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Glut of cheap medical items ahead of new quality rule

New Delhi: There has been a surge in substandard chlorinated bags and gloves --- key medical supplies --- particularly from Malaysia, Thailand, China and Vietnam, officials aware of the matter have said, ahead of an impending quality crackdown. Such supplies could present a concern for patient safety and environmental harm, these people said, suspecting the import surge by traders to make profits by selling substandered products from the stock before the government is expected to ban these items from the domestic market if they have not been certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The government has initiated a process to bring these items under a Quality Control Order (QCO) to ban the sale of spurious gloves in the domestic market. A meeting of technical experts on this issue took place on September 4, and a QCO is expected by the end of this month, the officials said, asking not to be named. Anindith Reddy, a member of the Indian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (IRGMA), said imports of latex and nitrile gloves have jumped in the last two months, with 450 million imported in August alone, according to import data. “These gloves are being flooded in the market impending a potential QCO that has put the scare on the importers,” he said. Industry data shows imports of these gloves surged by 58.6% to 460 million pieces in August from 290 million pieces in July 2024. Once the QCO is notified, it will enforce a complete ban on non-certified gloves in the domestic market. QCOs are instruments to check the supply of spurious products in the market and are applicable for both imports and domestically-produced items. Experts warn that such materials are hazardous for the environment. Siddharth Singh, programme manager at the Centre for Science and Environment, said, “Use of chlorinated plastics is prohibited in healthcare waste management because this waste (in yellow bags) needs to be incinerated in common biomedical waste treatment facilities.” Singh added, “PVC is a type of chlorinated plastic that can be made from ethylene - a product derived from the oil and gas industry. PVC, like any halogenated plastic, can have a severe effect on air quality if burnt in open spaces and even specialised incineration facilities.” Swati Singh Sambyal, a waste management expert, warned: “During decomposition or incineration, substandard chlorinated products may release dangerous chemicals, such as dioxins, which are highly toxic and persistent in the environment. These byproducts can contaminate air, water, and soil, affecting ecosystems and human health.” The IRGMA has been urging the government to bring surgical gloves and single-use medical examination gloves under the Quality Control Order. Despite existing bans, chlorinated gloves and substandard imported rubber gloves continue to be used due to inadequate monitoring and enforcement of regulations.

Philanthropists must support nonprofit media platforms in India

Here’s how philanthropy can help build an alternative media ecosystem that centres community-driven narratives and publishes perspectives from the margins. Individuals from marginalised genders, castes, and communities are significantly underrepresented in Indian newsrooms. Their experiences and stories are often overlooked in mainstream development discourse. The systemic exclusion of marginalised communities’ perspectives obscures the root causes of the development challenges faced by them. A study carried out by Oxfam India and Newslaundry in 2019 found that: 106 out of the 121 news agencies analysed had dominant caste leadership. In more than 70 percent flagship debate shows, most of the panellists were from dominant castes. No more than 5 percent of all articles in English newspapers are written by Dalits and Adivasis. At approximately 10 percent, Hindi newspapers fare slightly better. Only one in five panellists on key prime-time TV shows were women. One out of four articles written in English dailies were by women. In order to shift the conversation, there’s an urgent need for an alternative media that focuses on community-driven narratives and evidence shaped by the oral histories, voices, and lived experiences of people from diverse marginalised identities. Nonprofit organisations have made various attempts in filling this gap. Starting with localised mediums such as community radio, nonprofits have recently ventured into digital media, which is now consumed by a vast percentage of the Indian population. Here are the various ways in which nonprofit media outlets are amplifying underrepresented voices and issues: 1. Bolstering perspective-driven narratives Perspective-driven narratives draw on lived experiences to centre the impact of inequity, marginalisation, and other cascading socio-economic challenges in individuals’ daily lives. Such interventions help marginalised people become active participants in the discourse by enabling them to reclaim control over how their experiences are understood and disseminated in the media. For example, People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI), describes itself as a “living journal and an archive” that captures narratives from India’s rural geographies. PARI publishes text, video, and audio reportage from rural Indians, and the stories are often in the first person. 2. Telling data-driven stories Data-driven and fact-based storytelling helps spotlight underserved causes, sectors, and geographies by building evidence. It focuses on making technical evidence—such as government data on development—available to the wider public, as well as demystifying and contextualising its implications for diverse interest groups. For example, IndiaSpend is a data-led journalistic platform that disseminates figures on India’s social and political economy, employing context-specific lenses such as education, healthcare, gender, and climate change. 3. Disseminating niche development narratives Development-focused niche media resources narrate challenges, barriers, and progress linked to the social sector. Platforms such as India Development Review (IDR) and publications such as the Centre for Science and Environment’s Down to Earth are examples of niche media agencies that are actively reshaping narratives on India’s development challenges and spotlighting the needs of marginalised communities. They do so by working closely with grassroots organisations and amplifying perspectives from civil society practitioners. This model operates along the premise that there is immense experiential wisdom among nonprofit practitioners, and it needs to be widely disseminated to infuse more nuance into mainstream development dialogue. 4. Strengthening the media action ecosystem Nonprofits are carrying out ecosystem-level interventions linked to media amplification in two distinct ways. For example, the digital publication The Third Eye blends personal essays and interviews with community members with sectoral themes such as public health and education. Building on several decades of its parent organisation Nirantar Trust’s engagement with feminist approaches to grassroots knowledge production, it also conducts offline trainings and experiential learning exchanges across grassroots organisations. Similarly, Point of View (POV) publishes articles and research papers across its various verticals, which focus on the intersections of knowledge systems, digital ethics, and the rights of marginalised groups including women, queer people, and persons with disabilities. At the same time, POV also runs awareness workshops and curricula for these communities and advocates for inclusive government policies. Challenges faced by nonprofits in this landscape Despite their efforts, these nonprofits still struggle for survival. Private digital media platforms in India are increasingly relying on subscriptions and paywalls to generate revenues. However, such monetisation models are challenging for nonprofit organisations to replicate. This is especially so because the focus of nonprofit organisations is to make knowledge accessible and open to the public. The alternative—social sector funding—is also hard to come by. Challenges in securing funding for these interventions can be attributed to the fact that their outcomes are often gradual, involve behavioural changes, and are therefore hard to quantify. This can be detrimental in an environment where many funders prefer to see quicker and more tangible results. While many of these organisations could benefit from opportunities to showcase impact in the long run, they often do not have the resources to build long-term programmes and reach that point. Access to flexible forms of funding that are earmarked for longer-term use could help these nonprofits thrive and achieve impact at scale. How can philanthropy help? Knowledge dissemination and media amplification have traditionally been considered difficult-to-fund areas. As digital media continues to grow, this perception has been exacerbated by unprecedented challenges, including disinformation and misinformation, new policies and legal regimes, and changes within the landscape. In India, a heterogenous digital media and communications landscape, which serves diverse linguistic and socio-cultural groups, is the need of the hour. Individual philanthropy, with its risk appetite and flexibility, can help build a robust funding pipeline for nonprofits that are doing this work. Funding them can also bring much needed attention to how their work contributes to solving development challenges and build more awareness around the positive outcomes they drive. Nonprofit media that focus on community-driven narratives and impacts perform a gamut of activities. Here are the areas in which philanthropic capital could be of huge help: Supporting capacity building: Capacity-building initiatives are imperative to cultivating a more diverse and representative workforce within nonprofit media organisations. These initiatives create opportunities for underrepresented and marginalised groups to become empowered storytellers and creators, paving the way for authentic, first-person perspectives to percolate into the mainstream. Investing in new forms of dissemination: Nonprofits have been at the forefront of pushing boundaries to make information and knowledge more accessible to, and more relevant for, vulnerable groups. Funding multilingual and multimedia dissemination can solve for some of the socio-economic barriers that impede mass access. This means supporting innovations that make sure marginalised groups, such as persons with disabilities, are included. Funding technology and innovation: Organisations require capital to fund digital transformations and the development of new media tools. Investing in technological solutions can play a critical role in equipping nonprofits to remain competitive and relevant in a dissemination landscape dominated by big, for-profit media platforms. For instance, funding more podcasts and audio-visual reportage in multiple languages could help nonprofits generate content that is more accessible and relevant. While nonprofit media organisations may not deliver quick outcomes, their long-term impact can be invaluable in an unequal society that suppresses the worldviews of underserved communities. They play a critical role in building accessible repositories of knowledge for the public good. It is crucial for funders and philanthropists to recognise this and invest in these organisations.

Large-scale water investments in Africa overlook poor rural areas in need of ecological, and economic support – CSE

Despite substantial investment in river and groundwater resources for large-scale irrigation and urban water supply in Africa, these efforts frequently neglect vulnerable rural communities on degraded or low-quality lands that need focused water interventions to enhance their ecology and break free from poverty. The 2024 State of Africa’s Environment report, released today in Nairobi revealed that large-scale water development projects frequently result in inefficient and inequitable distribution of resources, often displacing vulnerable communities. Balancing growing water demand with decreasing availability is identified as one of the major environmental challenges facing developing countries in the coming decades. The theme of the 2024 edition is water, making a strong argument for prioritizing water in Africa’s development strategy. The report examines the continent's challenges—ranging from poverty and conflicts to high disease burdens—through the perspective of water. The report also emphasizes that increasing populations, along with ongoing industrialization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization, are driving up water demand while reducing freshwater supply, particularly in the absence of effective pollution regulation mechanisms. “The future scenario is one characterized by overexploitation of water resources, decreased accessibility to clean water, and increased competition for and potential of conflict over water resources. Africa is the world’s second driest continent, after Australia and also the most water-stressed one,” it said. The report referenced data from the Lancet Planetary Health journal published in November 2022, which indicated that nearly 36% of people in the region experienced water insecurity. Quoting the Pacific Institute, it noted a 34% increase in incidents of violence over water resources from 2022 to 2023, with at least 71 incidents reported in 2023 compared to 53 in 2022. “In 2023, Africa reported the highest number of water-related conflicts and disputes since 2019. Major institutional, policy and technological initiatives are, therefore, required to ensure an efficient, socially equitable and environmentally sustainable management of water resources.” According to the report, a key factor driving the overexploitation of water resources is the current focus on rivers and groundwater while neglecting rainwater and floodwater, which are more abundant. Relying solely on rivers and groundwater for all water needs, it said, would place extreme pressure on riverine ecosystems and groundwater resources, a situation already being observed across the continent. “Countries, particularly in Africa, use only a small part of its water endowment. Two major discontinuities have emerged worldwide in water management since the 19th century. One, the State has emerged as the major provider of water replacing communities and households as the primary units for the provision and management of water. Two, there has been growing reliance on the use of surface and groundwater, while the earlier reliance on rainwater and floodwater has declined, even though rainwater and floodwater are available in much greater abundance than river water or groundwater.”

दिल्ली-एनसीआर में लगातार बढ़ रहा ओजोन प्रदूषण का खतरा, हरियाली वाले इलाके भी जद में

धरती को सूर्य की हानिकारक पराबैंगनी विकिरणों से बचाने वाली ओजोन दिल्ली-एनसीआर में कहर बरपा रही है। इस वर्ष में अब तक 176 दिन ऐसे रहे जब जमीनी स्तर पर ओजोन की मात्रा सामान्य से अधिक दर्ज की गई। गर्मी के दिनों में होने वाली घटना अब सर्दी के मौसम में भी हो रही है। जनवरी से लेकर मार्च में कुल 62 दिन ऐसे रहे, जब ओजोन का स्तर काफी बढ़ा है। अमूमन दिन के समय हवा में ओजोन की मात्रा अधिक रहती है, लेकिन यह रात में भी सांसों पर संकट गहरा रही है। 161 रातों में ओजोन का स्तर सामान्य से ज्यादा रहा। दिल्ली-एनसीआर में डॉ. करणी सिंह शूटिंग रेंज और वसुंधरा के साथ 10 इलाके हैं, जहां रात के समय ओजोन की मात्रा बढ़ी है। वहीं, घनी आबादी ही नहीं बल्कि हरियाली वाले इलाके इसकी जद में आ गए हैं। विशेषज्ञ इसे दुर्लभ घटना मान रहे हैं। यह स्वास्थ्य के लिए हानिकारक साबित हो रही है। इसकी चपेट में सबसे अधिक बच्चे, बुजुर्ग व श्वास से पीड़ित लोग हैं। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) के मुताबिक 2020 स्टेट ऑफ ग्लोबल एयर रिपोर्ट में सामने आया है कि जमीनी स्तर के ओजोन के कारण होने वाली मृत्यु की आयु-मानकीकृत दर भारत में सबसे अधिक है। ओजोन की 8 घंटे की दैनिक अधिकतम सांद्रता ने 2010 से 2017 के बीच देश में सबसे अधिक लगभग 17 प्रतिशत की वृद्धि दर्ज की है।

Delhi records its cleanest air day in a year

Delhiites breathed the cleanest air in a year when the Air Quality Index dropped to 52 on Friday, placing it close to the ‘good' level helped by the persistent rain the past 24 hours that caused the pollutants to settle down. In fact, the air was in the 'good' category with an AQI of 41 at 10am but rose during the day. The AQI was 49, also in the ‘good' category, at 3pm, but the 24-hour average, according to the Central Pollution Control Board's bulletin, was 52 at 4pm. An AQI reading between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good'. The last ‘good' day in Delhi was recorded on Sept 10 last year, with an AQI of 45. On Aug 8, the AQI was marginally higher than Friday's at 53. Dipankar Saha, former head of CPCB's air laboratory, explained, "The monsoon months are the cleanest in Delhi because the rain suppresses, dissolves and precipitates pollutants too. In the subtropical region, the rainy season reduces air pollution." Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, confirmed, "Predictably, this is the washout effect of the rainfall. Pollution usually bounces back at the onset of winter when the weather turns adverse. Tackling pollution then will require a sustained reduction of emissions at source." Data from CPCB, which started measuring AQI in 2015, shows that ‘good' air days are rare in the capital. No ‘good' air day was recorded in 2015, 2016 and 2018. Most ‘good' days in the capital's record were logged after spells of intense rain or during the Covid lockdown or when polluting activities have been restricted. For instance, last year, the only ‘good' air day with an AQI of 45 was Sept 10, the result of rain and restrictions imposed for the G20 summit. Delhi logged two such days in 2017 on July 30 and 31. 2019 also saw two ‘good' when the AQI was 49 on Aug 18 and 19. In 2020, there were five ‘good' days — one in March during the Covid lockdown and four in Aug during the monsoon season. In 2021, there was just a sole example of the day on Oct 18 when the AQI dipped to 46 after incessant rains, but the following year had three days when the air was ‘good' in Sept and Oct with rain again playing a crucial role in washing out the pollutants. The city's air quality is likely to stay in the ‘satisfactory' category on Saturday, but it is predicted to deteriorate to the ‘moderate' category on Sunday and Monday, according to the forecast made by the Air Quality Early Warning System, the forecasting body under the Union ministry of earth sciences.

Indian Cabinet approves Rs,2000 crore 'Mission Mausam' plan to boost weather forecast, tweak clouds

Indian Cabinet has approved a game-changing ‘Mission Mausam' initiative which the country would implement with the aim to boost the country's climate-related science, research, and services besides developing capabilities to 'manage' certain weather events. The Indian government said it will help to better equip stakeholders, including citizens and last-mile users, in tackling extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change. The project will reportedly enable the Met department to develop capabilities to ‘manage’ certain weather events, like enhancing or suppressing rainfall over an area according to requirements. M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, told The Indian Express: "Eventually, we have to move in that direction — from just weather forecasting to weather management. For example, if incessant rains are happening in an area resulting in floods, we can try to suppress rainfall. Alternatively, if an area is not getting enough rainfall, we can try to engineer rainfall over that area." “At a later stage, other weather events like lightning can also be managed,” he said. As part of the Mission Mausam, India will exponentially expound research and development, and capacity in atmospheric sciences, especially weather surveillance, modelling, forecasting, and management. By integrating advanced observation systems, high-performance computing, and cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning, Mission Mausam will set a new benchmark for predicting weather with high precision. The mission's focus will include improving observations and understanding for providing highly accurate and timely weather and climate information across temporal and spatial scales, including monsoon forecasts, alerts for air quality, extreme weather events and cyclones, weather interventions for managing fog, hail, and rain, etc., capacity building and generating awareness, the government said. Critical elements of Mission Mausam will include the deployment of next-generation radars and satellite systems with advanced sensors and high-performance supercomputers, the development of improved Earth system models and a GIS-based automated Decision Support System for real-time data dissemination. It would also enhance data-driven decision-making in areas such as urban planning, road and rail transport, offshore operations, and environmental monitoring. Three institutes of the Ministry of Earth Sciences: the India Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting will primarily implement Mission Mausam. These institutions will be supported by other MoES institutions (Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, and National Institute of Ocean Technology), along with collaborating national and international Institutes, Academia and Industries, furthering India's leadership in weather and climate sciences and services. The mission has been allocated Rs. 2,000 crore for the next two years. Why is this initiative important for India? As per a report released by Centre for Science and Environment, India had seen close to a disaster every day in the nine months of 2022. These disasters had claimed 2,755 lives, affected 1.8 million hectare of crop area, destroyed over 416,667 houses and killed close to 70,000 livestock that year, as per the report. Quoting government data, The Economic Times reported over 10,000 people have lost their lives in hydro-meteorological disasters in the last five years. Following its implementation, Mission Mausam is expected to directly benefit numerous sectors, such as agriculture, disaster management, defence, environment, aviation, water resources, power, tourism, shipping, transport, energy, and health.

दिल्ली-NCR में सांसों पर गहराया संकट: रातों में कहर ढा रही ओजोन, बुजुर्ग-बच्चों पर पड़ा रहा सबसे अधिक ये असर

दिल्ली-एनसीआर में दिन के साथ रात में भी जमीनी स्तर पर ओजोन की मात्रा बढ़ी हुई है। जनवरी से लेकर जुलाई मध्य तक की 199 में से 161 रातों में ओजोन का स्तर सामान्य से ज्यादा रहा। इसमें 99 रातें गर्मियों की और 62 सर्दियों की रहीं। रात के 10 बजे से लेकर 2 बजे तक इसका स्तर उच्च पाया गया। इस बीच प्रति घंटे ओजोन का स्तर 100 माइक्रो ग्राम प्रति घन मीटर से अधिक है। दिल्ली के लोधी रोड, करणी सिंह रेंज सरीखे ऐसे इलाके ओजोन प्रदूषण के हॉट स्पॉट बने हैं, जहां अमूमन प्रदूषण का स्तर कम होता है। इसे दुर्लभ घटना बताते हुए विशेषज्ञ इसकी वजह दिल्ली-एनसीआर में ओजोन बनने और टूटने की प्रक्रिया में देख रहे हैं। इसका सीधा असर श्वसन तंत्र पर पड़ रहा है। केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड के दिल्ली-एनसीआर के 58 एयर क्वालिटी मॉनीटरिंग स्टेशन से मिले रीयल टाइम आंकड़ों के विश्लेषण के आधार पर सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) ने इससे जुड़ी रिपोर्ट तैयार की है। आंकड़े एक जनवरी से 18 जुलाई के बीच के हैं। रिपोर्ट बताती है कि ओजोन की मात्रा में चिंताजनक रूप से वृद्धि हुई है। अमूमन गर्मी के दिनों में होने वाली यह घटना अब पूरे साल और रातों में भी दिख रही है। इसमें सिफारिश की गई है कि सरकार को नीतिगत दखल देकर इसे दूर करना पड़ेगा। इसमें कार, कारखानों और बिजली संयंत्रों से निकलने वाली नाइट्रोजन ऑक्साइड जैसी गैसों और अन्य प्रदूषकों की मात्रा में कमी लानी होगी। इस तरह बनती और टूटती ओजोन यह किसी भी स्रोत से सीधे तौर पर उत्सर्जित नहीं होती है। यह वाहनों, बिजली संयंत्रों, कारखानों और अन्य स्रोतों से निकलने वाली नाइट्रोजन ऑक्साइड और वाष्पशील कार्बनिक यौगिकों (वीओसी) से बनती है। इसमें सूर्य का प्रकाश जरूरी होता है। जमीनी स्तर पर ओजोन की प्रकृति क्रियाशील और अस्थाई है। रात में जब सूर्य का प्रकाश नहीं होता, तब ओजोन व नाइट्रिक आक्साइड के साथ प्रतिक्रिया कर ऑक्सीजन और नाइट्रोजन डाई ऑक्साइड में टूट जाती है। लेकिन इस वक्त ऐसा नहीं हो रहा है। रिपोर्ट बताती है कि इसकी वजह यह है कि दिन में इसका स्तर बहुत ज्यादा रहता है। रात में ओजोन को तोड़ने के लिए नाइट्रिक ऑक्साइड नहीं मिल पाता। खासतौर से वहां, जहां प्रदूषण का स्तर कम है। श्वसन तंत्र पर बुरा असर ओजोन का स्तर बढ़ने से बुजुर्ग और बच्चे जिनके फेफड़ों का विकास पूरी तरह नहीं हुआ है, उनपर गहरा असर डाल रही है। इससे श्वसन तंत्र में सूजन और अन्य तरह से नुकसान हो सकता है। इतना ही नहीं ओजोन की वजह से फेफड़े संक्रमण के प्रति संवेदनशील हो सकते हैं और अस्थमा और क्रॉनिक ब्रोंकाइटिस जैसी समस्याएं बढ़ सकती हैं। रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक इस साल दिल्ली-एनसीआर में 176 दिन ग्राउंड लेवल ओजोन का स्तर सामान्य से अधिक रहा है। रिपोर्ट में इस बात का भी खुलासा हुआ है कि इस साल ओजोन प्रदूषण की बढ़ती समस्या 2020 में लॉकडाउन के दौरान गर्मियों में पैदा हुई समस्या से भी कहीं ज्यादा व्यापक है। कहां कितनी रातें रहीं ओजोन से प्रभावित .डॉ.करणी सिंह शूटिंग रेंज----42 .अलीपुर-----------------------34 .डीटीयू-------------------------33 .नरेला-------------------------29 .मुंडका-------------------------27 .नेहरु विहार-------------------23 .रोहिणी------------------------22 .बवाना------------------------19 .सोनिया विहार---------------19 .वसुंधरा----------------------19 (नोट: सीएसई के आंकड़ों के अनुसार जब ओजोन का स्तर रात में 100 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर से अधिक रिकॉर्ड किया है।) ओजोन प्रदूषण से जुड़ी कुछ समस्याएं ये हैं -आंखों, नाक, और गले में जलन -फेफड़ों की बीमारियां बढ़ना -हृदय या फेफड़ों की बीमारी वाले लोगों में समय से पहले मौत का खतरा बढ़ना -त्वचा का कैंसर, श्वास रोग, अल्सर, मोतियाबिंद जैसी बीमारियां पीएम 2.5, ओजोन, नाइट्रोजन ऑक्साइड और अन्य गैसों से होने वाले संयुक्त खतरों से निपटना होगा। आमतौर पर जैसे-जैसे प्रदूषण के कणों का स्तर गिरता है, उसके साथ ही नाइट्रोजन ऑक्साइड और ग्राउंड-लेवल ओजोन का स्तर बढ़ जाता है। ऐसे में ओजोन को नियंत्रित करने के लिए उद्योगों, वाहनों, घरों और खुले में जलने से होने वाले जहरीले उत्सर्जन को रोकने के लिए सख्त नियमों की आवश्यकता है। -अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी, कार्यकारी निदेशक, सीएसई जमीनी स्तर पर ओजोन की जटिल रासायनिक संरचना के कारण इसे ट्रैक और नियंत्रित करना मुश्किल है। यह जहरीली होती है, इस वजह से वायु गुणवत्ता मानक अल्पकालिक जोखिम (एक घंटे और आठ घंटे के औसत) के लिए निर्धारित किए गए हैं और अनुपालन इन सीमाओं से अधिक दिनों की संख्या पर आधारित है। ऐसे में इस मुद्दे पर जल्द से जल्द कार्रवाई की आवश्यकता है। -अविकल सोमवंशी, अर्बन लैब प्रोग्राम मैनेजर, सीएसई

Mission Mausam: Indian Cabinet approves initiative to boost weather forecast, tweak clouds

The Indian Cabinet has approved a game-changing ‘Mission Mausam’ initiative which the country would implement with the aim to boost climate-related science, research, and services besides developing capabilities to ‘manage’ certain weather events. The Indian government said it will help to better equip stakeholders, including citizens and last-mile users, in tackling extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change. The project will reportedly enable the Met department to develop capabilities to ‘manage’ certain weather events, like enhancing or suppressing rainfall over an area according to requirements. M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, told The Indian Express: “Eventually, we have to move in that direction — from just weather forecasting to weather management. For example, if incessant rains are happening in an area resulting in floods, we can try to suppress rainfall. Alternatively, if an area is not getting enough rainfall, we can try to engineer rainfall over that area.” “At a later stage, other weather events like lightning can also be managed,” he said. As part of the Mission Mausam, India will exponentially expound research and development, and capacity in atmospheric sciences, especially weather surveillance, modelling, forecasting, and management. By integrating advanced observation systems, high-performance computing, and cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning, Mission Mausam will set a new benchmark for predicting weather with high precision. The mission’s focus will include improving observations and understanding for providing highly accurate and timely weather and climate information across temporal and spatial scales, including monsoon forecasts, alerts for air quality, extreme weather events and cyclones, weather interventions for managing fog, hail, and rain, etc., capacity building and generating awareness, the government said. Critical elements of Mission Mausam will include the deployment of next-generation radars and satellite systems with advanced sensors and high-performance supercomputers, the development of improved Earth system models and a GIS-based automated Decision Support System for real-time data dissemination. It would also enhance data-driven decision-making in areas such as urban planning, road and rail transport, offshore operations, and environmental monitoring. Three institutes of the Ministry of Earth Sciences: the India Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting will primarily implement Mission Mausam. These institutions will be supported by other MoES institutions (Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, and National Institute of Ocean Technology), along with collaborating national and international Institutes, Academia and Industries, furthering India’s leadership in weather and climate sciences and services. The mission has been allocated Rs. 2,000 crore for the next two years. Why is this initiative important for India? As per a report released by Centre for Science and Environment, India had seen close to a disaster every day in the nine months of 2022. These disasters had claimed 2,755 lives, affected 1.8 million hectares of crop area, destroyed over 416,667 houses and killed close to 70,000 livestock that year, as per the report. Quoting government data, The Economic Times reported over 10,000 people have lost their lives in hydro-meteorological disasters in the last five years. Following its implementation, Mission Mausam is expected to directly benefit numerous sectors, such as agriculture, disaster management, defence, environment, aviation, water resources, power, tourism, shipping, transport, energy, and health.

Cabinet clears ‘Mission Mausam’ to boost weather forecasts, tackle climate change

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved “Mission Mausam” to enhance India’s ability to predict and respond to extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change. The mission, with a budget of Rs 2,000 crore over two years, will be primarily implemented by three key institutions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) — the India Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting. These will be supported by other MoES bodies, such as the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research and the National Institute of Ocean Technology. The mission will focus on improving observations and understanding to deliver highly accurate and timely weather and climate information across temporal and spatial scales. This includes information on monsoon, air quality, extreme weather events, cyclones and weather interventions for managing fog, hail and rain. Critical elements of “Mission Mausam” include the deployment of next-generation radars and satellite systems with advanced sensors, high-performance supercomputers, the development of enhanced Earth system models and a GIS-based automated decision support system for real-time data sharing, the Union Cabinet said in a statement. The mission will benefit multiple sectors, including agriculture, disaster management, defence, aviation, energy, water resources and tourism. It will also improve decision-making in areas like urban planning, transportation and environmental monitoring. The multi-faceted and transformative initiative will “tremendously boost India’s weather and climate-related science, research and services”, the Union Cabinet said. It will equip stakeholders, including citizens and last-mile users, to better tackle extreme weather events and climate change impacts. The programme will help broaden capacity and resilience across communities, sectors and ecosystems in the long run, it said. Climate change is triggering more extreme weather events, such as sudden heavy rainfall, heatwaves, and cyclones. Experts say these events are becoming harder to predict due to shifting patterns in the atmosphere and oceans. As part of “Mission Mausam”, India will exponentially expand research and development, and capacity in atmospheric sciences, especially weather surveillance, modelling, forecasting and management, the Union Cabinet said. By integrating advanced observation systems, high-performance computing and cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning, “Mission Mausam” will set a new benchmark for predicting weather with high precision, it said. According to the Centre for Science and Environment’s “State of Environment 2024” report, India experienced extreme weather events on 318 out of 365 days in 2023, with all states and Union territories facing such events on at least one day. These events resulted in 3,287 human deaths, the loss of 1.24 lakh animals, and damage to 2.21 million hectares of crop area, the report said. A survey conducted by the Forum of Enterprises for Equitable Development (FEED), in collaboration with the Development Intelligence Unit (DIU), found that 80 per cent of marginal farmers in India have suffered crop losses due to extreme weather events over the past five years. (PTI)

Inside the half-truths of corporate India’s sustainability claims

Inside the half-truths of corporate India’s sustainability claims On an Indigo (Interglobe Aviation) flight, as passengers enjoy their snacks, few think about the plastic waste piling up around them. Indigo, for its part, is also indifferent, arguing that it is “not a manufacturing company”, so the trash isn’t its responsibility. Then there is Maruti Suzuki, the country’s top automaker, rolling out cars loaded with plastic components. Yet, “plastic” was conspicuously absent when the company reported about its recycled and reused input material. These aren’t minor oversights; they are checking the environmental-responsibility box while keeping the messier details off-stage. And it’s not just Indigo or Maruti. Indian companies across the board... Read more at https://the-ken.com/story/inside-the-half-truths-of-corporate-indias-sustainability-claims/

Redefining conservation

Who and what is responsible for the heart-breaking landslides that hit Wayanad district and took so many lives? The question is important even as weeks have passed and our attention has shifted to other devastating disasters. I had earlier explained how climate change played a role in the disaster but not entirely. This already vulnerable region of the Western Ghats had been made more prone to disasters because of human activities. But then the other question, which frankly haunts me, is: Why do people who live in these fragile regions end up opposing conservation efforts? They know that they are cutting that proverbial tree branch that they are sitting on! So, what can be done? Let’s first understand the developmental activities in Wayanad. My colleagues Rohini Krishnamurthy and Pulaha Roy have investigated this and found that this disaster was waiting to happen. The landslide occurred near Mundakkai, a ward of Vellerimala village. I am pointing this out because this village was identified as an ecologically sensitive area in the 2013 report by the K Kasturirangan committee. I was a member of this committee, set up by the Union environment ministry to come up with an “all-round and holistic approach for sustainable and equitable development” for the Western Ghats. It recommended that all such villages where over 20 per cent of the area was ecologically sensitive should have strict controls on developmental activities that would make the area more vulnerable. This is why it recommended against allowing destructive activities, in particular mining and stone quarries, in these areas. In November 2013, the ministry accepted this report and issued a directive under Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act, demarcating a large area (60,000 sq. km) as ecologically sensitive and banning certain activities, including mining and stone quarrying. However, Kerala asked for an amendment, citing the finding of its own committee which had argued that an entire village could not be demarcated as ecologically sensitive as it had other activities that should not be stopped. Now look at the implications of this. Pulaha superimposed the satellite imagery of quarrying sites in Wayanad on the map of the 13 villages identified by the Kasturirangan report for protection as ecologically sensitive areas. He found 15 quarrying sites across these 13 villages. One village, Noolpuzha, has six quarrying sites, all in the area demarcated as forest. And it gets worse. Rohini found to her horror that in 2017, Kerala amended its minor mineral concession rules and permitted the use of explosives anywhere beyond 50 metres of a residential building or in forest land or hill slopes. This literally means blasting in one’s backyard and creating conditions to destablise the hills. Why are we then surprised that when extreme rain hits the region, it leaves behind this scale of devastation? Wayanad landslide is a humanmade disaster.

Navigating through the climate vulnerabilities of India

ndia has its workforce distributed across the agriculture, industrial, and services sectors and it is also emerging as a global centre for technology. However, the country is susceptible to a variety of climate risks and is vulnerable to experiencing adverse impacts to a greater extent due to its diverse geography. Organizations are not immune to climate change, irrespective of their industries. Several parts of Northern India have recently experienced intense cold waves and dense fog earlier than usual and, on the contrary, prolonged heat waves persisting into June. Bengaluru, known for its abundant natural resources, experienced water scarcity in March 2024 but around 80% of the country then experienced heavy rainfall that resulted in floods and landslides. Adverse weather conditions result in physical exhaustion and impacts on human health, damage to infrastructure, and disruption to transportation and logistics. In July 2024, Kerala’s Wayanad district was impacted by a series of landslides resulting in significant loss of life and damage to infrastructure. Recent trends on severe weather events are evidence enough for organizations to prioritise preparedness to these calamities and to consistently adapt to the evolving threats surrounding the country’s dynamic risk landscape. Business continuity and resilience practitioners own a broader responsibility in being advocates of the discipline, while proactively considering potential impacts to their company’s people, assets and business operations. This article highlights three focus areas where practitioners can harness effective internal collaborations and leverage technology to navigate through bottlenecks when improving their organization’s ability to act swiftly before, during and after an extreme weather situation. Monitoring risks & building communication plans 80% of people in India live in districts that are frequently impacted by extreme weather events. India is the seventh most likely country to be subjected to climate extremes, as highlighted by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). The 2024 remote work statistics and trends data published by Forbes, also reports around 40.9% of the workforce are either in remote or hybrid working conditions. While organizations are becoming more flexible to remote and hybrid work culture, it is essential to have real-time monitoring of weather conditions across the region. An established command centre plays a pivotal role in monitoring threats and geo-tracking of the employees using digital tools as need arises. To determine a unified course of action, business continuity practitioners must enhance connections between the organization's command center and other departments that might possibly be impacted due to a severe weather event. India is a culturally diverse country, and this is often reflected in the ways companies build relationships with their staff and customers. Mass notification systems must be integrated with the organization’s familiar communication channels, with access to credible data such as employee contact details. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) conducted a crucial test through the cell broadcasting system for the nation’s new emergency alert system in September 2023, and similar tests must be performed to assess an organization’s readiness to deliver timely alerts in case of genuine emergencies. Top management holds great responsibility in cascading time-sensitive information to employees during adverse situations through robust communication plans. Extreme weather situations can disrupt network availability, and emergency mass notification systems provide multiple mediums to alert staff with critical information that will help them respond better to adverse situations. These systems must be used to send messages swiftly to the impacted employees, while also helping track of their responses. Ensuring crucial leadership collaborations Adverse weather conditions are expected to have a significant impact on both employees and organizations. Collaboration between stakeholders is key to helping an organization overcome complex operational challenges. Practitioners are required to have proactive measures to identify key leaders from different departments and provide them with adequate training sessions to have coordinated responses as per the organization’s size and maturity. Delivering scenario-based exercises with the identified group of key departments is an effective way to help teams locate gaps in the current response processes before a real-time impact situation. Lack of defined leadership responsibilities within organizations hinders their ability to respond quickly during adversities. Extreme weather events can bring in a multitude of challenges and not having a coherent process will further worsen the situation through negative outcomes caused by misinformation, duplication of efforts, siloed approaches between teams, and lack of accountability. Leadership contribution is extremely critical when emergencies occur. It is vital to have heightened awareness amidst key stakeholders. business continuity practitioners can influence cross collaboration within departments and join their forces by being trusted advisors in coordinating risk-informed decisions. Strengthening continuity of operations Adopting a robust business continuity framework is no longer a luxury, but an essential part of an organization during a major interruption. It is important for business continuity practitioners to track critical functions that might have exposure to threats of extreme weather events. This can be achieved through a risk register maintained with insights from business impact analysis (BIA) sessions that cover areas such as single points of failures associated with staff, location, and infrastructure dependencies. Resilience professionals have a holistic view of the organization’s interdependent teams. Even when functions have their standalone response plans, collaboration between these standalone functions is crucial to achieve an organization’s resilience objectives. Resilience is achieved when the critical core teams collaborate to provide a unified response to disruptive situations. business continuity practitioners must assign programme champions in these teams, who will be activated through common communication platforms to rally the necessary support during emergencies. An example of this is a successfully coordinated response between teams that include real estate or operations teams to advise on the availability of infrastructure, procurement teams to ensure supplier recovery capabilities, security teams to enable safety of people, and legal teams that fulfill the statutory obligations. Depending on the scale and complexity of the departments in the organization, business continuity practitioners must stay ahead of the curve by identifying climate risks that will prospectively impact the existing functions covered in their business continuity plans (BCPs). When enabling relationships between the core teams, resilience professionals play a significant role in elevating effective coordination between interdependent departments to deliver consistent responses to extreme weather situations. The way forward India is now expected to experience adverse weather events almost every day in the first few months of the year according to the independent think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). By being prepared for climate risks, organizations can also be better equipped to manage other areas of threat to business operations. business continuity practitioners must ensure that efforts are invested to find the right approach, aligning to the organization's priorities, that are agile and adaptable as the effects of climate change are experienced.

Cabinet clears 'Mission Mausam' to boost weather forecasts tackle climate change

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved "Mission Mausam" to enhance India's ability to predict and respond to extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change. The mission, with a budget of Rs 2,000 crore over two years, will be primarily implemented by three key institutions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) -- the India Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting. These will be supported by other MoES bodies, such as the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research and the National Institute of Ocean Technology. The mission will focus on improving observations and understanding to deliver highly accurate and timely weather and climate information across temporal and spatial scales. This includes information on monsoon, air quality, extreme weather events, cyclones and weather interventions for managing fog, hail and rain. Critical elements of "Mission Mausam" include the deployment of next-generation radars and satellite systems with advanced sensors, high-performance supercomputers, the development of enhanced Earth system models and a GIS-based automated decision support system for real-time data sharing, the Union Cabinet said in a statement. The mission will benefit multiple sectors, including agriculture, disaster management, defence, aviation, energy, water resources and tourism. It will also improve decision-making in areas like urban planning, transportation and environmental monitoring. The multi-faceted and transformative initiative will "tremendously boost India's weather and climate-related science, research and services", the Union Cabinet said. It will equip stakeholders, including citizens and last-mile users, to better tackle extreme weather events and climate change impacts. The programme will help broaden capacity and resilience across communities, sectors and ecosystems in the long run, it said. Climate change is triggering more extreme weather events, such as sudden heavy rainfall, heatwaves, and cyclones. Experts say these events are becoming harder to predict due to shifting patterns in the atmosphere and oceans. As part of "Mission Mausam", India will exponentially expand research and development, and capacity in atmospheric sciences, especially weather surveillance, modelling, forecasting and management, the Union Cabinet said. By integrating advanced observation systems, high-performance computing and cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning, "Mission Mausam" will set a new benchmark for predicting weather with high precision, it said. According to the Centre for Science and Environment's "State of Environment 2024" report, India experienced extreme weather events on 318 out of 365 days in 2023, with all states and Union territories facing such events on at least one day. These events resulted in 3,287 human deaths, the loss of 1.24 lakh animals, and damage to 2.21 million hectares of crop area, the report said. A survey conducted by the Forum of Enterprises for Equitable Development (FEED), in collaboration with the Development Intelligence Unit (DIU), found that 80 per cent of marginal farmers in India have suffered crop losses due to extreme weather events over the past five years.

India Unveils Mission Mausam to Elevate Weather Forecasting and Combat Climate Change

The Union Cabinet has approved Mission Mausam to enhance India's ability to predict and respond to extreme weather events and climate change impacts. With a budget of Rs 2,000 crore over two years, the mission will be implemented by three key institutions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES): the India Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Trop Climate change is causing more extreme weather events like heavy rainfall, heatwaves, and cyclones. Experts note that these events are becoming harder to predict due to shifting atmospheric and oceanic patterns. According to the Centre for Science and Environment's State of Environment 2024 report, India experienced extreme weather events on 318 out of 365 days in 2023. All states and Union territories faced such events at least once.

Himalayas Need Urgent Attention: 65% Faster Loss Of Glacier Mass Leading To Irreversible Changes

In the last decade, the Himalayan region in India has accounted for 44 per cent of all the disasters reported in the country, mostly in Uttarakhand. More than 192 incidents of floods, landslides and thunderstorms have been reported in 10 years with cloudbursts and torrential rains experienced in the region in 2023 as curtain-raisers for the future. Not more than a month ago, heavy rain lashed Uttarakhand, disrupting normal life. Experts believe that this will become more pronounced with every passing year. This assessment of the Himalayan region and the impacts of climate change are published in the State of India’s Environment 2024 report, released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth magazine. As per the report, the Hindu Kush Himalayas have seen a 65 per cent faster loss of glacier mass. The ice melt from glaciers is creating new glacial lakes. The cloudbursts are triggering overflows in the lakes and floods in the area. Overall, the Himalayas have already lost more than 40 per cent of their ice, and are likely to lose up to 75 per cent in the next 75 years. The vegetation line in the Himalayas is also shifting upwards at the rate of 11 to 54 m per decade. Over the last few years, scientists have been warning about the impact of global warming on the Himalayas and the entire ecosystem. While the authorities design appropriate actions to stabilise the vegetation, increasing danger to human life due to the changes in the Himalayan region has no alternative. Decline of snow-covered areas in the Himalayas The Himalayas are a major source of water supply not only for India but several other countries. It is reported that about 2,000 cubic kilometres of water are stored in the Himalayas - often called the water tower of Asia. However, the water in the Himalayas has started decreasing with glaciers shrinking rapidly. Decreasing seasonal snowfall Former scientist of Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dr DP Dobhal said that global warming has caused a decrease in snow in the upper region of the Himalayas, which after melting leads to glacier melting. This is deteriorating the health of the glaciers in the Himalayas at a rapid speed. Snow melts earlier than before Scientists say that the range of snowfall has moved 50 meters upwards. This is a direct effect of the glacier on the Himalayas. Scientists observe that the snow used to start melting in the higher Himalayan region from the end of June, however, the time has shifted to April making it an early melting of snow as well as glaciers. This is creating other climate changes in the region including floods and cloudbursts. Worrying events in the Himalayas In the last five years, the natural calamities caused by climate change have increased rapidly. These incidents are a concern for scientists along with preparing plans to avoid its worst consequences. Several incidents have been reported of avalanches in the higher Himalayan regions, majorly in Kedarnath with 5 incidents since 2022. Similarly, the rapid erosion of moraine (existing sand on glaciers) causes an exceeding number of landslides. Forest fires causing black carbon on glaciers The threat of black carbon on Himalayan glaciers is increasing rapidly. The soaring temperature in the Himalayan region has caused multiple incidents causing carbon emissions that eventually reach the glaciers. Scientists say, the black carbon absorbs heat and then the temperature of that area increases. Fire in the forests of Uttarakhand and other Himalayan regions is reducing the green space and also affecting the upper Himalayan region. Gangotri and Malari glaciers lose lifespan According to Himalayan researcher Dr Vipin Kumar, areas like Gangotri and Malari, which were laden with glaciers, are severely affected by tourists. The prime reason for glacier decline in these areas is road construction leading to carbon emission, therefore, building heat in the environment around. Talking about the adverse effects of climate change in Uttarakhand and other Himalayan regions, environmentalist Dr Anil Joshi, in conversation with ETV Bharat said, there’s a dire need to conserve natural resources like rivers and jungles. “Drylands should be converted into forests and there should be adequate water storage tanks. These steps will lead to growing vegetation and control flood-like situations,” he said. He further said that until the state is completely covered with trees, the target to control climate change is not possible. Dr Joshi pointed out that the increased heat in India and other countries is a result of global warming. “We can’t stop global warming nor can we control its effect on glaciers, but what we can do is control the temperature of our surrounding areas. There should be no tempering with upper Himalayan areas and tourism should be completely banned,” he opines. The environmentalist, who is also a recipient of Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India, said that the government needs to include ecology in all the plans and policies of the country. Additionally, the Himalayas are not a place for tourism, rather every individual should think about conserving nature and its resources.