Horror at McKinley

A horrible incident reportedly occurred over the weekend at McKinley Road near the exclusive Forbes Park, with a young man believed to be of Indian descent allegedly ramming his Audi R8 sports car into another Audi. The impact reportedly made the R8 swerve, in turn causing a motorcycle with two passengers to crash into the vehicle.  According to reports, one victim instantly died while two other persons are now in serious critical condition. One of the victims reportedly had to have a leg amputated.

While the crash may not have been a terrorist act with the same magnitude as the Boston Marathon explosions, witnesses said they were aghast and appalled to see the driver of the R8 speeding away from the accident, going straight towards the entrance of Dasmariñas Village where he reportedly instructed security guards not to let anyone enter the Village. The driver – said to be a wealthy young man who has a business importing eyewear (an oaky-dokey kind of brand)  – was allegedly high on booze and prohibited drugs.   

Ten years ago, a similar incident also happened to a businessman involved in a hit-and-run, then later on paid his driver to take the blame. This time however, there is no chance for the Indian national pinning the blame on anyone else since he was positively identified by the driver of the other Audi as clearly the one on the wheel. Several sources said Makati police authorities as well as Mayor Junjun Binay have reportedly been informed of the accident and the Dasmariñas Village address of the R8 vehicle driver already pinpointed. A manhunt has supposedly been launched with a warrant of arrest being prepared, our Spy Bits sources claimed. 

India water crisis costing billions

Severe drought in key areas and the widespread problem of sewage treatment and irrigation are going to cost Indian businesses billion of dollars if water resources are not properly managed, analysts predicted. Obviously, India’s population of 1.3 billion is exacerbating the problem with two thirds of the country facing a water shortage, something that even Indian President Pranab Mukherjee acknowledged, saying “available water must be managed judiciously to meet the twin burden of population growth and economic development” during the launch of India Water Week 2013 a few days ago. 

A lot of water dependent companies (such as Tata Steel) are likewise facing a crisis with $20 billion reportedly spent on water. India’s agriculture sector accounts for as much as 90 percent of the demand for water, with staples like rice requiring up to a million gallons of water per acre. Industrial demand for water is also seen to surge by more than 50 percent by 2025, and compounding the problem is the fact that pollution is making a lot of available water “unfit for human consumption,” experts pointed out. By 2030, India will need 1.5 trillion cubic meters of water annually – which is more than 20 percent of the projected global demand, disclosed an international consulting firm. 

Investors however are looking at opportunities to invest in water treatment projects, with shares in water treatment companies reportedly overtaking that of gold and oil exploration companies. Companies that manufacture water-recycling equipment also experienced a surge by as much as 31 percent or a record 11.7 billion rupees in 2012. Just recently, a major European water company bagged a $54-million contract to build and operate water treatment facilities in New Delhi. 

However, local and international disputes put a lot of projects in jeopardy. India, which has been categorized by the World Bank as a “water stressed nation” (said to be the most vulnerable among the G20 nations), could face a row with China (another water stressed country) over the latter’s construction of three dams on the Brahmaputra river in Tibet. India is miffed that it was not “informed” of the planned construction, and efforts to have a water commission or an inter-government dialogue that would discuss “mechanisms” for joint water management had been met with little enthusiasm by China, sources said. 

River disputes among rival states are also increasingly getting more severe – and could continue to be so considering that water resources are hard put to comply with the ever-increasing demand. The water disputes are also escalating into political issues, putting the coalition government into even more jeopardy which could be destabilizing, experts warned. 

Erap ‘serenaded’ by presidential Uncle

The 76th birthday celebration of former president and now Manila mayoralty candidate Joseph “Erap” Estrada at 409 Penthouse was much larger than usual with Manilans in the crowd, but loyal friends and former Cabinet secretaries also came in full force. 

Among those present was President Noy Aquino’s favorite uncle, Tony “Uncle Mort” Lopa, seen in the photo singing “Moon River” for his close classmate-buddy and “Huckleberry friend” Erap Estrada.

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