ISSN (Print) - 0012-9976 | ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846

Articles by R SeenivasanSubscribe to R Seenivasan

Judiciary and the Destruction of Chennai’s Wetlands

This article investigates the impact of court verdicts on Chennai’s canals, tanks and related wetlands. It discusses three interlinked cases surrounding Buckingham Canal area and argues that the verdicts in these cases allowed the administration to destroy sophisticated water systems. It also argues that these waterbodies could have mitigated, if not prevented, the November–December 2015 floods in Chennai.

High Interest Rates Are an Amorality in Microfinance

David Hulme and Mathilde Maitrot’s article on amorality of money in EPW (“Has Microfinance Lost Its Moral Compass?”, 29 November 2014) is timely and well-researched to illustrate one of the successes in development turning into an amoral affair.

Historical Validity of Mullaperiyar Project

This historical analysis of the Periyar project questions the arguments and some of the contemporary claims made about the project's engineering and construction, and its environmental impact. Far from being an environmentally destructive project, this was a "pacifist" scheme when it was built. The article throws light on these issues by analysing historical documents.

National Wetland Atlas of India

The National Wetland Atlas 2011 has used confusing and inappropriate classifications. Many man-made wetlands have been treated as naturally occurring, tanks have become lakes, and a large number of ponds have become nondescript entities. The number of inland wetlands estimated is far less when compared to other known sources of data, creating reasonable doubt on the reliability of the exercise. This article emphasises the need for releasing the complete geo-coordinates and areal data sets, and undertaking accurate assessments of the numbers and water spreads of tanks and ponds.

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