• Water Programme

Treated wastewater can help ease our urban water crisis

Of the total urban waste water and sewage generated in India, a mere 28 per cent (20,236 million litre per day or MLD) undergoes treatment, leaving a substantial 72 per cent untreated and al-lowed to flow into rivers, lakes and land. All this treated water – and the remaining untreated amount if treated – holds an opportunity within itself: the opportunity to ease India’s urban water crisis, says a new report from Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) that was released here today.

• Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

Solid Waste Management: CSE DG Narain Addresses Conclave

Solid Waste Management: “India is waking up to meet the challenge of managing its solid waste, and that too, proactively. And the biggest evidence and demonstration of this awakening and transformation is visible in many of our cities. We have gathered here today to acknowledge and celebrate this transformation,” said Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), here today. She added: “This Changemakers’ Conclave is not just a platform – it is a celebration of learning, innovation and the belief that change is possible.” Narain was speaking at a national meet – christened ‘The Changemakers’ Conclave’ – which CSE had organised to bring together over 100 municipal officials and authorities and representatives from many other organisations to discuss how cities and agencies are managing their solid waste, and to felicitate some who are doing it really well. In 2021, India launched the second leg of its flagship programme, the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 2.0, billed as the world’s largest sanitation drive. CSE has partnered with the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (which oversees SBM 2.0) to build capacities of all stakeholders for strengthening the Mission’s implementation on the ground. Under this partnership, officials from over 450 urban local bodies and 39 non-government entities have undergone intensive residential training in CSE’s green campus, the Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute (AAETI). Many of these trainees have been able to implement the learnings in their respective fields and zones – the Changemakers’ Conclave has brought them together to share these experiences of implementation. Besides Narain, participants at the Conclave were addressed by Roopa Mishra, joint secretary and national mission director, SBM, Union Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; Angela Lusigi, resident representative, UNDP India; Dr Balakrishna Pisupati, country head, UNEP India; and a host of other experts and senior municipal officials from all over the country. Speaking at the Conclave, Roopa Mishra said: “Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 is not merely a government initiative. It is a people-driven movement. The Mission has maintained its momentum for over a decade, driven by seamless collaboration between cities, states and other stakeholders and partners, showcasing a unified effort towards a cleaner and healthier India.” Atin Biswas, programme director, solid waste management and circular economy unit, CSE says: “The best way to bring about change is to learn, and to apply that learning judiciously. SBM 2.0 has paved the way for India’s urban managers — local governments, civil society, industry partners, etc — to equip themselves with the capacity to understand and implement the nuances of circular economy in managing solid waste in an environmentally sustainable and financially viable manner. What CSE has done is to help build that capacity through its specially designed and curated training programmes.” A booklet titled Change Is Possible was released on the occasion. The booklet offers brief profiles of all the Changemakers, focusing on the waste management initiatives that they have championed in their respective municipalities, cities or spheres of work. These range from implementing waste segregation at source, door-to-door collection of segregated waste, and running communication, awareness-building and behavior-change campaigns to investing in waste management infrastructure such as material recovery facilities and implementing steps to ensure financial viability of waste management processes. Says Siddharth G Singh, programme manager, solid waste management and circular economy unit, CSE: “In the course of our trainings and discussions, we have found that solutions must be tailored to local contexts, ensuring that innovative technologies, citizen engagement and resource optimisation can work in harmony to create cleaner, healthier urban spaces.” In her address, Narain said that “waste is not just waste, but a resource. The voice of the poor has empowered us to rethink and rebuild inclusive waste management policies such as SBM. Action dies when a policy stops evolving – SBM thrives because it learns, evolves and adapts.”

• Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

CSE brings together cities and organisations that have initiated best practices in solid waste management under SBM 2.0

India is waking up to meet the challenge of managing its solid waste, and that too, proactively. And the biggest evidence and demonstration of this awakening and transformation is visible in many of our cities. We have gathered here today to acknowledge and celebrate this transformation,” said Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), here. She added: “This Changemakers’ Conclave is not just a platform – it is a celebration of learning, innovation and the belief that change is possible.” Narain was speaking at a national meet – christened ‘The Changemakers’ Conclave’ – which CSE had organised to bring together over 100 municipal officials and authorities and representatives from many other organisations to discuss how cities and agencies are managing their solid waste, and to felicitate some who are doing it really well. In 2021, India launched the second leg of its flagship programme, the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 2.0, billed as the world’s largest sanitation drive. CSE has partnered with the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (which oversees SBM 2.0) to build capacities of all stakeholders for strengthening the Mission’s implementation on the ground. Under this partnership, officials from over 450 urban local bodies and 39 non-government entities have undergone intensive residential training in CSE’s green campus, the Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute (AAETI). Many of these trainees have been able to implement the learnings in their respective fields and zones – the Changemakers’ Conclave has brought them together to share these experiences of implementation. Besides Narain, participants at the Conclave were addressed by Roopa Mishra, joint secretary and national mission director, SBM, Union Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; Angela Lusigi, resident representative, UNDP India; Dr Balakrishna Pisupati, country head, UNEP India; and a host of other experts and senior municipal officials from all over the country. Speaking at the Conclave, Roopa Mishra said: “Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 is not merely a government initiative. It is a people-driven movement. The Mission has maintained its momentum for over a decade, driven by seamless collaboration between cities, states and other stakeholders and partners, showcasing a unified effort towards a cleaner and healthier India.” Atin Biswas, programme director, solid waste management and circular economy unit, CSE says: “The best way to bring about change is to learn, and to apply that learning judiciously. SBM 2.0 has paved the way for India’s urban managers — local governments, civil society, industry partners, etc — to equip themselves with the capacity to understand and implement the nuances of circular economy in managing solid waste in an environmentally sustainable and financially viable manner. What CSE has done is to help build that capacity through its specially designed and curated training programmes.” A booklet titled Change Is Possible was released on the occasion. The booklet offers brief profiles of all the Changemakers, focusing on the waste management initiatives that they have championed in their respective municipalities, cities or spheres of work. These range from implementing waste segregation at source, door-to-door collection of segregated waste, and running communication, awareness-building and behavior-change campaigns to investing in waste management infrastructure such as material recovery facilities and implementing steps to ensure financial viability of waste management processes. Says Siddharth G Singh, programme manager, solid waste management and circular economy unit, CSE: “In the course of our trainings and discussions, we have found that solutions must be tailored to local contexts, ensuring that innovative technologies, citizen engagement and resource optimisation can work in harmony to create cleaner, healthier urban spaces.” In her address, Narain said that “waste is not just waste, but a resource. The voice of the poor has empowered us to rethink and rebuild inclusive waste management policies such as SBM. Action dies when a policy stops evolving – SBM thrives because it learns, evolves and adapts.”

• Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

Karad Municipal Council Wins National Award for Excellence in Solid Waste Management

Karad Municipal Council was honored with an award by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), an international organization focused on pollution reduction and environmentally sustainable practices, in recognition of its exceptional and consistent performance in solid waste management. The award ceremony took place in New Delhi on December 19, where Karad Municipal Council was the only civic body from Maharashtra among the 150 organizations selected nationwide. This recognition follows the council's stellar performance in initiatives such as Swachh Survekshan and the state government's Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan. The CSE selected these 150 organizations based on their outstanding and consistent efforts in managing solid waste, with Karad Municipal Council standing out as the sole representative from Maharashtra to receive this prestigious honor. This recognition highlights the council's leadership in environmental sustainability. Chief Officer Shankar Khandare and Health Officer Girish Kakade accepted the award on behalf of the municipality from Dr. Sunita Narayan, Director of CSE.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Solely blaming farm fires for Delhi’s pollution pangs not right

Delhi’s air quality has turned extremely bad again with the Air Quality Index (AQI) hovering between severe and very severe category. This deterioration took place over the weekend without the burning of any stubble in the farm fields of Punjab and Haryana. The Delhi AQI on Tuesday crossed 430 and is expected to move upwards this week as the minimum temperature is expected to remain below 5 degrees Celsius range and because wind speed, which helps in disbursal of pollutants, is slow. These facts raise critical questions for policymakers and scientists who have blamed the farmers in Punjab and Haryana for Delhi’ and National Capital Region’s (NCR) air pollution. Let’s discuss some facts about the annual phenomenon of stubble burning. Normally the period between September and November 30 is considered the stubble burning period in Punjab and Haryana when farm fields are cleared for the winter crop. Stubble burning incidents in Punjab has come down from 81,042 in 2016, from when the data is available, to 10,909 in 2024, an eight-fold fall in eight years. The year-wise data shows that stubble fire incidents increased during Covid-19 pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 even though the air pollution level in Delhi did not spike as it happened in 2023 and 2024. This clearly indicates a delink between stubble fire incidents and Delhi poor air quality. Similarly, stubble burning incidents recorded in Haryana, where paddy stubble burning is 20% of the crop remains that are burnt, also dipped by almost 90% since 2016. In 2024, Haryana reported only 559 incidents of farm fires. Eyes in the sky not that reliable Moreover, the department of science and technology’s air appropriation analysis cannot distinguish between stubble and non-stubble contribution to air pollution as the measurement is through carbon (soot) content in air and comes under bio-mass burning category. Even satellites cannot distinguish between stubble and non-stubble burning. So, if someone is burning leaves or burning wood for cooking or body warmth in Delhi or anywhere in northwestern India, it will count as biomass burning and will be clubbed with stubble burning. If one drives through Delhi in winter nights, one can see many poor and homeless people burning dry wood or grass to keep themselves warm. The data and historical perspective provide enough evidence that stubble burning is not a major contributor to Delhi’s air pollution levels. (The author, however, does not support stubble burning and wants to promote more eco-friendly ways of dealing with stubble.) So, why is Delhi-NCR so polluted in winter? The two primary reasons are the region’s very high self-generated air pollution load, which is increasing every year, and very poor dust management by the local authorities. The particulate matter air pollution on whose basis AQI is measured is primarily related to dust and vehicle/industry exhaust. Vehicular exhaust a major culprit According to a study done by non-government organisation, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the contribution of vehicular exhaust to the air pollution load in Delhi between October 12 to November 3, 2024, was 51.5%. The neighbouring districts such as Gurugram, Sonipat, Rohtak and Faridabad in Haryana and Gautam Budh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh contributed 34.97%. The contribution from neighbouring districts was also on account of vehicles. The study said that the farm fires, read total biomass, contribution was 8.19% and dust particles made up 3.7% of the total air pollution in the city.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Delhi air quality worst in nearly a month, fog alert for 3 days

Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at Centre for ..

• Water Programme

किस संगठनों ने संयुक्त रूप से Waste to Worth: Managing India’s Urban Water Crisis through Wastewater Reuse शीर्षक रिपोर्ट जारी की?

Answer: Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) और National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) Notes: Waste to Worth: Managing India’s Urban Water Crisis through Wastewater Reuse रिपोर्ट Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) और National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) द्वारा संयुक्त रूप से जारी की गई। यह रिपोर्ट जल स्थिरता और परिपत्रता के लिए अपशिष्ट जल उपचार के उपयोग पर केंद्रित है। भारत की प्रति व्यक्ति ताजे पानी की उपलब्धता अब 1700 घन मीटर से कम हो गई है। लगभग 72% शहरी अपशिष्ट जल बिना उपचार के नदियों और झीलों में चला जाता है। भारत में 20% भूजल ब्लॉक अति-शोषित या गंभीर स्थिति में हैं। 55% घरों में खुले या बिना निकासी के सिस्टम हैं, जो जल प्रबंधन की चुनौतियों को बढ़ाते हैं। रिपोर्ट जल संकट से निपटने के लिए अपशिष्ट जल पुन: उपयोग के महत्व पर जोर देती है।

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Delhi के प्रदूषण के लिए केवल खेतों में लगी आग को जिम्मेदार ठहराना सही नहीं

दिल्ली की वायु गुणवत्ता फिर से बेहद खराब हो गई है, वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक (AQI) गंभीर और बहुत गंभीर श्रेणी के बीच मँडरा रहा है। यह गिरावट सप्ताहांत में पंजाब और हरियाणा के खेतों में पराली जलाए बिना हुई। मंगलवार को दिल्ली AQI 430 को पार कर गया और इस सप्ताह इसके ऊपर जाने की उम्मीद है क्योंकि न्यूनतम तापमान 5 डिग्री सेल्सियस से नीचे रहने की उम्मीद है और क्योंकि हवा की गति, जो प्रदूषकों को फैलाने में मदद करती है, धीमी है। ये तथ्य नीति निर्माताओं और वैज्ञानिकों के लिए गंभीर सवाल खड़े करते हैं जिन्होंने दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र (NCR) के वायु प्रदूषण के लिए पंजाब और हरियाणा के किसानों को दोषी ठहराया है। रविचंद्रन अश्विन ने सेवानिवृत्ति की घोषणा की! - अधिक जानकारी और नवीनतम समाचारों के लिए, यहाँ पढ़ें आइए पराली जलाने की वार्षिक घटना के बारे में कुछ तथ्यों पर चर्चा करें। आमतौर पर सितंबर और 30 नवंबर के बीच की अवधि को पंजाब और हरियाणा में पराली जलाने का समय माना जाता है जब सर्दियों की फसल के लिए खेत साफ किए जाते हैं। पंजाब में पराली जलाने की घटनाएं 2016 में 81,042 से घटकर 2024 में 10,909 हो गई हैं, जो आठ वर्षों में आठ गुना गिरावट है। वर्ष-वार डेटा से पता चलता है कि कोविड-19 महामारी के वर्षों 2020 और 2021 के दौरान पराली जलाने की घटनाओं में वृद्धि हुई है, जबकि दिल्ली में वायु प्रदूषण का स्तर 2023 और 2024 की तरह नहीं बढ़ा। यह स्पष्ट रूप से पराली जलाने की घटनाओं और दिल्ली की खराब वायु गुणवत्ता के बीच एक संबंध को दर्शाता है। इसी तरह, हरियाणा में दर्ज की गई पराली जलाने की घटनाएँ, जहाँ धान की पराली जलाई जाती है, जो जलाई जाने वाली फसल के अवशेषों का 20% है, में भी 2016 से लगभग 90% की गिरावट आई है। 2024 में, हरियाणा में खेत में आग लगने की केवल 559 घटनाएँ दर्ज की गईं। इसके अलावा, विज्ञान और प्रौद्योगिकी विभाग का वायु विनियोग विश्लेषण वायु प्रदूषण में पराली और गैर-पराली के योगदान के बीच अंतर नहीं कर सकता है क्योंकि माप हवा में कार्बन (कालिख) सामग्री के माध्यम से होता है और बायोमास जलाने की श्रेणी में आता है। यहां तक ​​कि उपग्रह भी पराली और गैर-पराली जलाने के बीच अंतर नहीं कर सकते हैं। इसलिए, अगर कोई दिल्ली या उत्तर-पश्चिमी भारत में कहीं भी खाना पकाने या शरीर को गर्म करने के लिए पत्ते या लकड़ी जला रहा है, तो इसे बायोमास जलाना माना जाएगा और इसे पराली जलाने के साथ जोड़ दिया जाएगा। अगर कोई सर्दियों की रातों में दिल्ली से गुज़रता है, तो वह कई गरीब और बेघर लोगों को खुद को गर्म रखने के लिए सूखी लकड़ी या घास जलाते हुए देख सकता है। डेटा और ऐतिहासिक परिप्रेक्ष्य पर्याप्त सबूत प्रदान करते हैं कि पराली जलाना दिल्ली के वायु प्रदूषण के स्तर में एक बड़ा योगदानकर्ता नहीं है। (हालांकि, लेखक पराली जलाने का समर्थन नहीं करता है और पराली से निपटने के अधिक पर्यावरण-अनुकूल तरीकों को बढ़ावा देना चाहता है।) तो, सर्दियों में दिल्ली-एनसीआर इतना प्रदूषित क्यों है? इसके दो मुख्य कारण हैं, क्षेत्र में बहुत अधिक स्व-जनित वायु प्रदूषण भार, जो हर साल बढ़ रहा है, और स्थानीय अधिकारियों द्वारा बहुत खराब धूल प्रबंधन। पार्टिकुलेट मैटर वायु प्रदूषण जिसके आधार पर AQI मापा जाता है, मुख्य रूप से धूल और वाहन/उद्योग उत्सर्जन से संबंधित है। वाहनों से निकलने वाला धुआं एक बड़ा दोषी गैर-सरकारी संगठन, सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) द्वारा किए गए एक अध्ययन के अनुसार, 12 अक्टूबर से 3 नवंबर, 2024 के बीच दिल्ली में वायु प्रदूषण भार में वाहनों से निकलने वाले धुएं का योगदान 51.5% था। हरियाणा के गुरुग्राम, सोनीपत, रोहतक और फरीदाबाद और उत्तर प्रदेश के गौतमबुद्ध नगर जैसे पड़ोसी जिलों ने 34.97% योगदान दिया। पड़ोसी जिलों का योगदान भी वाहनों के कारण था। अध्ययन में कहा गया है कि खेतों में लगी आग, कुल बायोमास का योगदान 8.19% था और धूल के कण शहर के कुल वायु प्रदूषण का 3.7% हिस्सा थे। यह विश्लेषण पुणे में भारतीय उष्णकटिबंधीय मौसम विज्ञान संस्थान द्वारा विकसित दिल्ली में वायु गुणवत्ता प्रबंधन के लिए निर्णय समर्थन प्रणाली द्वारा प्रदान किए गए आंकड़ों से प्राप्त किया गया था। सल्फर डाइऑक्साइड, नाइट्रोजन ऑक्साइड और वाष्पशील कार्बनिक यौगिकों सहित औद्योगिक उत्सर्जन, ओजोन जैसे माध्यमिक प्रदूषकों के गठन का कारण बनते हैं। अध्ययन में कहा गया है कि वाहन उत्सर्जन, विशेष रूप से भारी यातायात से, कार्बन मोनोऑक्साइड, नाइट्रोजन ऑक्साइड और हाइड्रोकार्बन छोड़ते हैं, जिससे भीड़भाड़ वाले क्षेत्रों में प्रदूषण बढ़ता है। प्रदूषण के स्तर को कम करने में सरकार की असमर्थता को देखते हुए, सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने संकट को दूर करने के लिए हस्तक्षेप किया और जस्टिस अभय एस ओका और ऑगस्टीन जॉर्ज मसीह की पीठ ने प्रदूषणकारी वाहनों को दिल्ली में प्रवेश करने से रोकने और इसकी मंजूरी के बिना ग्रेडेड रिस्पांस एक्शन प्लान (जीआरएपी) को नहीं हटाने सहित कई उपाय जारी किए।

• Sustainable Habitat

Kolkata Construction Sites Ignored Guidelines Fuel Rising Air Pollution

As winter descends on Kolkata, the city grapples with a worsening air quality index, compounded by construction sites that continue to flout dust control regulations. Despite directives from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to cover construction sites and limit dust dispersal, numerous sites across the city remain uncovered, sending plumes of dust into the already polluted air. This non-compliance is a critical issue, especially as air quality deteriorates and the particulate matter levels rise in the wake of the changing season. A survey conducted in early December revealed numerous construction sites, including those on major roads like Lenin Sarani and Brindaban Mullick Lane, where buildings were being demolished or constructed without any cover to mitigate the dust. Heaps of unprotected construction materials such as sand and debris contributed further to the dust problem, creating an unhealthy environment for local residents. One particularly concerning aspect is the lack of geotextile fabric at many sites, which is designed to trap dust, and the failure to sprinkle water over sand piles to prevent dust from becoming airborne. The dust generated by these sites contributes directly to the city’s already high levels of PM2.5 and PM10, particulate matters that are harmful to human health. According to Anumita Roy Chowdhury, an air quality expert from the Centre for Science and Environment, the construction dust contains toxins that can breach the blood barrier and affect vital organs. The risks are particularly significant as this dust can be carried far beyond the immediate vicinity of construction, affecting areas previously not considered to be at risk. Kolkata’s air quality has fallen into the “poor” and “moderate” categories since mid-November, as per the National Air Quality Index. This decline in air quality is exacerbated by the increasing number of construction and demolition activities that are disregarding guidelines laid out by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). These include the mandate to cordon off demolition sites and employ effective dust control measures. The CPCB’s guidelines underline the importance of controlling dust emissions, as fine particles can remain suspended in the air, causing long-term respiratory issues. The failure to implement dust mitigation strategies at construction sites in Kolkata highlights a significant civic issue that could have lasting health implications. With the government’s emphasis on sustainable urban development, there is a pressing need for stricter enforcement of environmental regulations and greater accountability from developers. Moving forward, a more sustainable approach to construction and a collective effort towards air pollution control will be necessary to protect public health and improve the city’s air quality.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

CNBC’s Inside India newsletter: Delhi’s suffocating smog conundrum

The big story The putrid burning smell, difficulty breathing and chest congestion - that is what Delhi resident Sheetal Sharma has been experiencing since end-October, no thanks to the toxic air enshrouding India’s National Capital Region (NCR). “Delhi feels right out of a dystopian movie. The air quality deteriorated very quickly post-Diwali from poor to severe in a matter of hours and has continued that way till now,” Sharma told CNBC’s Inside India, alluding to the popular national festival. The air quality index (AQI) - which measures the level of pollution in the air - has risen significantly in the last few months. The metric peaked in November and subsequently edged down, only to nudge up to around 478 in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, which alongside several districts from surrounding states makes up the NCR, on Thursday. The reading remains in the hazardous range per classifications from India’s Central Pollution Control Board. The government body considers a good AQI reading to be between zero and 50. Readings between 200 and 400 are classified as “poor” or “very poor” while anything above 500 is deemed “severe” for it has a serious impact on people with existing ailments. The high AQI readings have pushed the government to direct schools to move to hybrid mode for some grades and stagger the working hours of civil servants. It has also imposed restrictions on vehicle usage in Delhi and adjoining regions with the view to curb emissions. Still, Delhi’s prolonged high AQI reading has already taken a toll on many of its denizens. Sharma recounts that she had “no respite,” despite several courses of medication and undergoing treatment to clear her nasal passageways. Relief only came when she “escaped” to a village near Nainital, some 300 kilometers away from Delhi. The AQI reading was just 65 there, allowing her “cough and cold to disappear within hours, without medical aid,” Sharma, who works at a tech company, said. Unlike Sharma, many in Delhi - particularly those in labor-intensive roles - have not been able to escape the pollution. Thirty-seven-year-old Dinesh Kumar is one such person. The auto-rickshaw driver hails from Patna in the province of Bihar, over 1,000 kilometers east of Delhi. He was forced to find higher-paying work in the capital city to support his aging parents and school-going children. Kumar dreads the winter months when pollution levels are heightened and people stay indoors. However, he says he does not have the means to move out of Delhi to seek employment in this period. “My auto is empty on most days [during this time]. At most, I get one or two passengers now, compared to around 20 at other times of the year,” he laments, using the local term for a motorized, three-wheeled vehicle. When he does drive, he says he is “constantly coughing.” “I feel like there’s chili in my eyes because I’m [tearing] and cannot see. If I stop working, my family will have no money” he told CNBC’s Inside India. Delhi’s smog conundrum is a yearly problem permeating through the Indo-Gangetic plains - or northern states in India between October and December. A geographical disadvantage With Delhi’s smog problem taking centerstage every winter, the natural assumption is that the lower temperatures, or activities like agricultural stubble burning which happen in this season have a large part to play in elevating pollution levels. However, Anumita Roychowdhury executive director of research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment, argues that the “explosion” in air quality metrics is not because of a sudden spike in pollution-related activities in this season. “Pollution is high and remains elevated all throughout the year. It is not that there is pollution only during winter,” she explained. Instead, she attributes the worsening readings to adverse meteorological conditions in the Indo-Gangetic plains where pollution that is already in the air from different sources gets trapped and has no wind to blow it away. Delhi, and other northern Indian states are most susceptible given its “geographical disadvantages,” Roychowdhury explained.

• Water Programme

Please click and see the attachment

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Will NCR Residents Never Breathe Clean Air?

The Government of India (GOI), the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and even the apex court, seem to have given up on the issue of cleaning up the air in the national capital region (NCR). Perhaps 10 to 15 years have gone by (even though the CPCB started measuring the air quality index (AQI) only in April 2015) and we still live with the same dreaded air every year from October to January; actually it is getting worse year after year! The new dimension this year is the knowledge that all our official figures were wrong. Around Diwali when the met department was talking about an AQI of 450-500 (very severe) the United States embassy released a bombshell with their own findings that showed AQI at Chanakya Puri at over 1000 and we learnt the closely guarded met secret that their system could not – or would not – read anything above 500! And, even after that, thousands of cracks were merrily cracking crackers without a care in the world. They would realise the gravity only when one of their own children or elders felt suffocated and had to be rushed to the hospital. Most Baraats (wedding processions) are all about ‘Band, Baaja and aatishbaazi’ (blaring music and fire crackers) and it is not their problem if the vulnerable old, infirm and little babies all along the route are choking; they wouldn’t stop even when passing a hospital. All this happened despite the Supreme Court imposed ‘Ban on crackers barring a one-hour window on Diwali night’. From my house in Gurugram I could hear and see – despite closed windows, ear muffs et al – crackers bursting till well past midnight; and this did not happen only on Diwali night but also several nights before and after. The Supreme Court of India, has of course, issued notices to the Delhi government but what is the outcome (whether or not anyone was punished) we will never know. As per newspaper reports, during November 2024 the official AQI was never below 300 even on a single day; average index during the month was 375 – second only to the 376 in the same month in 2021. October was not much better – 231 this year; right from the 264 in 2015, it peaked at 285 in 2017 but we were blessed with the lowest 173 in 2021. Official categorisation treats 0-50 as good, 51-100 as satisfactory, 101-200 as moderately polluted, 201-300 as Poor, 301-400 as very Poor and above 400 as Severe. A Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report showed that “pollution level was much higher this year than Diwali of 2022 & 2023 and at an All Time High”. At Kartavya Path they had to use anti-smog guns on a vehicle for spraying water to curb the severe pollution.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Delhi’s air quality gets more severe, worst in almost a month; fog alert issued for 3 days

New Delhi: The air quality deteriorated further on Tuesday as the air quality index rose to 433 in the severe category, with a toxic haze enveloping the city. It was the worst air quality in almost a month — a higher AQI than this was last recorded on Nov 19 at 460. The air quality is likely to stay severe on Wednesday, but it may improve to very poor on Thursday. However, the Met department has placed a yellow alert for moderate to dense fog over the next three days. On early Tuesday, Delhi saw moderate fog with the lowest visibility of 350 metres at Safdarjung, the city's base station. Meanwhile, the minimum temperature on Tuesday rose to 5.9 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal, compared to 4.5 degrees Celsius on Monday. No station saw cold wave conditions. The maximum temperature settled at 24.5 degrees Celsius, one notch above normal. Delhi witnessed a sharp decline in air quality in the past 48 hours after winds turned calm and there was the formation of shallow to moderate fog. Central Pollution Control Board's data shows that AQI was 379, very poor, at 4pm on Monday, but it rose to 401 in the severe range at 10pm. On Monday, Commission for Air Quality Management imposed measures under stage III of Graded Response Action Plan during the day. However, after AQI surpassed 400 in the night, stage IV was invoked with immediate effect. It bans the entry of non-essential trucks running on non-cleaner fuel and stops construction activities in linear public projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission and pipelines. Experts said no improvement in the air quality was expected on Wednesday. "As winds have slowed down since Monday, it is hampering the process of dispersion of pollutants. Due to a western disturbance, which is currently impacting northwest India, there has been a rise in humidity levels, leading to the formation of shallow to dense fog. Fog also traps pollutants," said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president of Skymet Meteorology. Similar conditions are likely to persist on Wednesday, but the wind speed may rise on Thursday after the influence of the western disturbance is over, he added. This Nov recorded eight severe days, including two severe-plus, when AQI crossed 450, and 22 very poor days. It also witnessed AQI reaching 494 on a scale of up to 500 on Nov 18, making it the second most polluted day ever. In comparison to Nov, the first fortnight of Dec was relatively better than the past year. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at Centre for Science and Environment, said, "We know from past experience that more pollution spikes happen during the second half of winter — after the crop burning season is over — due to the intensification of cold and calm conditions. This indicates high and elevated levels of pollution in the city and the region." Pointing out that the annual average and the winter average of PM2.5 levels took an upward curve last year, she emphasised that action must be ramped up to ensure Delhi continues to reduce the annual average level. New Delhi: The air quality deteriorated further on Tuesday as the air quality index rose to 433 in the severe category, with a toxic haze enveloping the city. It was the worst air quality in almost a month — a higher AQI than this was last recorded on Nov 19 at 460. The air quality is likely to stay severe on Wednesday, but it may improve to very poor on Thursday. However, the Met department has placed a yellow alert for moderate to dense fog over the next three days. On early Tuesday, Delhi saw moderate fog with the lowest visibility of 350 metres at Safdarjung, the city's base station. Meanwhile, the minimum temperature on Tuesday rose to 5.9 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal, compared to 4.5 degrees Celsius on Monday. No station saw cold wave conditions. The maximum temperature settled at 24.5 degrees Celsius, one notch above normal. Delhi witnessed a sharp decline in air quality in the past 48 hours after winds turned calm and there was the formation of shallow to moderate fog. Central Pollution Control Board's data shows that AQI was 379, very poor, at 4pm on Monday, but it rose to 401 in the severe range at 10pm. On Monday, Commission for Air Quality Management imposed measures under stage III of Graded Response Action Plan during the day. However, after AQI surpassed 400 in the night, stage IV was invoked with immediate effect. It bans the entry of non-essential trucks running on non-cleaner fuel and stops construction activities in linear public projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission and pipelines. Experts said no improvement in the air quality was expected on Wednesday. "As winds have slowed down since Monday, it is hampering the process of dispersion of pollutants. Due to a western disturbance, which is currently impacting northwest India, there has been a rise in humidity levels, leading to the formation of shallow to dense fog. Fog also traps pollutants," said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president of Skymet Meteorology. Similar conditions are likely to persist on Wednesday, but the wind speed may rise on Thursday after the influence of the western disturbance is over, he added. This Nov recorded eight severe days, including two severe-plus, when AQI crossed 450, and 22 very poor days. It also witnessed AQI reaching 494 on a scale of up to 500 on Nov 18, making it the second most polluted day ever. In comparison to Nov, the first fortnight of Dec was relatively better than the past year. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at Centre for Science and Environment, said, "We know from past experience that more pollution spikes happen during the second half of winter — after the crop burning season is over — due to the intensification of cold and calm conditions. This indicates high and elevated levels of pollution in the city and the region." Pointing out that the annual average and the winter average of PM2.5 levels took an upward curve last year, she emphasised that action must be ramped up to ensure Delhi continues to reduce the annual average level.

• Climate Change and Green Economy

Green credit programme rolls out with little clarity on exchange value

Eco-restoration work towards the generation of green credits is underway in over 3,000 hectares of land in India, even as the government is working to devise a formula to make such credits quantifiable and tradable. The programme, launched in October 2023, seeks to incentivise “voluntary environmental actions” by making them tradable. Activities such as tree plantations, rainwater harvesting, and waste management are among those that can yield credits for trade. But the contours of the scheme – particularly the fungibility of these credits across different activity types – are still being worked out. In a reply to a question raised in the Lok Sabha on November 25, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change revealed that eco-restoration work towards generating green credits had already begun in 152 land parcels of degraded forest land, amounting to 3,409 hectares. The largest of these land parcels is in Gujarat (974.9 hectares). Vinay Kumar, director of the Green Credit Cell at the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), told Mongabay India that a committee had been set up to develop a baseline for credits across different types of eco-restoration activities, and said a proposal had been sent to the Union Environment Ministry for finalisation. The ICFRE has been tasked with administering the programme. “The main purpose of the scheme is to award entities who undertake environmentally friendly actions. We’ve formed a committee to come up with an equivalence formula between different activities, which will also lead to fungibility of the credits,” said Kumar. “The question of issuing the credits only arises two years after the eco-restoration work has started, at which point it can be quantified.” But in the absence of a clear unit of exchange or monitoring mechanism, experts say it is difficult to assess the scheme’s effectiveness. The scheme was fast-tracked by the government despite calls for clarity and opposition from conservationists. According to Kumar, the equivalence formula will take into account factors like the cost of eco-restoration works, type of land, vegetation cover (such as changes in canopy cover), area treated, and climatic factors (such as rainfall and soil moisture levels). “The programme will definitely need close monitoring. We plan to use advanced IT equipment, technologies like Google Earth and satellite data from the Space Applications Centre to track impacts of eco-restoration. Third party auditors will also be brought in to monitor compliance,” Kumar added. Oil and coal public sector leads in green credits Though the scheme has been pitched by the government as voluntary, inviting the participation of individuals, tree-plantation based credits can be bought by companies to compensate for forest loss caused by development projects. Tree plantation-based credits can also be used to meet compliances under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting, according to a government notification issued in February 2024. So far, 384 entities, including individuals, NGOs and private sector units, have signed up to participate in the scheme. Of the 384, 40 are public sector undertakings. Data from the Green Credit Programme website shows the top biggest takers are public sector undertakings (PSUs) in oil and coal – natural resource intensive sectors whose projects have also led to forest diversion. As part of the green credit programme, Indian Oil Corporation Limited has committed to the eco-restoration of 11,890 hectares of degraded forest land – the largest commitment – followed by Powergrid Corporation India Limited (4,372 hectares), an electrical power transmission company, and thermal power generator NTPC (1,853 hectares.) “We wanted to start with only PSUs to understand the scale and expense of the scheme’s implementation,” said Kumar. “This is the first time in India or anywhere else in the world that such a scheme is being attempted. We will slowly open it up to other players.” Entities interested in generating green credits can select parcels of degraded forest land that have been identified by states, and pay for the eco-restoration works, which will be carried out by state forest departments. Once generated, the credits can be sold and bought in a market system that will run parallelly to India’s upcoming domestic carbon market. The potential for green credits to compensate for deforestation from setting up projects could be a point of conflict, particularly if the seller of credits is also responsible for deforestation and pollution, said Tushar Dash, an independent researcher who works on forest and indigenous rights. Prevailing norms under the Forest (Conservation) Act require that any time forest land is diverted for non-forest purposes, like mining or infrastructure development, project proponents must compensate for this forest loss by paying for plantations on non-forest land. This process is managed by the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). By introducing a market mechanism to this process, entities who have generated green credits but diverted forest land for their own projects, have the option to sell excess credits for a profit. “This process will facilitate clearances and give the private sector an entry into forest management, a proposition that has been opposed multiple times,” Dash said. Dash also pointed out that the green credit rules do not explicitly safeguard the rights of forest dwelling communities who may have historically accessed such land. Guidelines on implementing eco-restoration for green credits say that “fencing, as appropriate, may be provided if protection against anthropogenic pressures is necessary in any site.” To this, Kumar said the rules don’t negate the rights of forest dwellers. “Once work starts, it will benefit local communities because it will generate jobs for them.” The question of how eco-restoration work on degraded forest systems remains. Image by Nithinboby via Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 4.0] From tree plantations to eco-restoration In February 2024, the Union Environment Ministry released a methodology for the calculation of green credits that focussed exclusively on tree plantations. After some of the stipulations were criticised – such as a minimum of 1100 trees per hectare, with each tree generating one credit – the Ministry subsequently released guidelines that eased some of these conditions, shifting the focus away from only tree plantations to “eco-restoration.” These guidelines, released on April 12, 2024, say, “The activities for eco-restoration may not be limited to plantation of trees and may include plantation of shrubs, herbs, grasses, besides taking up soil and moisture conservation works, terracing, rain water harvesting, and other measures as may be required per the site conditions for eco-restoration.” Even with a broader set of stipulations, the question of how each credit is valued remains, said Trishant Dev, Programme Officer of Climate Change at the Centre for Science and Environment. “Marketising environmental benefits could open the door to market speculation, where actors keep an excess of credits with them and sell at an opportune moment to make a profit,” he said, adding, “Speculation has not been good for carbon markets because it inflates the price of credits. Whether something similar will play out with green credits needs to be seen.”

• Water Programme

Only 28 per cent of urban wastewater undergoes treatment in India: CSE report

Just 28 per cent of about 20,236 million liters per day urban wastewater generated in India undergoes treatment, leaving the remaining i.e. 72 per cent untreated and flowing into rivers, lakes, and land, a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has revealed. The largest gap in wastewater treatment is seen in states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Haryana. The untreated water not only causes environmental damage but also presents an opportunity to tackle India's growing urban water crisis due to rapid urbanization, industrial growth, population expansion, and climate change, says the report 'Waste to Worth: Managing India's urban water crisis through wastewater reuse.' It was released recently at a national workshop organized jointly by CSE and the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti. Speaking on the occasion, Sunita Narain, director general, CSE said: "India faces significant water scarcity challenges due to rapid urbanisation, industrial growth, population expansion - and most importantly -- climate change. Wastewater reuse can be a key part of the strategy to address these concerns and promote water circularity and sustainability." Rajiv Kumar Mital, director general, NMCG echoed similar views and said that "Using and disposing treated water, without harnessing its potential, means we are losing out on utilising an important resource. The challenge is to scale up and ensure that the work we do in this sector is impactful." The Jal Shakti Ministry has mandated that cities must recycle and reuse at least 20 per cent of the water they consume. The report also highlights good examples -- cases of states that have introduced policies to encourage treated wastewater reuse." Maharashtra, for instance, mandates industries in urban areas to use treated wastewater. Gujarat targets 100 per cent reuse with applications in agriculture and industry, and Tamil Nadu promotes reuse for industrial and urban greening projects. At the national level, the National Urban Sanitation Policy (NUSP) and the Namami Gange Programme emphasise wastewater management and reuse as key components of water security initiatives. Cities like Nagpur, Benguluru and Chennai have taken the lead in implementing wastewater reuse practices. Nagpur supplies treated wastewater to power plants, significantly reducing freshwater usage, while Benguluru utilises it for agriculture, lake revival and groundwater recharge. Chennai has adopted treated wastewater for industrial applications, urban landscaping and groundwater recharge. While advancements in decentralised and cost-effective treatment technologies can address infrastructure deficits, the report also calls for public-private partnerships that can help mobilise investments for scaling up reuse projects, and capacity-building initiatives to improve awareness and acceptance among urban managers and communities.

• Director General Office

Be excreta wise

Every society must understand how the excreta it produces is managed. It teaches us many things about water, about waste, about technologies. It also teaches us about economics and politics: of who in our societies is subsidised to defecate. Every society must connect the dots between the excreta it produces, the pollution it causes and the opportunity to reuse and recycle the waste so that it becomes a resource. This is what the Centre for Science and Environment’s report, Waste to Worth, is all about—it puts together the best practices to turn wastewater into water and not pollution. Today, the discharge of effluent is adding to the water crisis by degrading available water through pollution. It is also adding to our health crises as societies continue to drink this “sewage”-laced water. All this then points to the solution ahead—the way to take that “wasted” water and make it “usable” so that it can be returned to the hydrological cycle. Over the years, my colleagues have studied the excreta sums of different cities. The city “shit-flow” diagram shows that the situation is grim as all cities either do not treat or safely dispose of the bulk of the human excreta. This is because we often confuse toilets with sanitation. But the fact is that toilets are mere receptacles to receive waste; when we flush or pour water, the waste flows into a piped drain, which could be either connected, or not, to a sewage treatment plant (STP). This STP could be working, or not. In this case, the faecal sludge—human excreta—could be conveyed, but not safely disposed of as it would be discharged into the nearest river, lake or a drain. All this will pollute. In most cities, this connection from the flush to the STP does not exist. According to Census 2011, the flush water of some 30 per cent of urban India is connected to a piped sewer. But our survey found that in most cases, these underground drains have either lost their connections—they need repair—or are not connected to the sewage plants. There is another route for excreta to flow. The household flush or pour latrine could be connected to a septic tank, which, if constructed well, will retain the sludge and discharge the liquid through a soak pit. The faecal sludge would still need to be emptied and conveyed for treatment. But in most cases, our survey found that the septic tank is not built to any specifications—it is a “box” to contain excreta—and that it is either connected to a drain or emptied out. This is where the drama of faecal sludge begins. Who collects it? How is it transported? And most importantly, where does it go? Nobody knows. That is why the focus is now shifting towards intercepting the sewage—not through capital-intensive underground pipes but through tankers to transport this for treatment. Septic tanks are decentralised waste collection systems. Instead of thinking of building an underground sewerage network—that is never built or never completed— it would be best to think of these systems as the future of urban sanitation. After all, we have gone to mobile telephony, without the landline. Individual septic tanks could be the way to achieve full sanitation solutions. For this, the government has made changes in policy and now practice—it has recognised that these systems exist and that they need to be incorporated in sanitation plans. It is providing regulation for the collection and transportation of faecal sludge so that waste is taken for treatment, and not dumped somewhere. And most critically, city governments are working on a treatment system for faecal sludge, which in turn will reduce the pollution in rivers and lakes. But now the challenge is to reuse this treated water. This is where the real opportunity lies. The fact is, this treated water and sludge is rich in nutrients. Today, the global nitrogen cycle is being destroyed because we take nutrient-rich human excreta and dispose of it in water. Instead, we can return the human excreta to land, use it as fertiliser and reverse the sanitation cycle. The treated water can be given to industry or cities for reuse. Farmers can use the treated sludge for soil enrichment. But this also means that we need new standards to be set for reuse of treated wastewater, so that basic nutrients needed for land are not lost in the treatment. This approach makes the users of this treated water the agents to ensure compliance with standards. Just imagine if you were to be a consumer of this treated water for your horticulture needs—you will be vigilant of its quality and the fact that it does not contaminate your land. So, we can be water-secure, because we are water-wise. The writer is the Director-General of CSE and editor of DownToEarth. Views expressed are personal