joined by four to 
five sister submarines.  The total outlay for the ATV project is 3 
billion USD, with each submarine expected to cost approximately 625 
million USD. 
 
Team to Study Impact of Climate Change on Arctic Microbes 
 
¶7.  Newspapers report that on 18 June India's second Arctic 
expedition team will begin their month-long experiments at Himadri, 
the Indian Arctic research base located in Ny-Alesund, Norway.  The 
all Indian team of seven biologists, led by Dr. Mohammed Hatha from 
Cochin University of Science and Technology's Department of Marine 
Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, will study issues related to 
climate change and microbial communities of the Arctic region. 
Experiments include the study of ice binding proteins in algae, 
ecological imbalances caused by glacial melt, the recycling of 
biogases, and determination of sulfur and phosphorus levels in the 
region.  Himadri is managed by the National Center for Antarctic and 
Ocean Research in Goa, an autonomous institute under the Ministry of 
Earth Sciences, and can accommodate up to 10 researchers.  The next 
expedition in 2010 is expected to focus on geological issues. 
 
BURLEIGH