Delhi struggles to protect Yamuna floodplains amid urbanisation and encroachment
When the Yamuna was in spate in 2023, the city got an opportunity to recharge th ..
When the Yamuna was in spate in 2023, the city got an opportunity to recharge th ..
In an exclusive interview with India Today, Sunita Narain, DG, Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) talked about monsoon mayhem in North India, climate change and steps needed to address the issue. On climate change, Sunita Narain said, "The fact is, we have climate change, but that we can do nothing about. But at least you can start accepting the fact that every year, extreme weather events are going to increase. You have to accept the fact the Himalayas are the world's youngest mountain range. They are the most vulnerable. You have to start planning for it.
Other panellists included Anumita Roychowdhury from Centre for Science and Environment, Dhavala Srinivas from Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System , Harshal Salve from AIIMS and Anup Patil from Intangles. Transport and emissions experts on Tuesday said that while Electric Vehicle (EV) uptake in Delhi has crossed 12%, the transition alone may not be a viable solution to cut transport-related emissions in the Capital. Speaking at a session during Connect Karo 2025 organised by WRI India, experts noted that frequent technological shifts and changing norms often deliver short-term, superficial results without addressing long-term challenges. Gazala Habib, professor at IIT Delhi, said the rush to push EVs in Delhi overlooks the city’s lack of preparedness to deal with the waste generated. “Increasing EVs is not really helping with ‘zero emission’ as it also means higher electricity consumption, and our power generation is still largely fossil fuel-based. Moreover, if all vehicles move to EVs, are we prepared for the disposal of batteries that will also increase? We do not have the infrastructure for it as of now,” she said. Habib added that reducing emissions requires realistic monitoring and assessment, along with multiple measures, rather than relying on a single technology. Representatives from the trucking industry also flagged practical concerns. Pradeep Singhal, general secretary of the All India Truckers Welfare Association, said, “The truck industry operates at a very low margin and already faces competition from railways and inland waterways. The push towards frequently changing vehicles—from BSIV to BSVI to electric—adds to costs. We do not mind switching if the technology is not obsolete before at least the loans are paid. It is a matter of livelihoods.” Experts further noted that India’s urban mobility planning has channelled significant investments into metro rail and electric buses, in line with national goals. However, rising private vehicle use is worsening air quality, safety, and equity due to weak holistic planning and limited commuter data. They emphasised the need for a comprehensive, data-driven framework to guide future mobility policies. Other panellists included Anumita Roychowdhury from Centre for Science and Environment, Dhavala Srinivas from Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System , Harshal Salve from AIIMS and Anup Patil from Intangles.
Urban experts attributed the crisis to the erasure of Gurugram’s natural sponges, such as johads, seasonal streams and Aravalli runoff channels Every monsoon, Gurugram, the so-called Millennium City, comes to a grinding halt. On Monday, heavy rainfall once again left the city paralysed, with commuters stranded for up to ten hours, underpasses submerged, and residents wading through waist-deep water. While officials blamed “unprecedented rainfall”, experts and residents said the crisis is rooted in flawed planning, vanishing ecosystems and misplaced priorities. Residents questioned the government’s repeated claims of “abnormal rain”. “Every year we are told it’s because of unusual rain. But what’s unusual about rain in monsoon? The unusual thing is that a city like Gurgaon still has no working drainage system,” said Sushil Mehta, a Sector 46 resident who spent five hours stuck in traffic on Monday night. Urban experts attributed the crisis to the erasure of Gurugram’s natural sponges, such as johads, seasonal streams and Aravalli runoff channels, which have been replaced by glass towers, asphalt and poorly maintained drains. “It’s like pouring a bucket of water onto a plastic sheet instead of grass. The problem is the surface, not the water,” said an urban planner with the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). The city’s reliance on car-centric infrastructure, particularly flyovers and underpasses, has worsened flooding. “Underpasses are designed as bowls without proper drainage. They fill up first and then trigger city-wide jams. More roads don’t mean less congestion; they mean more cars,” said Sarika Panda Bhatt, Director at Nagarro and Trustee, Raahgiri Foundation. To be sure, according to data from India Meteorological Department (IMD), Gurugram recorded 577.3mm of seasonal rainfall from June 1 to September 2, which is 39% higher than the normal. Bhatt added, “It’s shocking that in a city as new as Gurgaon, it can take two hours to travel two kilometres during a downpour. This isn’t an old legacy city; it’s a textbook failure of modern planning. Solutions are not new. We need at least 1,000 public buses, safe footpaths and a metro system expanded to Dwarka, Manesar, Sohna and Faridabad. The Comprehensive Mobility Plan has been on paper for a decade. What’s missing is execution.” Multiple agencies, including GMDA, Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), operate with overlapping jurisdictions, resulting in a diffusion of accountability. Developers have encroached on wetlands and drains, while citizens have worsened the problem by dumping waste. DCP (Traffic) Rajesh Kumar Mohan said the police are left firefighting civic failures. “On Monday, we deployed over 5,000 personnel across key junctions to keep traffic moving. But no amount of manpower can solve a structural drainage failure. Unless long-term solutions are implemented, the chaos will repeat.” Experts called for urgent systemic change. “The maniacal pace of construction of wider roads, flyovers and underpasses to accommodate vehicles has worsened urban flooding,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director of Research and Advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). “This requires a serious rethink. We need water-sensitive urban design, green spaces, permeable surfaces, rainwater harvesting, and drainage that doubles as public space. Public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure reduce road paving and allow better percolation. Gurgaon must shift away from its obsession with cars if it wants to be climate resilient.”
उत्तर भारत के बड़े हिस्से इन दिनों बाढ़ की चपेट में हैं। लाखों लोग पानी में फंसे हुए हैं और जनजीवन पूरी तरह अस्त-व्यस्त हो गया है। यह स्थिति केवल प्राकृतिक आपदा नहीं बल्कि जलवायु परिवर्तन का सीधा असर है। पर्यावरण विशेषज्ञों का कहना है कि देश अब जलवायु आपातकाल का सामना कर रहा है, लेकिन संसद, मंत्रिमंडल की बैठकों या टीवी चैनलों पर इस गंभीर विषय पर बहुत कम चर्चा होती है। सवाल उठ रहा है कि आखिर जलवायु परिवर्तन से निपटने के लिए राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर ठोस योजना कब बनेगी। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण ने राजदीप सरदेसाई के शो में स्पष्ट रूप से कहा है कि, हम जलवायु परिवर्तन को रोक नहीं सकते, लेकिन हमें इस सच्चाई को स्वीकार करना होगा कि हर साल चरम मौसम की घटनाएँ और बढ़ेंगी। उन्होंने चेतावनी दी कि अगर सरकारें अभी से ठोस कदम नहीं उठातीं तो हर साल बाढ़, सूखा, लू और असामान्य बारिश जैसी आपदाएँ आम होती जाएँगी। दरअसल, विशेषज्ञों का कहना है कि बाढ़ जैसी आपदाएँ केवल प्राकृतिक कारणों से नहीं बल्कि आंशिक रूप से मानव निर्मित भी हैं। अनियोजित शहरीकरण, नदियों के किनारे अतिक्रमण और जल निकासी तंत्र की कमजोरियों ने स्थिति को और भयावह बना दिया है।
Beyond CyberMedia, Rajguru contributed to the Hindustan Times and the Centre for Science & Environment, and wrote columns for Sify and India Today’s DailyO. CyberMedia today announced with deep sorrow the passing of Sunil Rajguru, Editor of Dataquest and PCQuest, who died at 2:30 pm IST on Monday while undergoing treatment at a hospital. He had been battling cancer for over a year. He is the first working editor from CyberMedia to pass away, a loss that has left colleagues across the organisation and the wider journalism community deeply saddened. A seasoned journalist, Rajguru had a long and distinguished career in technology and business media. At CyberMedia, he helmed Dataquest and PCQuest, and had previously worked with the other group publication, Living Digital, as well as the research agency IDC India. He was known for his editorial insight, his ability to explain complex technology trends, and his active role in moderating panels, conducting video interviews, and leading industry conferences and webinars. Beyond CyberMedia, Rajguru contributed to the Hindustan Times and the Centre for Science & Environment, and wrote columns for Sify and India Today’s DailyO. An alumnus of the Asian College of Journalism, Bangalore, he combined a strong academic grounding with professional versatility. Colleagues remember him for his editorial acumen as well as his warmth and mentorship. His death is being mourned across the CyberMedia group and the technology journalism community. Rajguru is survived by his wife, Suma Ramachandran, and their son.
Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research at the Centre for Science and Environment, a New Delhi-based think tank, told DW that higher ratios of ethanol blends of gasoline are creating a different energy system for vehicles. India's E20 ethanol fuel rollout is supposed to boost energy security and cut oil imports, but owners of older petrol cars are reporting engine damage, reduced mileage, and rising maintenance costs. Ajay Raj, a government official in New Delhi, noticed a drop in his car's mileage and an increase in its maintenance costs just months after the government introduced 20% ethanol-blended fuel across India. "The mechanic told me E20 blended petrol is making my engine lethargic and the rubber seals are not built for it," Raj told DW. "In the coming months, I may have to replace parts and recalibrate the engine." Government aims for energy security and reduced oil imports Meenakshi Natrajan, a sales executive in the southern Indian city of Chennai, also reported reduced mileage and potential damage to her vehicle. "I used to get 18 kilometers [11 miles] per liter on the highway, but now it barely touches 13. I can see and feel the car losing power," Natrajan told DW. "The workshop has warned me that there could be injector clogging and the fuel pump could get damaged on E20 blend." India rolled out E20 fuel with the aim of reducing oil imports as part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's focus on clean energy. Ethanol is a biofuel derived from agricultural produce or organic waste. The move has saved over $16 billion (around €14 billion) in foreign exchange over the past decade, according to official government data and reports — equating to a reduction in crude oil imports by about 24.5 million metric tons. Mixed views on ethanol blending A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed last month at India's Supreme Court after E20 became the only choice of fuel at nearly 90,000 fuel stations across India, leading to an uproar among motorists concerned about the impact on their older vehicles. The PIL, filed by advocate Akshay Malhotra, sought a direction to the country's Petroleum Ministry to ensure the availability of ethanol-free gasoline at all fuel stations and to ensure that consumers were informed about ethanol compatibility of their vehicles at the time of fuel dispensing. But the country's top court on Monday rejected the PIL and claimed that the introduction of E20 fuel was well considered and would also benefit farmers who grow sugarcane, the main ingredient of ethanol. Environmentalists and industry experts have expressed mixed views on whether the switch to E20 is essential for sustainability and energy independence. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research at the Centre for Science and Environment, a New Delhi-based think tank, told DW that higher ratios of ethanol blends of gasoline are creating a different energy system for vehicles. "This requires very diligent evaluation of the potential impacts on emissions, especially evaporative emissions and unregulated emissions of toxic gases," she said. "The potential lowering of fuel economy performance, corrosive impacts on the structural systems of the on-road vehicles, and the implications for food security as food stock is the primary source of this fuel," Roychowdhury added. She pointed out that while ethanol blend aims to strengthen energy security, it needs to be pursued with caution to avoid unintended consequences. Survey reveals widepread issues with E20 A recent Local Circles survey involving over 37,000 petrol vehicle owners across the country revealed that 28% of owners of vehicles purchased in 2022 or earlier experienced unusual levels of wear and tear or repairs in 2025, particularly affecting components such as the engine, fuel lines, tanks, and carburetors. Additionally, two-thirds of vehicle owners who bought their cars in 2022 or earlier have observed reduced fuel efficiency after using E20 fuel, the survey found. "Ethanol is a well-proven fuel suitable for automobiles, but the fuel lines should not have rubber parts that ethanol can dissolve," said automobile expert Murad Ali Baig, who noted that ethanol produces about 30% less energy than standard gasoline, so "acceleration may suffer and cars will have less power." Is E20 key to a safe and greener future? Proponants of India's rollout point to successes in other countries. For example, they say, Brazil's ethanol fuel program faced initial technical challenges, which were largely resolved through technological upgrades, but now saves $10 to $15 billion annually. "In the current geopolitical scenario, it is needed to appreciate and support nations moving towards self-reliance and energy security through such steps, rising beyond individual and political aspirations," Neelkanth Marathe from the Emission Controls Manufacturers Association told DW. However, Marathe admitted that there were technical challenges involved with adopting higher levels of ethanol blending typically beyond 15%. "Ethanol absorbs moisture, which can lead to corrosion of related engine parts and hardening of seals and gaskets causing leakages and compression loss, thus impacting engine performance," said Marathe, who said that it is essential to replace these parts with compatible grade materials. While E20 blending has made a notable impact by cutting CO2 emissions so far, shifting to EVs remains essential for accelerating transport sector decarbonization and meeting India's long-term climate goals, noted Roychowdhury. "The future automotive roadmap requires rapid market uptake of electric vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions to address the air pollution, public health crisis and growing energy intensity of vehicles in India," she concluded.
Repowering India’s ageing wind power infrastructure through a system-wide upgrade—manufacturing innovation, infrastructure overhaul, and tailored financial architecture—can help unlock 25.4 gigawatts (GW) of enhanced capacity. The Centre for Science and Environment’s (CSE) in a report explored the urgent need to repower, replace old, low-capacity turbines with modern, high-capacity ones, and to unlock vast untapped potential in wind-rich states like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. It highlights structural barriers that hinder repowering, from fragmented ownership to outdated evacuation systems, and calls for a coordinated, policy-backed response. “India’s wind repowering sector holds a transformative potential worth ₹1.39–1.52 lakh crore, offering the possibility of unlocking 25.4 GW of enhanced capacity from ageing wind infrastructure,” the report revealed. A feasibility study on repowering wind power plants by IIT Bombay’s Grid Integration Lab, released in March 2025, also raises similar issues. It points to complexities in multi-owner wind farm sites, continuation of existing power purchase agreements (PPAs), regulatory hurdles, and need for substantial investment in power evacuation infrastructure. The report underscores that without targeted policy support, financial incentives, and regulatory reforms, developers are unlikely to independently pursue repowering initiatives. Outdated infrastructure Despite being located in some of the world’s most wind-rich sites, India’s wind capacity is built on outdated infrastructure, the CSE report pointed out. Tamil Nadu alone operates more than 8,800 turbines totalling 6.25 GW, many of which rely on obsolete technology. Similarly, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat together host thousands of sub-megawatt machines installed over two decades ago. These turbines, mostly below 1.5 megawatt (MW) with capacity utilisation factors of 10–14 per cent, occupy high-potential Class I wind zones but fail to meet current efficiency standards, it revealed. CSE noted that the 2023 National Repowering and Life Extension Policy for Wind Power Projects requires a minimum 1.5-fold increase in energy generation from repowered sites, highlighting the pressing need for systematic infrastructure modernisation. Yet this significant potential remains largely unrealised, hindered by three critical structural challenges that require urgent and coordinated action. These challenges are upgrading Category A sites with next-generation turbines, aligning and strengthening transmission infrastructure, and mobilising targeted investments to drive wind repowering success. Critical barriers India’s premier wind corridors, including Tamil Nadu’s Muppandal and Gujarat’s coastal regions, require turbines capable of handling both high wind speeds (around 10 Meters/ second) and high turbulence intensity (TI 0.16). “However, the current Revised List of Models and Manufacturers (RLMM) issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) offers only six certified models rated for TI 0.16—all of which are under 1 MW capacity and have hub heights below 100 metres,” it added. These models are technically inadequate for effective repowering, which requires 2–3 MW turbines with higher hub heights. Moreover, India’s current turbine supply primarily caters to sites with TI 0.12–0.14, rendering the country’s best wind corridors effectively unserviceable. Tamil Nadu’s wind evacuation system exemplifies critical infrastructure constraints. For instance, the Muppandal region still relies on legacy 11 kV feeder systems designed in the 1990s for 200–600 kW turbines. Modern 1.5-2 MW turbines face grid compatibility issues such as current overload risks, voltage instability, and increased transmission losses. Upgrading to 33 kV or higher evacuation systems demands substantial replacement of switchgear, transformers, and supporting infrastructure. Additionally, many wind-dense zones lack 400 kV substations, creating critical capacity bottlenecks. Repowering economics differ fundamentally from greenfield wind projects, involving distinct costs such as dismantling, site preparation, and evacuation upgrades. Current financial policies fail to accommodate these specific needs, offering no support for dismantling and site reclamation, no capital offset for grid infrastructure upgrades, and no differentiated capital subsidies for repowering requirements. “Without targeted fiscal incentives, concessional loans, performance-based grants, or specialised financial instruments designed for small investor participation in repowering, project viability remains compromised on both technical and ownership fronts,” the CSE report suggested.
What do we do with coal and the electricity it generates? This is the zillion-dollar question amid the twin challenges of climate change and the urgent need for energy across vast parts of the developing world. The world is fast running out of the carbon budget to keep temperature rise below 1.5°C — a guardrail against out and out devastation. We need solutions that can and must work in the interests of all. This is where the coal question becomes complicated. It is easy to say “keep it in the ground” — do not use coal for generating electricity because
Sustainable transportation in urban India often reminds us of electric vehicles, bicycles, and metro systems, among others. However, although a common and essential mode of urban transportation, autorickshaws are often overlooked in the list. Autorickshaws are crucial for last-mile connectivity in urban areas and contribute to a greener environment if maintained properly. Read on to explore how autorickshaws contribute to less pollution, their role in social and economic empowerment, and more! How do Autorickshaws Contribute to a Greener Environment? In the past, the majority of autorickshaws were run by petrol or diesel, both of which are known for their emissions. But over the past few years, changes brought about by laws and city regulations have led the industry to adopt greener technologies. In large cities like Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai, almost all autorickshaws now run on compressed natural gas (CNG), and a new breed of electric rickshaws is gaining popularity. Autorickshaws benefit the environment in the following ways: Increased Productivity Studies show that autorickshaws use less fuel per passenger kilometre than private vehicles or conventional taxis. They use less fuel on each journey because of their lighter frames and smaller engines. Shared Transportation Cuts Down on Traffic Whether as shared rides or point-to-point shuttles, autorickshaws frequently accommodate multiple passengers, which lowers the overall number of vehicles required on congested roads and, consequently, aggregate emissions. Cleaner Fuels With notable decreases in NOx and particulate emissions since 2010, Delhi's transition to CNG-powered vehicles has served as a model for greener urban transportation, according to the Centre for Science and Environment. Multimodal Transportation By acting as essential 'last-mile' connections to buses, metros, and suburban trains, autorickshaws increase access to public transport and lessen people's dependency on private, inefficient automobiles. What is e-Auto and its Role in a Greener Environment? Electric autorickshaws, or e-rickshaws, have surged onto the urban scene, propelled by incentives, reduced battery costs, and India’s climate targets. Delhi, Pune, Lucknow, and several smaller towns now feature fast-growing e-rickshaw fleets. Here’s how e-autos are changing the game: Zero Emissions e-autos do not emit any direct pollutants, which is especially critical in crowded urban centres notorious for smog and respiratory illnesses (NITI Aayog, 2022). Lower Noise Pollution The shift from combustion engines to electric motors makes city streets quieter, improving urban liveability. Reduced Operating Costs for Drivers e-autos save more fuel and maintenance costs compared to CNG or other equivalent variants. Thus, owners can operate autos at lower operating costs, increasing their profit. How to Keep Your Autorickshaws Roadworthy? To reap their environmental rewards, autorickshaws must be diligently maintained. Poorly serviced engines emit more than double the pollutants of well-maintained ones. Here are some of the essential tips for maintaining your autorickshaws to keep them roadworthy: Routine Servicing Regular oil changes, emissions checks, and engine tune-ups preserve efficiency and minimise pollution from older models. Tyre Care Properly inflated and aligned tyres reduce fuel use. This is a major requirement, given India’s often uneven roads. Battery Upkeep For e-rickshaws, maintaining healthy batteries extends range and prevents hazardous waste from premature disposal. Insurance as a Maintenance Incentive Timely auto rickshaw insurance renewal not only fulfils legal obligations but also guarantees smoother financial recovery from accidents, breakdowns, or natural calamities. You can purchase comprehensive three-wheeler insurance policies that cover not just third-party liabilities but also personal damage. Some companies cover add-on repairs and theft and, in many cases, offer discounts for a no-claim bonus and continued good maintenance. Insurance isn’t just paperwork; it’s a pathway to quick vehicle rehabilitation. It helps reduce economic downtime for the driver, ensuring more consistent and lower-emission movement across India's urban ecosystems. Why Insurance is Essential for Autorickshaws to Score More Green Points? Here are some of the reasons why you must insure your autorickshaw: Legal Compliance It's mandatory for all three-wheeler owners to have at least third-party insurance. Having the correct insurance means you avoid legal penalties, fines, or even the suspension of your vehicle's registration. Additionally, being insured under the law allows you to operate your business without fear of legal interruptions, ensuring your operations run smoothly and are fully compliant with the Motor Vehicles Act. Protection Against Accidents and Damage Running a three-wheeler business means constant exposure to the risks of accidents, collisions, or even natural disasters. Commercial vehicle insurance plays a vital role by covering the expenses for repairs when your autorickshaw is damaged. It often includes medical coverage for the driver if they are injured in an accident. This financial protection ensures that sudden, unexpected repair costs don’t disrupt your operations or drain your savings, allowing you to keep your business running smoothly. Vehicle Theft Protection Autorickshaws are valuable assets, making them targets for theft, especially in busy urban areas. Insurance that includes theft protection ensures you don't suffer a severe financial blow if your vehicle is stolen. With claim settlement options, you're compensated for your loss, minimising business disruption and enabling you to replace the stolen vehicle to continue operations quickly. Third-Party Liability Coverage By law, every commercial vehicle in India is required to have third-party insurance. This coverage safeguards you against legal and financial responsibility if your autorickshaw causes harm to others or damages someone's property. It covers third-party injury claims and property repairs, protecting you from potentially hefty out-of-pocket legal expenses and ensuring ongoing compliance with regulations so your business isn’t interrupted by legal troubles. What Challenges do e-Autorickshaws Face on the Road Ahead? Even though the green auto rickshaw movement is growing, India still faces many obstacles: Infrastructure for Charging Particularly outside of major cities, e-auto adoption is outpacing the construction of dependable charging stations. Recycling Batteries Sustainable recycling is becoming increasingly important as millions of batteries are expected to reach the end of their lifecycle. Consistency in Policy The sector's green shift may be slowed by shifting state-level policies and variable subsidies. Auto rickshaws, quintessential symbols of Indian urban resilience, are far more than just a means of transport. They are catalysts for change, connecting millions to opportunity while quietly advancing the country’s clean mobility goals. By supporting the switch to CNG and electric options, ensuring regular vehicle maintenance, and protecting drivers with reliable three-wheeler insurance, India can unlock the full potential of these green movers.
प्रदूषित पानी की सफाई सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की 2024 की एक रिपोर्ट बताती है कि भारत के शहरों से निकलने वाले गंदे पानी और सीवेज का एक-तिहाई से भी कम साफ किया जाता है। इसका मतलब है कि बाकी पानी नदियों, झीलों और जमीन में बह जाता है। मिश्रा बताती हैं कि पानी या गंदे पानी को साफ करने के पारंपरिक तरीकों में तीन चरण होते हैं: शुरुआती या प्राथमिक, द्वितीयक और तृतीयक उपचार। शुरुआती उपचार में सिर्फ भारी कणों या तैरते पदार्थों को हटाया जाता है। प्राथमिक उपचार में, पारंपरिक रूप से फिटकरी और फेरस सल्फेट जैसे कौयगुलांट मिलाए जाते हैं जो बाजार में आसानी से उपलब्ध हैं। मिश्रा कहती हैं, “ये कौयगुलांट गाद बनाते हैं जो टैंक के तल में जम जाता है, जिसे छोड़ने से पहले दोबारा साफ करना पड़ता है। कुछ डेयरी प्लांट गाद को निकालकर जमीन पर फेंक देते हैं, जिससे मिट्टी दूषित होती है और प्रदूषण फैलता है।” भारत 1998 से दूध उत्पादन में दुनिया भर में सबसे आगे है। फिलहाल वैश्विक दूध उत्पादन में भारत का योगदान करीब एक-चौथाई है। अकेले 2024 में देश में 239 मिलियन टन से ज्यादा दूध का उत्पादन हुआ। हालांकि, डेयरी क्षेत्र भारत की अर्थव्यवस्था और ग्रामीण आजीविका की रीढ़ है। लेकिन इससे उद्योग से बड़ी मात्रा में गंदा पानी निकलता है जिस पर चर्चा ना के बराबर होती है। यह ऐसी पर्यावरण संबंधी चुनौती है जिसकी अक्सर अनदेखी की जाती है। अध्ययन बताते हैं कि डेयरी से निकलने वाले गंदे पानी की मात्रा इस उद्योग में प्रसंस्कृत दूध से करीब ढाई गुना है। कच्चे दूध से दही, मक्खन और पनीर जैसी उपभोक्ता वस्तुएं बनाते समय भारी मात्रा में अपशिष्ट जल निकलता है। हालांकि, इस पानी को साफ करने क लिए दशकों से पारंपरिक तरीके अपनाए जा रहे हैं जिसमें रसायनों का इस्तेमाल शामिल है। लेकिन, उनकी लागत और पर्यावरण संबंधी दुष्प्रभाव चिंता बढ़ाते रहे हैं। एनवायरनमेंटल मॉनिटरिंग और असेसमेंट में प्रकाशित एक नए अध्ययन में प्राकृतिक कौयगुलांट का पर्यावरण-अनुकूल विकल्प के रूप में सुझाव दिया गया है। अध्ययन की प्रमुख लेखिका और एमआईटी वर्ल्ड पीस यूनिवर्सिटी की सहायक प्रोफेसर लिप्सा मिश्रा कहती हैं, “दुनिया भर में पानी की मांग बढ़ रही है, इसलिए गंदे पानी को इस तरह से साफ करना जरूरी है जिससे पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र साफ-सुथरा रहे और प्रदूषण कम हो।” कुदरती कौयगुलांट के फायदे अपने अध्ययन में मिश्रा और उनकी टीम ने प्राकृतिक कौयगुलांट के रूप में पपीते के बीज, मौसंबी के छिलके, और सहजन के पाउडर का इस्तेमाल किया। पपीते के बीज पानी में प्रदूषकों से चिपक सकते हैं और नीचे बैठ सकते हैं। अध्ययन में बताया गया है कि मौसंबी के छिलके फिर से इस्तेमाल के लिए अहम पोषक तत्व भी प्राप्त कर सकते हैं। साथ ही, पानी की गुणवत्ता में भी सुधार कर सकते हैं। सबसे अहम बात यह है कि सहजन के जीवाणुरोधी गुण पानी में बैक्टीरिया की बढ़ोतरी को रोकने, पानी की गुणवत्ता में सुधार लाने और पानी से होने वाली बीमारियों के जोखिम को कम करने में मदद करते हैं। मिश्रा और उनके सहयोगियों ने अध्ययन में बताया कि प्राकृतिक कौयगुलांट पानी के पीएच संतुलन को बनाए रखने के साथ ही जैव रासायनिक ऑक्सीजन मांग (बीओडी), रासायनिक ऑक्सीजन मांग (सीओडी) और गंदगी के स्तर को कम करने में भी मदद करते हैं। उदाहरण के लिए, सहजन सूक्ष्मजीवों के विघटन से होने वाले ऑक्सीजन के नुकसान को रोकता है और बीओडी को कम करने में मदद करता है, जो स्वस्थ जलीय आवासों को बनाए रखने के लिए जरूरी है।
Every working day at 7.30 a.m., Deblina Gangopadhyay, a 27-year-old Ph.D. scholar and teaching assistant at a law university in Kolkata, would take a local train from the Konnagar railway station near her home in West Bengal’s Hooghly district. She would deboard at Bally station and embark on a tedious bus ride from outside the railway station all the way near her workplace at Salt Lake. “It took me nearly two hours, sometimes more, to get to work that way. Now I simply take a train to Howrah and then a metro from there to reach my workplace,” she says. Since August 22, after the Esplanade-Sealdah stretch of the East-West metro corridor became operational, her commute time for the 40-km distance between her home and workplace has come down to a little over an hour each way. “My whole family has been waiting for years for this metro service on the Esplanade-Sealdah stretch to be operational. I also feel much more at ease knowing I will be safer inside a metro, and that I can use it at peak hours and at night, unlike buses which sometimes become sparse without warning,” Gangopadhyay says. She adds that while the bus ride cost her ₹40 one way, the metro rides cost her just ₹19. As Deblina weaves her way through the Howrah train station into the attached Howrah metro station through peak office-hour crowds, she recognises other daily passengers from her earlier modes of commute. “I see so many people who used to take the same bus from Bally to Salt Lake as me, AC50,” she says. On August 22, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated three metro links in Kolkata, covering 13.6 km, taking the total track length to 74 km. These included the much-awaited complete East-West corridor (Green Line) from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V, Noapara to Jai Hind (airport) on the Yellow Line, and the Beleghata to Hemanta Mukhopadhyay stretch on the Orange Line. The Central government spent around ₹4,000 crore on the project. The first Monday after its inauguration Deblina’s daily Green Line commute witnessed a surge of almost 83,000 passengers. On weekdays, it has been averaging nearly 1.8 lakh passengers a day. By connecting two of West Bengal’s biggest railway stations, Howrah and Sealdah (both of which see footfalls of millions) as well as the business districts across Howrah, central Kolkata, and Salt Lake, the East-West Green Line of Kolkata Metro has changed the design of public commute in Kolkata. Crowds surge Now, there has been a surge of about 1 lakh passengers across all metro lines since the first Monday after the inauguration. By Friday, August 29, the Kolkata Metro carried over 7 lakh passengers on each weekday. The North-South corridor (Blue Line), the oldest line that was started in 1984, saw a surge of about 70,000 passengers on August 25. P. Uday Kumar Reddy, the General Manager (GM) of Metro Railways, Kolkata, who is retiring by the end of August, is relieved that the last leg of the Green Line was finished under his watch. Sitting in his office on the 13th floor of the Metro Rail Bhawan on Jawahar Lal Nehru Road near Park Street Metro station, the GM reminisces about the challenges he faced in connecting the Esplanade and Sealdah station. Visible from his expansive office windows are the city’s iconic green meadows, Maidan, and the Vidyasagar Setu, connecting Kolkata and Howrah over the Hooghly river. Reddy says that a connection between the twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata was the first line ever thought of, roughly around 1919. In 1949, when Dr B.C. Roy was the Chief Minister of West Bengal, he says, experts had come to Kolkata from Paris and designed both the East-West line and the North-South line. However, while the North-South line was made operational by 1984, the East-West corridor was shelved till it became partially operational in 2024. A part of that line goes under the Hooghly river. “Even though a portion of the East-West line passes through under-river tunnels, the more challenging part was the 2.5 km stretch which was left between Esplanade and Sealdah. That was what we were most focussed on. It took us two and half years to complete it,” Reddy says. In 2019, while the underground tunnel connecting Esplanade and Sealdah stations was being constructed, the land overground caved in, leading to the displacement of hundreds of residents of Durga Pithuri Lane, at the bustling Bowbazar area of central Kolkata. “One tunnel was incomplete, the second tunnel got deformed under the pressure of the surroundings. Both tunnels had to be repaired, and we have to redo the houses,” Reddy says. Boon and bane On August 22, when the PM was flagging off new metro connections in Kolkata, around 100 residents of Durga Pithuri Lane staged an agitation 15 km away, banging utensils and demanding their homes be rebuilt and returned to them. “All of us have been relocated to different parts of the city. We have been reeling under the pain of displacement for the last six years. When will we get our homes back? A total of 40 people have passed away in this time and their last breath wasn’t in the comfort of their own homes,” says a protesting resident. Another problem is that commuters on the old North-South metro (Blue line) are facing several issues along the route due to the sudden and sharp increase in the passenger load. “There has been a delay in the metro of about 15 to 20 minutes during peak office hours, at a time when commuters are increasing by the minute. The crowding on the station is unimaginable nowadays. When one metro finally arrives after 20 minutes, people are fighting just to be able to get into the metro compartments,” says 24-year-old marketing professional Shreeja Basu, who commutes to and from work using the line. She adds that when she does somehow manage to get into the compartment, she can barely see the floor or breathe easy. “Half of the time the air-conditioning in the metros is not working. Imagine what that is like for people who feel claustrophobic,” she says. Basu adds that often, escalators at the stations do not work. Reddy says that a connection between the twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata was the first line ever thought of, roughly around 1919. In 1949, when Dr B.C. Roy was the Chief Minister of West Bengal, he says, experts had come to Kolkata from Paris and designed both the East-West line and the North-South line. However, while the North-South line was made operational by 1984, the East-West corridor was shelved till it became partially operational in 2024. A part of that line goes under the Hooghly river. “Even though a portion of the East-West line passes through under-river tunnels, the more challenging part was the 2.5 km stretch which was left between Esplanade and Sealdah. That was what we were most focussed on. It took us two and half years to complete it,” Reddy says. In 2019, while the underground tunnel connecting Esplanade and Sealdah stations was being constructed, the land overground caved in, leading to the displacement of hundreds of residents of Durga Pithuri Lane, at the bustling Bowbazar area of central Kolkata. “One tunnel was incomplete, the second tunnel got deformed under the pressure of the surroundings. Both tunnels had to be repaired, and we have to redo the houses,” Reddy says. Boon and bane On August 22, when the PM was flagging off new metro connections in Kolkata, around 100 residents of Durga Pithuri Lane staged an agitation 15 km away, banging utensils and demanding their homes be rebuilt and returned to them. “All of us have been relocated to different parts of the city. We have been reeling under the pain of displacement for the last six years. When will we get our homes back? A total of 40 people have passed away in this time and their last breath wasn’t in the comfort of their own homes,” says a protesting resident. Another problem is that commuters on the old North-South metro (Blue line) are facing several issues along the route due to the sudden and sharp increase in the passenger load. “There has been a delay in the metro of about 15 to 20 minutes during peak office hours, at a time when commuters are increasing by the minute. The crowding on the station is unimaginable nowadays. When one metro finally arrives after 20 minutes, people are fighting just to be able to get into the metro compartments,” says 24-year-old marketing professional Shreeja Basu, who commutes to and from work using the line. She adds that when she does somehow manage to get into the compartment, she can barely see the floor or breathe easy. “Half of the time the air-conditioning in the metros is not working. Imagine what that is like for people who feel claustrophobic,” she says. Basu adds that often, escalators at the stations do not work. The older Blue line and the recent Green line connect at Esplanade station. Located adjacent to New Market, a popular shopping destination especially ahead of Durga Puja, Esplanade metro station has reported an unprecedented spike in crowds especially at rush hour. Commuters complain about the lack of staff to ease out these bottlenecks. Some even raise safety concerns as fire alarms are triggered during peak hours and there is no staff to guide passengers to safety. The GM dismisses these as “teething issues” and “nothing that cannot be addressed”. He says the Railways know how to handle crowds. “Last year, without the three new metro connections, we carried about 9 lakh people in a single day during Durga Puja,” he says. The Metro Railway official says that earlier the Metro Rail was running on six rakes (coaches), now they have eight. “If required, we will put in more rakes. There is a total of 14 rakes that are available. We are also working on transitioning to Automatic Train Operation (auto driving mode) in our metros from the Automatic Train Protection (manual driving mode). Things will improve; it is only a matter of time,” Reddy says. Additionally, the terminal station of the Blue line, Kavi Subhash (New Garia), has become non-operational after July 28, when cracks were flagged in the station structure. That led to chaos and uncertainty among those who regularly commute to and from New Garia by metro, especially patients and their families who travel to the private hospitals located in the area. Trains are also being short-terminated in preceding stations, and officials say it will take about nine months to restart operations. They add that Kavi Subhas station was built in 2010, but cracks started appearing in 2014. Heavy rains accelerated the cracks. Impact in the influence zone According to the research and advocacy non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Kolkata is constrained by a lack of road space with less than 10% of the cityscape under roads, in comparison to New Delhi’s 21%. “Kolkata is a dense and compact city with a huge land constraint. While that makes public transport more accessible and travel distances shorter, we need to build on that. The modernisation and expansion of a multimodal public transport system is therefore very important, especially with new metro links,” says Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE’s executive director of research and advocacy. She highlights the importance of the influence zone, the area in a 400-500-metre radius of a metro station. “As new infrastructure is introduced, we will see a shift in the mass transport system and its design and implementation. Overall development of the para transit ecosystem, especially in the influence zone, is critical,” she says, suggesting that all public transport be integrated. However, since August 22, private bus and yellow taxi owners have been worried. “Each bus route has suffered a loss of about ₹2,500 a day. Passengers have dropped by 100 to 150 a day since the metros opened. We do not know if we will be able to sustain our businesses like this,” says Tito Saha, general secretary of the City Suburban Bus Service, one of the biggest forums for private bus owners in and around Kolkata. He feels the government should have taken steps in advance to prevent this crisis.
Environmental activist Sunita Narain of the Centre for Science and Environment echoed similar concerns: “Cloudbursts may be natural, but their consequences are magnified when we alter natural drainage systems, destabilize slopes, and ignore scientific warnings. Nature’s fury returned to Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday with devastating consequences. A cloudburst triggered by relentless overnight rains struck Ramban district, killing four people and leaving one missing, while in neighbouring Reasi, a massive landslide flattened a house in Badar village, wiping out an entire family of seven—including five children. The twin tragedies have once again underlined the vulnerability of the Himalayan region to extreme weather events, particularly cloudbursts and flash floods, which have become alarmingly frequent in recent years. Ramban Cloudburst|Panic at Dawn : According to officials, the cloudburst occurred in Rajgarh tehsil of Ramban in the early hours of Saturday. Torrential rains led to sudden surges of water, triggering flash floods and multiple landslides. Several houses sustained damage as mud and debris swept through narrow valleys. “Four people lost their lives on the spot, while one person is still missing. Rescue teams are on the ground and efforts are underway to trace the missing person,” a senior official of Ramban administration said. Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, and local administration, along with volunteers from nearby villages, immediately swung into action. Despite continuing rain and challenging terrain, the rescue teams managed to pull several survivors from under the debris. Reasi Landslide: Family Of Seven Buried Alive: In neighbouring Reasi district’s Mahore area, the impact of the heavy downpour was no less catastrophic. At Badar village, a house belonging to 38-year-old Nazir Ahmed was reduced to rubble when a landslide thundered down the slope. Ahmed, his wife Wazira Begum, and their five children, all inside at the time, were buried under tons of debris. “By the time neighbours rushed to the spot, the house had completely vanished under mud and rocks. The screams faded within minutes,” recalled a local resident who joined the rescue efforts. Rescuers, including SDRF teams, police personnel, and local volunteers, are still working to retrieve the bodies. Authorities fear no one inside the house has survived. Government Response|CM’s Urgent Directives: Expressing deep sorrow, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called the deaths “a heart-wrenching tragedy that has shaken the entire Union Territory.” In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the CM said:“The loss of innocent lives, especially children, in these tragedies is unbearable. I have directed the district administration and disaster management authorities to remain on the ground, ensure round-the-clock monitoring, and provide immediate relief and assistance to affected families.” The CM appealed to people to remain vigilant and strictly follow safety advisories, especially in hilly terrain prone to landslides. “Evacuation of residents from risk-prone zones must be prioritised. Every precautionary measure should be taken to safeguard lives in this inclement weather,” Abdullah added. Cloudbursts|A Recurring Nightmare: The twin incidents come against the backdrop of a series of deadly cloudbursts in Jammu and Kashmir this month alone. August 14, 2025: A catastrophic cloudburst in Chesoti village of Kishtwar killed 68 people, while 32 remain missing. The site, on the pilgrimage route to Mata Machail temple, witnessed flash floods that swept away homes, roads, and bridges. August 26, 2025: Another massive cloudburst caused landslides on the route to the Vaishno Devi shrine, claiming 34 lives, most of them pilgrims, and injuring 23 others. Rescue operations are still underway at the site. Environmental experts warn that such incidents are no longer isolated freak events but part of a disturbing trend linked to climate change. Expert Voices: Climate Change & Himalayan Fragility, Dr Abbas Adil, environmental activist said that Himalayan region, including Jammu and Kashmir, is experiencing a clear spike in extreme weather events. Rising global temperatures are increasing the frequency and intensity of short-duration, high-intensity rainfall events that often trigger cloudbursts and flash floods. These are classic symptoms of climate change.” He added that unplanned development in ecologically fragile zones—such as road widening, deforestation, and unchecked construction—further aggravates the impact of such disasters. Environmental activist Sunita Narain of the Centre for Science and Environment echoed similar concerns: “Cloudbursts may be natural, but their consequences are magnified when we alter natural drainage systems, destabilize slopes, and ignore scientific warnings. The tragedy in Ramban and Reasi is a wake-up call for long-term adaptation strategies, not just short-term rescue operations.” For the residents of Badar village in Reasi, Saturday turned into a day of unbearable grief. Nazir Ahmed’s relatives sat in stunned silence near the debris of the flattened house, waiting for the bodies to be recovered. “They were a simple family, earning livelihood from farming. The children were bright and playful. It feels unreal that they are all gone in one moment,” said a sobbing villager. In Ramban’s Rajgarh, survivors recounted how walls of water and mud came roaring down. “It was like the sky cracked open. We ran for our lives, but some of our neighbours didn’t make it,” said Mohammed Shafi, a local shopkeeper. A Region On Edge : The Jammu-Srinagar highway, the only all-weather road linking the Valley to the rest of the country, has already been frequently disrupted this monsoon due to landslides in the Ramban-Udhampur belt. The fresh spell of heavy rains has heightened the risk of further blockages and isolation of remote villages. Meteorological officials have warned of continued heavy rainfall in the region over the next 48 hours, raising the spectre of more cloudbursts, landslides, and flash floods. Residents in vulnerable areas have been urged to stay alert and cooperate with authorities in evacuation efforts. Lessons From The Past : Experts say J&K must draw lessons from past disasters, such as the 2014 floods in Srinagar, which killed nearly 300 people, and the frequent cloudburst incidents in Ladakh and Kishtwar. Despite repeated tragedies, disaster preparedness and early warning systems remain inadequate. Dr. Imtiyaz Ahmad, a disaster management expert at Kashmir University, stressed the need for scientific planning: “We require community-based disaster preparedness, investment in real-time weather monitoring, and resilient infrastructure. Without these, every heavy rainfall event risks turning into a large-scale tragedy.” Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a message from New Delhi, assured full support from the Centre for rescue and relief operations. “We stand with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in this hour of grief,” he said. The deaths of 11 people, including five children, in Ramban and Reasi are not isolated accidents but part of a grim pattern of escalating climate disasters in Jammu and Kashmir. As scientists warn of more extreme weather in the coming years, the Himalayan region stands at a crossroads: it must strengthen disaster preparedness, respect ecological limits, and adapt to a changing climate—or risk facing tragedies of even greater magnitude. For now, families in Ramban and Reasi are left to mourn their dead, praying that the rains relent and that the mountains they call home stop collapsing around them.
India’s climate debate is no longer confined to reports and negotiations. It is being driven forward by people who have made the crisis impossible to ignore: through fasts in the mountains, petitions in court, street protests, and years of policy research. Their voices are diverse, but each in their own way has forced climate change into public view. And among them, one stands apart for pointing directly to the very root of the problem. 3. Sunita Narain Sunita Narain has been one of India’s most respected environmentalists. As Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), she has pushed research into policy: on Delhi’s choking air, on water security, on sustainable cities. She has sat on the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change and published multiple reports on sustainable development and waste management. Her focus has always been on regulation, accountability, and public health, areas essential for resilience. Still, her lens largely operates at the level of systems and policies, not the cultural addiction to consumption that underpins the real crisis. 1. Acharya Prashant Philosopher and bestselling author Acharya Prashant has built his climate message around a blunt truth: the crisis is not just about carbon, it is about consumption. While others focus on targets, treaties, or technologies, he has refused to let attention drift away from the real driver of the climate crisis: the lack of inner clarity in humans leading to excessive consumption. In 2025 he launched ‘Operation 2030,’ an emergency call urging citizens to grasp the real mechanics of the crisis and recognize their own role in it. His widely read book ‘Climate Within’ carries the same argument in print, dismantling the illusion of quick “green” fixes and proposing a life guided by understanding rather than blind consumption. Recognition has followed, including awards such as ‘Most Impactful Environmentalist (2025)’, PETA’s ‘Most Influential Vegan (2022)’, and ‘Best Animal Welfare Organisation (2025)’. In a noted exchange with environmental economist Eban Goodstein, he made the point again: no model or policy will work unless consumption itself is confronted. Writing frequently on climate change as a regular columnist for NDTV, The Pioneer, and The Sunday Guardian, his voice today stands as a rare global reminder that the climate battle is, at its core, a crisis of human consciousness. 2. Sonam Wangchuk Sonam Wangchuk is an engineer by training, but in Ladakh he is known as much for his activism as for his innovations. Years ago he designed the “ice stupa,” an artificial glacier that stores water through the winter and releases it in the summer, giving farmers a lifeline in the desert mountains. In the last two years, Wangchuk has stepped further into public life. His fasts in 2024 and 2025 turned the spotlight on Ladakh’s melting glaciers and on development projects that are pushing the fragile region closer to collapse. The images of tents and hunger strikes against the backdrop of the Himalayas gave the issue an immediacy. His efforts have spotlighted the urgency of protecting mountain communities. Yet his approach remains rooted in regional ecology and innovation: vital work, but still directed at the visible effects rather than the deeper drivers of climate change. 3. Sunita Narain Sunita Narain has been one of India’s most respected environmentalists. As Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), she has pushed research into policy: on Delhi’s choking air, on water security, on sustainable cities. She has sat on the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change and published multiple reports on sustainable development and waste management. Her focus has always been on regulation, accountability, and public health, areas essential for resilience. Still, her lens largely operates at the level of systems and policies, not the cultural addiction to consumption that underpins the real crisis. 4. Licypriya Kangujam At just 13 years old, Licypriya is one of the youngest climate advocates in India. She began protesting at seven and went on to found ‘The Child Movement,’ which seeks to empower children to take action against climate change. Her protests outside Parliament and her online campaigns have energized young people across the country. But her activism, like many youth-led movements, is aimed at pressuring governments to “do more”, an important demand, though one that stops short of questioning the lifestyle patterns that fuel the crisis itself. 5. Ridhima Pandey Ridhima Pandey was only nine when she took the Indian government to court for failing to act on climate change. She later joined 15 other children in filing a petition with the United Nations, accusing world leaders of neglecting their duty to protect the planet. Now 16, her voice continues to symbolize a generation unwilling to stay silent. Yet, like much of child-led climate litigation, her activism channels frustration at institutions rather than probing the deeper behavioral roots of why those institutions fail.
The late environmentalist Anil Agarwal, who co-founded the Centre for Science and Environment, had argued for afforestation-linked poverty-alleviation programmes decades ago. As illegal immigration only of the human variety? The question popped up as I read of a threat to Assam’s riverine grassland in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. The state now faces an influx of plant species that are hurting local ecologies, like unwanted human intruders being blamed for the ills of local economies. As if the Brahmaputra floods and increasing human encroachment were not enough, the sensitive habitat that is home to feral horses is under threat from invasive species, according to a recent article in the Earth journal. The threats include the weed Parthenium hysterophorous and Mikania micrantha, a fast-creeping vine. On a single day this month, Assam’s forest officials cleared more than 5 acres of harmful weeds, including ‘Congress grass’ (an intriguing moniker for Parthenium hysterophorous) in Morigaon district. The names sound creepy enough. But my purpose here is to show it is time for botanists, environmentalists and agriculturists—not to speak of policymakers, economists and administrators—to think anew on how to turn environmental threats into social or economic opportunities. Down south in Kerala, h for hyacinth also spells harmful. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is common across India and is a green pest of sorts. But it’s ubiquitous in the waters of god’s own country. To the lay observer, the plant’s green carpets across ponds and canals may look beautiful; but in an environmental sense, they are not. In the Kuttanad lowland near Alappuzha, they are called the silent invaders of backwaters, thriving on man-made pollution. These infiltrators obstruct fishermen, choke irrigation channels and pose health challenges as mosquitoes breed easily in their company. The species, estimated to cover more than three-fourths of the area’s water surfaces, may well inspire Malayalam filmmakers as a controversial metaphor for illegal immigrants. But, like immigrants across the world, it depends on how you look at it. It turns out that some migrant species, like the entrepreneurial people who move to America, can create value and help the local economy. If you consider that scientists are discovering new plant species that deserve the attention of policymakers as well as farmers, we may be looking at new-age economics. That would be a reverse swing in reshaping the economy. Scientists from Pune’s Symbiosis University won a climate action challenge set up by the Elsevier Foundation in the Netherlands this year for their idea to convert water hyacinths into menstrual hygiene products. The $25,000 award is not a small amount for young scientists. A green startup founded by a couple of young men from Assam turned water hyacinths into eco-friendly handmade paper. The government has also reported other such green product initiatives using water hyacinth under the Swachh Bharat mission. In a deeper leap, a study at Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Science into the nuances of agricultural growth has dug up a natural switch that could break down DELLA, a protein that inhibits plant growth. Such a scientific move led to high-yielding varieties of crops like wheat during the Green Revolution. In a world where botany meets artificial intelligence, we should be looking at more farmer-environmentalist-scientist collaborations. Some years ago, a study in Assam revealed that among 18 invasive plants stifling the Kaziranga National Park was a vitamin-D-rich weed that wild boars loved to eat. It makes me wonder if this is another case of positive outcomes from seemingly negative weeds. There is a case to revamp India’s anti-poverty programmes and panchayat raj practices to include labour-intensive cleaning up of habitats, including wastelands, wetlands, and grasslands, to remove weeds and boost afforestation. The late environmentalist Anil Agarwal, who co-founded the Centre for Science and Environment, had argued for afforestation-linked poverty-alleviation programmes decades ago. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act has faced considerable criticism on its feeble efforts to create assets such as check dams, ponds, irrigation canals and tree cover. There is a clear opportunity to strengthen the programme by including environmental clean-ups and cultivation of village commons. This, of course, would need a revamp of the lacklustre panchayati raj system. If a government can build highways, why can’t it build assets that strengthen the environment, which I call the ‘original infrastructure’? What is missing here is the demand-supply loop that builds any economic activity on a large scale. Most environmental habitats fall in the common or public sphere, which means they are nobody’s property except of encroachers and well-intentioned government officials. What we need are clearer definitions and activities that bring private sector efficiency to places like grasslands and canals. Strangely enough, environmentalists tend to use the word ‘community’ in such initiatives, not realising that it is only commercialised economics that puts energy and scale into such activity. There is not much that volunteers or pilot projects can do. Compared to manufacturing and other modern industries, there is a much weaker linkage between research, economics, and public policy in environment-related initiatives, though science and technology are showing us new frontiers. This is where we could do with clearer policy initiatives that bring farmers and environmentalists on the same page.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently issued an important directive that food brands can no longer use absolute terms like “100% pure” or “100% natural” on their packaging. At first glance, this may seem like a minor regulatory tweak. But its implications go far deeper. It signals a necessary shift in how we define honesty in the food we eat and how trust must be earned—through transparency, not just clever branding. Food labels are the first point of connection between what we eat and the people who produce it. Yet over the years, that connection has become increasingly distorted. Marketing terms like ‘real,’ ‘wholesome,’ ‘natural,’ or ‘pure,’ are everywhere. Many of these have no regulatory definition or scientific backing, but they influence purchase decisions and consumer perceptions all the same. In 2016, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) reviewed common food products on Indian shelves and found that over 85% made unverifiable health or purity claims often using language that was misleading or vague. This is not just a labelling issue. It is a public health concern. As processed and packaged foods become a bigger part of our daily diet, especially in urban India, we are seeing a parallel rise in lifestyle-related diseases. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in collaboration with the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, reported in 2023 that 11.4% of Indian adults are living with diabetes, with much higher rates in urban centres. Much of this is linked to the rise of ultra-processed foods—high in refined sugars, unhealthy fats, and sodium. But these same products often come with health halos, thanks to strategic packaging that emphasises select nutrients (“with added iron!”) while downplaying the rest. It is not uncommon to see breakfast cereals marketed as “healthy” while containing more sugar than dessert. Or packaged juices called “natural” despite added flavours, acids, or concentrates. This is where transparency matters. Labels must move beyond marketing language and offer real information—clearly, truthfully, and without hiding behind jargon. For example, rather than saying “100% natural,” a product should specify: “No artificial preservatives or colours used.” Consumers today are more curious and more aware than ever before. But awareness needs tools. Most people cannot decode technical terms like “INS 471” or “stabiliser (E466),” even though they appear routinely on packaging. The font is small. The ingredients are listed using scientific codes. And often, essential information—such as country of origin, shelf life after opening, or allergen warnings—is either missing or buried in fine print. We need to address this gap. One part of the solution lies in policy. The FSSAI’s recent directive is a welcome and important step in the right direction. It shows a clear intent to make food labelling more honest and meaningful, and that effort deserves real appreciation. As we build on this progress, there’s also a chance to explore tools that can make things even simpler for everyday consumers. In countries like the UK and Chile, traffic-light nutrition labels—where colours indicate high or low levels of sugar, salt, and fat—have made a real difference. If adapted thoughtfully to suit Indian foods and habits, something similar could help people here make better choices quickly, without needing to decode technical terms or fine print. Another part of the solution lies in public education. Food label literacy is not yet part of school curriculum or community health programs. It should be. Informed consumers are the strongest checks against misinformation. When people know how to read labels, compare claims, and question ingredients, they begin to make better food choices—not just for themselves, but for their families and communities. Over time, this creates pressure on the entire food ecosystem to do better. A positive example is CBSE’s recent initiative asking schools to set up “sugar boards” to educate children on the dangers of excess sugar consumption—an important step that other school boards should urgently emulate. There is also the issue of design and visual cues. Many brands use earthy colours, images of farms, or illustrations of fresh produce to imply naturalness—even when the product has no such connection. This practice, widely known as greenwashing, is not unique to India. A 2021 global report by the Changing Markets Foundation found that 60% of environmental and health-related claims on consumer products were either exaggerated or unverifiable. Regulating these visuals is as important as regulating the words. Certifications can play a powerful role here, but only if used responsibly. APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Product Export Development Authority), Jaivik Bharat and other such frameworks provide strong standards for verification. However, some brands continue to use terms like “organic” or “chemical-free” without certification or third-party audits. This not only confuses consumers but undermines the credibility of those who follow the rules. Transparency, therefore, cannot be the burden of regulators alone. It must be built into the DNA of how we grow, process, and present food. Farmers, manufacturers, designers, marketers, and retailers all have a role to play. Most importantly, consumers must insist on it—by asking better questions, reading more closely, and rewarding honesty over hype. A label is not just ink on a packet. It is a reflection of values. It tells us whether the company behind the product respects the consumer, the environment, and the truth. When that respect is missing, trust begins to erode—and once lost, trust in food is very hard to rebuild. It is time we stop romanticising our food with empty words and start demanding facts. Because what we choose to eat is not just about taste or convenience. It is about health, dignity, and integrity. And that begins with knowing what’s on our plate. (The author is co-founder & CEO at Akshayakalpa Organic)