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Cse In News

India’s worsening fire seasons

India has recorded 5,25,627 fire alerts so far in 2026, the second-highest annual total since 2012, according to Global Nature Watch (formerly Global Forest Watch), the World Resources Institute’s forest monitoring platform. An analysis by Down To Earth magazine found that fire activity in the first two months of the year ran more than 80 per cent above the average of the past decade, with fires growing both more frequent and more intense. In the four weeks to early July 2026, Telangana recorded the highest number of fire alerts of any Indian region tracked by Global Nature Watch’s rolling dashboard, 14 in total, accounting for 21 per cent of alerts detected across India in that period. The figure shows a short-term, region-specific reading rather than the national annual trend, on which Odisha and the north-eastern States remain the most fire-affected over the long term. Severe forest fires have long been an annual reality in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. This year has also brought serious outbreaks across central and north-eastern India.

Those Displaced by Climate, Abandoned by Policy

In the shrinking coastlines of the Sundarbans, fishermen do not return to the delta, for the embankment near their village has breached for the third time in five years. They do not leave because they wanted to, they didn’t have a choice anymore. Amidst coastal erosion, natural disasters, water contamination and saline soil and water, the people of Sundarbans follow what is slowly becoming a familiar route, to move north, to move away into a cluster of tarpaulin and corrugated iron that is called, on no official map, home. There is no government record of why they left. There is no scheme designed for what happens next. India’s climate refugees are no longer a projection. They are already here, here in the jhuggi clusters of Delhi, in the construction sites outside Pune, in the seasonal labour camps that appear and disappear on the edges of cities that have no interest in counting them. They have arrived from the Sundarbans and from Marathwada, from the flood plains of Assam and from the parched interiors of Bundelkhand. What connects these geographies is not merely ecological catastrophe, it is a political economy that has, for decades, extracted from these landscapes without returning to them, and then turned away when the bill arrived in the form of displacement. The Geography of Expulsion The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) recorded 5.4 million displacements in India in 2024, the highest in twelve years. Globally, 99.5 percent of disaster-induced displacements in the same period were linked to climate-related extreme weather. These are not abstract numbers. They correspond to specific embankments that broke, to specific monsoons that did not come, to farms where the borewell went dry and the loan did not get repaid. The Centre for Science and Environment found that India experienced extreme weather events on 314 out of 365 days in 2024, killing nearly 3,000 people and destroying two million hectares of cropland. When land fails, people leave. They do not leave for opportunity; they leave because staying has become impossible. The Slum Is Not a Recovery The health consequences of climate displacement do not begin on arrival. They accumulate from the moment the decision to leave is made; in the weeks of distress migration without food security or medical access, in the physical deterioration of travel undertaken without money. What awaits is a slum. Not metaphorically, literally. Metal-roofed, unplanned, overcrowded, without reliable water or sanitation. A 2024 survey by People’s Courage International found that heat and excess rain are the primary climate stressors facing internal migrants at their destinations, reported by 77 and 59 percent of respondents respectively. The informal settlement is not a place of recovery from ecological disaster; it is a continuation of it by other means. The same bodies that fled waterlogging in the delta now live beside open drains. The same lungs that breathed sea air now breathe particulate matter. There is also the subtler problem of immunological exposure, that is, the transition from a rural disease environment to an urban one, encountering local variants of dengue or typhoid against which origin-area immunity offers little protection. And then there is what researchers are beginning to call solastalgia: the particular grief that comes not from leaving home, but from watching home be destroyed. A 2021 study by researchers at the Central University of South Bihar found that rural communities experiencing climate change in the form of erratic monsoon, heatwave, loss of particular bird and tree species, reported emotional distress, reduced self-worth, and severed cultural and religious practices as direct consequences. This is not sentiment. A 2025 scoping review in BMJ Mental Health found consistent associations between solastalgia and depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The quiet epidemic in India’s climate settlements is not only physical. The Architecture of Exclusion India’s welfare architecture is territorial. Its benefits are tied to addresses, to ration cards registered in districts that the migrant has left, to identity documents that prove belonging to a place they may never return to. When they move, the entitlements do not follow. Meanwhile, less than five percent of India’s total climate budget is allocated to relocation or livelihood diversification, the very interventions that would address displacement before it becomes a health crisis. Only 35 percent of urban local bodies meet the AMRUT water supply benchmarks. The cities receiving millions of climate migrants are not equipped to receive them, and the national budget has not decided that equipping them is a priority. The Fix Exist, The Will Does Not! The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) noted in 2025 that migrants drive India’s development but are systematically excluded from programs designed to prevent climate-induced shocks. This is not an administrative oversight. It is a consequence of treating migrants as labour inputs rather than as citizens with rights that travel with them. A genuine response requires portability that actually functions; health entitlements, ration access and social security across state lines, without a bureaucratic queue. It requires primary care in informal settlements that do not ask for a local address. It requires legal recognition that climate displacement is a category of harm distinct from economic migration. There are approximately 14 million people living in internal displacement in India today, according to the IDMC, without Ayushman Bharat coverage in the cities where they now live, without legal recognition as displaced persons, without recourse if the corrugated iron roofs they sleep under give them heatstroke in May. They are a present political and environmental protection failure. More will arrive with every monsoon season that does not come, every summer that runs past what the land can hold. The question is not whether the state will face this. It already is. The question is whether it will choose to see it.

Centre Brings Steel Sector Under Carbon Credit Trading Scheme

Experts have welcomed the inclusion of the steel industry, one of India’s largest industrial emitters, calling it a key step in operationalising the country’s domestic carbon market. According to the Centre for Science and Environment, the initial targets are expected to encourage cost-effective efficiency improvements, while future compliance cycles could drive long-term investments in low-carbon technologies. As the world’s second-largest steel producer, India’s transition toward cleaner steel production is expected to play a crucial role in shaping the sector’s future emissions.

Can the new carbon credit scheme clean up India’s steel sector?

Parth Kumar, Programme Manager, Sustainable Industrialisation Unit, CSE, says the initial targets are likely to drive improvements through energy efficiency and other relatively low-cost operational measures. The proposed new greenhouse gas emission intensity targets for the iron and steel sector under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) are expected to accelerate industrial decarbonisation. However, the real test will be whether they can influence the long-term investment decisions of industry players. India is transitioning from the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) Scheme to the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), marking a significant shift from energy efficiency to comprehensive carbon competitiveness. The green targets This evolution enables industries to move beyond merely reducing energy consumption and focus on optimising greenhouse gas emissions through the adoption of low-carbon technologies and a roadmap for shifting the sector's emissions trajectory. The draft emission targets for the iron and steel sector come after extensive discussions and multiple rounds of back-and-forth between industry players and the government. Parth Kumar, Programme Manager, Sustainable Industrialisation Unit, CSE, says the initial targets are likely to drive improvements through energy efficiency and other relatively low-cost operational measures. “However, the real test will be whether future compliance cycles begin to influence long-term investment decisions and accelerate the adoption of low-carbon technologies that bring about a deeper, structural shift in the sector's emissions trajectory,” adds Kumar.

PM10 three times safe limitin Faridabad,Rs 55cr clean-air funds lie unused

An RTI-based study by the Centre for Science and Environment found that less than 1% of NCAP expenditure was directed towards tackling industrial emissions, with the bulk of spending focused on controlling road dust. Uality has deteriorated after showing signs of improvement. The city’s annual PM10 concentration rose by 15% in 2025-26 even as nearly Rs 55 crore released under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) remained unspent. Pollution levels remain nearly three times higher than the national annual standard of 60 µg/m³ as the annual PM10 levels rose to 176 µg/m³ in 2025-26 from 153 µg/m³ in 2024-25, reversing the gains recorded over the previous few years — although the city’s annual PM10 concentration has declined by around 23% compared with 2020-21, when it stood at 229 µg/m³. According to govt data, accessed by TOI, the city has utilised Rs 84.3 crore of the Rs 138.9 crore released under the Centre’s flagship clean air programme, leaving Rs 54.6 crore — or about 39% of the allocation — unspent. Experts said that it is important to assess how these funds contributed to reductions in PM10 levels and identify the measures that delivered the most impact. This can help strengthen future implementation by ensuring resources are directed towards interventions that provide long-term improvements in air quality. Faridabad has remained a non-attainment city under NCAP since the programme was launched, having consistently failed to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The city’s annual PM10 trend has remained uneven over the past six years. Concentrations declined from 229 µg/m³ in 2020-21 to 209 µg/m³ in Against the backdrop of the spike in the annual PM10, experts say the focus must shift from short-term dust suppression to sustained reduction of emissions from major pollution sources such as transport, construction, industries and waste burning. Previous analyses have shown that a large share of NCAP expenditure in Faridabad has gone towards dust mitigation measures such as mechanised road sweeping, water sprinkling, black-topping and paving of roads. An RTI-based study by the Centre for Science and Environment found that less than 1% of NCAP expenditure was directed towards tackling industrial emissions, with the bulk of spending focused on controlling road dust. A senior Municipal Corporation of Faridabad official said the city’s strategy has focused primarily on road dust because industrial emissions have reduced over the years. “Most industries in Faridabad have already shifted out of the NCR. That is why spending has been higher on traffic management and preventing dust resuspension. NCAP funds have also been used for EV charging infrastructure, capacity building of officials, public awareness campaigns and afforestation,” the official said.

संजय झील में फिर तैरने लगी जिंदगी की आहट, हजारों मछलियों की मौत के बाद फिर दिखने लगी जलीय जीवों की हलचल

पूर्वी दिल्ली की संजय झील में पिछले महीने हजारों मछलियों की मौत के बाद अब हालात तेज़ी से सुधर रहे हैं। एलजी टी एस संधू के निर्देश के बाद संबंधित एजेंसियां लगातार झील के पुनर्जीवन पर काम कर रही हैं। झील में ताजे पानी की आपूर्ति बढ़ने के बाद यहां फिर से जलीय जीव दिखाई देने लगे हैं। साथ ही, स्थानीय और प्रवासी पक्षियों की आवाजाही भी बढ़ी है, जिससे झील के पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र के धीरे-धीरे सामान्य होने के संकेत मिल रहे हैं। पिछले महीने झील में बड़ी संख्या में गंबूशिया (मॉस्किटोफिश), तिलापिया और कार्प जैसी मीठे पानी की मछलियां मृत अवस्था में पानी की सतह पर तैरती मिली थीं। ठहरे हुए और प्रदूषित पानी के कारण यह दृश्य बेहद चिंताजनक था। कम जलस्तर और गंदे पानी की वजह से झील की स्थिति बिगड़ गई थी, जिसके बाद यह मामला चर्चा में आ गया। विशेषज्ञों के अनुसार, मछलियों की सामूहिक मौत के पीछे भीषण गर्मी के कारण पानी में ऑक्सीजन की कमी, रासायनिक प्रदूषण का बढ़ा स्तर और लंबे समय तक ताजे पानी की आपूर्ति नहीं होना प्रमुख कारण रहे। पानी की क्वॉलिटी सुधरी, लौटी रौनक इसके बाद एजेंसियों ने झील में पानी की आपूर्ति बढ़ाने के साथ कई सुधारात्मक कदम उठाए, जिससे पानी की क्वॉलिटी में सुधार आया है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) के विकास चौधरी का कहना है कि पानी की क्वॉलिटी बेहतर होते ही झील में फिर से रौनक लौटने लगी है। उन्होंने कहा कि भविष्य में ऐसी घटनाओं से बचने के लिए नियमित जल प्रवाह, प्रदूषण पर नियंत्रण और पानी की क्वॉलिटी की लगातार निगरानी जरूरी है। पांच हजार पौधे लगाने की तैयारी हाल ही में एलजी एलजी टी एस संधू ने भी संजय झील का दौरा कर पुनर्जीवन कार्यों की समीक्षा की थी। उन्होंने पहले चरण में झील से खरपतवार और शैवाल हटाने, जियोटेक्सटाइल तकनीक से तटबंधों और ढलानों को मजबूत करने तथा मरम्मत का काम तेजी से पूरा करने के निर्देश दिए। इसके अलावा झील परिसर में पांच हजार देशी प्रजातियों के पौधे लगाने और मिट्टी की क्वॉलिटी सुधारने के लिए विशेष पौधरोपण की योजना पर भी काम शुरू किया गया है।

For Delhi’s auto drivers, the EV shift stirs memories of the rushed CNG transition

For Pawan Kumar, an auto driver in Daryaganj, every electric auto on Delhi’s roads evokes memories of another transition that reshaped the city’s transport system over two decades ago. Now 65 and driving an electric vehicle (EV), Mr. Kumar still remembers the long queues outside compressed natural gas (CNG) stations, the scramble for conversion kits, and the uncertainty that followed when autorickshaws were ordered to switch from petrol to CNG almost overnight. As Delhi embarks on another clean fuel transition, this time towards EVs, many drivers who lived through the CNG shift wonder whether history will repeat itself. However, unlike the CNG rollout, experts say, the shift to EVs is being implemented in phases, with a rudimentary charging infrastructure in place and plans to expand it further, which could hopefully make the transition less abrupt than the one many drivers still remember. The sudden move Delhi’s transition to CNG, undertaken to combat severe air pollution, followed a public interest litigation filed in the Supreme Court by environmental lawyer M.C. Mehta in 1996. In 1998, the court directed a series of measures to curb vehicular pollution, including replacing pre-1990 autos and taxis with clean-fuel vehicles by March 31, 2000. “No one said moving to a cleaner fuel was bad, but the move was a bit sudden. There weren’t enough supply stations, and the number of vehicles that could run on CNG was far fewer than required,” Mr. Kumar said, recalling spending at least eight to 10 hours standing in queues to refill his vehicle with gas. Rajpal, a 60-year-old auto driver at New Delhi railway station, went through a similar experience. “The government told us to convert, but nobody thought about how a driver earning daily wages would arrange the money. The conversion kit was expensive, and workshops gave us dates weeks or even months later. During that time, many autos stayed off the road,” he said. “Drivers and passengers suffered because the infrastructure wasn’t ready when the rules came into force,” he added. By 2001, the transition had gained pace, with 30,000 autorickshaws running on CNG and plans to introduce 20,000 more. “The Supreme Court had directed Indraprastha Gas Limited to set up 80 CNG supply stations. There was a huge mismatch between supply and demand, which resulted in long queues at the stations and delays in refuelling,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment. ‘Scaling up’ According to the experts, the three-wheeler segment has already moved significantly towards electrification, and they are optimistic about the transition. “The Central government’s VAHAN portal shows that of all three-wheelers sold in India, more than half are electric, including e-rickshaws and e-autos. Delhi already has about 2,500 charging points, and these EVs can be charged at home. All the government has to do is scale up the public charging and battery-swapping infrastructure as swiftly as possible,” Ms. Roychowdhury said. Sarika Panda Bhatt, co-founder of Raahgiri Foundation, echoed Ms. Roychowdhury’s views.

Monsoon is here, so why do Delhi, Mumbai, and other Indian cities still feel hotter?

Amid the scorching heat, the arrival of the monsoon comes as a welcome relief, however, for millions living in Indian smart cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, this time the rains are making the weather feel cooler. Instead, many people are experiencing sticky, uncomfortable conditions that can feel even more exhausting-including the heat. While rainfall may lower the air temperature, it also increases the amount of moisture in the air. High humidity makes it difficult for sweat to evaporate from the skin, reducing the body's natural cooling mechanism. As a result, people feel much hotter than the temperature shown on a weather app. Delhi's heat index has regularly crossed 46-50 degrees Celsius during July and August in recent years, according to a policy brief by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), even when the actual...

The humid heat trap gripping cities

The monsoon has reached northern India since, but rainfall alone does not guarantee thermal comfort. Heat index records from 2021 to 2025 show that Delhi often felt hotter than its air temperature due to high humidity. In July-August, the heat index often exceeded 46-50°C, causing oppressive conditions. This discomfort extended the duration and intensity of high electricity consumption as cooling systems, mainly air conditioners, worked harder and longer, according to a policy brief from the Centre for Science and Environment last September.

The new heat threat: Why India’s cities are feeling hotter even after monsoon arrives

The monsoon has reached northern India since, but rainfall alone does not guarantee thermal comfort. Heat index records from 2021 to 2025 show that Delhi often felt hotter than its air temperature due to high humidity. In July-August, the heat index often exceeded 46-50°C, causing oppressive conditions. This discomfort extended the duration and intensity of high electricity consumption as cooling systems, mainly air conditioners, worked harder and longer, according to a policy brief from the Centre for Science and Environment last September.

आ रही एक और तबाही! आग की भट्टी क्यों बन रहे भारत के शहर, बारिश के बाद भी राहत क्यों नहीं?

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की सितंबर की एक पॉलिसी ब्रीफ बताती है कि जब भी मौसम में नमी ज्यादा होती है तो कूलिंग सिस्टम खासकर एयर कंडीशनर ज्यादा मेहनत करते हैं, ऐसे मौसम में कूलर और पंखे फेल हो जाते हैं. ऐसे में लंबे समय तक और बड़ी संख्या एसी चलने से बिजली की बढ़ती मांग एक और बड़ा संकट बनकर सामने आती है. पर्याप्‍त इलेक्‍ट्र‍िस‍िटी न म‍िलने से भी लोगों को गर्मी का स‍ितम ज्‍यादा झेलना पड़ रहा है.

Monsoon Has Arrived, So Why Is It Still So Hot? The Science Behind India's New Heat Threat

Rainfall lowers the air temperature, but it also increases the amount of moisture in the atmosphere. This high humidity makes it harder for sweat to evaporate from the skin, weakening the body's natural cooling mechanism. As a result, people continue to feel uncomfortably hot even when temperatures drop after rainfall. According to a September policy brief by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Delhi's heat index frequently crossed 46-50°C during July and August between 2021 and 2025, despite lower actual temperatures. The humid conditions also kept electricity demand high as air conditioners ran for longer hours. The CSE recommends stronger heat action plans with passive cooling measures such as better insulation, shading, natural ventilation and reflective surfaces, along with cooling shelters for vulnerable communities. Experts also suggest increasing green spaces while ensuring adequate airflow, expanding reliable electricity access and improving hospital preparedness for both daytime and nighttime heat. Some cities have already begun adapting. Thane has updated its heat action plan to account for humidity and warm nights, while Bhubaneswar is developing a digital climate-risk dashboard to map heat stress at the building level. As climate change reshapes weather patterns, experts say tracking humidity and the heat

Why Indian cities are facing extreme heat even in monsoon and what are the solutions

The monsoon has arrived in India, but multiple cities continue to feel the heat. Whether it's Delhi, Hyderabad or Mumbai, the rains, instead of bringing cooler weather and a light breeze, appear to have brought warm, sticky, and uncomfortable conditions. What is the heat index? It is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature, according to the National Weather Service. Basically, it’s what your body feels the temperature is. When there is high moisture in the air due to rainfall, it makes it difficult for sweat to evaporate from the skin. This means people feel warmer in humid conditions as the body’s natural cooling mechanism does not work properly. Why is this happening? During monsoon, high humidity significantly increases the heat index even if air temperatures are lower. In the months of July and August, Delhi often records heat index between 46-50°C, as per a study by the Centre of Science and Environment in September.

Monsoon Heat Explainer: मॉनसून आ गया फिर भी क्यों तप रहे दिल्ली NCR समेत देश के बड़े शहर?

भीषण और झुलसाने वाली गर्मी के बीच मानसून का आना हमेशा एक बड़ी राहत लेकर आता है। लेकिन दिल्ली, मुंबई, अहमदाबाद और हैदराबाद जैसे भारत के शहरों में रहने वाले लाखों लोगों के लिए इस बार की बारिश मौसम को ठंडा महसूस नहीं करा रही है। इसके बजाय लोग बेहद चिपचिपी और असुविधाजनक स्थिति का सामना कर रहे हैं। ये गर्मी शरीर को और भी अधिक थका देने वाली महसूस हो रही है। आइए डिकोड करते हैं कि आखिर ऐसा क्यों हो रहा है और इस नए हीट इफेक्ट के पीछे की वजहें क्या हैं? क्या है हीट इंडेक्स जो मानसून में भी बढ़ा रहा है तपिश? मानसून आने के बावजूद गर्मी महसूस होने की प्राइमरी वजह हीट इंडेक्स है लेकिन अब इसमें और भी कई चीजें जुड़ गई हैं। हीट इंडेक्स मूल रूप से फील्स लाइक टेंप्रेचर है। यानी वह तापमान जिसे हमारा शरीर असल में महसूस करता है। भले ही बारिश होने से हवा का तापमान कम हो जाता है लेकिन यह हवा में नमी की मात्रा को बढ़ा देती है। हवा में उच्च आर्द्रता यानी हाई ह्यूमेडिटी की वजह से त्वचा से पसीना आसानी से वाष्पित नहीं हो पाता। इससे शरीर का प्राकृतिक कूलिंग सिस्टम धीमा पड़ जाता है। नतीजतन लोगों को मौसम ऐप पर दिखने वाले असल टेंप्रेचर से कहीं अधिक गर्मी महसूस होती है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की एक पॉलिसी ब्रीफ के मुताबिक हाल के वर्षों में जुलाई और अगस्त के दौरान दिल्ली का हीट इंडेक्स नियमित रूप से 46 से 50 डिग्री सेल्सियस को पार कर गया है, भले ही उस समय रियल टेंप्रेचर काफी कम था। इस वजह से लोगों की असुविधा बहुत बढ़ गई है और बिजली की खपत में भी भारी इजाफा हुआ है। उमस भरी गर्मी, एक नया खतरा हीट इंडेक्स को बढ़ाने वाली यह उमस अब पिछले वर्षों की तुलना में कहीं अधिक आम होती जा रही है। अमेरिका के क्लाइमेट सेंट्रल की एक स्टडी के मुताबिक भारत में 1970 के दशक के बाद से खतरनाक रूप से उमस भरे गर्मी के दिनों की संख्या में भारी बढ़ोतरी देखी गई है। दिल्ली, गाजियाबाद, अहमदाबाद, जयपुर, नागपुर और रायपुर जैसे शहरों में ऐसे दिनों की संख्या में उल्लेखनीय वृद्धि दर्ज की गई है। वैज्ञानिकों का कहना है कि गर्म होते समुद्र, विशेष रूप से अरब सागर और बंगाल की खाड़ी, मैदानी इलाकों की तरफ अधिक नमी लेकर आ रहे हैं। इसके साथ ही तेजी से हो रहा शहरीकरण और कंक्रीट से भरे शहर इस गर्मी को अपने अंदर कैद कर लेते हैं। इससे स्थिति और भी बदतर हो जाती है। रातें भी नहीं दे रहीं राहत, हीट वेव का प्रकोप बढ़ती उमस के साथ जो एक सबसे बड़ा बदलाव आया है वह है गर्म रातों का बढ़ना। इस साल मार्च में फिजिक्स एंड केमिस्ट्री ऑफ द अर्थ जर्नल में प्रकाशित एक अध्ययन में इस बात पर प्रकाश डाला गया है कि दिल्ली, आगरा, कानपुर, कोच्चि और वाराणसी सहित भारत के कई स्मार्ट शहर रात के समय लगातार चलने वाली हीट वेव का सामना कर रहे हैं। हवा में मौजूद उच्च आर्द्रता सूर्यास्त के बाद इमारतों और सड़कों को ठंडा होने से रोकती है। इससे रात भर तापमान बढ़ा रहता है। सीएसजेएम यूनिवर्सिटी के एसोसिएट प्रोफेसर और इस स्टडी के को-राइटर काशिफ इमदाद के मुताबिक अधिकतर शहरों के हीट एक्शन प्लान अभी भी मुख्य रूप से दिन की गर्मी पर ध्यान केंद्रित करते हैं और गर्म रातों से पैदा होने वाले बढ़ते खतरों की अनदेखी कर रहे हैं। क्या सिर्फ कूल रूफ और पेड़ लगाना ही काफी है? एक्सपर्ट्स का कहना है कि गर्मी को कम करने के लिए सिर्फ कूल रूफ डिजाइन करना और वृक्षारोपण अभियान चलाना ही पर्याप्त नहीं है। सेप्ट यूनिवर्सिटी के प्रोफेसर राजन रावल के मुताबिक इनडोर आराम सिर्फ छत के तापमान पर ही निर्भर नहीं करता बल्कि यह उमस, हवा के प्रवाह और इमारतों को बनाने में इस्तेमाल होने वाली सामग्री पर भी निर्भर करता है क्योंकि शहरी गर्मी केवल दिन के समय धूप के संपर्क में आने तक सीमित नहीं है। इसी तरह अधिक पेड़ लगाने से अपने आप हीट स्ट्रेस कम नहीं होता। असल में जिन शहरों में उमस ज्यादा होती है वहां बिना उचित वेंटिलेशन या एयरफ्लो के घने पेड़ नमी को रोक लेते हैं। इससे राहत मिलने के बजाय असुविधा और अधिक बढ़ जाती है। भारतीय शहरों को अब क्या करने की जरूरत है? आमतौर पर सैटेलाइट डेटा से मिलने वाला शहरों का हीट मैप सिर्फ दिन के समय भूमि की सतह के तापमान पर ध्यान केंद्रित करता है और रात के समय के अर्बन हीट आइलैंड इफेक्ट, हवा के तापमान और उमस को नजरअंदाज कर देता है। इसलिए विशेषज्ञों का मानना है कि भारतीय शहरों को मौसमी आपातकालीन उपायों के बजाय दीर्घकालिक योजना की आवश्यकता है। विशेषज्ञों के सुझाव और शहरों के कदम शहरों को ऐसी इमारतों को डिजाइन करने पर ध्यान देना चाहिए जो प्राकृतिक रूप से ठंडी रहें, वेंटिलेशन में सुधार करें, बेहतर वायु प्रवाह के साथ हरित क्षेत्रों को बढ़ाएं, बिजली की विश्वसनीय पहुंच का विस्तार करें और अस्पतालों को दिन व रात दोनों समय की गर्मी से निपटने के लिए तैयार करें। कटक और संबलपुर जैसे कुछ शहरों ने पहले ही इस दिशा में कदम बढ़ाना शुरू कर दिया है। ठाणे ने एक अधिक विस्तृत हीट एक्शन प्लान तैयार किया है। इसमें उमस और गर्म रातों के फैक्टर को भी शामिल किया गया है। भुवनेश्वर एक डिजिटल क्लाइमेट-रिस्क डैशबोर्ड तैयार कर रहा है, जो भविष्य की योजना बनाने में अधिकारियों की मदद करने के लिए बिल्डिंग स्तर पर हीट स्ट्रेस का नक्शा तैयार करेगा। जैसे-जैसे जलवायु परिवर्तन मौसम के मिजाज को बदल रहा है विशेषज्ञों का कहना है कि तापमान पर नजर रखने के साथ-साथ उमस और हीट इंडेक्स को समझना भी उतना ही महत्वपूर्ण हो जाएगा। शहरी भारत के लिए चुनौती अब सिर्फ दिन की गर्मी ही नहीं है बल्कि वार्म नाइट से निपटने की भी है।

Prescription for safer food: Why India needs stronger safety standards

A few years ago, the European Union (EU) issued directives on the use of antibiotics in the food it imports. This meant animal products — including fish, dairy and honey — produced using antibiotics as growth promoters or to increase yield would not be allowed into the bloc. It also put out a list of antibiotics, deemed critical for humans, which would be banned for veterinary use. When this was released in 2023, India was omitted from the list of countries allowed to export aquaculture and poultry products to the EU from September 2026, when the directive would come into force. This was done, according to the EU, because of lack of information and regulations on the use of antibiotics in India’s food-producing sectors. The Indian government responded. In October 2024, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) published a list of antibiotics banned for use at any stage during the production of meat, milk, poultry, eggs and aquaculture products. It also set tolerance limits — also called maximum residue limit (MRL) — for antibiotics that were permissible, requiring producers to ensure that residues in food did not exceed stipulated thresholds. In May 2025, the Union health ministry issued a draft notification banning the veterinary use of 34 of the 37 antibiotics that the EU classifies as critical for humans. It was notified in September that year and stated that safer alternatives were available for treating diseases in animals. In May 2026, the EU revised its exclusion list and added India to the list of countries permitted to export animal products to the bloc after September 2026. The questions I would like to discuss with you are as follows: One, why do such critical policies related to food safety and public health have to be driven by external consumer pressure? Antibiotic resistance is a silent pandemic, and we know that the Indian government is deeply committed to the issue. We as a country cannot afford the health burden of lifesaving medicines becoming ineffective and hence, the government has been taking steps to contain the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals. In 2010, based on an analytical study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the government issued an advisory against the use of antibiotics in honey, which was later followed by a ban. In 2019, it banned the use of colistin in food-producing animals and in aquaculture — this is because colistin is the top-reserved antibiotic for humans and needs full protection against overuse. Then policymakers were contemplating bans on antibiotics in animal feed and other steps, but stopped short of adopting a comprehensive framework. This was finally done, prodded by the need to protect our export markets. What is good is that these regulations are not just for food destined for the EU but will also apply to the meat, milk, eggs, honey and fish sold within India. It will protect our health. The issue is not just about antibiotic use; it is about the safety of the food we consume. We need robust standards for pesticide residues, food additives and other toxins — not just to ensure that India’s food is good for export but also to protect our health. A quick dive into the United States Food and Drug Administration’s import-refusal database shows that some 2,700 food consignments from India were rejected in 2024-25. These included spices, rice, pulses and lentils, flagged for excessive or unapproved pesticide residues. This leads to the next question: How will these standards be enforced? Importing countries have developed monitoring systems based on quality and residue checks in authorised laboratories and even at their borders. The EU plans to ensure compliance with its directive by asking every single shipment to have a health certificate, issued by a government agency and not by the company exporting the food item. It will also conduct audits in exporting countries and spot checks at the border. The system is designed to push the red button and ratchet up the numbers of physical inspection if one item fails the analytic check; multiple failures could lead to serious consequences. But what about the food that is not exported? The third question is how farmers can remain productive without the use of antibiotics — or for that matter, pesticides and other toxins? Ultimately, this is not just a regulatory challenge; it requires changes in the way food is grown. Farmers use antibiotics for three purposes — to promote growth in animals; to prevent diseases because of lack of hygiene or because of high density of animals; and then to treat diseases. Now farmers will need to prevent diseases, not by using antibiotics but by improving conditions in which animals are bred and food is produced. The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has worked with its farmers to promote ethnomedicine — traditional practices for managing animal health — and showed it is possible to reduce the use of antibiotics. This is the win-win we need in our world. The author is at the Centre for Science and Environment. sunita@cseindia.org, X: @sunitanar