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Septage management plants in 20 U.P. cities ‘underperforming’

Uttar Pradesh’s ambitious water security initiatives under the AMRUT mission are coming under scrutiny for their sustainability and effective use. An assessment has revealed that septage management plants in 20 cities, including Lucknow, are operating at only 0-5% of their capacity, officials noted in a communique issued to press. The state is investing in infrastructure development, septage management facilities, and lake rejuvenation projects to secure urban water supplies across its 762 cities. A recent workshop, ‘Towards Sustainable Sanitation and Lake Management in Uttar Pradesh’, organised by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the Department of Urban Development (DoUD), highlighted these concerns on Thursday. The event brought together senior officials, including those from Lucknow Municipal Corporation, Nagar Palika and Jal Nigam, to discuss the progress and challenges in water management. CSE director general Sunita Narain said Uttar Pradesh has constructed 58 faecal sludge and septage management (FSSM) plants, with 40 already operational. Despite these advancements, Narain emphasised the need to ensure these facilities are both sustainable and optimally utilised. “The focus must shift towards reusing treated water and sludge to achieve the desired impact,” she said. During the workshop, CSE unveiled three critical reports on the state’s water management efforts. These reports shed light on the challenges faced by the FSSM plants and other infrastructure projects. Ajay Kumar Shukla, the state mission director of AMRUT, and Ritu Suhas, additional mission director of SBM, stressed the importance of addressing these issues. Shukla called for a broader approach beyond just beautifying water bodies, while Suhas urged the expansion of successful FSSM projects to other cities. Narain concluded by emphasising the need for improved operational and financial sustainability of treatment plants, as well as better management of lakes and wastewater reuse. The workshop underscored the ongoing challenges and the need for continued efforts to secure Uttar Pradesh’s water future.

Lessons from Wayanad tragedy

Who and what is responsible for the heart-breaking landslides that hit Wayanad district and took so many lives? This is what I had asked in my last column. The question is important even as weeks have passed and our attention has shifted to other devastating disasters. I had 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?

Cold Truths: Why Action Plan Must Strike At Root Of Pollution Sources

New Delhi: Every winter, a thick haze engulfs the capital, forcing Delhiites to breathe in highly polluted air. As Delhi govt prepares to release its winter action plan to deal with toxic air, experts emphasised reducing emissions at the source level and not relying on emergency measures to counter pollution. In Sept 2023, a 15-point winter action plan was released to fight winter pollution. This year, environment minister Gopal Rai said a 21-point winter action plan will be released soon. But among the possible plan points, experts pointed out that some measures like setting up an e-waste eco park, whose construction is yet to start, and spraying of a bio-decomposer to prevent harvest stubble burning, were already found ineffective in controlling pollution last year. Experts also said the odd-even road use scheme, artificial rain and implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan which govt was considering for this year's action plan were emergency measures that would give temporary respite. A Centre for Science and Environment study established that Delhi has seen a gradual and consistent decline in its annual PM2.5 levels from 2015-17 onwards, but this trend was interrupted in 2023 as average was higher than in 2022. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE, said, "The combat strategy for winter is essentially a set of temporary enforcement measures whose scope and effectiveness remain limited. Experience has shown that only sustained systemic and infrastructure changes can make a difference in controlling pollution. For example, waste burning can be controlled only by ensuring 100% collection, segregation, material recovery and remediation of garbage." Roychowdhury said vehicular pollution, the top polluter in the city, requires year-round action aimed at reducing the number of vehicles on the road. "An ineffective pollution certification programme cannot help. Moreover, temporary measures like odd-even road rationing can reduce vehicle numbers temporarily only if implemented effectively. But this will require a massive effort to scale up public transport services, road pricing and parking restraints to cut down on vehicular trips. Such measures need to be built throughout the year," she said. "Winter action can at best help improve a limited number of enforceable measures and enable some hotspot action. The focus should be on cutting down emissions permanently at their source," added Roychowdhury. Sunil Dahiya, South Asia analyst, Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, said anti-smog guns were effective only at construction sites and areas with high dust resuspension. "The shifting of industries to PNG is a good step but reducing overall emissions means stricter monitoring of alternate fuel usage, output quantum and emission load. Besides, the real-time source apportionment study can be helpful when stricter actions are taken based on results of this study to control emissions in the upwind direction," said Dahiya. He also said the loophole with the odd-even scheme was that if implemented every year, people would keep two cars with different number plates. "For odd-even, a real-time assessment should be done on how much this measure reduces petrol and diesel consumption," said Dahiya. "Simultaneously, public transportation should be strengthened for systematic change. Data on inspection and action taken daily should be in the public domain for accountability." There was a need to review how much pollution load these actions plans reduced, said Dipankar Saha, former head of Central Pollution Control Board's air laboratory. "The effectiveness of anti-smog guns and the duration for effective spraying in an area have not been studied. Sprinkling of water is a wastage of resources and it damages the road too," noted Saha. He added that there is a need for comprehensive control of emissions at source. Delhi govt did not respond to queries on the subject.

Scientists, Officials Call for Change in India’s Air Pollution Battle Plans

Fundamental policy changes aimed at fixing India’s seemingly intractable air pollution health crisis were suggested at the India Clean Air Summit (ICAS) held in Bengaluru recently. Among the dozens of presentations by air quality scientists and officials, five key elements emerged for policy action that can speed up the reduction of air pollutants. These involve: adopting an airshed approach rather than the prevalent city-centric approach; changing the core focus of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP); tackling indoor household pollution; sharply reducing combustion and black carbon emissions; and plugging data gaps with low-cost sensors and modelling. Hosted by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), the sixth meeting of what has become a staple of the global air quality ecosystem, was attended by over 300 Indian and international scientists, government officials, policymakers, health officials, political leaders and civil society. India’s ambient air pollution, both outdoors and indoors, has been linked to over two million premature deaths annually. This includes about 170,000 children. Pollution levels have stayed in the same ballpark for the last five years, which is more than 10 times the WHO’s guidelines (see IQAir table below); in places like Delhi it is about 20 times higher. Change focus from cities to airsheds India’s main air pollution control programme, NCAP, is currently city-focused. It incentivises 131 cities to reduce pollution, and in return, these are allocated federal funds. The problem with this approach is that much of cities’ pollution comes from outside their jurisdiction, so urban local bodies (ULBs) are helpless. In a new study, CSTEP documented the emission inventory, or local sources of pollution, in 76 Indian cities, perhaps one of the largest such studies anywhere. Take, for example, Ghaziabad which borders Delhi in the east and has been identified as one of the most polluted cities in the world. The PM 2.5 pollution measures over 28,000 tonnes per year. But 95% is from the greater city area. PM 2.5 is a microscopic particulate matter pollutant which can settle deep inside the human body and is linked to multiple health disorders such as chronic lung disease, strokes, heart attacks, cancers as well as depression and hypertension. It is similar to Davangere, a small town in Karnataka. Meanwhile, for an industrial town like Kalinga Nagar in Odisha, which has large factories inside and outside city jurisdictions, the share of PM 2.5 is almost equally divided. The report points out that most of the cities will not be able to achieve NCAP’s target of reducing pollution by 40%. “Our preliminary air quality modelling results also suggest that emissions from outside the city – what we call the airshed – can also be significant contributors to urban air pollution,” said Dr R Subramanian, who heads the Air Quality Sector at CSTEP. “We need a broader, comprehensive approach that reduces emissions from the city and the airshed at large – actions that likely require national or state-level interventions and investments in systemic change to reduce fossil fuel and biofuel use in favour of clean, renewable energy. This will move us firmly towards clean air for all – for people in cities, periurban areas, and in villages across the country.” Ashish Tiwari, the top environment officer of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state and one of the most polluted, called for NCAP to drop its city-centric approach and target airsheds. “We have strongly recommended that NCAP must adopt this airshed approach. And I am happy to tell you that MoEFCC (Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change) has started mulling over it, and very soon, I think the airshed coordination committee of eight IGP states will see the light of day,” said Tiwari. Announced in 2019, NCAP’s target is to reduce up to 40% the concentration of PM 10 by 2025-26. While PM 10 is a health risk, the finer PM 2.5 pollution can be more toxic and easily defeat the human body’s defence mechanisms. At times, the larger PM 10 can be controlled using equipment like vacuuming and mist-spraying trucks used to contain road dust. There’s no silver bullet to cut air pollution, but ensuring clean cooking fuel was one step backed by many scientists and officials in India and other parts of the Global South. Currently, the use of heavily polluting fuels, like wood, coal and biomass, is widely used, which emits a “cocktail” of toxic elements, as health expert Professor Kalpana Balakrishnan, a senior WHO and ICMR official, described it. These include PM 2.5, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene, sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides, among others. All this is inhaled near the polluting stove. Balakrishnan pointed out that different studies have put the share of household air pollution anywhere between 20 to 50%, which is a significant part of India’s ambient air pollution crisis. In 2016, the government launched a widely hailed programme, the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), to provide free subscriptions to a gas cylinder; some refills are free but most are paid. Studies have documented a decline in PM 2.5 exposure thanks to the Ujjwala scheme. Several experts at ICAS called for more funding to reduce costs for the beneficiaries. Women, invariably those cooking at home, prefer using a cooking gas cylinder. But the cost of refilling – about Rs 800 or $10 per cylinder – is a challenge for most low-income beneficiaries. However, there is a divergence between the government and health experts. In the current financial year, the government’s budget support for cooking gas subsidies has declined by 2.5%. Various studies have report Uttar Pradesh, which has 18 million Ujjwala beneficiaries, the highest, is banking on other ‘clean’ cooking solutions such as bio-digesters and induction cooktops, Tiwari said at ICAS. He flagged the low-income status of the beneficiaries, saying, “PMUY is actually linked with the income level of the households. So that will take time. We have to think about the intermediate solutions for clean cooking. So increased bio-gas uses can actually break down PM 2.5 by 97%, black carbon by 92%, and carbon dioxide-equivalent by 70%.” However, Balakrishnan, pointed out that there are several studies where primarily LPG (liquified petroleum gas) was used, comparing it to the use of biomass. In a “majority, or virtually all of the outcomes, the central estimate is favouring LPG. So there is very convincing evidence that the use of LPG, A, reduces exposures, B, is associated with improved health outcomes…” Reduce combustion, track super-pollutants Scientists like Dr Sarath Guttikunda, Founder and Director of Urban Emission, pointed out that another significant way to start reducing air pollution was to address the increasing combustion of fossil fuels. He presented data to show a rising trend in the production and consumption of coal, oil and gas. Monthly data shows rising production and consumption of fossil fuels. Monthly data shows rising production and consumption of fossil fuels. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment and one of the panellists at ICAS 2024, warned that some pollutants, particularly black carbon, were not being monitored enough. “Science is telling us that there are some subsets of particulate matter such as black carbon that have much more warming potential than CO2. Moreover, when they settle on snow and glaciers, they melt and result in a water security threat. They also affect cloud formation and interfere with rainfall patterns,” she said. Black carbon (BC) is strongly correlated with increased blood pressure levels, a high-risk factor for cardiovascular disease and strokes. It affects pregnant women and has been linked to low birth weight. Because it has a short lifespan of about a week or two in the atmosphere and yet so many devastating effects, it is known as a super-pollutant. Common sources of BC include brick kilns, burning waste, incomplete combustion of fuels, forest fires, and burning of crop stubble. There are policies and programmes in place to reduce these, but they need to be accelerated.

CSE Recommends Pathways For Upcoming Indian Carbon Market

As India is about to come up with national compliance-based carbon market, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has prepared a clear roadmap to help it along. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Budget 2024 had announced that a plan and appropriate regulations will be put in place for the transition of hard-to-abate sectors from a Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) mode to an Indian Carbon Market (ICM) mode. CSE in its report titled The Indian Carbon Market: Pathways towards an effective mechanism said that India has pledged to meet its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets by 2030, and aims for net-zero emissions by 2070, in line with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) guidelines. To meet these ambitious goals, the country has set out on a pathway to develop and launch its own national compliance-based carbon market. CSE director general Sunita Narain said, "The upcoming Indian Carbon Market scheme should kick start with a large coverage of the country's emissions. A single nation-wide carbon market scheme for carbon-intensive sectors should be brought in to ensure effective implementation and avoid any complexity. For this scheme to be effective, it also needs to ensure a high carbon price, data integrity and transparency." The report has analysed four Emission Trading Schemes (ETS) in use worldwide: the European Union Emission Trading System, the Korean ETS, the Chinese ETS, and the Surat ETS. India's Perform, Achieve, and Trade (PAT) scheme, which specified energy reduction targets over three-year cycles, has also been assessed as it sets the base for the upcoming Indian Carbon Market scheme.

Agra Footwear Industry Generates 45 Tonne Waste Every Day, Poses Big Challenge: CSE Study

Agra -- the famous city of Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh – a footwear manufacturing hub, caters to 65% of domestic demand, generates 45 tonnes of waste every day, posing a huge environmental challenge, says a new study by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a New Delhi-based think-tank. Such a large amount of daily waste has opened up a new front in the city’s struggle against environmental pollution and ecological mayhem. “Agra’s claim to fame also rests on the city being the largest footwear manufacturing hub in India. Catering to about 65 per cent of India’s domestic demand, the city churns out 0.9 to one million pairs of footwear every day. Such a scale of production comes with its own set of challenges – the city produces about 45 tonnes of footwear waste in a day”, the CSE report said. This is in addition to 978 tonnes of municipal solid waste generated every day, comprising wet, dry, domestic hazardous and sanitary wastes. According to the report, Agra has 6,821 footwear manufacturing units – both formal and informal. “Typically, footwear waste includes a very diverse range of waste items from leather, textile (polyester, viscose), synthetic polymers (polyvinyl chloride, ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), polyurethane (PU) and thermoplastic elastomers), hazardous wastes (foam soaked in adhesive solution), cardboard, metal and fines. Of the total quantum of footwear waste generated, over 31 tonne per day is contributed by the formal manufacturing industries; more than 13 tonne comes from the informal manufacturers who run their businesses from homes,” said Kuldeep Choudhary, programme officer and the lead author of the CSE report. Abhikaam Singh Pippal, president of the Juta Dastkar Federation, said, “We must understand the challenges faced by home-based shoe manufacturing units. Their working capital is very small and they operate in very small areas with limited space for storage of discarded footwear waste. We welcome initiatives for capacity building of these units to enable them to operate an integrated waste management facility. The Agra Municipal Corporation (AMC) and CSE may jointly facilitate such a process. We need support from the government to provide advanced machines for these units to reduce their waste generation.” Atin Biswas, programme director of CSE’s Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy unit, said: “CSE has been working closely with the Agra Municipal Corporation to devise solutions for managing the historic city’s municipal waste. As part of this association, CSE undertook this year-long research to assess the ground reality of footwear waste management in Agra.” Biswas added: “The CSE team mapped manufacturing units, estimated footwear waste generation, did characterisation studies to quantify the presence of different footwear waste fractions in terms of quantity and percentage, determined their calorific values, gained an understanding of current management and disposal practices and explored potential solutions. The result is this comprehensive report – Footwear Waste Management in Agra: A Ground Assessment.” The report says that AMC is able to collect about 57% of the footwear waste generated by the home-based informal sector; the remaining 43% is littered across the city in drains and open spaces or event burnt. The formal manufacturing units have reportedly tied up with formal and informal waste dealers and management professionals to manage their waste. “The larger share of Agra's footwear industry is informal in nature and operates under challenging conditions, but this presents a unique opportunity to uplift these communities. By providing financial aid, hands-on support in transitioning to sustainable practices, and raising awareness about the impact of poor waste management, we can foster positive change. Many organisations working on the ground with right kind of support from the government, can play a crucial role in driving this transformation towards a more sustainable future,” said Choudhary. Biswas said: “Considering the scale of production and footwear waste generation in Agra, special mechanisms including additional funding and infrastructure must be provided to help the municipal corporation manage this waste. More research is needed to explore the recycling-reuse-repurpose potential of the footwear waste fractions to create a business ecosystem.” The CSE report has recommended a that comprehensive database (inventory) of all footwear manufacturing units in Agra (both formal and informal) be made and all units be geotagged and registered. The existing bye-laws need to be amended to address footwear waste management, covering aspects like collection, transportation, processing, disposal, fines and penalty clauses. It further stressed the need to implement strict monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to penalise units that dispose of waste improperly, such as dumping in drains, open plots or unauthorised areas. The report also called for developing protocols for managing hazardous waste. Promote the reuse of footwear waste materials to create other products (such as keychains or doormats) and support upcycling projects through self-help groups or local industries.

Wayanad tragedy: Who is responsible for the heart – breaking landslides?

In this age of climate change, the lessons from Wayanad are clear: Learn and change, or perish! 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 have explained in previous writings how climate change plays a role in such not so natural disasters 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 at Down To Earth, 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 square 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 because 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? The Wayanad landslide is a human-made disaster.The question is: What do we do? In these areas, people are against protection as laid down first by the Madhav Gadgil committee and then the Kasturirangan committee. I saw this when I travelled through the region. People were out on the streets, shouting slogans against policies that would promote conservation. You may argue that they are swayed by vested interests. But the fact is, they believed that if the region was declared “ecologically sensitive”, governments would take over their plantations; there would be restrictions on the way they practised agriculture. It was partly because of the way we have done conservation through fiats and committees, but also because banning certain activities like quarrying would mean loss of livelihoods for them. We must keep these in mind while drafting our future policies. We have to change the way we manage our environment because of climate risks, and if we want to succeed in this, we will have to change the way we practise conservation. Currently, it is about what cannot be done — it is based on the premise that people are the biotic pressure and so activities detrimental to the ecology must be banned. This may be right, but it is also a fact that in India, our forests and other ecologically sensitive areas are the habitats of people — not just wilderness areas. To protect these areas, we need conservation that is inclusive and provides communities with tangible incentives to be partners in the efforts. This is why the Kasturirangan report recommended a green-growth package for villages demarcated as ecologically sensitive — from debt for nature swaps to payment of ecological services where trees could not be cut or destructive development needed to be banned. People would get paid for conservation. But it is also important that we evolve development strategies built on green livelihoods — from sustainable plantations of coffee or tea to eco-tourism. We need to learn how to do conservation in people’s lands and with their involvement. In this age of climate change, the lessons from Wayanad are clear: Learn and change, or perish. (The writer is Director General, Centre for Science & Environment, New Delhi and an environmental activist)

Delhi govt seeks suggestions from all parties on winter pollution plan

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday sought suggestions from Delhi units of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress on suggestions to reduce air pollution in the Capital, especially during winter. The minister said these suggestions would be included in the government’s Winter Action Plan (WAP). In a letter to the chiefs of the two parties’ city units, Rai said that cooperation with neighbouring states and collaboration with the Centre “will go hand-in-hand” with the measures that the Delhi government adopts. “Pollution can be reduced only with everyone’s cooperation, not by opposition,” Rai said. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor, however, termed the letter as “drama” by the AAP. In a post on social media platform X, he said, “There is a limit to drama Mr. @AapKaGopalRai. You write letters to everyone. Sometime, write a letter and meet CM @BhagwantMann of Punjab, the state most guilty of stubble burning. Tell me what you both are doing together to stop stubble burning. (sic)”. Meanwhile, Rai said that the suggestions can be incorporated into the government’s WAP, which will focus on 14 problematic areas, such as dust pollution, vehicular pollution, stubble burning, open burning of waste and industrial pollution. The plan is likely to be finalised by the government following a meeting of government departments and agencies on September 5. The minister also referred to a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) study from 2021, which found that between October 24 and November 8 that year, only 31% of the pollution load came from Delhi’s sources. Stubble burning and pollution sources in other NCR towns were responsible for the remaining 69%, the study found. Rai said Delhi was already taking measures to reduce local sources of pollution, with CSE’s data showing there had been a reduction in air pollution by 30% in the past nine years.

Need positive suggestions for winter action plan: Rai to BJP, Congress

In the letter to Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva and Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav, Rai cited a report of the Centre for Science and Environment suggesting that only 31% of Delhi’s pollution load is due to local sources and the rest comes from the neighbouring states. Claiming that the majority of air pollutants come from the neighbouring states, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai wrote to state unit presidents of the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday, asking for “positive suggestions” to be included in the Winter Action Plan to combat air pollution in the city. In the letter to Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva and Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav, Rai cited a report of the Centre for Science and Environment suggesting that only 31% of Delhi’s pollution load is due to local sources and the rest comes from the neighbouring states. Sachdeva, however, said that Rai was indulging in “letter politics”. The Winter Action Plan will work on three points. “First, the steps to be taken by the Delhi Government, second, getting cooperation from the neighbouring states and third, working together with the Central Government” in order to effectively reduce the pollution in Delhi even in winter,” as per the letter. “We request that if you have any positive suggestions on the above three points, which will help in reducing the pollution of Delhi, please send those to us soon so that we can include them in the action plan,” Rai’s letter further read. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva, however, said that Rai was indulging in “letter politics” because Delhi will go to polls soon. “We do not wish to play politics on a crucial issue like pollution but it’s shocking to see Minister Gopal Rai doing dirty letter politics on it. Such letters seeking political cooperation should have been written in 2015-16, not today when it’s time for the Kejriwal Government to tell Delhiites why it has failed them on pollution over a decade,” he said.

Gopal seeks fair ideas from BJP, Congress to tackle pollution

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday wrote to the Congress and BJP’s city unit presidents, seeking “positive suggestions” that can be incorporated in the Winter Action Plan to reduce pollution levels in the national capital. In the letter to BJP’s Virendra Sachdeva and Congress’ Devender Yadav, the minister cited the various initiatives taken by the AAP government to solve Delhi’s pollution problem. He cited a report of the Centre for Science and Environment which states that only 31 per cent of the pollution that the people of Delhi face is contributed by the residents while the rest comes from states in the NCR area.

Minister seeks positive suggestions from BJP, Cong to tackle pollution

Delhi’s Environment minister, Gopal Rai, has reached out to the presidents of Delhi’s BJP and Congress parties with a request for constructive suggestions to enhance the Winter Action Plan aimed at reducing air pollution in the city. In a letter to the party leaders, Rai highlighted the collaborative efforts needed to address Delhi’s pollution challenges and invited them to contribute ideas for the upcoming plan. In his communication, Rai emphasised that the Winter Action Plan will focus on three primary areas, actions by the Delhi government, cooperation with neighbouring states, and collaboration with the Central government. He stressed that reducing pollution requires a collective effort, not opposition. “Pollution can be reduced only with everyone’s cooperation, not by opposition,” Rai stated. The Environment minister’s letter provided an overview of the current pollution scenario in Delhi, referencing a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). According to the report, only 31 per cent of the pollution in Delhi is attributed to local sources, while the remainder originates from neighbouring states in the National Capital Region (NCR). Rai underscored this point to highlight the importance of a coordinated approach across jurisdictions.

Delhi minister Gopal Rai seeks 'positive suggestions' from BJP, Cong to tackle pollution

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday wrote to the Congress and BJP's city unit presidents, seeking "positive suggestions" that can be incorporated in the Winter Action Plan to reduce pollution levels in the national capital. In the letter to BJP's Virendra Sachdeva and Congress' Devender Yadav, the minister cited the various initiatives taken by the AAP government to solve Delhi's pollution problem. He cited a report of the Centre for Science and Environment which states that only 31 per cent of the pollution that the people of Delhi face is contributed by the residents while the rest comes from states in the NCR area.

Gopal Rai writes to Congress, BJP presidents seeking suggestions for Winter Action Plan

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday wrote a letter to State unit presidents of Congress Devender Yadav and BJP Virendra Sachdeva, requesting any "positive suggestions" for incorporation into the Winter Action Plan to reduce pollution levels in the national capital. Rai stated that the government is preparing the Winter Action Plan focused on three key points including actions by Delhi government, cooperation with neighboring states, and collaboration with the central government to reduce winter pollution and sought their suggestions on the same. He also highlighted the various initiatives taken by the AAP dispensation to solve the pollution problem. In the letter, he cited a report of the Centre for Science and Environment which states that only 31 per cent of the pollution that the people of Delhi have to face is contributed by the residents while the rest comes from NCR states. "Pollution can be reduced only with everyone's cooperation, not through opposition. Arvind Kejriwal's government in Delhi has taken many big steps to reduce pollution, their effect is also visible," Rai said in the letter. He added that the Delhi government is actively reducing air pollution through long- and short-term plans, including successful "Summer" and "Winter Action Plans" in collaboration with all departments. “Due to various measures by the Delhi Government, pollution in Delhi has decreased by about 30 per cent over the last nine years, even as it rises in other cities across the country. He said the Delhi government is preparing to prepare a winter action plan in collaboration with all concerned departments. "The winter action plan will be mainly based on three points. First, the steps to be taken by the Delhi Government, second, getting cooperation from the neighbouring states and third, working together with the Central Government so that pollution can be effectively reduced in Delhi even in winter. "We request you that if you have any positive suggestions on the above three points which will help in reducing the pollution of Delhi, please send those to us soon so that we can include them in the action plan. We aim to reduce the pollution of Delhi," read Rai's letter. Meanwhile, Sachdeva posed 10 questions for Rai including why the Delhi government hasn’t wrote to Punjab, an AAP ruled state and the areas to get artificial rain. “Truth is that Delhi elections are scheduled for ensuing December or January which are worst polluted months and Kejriwal government has started a letter game on pollution issue just to create ready excuses for the election days,” he said.

Environment min Gopal Rai seeks inputs from BJP, Congress to tackle air pollution

Environment minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday wrote to the presidents of Delhi units of the BJP and Congress, requesting “positive suggestions” to help reduce the city’s pollution for incorporation into the Winter Action Plan. “We request you that if you have any positive suggestions on the above three points which will help in reducing the pollution of Delhi, please send those to us soon so that we can include them in the action plan. We aim to reduce the pollution of Delhi,” read Rai’s letter. The minister said the government is preparing the winter action plan with focus on three crucial points: state-level actions, cooperation with neighboring states, and collaboration with the Centre to reduce winter air pollution, adding, pollution can only be reduced with everyone’s cooperation. Rai cited a report of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) which says only 31% of the pollution in the capital is caused locally while the rest comes from NCR. “The Delhi government is actively reducing air pollution through long- and short-term plans, including successful summer and winter Action Plans in collaboration with all departments. Due to measures taken by the Delhi government, pollution has decreased by about 30% over the last nine years, even as it rises in other cities in the country,” the minister said. Criticising the move, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said its surprising that the AAP government is suddenly trying to set up communication with the opposition on the pollution issue, adding that the environment minister has tried to mislead people by misrepresenting facts. “Such letters seeking political cooperation should have come in 2015-16; not when it’s time for the government to tell people why it has failed them.

Rai seeks suggestions from BJP, Congress on Delhi pollution

(UNI) Delhi Environment Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Gopal Rai on Tuesday requested suggestions on reducing pollution in the National Capital from the presidents of Delhi BJP and Congress for incorporation into the Winter Action Plan. In a letter to Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva and Delhi Congress President Devendra Yadav, Rai highlighted, “The pollution in Delhi has decreased by about 30% over the last nine years, even as it rises in other cities across the country.” Emphasising that pollution can be reduced only with everyone's cooperation, not by opposition, the Minister said, “Delhi government preparing the Winter Action Plan focused on three key points that are actions by Delhi, cooperation with neighbouring states, and collaboration with the central government to reduce winter pollution.” He further mentioned the Centre for Science and Environment report