Crime against kids rises 16% in 2 years in Maharashtra

Madhavi Rajadhyaksha TNN 

Mumbai: Maharashtra is becoming increasingly unsafe for children, with violent crime against them increasing by 16% from 2009 to 2011. Worryingly, the conviction rate for the same showed a near fourpoint drop in this period. 
    Police records show that 201 children were murdered, 858 kidnapped and 818 girls raped in 2011. 
    While 2,894 instances of violent crime against children were recorded in 2009, the number grew to 3,362 in 2011. But the conviction rate fell from 13.6% to 9.9%. 
    "It is a sad state of affairs. People get away with such crimes and others are afraid to report them," said Asha Bajpai, dean, school of law, Tata Institute of Social Sciences. 
    Advocate Flavia Agnes of voluntary organization Majlis believes children of both sexes need to be sensitised from a young age. "Most children do not know what to do; precautionary measures are generally lacking in society today," she said, suggesting that children should be taught to respect the body at the school stage and taught about abuse or assault and who to approach if they feel violated. 
    Child rights activists also say that police figures of crime against children are often underreported and the real picture may be more disturbing. 
    Bajpai said the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2011, is likely to offer succour as it offers legal protection for children, which was missing till date. "The law would incorporate childfriendly provisions, extend protection to child witnesses and ensure mandatory reporting of such crimes by anyone who comes across them." The bill provides for separate courts, thereby ensuring speedier justice. Information about it needs to be widely disseminated so that everyone is aware of the provisions, Bajpai said.

Save The Ganga Failure to preserve the river will undermine India’s future industrial growth

In a severe indictment of efforts to clean up the Ganga, a study conducted by the National Cancer Registry Programme has found that those living along the banks of the river are more prone to cancer than others in the country. Thanks to years of relentless discharge of effluents, including toxic industrial wastes such as arsenic, fluoride and other heavy metals, cases of gall bladder cancer along the course of the river are the second highest in the world while incidence of prostate cancer is the highest in the country. The authorities take little cognizance of the Ganga being the most important river system in India, with almost half the population of the country dependent on its waters. 

    Despite spending an estimated Rs 2,000 crore under Ganga Action Plans I and II, the sewage treatment capacity and other pollution abatement infrastructure along the Ganga remain woefully inadequate. It must be understood that cleaning and preservation of the Ganga represents much more than saving a river. The government's poor track record in managing the impact of industrialisation on the environment and the health of people is precisely the reason industrial and energy projects are feared by many, witness the ongoing protests over the nuclear power plant in Kudankulam. The new Mission Clean Ganga approved by the National Ganga River Basin Authority mandates an investment of Rs 15,000 crore over the next 10 years to clean the river. Failure to fulfil this goal would not only create the world's worst health disaster zone but also spike India's industrial and economic growth.