Ethical Disaster of the Hyatt Regency Collapse

Eric Sandler Ethical Disaster of the Hyatt Regency Collapse Construction on the 40-story Hyat Regency Crown Center began in 1978, and the hotel opened on July 1, 1980, after construction delays including an incident on October 14, 1979, when 2,700 square feet of the atrium roof collapsed because one of the roof connections on the north end of the atrium failed. The collapse was the second major structural failure in Kansas City in a little more than two years. On June 4, 1979, the roof of the then-empty Kempar Arena in Kansas City had collapsed without loss of life.The architects and engineering firms at the two collapses were different. One of the defining features of the hotel was its lobby, which featured a multistory atrium crossed by suspended concrete walkways on the second, third and fourth levels, with the fourth level walkway directly above the second level walkway. On July 17, 1981, approximately 2,000 people had gathered in the atrium to participate in and watch a dance co ntest. Dozens stood on the walkways. At 7:05 PM, the walkways on the second, third and fourth floor were packed with visitors as they watched over the active lobby, which was also full of people.The fourth floor bridge was suspended directly over the second floor bridge, with the third floor walkway set off to the side several meters away from the other two. Construction difficulties led to a flawed design change that doubled the load on the connection between the fourth floor walkway support beams and the tie rods carrying the weight of both walkways. This new design could barely handle the dead load weight of the structure itself, much less the weight of the spectators standing on it.The connection failed and both walkways crashed one on top of the other and then into the lobby below, killing 114 people and injuring more than 200 others. The rescue operation lasted well into the next morning and was carried out by an army of emergency personnel, including 34 fire trucks, and param edics and doctors from five area hospitals. Dr. Joseph Waeckerle directed the rescue effort setting up a makeshift morgue in the ruined lobby and turning the hotel's taxi ring into a triage center, helping to organize the wounded by highest need for medical care.Those who could walk were instructed to leave the hotel to simplify the rescue effort, the fatally injured were told they were going to die and given morphine. Workmen from a local construction company were also hired by the city fire department, bringing with them cranes, bulldozers, jackhammers and concrete-cutting power saws. The biggest challenge to the rescue operation came when falling debris severed the hotel's water pipes, flooding the lobby and putting trapped survivors at great risk of drowning. As the pipes were connected to water tanks, as opposed to a public source, the flow could not be shut off.Eventually, Kansas City's fire chief realized that the hotel's front doors were trapping the water in the lobby. On h is orders, a bulldozer was sent in to rip out the doors, which allowed the water to pour out of the lobby and thus eliminated the danger to survivors. In all twelve lives were rescued from the rubble. The two walkways were suspended from a set of steel tie rods, with the second floor walkway hanging directly underneath the fourth floor walkway. The walkway platform was supported on 3 cross-beams suspended by steel rods retained by nuts. The cross-beams were box beams made from C-channels welded toe-to-toe.The original design by Jack D. Gillum and Associates called for three pairs of rods running from the second floor all the way to the ceiling. Investigators eventually determined that the new design supported only 60 percent of the minimum load required by Kansas City building codes. Havens Steel Company, the contractor responsible for manufacturing the rods, objected to the original plan of Jack D. Gillum and Associates, since it required the whole of the rod below the fourth floor to be threaded in order to screw on the nuts to hold the fourth floor walkway in place.These threads would probably have been damaged beyond use as the structure for the fourth floor was hoisted into position. Havens therefore proposed an alternate plan in which two separate sets of tie rods would be used. One connecting the fourth floor walkway to the ceiling, and the other connecting the second floor walkway to the fourth floor walkway. This design change would prove fatal. In the original design, the beams of the fourth floor walkway had to support only the weight of the fourth floor walkway itself, with the weight of the second floor walkway supported completely by the rods.In the revised design, however, the fourth floor beams were required to support both the fourth floor walkway and the second floor walkway hanging from it. With the load on the fourth-floor beams doubled, Havens' proposed design could bear only 30 percent of the mandated minimum load (60 percent in the origi nal design). The serious flaws of the revised design were further compounded by the fact that both designs placed the bolts directly in a welded joint between two facing C-channels, the weakest structural point in the box beams.Photographs of the wreckage show excessive deformations of the cross-section. In the failure the box beams split at the weld and the nut supporting them slipped through. Since the construction process includes the work and ideas of many different people, the process can become unclear, especially when meeting deadlines and budget requirements. Such a fast-paced environment stems from the concept that â€Å"time is money. † This concept constantly drives the construction industry to seek quicker methods to transfer ideas from paper to structures of concrete and steel.It has become common practice in the construction industry to begin the actual construction of a building prior to the design work being completed. The Hyatt Regency Hotel was built on this fast-track type of schedule. The main reason for the walkway collapse was not a failure of materials. It was a communication failure. In the case of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the structural engineer sent a sketch of the proposed walkway connections to the steel fabricator. The structural engineer had assumed that the fabricator understood that he was to design the connections himself.Since the structural drawings did not state that the walkway connections were only a preliminary sketch, the steel fabricator assumed that the sketch was a finalized drawing. The fabricator simply copied the engineer’s preliminary sketch of the walkway connection to serve as the shop drawings. The development of the design was then completed. The materials selected for the fabrication were standard strength, size, and grade of material, rather than what should have been used to compensate for the added stress of the altered design. Such neglections can have grave results.The most glaring mistake in this entire chain of events was that the structural engineer did not review the final design. This is an example of deontological ethics because the engineer failed to perform his job to his full potential. As can be seen from the evidence, the real failure that caused the collapse of the Hyatt Regency walkways was actually a failure of communication in the design phase of the project. As a result of the disaster, the two engineers from G. C. E. International lost their professional engineering licenses in the state of Missouri.These engineers were Jack D. Gillum, the engineer of record, and Daniel M. Duncan, the project engineer. The engineer is ultimately responsible for checking the safety of final designs as depicted in shop drawings. When we take the implicit social contract between engineers and society, the issue of public risk and informed consent, and codes of ethics of professional societies into account, it seems clear that the engineer must assume this responsibility when any change in design involving public safety carries a licensed engineer's seal.Yet, if it is assumed that the engineer in the Hyatt case received the fabricator's telephone call requesting a verbal approval of the design change for simplifying assembly, some possible reasons that would make him approve such change are saving money and time, following his immediate supervisor's orders, looking good professionally by simplifying the design, misunderstanding the consequences of his actions, or any combination of the reasons. These reasons do not, however, fall within acceptable standards of engineering professional conduct.Instead, they pave the way for legitimate charges of negligence, incompetence, misconduct and unprofessional conduct in the practice of engineering. When the engineer's actions are compared to professional responsibilities cited in the engineering codes of ethics, an abrogation of professional responsibilities by the engineer in charge is clearly demonstrated. The Missouri Board of Architects, Professional Engineers, and Land Surveyors convicted the engineers employed by Jack D.Gillum and Associates who had signed off on the final drawings of gross negligence, misconduct and unprofessional conduct in the practice of engineering. They all lost their engineering licenses in the states of Missouri and Texas and their membership to ASCE. While Jack D. Gillum and Associates itself was cleared of criminal negligence, it was stripped of its license to be an engineering firm. At least $140 million was awarded to victims and their families in both judgments and settlements in civil lawsuits.A large amount of this money came from Crown Center Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hallmark Cards which was the owner of the actual hotel franchise. Life and health insurance companies probably absorbed even larger uncompensated losses in policy payouts. A lot was learned from this disaster. As a result of the fatal miscommunication, the American Soc iety of Civil Engineers has now set the precedent that responsibility lies with the engineer's seal.That is, that whoever places their seal of approval upon a set of plans carries the responsibility for the building and the outcome. It is now also required that all load bearing calculations must be checked by a city appointed engineer and that checks be formal. As an industry, it is important for all responsible parties such as the architects, engineers, fabricators, and whoever else is involved, to understand the challenge learned as a result of this fatality. Design presents the industry with a challenge to anticipate any failed detail and to correct it within the design process.

Productive and Counterproductive Behavior Paper

Productive and Counterproductive Behaviors Paper * * University of Phoenix * Instructor Julie Wilson * November 14, 2010 * * * * * * * * * * * * Productive and Counterproductive Behaviors Paper * Organizations strive to achieve one main goal and that is to be productive. No business wants to go under or stay in the same position year after year not growing. One does not have to really know the definition of productive and counterproductive because the word its self say plenty. To me, productive behavior says achieve goals and completing tasks. Counterproductive says just the opposite.This paper will analyze the relationship between productive and counterproductive behavior in organizations. The paper will define productive and counterproductive behavior; describe the impact that productive and counterproductive behaviors have on the job performance and the overall performance of an organization. I will also recommend strategies to increase productive behavior and decrease counterprod uctive behavior in organizations. * Productive behavior is defined as employee behavior that contributes positively to the goals and objectives of the organization (Jex & Britt, 2008).Productive behavior is the type of behavior just about every organization wants to have in their employees. Productive behavior types are those who want to achieve tasks and work great with the other employees to achieve those tasks. Counterproductive behavior can be defined as a type of behavior that goes against the organization in achieving goals. Example of counterproductive behavior is late for work, procrastination on assignments, and not returning on time for breaks so that some one else can take theirs. Productive behavior and counterproductive behavior relate to each other because they involve people. Productive behavior is most likely to have a positive impact on an organization. Productive behavior type employees tend to complete more tasks in shorter time or meet the deadline proposed b y management. Productive behavior affects the organization in accomplishing goals. The organization performance for productive employees will show in maybe revenue. In an organization, counterproductive behavior has a negative impact. The job performance from an employee who has counterproductive behavior shows up poorly in evaluation, tasks, and in revenue.The impact counterproductive behavior has on the organization can affect the organization. A company loses money to pay employee who does no work on the clock. A counterproductive employee can turn productive employees into counterproductive employee because of their lack of motivation some might be influenced easily. * There are many strategies management to increase productive behavior and decrease counterproductive behavior. To increase productive behavior management can reward those employees for their job performance. This will help keep up the motivation for productive employees.By offering incentives, employees will be qui cker to complete tasks in an overall productive and effective manner. To decrease counterproductive behavior, management needs to look at the employees they can help and those who are not up for change. The best solution is just to terminate the employee who is not up for change, so that this behavior does not become contagious. A proficient way to minimize the amount of counterproductive behavior is to make sure that employees understand that there are penalties for nonproductive behavior in an organization.By allowing employees to comprehend the negative effects of counterproductive behavior, an organization is making the fact that a counterproductive behavior is unacceptable aware to the entire employee staff. This should make employees who normally exemplify counterproductive behavior more aware of the negative effect they are having on the organization and that there are consequences for their negativity. * In conclusion, most organizations have two types of behaviors. The type s of behaviors are productive and counterproductive behavior.The two types of behaviors are noticeable in the workplace. The one working, come into work on time, first to arrive last to leave, and excited about work is the employee exemplifying productive behavior. In order for an organization to be successful, management has to choose which behavior to uphold in the work place.References Jex, S. M. , & Britt, T. W. (2008) Organizational Psychology. A Scientist-Practitioner Approach (2nd ed. ). : John Wiley & Sons. * * . * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

New World of Business

The article â€Å"Knowledge Management for the New World of Business† by Yogesh Malhotra discusses the importance of changes, information technologies and innovations as the main drives of business success. The author shows that attitudes towards knowledge management have been changed and nowadays knowledge management offers new ideas and concepts how to make business successful, innovative and, what is more important, socially responsible.The paper is retrieved from online database through search engines. Despite the paper is online source, the author offers well-supported, well-structured and well-organized study of world business in terms of knowledge management. Further, the paper is directly related with knowledge management filed as the author discusses the importance of knowledge, innovations, information technologies and changes which are known to be key components of knowledge management field. (Malhotra 1998)Malhotra says that today is the era of information technolo gies being associated with knowledge. The author argues that knowledge is critical source in business activity as it drives company either to success or complete failure.   New technologies as, for example, intranets, data-mining, web-casting and video-conferencing, offer new ways of meeting business challenges in knowledge era. Moreover, information technologies are encouraged by press trade. As a result, information technologies positively contribute business performance. For example, intranets and networks are effective in increasing inherent capabilities to facilitate knowledge management. (Malhotra 1998)Business is experiencing transition from the era of competitive advantage to the era of knowledge creation. Earlier business was characterized by low levels of changes and innovations. However, â€Å"the new world of knowledge-based industries is distinguished by its emphasis on precognition and adaptation in contrast to the traditional emphasis on optimization based on predi ction†. (Malhotra 1998) The author argues that knowledge-based business world is characterized by re-definition and re-evaluation of organizational objectives, goals, and missions. Simply saying, the business re-shapes the way of arranging things.Business environment is motivated by radical changes and innovations which â€Å"overwhelm the traditional organizational response of predicting and reacting based on pre-programmed heuristics†. (Malhotra 1998) Modern business world requires anticipatory response, and demands flexibility and resurfacing of old assumptions. Modern world tends not play following predictable rules – instead, it tends to change these rules and to keep changing. As result, new types of organizations have emerged: business ecosystems and virtual corporations. (Malhotra 1998)The author offers his own definition of knowledge management for a new business world and stresses that new definition should go beyond quick and predictable views of many others. Instead, definition should move executives, managers and common employees to think strategically and critically about the purpose of knowledge management. Malhotra says that knowledge managements is critical to organizational adaptation and survival as it drives and monitors environmental changes.Knowledge management â€Å"embodies organizational processes that seek synergistic combination of data and information processing capacity of information technologies, and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings†. (Malhotra 1998) Nevertheless, one problem exists as there is confusion between the terms ‘knowledge’ and ‘information’. The author claims that these notions are distinct entities as information is generated by computer systems and human interpretation of actions, whereas knowledge is of subjective nature.Malhotra recommends business managers to realize that knowledge is imbedded in them and the process of knowledge acquiring is social interactions. It is emphasized that knowledge creation depends solely on human beings as computers are only tools with information-gathering capabilities. New world of business is defined as wicked environment which requires interpretations of information and knowledge. (Malhotra 1998)One more positive moment in the article is that the author offers recommendations how to incorporate knowledge management in business activities. Firstly, it is necessary to refuse to control employees and their behaviors through setting predictable and pre-defined objectives and procedures. Instead, it would be better to create organization being capable of constructing diverse meanings. Secondly, the author recommends re-evaluating companies ideas how to arrange things and practices. Executive managers should consider dynamically changing business environment, as well as external and internal threats.   Thirdly, it is effective to invest in â€Å"multiple and diverse interpretations to ena ble constructive conflict mode of inquiry and, thus, lessen oversimplification of issues or premature decision closure†. (Malhotra 1998)Summing up, new business world offers new opportunities of success and knowledge plays crucial role in this process. New strategies are to encourage human imagination and creativity to promote internal diversity and to meet the needs and demands of the wicked environment.   Knowledge management makes companies and organizations re-think and re-evaluate their goals and practices, as well as use the power of knowledge in finding new ways of improving business performance. (Malhotra 1998)Works CitedMalhotra, Yogesh. 1998. Knowledge Management for the New World of Business. Available at http://www.brint.com/km/whatis.htm.   Accessed March 15, 2008. New World of Business The article â€Å"Knowledge Management for the New World of Business† by Yogesh Malhotra discusses the importance of changes, information technologies and innovations as the main drives of business success. The author shows that attitudes towards knowledge management have been changed and nowadays knowledge management offers new ideas and concepts how to make business successful, innovative and, what is more important, socially responsible. The paper is retrieved from online database through search engines. Despite the paper is online source, the author offers well-supported, well-structured and well-organized study of world business in terms of knowledge management. Further, the paper is directly related with knowledge management filed as the author discusses the importance of knowledge, innovations, information technologies and changes which are known to be key components of knowledge management field. (Malhotra 1998)Malhotra says that today is the era of information technol ogies being associated with knowledge. The author argues that knowledge is critical source in business activity as it drives company either to success or complete failure.   New technologies as, for example, intranets, data-mining, web-casting and video-conferencing, offer new ways of meeting business challenges in knowledge era. Moreover, information technologies are encouraged by press trade. As a result, information technologies positively contribute business performance. For example, intranets and networks are effective in increasing inherent capabilities to facilitate knowledge management. (Malhotra 1998)Business is experiencing transition from the era of competitive advantage to the era of knowledge creation. Earlier business was characterized by low levels of changes and innovations. However, â€Å"the new world of knowledge-based industries is distinguished by its emphasis on precognition and adaptation in contrast to the traditional emphasis on optimization based on pred iction†. (Malhotra 1998) The author argues that knowledge-based business world is characterized by re-definition and re-evaluation of organizational objectives, goals, and missions. Simply saying, the business re-shapes the way of arranging things.Business environment is motivated by radical changes and innovations which â€Å"overwhelm the traditional organizational response of predicting and reacting based on pre-programmed heuristics†. (Malhotra 1998) Modern business world requires anticipatory response, and demands flexibility and resurfacing of old assumptions. Modern world tends not play following predictable rules – instead, it tends to change these rules and to keep changing. As result, new types of organizations have emerged: business ecosystems and virtual corporations. (Malhotra 1998)The author offers his own definition of knowledge management for a new business world and stresses that new definition should go beyond quick and predictable views of many others. Instead, definition should move executives, managers and common employees to think strategically and critically about the purpose of knowledge management. Malhotra says that knowledge managements is critical to organizational adaptation and survival as it drives and monitors environmental changes.Knowledge management â€Å"embodies organizational processes that seek synergistic combination of data and information processing capacity of information technologies, and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings†. (Malhotra 1998) Nevertheless, one problem exists as there is confusion between the terms ‘knowledge’ and ‘information’. The author claims that these notions are distinct entities as information is generated by computer systems and human interpretation of actions, whereas knowledge is of subjective nature.Malhotra recommends business managers to realize that knowledge is imbedded in them and the process of knowledge acquiring i s social interactions. It is emphasized that knowledge creation depends solely on human beings as computers are only tools with information-gathering capabilities. New world of business is defined as wicked environment which requires interpretations of information and knowledge. (Malhotra 1998)One more positive moment in the article is that the author offers recommendations how to incorporate knowledge management in business activities. Firstly, it is necessary to refuse to control employees and their behaviors through setting predictable and pre-defined objectives and procedures. Instead, it would be better to create organization being capable of constructing diverse meanings. Secondly, the author recommends re-evaluating companies ideas how to arrange things and practices. Executive managers should consider dynamically changing business environment, as well as external and internal threats.   Thirdly, it is effective to invest in â€Å"multiple and diverse interpretations to en able constructive conflict mode of inquiry and, thus, lessen oversimplification of issues or premature decision closure†. (Malhotra 1998)Summing up, new business world offers new opportunities of success and knowledge plays crucial role in this process. New strategies are to encourage human imagination and creativity to promote internal diversity and to meet the needs and demands of the wicked environment.   Knowledge management makes companies and organizations re-think and re-evaluate their goals and practices, as well as use the power of knowledge in finding new ways of improving business performance. (Malhotra 1998)Works CitedMalhotra, Yogesh. 1998. Knowledge Management for the New World of Business. Available at http://www.brint.com/km/whatis.htm.   Accessed March 15, 2008.

To What Extent Does The Philosophy of The Upanishads Represent A Essay

To What Extent Does The Philosophy of The Upanishads Represent A Continuation Of The Vedic Tradition Answer With Particular Reference To The Following Key Con - Essay Example The idea of sacrifice in the Vedas has more an inward orientation. Sometimes this has resulted in even atheist thinking with in Hinduism. Later compositions often cite the authority of the Vedas as the more orthodox of Hindu scriptures. Many of the ideas in Hinduism like Dharma, Moksha and Karma are a matter of confusion even for the best of minds. Some times even the Vedas and Upanishads may not give the faithful clarity of mind. However, the search for truth by itself is a spiritual experience even when one has unsolved question in the mind. The essay concludes by the assertion that the Vedas are the ultimate spring from which other scriptures took their origin. Scriptural authority in Hinduism has many levels. (Lipner, 1988, P.26) In other religious texts the idea of inspiration, which is very sacrosanct and rigidly defined, is left somewhat vague in Hinduism. It is not even expected that all believers should fall in line with a canonical adherence to any doctrine as in other religions. â€Å"In an attempt to set monotheism firmly within the framework of classical Hinduism, Debendranath tried to find authority in the Vedas but became disillusioned with further study and decided that reason and conscience should be the test of the authority of any scriptural text.†(Brockington 176) In traditional Hinduism the Vedas have been given the status of the ultimate canonical text of divine knowledge. The word Veda means knowledge and it is applied in the sense of saving knowledge. It is interesting to note that many Hindus do not have any access to the Vedas .For all the real-time use many Hindus use other forms of scriptures. By about 400-300 BC the idea of â€Å" the four-Vedas† known as Chatur Vedas became an accepted canon. The four Vedas are The Rig, the Sama, Yajur and Atharava Veda .The Vedas contain a huge and diverse body of sacred language, which is directly or indirectly concerned with sacrificial ritual. The composition of the Vedas was a

The Effects of Country-of-Origin on Willingness by Consumers to Pay Term Paper

The Effects of Country-of-Origin on Willingness by Consumers to Pay More for a Favorable Country Image - Term Paper Example Moreover, the authors also seek to draw a level of inference with regards to the overall impact that brand familiarity has on the relationship. As a means of performing such a level of inference into these determinants, the authors set out to perform three separate yet complementary experiments in order to test the hypothesized relationship in a setting of low and high involvement. Ultimately, what can be said concerning this understanding is that consumers are oftentimes willing to pay a premium for commodity prices from a nation that had a favorable country image as compared to one that had a lower level of favorability. In such a way, the reader can see that brand familiarity does not heavily impact upon the COO effect. Conversely, it can and should be understood that the COO effect impacts heavily upon the WTP; especially when the consumer is not aware of or familiar with the product. (Howard 2009). Focusing on actual behavior provides fresh insight more than the previous researc h examining buyers’ intentions and attitudes because it demonstrates the impact of the COO cue on buyer’s actions. The take away from all of this leads the reader/researcher to draw several managerial implications with respect to the price-setting structure and origin of goods as having been described. Firstly, the outcome of the studies helps to confirm that the origin of the good has a vital role in informing a sense and appreciation of WTP within the mind of the end consumer. Moreover, the findings also provide information on how the COO influences a buyer’s WTP pertaining to the level of consumer involvement as reflected in the category of the product at hand. This is particularly useful for decisions about pricing and/or communication strategy (e.g. price differentiation) and is also of great concern to the organization considering the transfer of production facilities.  Ã‚  

Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson - Essay Example This paper tells that while the theme or content of Carey’s music is mainly centered on love, Jackson is the Mother Teresa of the entertainment scene covering topics on self-actualization and feminist and political bearing. It has to be noted however that both claim to perform autobiographical music, leading to the next focus of comparison; symbolism. In a total contrast from the aforementioned themes, Jackson evolved herself into the erotic queen of pop, while Carey seemed much comfortable cutting the image of a teen-pop sensation. Most people are usually not preoccupied with the vocal ranges of their favorite singers. This can however not be ignored here considering the fact that Mariah is as chirpy as the bird that woke you up this morning, winning accolades and numerous polls thanks to her 5-octave vocal range. How does Jackson compare? She has a smooth soprano 3-octave vocal range that is complemented to great effect through emotional and poetic content. Away from their v ocal cords, Mariah is less adventurous towards other areas of entertainment albeit being versatile in terms of genre exploration. Jackson on the other hand not only explores other genres in her music but has also tried her hand in several movies. Finally, the two songbirds have had similar career paths characterized by peaks and dominance, recession and the astounding and successful comebacks.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Interpretation of Ethical Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Interpretation of Ethical Systems - Essay Example Basing on ethical formalism, this act unacceptable because of the evil intentions and therefore, I would go ahead to fire him. The habit of employees stealing from workplace leads to losses. When this has happens, the employer is left with the burden of reviving the business alone or with the help of insurance companies, after a tedious and lengthy follow-up process. Being that the consequence of his action was going to hurt others, I will be justified to fire my classmate. All religions have some believes/commands that provide them with moral guidance. Despite the differences in these believes, all religions prohibit the willful commitment of wrong actions against others. My classmate is therefore not justified, no matter his type of religion. According to the natural law, what is good is what is natural and morality is what agrees with the natural world (Pollock, 2004). Stealing is an immoral act and therefore, an act against all people regardless of their

The Rusting Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Rusting Process - Essay Example A closer look at the website of the company would suggest that its business is divided into three different segments. Its consumer segment provides services such as Broadband, digital TV, home phones etc. consumers are also offered some bundled packages like Broadband and TV together. Its Small and Medium Business segment provide broadband facilities to the businesses along with offering other services such as web hosting & ecommerce as well as management of email and internet facilities at its clients. Its large business and public sector segment offer services such as networked IT services, Industry expertise, in-house facilities and other high end services. The following section of the report will present an analysis of the forecasted financial performance of the company as on 31.03.2009. For detailed working of the facts and figures, please see the attached appendix. 1) Sales growth will be taken from the historical trends of the sales growth in last five years. Though the GDP growth Of UK can be considered as an alternative but since company works in more than one country therefore its historical sales growth will be taken while projecting the sales growth as on 31.03.2009. 2) All the cost items will be forecasted by taking their relationship with the sales i.e. as % of sales. 3) No dividends will be paid 4) No fresh injection of equity except increase in it through retained earnings. 5) Taxation is not being computed as per the laws enforced but as a % of the total revenue of the company. Forecasted Financial Performance Core Ratios In order to assess the core ratios of the firm, we have taken four most important ratios into account. First ratio is return on sales or net profit margin suggesting that the historical performance of the company is somewhat mixed and consistent and the predicted results have also suggested that the company has been able to maintain its profitability with upward trends. This also can be attributed to the decreased interest expenses. Asset turnover is the second key ratio which suggests how the assets of the company are managed in generating the value for the firm. The assets turn over of the firm consistently remained under 1. It may indicate that the firm has assets which are relatively new and are recorded at high cost. Since the company deals with providing services which require high investment into technology which is changing therefore high asset values of the firm may be justified. Asset leverage suggests the use of equity and debt in acquiring the assets of the company. The predicted figure suggests that the asset leverage has continuously declined due to the injection of fresh equity into the business as well as increased profitability. Asset leverage also indicates towards the fact that the management may have more inclination towards the use of the debt into acquiring the assets. The use of debt also suggests that the firm may utilize

The Criminal Justice System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Criminal Justice System - Essay Example lations (LegalMatch, 2012) â€Å"Theft or common theft, assault and battery, drink driving, vandalism, public drunkenness, resisting arrests, obstructing or resisting a police officer, trespassing, disorderly conduct, breach of the peace, failure to appear in court, prostitutionâ€Å". These crimes normally have a penalty of no longer than one year and are not considered to be serious offenses. The serious offenses normally fall under felony charges such as (LegalMatch, 2012) â€Å"murder/homicide, rape, drug trafficking, child abuse, gun possession, burglary, money laundering, and child pornography†. Such serious offenses are considered highly serious and have punishments that vary from state to state, depending upon the courts deemed severity of the offense. Having clearly defined the difference of the two crimes based upon the description of offenses, it is safe to say that one would much rather be accused of a misdemeanor rather than a felony. That is if one finds himself facing legal action as a result of his own personal actions or reactions to situations concerning him. As per the police records submitted to us, you were charged with a Misdemeanor Breach of Peace charge. This was charge was the result of your involvement in the bar room brawl that occurred at last Friday between your boyfriend and another bar patron. You have asked me to advise you with regard to what kind of penalty you are looking at and for how long. I am please to inform you that since you are charged with a misdemeanor, your penalty will not be longer than one year. Our federal government has indicated that the punishment for misdemeanor offense such as yours â€Å"... carry a maximum punishment of one year of incarceration usually is served in a local jail. â€Å" (wiseGeek, 2012). I therefore advice you not to worry as there is even a very strong possibility that, should you plead guilty or be found guilty of involvement in the misdemeanor charge, â€Å"If a jail sentence is imposed, it is

How religios and cultural values influence polio immunization uptake Literature review

How religios and cultural values influence polio immunization uptake in Northern Nigeria - Literature review Example However, it is noteworthy in this context that immunization has already been able to eliminate various regions throughout the globe, except in three particular countries, i.e. Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria, which perhaps, might have been owing to the issues associated with religious as well as cultural values (Plotkin, 2011). Owing to its success and efficiency in mitigating risks of various controllable diseases, the importance of immunization has emerged as quite prominent in the recent phenomenon. Notably, it is often credited by medical practitioners to be directly related with the promotion of health and wellbeing of the people, which has in turn enhanced its efficiency and importance to a vast magnitude (Onyebuchi, 2013). Importance and positive effects of immunization is very much apparent in the region of Northern Nigeria. However, recent reports have revealed about the reluctance of people in Northern Nigeria to immunize their children with polio vaccination, principally owing to their religious and cultural orthodoxy (Otieno, 2013; Oshinsky, 2005). Contextually, as per the study of Otieno (2013), there is a degree of religious fear persisting amid the people in Nigeria to immunize their children and protect them from polio. Though the people belonging to the region of Northern Nigeria have made several deliberate efforts towards combating the disease, little positive results have been obtained. Consequently, conducting the process of polio immunization at an extensive rate in Northern Nigeria has been quite challenging for the concerned authorities owing to the fact that most of the people in this part of the world are gypsies and are thus, used to move from one place to other without having any fixed address. This makes it even more challenging for the practitioners to continually monitor the developments of these people and ensure that the immunization process is undertaken

Moral Values and Social Boundaries Essay Example for Free

Moral Values and Social Boundaries Essay Thesis statement: Certain limits should be applied to the constitutional right of ‘Freedom of speech’ as it encourages ethnic speech (ethnically and racially discriminating talk) A restriction on free speech is very essential on college campuses. Political correctness is found to be a mere attempt to be sure that everybody on campus feels welcome and is able to learn as per. Certain limits should be applied to the constitutional right of ‘Freedom of speech’ as it encourages ethnic speech (ethnically and racially discriminating talk) in educational institutions. Racially offensive speech in US institutions has led to several problems. Ethnic speech is widely evident in educational institutions. Racial jokes and ethnic speech are also prevalent in work places. Ethnic speech creates inferiority complex in lower classes. It is also against the policies of affirmative action (Arthur, 2004). The reason for the unacceptability of racially offensive talk is that the intentions behind them are always bad. They do exploit racial stereotypes and the talk often becomes offensive. Limits on freedom of speech are justified as there is a big relation between freedom of speech and racial speech. Look more:  ethnic group examples essay It is high time that we eliminate racially offensive talk from our society. For that the most important step is a restriction on the freedom of speech. The absence of limit on freedom of speech encourages racially offensive talk in college campuses in US (Arthur, 2004). Racially offensive humor is increasingly unacceptable and is based on the concept that certain ethnic groups are superior to others. Ethnically superior groups are of the belied that they do have very right to make fun at other inferior groups. The powerful faction has always assumed that they are superior to others in its race and culture. These ethnic groups will try to put down other inferior groups in order to strengthen their own group (Arthur, 2004). The superior group will thus feel no guilt in hurting the feelings of the inferior group. Ethnic and racial speech is generated out of this superior feeling and undermines the unity and cooperation prevailing in the society (Arthur, 2004). Had there been a limit on the freedom of speech, these kinds of racially offensive speech would have disappeared from the educational institutions in US. Even though freedom of speech is quite important as far as American society, a restriction on it is the real need of the hour. Uncontrolled speech may result in further segregation and racial classification. Offensive speech, of any form, should be discouraged so that it would not further create problems in the already segregated society. The panacea for all this is nothing but a limit on the freedom of speech (Arthur, 2004). Ethnic jokes are much prevalent in college campuses. Ethnic jokes exploit racial stereotypes. They are often racist and frequently offensive (Davies, 1982). Ethnic jokes are very popular and prevail in almost all societies. They do also play a great role in arising ethnic differences, exploitation and segregation. Ethnic jokes are targeted towards typical ethnic groups, possessing typical characteristics (Hughes, 1966). The usage of these kinds of jokes upgrades or degrades the value of a group in general and ignores the importance and uniqueness of the individual (Lorenz, 1963). Ethnic humor hurts the feelings of people as it leads to various segregations and discriminations (Davies, 1982). Racially offensive humor is increasingly unacceptable and is based on the concept that certain ethnic groups are superior to others. Ethnically superior groups are of the belied that they do have very right to make fun at other inferior groups (Dance, 1977). Ethnic humor is a powerful, destructive and senseless practice that is followed by one generation and transferred to the next generation. The powerful faction has always assumed that they are superior to others in its race and culture. These ethnic groups will try to put down other inferior groups in order to strengthen their own group (Davies, 1982). The superior group will thus feel no guilt in hurting the feelings of the inferior group. Ethnic humor is generated out of this superior feeling and undermines the unity and cooperation prevailing in the society. There are various biological and socio-cultural distinctions which people consider as a base to make ethnic jokes. They sometimes consider color of the skin (lightness or darkness) or other differentiating markers as base for making humor. They do consider various other ethnic differences and cultural variations (Hughes, 1966). No ethnic group has the right to make ethnic jokes against ant other ethnic group. Ethnic humor is always humiliating and insulting. It would only result in further segregation and racial classification. Ethnic groups, of any form, should be discouraged so that it would not further create problems in the already segregated society. Freedom of Speech is the boosting factor of ethnic speech in educational institutions. Institutional racism (systemic racism or structural racism) also prevail in our society. The white institutions are found to be reluctant to serve people of color (non-white minority). Institutions are historically set up to serve only white communities. These institutions function on the basis of race. They operate on the policy of segregation. Institutional racism is the concept that one race is superior to other. Organizations and institutions (both government and private) do racial discrimination, marginalizing the inferior faction. Even though the institutions exclusively for inferior race were technically illegal in America till 1863, our areas still have such institutions. These institutions offer their service only for superior faction and ill-treat students belonging to our community. Institutional racism is followed in all organizations, public bodies, educational institutions (universities) and corporations. Institutional racism influences almost all policies, processes and policies (in both governmental and public institutions). Institutions were historically set up to serve only white communities. These institutions function on the basis of race. They operate on the policy of segregation. Institutional racism is the concept that one race is superior to other. Organizations and institutions (both government and private) do racial discrimination, marginalizing the inferior faction. Institutions exclusively for inferior race were technically illegal in America till 1863. These institutions offer their service only for superior faction and ill-treat people of color. Legislations against racism have made institutional racism disappear to a good extent in United States. Ethnic speech in educational institutions is one of the worst sides of institutional racism. Freedom of speech is encouraging racial talk and ethnic humor. It is high time that we put a restriction on freedom of speech so that at least educational institutions are free from segregation. Colleges and universities have a moral obligation to ensure a peaceful, respectful learning environment for all students. It is therefore necessary to come down hard on speech code offenders. All employees and students should be able to enjoy and work in an educational environment free from discrimination and harassment. Harassment of any person or group of persons on the basis of race, color, nationality, origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veterans status is a form of discrimination that must be prohibited in all educational institutions. Employees, students, student organizations, or person privileged to work or study in the university community who violates this policy must be subject to disciplinary action. This will finally eliminate racial speech and discrimination from educational institutions. Harassment codes do not violate students First Amendment rights. A restriction on free speech is very essential on college campuses. Political correctness is found to be a mere attempt to be sure that everybody on campus feels welcome and is able to learn. References John Arthur, Morality and Moral Controversies: Readings in Moral, Social, and Political Philosophy, Prentice Hall, 2004. â€Å"A Question of Fairness† Ladies Home Jorunal, March 1996, p 17-20. Lubman, Sarah â€Å"Campus Admissions† Wall Street Journal, May 16, p81. Dance, Darryl. Wit and Humor in the Slave Narratives. Journal of Afro-American Issues. Spring, 1977: 125-134. Davies, C. â€Å"Ethnic Jokes, Moral Values and Social Boundaries. † British Journal of Sociology 33 (1982): 383-403. Hughes, Langston, ed. The Book of Negro Humor. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1966. Lincoln, Kenneth. Indin Humor. New York: Oxford, 1993. Lorenz, Konrad. On Aggression. Trans. Marjorie Kerr Willison. New York: Harcourt, 1963. Lowe, John. Theories of Ethnic Humor: How to Enter, Laughing. American Quarterly 38 (1986): 439-460. Rich, Frank. The New York Times 13 March 1994: IV, 17.

The GDP Term Essay Example for Free

The GDP Term Essay GDP should really stand for Grossly Deceptive Product† The Economist What does GDP actually measure? When discussing about the economy of one country, people often talk about â€Å"Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, there are a number of disagreements among economist about the value of GDP. Therefore, this essay will discuss whether or not GDP is an ideal measurement of the development of a nation. It first explores the term GDP and ways to measure it. The essay then compares GDP with Gross National Product (GNP) and Human Development Index (HDI). According to Mankiw (2011), the value of all final goods and services in the market produced within a country in a given time span is defined as GDP. Through this definition, there is only one measure of all the value of the economic activities for a range of products, and both goods and services are included in GDP at their market value. Nevertheless, comparing the value of one product to the other is not always easy, for example it is difficult to say if an orange is more valuable than an apple as different consumers value a good differently. It is important to have criteria to differentiate the value of different goods and services. Hence, the market price was introduced in order to identify the volume of customers who are able to purchase particular products. To measure GDP by using the market value helps to include a wide range of commodities in the market. Not only are common items such as food, clothes and other living necessity but also the housing services included in the market value. By measuring GDP this way, many business activities like market rental housing reflect the market value and become indicators of the market. Moreover, volume of owner-occupied housing can be used to measure the market rental value of a country. Nevertheless, according to Abel et al (2008), although this measurement of GDP encompasses a number of goods and services, it still does not cover some products like which are traded in informal markets. It is ideal that all of the goods and services exiting in the market are reflected through GDP. However, in many cases measuring the value of a number of goods and services in non-market and illegal markets is impossible, this makes measuring GDP more difficult. For instance, although the vegetables consumers buy in supermarkets are included in GDP, the ones that farmers grow in their gardens are not counted in GDP. Moreover, it is obvious that the trade of illegal drugs and other products is not counted in GDP. In addition, manufacturing and trading goods and services often relate to the impact in the environment. However, the benefits of clean air and natural water are not traded in the market; and GDP does not reflect actions to reduce pollution or improve environmental quality. There are three main methods for measuring GDP, namely product approach, expenditure approach and income approach. According to Tucker (2011) the product approach is based on value- added concept; it measures economic activity by summing the value added by all producers. In this product approach, the market value of the goods and services traded in the market are included in the economic activities. Nevertheless, the value which is produced and used up in the intermediate stage of the manufacture process is excluded. The second approach is based on expenditure, it consider GDP from a different angle by including expenditure in national income account. GDP is measured as the total spending of final commodities within a nation during a certain period of time. The spending is categories into four kinds, which added to get the GDP (Y), they are consumption (C), investment (I), government purchase of goods and services (G), and net exports of goods and services, indicating the difference between export and import (NX= X-M). Therefore, GDP by expenditure approach is formulated as follow: Y= C+ I + G+ NX (Brezina, 2012). The third method measuring GDP is the income approach, which takes in to account the income gained by manufacturers, such as profits and taxes paid. There are eight types of national incomes, which are: * Compensation of employees consists of workers’ incomes including salaries, wages, pension plans or other benefits businesses deliver to their employees * Income of Proprietors includes capital income and labor incomes of the non-incorporated self-employed. * People’s Rental income: people who have lands, structures or properties can rent them out and receive an amount of money; this is called rental income. * Corporate Profits: this is the amount of money earned by corporations through their business activities. Corporate profits are the results of corporate revenue after rents, wages and costs deductions. * Net income: is the income of individuals earned from their businesses or paid by businesses or other sources after tax deduction or interest paid. * Taxes on production and imports: this encompasses indirect business taxes * Business current transfer payments (net): these are payments which governments or individuals receive from businesses as charitable donations from insurance payments or translation. It should be notice that these payments are not paid for taxes, wages or service charges. * Current surplus of government enterprises: these are businesses’ profits owned by government including electricity, water, public transportations and so forth. There are three main concepts of GDP, namely nominal GDP, real GDP and GDP deflator. Tucker (2011) defines â€Å"The nominal GDP means that the value of all final goods which based on the prices existing during the time period of production†. It is known as current dollar or money GDP and it increases in three different ways. Firstly, it increases when output rises while prices remain unchanged. Nominal GDP also grows when prices increase while the output is constant. The final way which is seen in the typical case, is that both of output and price rise. A major distinction between nominal and real GDP is to measure the gaps between changes in output and the price level which relate to marketing. When the current dollar GDP of a country increases significantly, it is possible that its productions have enlarged markedly. Nevertheless, it is probably that inflation is increasing, so the prices of goods and services grow accordingly. As for the real GDP, the value of all final products production based on the existing prices in a given year. The real GDP which is measured after taking inflation in to account is also known as constant dollar GDP. A price index used to measure the overall level of prices of goods and services included in GDP is defined as the GDP deflator, which is formulated as: GDP deflator = (Nominal GDP/ Real GDP) x 100. It is a measure of the average level of prices for some specified set of products, proportionate to the prices in a specified based year. Hence, the choice of base year decides the value of real GDP and the GDP deflator. In addition, Brakman et al (2006) suggests the method to calculate the real GDP by the use of the chained volume measure of GDP and to take an average of the variation in price. Another way to measure the status of a national economy is through Gross National Product (GNP) and many governments use it as a standard to measure their economy. Brakman et al 2006 defines GNP as â€Å"the market value of the goods and services, which produced by labor and property of residents of a country†. GNP and GDP are different in that they treat output generated by capital and labours having job outsides its home country differently (Abel et al 2008). While the former takes into account the market value of final goods newly produced by domestic factors of production during the current period, the latter only includes production produced within a country. To illustrate, a Chinese worker working in the US, on one hand his services are part of American GDP, on the other hand they contribute to China GNP. In addition, besides labor services, the difference between GNP and GDP also hold for many factors of production like capital. The differentiation between them is calculated as in the formula: GDP= GNP- NFP. Abel et al referred NFP as â€Å"net factor payments from abroad, which to be income paid to domestic factors of production by the rest of the world minus income paid to foreign factors of production by domestic economy†. However, in reality the value of GDP is similar to that of GNP. For example, British GDP was only 0.2% lower than its GNP, $ 1415 billion compared with $ 1417 billion. That is a reason why only two countries out of thirty six having an income level of over $ 100 billion differentiate GDP and GNP. Though the argument whether GNP or GDP is an ideal measurement of national development is debatable, both of the measures still cannot cover many other aspects of the national economy. There are a number of drawbacks pointed out. For instance, it is difficult to set up the best criteria to measure standard of living, quality of goods and services provided the economy activities in shadow economy, welfare issues, income inequality and the negative externality issue (Brezina, 2012). As a result, it is possible that in a country with high GDP not every people live in high standard or benefit form that high GDP. Regarding to the case of China, the China GDP demonstrates approximately equal market value to that in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, China GDP per capita according to current prices is 19 times lower than that of the UK, indicating a relatively huge gap in GDP per capita between the two nations. Likewise, Australia and India have the same situation as that between China and the UK. Both of these countries have nearly the same level of GDP; on the other hand, GDP per capital of Australia is 46 times greater than that of India. In terms of PPP, the number of goods and services purchased with a unit of each country’s currency is measured by this indicator. PPP takes into consideration the differences in price levels of different goods and different demand patterns in different countries. In PPP calculation approach, the amount of disposal income per capita in the UK is just seven times higher than that in China. Similarly, the amount of disposal income per capital in Australia is just 17 times larger than that in India. By PPP indicator, income gaps between countries are much narrower than those calculated by GDP per capital indicator. It should be noticed that the increase in GDP trend when it is measured by the government is not always a positive sign. GDP increases could be resulted from either economic development or inflation. Therefore, in the case that GDP increase because of inflation then the increase in GDP does not lead to the increase in living standard; alternatively, it would remain the same. Furthermore, According to Abel et al., (2008), there are a number of trades are excluded from GDP such as illegal transactions with drugs, smuggling or other business activities which are not declared formally on documents. Therefore, the total amount of GDP is somewhat flawed when it only could measure formal and legal economic activities which are demonstrated under formal documents. In a number of countries including Nigeria, Bolivia and Switzerland, informal business activities under shadow economy account for a considerable amount of percentage of total GDP. Nigeria, Bolivia and Switzerland had 77%, 67% and 9% of GDP of those activities in the shadow respectively. The definitions of GDP are flawed; thus, there has not any comprehensive definition for GDP. Therefore, According to Robert Kennedy† â€Å"The GDP measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to the country. It measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worth living† (Robert Kennedy) Although GDP indicates average income level in a country functioning as navigation for living standard, it does not what it is spent on. Generally, HDI (Human Development Index) has a huge gap with GDP. HDI is regarded as a valid measure of a nation’s progress; it is the result of the average value of the three indices called educational attainment, longevity and income (Karalay, 2005, p.214). Furthermore, there has been a major concern about inequality in income, which facing the position of GDP. China can be used as a typical example since the richest 10% income is 18.4 times than the 10% poorest. Ultimately, measuring GDP failed in addressing the cost of negative externality and the value of leisure; actually, these factors are ignored in GDP. Thus, the calculation of GDP is based on the assumption that most of population just does business activities. Moreover, it is hard to quantify the cost of environment. Although the increase in GDP indicates the development of an economy, factors such as air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution and annoy are not taken into account in calculating GDP. Environment has been come a major issue for the new generation, who have been attempting to protect the environment, which are under a great deal of damage. Therefore, the concept of â€Å"Green† GDP has been introduced. Leisure life, a crucial indicator of social and economic welfare was not counted in GDP. In order to increase GDP, people, workers and employees often have to increase their working hours, thus, reduce their leisure time. The value of leisure is hard to be measured but it is also regarded as services and goods expected by the people in a country. GDP often excludes leisure activities. For example, in Taiwan, government imposes the policy which allows workers to have two days off at weekend. Although this policy would increase cost of employers, it would increase social welfare in general. Because of incomprehensiveness, GDP is unable to provide people a thorough picture of a national economy such as living standard, social welfare and so on. GDP is actually just a number given by government in order to demonstrate its people that government is working hard for the prosperity of a nation. GDP measures have been facing a large number of limitations. According to the economist Joseph Stiglitz, there should be another measurement. Hence, he introduced the concept Gross Deceptive Product in the Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress report in 2009. In this report, limitations in measuring GDP is emphasized; then additional information needed for the introduction of more comprehensive indications is presented. The report also evaluates the feasibility of alternative measurement tools of GDP. In addition, the report introduced twelve improvements in the ways to measure economic development. For example, income and consumption should be assessed rather than production; household perspective, income and consumption should be emphasized together with wealth broaden income measure to non-market activities and so forth. Despite a great deal of flaw, GDP has contributed greatly in measuring the development of a country as well as providing important information for foreign investment and immigration. Nevertheless, GDP is not a perfect statistic since it is unable to demonstrate living standard and social welfare. GDP is just can general information of national wealth and income. Reference Abel A B, Bernanke B S and Crouchore D (2008), Macroeconomics, 6th Ed, Pearson Education Inc, Boston Brakman S, Garretsen H, Marrewijk C V and Witteloostuijn A V (2006), National and Firms in the Global: An Introduction of International Economics and Business, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Brezina C (2012), Understanding the Gross Domestic Product and the Gross National Product, The Rosen Publishing Group Inc, New York Karalay G N (2005), Integrated approach to rural development: policies, programmes and strategies, Concept Publishing Company, India Mankiw N G (2011), Principles of Economics, Cengage Learning, USA Tucker I B (2011), Macroeconomics for Today, 7th Ed, South- Western Cengage Learning, USA

Environmental Issues Of Ganga River

Environmental Issues Of Ganga River Rapidly increasing population, rising standards of living and exponential growth of industrialization and urbanization have exposed the water resources, in general, and rivers, in particular, to various forms of degradation. Many Indian rivers, including the Ganga in several stretches, particularly during lean flows, have become unfit even for bathing. Realizing that the rivers of the country were in a serious state of degradation, a beginning towards their restoration was made with the launching of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) in 1985. It was envisaged as a comprehensive programme of river conservation with the objective of improving the water quality. It was visualized that in due course, the programme would be enlarged to cover other major rivers of the country. In order to prepare such a major programme, an exhaustive study of the Ganga Basin arrived by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The study covered all aspects of rivers in the Ganga basin including water quality. The study pointed out that besides pollution from municipal and industrial wastes, non-point sources like run off from rural settlements, pesticides from agricultural fields, open defecation, dumping of carcasses significantly contribute to pollution of the river and render the water unsuitable for its intended use. Equally important is the issue of flow in the River. Dams and barrages for storing and diverting water for irrigation, domestic consumption and industry, affect the flow, particularly during dry months. This has serious implications for water quality and aquatic life in the river. The Ganga Action Plan Phase I (GAP I) was started in 1985 to improve the water quality of river Ganga to acceptable standards by preventing the pollution load reaching the river. GANGA BASIN: Ganga drains a basin of extraordinary variation in altitude, climate, land use and cropping pattern. Ganga has been a cradle of human civilization since time immemorial. It is one of the most sacred rivers in the world and is deeply revered by the people of this country. India has 12 river basins, and 14 minor and desert river basins. Ganga river basin is the largest of these. The Ganga basin lies between East longitudes 73 °30 and 89 ° 0 and North latitudes of 22 °30 and 31 °30, covering an area of 1,086,000 sq km, extending over India, Nepal and Bangladesh. It has a catchment area of 8,61,404 sq. km in India, constituting 26% of the countrys land mass and supporting about 43% of population (448.3 million as per 2001 census). Ganga has many tributaries, both in the Himalayan region before it enters the plains at Haridwar and further downstream before its confluence with the Bay of Bengal. -May are the lean flow Months. The surface water resource Ganga has been assessed as 525 billion cubic Meters (BCM). Substantial abstraction of water for various purposes including irrigation, power Generation and drinking water has impacted the quantity of flows in the river. Some General Information about Ganga  [1]  : Here are a few basic facts about the Ganga River. This information will help you understand the Ganges at a glance. Total Length of River Ganges 2,510 Kms (1,560 miles) Average depth of Ganga River 52 Feet (maximum depth, 100 feet) Place of Origin of Ganga River Foot of Gangotri Glacier, at Gaumukh, at an elevation of 3,892 m Area drained by Ganges River (Ganges Plains) 1,000,000 Square Kilometres Major Tributaries of Ganges Yamuna, Son, Kosi, Gandak, Gomati, Ghaghara, Bhagirathi etc Cities on the bank of Ganges Kanpur, Soron, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Ghazipur, Bhagalpur, Mirzapur, Buxar, Saidpur etc The entire stretch of river Ganga (main stem) can be viewed into three segments: A. Upper Ganga à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€  294 km Gaumukh to Haridwar B. Middle Ganga à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€  1082 km Haridwar to Varanasi C. Lower Ganga à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‹â€  1134 km Varanasi to Ganga Sagar Places: There are many cities which are situated on the bank of river Ganga. Focusing on the state of Uttaranchal and the cities like Haridwar and Rishikesh which are prone to pollution due to the pilgrimage. Uttaranchal became the 27th state of India on November 9, 2000. It borders Tibet in the north-east and Nepal to the south-east, while its neighboring states are Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Uttaranchal is a region of outstanding natural beauty. The high Himalayan ranges and glaciers cover most of the northern parts of the state, while the lower reaches are densely forested. The unique Himalayan ecosystem plays host to a large number of animals (including bharal, snow leopards, leopards and tigers), plants and rare herbs. Two of Indias mightiest rivers, the Ganga and the Yamuna take birth in the glaciers of Uttaranchal, and are fed by innumerable lakes, glacial melts and streams in the region. The tourism industry is a major contributor to the economy of Uttaranchal, with the Raj era hill-stations at Mussorie, Almora, Ranikhet and Nainital being some of the most frequented destinations. To this region also belong some of the holiest Hindu shrines, and for almost 2000 y ears now pilgrims have been visiting the temples at Haridwar, Rishikesh, Badrinath and Kedarnath in the hope of salvation and purification from sin. Recent developments in the region include initiatives by the state government to capitalize on the burgeoning visitor trade. The state also plays host to some of the worst conceived bigdam projects in India such as the monstrously large Tehri dam on the Bhagirathi-Bhilangana Rivers  [2]  . HARIDWAR: Ancient Haridwar (the Gateway to God) is one of the seven holiest places in India, and one of the oldest living cities. For Hindus, a visit to Haridwar is believed to provide liberation from the endless cycle of death and rebirth. Haridwars main attractions are its temples (particularly Mansa Devi temple, where the wish fulfilling goddess resides), ghats (steps leading down to the river), and Ganges River. People take a holy dip and cleanse their sins. Haridwar district, covering an area of about 2360 Km with a population of 14, 44, 213, is in the western part of Uttarakhand state of India and extends from latitude 29 58 in the north to longitude 78 13 in the east with subtropical climate. It receives millions of tourists in every month, sometimes just in one day, which increases the number of automobiles of various categories up to 120 % per day RISHIKESH : Rishikesh is yet another centre of pilgrimage and tourist attraction for Indians as well as foreigners. Rishikesh is popularly known as the Yoga Capital of the World. Rishikesh is 28 kms from Haridwar on way to Badrinath and is situated at the foothills on either side of holy river Ganga and is surrounded by Shivalik ranges from three sides. Rishikesh complex consists of three distinct areas, known as Rishikesh, Muni-ki-Reti and Swargashram. The town is well known for modem and ancient Ashrams. REASON FOR THE POLLUTION:  [3]   In the upper reaches of the Ganga, numerous hydel projects threaten the rivers ecosystem. And in the plains, as the river flows through the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, a toxic mix of untreated sewage, discarded garbage, agricultural run-off and industrial waste flow unabated into it. Hindus regard the Ganga water as pure; but in reality it is pure toxic muck! So much so that one of Indias most treasured resources was also crowned one of the worlds top five most polluted rivers in 2007. The Ganga at Haridwar, where thousands of devotees take holy dip and collect water, continues to be polluted with sewage, a scientist has said, suggesting a parallel canal strategy for permanent prevention of pollution. The situation is most miserable and despite some waste water trappings through a piecemeal system of sewers, the towns sewage continues to flow almost all along the Ganga canal at Haridwar. There is zero management for solid waste which blocked many nalas, inlets/manholes resulting not only in overflow of sewage into the canal but led to most ugly and unaesthetic sites and foul smell.Nearly 89 million litres of sewage is daily disposed into Ganga from the 12 municipal towns that fall along its route till Haridwar. The amount of sewage disposed into the river increases during the Char Dham Yatra season when nearly 15 lakh pilgrims visit the state between May and October each year. According to the Ganga pollution control unit of Uttarakhand Peyjal Nigam, Haridwar alone accounts for 37.36 million litres of the sewage that goes directly to the Ganga without getting treated in any plant. Apart from sewage disposal of half-burnt human bodies at Haridwar and hazardous medical waste from the base hospital at Srinagar due to absence of an incinerator are also adding to pollution levels in the Ganga. It is worth mentioning that despite spending over Rs. 1500 crores by the Ganga Action Plan since its inception in 1984, the river still remains polluted. The second phase of the project, which is to get over in 2008, includes setting up of sewer lines in 8 cities in Garhwal that fall on the route of the river. According to an estimate, during its 2510 kilometre-long course from Gaumukh till Bay of Bengal, nearly 1 billion litres of untreated sewage gets disposed into the river. Impact of the Pollution: We should care about the continuing environmental degradation of our oceans and coastal areas because it is detrimental to human health, economic development, climate and our planets store of biodiversity. It is interfering with the sustainability of environment and its resources. Main sources of marine pollution are atmosphere, river runoff, agriculture, livestocks, urban runoff, automobiles, land clearing, sewage outfall, industrial waste etc. Thermal pollution is the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. When water used as a coolant is returned to the natural environment at a higher temperature, the change in temperature (a) decreases oxygen supply, and (b) affects ecosystem composition. Urban runoffstorm water discharged to surface waters from roads and parking lotscan also be a source of elevated water temperatures. When a power plant first opens or shuts down for repair or other causes, fish and other organisms adapted to particular temperature range can be killed by the abrupt rise in water temperature known as thermal shock. Water quality is also detoriating because of pollution in river Ganga and it is affecting marine ecosystem. Elevated temperature typically decreases the level of dissolved oxygen (DO) in water. The decrease in levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) can harm aquatic animals such as fish, amphibians and copepods. Thermal pollution may also increase the metabolic rate of aquatic animals, as enzyme activity, resulting in these organisms consuming more food in a shorter time than if their environment were not changed. An increased metabolic rate may result in fewer resources; the more adapted organisms moving in may have an advantage over organisms that are not used to the warmer temperature. As a result one has the problem of compromising food chains of the old and new environments. Biodiversity can be decreased as a result. Three main types of inputs of pollution into the ocean are direct discharge of waste into the oceans, runoff into the waters due to rain, and pollutants that are released f rom the atmosphere. EFFECT OF POLLUTANTS ON MARINE ORGANISMS Pollutants enters into to the oceans are mostly diluted; however the organisms living in the oceans tend to concentrate the pollutants into their body by various mechanisms, like adsorption, absorption, ingestion etc. The concentration of pollutant increases with higher tropic levels, i.e. from primary producers to the tertiary consumer. The threshold limit of organisms to the pollutant concentration increase with increasing tropic levels. Various mode of pollution transport in organisms includes bioconcentration, bioaccumulation and biomagnifications. Water pollution also leads to Large scale death of aquatic and terrestrial animals, Reduced reproduction rate, Increased incidence of diseases, Imbalances created in secondary food chains, Accumulation of bioaccumulative and non-biodegradable pollutants in animal bodies, Some organochlorine pesticides (like DDT, BHC, Endrin) are known for bioaccumulative and biomagnifiable characters. Bad impact of Water Pollution on Environment and human health. The contamination of water bodies has tremendous negative impact on environment, it has ability to destroy many animal habitats, and cause irreparable damage to many ecosystems. Water pollution is not only killing millions of people around the globe each year, it is also killing millions of plants and animals that simply cannot cope with the increasing levels of water pollution caused by different chemicals and other waste. In some areas of the world water pollution issue is totally out of control, and in these areas polluted water spreads different toxins and other chemicals into environment, making it dirty, and above all unhealthy place to live in. Among the most common causes of water pollution include the pathogens, various chemicals or other contaminants as well as other thermal sources of pollution. Pathogenic causes of pollution in water are usually the bacteria as well as other microorganisms that are commonly food in the surface of the water. If their population exceeds the normal rate, then its effects would be adverse to the human health. Of course, the chemical sources of water pollution include those from detergents, disinfectants, food processing wastes and many more. Water pollution can also leads to various diseases like vomiting or diarrhea, sick stomach, skin rashes, Cancer. Legislation and Efforts to Clean Ganga River: The basic objective taken by the people was to to create mass awareness for an eco-friendly non-violent culture of development for the protection of our life-sustaining natural systems in general and of the sacred Ganga and the Himalayas in particular; on the other hand, to put moral pressure on the government, to take time-bound decisive steps to completely and permanently save the Ganga. Ganga Action Plan: The Ganga Action Plan or GAP was a program launched by Rajiv Gandhi in April 1986 in order to reduce the pollution load on the river. But the efforts to decrease the pollution level in the river became more after spending à  Ã‚ ¤Ã‚ ° 901.71 Crore (~190 million USD adjusting to inflation). Therefore, this plan was withdrawn on 31 March 2000. The steering Committee of the National River Conservation Authority reviewed the progress of the GAP and necessary correction on the basis of lessons learned and experiences gained from the GAP phase; 2 schemes have been completed under this plan. A million liters of sewage is targeted to be intercepted, diverted and treated. Phase-II of the program was approved in stages from 1993 onwards, and included the following tributaries of the Ganges: Yamuna, Gomti, Damodar and Mahananda. National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA): NRGBA was established by the Central Government of India, on 20 February 2009 under Section 3(3) of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. It also declared Ganges as the National River of India. The chair includes the Prime Minister of India and Chief Ministers of states through which the Ganges flows. In exercise of the powers conferred by subà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ sections (1) and (3) of Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986), the Central Government has constituted National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) as a planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating authority for strengthening the collective efforts of the Central and State Government for effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga. One of the important functions of the NGRBA is to prepare and implement a Ganga River Basin: Environment Management Plan (GRB EMP). A Consortium of 7 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) has been given the responsibility of preparing Ganga River Basin: Environment Management Plan (GRB EMP) by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), GOI, New Delhi. Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) has been signed between 7 IITs (Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras and Roorkee) and MoEF for this purpose on July 6, 2010. Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission ( JNNURM)  [4]  : 40% of the total funds under directly or indirectly marked for river conservation, so this has become an essential avenue for corruption. Crores of rupees have gone down the drain over the past many years, but things havent changed a bit. Rather situation has further deteriorated. Instead, flood plain and river bed of majority of rivers have been sold by the governments to the private builders. Meanwhile, activists of Jal Biradari and Tarun Bharat Sangh, who had earlier rattled the Uttarakhand government and forced it to suspend its hydro-electricity projects constructed over Ganga, have now started trooping in Allahabad. Conservationists and scientists would be in the Sangam city to participate in the meet called Ganga Sammelan which was held on September 23, 2011 The call for the meet has been given by Jal Biradari, a body of river conservationists headed by Magsaysay award winner Rajendra Singh. The participants aim to protest against the governments move to invest thousands of crores on river conservation without disclosing its plan of action.http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/images/pixel.gif Save Ganga Movement : With the help of many like-minded organizations and with the moral support from many religious leaders, spiritual and political, scientists, environmentalists, writers and social activists, initiated Save Ganga Movement against the pollution of river Ganga and its tributaries with a seminar on Ganga aur hamaaraa daayitva on 13th Nov. 1998 at Kanpur. Renowned Gandhians, Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna and Dr. Kanchanlata Sabarwal, also joined the Movement. Catastrophic Global Ecological Crisis: According to the report of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) published on20th March 2007. Apart from the Ganga, the Indus, Nile, and Yangtze are among the 10 most endangered rivers of the world that are lifeline of billions of people. Global warming could cause more hunger in poor countries and extinction of many animal and plant species and melt most glaciers of the Himalayas, which is the source of the Ganga, the Indus and many other great rivers, by the2030s, according to a draft UN report published on 6th April,2007 . The thought of Gandhiji, the apostle of Truth and non-violence of our age, does provide the form and content of a non-violent culture of development in the context of our present technological age, which is the surest and perhaps the only solution to our impending catastrophic global ecological crisis. The seers and prophets of all great religions would agree with the Gandhian solution. Save Ganga Rally at Delhi (12th Nov, 2000): A fervent appeal was made to the Honble Rashtrapati for his guidance and active support in this cause. A national campaign was launched with a mass ralley in Delhi on 12th Nov. 2000, with blessings from the then Honble Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and many eminent spiritual leaders including His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchikotipuram, Rev. Dada J.P. Vaswani of Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Pune, in which eminent persons like Shri Sundarlal Bahuguna, Smt Tara Gandhi Bhattacharyaji, Dr Kanchanlata Sabarwal, Dr Samprasad Vinod etc. participated. Save Ganga Yatra from Gangotri to Ganga Sagar (May 2002-Nov 2003): Next two years have been devoted to coordinating the Save Ganga Yatra from Gangotri to Ganga Sagar in three phases during May 2002 to Nov 2003. In the course of the Yatra, we quite successfully held 3 Save Ganga Seminars and 6 Save Ganga Meetings in which many distinguished scientists, intellectuals, social activists, social leaders, Gandhians and religious leaders participated and expressed their views. 1st National Workshop on Gandhi Ganga and Giriraj (1st 2nd October, 2004)  [5]  : In the National Workshop on Gandhi Ganga and Giriraj held on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti as a part of our Save Ganga Movement at Gandhi Darshan Samiti, Rajghat, Delhi on 1st and 2nd October 2004, a Charter of Ten Demands were unanimously accepted to be the Ten Commandmentsto save the Ganga and the Himalayas. A book entitled Gandhi Ganga and Giriraj, published by Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad and NWO, Pune was released in the workshop. Save Ganga Save Himalayas March, New Delhi (12th March, 2006): We organized a Save Ganga Save Himalayas March from Bapujis Samadhi at Raj ghat to Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on 12-03-2006, the 76th Anniversary of Gandhjis Dandi Yatra, and formally presented Our Charter of Ten Demands in the Office of our Honble Rashtrapatiji in the form of an Appeal to Save the Ganga and the Himalayas. The Yatra was organized/ supported by about 24 organizations. It was unanimously resolved to celebrate the Day of Dandi Yatra, 12th March, every year in the form a Save Ganga Save Himalaya March from Bapujis Samadhi to Rashtrapati Bhavan till the necessary steps are taken to completely and permanently save the Ganga the Himalayas. 2nd National Workshop on Gandhi Ganga and Giriraj (1st 3rd October, 2006): The 2nd National Workshop on Gandhi Ganga and Giriraj was held on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti as a part of our Save Ganga Movement from 1st to 3rd October 2006 at Haridwar, Uttaranchal to discuss further deeply on various major issues concerning protection of the Ganga and the Himalayas as well as to create public awareness about it. As a part of the workshop a seminar Gandhi Ganga and Giriraj was held at M.C. Mehta Environmental Foundation, Eco Ashram at Haridwar on 1st and 2nd October 2006 and a Save Ganga Save Himalayas Public Meeting was held at Har Ki Paudi, Haridwar on 3 rd October2006. Save Ganga Save Himalayas March, New Delhi (12th March, 2007): A march was organized ; 2nd Save Ganga Save Himalayas March from Bapujis Samadhi at Rajghat to Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on 12-03-2007, the 77th Anniversary of Gandhjis Dandi Yatra in the Centinary year of his Satyagrah in South Africa and presented the Charter of Ten Demands in the form of an appeal to Save the Ganga the Himalayas. Save Ganga Save Himalayas March, New Delhi (12th March, 2008): Celebrated the 78th Anniversary of Gandhjis Dandi Yatra in the form of a Save Ganga Save Himalayas March from Bapujis Samadhi at Rajghat to Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on 12-03-2008 . Save Ganga Save Himalayas Meeting-cum-Panel Discussion, New Delhi (12th March, 2010): We celebrated the 80th Anniversary of Gandhjis Dandi Yatra in the form of a Save Ganga Save Himalayas Meeting- cum- Panel Discussion at Gandhi Darsan, Rajghat, New Delhi on 12thMarch, 2010. There was an essential agreement on the following two points: The highly earth quake prone, eco-fragile Uttarkhand region of the Ganga Basin must be declared Ecological Fragile and its rivers wild river and all steps must be taken to protect them and the natural eco-systems they support 2. Since our rivers are the source of drinking water for crores of our common people and also for the animals and STPs cannot convert sewage into potable water, industrial effluents and hospital wastes treated or untreated and also sewage from the cities and towns treated or untreated, must not be allowed to enter into the rivers: sewers must be separated from rivers and sewage must be converted into valuable natural manure for organic farming, producing electricity in the process wherever possible. The main objective of Save Ganga Save Himalayas Yatra from Badrinath to Rameshwar is to bring together under one roof various like-minded eminent persons from different streams of life and like-minded religious leaders religious institutions of different faiths, Gandhian leaders Gandhian institutions, social activists NGOs, etc. to devote to the cause of creating (1) The mass-awareness necessary to save the Ganga, symbolizing all rivers and water bodies, and the Giriraj Himalaya, symbolizing all mountains, forests and wildlife (2) The mass-awareness necessary to create a Gandhian Non-violent Culture of Development, which is the surest and perhaps the only solution to our impending catastrophic Global Ecological Crisis, through Save Ganga Save Himalayas Meetings/ Seminars/ Workshops, etc to be held in various major cities/ pilgrimage centers of our country in the course of the Yatra. It is deeply satisfying that our Save Ganga Movement has succeeded to a great extent to bring under one umbrella various like-minded eminent scientists, social workers and organizations, Gandhians, spiritual leaders and organizations to work together for the absolutely non-controversial noble cause of Saving the Ganga and the Himalayas. Supreme Court of India: The Supreme Court has been working on the closure and relocation of many of the industrial plants along the Ganges and in 2010 the government declared the stretch of river between Gaumukh and Uttarkashi an eco-sensitive zone. Nigamanand: In early 2011, a Hindu seer named Swami Nigamananda Saraswati fasted unto death, protesting against illegal mining happening in the district of Haridwar (in Uttarakhand) resulting in pollution. Following his death in June 2011, his Ashram leader Swami Shivananda fasted for 11 days starting on November 25, 2011, taking his movement forward. Finally, the Uttarkhand government released an order to ban illegal mining all over Haridwar district. According to administration officials, quarrying in the Ganges would now be studied by a special committee which would assess its environmental impacts the river and its nearby areas. Prof. G. D. Agrawal: Noted environmental activist, Prof. G. D. Agrawal sat for fast unto death on 15 January 2012. Due to support from other social activists like Anna Hazare, the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh agreed to Prof. Agrawals demands. Accordingly, he called for a National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA) meeting and urged the authorities to utilize the 2,600 crore (~520M USD) sanctioned for creating sewer networks, sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping stations, electric crematoria, community toilets and development of river fronts. Failure of Ganga Action Plan: It is truly deeply anguishing that we have failed to make the Ganga free from pollution in spite of our central government launching the Ganga Action Plan in 1985, and spending hundreds of crores of rupees for this purpose, even though we know that the Ganga is the lifeline of our crores of people and crores of our people consider her to be their divine mother, and our experts claim that we have the necessary knowledge, skill and wealth to make the Ganga and her tributaries completely pollution free within 4-5 years. GAP suffered from the following limitations  [6]  : Only a part of the pollution load of the river could be tackled. GAP concentrated on improving the water quality of Ganga, in terms of organic pollution and dissolved oxygen. Only the wastewater of towns flowing through the drains to the river was targeted. Connections of household toilets to the sewer system, solid waste management, and some other vital aspects of municipal activities, which impinge on the water quality were not addressed. The issue of ensuring environmental flows in the river was not attended to. This has become increasingly important in view of the competing demands on the Ganga water for drinking, irrigation and power generation. Adopting more efficient water conservation practices could have reduced the need for abstraction of water from Ganga. Problems of land acquisition, court cases, contractual issues and inadequate capacities in the local bodies/implementing agencies came in the way of speedy implementation. Tree cover in the Ganga basin has reduced considerably and land use pattern has changed leading to soil erosion. Sediment yield and its deposit on the river bed were also not monitored. Pollution load from non-point sources was addressed marginally. No attention was paid to run-off from agricultural fields, which brings non biodegradable Pesticides into the river. Measures necessary for the prevention of pollution of the river water while planning New settlements or expansion of the present ones were not considered. Watershed development as well as groundwater and surface water interaction were not covered. Only Class-I towns on the banks of rivers were taken up. Thus a large number of urban settlements remained outside the purview of the Plan. Pollution from rural sector was not addressed. Several parameters such as heavy metals, pesticides, nitrogen and phosphorous were not monitored. These parameters have become important with increased industrialization and urbanization. Suggestions and Recommendations: Gangotri Valley to be viewed as a place of pilgrim tourism and spiritual activities. All Commercial activities in the vicinity of Gangotri (say within 500 m) to be transformed into eco friendly activities. Plan for environment protection and preservation of natural and pristine conditions (e.g. hotel culture to be changed to hut culture; severe restrictions on overnight stay of tourists, promotion of pilgrim tourism than commercial tourism, facilitating Pad Yatra, encouraging use of locally available materials, provision for segregated collection of entire solid waste of all kinds, entirely eliminating disposal of any kind of waste from anthropogenic sources in the valley, complete recycle/reuse and conversion into acceptable products of wastes generated; sanitation and bathing facilities with no direct/indirect discharge into river valley, control of noise and artificial lighting, etc.). Harshil to be developed as nature friendly, zero waste terminal pilgrim tourist spot with facilities of ashrams, guest houses, parking, internet, etc. Environmental Flow (E Flow) to be estimated at various places, particularly for those stretches where river flow has been modified. Flo

Essay --

El Salvador (The republic of The Savior) is known to be the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. San Salvador has been announced as the Capital City. It is considered to an important cultural and commercial center for the whole Central America. It borders with Guatemala, Honduras, The Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Fonseca. It’s the only country in this region not on the Caribbean Sea. El Salvador has a large presence of mountains and is also known as the Land of Volcanoes. Hence, most part of it is on a fertile volcanic plateau about 2,000 ft (607 m) high. 5,744,113 people composed predominantly of Mestizos. Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Spain and Spanish-speaking Latin America to mean a person of combined European and Amerindian descent. Other include 12% white, 1% Indigenous. The colon was the official currency of El Salvador from 1892 to 2001, when it adopted the U.S. Dollar. Based on the research carried out in 2010, El Salvador ranked 12th among the Latin American countries in the category of Human Development Index and fourth in Central America and is increasing rapidly when it comes to the industrial sector. Government: †¢ President – Maruicio Funes †¢ Vice president – Salvador Ceren †¢ Speaker Of the Assembly – Sigfrido Morales †¢ Supreme Court President – Jose Balermino Jaime Legislature: †¢ Legislative Assembly - A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. Area: †¢ Total – 21,040 Sq Km (153rd in the world) †¢ Water – 1.4% Gross Domestic Product (GDP): †¢ According to an estimate from 2012, the GDP of El Salvador stands at 23.79 billion USD. †¢ Per Capita accordingly is 3,855$‎ Gross National Product (GNP): †¢ According to an estimate from... ...ed a lot of wars and revolutions against other Central American republics. †¢ In 1969, El Salvador went on a war with the Honduras as the Honduran’s were deporting several thousands of Salvadorans. The four day war was later named as the ‘Football War’ as it broke out during a football match between the two countries. †¢ The 12 year Civil War, which was fought between the Military-led government and the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN). This War dated from 1979 – 1992. †¢ El Salvador also had its fair share in World War II, War on Terror and the United States Occupation of the Dominican Republic (1965- 66). Independence †¢ El Salvador achieved its independence on September 15th, 1821 from Spain and was recognized by Spain as a separate nation in 1865. Whereas, recognition from the Greater Republic of Central America was achieved in November 13, 1898.

The Relaxation Factor of Spas Essay -- Descriptive Spa Spas Relaxing E

The Relaxation Factor of Spas Most people get a look of relaxation on their face when someone says the word, spa. The imagery of mud baths, facials, manicures, pedicures, and massages triggers a feeling of complete relaxation. Many different types of people visit spas. A writer for About.com, Julie Register, explains the different types of people who visit spas. She says, â€Å"people like a traveler that has jet lag, a mother who would like to break away from her children for awhile, or even a person who is experiencing acne, visit spas† (Register). While looking for the origin of the word â€Å"spa,† I found on the internet that there are many possible origins. Julie Register from About.com says a possible origin is from the Latin word â€Å"Espa,† meaning to bubble up, or â€Å"Sanus Per Aquam† meaning health by or through water (Register). I was curious as to how spas had originally begun. While engulfing my mind into information I found on the internet, I found two distinct ways that spas had begun. Register also explains this to me. She says that as early as five hundred BC, Homer and other Greek writers say that Greeks favored a variety of baths. This included water baths and air baths (Register). Almost all of us are familiar with water baths. Water baths are the same thing as what we call the average â€Å"baths.† During one of these â€Å"water baths,† the person receiving the treatment has their body submerged in water with a temperature of their liking. However, I was not familiar with what an air bath was. While continuing to research, on the internet, I found that air baths are what we call saunas, today. Air baths are somewhat related to a water bath, except there is no water. In air baths, the receiver of the bath is ... ...ated in different countries and cultures, but past societies all had the same idea – relaxation by water. Today the spa business has boomed, but all spas focus on one thing – water. I have gone to many different spas and have experienced this first hand. Spas provide something for everyone. Works Cited Brown, Anita. â€Å"What Does a Spa Do?† About.com. 18 Oct. 2004 . â€Å"What is a Spa, Anyway?† About.com. 18 Oct.2004 . Foley, Jo. â€Å"Spas: A Brief History Two Centuries of Relaxation.† Hilary Spa & Beauty. 18 Oct. 2004 . Personal Survey. 18 Oct. 2004. Register, Julie. â€Å"Spa Evolution, A Brief History of Spas.† About.com. 18 Oct. 2004 .