After sanctioning US $ 15,000 to the Ahmedabad municipal corporation for a similar study, the nuclear axe has fallen on the project which was in the pipeline for Pune and Chennai. And left high and dry after four months of hectic planning are participating agencies like the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), School of Health Sciences, (SHS) University of Pune, Centre for Development Studies and Activities (CDSA), Bharati Vidyapeeth Centre for Environment Audit and Management and Centre for Environment Education.

USAID had evinced considerable interest in funding a study on comparative environment risk assessment as related to the health status of Pune metropolitan area population. A workshop was held in April byYashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHADA) where a technical committee of Dr Bhushan Patwardhan, director, SHS, Dr Anita Benninger, executive director, CDSA, Dr V R Gunale and representatives of participating agencies were appointed to prepare a health status report and environment management plan for metropolitan Pune.

Says Patwardhan, "The exercise would provide scientific documentation and information to planners and policy makers to work towards reducing the problem of environment pollution." A detailed proposal was worked out where a phase-wise schedule was prepared including methodological steps, situation analysis, zonal public meetings, training workshops, draft environment status report and general public hearing.

Since the participating agencies have already carried out comparative risk assessments based on secondary data, it was vital to collect the primary data, conduct field trials in areas of air, water, noise pollution, clinical research and identify and investigatethe various factors contributing to environmental degradation. What has also irked the participants is the initial reticence of USAID to part with more than 15,000 US $.

"We may be a poor country, but we are not so poor that we should be handed over a paltry amount," grimaces Benninger.

The motto was to do a good quality project, says Benninger who found it laughable when they were notified by an e-mail message from Earl Kessler of the USAID on May 12, "Rest assured that we would never even consider disturbing your work since we cannot now fund it, if we thought it to be of interest, due to the nuclear testing carried out by your government."

The project was initiated by USAID, we were invited to attend the training workshop, developed a proposal spending considerable amount of time and intellectual energy on the project, Patwardhan said lamenting that the row over the amount of funding had dampened their spirits. Later the USAID too had doubts when Municipal Commissioner Ramanath Jha was transferredwhile their contract with the YASHADA was cancelled. Despite all these problems, there was an effort to re-group and it looked promising enough when now the nuclear tests and the economic sanctions have saved the USAID by the bell, Patwardhan rued.

Vice-Chancellor of Pune University Dr Arun Nigavekar however felt that the ongoing collaborative research projects would not be affected. "This is a passing phase, clouds will be cleared and old relationships will be soon established," the V-C said even as the team members are gearing up to dash off an angry letter to the Central Government and revive the project in the city's interests.