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Cse In News

Cse In News

Delhi-NCR में सरकारी गाड़ियों को स्वच्छ ईंधन पर लाने लिए CAQM ने दिया निर्देश, नीति बनाने के लिए भी कहा

इलेक्ट्रिक और हाइब्रिड वाहन, डीजल और पेट्रोल वाहनों की तुलना में बेहतर हैं क्योंकि उनमें स्थानीय प्रदूषण का कारक नहीं होता है। ऐसे वाहनों का अधिक प्रभाव डालने के लिए बदलाव की आवश्यकता है, केवल कुछ वाहन लाने से अधिक प्रभाव नहीं होगा। चीन, अमेरिका और यूरोप में ऐसे वाहन पर्यावरण की बेहतरी में अहम भूमिका निभा रहे हैं। - सुनीता नारायण, महानिदेशक, सेंटर फार साइंस एंड एन्वायरनमेंट (सीएसई) राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र (NCR) में प्रदूषण की रोकथाम के लिए वायु गुणवत्ता प्रबंधन आयोग (CAQM) अब सरकारी महकमों में इस्तेमाल होने वाहनों पर भी ध्यान दे रहा है। CAQM ने सभी एनसीआर के राज्यों की सरकारों को इस संबंध में पुख्ता नीति बनाने का परामर्श दिया है। आयोग ने कहा है कि स्वच्छ ईंधन वाले वाहनों की खरीद अनिवार्य होनी चाहिए। दिल्ली-एनसीआर को देश ही नहीं बल्कि दुनिया के सबसे ज्यादा प्रदूषित हिस्से में शामिल किया जाता है। यहां के प्रदूषण में सबसे बड़ी हिस्सेदारी वाहनों से निकलने वाले उत्सर्जन की होती है। आयोग द्वारा जारी परामर्श में कहा गया है कि सरकार के विभागों, संस्थानों व सार्वजनिक उपक्रमों को ही इसकी पहल लेनी चाहिए। इस बाबत नीति बनानी चाहिए और इसे क्रियान्वित करने के उपाय किए जाने चाहिए। स्वच्छ परिवहन समय की जरूरत सीएक्यूएम ने कहा कि दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वाहनों की संख्या बहुत ज्यादा है। इसे ध्यान में रखते हुए यह समय की जरूरत बन गई है कि परिवहन के स्वच्छ साधनों के उपयोग को बढ़ावा दिया जाए।

Rs 6,857 crore spent to clean 22-km stretch in four years, but Yamuna still a ‘dead’ river in Delhi

Yamuna is the largest tributary of River Ganga. It originates from Bandarpunch glacier in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand and travels 1,376 kilometres (kms) before joining Ganga at Sangam (meeting point of two rivers) in Uttar Pradesh. During its course, the river also flows through the country’s capital Delhi where it turns into a ‘dead’ river. The 22-km stretch of the Yamuna in Delhi is barely two per cent of the total length of the river basin, but it contributes over 80 per cent of the pollution load in the entire river (see map: The Journey of Yamuna). There is no water in the river for virtually nine months. The city impounds the river’s water at a barrage in Wazirabad where the river enters Delhi. What flows in the river subsequently is just sewage and waste from Delhi’s 22 drains. This is a grim testimony of Yamuna in Delhi, which has been published in a recent assessment report, Yamuna: The Agenda For Cleaning The River, which was released by New Delhi-based environmental research group Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The 32-page briefing document points out that at least Rs 6,857 crore have been spent in four years between 2017-2022 to clean the river, but the river is still polluted and there is no evidence that this investment is making a difference in the quality of river’s water. CSE’s report assesses key reasons for high pollution load in the river and offers an agenda for action. “The problem of cleaning the Yamuna is not a new one; huge amounts of money have been spent over the years, plans have been initiated and carried out,” said Sunita Narain, CSE’s director general during the press briefing on May 8. “The agenda for cleaning the river is critical as a ‘dead Yamuna’ is not just a matter of shame for the city and for us—it also adds to the burden of providing clean water to Delhi as well as to the cities downstream,” she added. “We must realise that cleaning the Yamuna will require much more than money. It will need a reworked plan which will guide us towards thinking and acting differently,” said Narain. Sewage Treatment Plants: The Compliance Challenge CSE’s new assessment report points out that Delhi has the capacity to treat 100 per cent of the sewage it generates. The national capital generates about 3,600 million litres daily (MLD) sewage and the installed capacity of its 37 sewage treatment plants (STPs) is 3,033 MLD, which is likely to increase to 3,652 MLD by June this year. But despite this there is no visible improvement in river quality. There is also a question mark on the credibility of data on sewage generation. When Yamuna enters Delhi at Palla, it is alive and dissolved oxygen (DO) is close to standard prescribed. But, by the time it reaches the first monitoring station at ISBT (Inter-State Bus Terminus), it is ‘dead’, as DO level falls to zero. According to CSE, this is confirmed in the April 2025 report of Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). Aquatic species need DO to survive and thrive. DPCC has more worrisome data to share. For instance, its 2024 records show that dissolved oxygen in midstream and downstream areas of the river was nil even during monsoon periods. Further, the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) was 40-50 times higher than the permissible limit at these points; and the faecal coliform counts reached over two lakh in the downstream point during dry spells (see graphs: How polluted is the Yamuna). According to CSE, despite the 37 STPs in the city, the river remains polluted because only 14 sewage treatment plants meet the standards prescribed by CPCB/DPCC, and the rest 23 STPs are not compliant. The reason being that the standards have been revised since these treatment plants were set up. The new effluent discharge standards are much more stringent for Delhi. As per these standards, the BOD and total suspended solids (TSS) norm is now 10 milligram per litre (mg/l), which is much lower than the national standard of 30 mg/litre. This is presumably being done because of the lack of assimilative capacity in Yamuna, notes CSE in its report. This tightening of effluent standards has meant that the existing plants now need to be refurbished so that they become compliant.

Fiery grill: Why Delhi’s ‘feels like’ temperature is more than just a feeling

Over the past four years, Delhi’s summers have gone from merely hot to alarmingly oppressive. While actual air temperatures have remained high, it is the “feels like” temperature—or heat index—that has left the city’s residents reeling. This growing gap between recorded and perceived heat has become a hallmark of Delhi’s climate crisis, driven by humidity, shrinking green spaces, unchecked urbanisation, and climate change. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), May and June in particular have seen a sharp rise in heat stress. In May 2021, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 41.2°C. However, the discomfort felt by residents was far greater, with the heat index touching 45°C. In June 2021, even though the temperature dropped slightly to 40.7°C, the oppressive heat persisted due to urban heat trapping, pollution, and high humidity. A four-year trend of heat discomfort The pattern continued into 2022. While May saw a dip in maximum temperatures to 39.5°C, the perceived temperature remained high at around 42°C due to increased solar radiation and reduced vegetation. In June 2022, actual temperatures fell further to 35.7°C, yet the heat index hovered near 38°C, amplified by unrelenting humidity and air pollution. In 2023, air temperatures dropped again—May peaked at 35.8°C and June at 34.2°C. However, “feels like” values remained elevated at 39°C and 37°C, respectively, due to persistent construction, loss of green cover, and humidity. The summer of 2024 marked a turning point. May saw temperatures spike to 41.4°C, with a heat index of 45°C. In June, Delhi broke records with a temperature of 41.95°C and a heat index of 46°C—the highest in recent years. Why Delhi feels hotter than it is Humidity plays a key role. When moisture in the air is high, the body struggles to cool itself via sweat evaporation. “Sweat fails to evaporate effectively under humid conditions, causing the body to retain heat. That’s why even a 38°C day can feel like 45°C,” said Dr Meenakshi Pawar, Assistant Professor at Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women. According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Delhi’s relative humidity increased by 8% between 2001 and 2023. This has contributed to a rise of over 3°C in perceived temperatures.

Kol rank soars on killer heat-humidity punch

Kolkata: The city has emerged as India's most humid metro in summer, according to a recent study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) In a comprehensive study spanning 2001 to 2023, the Delhi-based think tank CSE examined the twin forces of land surface temperature (LST) and relative humidity across six major Indian metro cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata — and four smaller cities. The analysis focused on average relative humidity during the summer months of March to May, and revealed a troubling rise in urban heat stress, particularly in cities with already high baseline humidity, like Kolkata and Mumbai

प्लास्टिक पर बैन के 3 साल... अभी ही खुलेआम हो रहा इस्तेमाल, देश की राजधानी में ही बुरा हाल

सिंगल यूज प्लास्टिक (SUP) पर बैन लगे लगभग तीन साल हो गए हैं। लेकिन अब भी इस इस्तेमाल राष्ट्रीय राजधानी दिल्ली समेत देश के ज्यादातर शहरों में खुलेआम हो रहा है। रेहड़ी-पटरियों, मंडियों के अलावा दुकानों, शोरूमों और रेस्टोरेंट्स में भी इन्हें देखा जा सकता है। जुलाई 2022 में लगे बैन के बाद कुछ महीनों तक इसका हल्का असर दिखा था, लेकिन अब एक बार फिर पहले वाली स्थिति नजर आ रही है। प्लास्टिक स्टिक वाले ईयर बड, बलून की प्लास्टिक स्टिक, कैंडी की प्लास्टिक स्टिक, कटलरी जैसे चम्मच, ग्लास, स्ट्रॉ आदि समेत 19 आइटम बैन हुए थे। पूनम गौड़ की स्पेशल रिपोर्ट: दिल्ली के करोल बाग, सरोजनी नगर, लाजपत नगर, राजौरी गार्डन, कनॉट प्लेस, चांदनी चौक से लेकर लोकल मार्केट तक में इन प्रतिबंधित सामानों को इस्तेमाल होते देखा जा सकता है। एक्सपर्ट के अनुसार, न तो SUP के प्रतिबंधित आइटम पर बैन लागू हो रहा है, न ही इनके प्रोडक्शन पर प्रभावी रोक लगी है। छोटे व्यापारियों के लिए बैन हुए आइटम के सस्ते विकल्प भी अब तक उपलब्ध नहीं हैं। पॉलिथीन को छोड़ भी दें तो इन मार्केट में प्रतिबंधित सिंगल यूज प्लास्टिक की कटलरी तक बड़ी संख्या में नजर आ रही है। बैन के बाद क्या हुई कार्रवाई? राजधानी में अर्बन लोकल बॉडी और DPCC (दिल्ली प्रदूषण कंट्रोल बोर्ड) इस बैन को एनफोर्स कर रहा है। एक अधिकारी के अनुसार, मार्च 2023 से मई 2024 तक प्रतिबंधित SUP के सामानों के इस्तेमाल के लिए 449 चालान किए गए। यह चालान लोकल अर्बन बॉडी ने किए। इसके तहत 14.16 लाख रुपये का जुर्माना लगाया गया। DPCC की टीमों ने इस दौरान रूल तोड़ने वालों पर 1.49 करोड़ का जुर्माना लगाया गया। इसमें 48 SUP मैनुफैक्चरर्स भी शामिल हैं। इस दौरान टीमों ने करीब 4540 यूनिट्स का निरीक्षण किया। इंडस्ट्रियल एरिया में जांच के आदेश एसयूपी को लेकर एनजीटी ने सभी अथॉरिटीज को नरेला इंडस्ट्रियल एरिया और इंडस्ट्रीज के निरीक्षण के आदेश दिए हैं। उन इंडस्ट्रीज को सील करने को कहा गया है, जो प्रतिबंधित SUP के आइटम बना रही हैं। साथ ही इसकी स्टेटस रिपोर्ट भी चार हफ्ते में सब्मिट करने को कहा है। टॉक्सिक लिंक की एक रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, प्रतिबंधित SUP के आइटम का इस्तेमाल राजधानी के 88 प्रतिशत स्टोर्स और मार्केट में हो रहा है। यह स्टडी पांच शहरों दिल्ली के अलावा बेंगलुरु, मुंबई, ग्वालियर और गुवाहाटी में की गई थी। क्या कहते हैं एक्सपर्ट इंडिपेंडेंट रिसर्चर प्रीति महेश के अनुसार, प्रतिबंधित SUP के जब तक सस्ते विकल्प नहीं आएंगे, इनकी डिमांड बनी रहेगी। सड़क किनारे सामान बेचने वाले वेंडर प्रतिबंधित आइटमों का पूरा इस्तेमाल कर रहे हैं। सीएसई (सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट) के प्रोग्राम मैनेजर सिद्धार्थ घनश्याम सिंह ने बताया कि प्लास्टिक को लेकर जिस तरह के पैकेजिंग नियम हैं, उससे पूरे प्लास्टिक को खत्म कर पाना काफी मुश्किल है। प्लास्टिक को रिसाइकल करने के लिए यह सबसे बड़ी अड़चन है। नॉर्वे से लेना चाहिए सबक एक्सपर्ट के अनुसार, इन मामले में नॉर्वे ने मिसाल कायम की है। नॉर्वे में सरकार की तरफ से प्लास्टिक और पैकेजिंग पर कोई रोक नहीं है। अगर वहां इस तरह के प्रोडक्ट रिसाइकल नहीं होते तो कंपनियों को बहुत भारी भरकम टैक्स देना होता है। इससे बचने के लिए खुद ही कंपनियों ने प्लास्टिक पैकेजिंग स्टैंडर्ड तय कर लिए हैं। कंपनियों का ग्रुप है और जो उस ग्रुप का हिस्सा नहीं है, वह बड़ा टैक्स दे रहा है। इसलिए 99 प्रतिशत कंपनियां इस स्टैंडर्ड को अपना रही हैं और एक ही तरह का प्लास्टिक और कलर में पैकेजिंग तैयार हो रही है।

74 of the world’s 100 most polluted cities are in India. Can the country clear its bad air?

At the age of four months, Anvi landed in intensive care. Her parents had rushed her to hospital on the advice of a clinic doctor who noticed her chest pain upon examination. She was not the only infant in the ward, which was filled with the coughs and cries of other children, including older ones, struggling to breathe. The culprit? The thick smog choking India’s capital territory. “Delhi’s pollution is very bad. We’re older, and it isn’t affecting us as much,” said Anvi’s father, Amrit. “But my daughter is four months old. Her immune system is very weak. It’s very difficult for her.” Delhi now has the dubious honour of being the world’s most polluted capital or capital territory for six consecutive years, according to the annual World Air Quality Report by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir. In November, the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) soared to 795, almost eight times the threshold value of 100, when air quality becomes unhealthy. In some areas, the AQI even reached 1,185. But the pollution is not confined to Delhi. Six of the world’s 10 most polluted cities last year — and 74 of the 100 most polluted cities — were in India, according to IQAir. A report released last year by the US-based Health Effects Institute, in partnership with UNICEF, also found that air pollution caused 2.1 million deaths in India in 2021. This included 169,400 children aged under five — the highest number globally. “Pollution and the health risk are now quite uniformly spread (across India),” said Anumita Roychowdhury, the executive director of research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment.

Revenge of the rich: Time to rethink and rewrite the global trade script

United States President Donald Trump has put global trade in goods on the hot burner. It is impossible to predict the outcome of this reset in the world trade order, which is extremely complex in its interrelationships and has established itself as the only game in town for any country’s economic growth and prosperity. But it is important to take a step back and understand why it came about, what it has done to our world, and what can possibly be the way ahead. First, let’s peek into the past. This idea took shape in the early 1990s, when the world (largely the industrialised part) decided to replace the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (Gatt) with a formal global institution, the World Trade Organization (WTO). The idea was that this would bring world trade to a free zone — trade rules would be applied to all with assured compliance. The world would be one. There was another objective that has come to bite the industrialised world today. It was well understood that the cost of manufacturing was high in this world. Plus, labour was expensive and the cost of environmental regulations was prohibitive. This was the time when the already industrialised countries were feeling the pain of local air and water pollution — from acid rain to toxins in rivers. They were facing huge public outrages and so, the classic “not in my backyard” (Nimby) principle came to be applied in the name of global trade. Renowned American economist Larry Summers, who was with the World Bank in 1992 and went on to become president of Harvard University in 2001, wrote in an internal memo: “There is an economic logic to dump toxic waste in the lowest-wage country”. A report in The Economist put it bluntly — “‘let them eat pollution,’ says Summers”. The argument was brilliant; it would be cheaper to do business in low-wage countries, with minimal regulation. The richer you are, wrote Mr Summers, the more you want your environment to be clean and so the costs are higher. Public concern about toxic agents that have a one-in-a-million chance to cause prostate cancer would be high in countries where people survive to get prostate cancer, as compared to countries where under-five mortality is 200 per 1,000 people. Harsh words, which Mr Summers tried to squirm out of — but what he said was the absolute driver for economic and trade globalisation. The WTO was born in 1995, and in 2001, China joined this body. There has been no looking back since. The fact is, global manufacturing moved lock, stock, and barrel from the industrial world to countries like China and then to Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Cambodia. It has been a game of finding the bottom: As costs of regulation and labour increase, so does the flight of industry in search of new greener pastures. We see this in India as well — as soon as the pollution regulator cracks the whip, industry moves out to “dark” unauthorised settlement areas. In this free-market world, the cost of labour and environment has to be discounted to stay competitive. Let’s not beat around any moral talk about the need to protect labour rights (including rights of child labourers) or the environment. It does not wash. In the 25-odd years of this global trade order, there are now new losers and winners. In the early 1990s, when Arthur Dunkel’s draft proposal for the WTO was being pushed, the developing world was up in arms. There were protests in India, for instance, against the idea of unfettered global trade because, it was felt, it would destroy livelihoods of the poorest, particularly farmers, who faced the prospect of cheap food being dumped from the industrialised mega farms of the West. By 1999, when the ministers met in Seattle to celebrate the new world order, there was widespread and growing anger against “untamed globalisation”. Protesters also came from the richer world, which was seeing the flight of manufacturing and pain of unemployment. Climate change has been the other big casualty. The fact is, emission in the West never really reduced; it just moved to new production sites. But all this was covered up: The winners made sure of this. Western companies moved to lower-income countries and made profits; consumers (all of us) were happy because of cheaper goods. In all this, the services and technology sectors boomed; banks and financial markets made money and with poor income-distribution policies, disparities sharpened. The bubble burst when Brexit happened — it was about jobs and, as I wrote then, the revenge of the rich. Mr Trump, in his first term, made the same protectionist and tariff noise of today. But, it was buried under the disruption of Covid. Now, it is back with a bang. Of course, the global trading system has us all hooked. Low-wage countries have economically benefited from global trade. In this interconnected world of trade, services, and finance, disengagement will come at huge costs. But it is clear that something’s got to give. How this new trading system is designed would make or break much of our world. Let’s continue to examine this. The author is at the Centre for Science and Environment sunita@cseindia.org, X: @sunitanar

Mumbai Residents Challenge Incinerator Over Health Fears

Mumbai’s sprawling Deonar dumping ground has ignited a fierce wave of opposition from the residents of neighbouring Govandi, a community already grappling with significant environmental vulnerabilities. Citing grave concerns over potential health hazards and alleged breaches of environmental regulations, residents have initiated a determined legal challenge to halt the project’s advancement. Advocate Sayyed Abid Abbas Sayyed, representing the concerned citizens, has served a comprehensive legal notice to key administrative bodies, including the municipal commissioner, the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The legal representation demands an immediate cessation of all activities related to the project, pending a thorough and inclusive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted in active consultation with local stakeholders. Furthermore, the petition calls for the formation of a Judicial Commission or a Special Investigation Team to meticulously examine the process by which the project received sanction, despite alleged transgressions of fundamental constitutional rights, environmental safeguards, and public health norms. “Should this unconstitutional and perilous project proceed,” Advocate Sayyed asserted, “we will be left with no alternative but to seek judicial intervention through a Public Interest Litigation.” This resolute stance underscores the depth of the community’s apprehension and their determination to protect their well-being and the local environment. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been strongly urged to refrain from entering into any Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreements or concessionaire arrangements for the WtE plant until all pertinent legal and environmental stipulations are unequivocally satisfied. The legal notice also mandates the undertaking of a comprehensive medical and environmental epidemiological study within Govandi to rigorously assess the existing and potential impacts of pollution emanating from the long-standing Deonar dumping ground. The ambitious first phase of the contentious project envisions the daily incineration of 600 tonnes of municipal solid waste, with a projected escalation to 1,800 tonnes per day (TPD) by the year 2030. This scale of operation is particularly concerning to residents, especially considering that Mumbai currently generates approximately 6,500 TPD of solid waste, raising questions about the overall sustainability and environmental implications of such a large-scale incineration initiative concentrated in one area. Residents vehemently contend that the proposed WtE plant infringes upon their fundamental rights as enshrined under Articles 14 (equality before the law) and 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) of the Indian Constitution. 1 “This project,” stated Shaikh Fayyaz Alam of the Govandi Citizens Welfare Forum, “threatens to exacerbate the existing pollution burden, introduce new dangers, and perpetuate environmental injustice. It offers no tangible benefits in terms of job creation, electricity generation for the local community, or any discernible relief from the city’s waste management challenges.” Critics of the incineration technology argue that the unsegregated nature of Mumbai’s waste stream at Deonar, which includes a heterogeneous mix of organic matter, plastics, biomedical waste, and construction debris, renders it unsuitable for efficient and environmentally sound incineration. They cite a 2018 report by the Centre for Science and Environment, which cautioned that Indian municipal waste typically lacks the requisite calorific value for effective energy production through incineration, potentially leading to incomplete combustion and the release of harmful pollutants. A significant point of contention raised by the residents is the alleged lack of meaningful public consultation throughout the project planning and approval stages. “Land designated for public utility,” alleged local activist Shaikh, “was surreptitiously reclassified as an industrial zone without any transparent process of informing elected representatives or conducting public hearings to solicit community feedback and address concerns.” Drawing parallels with the contentious waste-to-energy plant in Okhla, Delhi, resident Nafees Ansari voiced fears of “fraudulent expansion and a consequent worsening of emissions, which would render our living conditions unbearable.” This apprehension reflects a broader concern about the long-term environmental and health consequences of deploying incineration technology in densely populated urban areas. Activist Ateeque Ahmed Khan affirmed that a coordinated campaign of protests and further legal action is being planned to challenge what they perceive as a “top-down and undemocratic” decision-making process. The residents argue that the WtE model, as proposed, contravenes the fundamental environmental law principles of precaution, polluter pays, and sustainable development, all implicitly guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. They further assert that the project runs counter to Mumbai’s own Climate Action Plan goals and the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, which explicitly advocate for waste segregation at source, scientific and decentralised waste disposal methods, and the minimisation of waste sent to landfills. Local communities also express grave concerns about the project’s location within a known methane-active zone, raising the spectre of serious fire hazards, particularly given the history of fires at the Deonar dumping ground. Furthermore, they question the rationale behind a project that will generate electricity without any clear commitment to providing benefits to the immediately surrounding community, which bears the brunt of the associated environmental burdens. As the groundswell of opposition intensifies, BMC officials have reportedly stated that they are unaware of the formal legal representation, while Chennai MSW Ltd, the company contracted to build the waste-to-energy plant, has remained unresponsive to media inquiries, further fueling public distrust and anxiety. The unfolding situation in Govandi underscores the critical need for transparent, participatory, and environmentally sound approaches to urban waste management, particularly in densely populated and ecologically sensitive urban environments.

Govandi residents oppose waste-to-energy plant at Deonar, cite health & legal concerns

Residents of Govandi have strongly opposed the construction of a large-scale waste-to-energy (WtE) incineration plant at the Deonar municipal dumping ground, raising alarm over the health and environmental hazards in one of the city’s most vulnerable areas. In a detailed legal representation to the municipal commissioner, Maharashtra’s chief secretary, and the Union environment ministry, advocate Sayyed Abid Abbas Sayyed demanded a stay on the project. The petition called for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in consultation with local stakeholders and sought the creation of a Judicial Commission or Special Investigation Team to probe how such a project was sanctioned despite alleged violations of constitutional, environmental, and health norms. “If this unconstitutional and hazardous project moves forward, we will be compelled to approach the courts with a Public Interest Litigation,” warned Sayyed. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been urged not to enter any Public-Private Partnership (PPP) or concessionaire agreement for the plant until all legal and environmental norms are met. The notice also called for a medical and environmental epidemiological study in Govandi to assess the impact of pollution from Deonar. The project’s first phase involves incinerating 600 tonnes of municipal waste daily, with plans to expand to 1,800 tonnes per day (TPD) by 2030. Mumbai currently generates around 6,500 TPD of solid waste. Residents allege the plant violates their fundamental rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. “This project adds more pollution, danger, and injustice. It brings no jobs, no electricity, and no relief,” said Shaikh Fayyaz Alam of the Govandi Citizens Welfare Forum. Critics say Deonar’s unsegregated waste consisting of organic, plastic, biomedical, and construction debris is unfit for incineration, and a 2018 Centre for Science and Environment report warns that Indian municipal waste lacks the calorific value needed for efficient energy production. Residents also pointed to the lack of public consultation. “The land, meant for public use, was quietly turned into an industrial zone without informing elected representatives or holding hearings,” said local activist Shaikh. Drawing parallels with Delhi’s Okhla WtE plant, resident Nafees Ansari said, “We fear fraudulent expansion and worsening emissions that will make our lives unlivable.” Activist Ateeque Ahmed Khan said protests and legal action are being planned against the “top-down, undemocratic” move. The WtE model, they argue, violates the precautionary, polluter pays, and sustainable development principles under Article 21. It also runs counter to Mumbai’s Climate Action Plan goals and the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, which call for waste segregation, scientific disposal, and decentralised systems. Locals warn that the project’s location on a methane-active zone makes it a serious fire hazard and question why the electricity generated won’t benefit the nearby community. As opposition mounts, BMC officials claimed they were unaware of the legal representation, while Chennai MSW Ltd, the company building the plant, did not respond to queries.

Mumbai News: Govandi Residents File Legal Objection Against Deonar Waste-To-Energy Plant

Residents of Govandi have opposed the waste-to-energy plant under construction at the Deonar municipal dumping ground. They said that a large-scale incineration-based plant in an area with some of the lowest health indicators in the city will have catastrophic health consequences on the residents. In a legal representation to the municipal commissioner, Maharashtra chief secretary, and the environment ministry, advocate Sayyed Abid Abbas Sayyed has asked the project to be stayed and demanded the commissioning of an Environmental Impact Assessment in consultation with local stakeholders. The representation also asked for the creation of a Judicial Commission or Special Investigation Team to investigate how the WtE and dumping activities were allowed in alleged violation of health and environmental norms. The representation said that the residents will initiate legal proceedings, including a Public Interest Litigation if the 'unconstitutional and hazardous project' proceeds further. The notice said that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation should be restrained from entering any Public Private Partnership or concessionaire agreement without full compliance with Constitutional, statutory, and environmental law requirements. A medical and environmental epidemiological study should be commissioned in Govandi to assess the true impact of air and toxic pollution from Deonar, the representation added. The first phase of the plant involves incineration of 600 tonnes per day and a further expansion to 1800 TPD by 2030. Mumbai produces around 6500 TPD of municipal solid waste. Chennai MSW Ltd, which is constructing the plant, did not respond to requests for a comment. BMC officials said they were not aware of the representation. Residents alleged that the exhaust towers of the incineration plant are close to residential areas. The plant violates Article 14 and Article 21 of the Constitution of India that guarantee equality and the right to a healthy life, they added. Shaikh Fayyaz Alam Govandi Citizens Welfare Forum said the plant brings no benefit to the local community. “No jobs, no electricity, and relief from the health hazards we already face. Instead, it adds another layer of pollution, danger, and injustice,” said Shaikh. According to Sayyad, the non-segregated waste dumped over five decades at the city's largest dumping ground is unsuitable for a WtE plant. “The waste includes unsegregated biodegradable (organic) waste, plastic, biomedical, and construction debris, making segregation at this stage extremely difficult, if not impossible,” said Sayyad. The representation quotes a Centre for Science and Environment's 2018 report that says that Indian municipal waste has high moisture content and low calorific value much lower than the efficiency requirement for incineration. Shaikh said that the project is being pushed without public consultation, environmental impact assessments, or transparency. “No elected representatives were informed. No hearings were held. The land, originally reserved for public amenities and welfare, has been quietly converted into an industrial zone — a blatant violation of development norms and democratic rights,” said Shaikh. Nafees Ansari, a local resident, said the Okhla WtE plant in Delhi began with small-scale energy production. “But over time, it expanded - taking over more land, escalating emissions, and making life unlivable for nearby residents. We fear the same fraudulent expansion here,” said Ansari.

Unfair Weather Warriors

Aman Sharma is a student of environmental studies at the University of Pennsylvania. But this 21-year-old Delhiite has other interests too. He’s been an avid birdwatcher since the age of 14, chasing rare birds across India’s many national parks with his camera. However, birdwatchers like him are now reporting fewer sightings in India, particularly of migratory species, due to various factors including urbanisation, climate change, and habitat loss. Sharma is also the co-founder of the Re-Earth Initiative, a youth-led international NGO on a mission to make the climate movement accessible to all. Ask him what drives his high engagement with climate activism, and he says, “There is so much anxiety about the unpredictability of the future right now, about losing the world as we know it and not being able to pass it on to our future generations. A divide has arisen across the world, where on the one side you have countries moving towards cleaner goals and on the other, there are countries dismissing climate action. The climate crisis is reaching its full potential, which is leading to eco-anxiety. But we need to channel that anxiety and use it for constructive work right now. That’s what I’m doing.” A study conducted in 2024 by the Centre for Science and Environment, Delhi interviewed over 1,900 people between the ages of 14 and 25 years. 94 per cent of respondents attested to being directly impacted by climate change in a number of ways. That ranged from the closure of schools and colleges and limited outdoor activities to adverse effects on their family’s livelihood and health. Over 50 per cent of those interviewed also admitted to feeling increased stress or anxiety related to climate concerns.

Cleaning Yamuna will require more than money, it will need a plan: CSE

Lack of data on wastewater generation, direct discharge of faecal sludge from desludging tankers into rivers or drains in several locations, and mixing of treated and untreated sewage in the drains – these are some of key reasons for pollution in Yamuna, Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) stated in an assessment released on Thursday. Sunita Narain, director general of CSE — a research and advocacy organisation — told mediapersons: “The focus of Yamuna Action Plan 2025 has been to build STPs (sewage treatment plants) so that domestic wastewater is intercepted and treated; improve the quality of treatment; build interceptor sewers to tap drains and divert sewage; lay sewage pipeline in unauthorised colonies and treat industrial waste in common effluent treatment plants…” “All are good ideas… all needed. Then why is the Yamuna still polluted?” she asked. She went on to say, “We do not know how much wastewater is generated by Delhi… as there is no clear data on Delhi’s population in the absence of a regular census or on the amount of unofficial water (groundwater and water supplied by tankers) that residents use… Without the data on wastewater, we must rework the plan.” The report, titled ‘Yamuna: The Agenda for Cleaning the River’, noted: “…it is clear that cleaning the river will require more than money. It will need a plan, which recognises the reality that Delhi, like many other cities of India, is a city where the bulk of its people live in unauthorised areas, where sewage is not intercepted and therefore, not treated.” Maintaining that there is a need to intercept the sewage and not release it back into the drains that carry untreated sewage, the report stated that it must also be ensured that the 22 drains opening to Yamuna are releasing only clean water. As per the report, the focus of official actions, while “commendable”, has failed to address the issue of pollution because of concerns like – there is no dissolved oxygen in the river beginning from ISBT; Yamuna becoming polluted at Palla, an area located within a few km of the river entering Delhi; and no visible improvement in the river’s quality. On how the Delhi government has been trying to curb pollution in Yamuna, the report noted a few measures – enhancement of sewage treatment capacity and its utilisation, tighter discharge norms, laying of sewage pipelines in unauthorised colonies, and controlling industrial pollution. While the government has 28 “approved” industrial areas – effluents from 17 of these are treated in common effluent treatment plants – the report noted that “the quality of treatment is a matter of concern”. There is also a lack of clarity on the discharge locations post-treatment of these effluents, it added. The CSE recommended a 5-point action agenda in order of priority: – Ensure all faecal sludge is collected from non-sewered areas and treated. “The state does not have to invest in building and refurbishing costly sewage pipelines. The strategy for faecal sludge management through tankers is faster and more cost-effective,” Narain said, emphasising the need to ensure that all desludging tankers are registered and their movement monitored.