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Cse In News

Ban up in smoke as brick kilns still hooked to coal

Coal continues to be widely used in brick kilns across DelhiNCR despite a ban, according to a survey by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). With brick kilns being one of the contributors to Delhi’s air pollution, the report found widespread non-compliance, weak enforcement, poor transition support and limited adoption of cleaner fuels across the brick-making sector. “The brick industry is among the most polluting and least regulated sectors in the country. Commission for Air Quality (CAQM)’s coal ban was a necessary step, but a direction without a transition strategy is unlikely to change behaviour on the ground,” CSE programme officer Subhrajit Goswami said, adding that the sector needs technical guidance, financial support and institutional hand-holding. “None of that was provided and the survey results reflect exactly that gap,” he pointed out.

Centre eyes EV charge infra boost on 74 key highways, asks states, NHAI to prep

The Centre has asked state governments and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to fast-track electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across 74 priority highway corridors, according to two people aware of the development and a document reviewed by Mint. The move aims to address a key bottleneck in the adoption of electric buses and trucks in India, The fear of running out of battery charge on longer routes, commonly referred to as ‘range anxiety’, is seen as a key deterrent to EV adoption.

Right time to focus on sustainable agriculture

Indian agriculture, despite considerable progress in climate smart technology adoption, remains extremely vulnerable to changes in rainfall quantum and distribution with rainfed area accounting for half of the cultivated area. In addition, increasing extreme weather events and rising temperatures due to climate change are also affecting crop yields and farm incomes. For instance, number of days recording extreme weather increased to 331 in 2025 from 295 in 2024 and from 292 prior to that according to a report by Centre for Science and Environment .In this regard, the forecast of below normal rainfall at 90 per cent of long period average for 2026 is a cause for concern. It is crucial to build a resilient agricultural production system. Agricultural support policies since 1960s have been largely promoting cultivation of resource intensive crops like rice, wheat and sugarcane with assured procurement and input subsidies like free electricity. For instance, despite the forecasted below normal rainfall and the ongoing fertilizer supply constraints, the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy has been increased by about 3 per cent for kharif 2026. Although the increase of MSP for paddy is relatively lower than that of pulses and oilseeds for kharif 2026, limited procurement and relatively low yields of pulses/oilseeds may not encourage farmers to shift from rice cultivation. Hence, there is an urgent need to address such imbalances in support policies that aid in exhaustion of natural resources and reorient them to promote resource conservation.

तपती धरती, घटती मजदूरी: खेत मजदूर सबसे अधिक प्रभावित, भीषण गर्मी ने खेतिहर मजदूरों से छीने काम के 54 दिन

बढ़ती गर्मी अब सिर्फ फसलों के लिए ही नहीं, बल्कि खेतों में काम करने वाले मजदूरों के लिए भी बड़ी चुनौती बनती जा रही है। ब्रिटेन की संस्था एनर्जी एंड क्लाइमेट इंटेलिजेंस यूनिट की एक रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, वर्ष 2024 में भारत के कृषि श्रमिकों ने भीषण गर्मी के कारण औसतन 648 घंटे काम नहीं कर पाए। यह लगभग 54 पूरे कार्य-दिवस के बराबर है। रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, जब तापमान बहुत अधिक बढ़ जाता है तो खेतों में लंबे समय तक काम करना खतरनाक हो जाता है। ऐसे में मजदूरों को काम के घंटे कम करने पड़ते हैं, बार-बार आराम करना पड़ता है या कई बार काम पूरी तरह रोकना पड़ता है। इसका सीधा असर उनकी आय पर पड़ता है। अध्ययन में शामिल 15 देशों में भारत गर्मी के कारण कृषि श्रम हानि के मामले में तीसरे स्थान पर रहा। भारत से आगे केवल घाना और वियतनाम ही थे। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, वर्ष 2024 में भारत के कृषि क्षेत्र में गर्मी की वजह से कुल 16.33 करोड़ कार्य घंटे नष्ट हुए, जो 2014 की तुलना में 45 प्रतिशत से अधिक वृद्धि है। विशेषज्ञों का कहना है कि स्थिति और भी गंभीर हो सकती है। वैज्ञानिकों ने आशंका जताई है कि आने वाले वर्षों में एक शक्तिशाली अल नीनो विकसित हो सकता है, जिससे तापमान और बढ़ेगा। विश्व मौसम संगठन का अनुमान है कि वर्ष 2027 अब तक का सबसे गर्म वर्ष हो सकता है। रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि बढ़ती गर्मी केवल मजदूरों की कमाई ही नहीं घटा रही, बल्कि खाद्य उत्पादन और खाद्य सुरक्षा के लिए भी खतरा बन रही है। भारत जैसे देशों में, जहां बड़ी आबादी खेती पर निर्भर है, खेतों में काम के घंटे कम होने से उत्पादन और ग्रामीण अर्थव्यवस्था दोनों प्रभावित हो सकते हैं। दिल्ली स्थित सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट के अनुसार, वर्ष 2025 में लगभग पूरे साल देश के किसी न किसी हिस्से में चरम मौसम की घटनाएं दर्ज की गईं। इससे साफ है कि जलवायु परिवर्तन अब भविष्य की नहीं, बल्कि वर्तमान की समस्या बन चुका है।

The heat stress: Why Delhi can't cool down during summer nights

Nights in Delhi have been getting hotter. On May 25, the city recorded its warmest night in 14 years. But this wasn’t the first time. Over the past decade, as days in the national capital have attracted more heat, its nights have stopped offering much relief, finds the ‘Making Delhi Heat-Resilient’ report by think-tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The report notes that this makes construction workers, gig workers, street vendors, the homeless, and those living in informal settlements particularly vulnerable to heat stress. Those affected include women, children and the elderly, who together comprise nearly half of Delhi’s population.

Caught in a Storm

At what point do pledges and promises seem empty? All of us do it ahead of days like, say, World Environment Day. We will hold up saplings and pose for Instagram while remaining unaffected as older trees are slaughtered without thought or care, and incomparable baby ones are planted in a different part of the region. This is one of the surest ways of greenwashing that ultimately yields nothing. Not my words — I gleaned this knowledge after speaking to arborists, environmentalists, and researchers. I would love to ask you to do this and not to do that. But the truth is that our words seem hollow when actions don’t follow. Yes, we aren’t going with axes in hand to cull trees. Often, normal people have negligible say when green covers vanish. These decisions are taken by the administration in the name of development. And of course, that’s essential. Metro railway projects must come up or expand, a populous city needs a second airport, and data centres will dictate the future. But can our planners take more than a moment to decide the fate of decades-old trees? Shouldn’t there be stricter, more authoritative assessment reports that not only highlight the benefits of said development but also the environmental cost? Scrapping a project on ecological grounds may seem frustrating to those of a capitalistic bent of mind, but herein lies the real challenge — sensitisation. Even today, most people, including those commanding huge corporations, directing the flow of millions of dollars, and employing hundreds of people, miss this. While they claim to understand the environmental aspect, they seldom truly get it. The impact, the fall-out, the repercussions on current and future generations — this never really penetrates their being. Case in point, behold the recent devastation caused by climate change to our nation’s crops and the debilitating effect it’s having on our farmers and food security. Our prized fruit, the Alphonso mango from Maharashtra, has faced a serious blow this year with hotter weather ruining the “King of Fruits”. Experts ascribe losses in Devgad, one of the leading Alphonso growing regions in the state, to day and night-time temperature change during the flowering and fruiting months of December and January, followed by higher temperatures than usual in April and May due to the El Niño effect. News reports cite a government survey to deduce that 85 per cent to 90 per cent of the crop has been lost this year. As the largest exporter of mangoes, the ongoing war in West Asia has further hurt the sector in India. Adding insult to injury, Japan has banned Indian mangoes over pest control lapses found in vapour heat treatment (VHT) facilities in the country, discovered during inspections made earlier this year. Indian farmers are paying a heavy price due to climate change. Harvest festivals of 2026 took place against a background of gloom in states such as Assam and Punjab, where climate change wreaked havoc. In Assam, over 20,000 acres of crops were damaged by floods and hailstorms in the past year. In Punjab, the story was no different — wheat crops across 135,000 acres were destroyed by unseasonal rain and hailstorms. For the rest of us, sudden hailstorms and unseasonal rain mean the onset of romantic weather with hot cups of chai and pakora; a few hundred kilometres away, our farmer brethren stare at destruction. As per the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), globally, almost 40 per cent of crops are damaged by pests and diseases; the Indian government put that number at 30 per cent for us. The resilience, survival, and accelerated breeding of insects is directly linked to climate change. Propelled by man-made land degradation and heightened pollution, crop yields are steadily declining as well, while frequent episodes of extreme weather are causing destruction of crops. Climate shocks are regularly impacting India’s food security, driving up food inflation, causing shortages, and loss. Researchers suggest that there is hardly any “normal” weather any longer, with pre-Monsoon emerging as the new high-risk period for crops. As per a study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth magazine, we were struck by climate-related disasters on 331 of 334 days in 2025, up from 295 in 2024, and 292 in 2022. This year, extreme weather events took place almost every day till early 2026. Real-time weather ranking in June showed that 95 of the world’s 100 hottest cities are located in India. According to an Oxford University study, 14 of the world’s 50 most heat-vulnerable cities are in India. So what can we do to cope, tackle, and possibly reverse the effects of climate change? Policy-makers and administrators must brace the urgency of the situation and put plans into action. Agricultural and environmental experts suggest a change towards ecosystem-based adaptations (EbA), which use natural biodiversity to the communities’ advantage. Other ways to be climate-ready would be to initiate crop diversification and rotation to handle pests and agroforestry to encourage an increase in green cover and aid with climate resilience. Enhanced use of technology, artificial intelligence (AI), drones, satellite systems, and so forth, can fortify surveillance and sound early alarms. Most importantly, we will have to shed climate scepticism en masse. Being climate-resilient is neither a fad nor an option, but rather a critical necessity.

Despite CAQM ban, coal keeps burning in NCR brick kilns, finds CSE

Coal continues to be widely used in brick kilns across Delhi-NCR despite a ban, according to a survey by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). With brick kilns being one of the contributors to Delhi’s air pollution, the report found widespread non-compliance, weak enforcement, poor transition support and limited adoption of cleaner fuels across the brick-making sector.It also noted the use of carbon black as fuel at several kilns, with stocks typically stored discreetly and supplied mainly at night. The report, Rules Without Reach: How the brick-making industry has fared on CAQM compliances in Delhi-NCR, is based on two rounds of surveys conducted across brick kiln clusters in Delhi-NCR. The first round in 2025 covered 128 brick kilns, while the second round in 2026 surveyed 152 kilns across Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Shamli, Jhajjar, Panipat and Sonipat, and virtual communications with 60 kiln owners. “The brick industry is among the most polluting and least regulated sectors in the country. Commission for Air Quality (CAQM)’s coal ban was a necessary step, but a direction without a transition strategy is unlikely to change behaviour on the ground,” CSE programme officer Subhrajit Goswami said, adding that the sector needs technical guidance, financial support and institutional hand-holding. “None of that was provided and the survey results reflect exactly that gap,” he pointed out. The report found that in 2025, about 77% of the surveyed kilns were found using coal, while in 2026 coal use was observed in about 72% of the surveyed units. Most kilns used coal in combination with biomass rather than as a standalone fuel. Coal deliveries were often arranged on a daily basis and frequently took place during evening or night hours. Explaining why the transition has not happened, the report said kiln owners consistently maintained that coal was essential for producing good quality bricks as biomass didn’t have the same calorific value. Coal offers 4,000 to 6,000kcal/kg, while most crop residues provide only 3,000-4,000kcal/kg. “Most owners said a blend of at least 20-30% coal with 70-80% biomass is the minimum needed to maintain product quality. Going to zero coal, as the mandate requires, is something the sector is not technically ready for, and the research needed to get it there has not been done at the scale required,” said CSE. All 128 kilns surveyed in 2025 and the 152 kilns surveyed in 2026 had formally converted from the conventional fixed chimney bull’s trench kiln to zig-zag technology as mandated. “But the conversion on paper has not meant conversion in practice. Around 70% of the evaluated kilns had cracks, broken walls or poor-quality plastering. In a zig-zag kiln, structural integrity is essential, cold air leaks through any opening, heat escapes and fuel consumption rises,” CSE pointed out. In 2025, no green cover was observed in about 82% of the surveyed kilns while 78% had no green cover in 2026. Only two surveyed kilns in 2026 had sufficient plantation on their premises. “Brick kilns were found operating in close proximity to schools in Bulandshahr and Panipat,” said CSE. The report recommended technical assistance to support fuel transition, development of monitoring mechanisms to prevent coal supply to NCR kilns, standardisation of biomass fuel quality, and better collaboration between regulators and technical institutions to facilitate compliance.

Delhi-NCR’s brick-making sector in violation of CAQM’s coal ban: Report

The brick-making sector in Delhi-NCR continues to violate the Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) ban on the use of coal, according to a new report. It stated that the prohibition lacks a credible enforcement mechanism, a monitoring system, and transition support from regulatory authorities to the industry. The report titled ‘Rules Without Reach: How the Brick-Making Industry Has Fared on CAQM Compliances in Delhi-NCR’ was published by the Centre for Science and Environment on Friday. For their analysis, the authors conducted two rounds of field surveys covering 128 kilns in 2025 and 152 kilns in 2026 across Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Shamli, Jhajjar, Panipat, and Sonipat, along with virtual communications with 60 kiln owners. They found that about 77 per cent of the 128 kilns surveyed in 2025 were using coal. In 2026, that figure marginally decreased to 72 per cent of the 152 kilns surveyed. In a statement, CSE programme officer Subhrajit Goswami said, “The brick industry is among the most polluting and least regulated sectors in the country. The CAQM coal ban was a necessary step, but a direction without a transition strategy is unlikely to change behaviour on the ground.” According to a 2016-17 study for Delhi-NCR, conducted by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), brick kilns accounted for an average of 8 per cent of the total PM2.5 emissions by all industries in the region during the winter season.

Air pollution is no longer a metro-city problem

The State of India’s Environment (SoE) 2026 report, published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), states that air pollution within a broader public health framework, emphasising its pervasive and nationwide character. The principal sources of pollution – including vehicles, thermal power plants, industrial combustion, household biomass burning, and open waste burning – are widespread across both urban and rural regions. As the economic development expands geographically, so too do the environmental consequences associated with it. Every year, as October approaches and the stubble smoke begins its seasonal drift across the Indo-Gangetic plain, India rediscovers its air quality crisis. Media attention intensifies, environment ministries issue advisories, and Delhi’s Air Quality Index becomes a political battlefield. And every year, as the monsoon rains arrive the following June, the story quietly shifts. The smog lifts. The camera moves on. The crisis, we are told, is over – until next winter. The assumption that India’s air pollution crisis is primarily seasonal is complicated by the case of Byrnihat, an industrial settlement located on the Assam – Meghalaya border. According to the 2024 IQAir World Air Quality Report, the town identified as the World’s most polluted urban area recorded an annual mean PM2.5 concentration of 128.2 μg/m3. That figure is not a winter spike. It is a year-round, 365-day average. And it’s more than 25 times the World Health Organisation’s recommended safe limit of 5 μg/m3. Byrnihat’s emergence as the world’s most polluted city was not a sudden development. It had already been declared India’s most polluted urban centre by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2023. Despite this designation, the town lacked contentious real-time air quality monitoring until international attention brought the issue into sharper focus. The town’s residents – breathing hazardous air every single day – existed, for all practical governance purposes, in a data void. A crisis that quietly spread The 2024 World Air Quality Report delivered a verdict that should force a fundamental rethinking of India’s clean air policy. Out of the 20 most polluted cities globally, 13 were located in India. Significantly, the list extends beyond major metropolitan centres to include towns such as Mullanpur, Faridabad, Loni, Gurugram, Gangapur, and Bhiwadi, highlighting the rapidly industrialising satellite towns and secondary cities such as Haryana, Rajasthan, and Western Uttar Pradesh, suggesting that pollution burdens are increasingly linked to the patterns of peri–urban growth and industrial decentralisation. These findings carry significant policy implications. India’s air quality policy has been architecturally designed around its metro cities. The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched in 2019, targets 130 non–attainment cities with a revised aim of achieving up to a 40% reduction in PM10 concentrations by 2025-26. Yet a 2026 assessment by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found that a substantial majority of the monitored cities remained above prescribed PM10 standards, while a significant number also exceeded PM2.5 thresholds. The more dangerous, finer fraction of particulate matter that penetrates deep into lung tissue and the bloodstream. The State of India’s Environment (SoE) 2026 report, published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), states that air pollution within a broader public health framework, emphasising its pervasive and nationwide character. The principal sources of pollution – including vehicles, thermal power plants, industrial combustion, household biomass burning, and open waste burning – are widespread across both urban and rural regions. As the economic development expands geographically, so too do the environmental consequences associated with it. The SoE report by CSE even notes that India cannot have livable cities, or attract business and trade without improving air quality. The monitoring gap The case of Byrnihat illustrates systematic failure in India’s air quality governance architecture. As of 2025, 28 out of 130 NCAP cities still had no contentious ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS). Furthermore, the NCAP target to establish 1,500 manual stations by 2024 remained unmet, with a shortfall of 465 stations even in 2025. And critically, only 90 of 130 NCAP cities had completed source apportionment studies – meaning that till now roughly 40 cities formally enrolled in India’s flagship clean air programme do not actually know what is making their air dirty. The issue lies at the core of effective air governance. Without reliable information regarding the principal source of pollution, policymakers cannot efficiently allocate resources, design targeted interventions, or enforce regulatory compliance. The Centre for Science and Environment's own assessment of NCAP notes that even though the programme was designed to address both PM10 and PM2.5, in practice, only PM10 has been used for performance assessment. As a result, PM2.5 pollution, which poses greater health risks, has received comparatively limited attention in performance evaluation frameworks. The allocation and utilisation of the financial resources further highlight shortcomings in the implementation of the NCAP. Of the ₹11,211 crore released under the NCAP and the Fifteenth Finance Commission between 2019 and 2025, only ₹7,594 crore, 68% was actually utilised. Moreover, expenditure was heavily concentrated on road dust management, while industry and household fuel, the two most significant contributors to fine particulate matter each received only 1% of the funds. Monitoring and capacity building received a mere 4%. The distribution raises questions regarding the alignment of expenditure priorities with major pollution sources. Human cost of the blind spot The significance of these governance failures must be assessed in the light of their public health consequences. A 2024 study published in The Lancet Planetary Health found that short–term PM2.5 exposure was associated with elevated risk of death in Indian cities, even at concentrations well below India’s current PM2.5 standard, itself already far weaker than WHO guidelines. Additional estimates that air pollution linked to fossil fuels and biomass contributed to roughly 1.6 million deaths in India in 2021, highlighting the enormous human cost of persistent exposure. The public health implications of these findings are substantial. A 2024 study from Karolinska Institutet, analysing 655 Indian districts over a decade, found that each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration was associated with an 8.6% rise in mortality. In the context of Byrnihat, exceptionally high pollution levels of 128.2 μg/m3 against a safe limit of 5, the resulting health burden is unlikely to be merely theoretical. Rather, it represents a persistent and significant public health concern requiring urgent attention. The health impacts of Byrnihat air pollution are increasingly evident in public health data. Reported respiratory infection cases rose from 2,082 in 2022 to 3,681 in 2024, representing a substantial increase over a relatively short period. Behind those figures are families coping with illness, children missing classes, workers losing income, and elderly residents facing heightened health risk. Pollution is often discussed in technical terms, but in effect are deeply personal. National air quality indicators further illustrate the scale of the challenge. In 2025, India’s average PM2.5 concentration was 48.9 μg/m3, equivalent to an AQI of 134, classified as unhealthy for sensitive groups, and almost 9.78 times the WHO annual guideline. The people living in those places rarely appear in national debates, even though they bear a disproportionate share of the country’s environmental burden. Delhi-centric frame must change India’s clean air policy is shaped less by where the pollution is worst, and more by where the outrage is loudest. Delhi’s residents, backed by national media attention and frequent judicial intervention, have ensured that poor air quality carries political consequences. Measures such as the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), Traffic restrictions, odd–even car system, school closure, and construction bans exist because citizens, activists, and courts transformed dirty air into a political liability. Towns like Byrnihat rarely command the attention that Delhi receives. Their residents are often workers and families living within industrial corridors, far removed from the media spotlight and centres of political influence. Similar conditions exist in towns such as Bhagalpur, Begusaria, and Dhanbad, as well as numerous rapidly industrialising urban centres where pollution is a persistent structural challenge rather than a seasonal phenomenon. This is the “air quality blindspot” this World Environment Day demands we confront: a governance responding loudly to a seasonal crisis in politically significant cities while allowing chronic, year–round industrial pollution in peripheral towns to poison communities quietly, consistently, and with near–total impunity. Right to breathe, everywhere World Environment Day 2026 adopts the theme “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future”. However, aspirations for the future must be grounded in present realities. For millions of Indians residing in smaller towns and industrial regions, the immediate reality remains persistent exposure to hazardous air pollution, often accompanied by inadequate monitoring and regulatory oversight. Byrnihat should not be viewed as an isolated case. It demonstrates the risks associated with development processes that outpace regulatory oversight and environmental monitoring. More fundamentally, it raises concerns regarding the unequal distribution of environmental protection and the extent to which access to clean air is mediated by political visibility and institutional responsiveness. If there is one lesson to draw from this World Environment Day, it’s that India’s air pollution crisis extends far beyond the cities that dominate national headlines. Smog is not confined to Delhi’s winters. Air pollution impacts communities nationwide, many of which continue to experience significant environmental and public health risks without receiving commensurate regulatory or public attention. Recognising these communities is the first step towards addressing the problem effectively. Adarsh Anand & Vikash Kumar are law students at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.

पर्यावरण अपराधों की भी राजधानी बनी दिल्ली, 91% मामले लंबित; सजा दर बेहद कम

दिल्ली न सिर्फ प्रदूषण और कचरे के मोर्चे पर जूझ रही है, बल्कि पर्यावरण संबंधी कानूनों को तोड़ने के मामलों में भी काफी संवेदनशील स्थिति में है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) की नई रिपोर्ट ''स्टेट ऑफ इंडियाज एनवायरनमेंट 2026 : इन फिगर्स'' के अनुसार, दिल्ली पर्यावरण अपराधों की भी राजधानी बन गई है। आंकड़े बताते हैं कि इन मामलों में कानूनी कार्रवाई तो हो रही है, लेकिन अदालतों में केस लंबित होने की दर भी डराने वाली है। रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों में होने वाले कुल पर्यावरण अपराधों में अकेले दिल्ली की हिस्सेदारी 75 प्रतिशत से भी ज्यादा है। यहां अवैध रूप से पेड़ काटने, फैक्ट्रियों का केमिकल बहाने, निर्माण स्थलों पर नियमों के खिलाफ धूल उड़ाने, प्रतिबंधित प्लास्टिक या ई-कचरा डंप करने, रात में तेज आवाज में लाउडस्पीकर तथा जनरेटर चलाने के मामले साल दर साल 12 से 15 प्रतिशत की दर से बढ़ रहे हैं। रिपोर्ट में दिए आंकड़ों के अनुसार, हैरानी की बात यह भी कि दिल्ली की अदालतों में पर्यावरण से जुड़े 91 प्रतिशत से ज्यादा मामले लंबित पड़े हैं। यानी कानून तोड़ने वालों पर समय से कार्रवाई ही नहीं हो पाती। इसके अलावा, ढीली पैरवी और वैज्ञानिक सबूतों की कमी के चलते कोर्ट से सजा होने की दर 18.5 प्रतिशत से भी कम है। इसका सीधा मतलब यह कि पर्यावरण को नुकसान पहुंचाने वाले हर पांच में से चार आरोपी साक्ष्यों के अभाव में साफ बच निकलते हैं। पर्यावरणविदों का साफ कहना है कि दिल्ली प्रदूषण नियंत्रण समिति (डीपीसीसी) और वन विभाग जैसी सरकारी एजेंसियों में स्टाफ की कमी और स्पेशल कोर्ट में मुकदमों की कछुआ चाल के कारण ही आज राजधानी में पर्यावरण अपराधियों के हौसले बुलंद हैं। प्रमुख पर्यावरण कानून जिनके तहत दिल्ली में दर्ज होते हैं मामले - पर्यावरण (संरक्षण) अधिनियम, 1986 : औद्योगिक इकाइयों द्वारा बिना अनुमति प्रदूषण फैलाना या खतरनाक कचरा डंप करना। - वायु (प्रदूषण निवारण और नियंत्रण) अधिनियम, 1981 : ग्रेडेड रिस्पांस एक्शन प्लान (ग्रेप) के नियमों का उल्लंघन करना और निर्माण स्थलों पर धूल नियंत्रण के नियमों को तोड़ना। - दिल्ली वृक्ष संरक्षण अधिनियम (डीपीटीए 1994) : राजधानी की हरियाली को अवैध रूप से नुकसान पहुंचाना या बिना वन विभाग की अनुमति के पेड़ काटना। दिल्ली में पर्यावरण से जुड़े मुकदमों का लेखा-जोखा वर्ष 2022 से 2024 तक के आंकड़े साल (Year) मूल्य (Value) 2022 226 2023 266 2024 294 दिल्ली की अदालतों में इन मुकदमों की स्थिति -लंबित केस दर - 91.2 प्रतिशत: अदालतों में पर्यावरण से जुड़े 90 प्रतिशत से ज्यादा मामलों पर समय से सुनवाई पूरी ही नहीं हो पाती और फाइलें दबी रह जाती हैं। -सजा मिलने की दर - 18.5 प्रतिशत: ढीली तफ्तीश और कानूनी पैरवी कमजोर होने के कारण कोर्ट से सिर्फ 18 प्रतिशत आरोपियों को ही सजा मिल पाती है, बाकी बरी हो जाते हैं। - चार्जशीट दाखिल होने की दर - 82 प्रतिशत : पुलिस और एजेंसियां मामले पकड़कर 82 प्रतिशत केसों की चार्जशीट तो कोर्ट में दाखिल कर देती हैं, लेकिन इसके बाद अदालती ट्रायल की रफ्तार सुस्त पड़ जाती है।

West Bengal's Green Ranking: Investor Outlook on Environment

West Bengal ranked 24th out of 28 states in the 'State of India's Environment 2026' report. For investors, this low ecological performance suggests that industrial projects in the state may face stricter environmental regulations and higher compliance costs in the future. What Happened West Bengal has been placed 24th out of 28 states in the 'State of India's Environment 2026: In Figures' report, released by the Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth. The state scored 47.07% on key metrics, which include forest and biodiversity, climate action, waste management, and water resources. The report identified specific concerns regarding forest cover loss—noting a reduction of 2,688 square kilometers over the last 15 years—and high pollution levels in urban centers like Kolkata. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has publicly acknowledged these challenges, citing ecological degradation in districts like Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, and parts of North Bengal. In response, the state has initiated an afforestation campaign aimed at planting over 1 crore trees, signaling an attempt to address these environmental concerns. Why This Matters For Investors For investors and businesses operating in West Bengal, this report acts as a red flag for potential regulatory changes. When a state ranks low on environmental performance metrics, it often prompts the government to introduce stricter compliance standards for industrial players. Companies in sectors such as manufacturing, steel, jute, and heavy engineering—which have a significant footprint in the state—may need to prepare for more rigorous environmental audits, tighter emission norms, and more complex clearance processes for new projects. Increased regulatory scrutiny can impact project timelines and capital expenditure. As the state government moves to improve its green credentials, businesses that are proactive in adopting sustainable practices, waste management, and pollution control are likely to be better positioned than those relying on legacy infrastructure that may struggle to meet updated environmental standards. The Industrial And Compliance Context West Bengal’s industrial ecosystem includes long-standing heavy industries and logistics hubs that are now being evaluated through the lens of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards. Recent industry assessments have shown that while awareness of ESG is growing among companies in the state, there is still a gap in systematic carbon footprint tracking and comprehensive pollution control. Investors often monitor how companies adapt to these evolving demands. If the state government accelerates environmental policy changes to boost its national ranking, it could temporarily compress profit margins for companies that must suddenly invest in retrofitting facilities or upgrading technology to comply with tighter norms. Conversely, those that successfully navigate this transition could gain a competitive edge in an increasingly sustainability-focused market. What Investors Should Track Going forward, the most important monitorable for stakeholders will be the state's specific policy response. Investors may track whether the government introduces new mandates on industrial waste disposal, water usage, or land diversion for projects. Additionally, the success of the ongoing large-scale afforestation drive and its impact on the state's environmental score in future reports will provide a signal on the administration's commitment to policy reform. Companies with strong balance sheets that can absorb potential compliance-related costs are generally better placed to handle such regulatory shifts, whereas smaller, debt-heavy firms might face higher operational risks if environmental standards are suddenly tightened.

West Bengal Environment Ranking: निवेशकों के लिए झटका! कड़े नियमों का सामना कर सकते हैं उद्योग

वेस्ट बंगाल को 'State of India's Environment 2026' रिपोर्ट में 28 राज्यों में से 24वां स्थान मिला है। यह निचला इकोलॉजिकल परफॉरमेंस निवेशकों के लिए एक चेतावनी है, जिसका मतलब है कि राज्य में औद्योगिक प्रोजेक्ट्स को भविष्य में कड़े पर्यावरण नियमों और ऊंची कंप्लायंस लागतों का सामना करना पड़ सकता है। क्या हुआ? सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) और डाउन टू अर्थ (Down To Earth) द्वारा जारी 'State of India's Environment 2026: In Figures' रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, वेस्ट बंगाल को 28 राज्यों में 24वां स्थान मिला है। राज्य ने प्रमुख मेट्रिक्स पर 47.07% स्कोर किया है, जिसमें फॉरेस्ट और बायोडाइवर्सिटी, क्लाइमेट एक्शन, वेस्ट मैनेजमेंट और वॉटर रिसोर्सेज शामिल हैं। रिपोर्ट में पिछले 15 सालों में 2,688 वर्ग किलोमीटर के फॉरेस्ट कवर में कमी और कोलकाता जैसे शहरी केंद्रों में उच्च प्रदूषण स्तर जैसी विशेष चिंताओं को उजागर किया गया है। मुख्यमंत्री सुवेंदु अधिकारी ने पुरुलिया, बांकुरा, झारग्राम और उत्तर बंगाल के कुछ हिस्सों में पर्यावरणीय क्षरण का हवाला देते हुए इन चुनौतियों को स्वीकार किया है। इन चिंताओं को दूर करने के प्रयास में, राज्य ने 1 करोड़ से अधिक पेड़ लगाने के उद्देश्य से एक एफॉरेस्टेशन (वनरोपण) अभियान शुरू किया है। निवेशकों के लिए यह क्यों मायने रखता है? वेस्ट बंगाल में काम कर रहे निवेशकों और व्यवसायों के लिए, यह रिपोर्ट संभावित नियामक बदलावों के लिए एक रेड फ्लैग का काम करती है। जब कोई राज्य पर्यावरण प्रदर्शन मेट्रिक्स पर खराब रैंक करता है, तो यह अक्सर सरकार को औद्योगिक खिलाड़ियों के लिए कड़े कंप्लायंस मानक पेश करने के लिए प्रेरित करता है। मैन्युफैक्चरिंग, स्टील, जूट और हेवी इंजीनियरिंग जैसे क्षेत्रों की कंपनियां, जिनका राज्य में महत्वपूर्ण प्रभाव है, उन्हें अधिक कठोर पर्यावरण ऑडिट, सख्त उत्सर्जन नॉर्म्स और नई परियोजनाओं के लिए अधिक जटिल क्लीयरेंस प्रक्रियाओं के लिए तैयार रहने की आवश्यकता हो सकती है। बढ़ी हुई नियामक जांच प्रोजेक्ट की समय-सीमा और कैपिटल एक्सपेंडिचर (पूंजीगत व्यय) को प्रभावित कर सकती है। जैसे-जैसे राज्य सरकार अपनी ग्रीन क्रेडेंशियल्स (पर्यावरणीय विश्वसनीयता) में सुधार करने के लिए कदम उठाती है, जो व्यवसाय टिकाऊ प्रथाओं, अपशिष्ट प्रबंधन और प्रदूषण नियंत्रण को अपनाने में सक्रिय हैं, वे उन लोगों की तुलना में बेहतर स्थिति में होंगे जो पुरानी इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर पर निर्भर हैं और अपडेटेड पर्यावरणीय मानकों को पूरा करने के लिए संघर्ष कर सकते हैं। इंडस्ट्रियल और कंप्लायंस का संदर्भ वेस्ट बंगाल के औद्योगिक इकोसिस्टम में लंबे समय से स्थापित हेवी इंडस्ट्रीज और लॉजिस्टिक्स हब शामिल हैं, जिनका अब एनवायर्नमेंटल, सोशल, एंड गवर्नेंस (ESG) मानकों के लेंस से मूल्यांकन किया जा रहा है। हाल के उद्योग आकलन से पता चला है कि राज्य की कंपनियों के बीच ESG के बारे में जागरूकता बढ़ रही है, फिर भी सिस्टमैटिक कार्बन फुटप्रिंट ट्रैकिंग और व्यापक प्रदूषण नियंत्रण में अभी भी एक गैप (कमी) है। निवेशक अक्सर इस बात पर नज़र रखते हैं कि कंपनियां इन विकसित मांगों के अनुकूल कैसे होती हैं। यदि राज्य सरकार अपनी राष्ट्रीय रैंकिंग को बढ़ावा देने के लिए पर्यावरणीय नीति परिवर्तनों में तेजी लाती है, तो यह उन कंपनियों के लिए अस्थायी रूप से प्रॉफिट मार्जिन (मुनाफे का मार्जिन) को संकुचित कर सकती है जिन्हें अचानक सख्त नॉर्म्स (मानकों) का पालन करने के लिए सुविधाओं को रेट्रोफिट (सुधार) करने या तकनीक को अपग्रेड (उन्नत) करने में निवेश करना होगा। इसके विपरीत, जो लोग इस ट्रांजिशन (संक्रमण) को सफलतापूर्वक नेविगेट करते हैं, वे तेजी से स्थिरता-केंद्रित बाजार में प्रतिस्पर्धी बढ़त हासिल कर सकते हैं। निवेशकों को क्या ट्रैक करना चाहिए? आगे बढ़ते हुए, हितधारकों के लिए सबसे महत्वपूर्ण मॉनिटर करने योग्य बात राज्य की विशिष्ट नीति प्रतिक्रिया होगी। निवेशक ट्रैक कर सकते हैं कि क्या सरकार औद्योगिक अपशिष्ट निपटान, जल उपयोग, या परियोजनाओं के लिए भूमि विचलन पर नए जनादेश पेश करती है। इसके अतिरिक्त, चल रहे बड़े पैमाने पर एफॉरेस्टेशन (वनरोपण) ड्राइव की सफलता और भविष्य की रिपोर्टों में राज्य के पर्यावरण स्कोर पर इसका प्रभाव, नीति सुधार के प्रति प्रशासन की प्रतिबद्धता पर एक संकेत प्रदान करेगा। मजबूत बैलेंस शीट वाली कंपनियां जो संभावित कंप्लायंस-संबंधित लागतों को अवशोषित कर सकती हैं, वे आम तौर पर ऐसे नियामक बदलावों को संभालने के लिए बेहतर स्थिति में होती हैं, जबकि छोटी, ऋण-भारी फर्मों को उच्च परिचालन जोखिम का सामना करना पड़ सकता है यदि पर्यावरणीय मानकों को अचानक कड़ा कर दिया जाता है।

Why in Himachal, approaching monsoon has those living in the lap of the Himalayas worried

A Centre for Science and Environment report published in November last year, further stated that "In 2025, at least 18 states/UTs recorded their highest number of extreme weather days since 2022", with Himachal Pradesh seeing the "highest number of extreme weather events"; "almost 80 per cent of the 273 days in the first nine months of 2025" saw the state witnessing such events. The monsoon remained the country's "most devastating season", the report added.