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Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai Seeks "Positive Suggestions" from BJP, Congress to tackle pollution Read more At: https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/delhi-environment-minister-gopal-rai-seeks-positive-suggestions-from-bjp-congress-to-

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai Seeks "Positive Suggestions" from BJP, Congress to tackle pollution Read more At: https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/delhi-environment-minister-gopal-rai-seeks-positive-suggestions-from-bjp-congress-to-tackle-pollution20240903222006/

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

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 at the Centre for Science and Environment sunita@cseindia.org, X: @sunitanar

It’s been 5 years of the National Clean Air Programme. This is why it hasn’t worked

A new report by the Centre for Science and Environment revealed that funds for the National Clean Air Programme were overwhelmingly directed to dust management. The number of cities reporting hazardous levels of air pollution is increasing, pointing to the need to focus on combustion sources from industrial activity, waste burning, and transportation. Determining progress under the programme is conflicted by multiple metrics and ranking systems which are not aligned. When the National Clean Air Programme was launched in 2019, it set high ambitions and targets for some of India’s most polluted cities: To reduce air pollution concentrations, scale up air pollution monitoring and forecasting, and conduct pollution source apportionment studies. But five years later, not only are cities behind in meeting their targets, but also most measures to reduce air pollution have ignored major polluters responsible for causing toxic emissions, year round. A new report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed that funds under the programme were overwhelmingly spent on actions amounting to dust management: paving roads, covering potholes, and deploying mechanical sweepers and water sprinklers. Less than one percent was spent on controlling toxic emissions from industry, and around 40% of funds out of Rs. 10,566.47 crores are unused. “It means there’s no strong intent to deal with the problem,” said Jyoti Pande Lavakare, author of the book Breathing Here is Injurious to Your Health and co-founder of Care for Air, a non-profit that works on awareness about air pollution. “Spending money on mere mitigation via dust management and not actually reducing emissions at source by taking strict action against polluters who violate air pollution norms with impunity, means there’s no sincere effort to reduce pollution. The dust is back in the air within hours; a total waste of public money, just like smog towers,” she said. The 131 cities currently covered by NCAP were selected as they did not meet national air quality standards consecutively for five-years between 2011-2015. Five years later, most cities have failed to meet the NCAP’s target of reducing air pollution concentrations by 20-30% compared to 2017 levels. In fact, most gains in reducing air pollution from 2014-2021 came from gusty winds and other meteorological factors, a recent study found.

Is India Resisting Global Regulations on Plastic?

New Delhi: The fourth session of the negotiations to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution concluded in Ottawa earlier this year. While countries like Peru and Rwanda took the lead in proposing plans for drastic cuts in the production of plastics, India along with other petrochemical-producing countries attempted to limit the scope of what is being envisioned as a global treaty. India and countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran and China, labelled as a “like-minded group”, showed significant resistance against any measures that would deal with plastic production, as their economies depend on fossil fuels and their derivatives. The Indian delegation repeatedly emphasised the crucial role the plastics industry plays in the economies of developing countries and how phasing it out would have far-reaching social and economic implications. For its objection to any restrictions on the building blocks of plastic, its claims on plastic pollution that have been contested by several established scientific studies, its constant but fractured invocations of “sovereignty” in assigning responsibility and its bickering over minor textual changes, the Indian delegation’s stance has come under severe criticism. Experts believe that India’s stance does not bode well for a global treaty with any meaningful implications. India’s demands on several counts, even if met halfway, would eventually create such an open-ended and diluted mechanism that it would have a negligible impact on the entire lifecycle of plastics. Why a global treaty Plastic production increased nearly 230-fold from about two million tonnes in the 1950s to 460 million tonnes in 2019. It is expected to grow to 34 billion tonnes by 2050. Increasingly, the world has realised the need to curtail plastic not just because of its adverse effects on human health and the environment, but due to its link to the oil and gas industry – over 99% of chemicals used for producing plastics are derived from fossil fuels. When burnt for energy generation, plastic releases as many greenhouse gases as its source material. On the other hand, globally, only 9% of plastic gets recycled. Interestingly, these are the two solutions offered by many countries, including India, to offset the indiscriminate use of plastics. But recent research has established that recycling and reuse as forms of waste management can never be enough to contain plastic pollution. Consequently, environmental activists and organisations across the world believe that the responsibility of mitigating plastic pollution should be shared by the producers of plastics. However, compared to the international discussions on climate, where there is plenty of discourse on cutting down fossil fuels, there is far less unanimity on reducing plastic production. The current negotiation sessions are being held under the aegis of an intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) that began work in 2022. The INC was a direct outcome of 175 countries of the UN Environment Assembly voting to adopt a global treaty by the end of 2024 that will address plastic through its entire lifecycle – production, usage and disposal. Why the focus on polymers “There must not be any cap/binding target for the reduction or phase-out on the production of plastic polymers,” read India’s submission at INC 4. A polymer is a chain of molecules, either naturally occurring or human-made. Plastics are made from synthetic polymers that are derived from petrochemicals. The Indian delegation’s stance is that multiple sectors of our economy rely on plastics and some of them are irreplaceable – such as those used in heart transplants and the airline industry. Haren Sanghavi, a member of the All India Plastic Manufacturers Association (AIPMA), which was also part of INC 4, said that any attempt to put curbs on the plastic polymer industry would have a cascading effect that would hit the most vulnerable first. “There will be a big loss to the shelf life of food products in the absence of plastics. Since all other forms of packaging are more expensive … it will increase product costs, which will hit the common man’s pocket first,” he told The Wire. Cuba, Algeria, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, Iraq, Venezuela, Russia and a few other countries also opposed the global reduction targets regarding plastic polymers. They argued that such curbs were beyond the treaty’s mandate – the treaty was meant to target “pollution” and not the existence of plastic. They wanted to limit focus to just “problematic or avoidable plastics” that have no utility other than their primary function and are damaging to the environment, such as short-lived and one-time-use plastics. The argument was that if problematic plastics are tackled, then the polymers used to make them will anyway be eliminated. In India’s view, it has already taken the step to stop those types of plastics by banning single-use plastics. Additionally, all these countries, including India, said that any attempts to impose restrictive measures on the petrochemical and gas-chemical industries were “unacceptable” since “no plastic pollution is generated at this stage of the production value chain”. But the latest study by the US National Laboratory stated the opposite, as it showed that about 75% of greenhouse gas emissions from plastics happened even before the production of polymers. In addition, several studies, such as as the Grid Arendal study, and the inputs of the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty and the International Science Council, noted that it would be extremely difficult to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal of capping global temperature rise at 1.5 degrees Celsius if there are no reductions in the production of primary plastic polymers, which are the basic components that make up plastic. So, Peru and Rwanda took a different view and presented a proposal for intersessional work, expert meetings in between official INC sessions, on primary plastic polymers to reduce 40% of the global use of primary plastic polymers by 2040. About 28 countries, including some European and southeast Asian countries, as well as small island developing states (SIDS), launched the Bridge to Busan Declaration on Plastic Polymers to rally parties in support of keeping the provision for addressing primary plastic polymers alive in the treaty text. Bigger developed countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, however, did not back the ambitious call. Experts believe that if plastic production is unregulated, all efforts at INC 4 would be wasted as the treaty would be diluted and would not tackle the “entire lifecycle of plastics”. It will be limited to downstream measures like the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) – a policy that makes producers responsible for their products, including at the post-consumer stage, and waste management. Why is India against upstream measures? For oil and gas majors, the petrochemical industry has become their next big source of revenue due to a fall in demand for fossil fuels resulting from global climate targets and big investments in clean energy. India is eyeing the next phase of its growth through plastic production. Plastic accounts for more than 60% of total petrochemicals produced in India. The petrochemical industry in India is booming and is expected to contribute to 9% of the country’s GDP. The government even offers subsidies to encourage increased investment, production and export in the plastics sector due to its contribution to the economy. Satyarupa Shekhar, a public policy advocate against plastic, explained that India has built a massive number of refineries in recent years. With a fall in demand for fossil fuels, this immense refining capacity would go to waste unless production is shifted to plastics. “Using the refineries to produce petrochemicals that can be exported becomes a lucrative market. The US and Europe get a lot of plastic like coating materials and additives from India,” said Shekhar. Those who agree with India’s stance rationalise that in the event of restrictions on production, India would have to resort to imports to meet its basic needs of plastic consumption, drawing it away from self-sufficiency. So, it was not surprising to them that India was vocal regarding regulations on plastic. “Elimination or even reduction in plastics trade may impact developing countries and livelihoods associated with it,” the country said. India argued that the provisions of a global treaty on plastics that regulated upstream measures could conflict with the Marrakesh Agreement. The agreement established that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) would ensure that developing countries secure a share in the growth in international trade. But similar to India’s argument on plastic polymers, there is a contradiction here, too. The WTO’s informal dialogue on plastic pollution, held in February 2024, recognised the INCs as the leading process to address the entire lifecycle of plastics. About 78 countries participated in the February conference and set out plans to implement 220 trade measures tackling bans on various types of plastics, import licences and quotas on plastic wastes, etc. India did not even take part in the process. Common but differentiated responsibility (CBDR) The idea of CBDR was first introduced in the Rio Declaration in 1992 and refers to the differing capabilities and responsibilities of individual countries in addressing climate change. In simpler terms, it means that developed countries have historically caused more environmental degradation and should do more for its mitigation compared to developing countries. Taking a leaf from CBDR, India and some other larger developing countries (or middle- or upper middle-income countries) invoked “sovereignty”. India’s submission at INC 4 said that “any consideration for phase out or phase down must be nationally driven. It has to take into account the availability, accessibility and affordability of sustainable alternatives.” Meanwhile, countries from the Africa group, SIDS and EU demanded global measures and mechanisms tackling a wide range of activities in the plastic life cycle. Hiten Bheda, chairman of the environment committee at the AIPMA, explained that unlike smaller countries, who are mostly consumers of plastic, India is a major producer and consumer. “It is definitely a valid ask to safeguard the self-interest of different countries based on their respective economic position,” he said on behalf of AIPMA. The United States also supported the idea of countries having their own national action plans because it believed that they would be able to “identify and address sources of plastic pollution in ways that are most suited to their national circumstances”. The country was criticised for its efforts to keep the treaty open, which would have otherwise involved conversations around possible common criteria for all parties to adhere to. Swati Singh Sambyal, an international circular economy expert, said that this was just a tactic used by countries to have flexibility and not be bound by global targets. She questioned the efficacy, and even need, for a global treaty if every decision on plastics was based on a national scenario. “In many cases, consideration of national scenarios doesn’t make sense. Many countries do not have any guidelines around EPR. They treat the concept as voluntary. Plastic waste management cannot also be restricted to the nation as it is a transboundary problem,” she said. But even with the CBDR approach there was no consensus. While some developing countries backed CBDR to get ample time to mobilise resources – for environmentally sound plastic substitutes, legacy plastic waste and its existing emissions – India’s stance included chemicals, polymers and even the design of plastic. Sanghavi of the AIPMA said that “for [the] sustainable design of plastics, India must assure that they [will] formulate policies where plastics with recyclability/reuse can be produced without restrictions”. India argued that plastics had been introduced in the country only after developed countries started producing them. Therefore, the task of reducing their use should also begin with the developed nations. Once these technologies become affordable and equipped for adoption on a mass scale, then developing countries can start the process. Some experts stated that the excessive use of the CBDR approach in the negotiation implied that countries were trying to find loopholes to pollute more. Others believed that the demand for the wealthier countries to shoulder a proportionately greater burden in solving the problem and providing financial and technical support to developing countries was valid. Voting mechanism and vague language Swati Seshadri, director of research and team lead (oil and gas) at the Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA), believed that India’s text negotiation suggested it was making efforts to keep the treaty’s language vague. For instance, India insisted on minuscule changes, such as by suggesting using the phrase “all party” instead of “each party”. The watering down of text and adding countless bracketed words and sentences – reflecting language that was not yet agreed upon – to lower the ambitions of the treaty was raised as a concern by international environmental organisations as well. In total, negotiators added all the options they had for inclusion in the revised draft treaty in the form of 3,686 text brackets, which might be impossible to resolve before the scheduled fifth and final session. In terms of finalising the treaty, India had been emphasising a consensus-based approach instead of voting. “Unless each and every member is on board, we risk making the agreement ineffective,” said Naresh Pal Gangwar, joint secretary in the environment ministry, who is representing India at the plenary. Experts believe that full consensus on the treaty would never be possible and that India was only reiterating this because it knew it would lose if decisions were taken through a three-fourths majority. “There is precedence that the consensus-based approach has been misused in other multilateral environmental agreements where countries with economic interests in producing a pollutant have used veto power to delay the reflection of text in the agreement and thus delayed actions,” Siddharth Ghanshyam Singh, programme manager at the Centre for Science and Environment, told The Wire. Some believe if there are elements India does not agree with, like the proposals to reduce the production of primary polymers, then India might not sign, leading to a weakened treaty. “In any case, even if India and some other handful [of] countries continue to produce plastic, it won’t be great for them as they will only have each other to sell to as the rest of the world is becoming environmentally conscious,” said the CFA’s Seshadri. Despite some progress made in INC 4 regarding the constitution of the Intersessional Working Group, environmentalists are unsatisfied with the negotiations. Environmental organisations like Greenpeace believe that the petro-states have succeeded in diverting all attention to the financial mechanism behind the treaty and the means of implementing the treaty when there is no clarity on what is being implemented through the treaty. There were fears about fossil fuels lobbyists influencing negotiations as they dominated the event. As per an analysis by the Center for International Environmental Law, nearly 200 fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists registered for the negotiations. At least 20 are from India. Singh said there has been an increasing trend of industry representatives attending INC meetings in the garb of civil society organisations that are ultimately either funded by or affiliated to the petrochemical and plastic industry. In some cases, the industry representatives were a part of member-state delegations, exhibiting serious conflicts of interest. “I would say it was pseudo-progress. The inability of oil, gas and plastic-producing countries to shift from their perspective is the biggest challenge,” Singh added. Apart from the petro-states, and nations like India, it was the United States that came in for major criticism for its passive response. It is the biggest architect of plastic expansion and exerts an outsized influence over these international climate negotiations. Critics argued that though the country was not actively opposing policies that could drive big cuts in plastic production and waste, it was showing “no action or ambition whatsoever”. There are now high expectations from the upcoming fifth round of negotiations in Busan, in South Korea, to be held from November 25 to December 1 this year. UN Environment Programme officials believe “the work is far from over” as there are only a few months left before the end-of-year deadline. Sukriti Vats is a writing fellow with Land Conflict Watch, an independent network of researchers that carries out research on land and natural resources.

Congress Takes Up TCP Minister’s Challenge: Files FIR against Bhutani Project, Sancoale, Goa

With regards to the growing hill cutting cases in Goa, TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane has said that around 900 cases on illegal hill cutting and land conversion have been registered and the FIRs against the same have been filed. He also stated that if anyone files any complaints, the department will take strict action. Taking up this as a challenge, Congress has filed an FIR against the upcoming Bhutani Project in Sancoale and illegal laterite stone mining across the state. Despite filling a complaint, no action has been taken yet, Congress stated and challenged the TCP Minister to take action. GPCC Vice President Sunil Kawthankar has expressed serious concerns over the proposed Bhutani Project in Sancoale, warning that it could lead to massive environmental destruction, including deforestation, soil erosion, and water depletion. He called on the government and the TCP department to address the severe environmental damage and economic losses, citing reports from organizations like the Goa Foundation and the Centre for Science and Environment. Bhutani project hoardings have invaded the fields. In Dhargal local farmers are harvesting lady fingers against the backdrop of Bhutani hoarding- Meanwhile, activist Xencor Polgi visited a local shrine and prayed to the deity to protect Sancoale from Land Conversion. He offered flowers to the deity, knelt on the steps of the shrine and prayed. Lord my God, everywhere non Goan builders are coming and cutting hills everywhere. I am in your area today. I have come here to ask you and tell you, what is happening to my Goa? The MLAs that we elected to safeguard Goa are out to destroy Goa. One example of this destruction is the project coming in your area of Bhutani. This project will finish our trees and hills. These mega project will finish our villages and villagers. Xencor Polgi We do not have any solution to this destruction of Goa. I do not have any solution. You are protector of this place, you decide what to do. I am trying to conscientise people. But the politicians are out to destroy Goa, what should we do? Xencor Polgi asked God.

शहरों में निर्माण और विध्वंस के कार्यों से जमा होने वाले कचरे का प्रबंधन कैसे हो?

भारतीय शहर अपने यहां ज़्यादा से ज़्यादा लोगों को बसाने एवं कई तरह की अन्य गतिविधियों में शामिल होने के लिए, लगातार अधिक से अधिक इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर का निर्माण करते जा रहे हैं. नए निर्माण, पुराने संरचनाओं का विध्वंस, पुराने इमारतों का पुनःजीर्णोद्धार, एवं पहले की तुलना में और भी अधिक ऊंची इमारतों का निर्माण की प्रक्रिया के कारण लगातार बढ़ ही रहे हैं. इनमें निजी एवं सार्वजनिक शहरी निर्माण परियोजनाओं के दायरे काफी बड़े हैं. इनमें आवासीय और वाणिज्यिक परिसर, स्कूल, अस्पताल, बाज़ार, सड़कें, पुल, फ्लाईओवर सुरंगें, मेट्रो और मोनो रेल सरीखी परिवहन सेवाएं, पैदल पार करने वाले पुल, शौचालय, जल निकासी कार्य, जल एवं सिवरेज कार्य, लाइब्रेरी, म्यूज़ियम,थिएटर और स्विमिंग पुल जैसे कुछ क्षेत्र शामिल हैं. समय के साथ बुनियादी ढांचों का भी क्षय होता है. वे एक बार जब अपनी तय उम्र सीमा को जी चुके होते हैं, तब उनको नष्ट करना पड़ता है और नए ढांचों से बदलदना पड़ता है. कई उदाहरणों में ऐसा पाया गया है कि, शहरों में तीव्र गति से होने वाले विकास ने, तेज़ी से विकसित हो रहे शहरों को बेहतर, बड़ा एवं और ज़्यादा संवेदनशील इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर ज़रूरत को पूरा करने के लिये, कमोबेश उस जैसे नए ढांचों की अनिवार्यता को प्रोत्साहित किया है. पुणे यूनिवर्सिटी एवं ई-स्क्वैर इसके कुछ उदाहरण हैं. इस वजह से शहरों में तैयार हो रहे निर्माण अपशिष्ट की मात्रा काफी ज़्यादा है और अमूमन उसे निर्माण और विध्वंस (सी एंड डी) अपशिष्ठ के रूप में लेबल किया जाता है. कंस्ट्रक्शन वेस्ट या निर्माण अपशिष्टों में इस्तेमाल में नहीं लिए गए डामर, सीमेन्ट, ईट,कांच, कांटी, वाइरिंग के लिए उपयुक्त किए जाने वाले तार, सरिया, लकड़ी, प्लास्टर, सैनिटेरी वेयर, एवं तमाम तरह के स्क्रैप मेटल आदि अपशिष्ठ के तौर पर शामिल हैं. किसी डेमोलिशन साइट को तैयार करने के दौरान वहां ड्रेजिंग मैटीरियल जैसे पेड़, पेड़ के डंठल, गंदगी एवं मलबों को हटाना पड़ता है. संयुक्त राष्ट्र अमेरिका में, राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर पैदा हुआ कुल निर्माण अपशिष्ट का एक तिहाई हिस्सा है. भारत में, द बिल्डिंग मैटेरियल्स एंड टेक्नोलॉजी प्रमोशन काउंसिल और द सेंटर फॉर फ्लाई ऐश रिसर्च एंड मैनेजमेंट, के अनुमान के अनुसार साल 2005 से 2013 के बीच 165 से 175 मिलियन टन के बराबर राष्ट्रीय वार्षिक उत्पादन होने का अनुमान लगाया गया है. कुछ और अनुमानों के आधार पर की गई गणना कहती है कि किसी भी निर्माण स्थल पर, बांटी जाने वाली निर्माण सामग्री के कुल वज़न का 30 प्रतिशत निर्माण अपशिष्ट में तब्दील हो जाता है. कचरे का प्रबंधन साल 2016 में, कचरे के विनियमन के उद्देश्य से, पर्यावरण, वन और जलवायु परिवर्तन मंत्रालय, निर्माण और विध्वंस अपशिष्ट प्रबंधन नियम (सी एंड डी नियम) को अस्तित्व में लेकर आई. इसने निर्माण और विध्वंस अपशिष्ट को अपशिष्ट के तौर पर परिभाषित किया, जिसमें किसी भी नागरिक संरचना के निर्माण, पुननिर्माण, मरम्मत और विध्वंस आदि समाहित हैं. इसने अपशिष्ट का उत्पादन करने वालों की ज़िम्मेदारियों को परिभाषित किया जिसमें मुख्य तौर पर ठोस मिट्टी, कंक्रीट एवं अन्य वस्तुओं को पहले जमा करने एवं उसे बाद में अलग करना शामिल है. इसके अलावा इसमें विध्वंस और निर्माण से उत्पादित होने वाले अपशिष्टों का संग्रहण भी शामिल है. इस नियमावली ने अपशिष्ट पैदा करने वाले उत्पादकों को अपने परिसर के भीतर इसे जमा करने, और फिर इसे स्थानीय प्राधिकरण संग्रह केंद्र में भेजने या फिर इसे अधिकृत प्रसंस्करण सुविधा केंद्रों को सुपुर्द करने का अधिकार दिया. साथ उन्हें ये भी ताक़ीद दी गयी कि वे किसी प्रकार की कोई भी अपशिष्ट को सड़कों अथवा नालियों में जमा न करें. इसके अलावा, प्रत्येक अपशिष्ट उत्पादकों को संग्रहण, परिवहन, प्रसंस्करण एवं उसके निपटारे के लिए भुगतान करना था. इस नियम ने स्थानीय शहरी निकायों (यूएलबी) को इस बात के निर्देश दिए कि वो ये निर्देश जारी करें कि इन अपशिष्टों को उत्पादक कंपनियां या विभाग या तो स्वयं अथवा नियुक्त किए गए निजी संचालकों द्वारा उसका निपटारन करे. यूएलबी को एक सूचना एवं संचार तंत्र का गठन भी करने का निवेदन किया गया और इस बाबत विशेषज्ञ संस्थानों एवं नागरिक सामाजिक संगठनों से सहायता लेने को कहा गया. इसने इस काम को सफल बनाने के लिये अन्य सरकारी संस्थाओं और पैरास्टेटल कंपनियों की भूमिका पर रौशनी डालने का काम किया. निर्माणधीन इमारतों से निकलने वाला कचरा पर्यावरण के लिए काफी हानिकारक है. इसके साथ ही, इसकी मात्रा भी काफी ज़्यादा होती है. इसलिए, सबसे पहले तो इसका बेहतर इस्तेमाल किया जाना चाहिए. और जो इस्तेमाल योग्य ना हो, उनका निपटारण इस तरह से किया जाना चाहिए कि, शहर एवं पर्यावरण, इसके दुष्प्रभाव से सुरक्षित रहे. ऐसे कचरों के स्रोत को कम किए जाने के लिये सचेत सोच के साथ ही, इन कचरों का कम उत्पादन, पुनः इस्तेमाल में लाया जाना, और उसकी री-साइक्लिंग करना बेहद आवश्यक है. मौजूदा इमारतों को संरक्षित रख कर, नई इमारतों के आकार को अनुकूलित करके, और अनुकूलनशीलता युक्त इमारतों का निर्माण करके ऐसा किया जा सकता है, ताकि इन इमारतों का जीवनकाल लंबा रहे. निर्माण में ऐसी पद्धति का इस्तेमाल हो जिससे इनकी डी-असेंबलिग की सके और सामग्रियों के दोबारा इस्तेमाल की सुविधा मिले. ये सब बेहद न सिर्फ़ ज़रूरी है बल्कि वांछनीय भी. उसी तरह से, काफी बड़ी मात्रा में निर्माण और विध्वंस के मलबे, जिनमें लकड़ी, प्लास्टिक, डामर के फुटपाथ, और बाजरी आदि शामिल हैं वे दोबारा इस्तेमाल के लिये पूरी तरह से उपयुक्त है. लकड़ी के कचरे जैसे अन्य मलबों की री-साइक्लिंग कर उनका नए निर्माण में पुनः इस्तेमाल किया जा सकता है. सीमेंट, प्लास्टर और ईंट आदि को भी कुचल कर फ्रेश नई इमारतों के निर्माण कार्य में इस्तेमाल लिया जा सकता है. चूंकि, शहरी निर्माण में विविध प्रकार के वस्तुओं को इस्तेमाल में लिया जाता है, इसलिये काफी मात्रा में तब भी ऐसे मलबे बाकी होंगे जिन्हें पुनर्चक्रण विधियों को आज़माने के बावजूद, उचित तरीके से निपटाये जाने की ज़रूरत होगी. उपचारित लकड़ी, ठोस योजक, ऐस्बेस्टस, दूषित मिट्टी, चिपकने वाले पदार्थ, पेंट, सॉल्वेन्ट, और लीड-ऐसिड बैटरी जैसे अपशिष्ट काफी खतरनाक होते हैं, जिनका निपटारा निर्दिष्ट कानून के अंतर्गत काफी सतर्कतापूर्वक एवं वैज्ञानिक तरीके से किया जाना चाहिए. ऐसे विविध अपशिष्टों का प्रबंधन काफी जटिल एवं बहुआयामी है. इसीलिए, शहरों में निर्माण अपशिष्ट का प्रबंधन, उचित नियमों के तहत ही होना चाहिए. आश्चर्यजनक रूप से, भारतीय शहरों में निर्माण अपशिष्ट प्रबंधन काफी हद तक बदइंतजामी एवं कुप्रबंधन से प्रभावित रही है. इनके प्रबंधन के लिए बनाए गए नीति नियम आमतौर पर दरकिनार कर दिए गए है, जिस वजह से शहरों को संस्थागत मुद्दों का सामना करने में लगातार वृद्धि हो रही है. शहरों के जल निकायों को संकुचित करने एवं शहरी बाढ़ की स्थिति से निपटने में उनकी भूमिका काफी सोचनीय है. ये सब रातों में डेवेलर्स द्वारा नियुक्त ठेकेदारों की तरफ से, रात में, नदियों के किनारों पर, इन अपशिष्ट एवं कचरों को फेंक कर ऐसा किया जाता है. ऐसा करने से डेवेलपर को कूड़ा-करकट किसी दूर के स्थान पर ले जाकर फेंकने या नष्ट करने में जो परिवहन और अन्य लागत आती है उसकी बचत होती है. साथ ही साथ इससे जहां नदी के किनारे और भी संकुचित होते जाते हैं, वहीं वे किनारे जो भरी जा रही होती हैं उनका भविष्य के निर्माण में इस्तेमाल के लिए होता है. लेकिन अत्याधिक बारिश और उपस के दौरान जब इन नदियों का जलस्तर बढ़ने लगता है तब कृत्रिम रूप से तैयार इन ज़मीनों पर खड़ी की गई इमारतों के ढहने का कारण बढ़ता जाता है. जिससे मानव जीवन को भारी खतरा होता है. हाल ही पुणे में आयी बाढ़ से पैदा हुए हालात, इस स्थिति के गवाह हैं. राज्य सरकारों को जल संरक्षण के लिए नदी के किनारों पर दो बाढ़ रेखाएं खींचने के आदेश निर्गत किए गए है. मानचित्रों पर दर्शाये गए लाल एवं नीली लकीरें, बाढ़ की आशंका वाले क्षेत्रों अथवा भूमि की ओर इशारा करती है. नीली रेखा, पिछले 25 सालों में सबसे ज़्यादा बाढ़ प्रभावित क्षेत्रों को इंगित करती है, और लाल रेखाएं पिछले 100 वर्षों में सबसे ज़्यादा बाढ़ प्रभावित क्षेत्रों को दर्शाती है. नीली रेखा तक के क्षेत्र परिधि में किसी प्रकार का निर्माण निषेध है. हालांकि, कुछ सार्वजनिक सुविधाओं को इन प्रतिबंधित क्षेत्रों में नीली एवं लाल रेखाओं के परिधि के भीतर संचालित करने को अनुमति प्राप्त है. समाधान इन शर्तों के बावजूद, शहरों ने प्रतिबंधित एवं निषिद्ध क्षेत्रों के दुरुपयोग की रोकथाम के प्रति काफी हद तक अरुचि एवं अयोग्यता ही दिखायी है. महाराष्ट्र के एक भूतपूर्व मुख्यमंत्री ने आधिकारिक तौर पर ये स्वीकार किया है कि महाराष्ट्र के कई नदियों के किनारों पर स्थित इन बाढ़-प्रभावित एवं बाढ़ ग्रसित रेखा के भीतर, काफी निर्माण हुए हैं. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवॉयरमेंट के अनुमान के अनुसार वर्ष 2005 से 2013 के अंतराल में, करीबन 287 मिलियन टन निर्माण और विध्वंस अपशिष्ट एवं कचरे को देशभर में इन नदियों के किनारे पर डंप किया गया है, जिसकी वजह से नदियों के तंत्र व उसके इको-सिस्टम को काफी नुकसान पहुंचा है. मुंबई नगरपालिका क्षेत्र में, पर्यावरण के प्रति संवेदनशील वसई और ठाणे जैसे खाड़ी क्षेत्र एवं मैंग्रोव क्षेत्रों का इस्तेमाल गुप्तरूप से डंपिंग ग्राउन्ड के तौर पर किया जा रहा है. कई जानकारों ने चेतावनी देते हुए कहा है कि जब तक विध्वंस अपशिष्टों की री-साइक्लिंग नहीं होती है, तब तक आपदा हमारा इंतज़ार कर रही है. दुर्भाग्यवश, देश में काफी कम राज्यों के पास निर्माण एवं विध्वंस अपशिष्टों के पुन:र्चक्रण की व्यवस्था है. ऐसा इस सच्चाई के बावजूद है कि कचरे का पुनर्चक्रण एक अत्यंत लाभकारी एवं मुनाफे वाला व्यवसाय है और बदले में ये काफी बेहतर फायदा देती है. इसके अलावा, C&D नियमों के तहत शहरी स्थानीय निकायों को अपने होने वाले निर्माण कार्यों में ये 10 से 20 प्रतिशत तक री-साइकल किये गये कचरों के इस्तेमाल का प्रावधान है. इसके साथ ही, ये अपने सभी हितधारकों जिसमें कि परिवहन ठेकेदार, डेवलपर, यूएलबी एवं राज्य सरकार शामिल हैं, उन सभी को, अपशिष्ट एवं कचरे के निपटान के लिए ज़िम्मेदार बनाती है. ये मलबों के पुन:र्चक्रीकरण को अनिवार्य बनाता है और निर्देशित स्थलों से बाहर किसी वर्जित स्थानों पर इन कचरों को डंप किए जाने को अवैध करार देता है. ज्यों-ज्यों शहरें अपने भीतर अधिक से अधिक लोगों को समायोजित करने के लिए विस्तार करेंगी, त्यों-त्यों हो रहे निर्माण एवं विध्वंस से उत्पन्न कचरों से निपटारण की समस्या जटिल होती जाएगी. शहरों में बाढ़ की वजह से होने वाले नुकसान को समझते हुए, कचरे के निपटारण पर रोक नहीं लगाया जाना, मूर्खतापूर्ण साबित होगा, ख़ासकर- उन स्थानों पर जहां जल निकासी से समझौता किया जाता रहा है.

India Crosses the Seven Seas to Meet Rising Demand for Timber

India’s demand for sawlog could be at a saturation point, with Uruguay ramping up exports to the booming economy starting next month. That is according to Scott Downs, PF Olsen’s Director of Sales and Marketing, who reported that Uruguay is preparing to supply four vessels into the Kandla, which “when combined with supply from New Zealand and Australia, means the market might reach saturation.” As it stands, Uruguay is India’s top market for sawlog, with India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry reporting that Uruguyans account for more than 20% of total trade for the first six months of 2024 (487,700 cubic metres) ahead of Australia (14.4% or 347,600 cubic metres), Ecuador (12.1% or 293,300 cubic metres), Argentina (9.1% or 213,700 cubic metres) and the United States (7.6% or 193,000 cubic metres). However, this number does not fully account for the uptake in New Zealand trade (which has picked up since May) after both countries agreed to finally resolve their long-running dispute over Methyl Bromide. Exporters are looking at India as a pivot from a soft China. In February, Wood Central reported that India has emerged as one of the United States’ most important export markets, with 116,000 cubic metres of softwood lumber shipped from the West Coast to India last year alone. Already its fastest-growing hardwood market, the US is capitalising on India’s construction industry and, in the process, making up for a drop in Chinese demand—with total lumber exports almost tripling for the first six months of 2024 over last year. Last year, Wood Central reported that Indian demand for Roundwood will grow 70%, from 57 million cubic metres in 2020 to 98 million cubic metres in 2030, driven by a surge in construction activity. According to the Indian Centre for Science and Environment, the country’s 2022 demand for timber was 63 million cubic metres—30 million cubic metres for domestic production and 33 million cubic metres from imported sources. While import volumes remain lower in 2024 compared to 2023, India is competing with China to become the world’s largest consumer market for structural timbers. The Modi Government is grappling with a 19 million-unit housing shortage, which will double over the next five years. Fuelling India’s demand for roundwood is a decision made in 2020 to reverse a 27-year ban on using timber in public buildings. Last year, Wood Central reported that India’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change (MoEFCC) drove the 2020 decision to lift the ban, citing “a boost for the economy, opportunities to generate jobs and encourage farmers to plant more trees” to make up for a timber and forest deficit. In the long run, India is also investing in a new streamlined transit system for timber and bamboo products. This system, along with a new government-backed national standard, is a vital part of Modi’s “Wood is Good: Grow More, Use More” policy.

NGT notice to Centre, CPCB over ozone pollution

The tribunal took up a suo motu case based on a report by the Centre for Science and Environment which said that ground-level ozone exceeded the permissible limits of 100 microgram per cubic metre per eight hours in 10 metropolitan cities of India.

NGT takes suo motu action on alarming rise in ground-level ozone pollution in major cities

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken suo motu cognizance of rising ground level ozone pollution across India’s major cities. The petition is registered suo-motu on the basis of a news item dated 06.08.2024. News item relates to the rising ground level ozone pollution across India’s major cities. As per the news item, this invisible gas, unlike the more familiar fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5, poses a serious health threat, particularly to those with respiratory problems. The news item states that as per a report by the Centre for Science and Environment titled “Air Quality Tracker: An invisible threat” metropolitan areas of Bengaluru (Karnataka), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Kolkata (West Bengal), Mumbai and Pune (Maharashtra), Delhi-National Capital Region, Greater Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Greater Hyderabad (Telangana), Greater Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Greater Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) were analysed and all 10 areas studied witnessed exceeded national ozone standard, with Delhi NCR being the most affected. Ahmedabad and Pune were also found to be experiencing a particularly rapid increase in ozone pollution. As per the news item, ground level ozone is not directly emitted from any source. It is produced from complex interaction between Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are emitted from vehicles, power plants, factories and other combustion sources and undergo cyclic reactions in the presence of sunlight to generate ground level ozone. VOCs can also be emitted from natural sources, such as plants. The news item further highlights that between April and July this year, Delhi-NCR recorded 176 days of ground-level ozone exceedances, the highest among the ten metropolitan areas studied. Mumbai and Pune both had 138 days, followed by Jaipur with 126 days and Hyderabad with 86 days. Kolkata had 63 exceedance days, Bengaluru 59, Lucknow 49 and Ahmedabad 41. Chennai had the fewest exceedances, with just nine days. Furthermore, ozone levels were elevated even at night, with Mumbai recording the most instances of night-time exceedances. News item also stated that the duration of ozone exposure lasted an average of 12-15 hours across most cities. Moreover, it alleges that while summer is the peak season for ozone, the problem persists year round in many areas, particularly in sunnier southern cities. The news item also pointed out that as particulate pollution is reduced, issues with nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ground-level ozone increase. This necessitates significant tightening of regulatory benchmarks for ozone to address toxic emissions from industry, vehicles, households and open burning. The news item asserts that ground-level ozone is a highly reactive gas and has serious health consequences. Those with respiratory conditions, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well as children with premature lungs and older adults are at serious risk. This can inflame and damage airways, make lungs susceptible to infection, aggravate asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis and increase the frequency of asthma attacks leading to increased hospitalization. The news item raises substantial issue relating to compliance of provisions of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981; The Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 and the Environment Protection Act, 1986. “Power of the Tribunal to take up the matter in suo-motu exercise of power has been recognized by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the matter of “Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita Sinha & Ors.” reported in 2021 SCC Online SC 897.” Hence, Principal Bench of Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Dr. A. Senthil Vel impleaded the following as respondents in the matter: 1) Central Pollution Control Board, through its Member Secretary. 2) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, through its Secretary. The Bench issued notice to the Respondents and listed the matter on 28.11.2024.

Environmental experts, govt officials to meet on Thursday to craft Delhi’s Winter Action Plan

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has said the government will convene a conference on Thursday, which will be attended by environmental experts from 36 institutions along with officials from 42 government departments, to craft an effective Winter Action Plan to combat the city’s air pollution. In a bid to curb the deteriorating air quality in the national capital in the winter months, the minister said on Wednesday, “This year, our primary goal is to control pollution through public participation.” He added that the conference would see participation from key agencies, such as the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Other participants will include the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Premier institutions like the IIT, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), among others, will also be involved. PauseUnmute Fullscreen Rai emphasised the importance of this collaborative effort. “The opinions and suggestions of the environmental experts from 36 institutions, alongside the officials from 42 government departments, will be instrumental in crafting an effective Winter Action Plan,” he said. The minister outlined the government’s strategic focus areas, including dust pollution, vehicular emissions, stubble and garbage burning, industrial pollution and expanding green spaces. The action plan will also address the enforcement of firecracker bans, use of the Green Delhi app and operations of the Green War Room, which monitors real-time pollution levels and hotspots across the city. Rai further highlighted the significance of the conference in fostering cooperation between the Delhi government, the Centre and the neighbouring states. “The suggestions from this roundtable conference will guide our efforts in reducing air pollution and ensuring a healthier environment for Delhi’s residents,” he said. PTI NSM RC

Delhi dwellers losing 7.8 years to PM2.5 pollution: Report

Delhi residents are losing 7.8 years of their life expectancy to increased PM2.5 concentration, according to a report published by a US-based research institute, which said the loss can be mitigated by reducing the level of the pollutant to the World Health Organization (WHO) standard of 5 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) The report, on Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) published by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) on Wednesday is based on analysis of 2022 pollution data. It said that even containing the level of PM2.5 — particulate matter having diameter less than 2.5 microns, a major pollutant in Delhi — to the national standard ormore lenient level of 40µg/m3 can increase life expectancy of 18.7 millionDelhi residents by 4.3 years. The AQLI is a pollution index that quantifies the causal relationship between long-term human exposure to air pollution and life expectancy. The life expectancy calculations made by AQLI are based on a pair of peer-reviewed studies. By comparing two subgroups of the population that experienced prolonged exposure to different levels of particulate air pollution, the studies were able to plausibly isolate the effect of particulate air pollution from other factors that affect health. To be sure, Delhi’s average PM2.5 concentration in 2022 was 84.3µg/m3. This made Delhi the most-polluted state or Union territory in the country, the report said. According to WHO, life expectancy at birth in India was 67.3 years in 2021. This is up by nearly five years from the average life expectancy of 62.1 years in 2000. “If all of India were to reduce particulate pollution to meet the WHO guideline, residents in Delhi—India’s capital and most populous city—would see the maximum benefits, with its residents gaining 7.8 years of life expectancy. In North 24 Parganas – a district in West Bengal and the country’s second most populous district, residents would gain 3.6 years of life expectancy,” said report on Tuesday. Delhi consistently ranks among the world’s most polluted cities each year, impacted by a cocktail of pollutants that are at their peak in the winter months from November till January. Pollution in Delhi spikes following the harvesting of crop in the northern plains, which often clashes with Diwali, leading to a mixture of smoke from residue burning and firecrackers hanging over the capital’s air for weeks. Other than these, Delhi is also impacted by localised sources such as industries, vehicles and burning of waste, keeping levels of pollutants well above permissible standards. The report found that after Delhi, Uttar Pradesh was the most polluted, with an annual average PM2.5 level of 65.5µg/m3, with residents of the state expected to gain 5.9 years if the WHO standard is met and 2.5 years if the national standard is met. For Haryana, the corresponding figures were 5.2 years and 1.8 years, respectively. The report, despite showing Delhi residents losing considerable years in terms of life expectancy, nevertheless posits an improvement from a previous study done on 2021 PM2.5 level. Last year’s EPIC report, based on 2021 data, revealed Delhi’s PM 2.5 level was 126.51µg/m3 — up from the level of 111.6µg/m3 recorded in 2020. The previous report posited an increase of 11.9 years in life expectancy if WHO standards were met and 8.5 years if national standard of 40µg/m3was met. The report found that not just Delhi, but other states and UTs also showed an improvement in 2022. The average PM2.5 concentration for India reduced from 49µg/m3 in 2021 to 41.4µg/m3 in 2022, which is still over eight times the WHO standard, but close to the national standard. “If these reductions are sustained, an average Indian is likely to live nine months longer compared to what they would have if they were exposed to levels similar to the last decade. Further, if pollution in India met the WHO guideline, Indian citizens could gain an additional 3.6 years onto their life expectancy,” the report said. Tanushree Ganguly, director of AQLI, said that over the years, Delhi’s PM2.5 concentration has largely remained over 100 µg/m3, barring 2020, when Covid-19 curbs kept levels low. “In 2022, PM2.5 levels in Delhi were 17% lower than 2021 and the average of 2016 to 2021. While it is difficult to conclusively separate the effects of weather from policy implementation in explaining this decline — especially since the entire South Asian region, including Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan, reported reduced particulate concentrations — sustaining these reductions in Delhi could increase average life expectancy in the city by 1.6 years,” she said. Environmental activist Bhavreen Kandhari said even if there is an improvement in relation to 2021, 7.8 years was a significant sum of years being lost to bad air. “It is important the national standards are also brought down, as the WHO standards are closer to clean air. We still need to work hard to bring down the years being lost and that can only be done if both state and the Centre acknowledge the health risk associated with air pollution,” she said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said Delhi still has a long way to go to bring down its PM2.5 level, but an aggressive and stringent approach towards electrification, integrated public transport and low-emission zones with cycling or walking facilities could help in this regard. “We also need to improve our waste management, which means 100% waste collection, segregation and processing. This eliminates burning of waste and landfills. We also need to replace dirty fuels for cooking with cleaner fuels and implement clean energy across all sectors,” she said.

Delhi govt to hold expert conference on control of air pollution in winter

In a bid to combat the rising levels of air pollution during the winter season, the Kejriwal government has announced a comprehensive “Round Table Conference” to be held on Thursday at the Delhi Secretariat. The initiative aims to bring together a diverse group of experts and representatives from various governmental and non-governmental institutions to formulate an effective winter action plan. Environment Minister Gopal Rai revealed that the conference will include participants from an array of prestigious organisations and institutions. These include the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), and the Environment Department, among others. Additionally, representatives from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), and several other prominent bodies will also take part. Minister Rai emphasised the collaborative nature of the conference, stating, “This year the main objective of our government will be to control pollution through public participation.” He elaborated that the winter action plan will be crafted based on the insights and recommendations provided by these experts. “The future plan will be developed around dust pollution, pollution caused by vehicles, problem of stubble and garbage burning, industrial pollution, green war room and Green Delhi App, hotspots, real-time apportionment study, e-waste eco park, increasing green areas, promoting public awareness and public participation, ban on firecrackers and other focus points, establishing dialogue with the central government and neighbouring states,” Rai explained. The conference will be attended by officials from approximately 42 departments and experts from around 36 institutions. This broad-based engagement underscores the government’s commitment to addressing the multifaceted issue of air pollution in Delhi. “A Winter Action Plan will be prepared based on the suggestions from all environmental experts,” Rai assured. He further stated that the primary goal of the Round Table Conference is to create a robust and actionable strategy to tackle pollution. “On the suggestions of experts of the Round Table Conference, the Delhi Government will be able to take necessary steps to control the sources of pollution,” he added.

Despite heavy rain this monsoon, ‘good’ air day remains elusive

Though Gurgaon recorded a ‘good' air day on Tuesday, Delhi hadn't logged any such day this year, even after recording over 100mm of rainfall in a single day in the monsoon season. A ‘good' air day is one in which the Air Quality Index is between 0 and 50. So far this year, the lowest AQI was 53 in the ‘satisfactory' category on Aug 8. From Jan 1 to Aug 27, Delhi recorded 45 days when AQI was in the ‘satisfactory' category against 50 in 2023 during the same period. Monsoon months are often the cleanest because the rain helps wash out the pollutants. Delhi recorded 228.1mm of rainfall on June 28 and 107.6mm on Aug 1. The fact that so much rain wasn't able to give the city a ‘good' air day spurred Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment, to note, "This brings out the challenge of curbing the high level of emissions from concentrated pollution sources in this region. The scale of action is not matching up to the magnitude of the problem." Dipankar Saha, former head of CPCB's laboratory, added, "After the monsoon is over, winter conditions start setting in, so the immediate focus should be on reducing pollution at the source level." Data since CPCB started maintaining AQI records in 2015 shows that ‘good' air days occurred after intense spells of rain or during the Covid lockdown or when polluting activities were restricted. For instance, 2023 recorded just one ‘good' air day on Sept 10 with an AQI of 45 following rain and the restrictions imposed due to the G20 Summit. No ‘good' air days were recorded in 2015, 2016 and 2018, but Delhi enjoyed two such days in 2017 during the monsoon months on July 30 and 31. Similarly, two ‘good' air days were logged in 2019 when AQI touched 49 on two consecutive days: Aug 18 and 19. In 2020, Delhi saw five ‘good' air days, one in March during the Covid lockdown and four in Aug in the rainy season. The capital saw only one ‘good' air day in 2021 on Oct 18 when AQI dipped to 46 due to incessant rain in the city and neighbouring districts. Three such days were reported in 2022 in the months of Sept and Oct with rain again playing a crucial role in cleaning the air. Meanwhile, some parts of Delhi recorded light rain on Wednesday and IMD has issued a ‘yellow' alert for light to moderate showers on Thursday. Safdarjung, which is the city's base weather station, logged 2.4mm of rainfall from 8.30am to 5.30pm. The maximum temperature was 34 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature stood at 23.4 degrees Celsius, three below normal.

Will clean Ganga flow in near future?

It is a top priority for the government and its national agenda, and is driven by none other than Prime Minister Modi’s missionary zeal. The Ganga would be clean by 2020, the government had said Almost 10 years since Prime Minister Modi promised a clean Ganga, the river continues to run polluted and people living in cities along the river might be drinking what is at best partially treated sewage, not Gangajal: says an assessment of the state of India’s most celebrated and revered river. The government has claimed that Ganga will be clean in 2019 (the deadline has now been extended to 2020). The assessment, done by Down To Earth, a “fortnightly on the politics of development, environment and health” which Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) helps publish, emphatically states that the river will continue to run as – and even more – polluted as ever. Why the Ganga will continue to flow polluted

Gurgaon records 'Good' air day after nearly 2 years!

GURGAON: The wait for a clean air day is a long one in NCR. But not usually this long. Tuesday was a spot of deep green in the pollution index - in other words, a 'good' air day, when AQI is below 50 - for the first time in 23 months. The 24-hour average AQI was 35 on Tuesday. The last time residents of Gurgaon woke up to a day when the AQI was 'good' was on Oct 10, 2022, when the day's average settled at 29. But was the air quality really 'good'? With data available from just one of the four stations in the city to calculate a 24-hour average for Tuesday, this is no telling if this is an accurate assessment of the pollution level. But it's the official data. Asked about just the Teri Gram station functioning, Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) chairperson P Raghavendra Rao told TOI that the problems will be investigated.Nirmal Kashyap, HSPCB regional officer for Gurgaon, said a 12-hour power failure knocked out the station's readings in Vikas Sadan. The one at Gwal Pahari is maintained by central govt, and the Sector 51 station is down because of technical faults. Nonetheless, officials said, weather conditions and rain helped wash away pollutants from the air. The city logged 20.2mm of rainfall on Tuesday and wind speeds went up to a high of 20kmph, data by IMD showed. Noida too recorded a 'good' air day - with AQI 50 - on Tuesday. The last time Noida recorded a 'good' air day was Aug 13, when AQI was 46 and before that, on August 9, when it was at 48. Delhi recorded a 'satisfactory' air day, with AQI at 64. The last time the capital had a 'good' air day was almost a year ago, on Sept 10, 2023, when its AQI was 45. HSPCB officials said that other than most commonly found pollutants - particulate matter and toxic gases that are released from vehicles or industries - dust plays a significant role in deteriorating air quality in NCR, specifically during summer months and humid weather conditions. "Loose soil and wind directions in the Indo-Gangetic plain are natural sources of dust in the region, and this is compounded by vehicular traffic that suspends road dust and construction activities," said Vijay Chaudhary, HSPCB regional officer (Gurgaon south). Data showed that 2023 did not record any 'good' air days, even during monsoon. The lowest AQI recorded for a day last year was 62 on July 30. And 2022 recorded four 'good' air days. On Tuesday, experts said this data underscored the necessity of adopting long-term measures to mitigate air pollution over the year, and not just in the winter pollution season. "Cities with millions of inhabitants should not have to rely on weather conditions to breathe clean air. Urban areas need forest sinks to control pollution, green walling is needed against desertification, and ingress of dust and cleansing of toxic gases," said Shubhansh Tiwari, a research associate at the Centre for Science and Environment. A 2021 study by the Energy Policy Institute of the University of Chicago (EPIC) had said that residents of Gurgaon lose 9.9 years of their lives due to high exposure to pollution. The report also ranked Haryana fourth in the all-India list and said air pollution diminishes average life expectancy in the state by 8.4 years.

ABP LIVE To Host India Infrastructure Conclave 2024, Showcasing India’s Infrastructure Revolution

ABP LIVE, India’s leading digital news powerhouse, is all set to host the prestigious ABP LIVE India Infrastructure Conclave 2024, Honouring Excellence, on August 28 in New Delhi. The event will be a gathering of the most influential voices in India’s infrastructure sector, from government bodies and PSUs to private sector giants, all coming together to celebrate India’s groundbreaking achievements and chart the future of the nation’s infrastructure landscape. The event will be graced by the presence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari as the Guest of Honour, alongside an impressive line-up of industry stalwarts. The speakers will include Harbhajan Singh E.T.O., Minister of Public Works and Power, Govt of Punjab, Lt. Gen. Raghu Srinivasan (VSM), Director General of Border Roads Organisation; Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General of TERI; Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director of the Centre for Science and Environment; Dr. Mohammed Rihan, Director General of the National Institute of Solar Energy; Dr. Sudeshna Chatterjee, Program Director (Research), WRI-India Ross Centre; and Prof. (Dr.) S P Gon Chaudhuri, Visiting Professor, IIEST and Eminent Scientist, and Dr. Shrivallabh Goyal, Director & Business Head, Reliance MET, among others. These thought leaders along with other distinguished experts from the field will engage in powerful panel discussions that promise to inspire and inform.