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Encouraging active citizenship in the fight against socioecological catastrophe

'Global Warming in an Unequal World' by Anil Agarwal and Sunita Narain, a chapter published in 1991 and warning of environmental colonialism and the unjust responsibility placed on non-major players in aggravation of climate change. How can educators empower the next generation with the skillset to take on the socioecological crises we face? Professor Emily Shuckburgh delivered an insightful message of hope at the School of Education, Communication and Society's 2025 annual lecture. As the climate crisis rapidly progresses, educators are compelled to consider their role in supplying the next generation with the skills to take on the challenges we collectively face. To avoid instilling a sense of despair and helplessness in the today's youth, Dr Heather King shares in the opening remarks of this year's School of Education, Communication and Society annual lecture, that educators must be open to change, adaptation and innovation. Dr King is the current director of the Centre for Research in Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, who organised this year's lecture. This year's annual lecture was delivered by Professor Emily Shuckburgh OBE, world-leading climate scientist and science communicator, Director of Cambridge Zero, the University of Cambridge’s ambitious climate change initiative. The event, which took place on 1 July, brought together academics, students, King's staff across various departments, but importantly, human beings with a shared passion for a better future. Professor Shuckburgh highlighted the current status of our environmental resources, noting the effects of climate change and where we collectively are in the fight in relation to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Shuckburgh, who is also a mother of two, shared a moving anecdote at the lecture, which further strengthened her ambition to empower the next generation. I have two daughters who are now 10 and 12. A couple of years ago we were collectively watching the latest David Attenbourgh series. My daughter, who is now 12, after a while refused to watch any more episodes. And she refused to watch any more episodes because she just found it so sad. She ended up just going to bed and sitting in bed saying "I don't see the point in living." She later explained that she didn't see the point in humanity if this is how we treated the world. – Professor Emily Shuckburgh Moved by the profundity of her daughter's led Shuckburgh to question how we can help young people to respond to the current state of our relationship with the planet. The talk's title, 'Education visions: thriving sustainably on Planet Earth', shares its name with a soon to be published book edited by Professor Shuckburgh, James Biddulph and Harry Pearse. The book collects essays from academic experts across various fields, whose work is associated with sustainability. In putting together this collection, the team recognised a series of underlying themes and used these to inform a practical guide with real-life examples of how educators can respond to these urgent issues. These themes are associated with a series of tangible actions and solutions that educators can use in their work. Professor Shuckburgh highlighted the following themes: Informing and empowering young people Active citizenship Creativity and resilience Transdisciplinary Community engagement Museums At the University of Cambridge and as part of Cambridge Zero, Professor Shuckburgh has led on multiple initiatives to integrate climate education and encourage active citizenship in young people. Some of the actions taken by the University and led by Shuckburgh include integrating creative workshops in schools inspired by her Ladybird expert book on climate change, written with the HRH King Charles II, asking children to create artworks of their ideal world. Other initiatives include using climate change as an inspiration for plays and theatre shows and schools being the anchor for community engagement projects such as protecting local landscapes. More so, Professor Shuckburgh notes that it is not only climate issues that we must focus on, but a wider mission to bridge ever increasing social inequality and injustice. She warned of the erasure of existing scholarship about climate change that was written by non-Western scholars, such as 'Global Warming in an Unequal World' by Anil Agarwal and Sunita Narain, a chapter published in 1991 and warning of environmental colonialism and the unjust responsibility placed on non-major players in aggravation of climate change. Professor Shuckburgh spoke on a justified accountability and action, and provided a message of urgency and hope to educators to innovate their pedagogy in order to make a change to our environment and the lives of today's youth.

Golf Course Road testing ground for state’s 1st plastic-free urban stretch

Gurgaon: Starting with Golf Course Road, Haryana's pollution control board HSPCB will start handing out eco-friendly items to residents and businesses to help the city eliminate single-use plastics. HSPCB officials told TOI they will launch the initiative from the Golf Course Road and cover a radius of one kilometre in the first week of Aug. The drive will include commercial buildings, residential societies, schools and roadside vendors. The idea is simple, officials said, eliminate single-use plastic from one of the city's most prominent stretches and set a precedent for sustainable urban lifestyle. Instead of taking penal action for flouting the ban on single-use plastics, the board is opting for a transition phase that gives people time and tools to adapt. Over the next three months, HSPCB teams will provide paper, cloth and biodegradable alternatives of single-use plastics to residents and businesses. A buffer stock of biodegradable materials is being built to support the change. "We want this to be real, not symbolic. It's not enough to ban plastic; we need to make sure people have substitutes before we ask them to stop using it," said Akanksha Tanwar, HSPCB regional officer, Gurgaon. This preparation period, officials believe, will reduce resistance and confusion when enforcement begins. HSPCB is also working with resident welfare associations (RWAs) to drive awareness campaigns. Engagement with vendors and shopkeepers, often the biggest users of disposable plastic, is part of the strategy too. "If this pilot on Golf Course Road works, the model will be gradually expanded to other parts of the district. The idea is to treat this stretch as a testing ground for how to go plastic-free in a real-world setting," Tanwar said. Around 14% of all plastic waste generated in the state ends up in landfills, according to an annual report published by HSPCB last year. The state recycles approximately 78% of its plastic waste, the report said, but it also pointed out an alarming rise in plastic waste generation – a 38% increase from 129,866.7 tonnes in 2022-23 to 179,406.5 tonnes the next fiscal year. This is despite the ban on single-use plastics (SUPs) imposed nationwide from July 1, 2022. Single-use plastics include plastic bags, straws, cutlery, plates, food and beverage containers, coffee cups and lids, drink stirrers, cigarette butts, balloons and balloon sticks, wrappers, wet wipes, and most plastic packaging designed to be used once and discarded. According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), plastic packaging that is not covered under the ban and is abundantly used to pack processed food items contributes to 60% of the waste generated. Data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says the world produces over 300 million metric tonnes (MT) of plastic every year. Of this, 14 million MT ends up in the ocean. It estimates that India generates 3.5 million metric tonnes of plastic waste annually, or around 9,500 MT daily, and the country's waste generation has doubled over the past five years. "While the intent behind India's plastic ban has been commendable, enforcement has largely fallen short due to inadequate alternatives, patchy monitoring and a lack of coordinated waste management. That said, I am cautiously optimistic about the focused approach being tried on Golf Course Road. If authorities ensure genuine availability of eco-friendly substitutes and involve communities actively, this pilot could set a practical example for other regions to follow," said Shubhansh Tiwari, a research associate at CSE.

Monsoon mayhem: No easy fix to urban flooding

Ultimately, it has to be a combination of solutions. “The CSE study in Sangam Vihar –– Delhi’s largest unauthorised settlement, housing an estimated one million people, confirmed the need for a blend of grey and green-blue infrastructure under a decentralised water supply, wastewater and stormwater management. If we want to address equity and justice, then we must prioritise the deficits in our dense unplanned settlements,” insisted Kapur, who authored the study in his previous role at the Centre for Science and Environment. Parts of Bengaluru were knee-deep in rainwater during the pre-monsoon downpour in mid-May. The rains hit Mumbai a week earlier than scheduled, and flooded its new metro station, and halted the train service. Since the season’s onset, Delhi’s waterlogged roads have led to perpetual traffic snarls and sewage backflows. Gurugram has lived up to the moniker #Gurujam, offering spectacles of marooned gated communities and inspiring comparisons with Venice on social media. However shocking, these scenes now evoke a feeling of déjà vu. In the last two decades since the Mumbai flood, caused by a 100-year-high rainfall and killing more than 1,000 people in 2005, there has been no respite for Indian cities from inundation, monsoon after monsoon. Experts say there is no quick fix for flooding triggered by short bouts of intense rain due to climate change. While such events will continue to overwhelm the civic infrastructure, which has its physical limits and capacities, there is little excuse for not doing the basics right, which go a long way in monsoon preparedness. Predicting an uncertain climate future is often challenging, but looking back at how we have planned, designed, and maintained our cities can offer vital cues for course correction. Lessons from urban ‘development’ When the British decided to move the imperial capital from Calcutta (Now Kolkata) to Delhi, the architects were reluctant to go with the earmarked Coronation Park site in Burari because it was too close to the floodplain. Ultimately, the higher ground on Raisina Hill was selected. Ironically, much of the urbanisation post-Independence has happened in the floodplain, which naturally attracts floodwaters. Chennai, which is frequently inundated — its worst floods were reported in 2015 — does relatively better in the planned old town, where the drains are still functional, said Balaji Narasimhan, a hydrologist at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. The hotspots are low-lying areas developed on paddy fields where the soil is clayey, water cannot percolate freely, and drainage by gravity is limited due to topographical constraints and encroachment of drainage pathways. In Mumbai, the land reclamation areas, including parts of Island City and Bandra Kurla Complex, are more prone to waterlogging. “These low-lying areas are challenging to deal with. If high tide is coupled with high-intensity rainfall, water takes more than normal time to recede and accumulate,” said Abhijit Bangar, deputy municipal commissioner (projects) at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Rainwater is meant to take its natural course, flowing from upstream to downstream and falling into a lake, river, or sea or sinking back into the earth. However, when linear infrastructure such as rail tracks, roads, or buildings intercept this natural flow or concrete surfaces prevent absorption, flooding occurs. Delhi, for example, has raised pillars of elevated roads and the Metro inside its natural channels that once facilitated rainwater drainage to the Yamuna. Previously, cities would flood from swollen rivers. Now we see “in-situ flooding”, said Depinder Kapur, the head of the Climate Centre for Cities at the National Institute of Urban Affairs. “During heavy rains last year, the water levels in the Yamuna did not rise, yet south and central Delhi were inundated. Even Bengaluru, located on a plateau with no major river, suffers from frequent in-situ flooding. Increased precipitation plays a big part here, but this also highlights significant issues in urban planning.” Obsessive overbuilding Across cities, there has been a mindless tendency to overbuild. Using high-resolution satellite imagery, WRI-India found that between 2000 and 2015, the built-up area in the ten most populous Indian cities increased on average by 47% and 134% within 0–20km of the city centre and 20–50km periphery, respectively. Simultaneously, the blue cover (water bodies) decreased by 15%. The study also found that 44% of this new development is located in zones with high or very high recharge potential, and an estimated 300 billion litres of water per year are now diverted away from underground aquifers. A US-specific study indicates that even a 1% increase in built-up areas results in a 7% increase in the extent of flooding. In India, this is partly because of market pressure to get the maximum value from the land, said Sahana Goswami, senior programme manager at WRI-India, one of the authors of the 10-cities study. There is also the desire to have good views — such as lakeside and riverside apartments — where development occurs at the expense of green and blue spaces. Regulations on land use need to be implemented, added Nitin Bassi, who leads the sustainable water team at Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a non-profit policy research institute. In-built inadequacies Many cities have common channels for stormwater and sewers. In Bengaluru, nullahs are losing their natural slope because stormwater channels are used as sewer drains throughout the year. With siltation, the water stagnates, receding the slope gradient. Also, culverts with their pillars reduce the width of the drain, said Rajarshi Das Bhowmik, assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore. In extreme cases of flooding, roads are also supposed to serve as conduits for water. But if roads are not milled to the bottom when relaid, it artificially changes the road profile as compared to the adjacent lands, and causes localised flooding, said Narasihman. Indian cities don’t have a separate utility duct to put water supply lines, power lines, data fibres, etc. They use the storm drain as an easy conduit, he added. If the older cities suffer from legacy drainage issues, the newer towns have grown without the basics. Gurugram rose from agricultural lands sold to builders who developed private gated communities on a level higher than the surrounding roads, said Bassi. these gated complexes set up decentralised wastewater management without factoring in the high runoff volumes they would release to the streets during storm events, he added. The newer areas of Bengaluru have similar problems. Wastewater is often dumped outside the gated society, which remains flood-free, but the road outside is inundated, said Bhowmik. Multiple jurisdictions of drains compound the problem. In Delhi, nine agencies are involved in drain management. “If the flood and irrigation department drains are not clean, the water from the public works department will backflow. When the PWD drains are blocked, the MCD drains backflow,” said a retired official at the Delhi Municipal Corporation. Seasonal mess Indian cities prepare for the monsoon mess throughout the year by dumping tonnes of garbage, construction waste, and domestic sewage into stormwater channels. Before the monsoon, the road-owning agencies clean these choked drains, leaving them on the roadside. The first shower, and the muck is back in the drains. On average, about one million metric tonnes of silt is removed from the drains annually in Delhi, but there is no dedicated disposal space. Landfills are saturated. “It is anybody’s guess where the silt goes,” said the retired official. While silt removed from the nullah is supposed to be carried for disposal, there is a reason desilted muck is left lying in the open for at least 48 hours. “It is to dehydrate it. Wet silt can’t be carried immediately, as it leads to problems of leachate leakage from the transport vehicles. Wet silt also adds to the weight-to-volume ratio and can lead to excessive payments to contractor payments,” explained Bangar. But can desilting alone ensure that rainwater won’t flood our cities? Not really, said Goswami. “We assume the drains have 100% coverage. Also, many parts of our cities have combined sewers, or what was originally a storm drain now carries sewage anyway. This high volume of mixed silt accumulating daily must be removed to ensure effective storm drains.” In Gurugram, even if the drains are there, they are inadequate to take care of the road runoff. Then there is additional water from the flyovers, which finds no way to evacuate and cascades like a waterfall to the road below, said Bassi. Municipal officials feel that too much accountability has been placed on agencies without adequate support. “They talk about geo-tagging the desilted sites, but during the three months we do the job, there is a shortage of machinery, trucks, loaders, etc, which nobody talks about. The plans to mechanise the work are still on paper,” said the former MCD official. Bassi concurs: “Municipalities manage too many things simultaneously, but their finances are poor. Municipal services — water supply, free solid waste collection, park maintenance — cannot be free anymore. They need to be priced to generate enough resources for the municipalities to work as required.” Nature-based solutions (NBS) Goswami said we can preserve excess water as a resource; only what can’t be absorbed should go downstream. So, efforts are being made to revive many natural water bodies surrounding Bengaluru. In Chennai, the marshland that used to absorb floodwater is being rehabilitated. But, NBS is not without its limitations, said Narasihman. “The sponge park might only work in two-year or five-year floods. If the flooding exceeds that, the city will still be inundated.” But, NBS has other co-benefits of reducing urban heat island, and helping groundwater recharge and biodiversity, he added. NBS are also not maintenance-free, as natural drains require dredging and sponge parks must be revegetated. Most importantly, agencies in charge must ensure that rainwater polluted with sewage, garbage, and road runoff doesn’t land in these water bodies and green spaces without proper treatment. The efficacy of runoff absorption also depends on the water table and may not work where the groundwater levels are high, warned Bhowmik. Bangar said that in cities like Mumbai, where every square inch of land is extremely valuable, there is no space for NBS apart from government land, forest land, the national park, and salt pans. “This has prompted us to design NBS considering existing gardens and grounds. Mangroves and salt pans can also act as great detention and retention areas for flood water,” he said. Unpaving the paved Many people who live in low-lying areas are from disadvantaged communities. They have built their lives around these locations. Goswami looked at this as a political problem: “Instead, why don’t we consider the interim retrofit solutions and make them equitable? Flooding often occurs in urban areas because stormwater flows across the city. This water needs to be absorbed locally, ideally in greenbelts or parks, but that is not possible if these areas are heavily walled off. In a 2010 survey, municipal officials identified at least 300 neighbourhoods that did not have issues with sewage discharge, which could have been used for recharging water in local parks. However, according to the MCD official, no action was taken. Ultimately, it has to be a combination of solutions. “The CSE study in Sangam Vihar –– Delhi’s largest unauthorised settlement, housing an estimated one million people, confirmed the need for a blend of grey and green-blue infrastructure under a decentralised water supply, wastewater and stormwater management. If we want to address equity and justice, then we must prioritise the deficits in our dense unplanned settlements,” insisted Kapur, who authored the study in his previous role at the Centre for Science and Environment.

6 Nations Excelling at Water Quality, 3 in Decline

“We’ve made progress, but the scale of the challenge is enormous,” admitted Dr. Sunita Narain, an environmental policy expert. Rapid urbanization and climate change are straining already limited resources, making clean water a daily concern for millions of Indians. Switzerland: Setting the Gold Standard Switzerland has long been recognized as a global leader in water quality, and the latest data only cements its reputation. The nation’s alpine lakes and rivers are so pristine that tap water often rivals bottled brands in taste and purity. According to the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, over 98% of drinking water samples met or exceeded all safety standards in 2024. Experts point to tight regulations and state-of-the-art filtration systems as key reasons for this success. Swiss authorities continuously monitor for contaminants like microplastics and pesticides, acting swiftly at the first sign of risk. “Water is our most precious resource, and we treat it as such,” noted Dr. Miriam Gasser, a leading hydrologist in Zurich. The country’s focus on renewable energy also means fewer pollutants enter waterways from industry, keeping the source as clean as possible. India’s quest for clean water is a story of both hope and heartbreak. The government’s Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide piped drinking water to every rural household by 2026, and there have been notable successes—access to safe water has increased by 24% in the past two years. However, waterborne diseases remain a major public health threat, particularly in densely populated regions. The Central Pollution Control Board reported that over 70% of the country’s surface water is contaminated with sewage and industrial waste. “We’ve made progress, but the scale of the challenge is enormous,” admitted Dr. Sunita Narain, an environmental policy expert. Rapid urbanization and climate change are straining already limited resources, making clean water a daily concern for millions of Indians.

Since 2014, 1.73L hectares of forest land diverted for infra projects: Centre

Over 1.73 lakh hectares of forest land have been approved for diversion for non-forestry purposes across India from 2014 to 2024, with mining and hydropower projects emerging as the leading contributors, the Environment Ministry informed Parliament, on Monday. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said that 1,73,984.3 hectares of forest land were approved for various non-forestry purposes between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2024, under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, now amended and renamed as Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. The report claimed that forest clearances for infrastructure and industrial projects increased by more than 150% between 2014 and 2023. The highest diversion of forest land during this period was for mining and quarrying activities, which were allowed to use 40,096.17 hectares. These included a wide range of extractive activities that continue to remain one of the biggest drivers of forest clearance across mineral-rich regions, especially in central and eastern India. Hydropower and irrigation projects together accounted for the second-highest diversion, with 40,138.31 hectares of forest land approved for such purposes. These include large and small dams, canals, reservoirs and associated infrastructure. The information was provided in response to a question by Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat, who referred to the 2023 State of India's Environment Report by think tank, Centre for Science and Environment. According to the government data, linear infrastructure projects such as road construction and power transmission lines were also among the top contributors. Forest land diverted for road development amounted to 30,605.69 hectares, while transmission lines used up 17,232.69 hectares. Defence projects involving security infrastructure and border-related development works accounted for 14,968.14 hectares of diverted forest land. The category listed as "Others", which includes miscellaneous or unclassified uses not covered in standard categories, accounted for 9,669.85 hectares. Railway projects were sanctioned 7,998.65 hectares of forest land, making it another significant sector of diversion, particularly for expansion and electrification works. Projects involving the conversion of forest villages into revenue villages - a longstanding demand under the Forest Rights Act and other policies - used 3,250 hectares of land. Thermal power projects were approved on 2,644.02 hectares of forest land, while rehabilitation and resettlement schemes received clearance on 1,580.55 hectares. Projects related to drinking water supply, including pipeline networks and treatment plants, accounted for 1,282.21 hectares. Optical fibre cable laying, which generally involves underground or shallow surface work along road or railway alignments, led to the diversion of 437.63 hectares. Pipeline projects were approved on 543.57 hectares, while industry-related clearances, including those for industrial estates or standalone units, covered 405.82 hectares. Wind power installations accounted for 346.84 hectares, and village electrification initiatives used 551.13 hectares of forest land. Dispensaries and hospitals were allocated 113.31 hectares, and educational institutions, including schools and colleges, were constructed on 83.46 hectares of forest land. Substations took up 76.14 ha of forest land, solar power 1.57 ha, encroachments regularised under certain policies 9.63 ha, and communication posts 6.54 ha. A marginal amount of land (0.11 ha) was approved for rainwater harvesting structures, and 0.59 hectares was used for telecommunication lines. The minister said the process of forest land diversion is continuous and permitted only in "unavoidable circumstances" with adequate mitigation measures.

Govt claims 1.73 lakh hectares forest land diverted for infra projects from 2014 to 2024

Over 1.73 lakh hectares of forest land have been approved for diversion for non-forestry purposes across India from 2014 to 2024, with mining and hydropower projects emerging as the leading contributors, the environment ministry informed Parliament on Monday. The information was provided in response to a question by Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat, who referred to the 2023 State of India's Environment Report by think tank Centre for Science and Environment.

Over 1.73 lakh ha forest land diverted for infra projects from 2014 to 2024: Govt

Over 1.73 lakh hectares of forest land have been approved for diversion for non-forestry purposes across India from 2014 to 2024, with mining and hydropower projects emerging as the leading contributors, the environment ministry informed Parliament on Monday. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said that 1,73,984.3 hectares of forest land were approved for various non-forestry purposes between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2024, under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, now amended and renamed as Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. The highest diversion of forest land during this period was for mining and quarrying activities, which were allowed to use 40,096.17 hectares. These included a wide range of extractive activities that continue to remain one of the biggest drivers of forest clearance across mineral-rich regions, especially in central and eastern India. Hydropower and irrigation projects together accounted for the second-highest diversion, with 40,138.31 hectares of forest land approved for such purposes. These include large and small dams, canals, reservoirs and associated infrastructure. The information was provided in response to a question by Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat, who referred to the 2023 State of India’s Environment Report by think tank Centre for Science and Environment. The report claimed that forest clearances for infrastructure and industrial projects increased by more than 150 per cent between 2014 and 2023. According to the government data, linear infrastructure projects such as road construction and power transmission lines were also among the top contributors. Forest land diverted for road development amounted to 30,605.69 hectares, while transmission lines used up 17,232.69 hectares. Defence projects involving security infrastructure and border-related development works accounted for 14,968.14 hectares of diverted forest land. The category listed as “Others”, which includes miscellaneous or unclassified uses not covered in standard categories, accounted for 9,669.85 hectares. Railway projects were sanctioned 7,998.65 hectares of forest land, making it another significant sector of diversion, particularly for expansion and electrification works. Projects involving the conversion of forest villages into revenue villages, a longstanding demand under the Forest Rights Act and other policies, used 3,250 hectares of land. Thermal power projects were approved on 2,644.02 hectares of forest land, while rehabilitation and resettlement schemes received clearance on 1,580.55 hectares. Projects related to drinking water supply, including pipeline networks and treatment plants, accounted for 1,282.21 hectares. Optical fibre cable laying, which generally involves underground or shallow surface work along road or railway alignments, led to the diversion of 437.63 hectares. Pipeline projects were approved on 543.57 hectares, while industry-related clearances, including those for industrial estates or standalone units, covered 405.82 hectares. Wind power installations accounted for 346.84 hectares, and village electrification initiatives used 551.13 hectares of forest land. Dispensaries and hospitals were allocated 113.31 hectares, and educational institutions, including schools and colleges, were constructed on 83.46 hectares of forest land. Substations took up 76.14 ha of forest land, solar power 1.57 ha, encroachments regularised under certain policies 9.63 ha, and communication posts 6.54 ha. A marginal amount of land (0.11 ha) was approved for rainwater harvesting structures, and 0.59 hectares was used for telecommunication lines. The minister said the process of forest land diversion is continuous and permitted only in “unavoidable circumstances” with adequate mitigation measures. PTI GVS RHL

Forest Clearances for Infrastructure and Industrial Projects

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state: (a) whether as per the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its 2023 State of India's Environment Report, forest clearances for infrastructure and Industrial Projects has increased by over 150 per cent from 2014 to 2023; and (b) if so, the reasons therefor despite Government's international commitments to increase forest cover under Paris Agreement?

Over 1.73 lakh hectares forest land diverted for infra projects from 2014 to 2024: Govt

: Over 1.73 lakh hectares of forest land have been approved for diversion for non-forestry purposes across India from 2014 to 2024, with mining and hydropower projects emerging as the leading contributors, the environment ministry informed Parliament on Monday. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said that 1,73,984.3 hectares of forest land were approved for various non-forestry purposes between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2024, under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, now amended and renamed as Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. The highest diversion of forest land during this period was for mining and quarrying activities, which were allowed to use 40,096.17 hectares. These included a wide range of extractive activities that continue to remain one of the biggest drivers of forest clearance across mineral-rich regions, especially in central and eastern India. The information was provided in response to a question by Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat, who referred to the 2023 State of India's Environment Report by think tank Centre for Scien or ce and Environment. The report claimed that forest clearances for infrastructure and industrial projects increased by more than 150 per cent between 2014 and 2023. According to the government data, linear infrastructure projects such as road construction and power transmission lines were also among the top contributors. Forest land diverted for road development amounted to 30,605.69 hectares, while transmission lines used up 17,232.69 hectares. Defence projects involving security infrastructure and border-related development works accounted for 14,968.14 hectares of diverted forest land. The category listed as "Others", which includes miscellaneous or unclassied uses not covered in standard categories, accounted for 9,669.85 hectares. Railway projects were sanctioned 7,998.65 hectares of forest land, making it another signicant sector of diversion, particularly for expansion and electrication works. Projects involving the conversion of forest villages into revenue villages, a longstanding demand under the Forest Rights Act and other policies, used 3,250 hectares of land. Thermal power projects were approved on 2,644.02 hectares of forest land, while rehabilitation and resettlement schemes received clearance on 1,580.55 hectares. Projects related to drinking water supply, including pipeline networks and treatment plants, accounted for 1,282.21 hectares.

Over 1.73 lakh ha forest land diverted for infra projects from 2014 to 2024: Govt

Over 1.73 lakh hectares of forest land have been approved for diversion for non-forestry purposes across India from 2014 to 2024, with mining and hydropower projects emerging as the leading contributors, the environment ministry informed Parliament on Monday. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said that 1,73,984.3 hectares of forest land were approved for various non-forestry purposes between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2024, under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, now amended and renamed as Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. The highest diversion of forest land during this period was for mining and quarrying activities, which were allowed to use 40,096.17 hectares. These included a wide range of extractive activities that continue to remain one of the biggest drivers of forest clearance across mineral-rich regions, especially in central and eastern India. Hydropower and irrigation projects together accounted for the second-highest diversion, with 40,138.31 hectares of forest land approved for such purposes. These include large and small dams, canals, reservoirs and associated infrastructure. The information was provided in response to a question by Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat, who referred to the 2023 State of India’s Environment Report by think tank Centre for Science and Environment. The report claimed that forest clearances for infrastructure and industrial projects increased by more than 150 per cent between 2014 and 2023. According to the government data, linear infrastructure projects such as road construction and power transmission lines were also among the top contributors. Forest land diverted for road development amounted to 30,605.69 hectares, while transmission lines used up 17,232.69 hectares. Defence projects involving security infrastructure and border-related development works accounted for 14,968.14 hectares of diverted forest land. The category listed as “Others”, which includes miscellaneous or unclassified uses not covered in standard categories, accounted for 9,669.85 hectares. Railway projects were sanctioned 7,998.65 hectares of forest land, making it another significant sector of diversion, particularly for expansion and electrification works. Projects involving the conversion of forest villages into revenue villages, a longstanding demand under the Forest Rights Act and other policies, used 3,250 hectares of land.

FGD Exemption Eases Cost For Coal Power Plants, Says CareEdge

CSE Raises Red Flags: The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) calls the exemption a setback to India’s air pollution reduction commitments. Curious about how power gets cheaper? India’s Environment Ministry just made a big move! On July 11, 2025, it revised sulphur dioxide norms for coal and lignite power plants. What’s the buzz? “Category C” plants—those located outside sensitive or polluted zones—no longer need to install costly Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) systems. These systems remove harmful SO₂ from emissions. According to CareEdge Ratings, this change could save ₹87,000 to ₹1.16 lakh crore in capital costs and cut your electricity bills by ₹0.17 to ₹0.22 per unit! That’s ₹19,000 to ₹24,000 crore in annual savings. Coal Power Gets Financial Breather Thermal power continues to dominate India’s power mix, delivering 75% of total generation despite being just 47% of capacity. Plant Load Factor (PLF) remains high, making coal crucial. CareEdge anticipates coal will still provide nearly 60% of electricity by 2029–30, with consumption hitting 1,233 billion units. Recognising coal’s central role, the government permits Category A plants (cities with 1 million+ people) to comply by December 2027. Category B plants (critically polluted/non-attainment areas) get case-by-case deadlines. Category C plants—about 80% of capacity—won’t need FGDs but must follow alternative pollution norms. The revised structure aims for balance: lower cost versus emissions control. Wider Impacts & Environmental Concerns Tariff Relief, But at What Cost?: While the eased FGD norms lower power tariffs and capital costs, environmentalists warn of long-term public health costs. Reversal of Clean-Air Progress: According to Reuters, this move reverses India’s 2015 mandate for stricter emissions control across coal plants. Pollution Doesn’t Respect Boundaries: Critics argue that sulphur pollutants travel beyond zones, risking respiratory issues and acid rain across regions. SO₂’s Link to PM2.5: Independent studies estimate sulphur dioxide contributes 12–30% of India’s fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels. CSE Raises Red Flags: The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) calls the exemption a setback to India’s air pollution reduction commitments. Ministry’s Justification: The Ministry of Environment claims most Indian coal is low in sulphur, and insists stack emission limits and monitoring will ensure safety.

NHRC and IGNFA Launch Human Rights Training for 2023 Batch IFS Probationers in Dehradun – Details Inside

As part of its ongoing efforts to sensitise and build the capacities of All India Services officers, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), launched a two-day training programme for the 2023 batch of Indian Forest Service (IFS) probationers in Dehradun. Inaugurating the programme, NHRC Chairperson Justice Mr. V. Ramasubramanian underscored the constitutional obligations laid out in Article 48A and Article 51A (g), highlighting the dual responsibility of the State and every citizen to protect the environment, forests, and wildlife. He emphasised that compassion for living beings must be a guiding principle in governance and civic life. Evolution of Human Rights and Emerging Global Challenges Justice Mr. Ramasubramanian offered a comprehensive overview of the historical evolution of human rights, tracing milestones from the Charter of Cyrus to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). He explained the categorisation of human rights into four generations—from civil-political to socio-economic and collective rights, extending to emerging concerns in technology, digital privacy, biotechnology, and environmental sustainability. He called for ethical vigilance as these challenges evolve. Human Rights: Deeply Rooted in India’s Ethos, Says Mr. Bharat Lal Delivering the keynote address, NHRC Secretary General Mr. Bharat Lal highlighted India’s robust institutional and constitutional commitment to human rights. He noted that India’s values of empathy, non-violence, and human dignity have long shaped its human rights discourse, referencing iconic reformers like Mahatma Gandhi, Mr. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. Mr. Lal elaborated on how tools like Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles, and judicial remedies through Articles 32 and 226 have empowered citizens. He stressed the significance of Public Interest Litigation in delivering justice to the vulnerable. He further urged IFS officers to actively involve tribal and forest-dwelling communities in environmental management to ensure inclusive and sustainable conservation. NHRC’s Expanding Role in Rights Protection and Capacity Building Mr. Bharat Lal highlighted the NHRC’s role as the apex human rights body, coordinating with State Human Rights Commissions and offering multilingual complaint mechanisms. The Commission also undertakes suo motu actions, field investigations through Special Rapporteurs, and conducts public outreach through open discussions, camp sittings, and internship programmes. Integrating Human Rights into Environmental Governance In his address, IGNFA Director Mr. Jagmohan Sharma outlined the programme’s objective to integrate human rights into environmental governance. He emphasised that the training will expose IFS probationers to best practices and key legislative frameworks for protecting the rights of vulnerable and marginalised communities. Expert-Led Sessions Across Diverse Themes The training features 13 theme-based sessions led by eminent experts such as Mr. Rajiv Jain (Former NHRC Member), Mr. Rajiv Kumar (Former Chief Election Commissioner), Mr. Prasant Kumar (Member, CAT Srinagar), Dr. S. P. Yadav (DG, International Big Cats Alliance), and Ms. Sunita Narain (DG, Centre for Science and Environment), among others.

2025 Swachh rankings: New Delhi among India’s best, but rest of city suffers

Atin Biswas, programme director of the municipal solid waste sector at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said That NDMC has completely different conditions with very rich local body, high infrastructure and human resources compared to the rest of the city. While the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) region – covering Lutyens’ Delhi – has once again been judged among the cleanest urban areas in the country for its population category (50,000 to 300,000), the rest of the national capital has fared far worse in the ninth edition of the Swachh Survekshan (2024-25). The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which governs the majority of the city’s area and population, ranked 31st out of 44 urban local bodies (ULBs) in the million-plus population category. Meanwhile, the Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB) slipped to 30th place out of 58 cantonment boards – a sharp decline from its 7th position last year. This year’s survey saw participation from 4,589 ULBs across India, making it the largest cleanliness audit to date. The survey evaluated cities on a new scale of 12,500 points (up from 9,500 in previous editions of the survey) across key metrics such as visible cleanliness, waste segregation, sanitation, wastewater management, and welfare of sanitation workers. Delhi’s 1,483 sq km area is divided among three ULBs: MCD, which governs 1,397 sq. km; NDMC, covering the Lutyens’ zone; and DCB, which handles the cantonment area. While NDMC (along with Noida) earned its place in the “Super Swachh League” with high scores across all indicators, MCD scored only 7,920 out of 12,500 points. Cities like Meerut, Aligarh, Patna, and Agra fared better, while only Srinagar and Bengaluru performed worse in the same category. Experts said that the findings of the 2024-25 cleanliness survey paint a stark picture of a city divided. While NDMC’s limited geography, affluent population, and rigorous civic governance help it stand out, the rest of Delhi continues to grapple with chronic issues—unplanned urbanisation, weak policy enforcement, and lack of civic participation. Behind Delhi’s rankings Landfill clean up: MCD’s poor ranking is partly due to its underwhelming performance in this category. It scored just 56% in dumpsite remediation. The biomining and bioremediation projects at the three major landfill sites – Okhla, Bhalswa, and Ghazipur – have missed several deadlines since their inception in 2019, despite being mandated by the National Green Tribunal. New extended deadlines range between July 2026 and December 2027. MCD also scored poorly in segregation (56%) and waste processing (51%). Though source segregation is legally mandated, its on-ground implementation remains minimal. Of the 11,328 tonnes of waste generated daily in Delhi, MCD areas account for over 11,000 tonnes, yet a large portion remains unsegregated and ends up in already saturated landfills. Water body cleanliness: Delhi’s performance in the cleanliness of water bodies was dismal, with the MCD securing only 27% marks. This indicates a significant lapse in maintaining or restoring the city’s numerous natural and artificial water bodies. Market cleanliness: MCD scored relatively better in door-to-door waste collection and cleanliness in market areas—indicating some success in daily maintenance tasks, though large-scale infrastructure and systemic reforms are still lacking. Fall in cantonment rank: The Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), which managed to secure the 7th spot among 62 boards last year, has now fallen to 30th. DCB fared poorly in crucial areas like door-to-door collection, waste segregation, and processing. Why NDMC excels Officials said that NDMC’s consistent high ranking reflected a combination of factors: a smaller, more manageable jurisdiction; higher budget allocation per capita; and a proactive administrative approach. The Lutyens’ zone also benefits from a well-planned layout, better infrastructure, and limited population pressure compared to MCD areas. Keshav Chandra, Chairman of NDMC, attributed the success to the “relentless hard work” of the civic body’s employees, particularly sanitation workers. Vice Chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal highlighted the role of public cooperation: “The collaborative spirit of the community has been pivotal in achieving this honour.” Independent experts agreed. Atin Biswas, programme director of the municipal solid waste sector at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said That NDMC has completely different conditions with very rich local body, high infrastructure and human resources compared to the rest of the city.

स्वच्छता सर्वेक्षण: एनडीएमसी सुपर स्वच्छ लीग सिटी अवार्ड में पहले पायदान पर

नई दिल्ली नगरपालिका परिषद (एनडीएमसी) शहरी स्वच्छता और सार्वजनिक सेवा उत्कृष्टता के लिए सुपर स्वच्छ लीग सिटी से सम्मानित किया गया है। एनडीएमसी से प्राप्त जानकारी के अनुसार 50 हजार से 3 लाख की आबादी वाले शहरों की श्रेणी में दिल्ली पहले स्थान पर है। एनडीएमसी को गुरुवार को विज्ञान भवन में आयोजित प्रतिष्ठित स्वच्छ सर्वेक्षण 2024-25 पुरस्कार समारोह में राष्ट्रपति द्रौपदी मुर्मू और भारत सरकार के आवास एवं शहरी मामलों के मंत्री मनोहर लाल खट्टर द्वारा सुपर स्वच्छ लीग सिटी अवार्ड से सम्मानित किया गया। गुरुवार को एनडीएमसी की ओर से यह पुरस्कार दिल्ली सरकार के शहरी विकास मंत्री आशीष सूद, एनडीएमसी अध्यक्ष केशव चंद्रा और एनडीएमसी उपाध्यक्ष कुलजीत सिंह चहल ने संयुक्त रूप से ग्रहण किया। एनडीएमसी के अध्यक्ष केशव चंद्रा ने आभार व्यक्त करते हुए कहा कि यह पुरस्कार स्वच्छता, सेवा मानकों और नागरिक उत्कृष्टता में मानक स्थापित करने के एनडीएमसी के निरंतर प्रयासों का प्रमाण है। मैं अपने कर्मचारियों, विशेषकर सफाई सेवकों को बधाई देता हूं, जिनकी अथक मेहनत से हमें यह राष्ट्रीय सम्मान मिला है। यह उल्लेखनीय उपलब्धि एनडीएमसी के अध्यक्ष, उपाध्यक्ष और परिषद सदस्यों के दूरदर्शी नेतृत्व, स्वच्छता सेवकों, स्वच्छता और बागवानी टीमों, इंजीनियर्स विंग, पीएमयू विशेषज्ञों, योजनाकारों के अथक समर्पण और नागरिकों की सक्रिय भागीदारी के कारण संभव हुई है। एनडीएमसी के उपाध्यक्ष कुलजीत सिंह चहल ने भी 50 हजार और 3 लाख की श्रेणी में नई दिल्ली को सबसे स्वच्छ राजधानी बनाने में सहयोग के लिए निवासियों और आगंतुकों का धन्यवाद किया। उन्होंने इस बात पर जोर दिया कि इस सम्मान को प्राप्त करने में समुदाय की सहयोगात्मक भावना महत्वपूर्ण रही है। एनडीएमसी एक स्वच्छ, हरित और स्वस्थ नई दिल्ली के अपने दृष्टिकोण की प्राप्ति के लिए स्वच्छता को बनाए रखने और बढ़ाने, हरित आवरण में सुधार लाने और अत्याधुनिक स्वच्छता तकनीकों को अपनाने के लिए अपनी प्रतिबद्धता की पुष्टि करती है। इस कारण मिला सम्मान--- एनडीएमसी के एक वरिष्ठ अधिकारी ने बताया कि एनडीएमसी ने अपने क्षेत्र में काफी इनोवेशन किया है। यह अवार्ड हमें इनोवेशन, कूड़ा प्रबंधन और तीन आरआरआर के लिए मिला है। आरआरआर पर्यावरण संरक्षण से जुड़ी तीन महत्वपूर्ण अवधारणाएं हैं। रीसाइकिल या पुनः चक्रण या पुनर्चक्रण यानी उपयोग की गई वस्तुओं (जैसे प्लास्टिक, कागज़, धातु आदि) को प्रक्रिया के द्वारा दोबारा उपयोग के लायक बनाना। रीयूज या पुनः उपयोग यानी किसी वस्तु को फेंकने के बजाय दोबारा किसी रूप में उपयोग करना। तीसरा रिड्यूज यानी कमी करना या घटाना इसका आशय है कि ऐसी वस्तुओं का कम से कम उपयोग करना जो पर्यावरण को नुकसान पहुंचा सकती हैं। 2021 में पहले स्थान पर भी रही है एनडीएमसी 2021-22 में एनडीएमसी 1 लाख से 10 लाख की आबादी की श्रेणी में स्वच्छता सर्वेक्षण में पहले स्थान पर भी रह चुकी है। वहीं विगत वर्ष स्वच्छता सर्वेक्षण 2022-23 में एक लाख से अधिक आबादी वाले शहरों में नई दिल्ली म्यूनिसिपल काउंसिल (एनडीएमसी) को 7वीं रैंकिंग मिली थी। डोर टु डोर कूड़ा कलेक्शन के लिए जितने नंबर तय थे, उसमें से एनडीएमसी ने 99 प्रतिशत अंक हासिल किए थे। एनडीएमसी को 5 स्टार गार्बेज फ्री और वॉटर प्लस प्रमाणित सिटी के रूप में भी सम्मानित किया गया था। इस बार की रैंकिंग तो जारी हुई है लेकिन किस श्रेणी में कितने अंक मिले यह खबर लिखने तक वेबसाइट पर जारी नहीं किए गए थे। 2018 से 2023 तक की एनडीएमसी की रैंकिंग 2018--4 2019--5 2020--3 2021--1 2022--3 2023--7 ------------------------------ नंबर वन कैसे बने दिल्ली, क्या है विशेषज्ञ की राय दिल्ली में कचरा प्रबंधन जिस तरह हो रहा है वह बाकी शहरों से अलग है। दिल्ली सरकार या दिल्ली नगर निगम कचरा प्रबंधन तकनीक से सुलझाने का रास्ता ढूंढ रही है। लेकिन, यह नाकाफी है। अगर दिल्ली को बेहतर करना है तो लोगों को एक साथ लाना होगा। उन्हें कचरा प्रबंधन के बार में समझाना होगा। घरों से ही गीला और सूखा कचरा अलग करना जरूरी है। यही नहीं, जो कचरा घरों से उठाया जाता है वह भी डंपिंग ग्राउंड तक अलग-अलग जाना चाहिए। लेकिन, अभी ऐसा नहीं हो रहा है। इस पर ध्यान देने की जरूरत है। कचरा प्रबंधन का कोई शॉर्ट कट नहीं है। कचरा उठाने वाली गाड़ियों को भी इस तरह बनाना होगा, जिसमें गीला और सूखा कचरा अलग किया जा सके। अतिन बिस्वास, कार्यक्रम निदेशक, ठोस अपशिष्ट प्रबंधन एवं चक्रीय अर्थव्यवस्था, सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट

When cost trumps clean air

Ten years after creating rules to make thermal power plants cleaner, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has decided to go easy on the power sector. It has tweaked the norms, exempting most power units from installing costly equipment to clean up the coal exhaust, arguing that such instruments are not required for them. Plants in critically polluted areas or non-attainment cities will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis while all other units — accounting for 79% of India’s thermal power capacity — are exempt from mandatory FGD installation, as stipulated in the 2015 rules. With criticism mounting, the ministry issued a clarication, stating that the decision was based on studies conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, the CSIR’s National Environmental Engineering Research Institute in Nagpur, and the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) in Bengaluru. “The revised sulphur dioxide emission policy is not a rollback of environmental safeguards, but a pragmatic, scientically justied shift towards more targeted, cost-effective and climate-coherent regulation,” the ministry says. Indian coal has a very high ash content (42%), compared to imported coal, which has less than 10%. However, domestic coal contains little sulphur (less than 0.5%) compared to imported coal, which has more than 2% of it. The ministry claims 94% of electricity generated by thermal power plants is fuelled by Indian coal, and this may be the reason for very low ambient sulphur dioxide levels in Indian cities. Therefore, according to the government, further ltering of sulphur oxides is not necessary for most plants operated by the public and private sectors. As per the Central Electricity Authority, 44 thermal power plants are equipped with FGDs, while another 233 FGDs have been awarded out of 537 power plants identied for installation. Retrotting of the equipment in each operating plant requires shutdown times of more than 45 days. The NIAS in its report – that also takes into account the conclusions of IIT Delhi and NEERI studies - recommends a halt for FGD installations for the time being because of low-sulphur content of Indian coals, 220-275 mt tall stacks (vertical distance from the ground to top of the chimney) of thermal power plants, and tropical climate. The institute suggests studies to assess the impact of FGDs in controlling secondary particulate matter pollution from 32 thermal power plants located within 10 km of cities with a population of more than 10 lakh which have either installed FGDs or are at various stages of installing them. energy at the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based think tank, tells DH. The ministry argues that nationwide retrotting of India’s coal-based capacity for ensuring compliance with the previous SO₂ norms is projected to cost over Rs 2.54 lakh crore in capital expenditure (around Rs 1.2 crore per MW of installed capacity). “In light of the limited incremental benet to ambient PM2.5 levels and the high marginal cost of pollution reduction, such investment must be carefully scrutinised,” it claims, noting that there is barely any difference in sulphur and ambient dioxide concentration in the ambient air of cities with or without FGD. Misinterpretation? However, an analysis released last month by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air states that studies by NEERI, NIAS, and IIT Delhi are being “selectively used to justify inaction” by power plants across the country, which continue to delay the installation of FGD units to control sulphur dioxide emissions. According to the CREA report, the NEERI’s assertion on low levels of ambient sulphur dioxide is “highly misleading”. “The air quality monitoring stations don’t capture the real impact of power plant pollution because they don’t track whether emissions drift upwind or downwind, and they certainly don’t account for chemical reactions that convert SO2 into other pollutants like PM2.5,” says the report. “Using low ambient readings to argue against FGD is not just scientically wrong, it completely misleads about how pollution control works,” it adds. The CREA has also identied loopholes in the IIT report. A 2022 study by IIT Delhi recommended a phased rollout of FGDs across all coal-based power stations, but in their 2024 report, the IIT team contradicted their earlier ndings, relying on data from six cities. “The newer IIT Delhi report recommended halting FGD installations in plants that have yet to adopt them, despite the fact that 92% of plants still lack FGDs. This shift was justied by citing low ambient SO₂ levels and limited impact, overlooking the secondary particle formation,” it says. The ministry’s counter is that such particle formation matters little to ambient air pollution. There are other questions, too. “Exempting all Category C plants from SO₂ norms solely based on location overlooks cumulative pollution, especially in mining areas like Singrauli or Korba, which are not “ofcially” critically polluted areas but are still heavily impacted,” adds the CSE.

Why govt has exempted 78% of coal-based thermal plants from installing anti-pollution devices

A 2021 analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) also contested this claim. It said that plumes from power stations travel long distances of 300 km, and during this time, they get converted to secondary pollutants. The analysis also found that the atmospheric lifetime of SO2 was about 10 days. The Environment Ministry on July 11 exempted the majority of India’s coal-based thermal plants from installing systems that are designed to remove sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions, a key contributor to air pollution. Known as flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) devices, these systems cut SO2 from flue gas, which is a residue from thermal plants. Of the remaining plants, those around Delhi-NCR have to comply with a December 2027 deadline, and the rest will be asked to fit the devices on a case-to-case basis. Originally, these plants had to install FGD devices by 2017. However, over the years, they have received several extensions to comply. What is the reason behind the Centre’s move? What do the revised rules exactly say? And why have some experts criticised the decision? But first, why are SO2 emissions from thermal plants an issue? Once released into the atmosphere, SO2 usually reacts with ammonia (NH3) to produce ammonium sulfate, which is responsible for roughly one-third of India’s fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution, according to recent research by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). PM2.5 is injurious to human health as it can lead to chronic diseases such as asthma, heart attack, bronchitis, and other respiratory problems. Direct exposure to high levels of SO2 can irritate the eyes, throat, and lungs. Long-term exposure can result in increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and premature death, according to CREA. SO2 also affects the environment as it contributes to the formation of acid rain, which can damage ecosystems. One of the biggest sources of SO2 emissions in India is the power sector, especially the coal-based thermal plants. The CREA research found the SO2 levels were higher in 2023 compared to 2019, with a notable increase in regions dominated by coal-based thermal plants. This highlighted “the influence of power plant emissions on air quality”, the research said. What has the government done to address the issue over the years? In 2015, the Environment Ministry notified the first-ever emission norms for control of SO2 and other harmful substances from coal-based thermal plants. These were required to install FGD devices by December 2017. However, this did not happen as the deadline was extended four times at the request of thermal plants. They argued that the installation of FGD devices was costly, and could cause several issues such as disruption of power supply due to shutdown for installation, and an increase in electricity bills. To address these concerns, the Centre amended the emission norms in 2021. It put 596 coal-based thermal plant units (one thermal plant can have multiple units) in three categories. Category A: Plants located within a 10 km radius of the National Capital Region (NCR) or cities having a million-plus population. Their deadline for compliance was 2022. Category B: Plants located within a 10 km radius of critically polluted areas or non-attainment cities. Their deadline was 2023. Category C: Remaining plants whose deadline was 2024. Note that nearly 78% of the plants were put in Category C. About 11% were in Category A, and the rest were in Category B. The latest change in the norms has exempted Category C plants from installing FGD devices. Category A plants, which are in operation and under construction, have to comply by the end of 2027. The Centre will decide compliance for Category B plants on a case-by-case basis. The Environment Ministry has also said that plants which are supposed to retire before December 2030 will not be required to meet the SO2 emission norms, provided they submit an undertaking for exemption. What is behind the latest change in norms? According to the Centre, the change in the norms is based on three studies, which suggest FGD devices are not necessary for coal-based thermal plants. These studies have been carried out by the Indian Institute of Technology–Delhi, the National Institute of Advanced Sciences (NIAS), and the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI). The studies have argued against the installation of FGD devices, saying that SO2 levels around the plants are well within the norms prescribed under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. They have also suggested that the government needs to focus on curbing not just SO2 emissions but rather the overall particulate matter pollution around the plants. The IIT-D and NIAS studies have said that while reducing SO2 emissions, the operation of FGD devices has increased carbon dioxide and PM pollution. All three studies were commissioned by the government or its agencies. For example, the NEERI research was commissioned by NITI Aayog. Why have experts criticised the change in norms? Experts have said that the claim made by the studies that SO2 levels around plants are low is misleading. For instance, CREA in a statement said, “The air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) don’t capture the real impact of power plant pollution because they don’t track whether emissions drift upwind or downwind, and they certainly don’t account for chemical reactions that convert SO₂ into other pollutants like PM2.5.” A 2021 analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) also contested this claim. It said that plumes from power stations travel long distances of 300 km, and during this time, they get converted to secondary pollutants. The analysis also found that the atmospheric lifetime of SO2 was about 10 days.