As pollution has become a huge issue in India, the focus of the government is on promoting the use of non-polluting sources to power personal and public transportation, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari has said. Speaking at the NDTV InfraShakti Awards, the minister said, "We need cost-effective, pollution-free and indigenous transport solutions. Now, Indian Oil is installing 300 ethanol pumps and automobile companies are bringing in flex vehicles." "So, instead of filling petrol at Rs 120 a litre, it is better to use ethanol at Rs 60 per litre, with the vehicle running 60 per cent on electricity and 40 per cent on ethanol. This will also reduce pollution," he added. Union Minister Gadkari also stated that he is aiming for a "green revolution" in agriculture. He emphasised that he has no shortage of funds for his projects and investors are queuing up because "his ministry is sitting on a gold mine." Union Petroleum Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, who was also at the event, said that the country was using all available forms of energy and the outlook for the sector was never better. "No matter which way you view it, if you look at green energy, the transition, biofuels... look at the 15 per cent transition we have done. We did 15 per cent biofuel blending. And we are solving the problem in agriculture," the minister said. At the event, NDTV also spoke with experts about sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure that protects the environment. The panelists included -- Amit Singh, CEO of Adani Green Energy; Ashwani Gupta, CEO of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone; Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director of Research and Advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE); and Vinayak Chatterjee, Founder, The Infravision Foundation. Amit Singh said that a huge surge in electricity demand is "coming our way and looking at what's happening around us in terms of increase in temperature and atmospheric conditions, it's important that sources of electricity become green." Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target to install 500 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030. According to the government, abundant solar energy and local technology are aiding in achieving this target while reducing carbon emissions. "When we talk about focus on infrastructure, on energy and on industrialisation, all that is about trade. If we look at our figures, 95 per cent of our trade last year was maritime, which is 68 per cent of the value of all India," said Ashwani Gupta. "This is very clear and more and more efficient trade, not only in India but globally, is going to contribute to this $10 trillion economy," he added. Anumita Roychowdhury said that there is a takeaway from the summer people just had as first there was a persistent heat wave and then an unprecedented flood. "It's telling us that climate change is real and constant but we can't keep blaming climate change all the time, keeping in mind the way infrastructure is taking shape today, it aggravates and compounds the impact if we don't get the blueprint right," she added. Vinayak Chatterjee pointed out that India is burdened with very large historical installations of infrastructure from colonial times, be it railway bridges, dams or tunnels. "We should have a very strong inspection team to keep that infrastructure in check so that railway bridges and dams don't collapse, cracks don't appear in hill towns such as Joshimath," he said.
New Delhi, July 3 As pollution has become a huge issue in India, the focus of the government is on promoting the use of non-polluting sources to power personal and public transportation, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari has said. Speaking at the NDTV InfraShakti Awards, the minister said, "We need cost-effective, pollution-free and indigenous transport solutions. Now, Indian Oil is installing 300 ethanol pumps and automobile companies are bringing in flex vehicles." "So, instead of filling petrol at Rs 120 a litre, it is better to use ethanol at Rs 60 per litre, with the vehicle running 60 per cent on electricity and 40 per cent on ethanol. This will also reduce pollution," he added. Union Minister Gadkari also stated that he is aiming for a "green revolution" in agriculture. He emphasised that he has no shortage of funds for his projects and investors are queuing up because "his ministry is sitting on a gold mine." Union Petroleum Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, who was also at the event, said that the country was using all available forms of energy and the outlook for the sector was never better. "No matter which way you view it, if you look at green energy, the transition, biofuels... look at the 15 per cent transition we have done. We did 15 per cent biofuel blending. And we are solving the problem in agriculture," the minister said. At the event, NDTV also spoke with experts about sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure that protects the environment. The panelists included -- Amit Singh, CEO of Adani Green Energy; Ashwani Gupta, CEO of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone; Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director of Research and Advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE); and Vinayak Chatterjee, Founder, The Infravision Foundation.
Global organisations have pointed out to the serious loss of humid forests over the past two decades even as climate change poses greater challenges, but the government’s response is to take refuge in wordplay, definitions and semantics to describe what is forest cover In commemorating World Environment Day 2024, the Government of India did not spare the occasion to declare its achievements, in terms which may be described as visionary and high sounding. Proclaimed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India (MoEFCC) press statement: India is leading the way in sustainability and environmental conservation with Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment). This India-led global mass movement, it stated, aims to inspire individual and community action to protect and preserve the environment. Introduced at COP26 in Glasgow, Mission LiFE focuses on promoting eco-friendly practices and sustainable lifestyles. Coming onto the contentious subject of ‘Forest and Wildlife Conservation’, the statement declared, “India has made notable progress in forest conservation and sustainable forest management. At the 19th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), India highlighted its consistent increase in forest cover over the past 15 years, ranking third globally in net forest area gain. Further, as per the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, the forest cover of the country is 7,13,789 sq.km, which is 21.71 % of the total geographical area of the country.” But in the web of fancy acronyms, woven by the government, critical and dispassionate discussion about the reduction in forest cover, and general degradation of the environment, is relegated into the background. Indeed, India has expanded its network of protected areas, including wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, and tiger reserves. “Celebrations of 50 years of Project Tiger and 30 years of Project Elephant underscore India’s dedication to species conservation. The introduction of the ‘Green Credit Program’ incentivises tree plantation and restoration of degraded forest lands, further strengthening climate action initiatives.” This roster of environmental achievements faces cloudy weather, when the analysis presented by Sunita Narain, editor, Down to Earth, is grasped: “Recently released Forest Survey Report makes no mention of 25.87 million hectare of forests—there is no record of whether they exist, or in what condition are they. Between 2019 and 2021, India’s forest cover has grown by a mere 0.2 per cent. Most of this ‘growth’ has been in ‘open forests’, on lands outside recorded forest areas.” Narain explained, “This is the difference between what is ‘recorded’ as forest area, and the actual forest cover that exists on that recorded area. The recorded forest area, as per the ISFR 2021, is 77.53 million hectares (Mha). But the forest cover on these lands is said to be 51.66 Mha. This means as much as 34 per cent of the area classified as forests—25.87 Mha—is missing in the assessment!” Unexplained losses The India State of Forest Report 2021 does not explain what is happening to this huge tract of forest land—equal in size to the state of Uttar Pradesh. According to the Down To Earth analysis, there are states where over 30% to 50% of the land classified as forests is ‘missing’ from the government’s assessment. Madhya Pradesh, for instance, has ‘lost’ nearly three million ha. “This is the real story of forest loss in our country—and it should worry us enormously,” adds Narain. Adding more fuel to the ongoing forest fires, Global Forest Watch, presented figures and fact-files, which not only add to the worries but are a wake-up call for the ministries concerned, public undertakings, corporate bodies, NGOs and civil society bodies. “In 2010, India had 31.3 Mha of natural forest, extending over 11% of its land area. In 2023, it lost 134 kha of natural forest, equivalent to 81.9 Metric tonne (Mt) of CO₂ emissions (Kha refers to the ‘average annual deforestation’). From 2002 to 2023, India lost 414 kha of humid primary forest, making up 18% of its total tree cover loss in the same time-span. The total area of humid primary forest in India decreased by 4.1% in this time-period,” according to Global Forest Watch. Also Read: Great Nicobar Project Will Sound The Death Knell For The Nicobar Tribes and Biodiversity Coming to ‘tree cover loss in India’, the Global Forest Watch figures are equally shocking: From 2001 to 2023, India lost 2.33 Mha of tree cover, equivalent to a 6 % decrease in tree cover since 2000, and 1.20 Gt of CO₂e (carbon dioxide equivalent) emissions. Studying a longer time span, it found “in India from 2001 to 2023, 0.62% of tree cover loss occurred in areas where the dominant drivers of loss resulted in deforestation.” The global figures are also compelling as the ‘tree cover gain’ in India when compared to other countries presents an abysmal shameful record. “From 2000 to 2020, India gained 1.88 Mha of tree cover equal to 1.4% of the global total. Russia tops the list with gains of 37.2 Mha; Canada with 17.0 Mha; United States with 14.0 Mha; while Brazil has gained 8.06 Mha and China with 6.69 Mha.” India’s gains clearly are nothing to write home about. What is alerting the Indian government now is the tree cover loss due to fires. “From 2001 to 2023, India lost 38.1 kha of tree cover from fires and 2.29 Mha from all other drivers of loss. The year with the most tree cover loss due to fires during this period was 2008 with 3.00 kha lost to fires — 3.5% of all tree cover loss for that year,” reported Global Forest Watch. Forest fires pose a continuous perennial threat. According to recent media reports, forest fires flared up again in various parts of Uttarakhand, with two major fire incidents in Gauhari range of Rajaji Tiger Reserve and trek route to Nilkanth Mahadev temple in Rishikesh. The blaze that broke out in Gauhari range affected around 1.5 hectares of forest cover, Rajaji Reserve officials said on 31 May 2024.
As pollution has become a huge issue in India, the focus of the government is on promoting the use of non-polluting sources to power personal and public transportation, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari has said. Speaking at the NDTV InfraShakti Awards, the minister said, "We need cost-effective, pollution-free and indigenous transport solutions. Now, Indian Oil is installing 300 ethanol pumps and automobile companies are bringing in flex vehicles." "So, instead of filling petrol at Rs 120 a litre, it is better to use ethanol at Rs 60 per litre, with the vehicle running 60 per cent on electricity and 40 per cent on ethanol. This will also reduce pollution," he added. Union Minister Gadkari also stated that he is aiming for a "green revolution" in agriculture. He emphasised that he has no shortage of funds for his projects and investors are queuing up because "his ministry is sitting on a gold mine." Union Petroleum Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, who was also at the event, said that the country was using all available forms of energy and the outlook for the sector was never better. "No matter which way you view it, if you look at green energy, the transition, biofuels... look at the 15 per cent transition we have done. We did 15 per cent biofuel blending. And we are solving the problem in agriculture," the minister said. At the event, NDTV also spoke with experts about sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure that protects the environment. The panelists included -- Amit Singh, CEO of Adani Green Energy; Ashwani Gupta, CEO of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone; Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director of Research and Advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE); and Vinayak Chatterjee, Founder, The Infravision Foundation. Amit Singh said that a huge surge in electricity demand is "coming our way and looking at what's happening around us in terms of increase in temperature and atmospheric conditions, it's important that sources of electricity become green." Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target to install 500 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030. According to the government, abundant solar energy and local technology are aiding in achieving this target while reducing carbon emissions. "When we talk about focus on infrastructure, on energy and on industrialisation, all that is about trade. If we look at our figures, 95 per cent of our trade last year was maritime, which is 68 per cent of the value of all India," said Ashwani Gupta. "This is very clear and more and more efficient trade, not only in India but globally, is going to contribute to this $10 trillion economy," he added. Anumita Roychowdhury said that there is a takeaway from the summer people just had as first there was a persistent heat wave and then an unprecedented flood. "It's telling us that climate change is real and constant but we can't keep blaming climate change all the time, keeping in mind the way infrastructure is taking shape today, it aggravates and compounds the impact if we don't get the blueprint right," she added. Vinayak Chatterjee pointed out that India is burdened with very large historical installations of infrastructure from colonial times, be it railway bridges, dams or tunnels. "We should have a very strong inspection team to keep that infrastructure in check so that railway bridges and dams don't collapse, cracks don't appear in hill towns such as Joshimath," he said.
As pollution has become a huge issue in India, the focus of the government is on promoting the use of non-polluting sources to power personal and public transportation, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari has said. Speaking at the NDTV InfraShakti Awards, the minister said, "We need cost-effective, pollution-free and indigenous transport solutions. Now, Indian Oil is installing 300 ethanol pumps and automobile companies are bringing in flex vehicles." "So, instead of filling petrol at Rs 120 a litre, it is better to use ethanol at Rs 60 per litre, with the vehicle running 60 per cent on electricity and 40 per cent on ethanol. This will also reduce pollution," he added. Union Minister Gadkari also stated that he is aiming for a "green revolution" in agriculture. He emphasised that he has no shortage of funds for his projects and investors are queuing up because "his ministry is sitting on a gold mine." Union Petroleum Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, who was also at the event, said that the country was using all available forms of energy and the outlook for the sector was never better. "No matter which way you view it, if you look at green energy, the transition, biofuels... look at the 15 per cent transition we have done. We did 15 per cent biofuel blending. And we are solving the problem in agriculture," the minister said. At the event, NDTV also spoke with experts about sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure that protects the environment. The panelists included -- Amit Singh, CEO of Adani Green Energy; Ashwani Gupta, CEO of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone; Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director of Research and Advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE); and Vinayak Chatterjee, Founder, The Infravision Foundation. Amit Singh said that a huge surge in electricity demand is "coming our way and looking at what's happening around us in terms of increase in temperature and atmospheric conditions, it's important that sources of electricity become green." Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target to install 500 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030. According to the government, abundant solar energy and local technology are aiding in achieving this target while reducing carbon emissions. "When we talk about focus on infrastructure, on energy and on industrialisation, all that is about trade. If we look at our figures, 95 per cent of our trade last year was maritime, which is 68 per cent of the value of all India," said Ashwani Gupta. "This is very clear and more and more efficient trade, not only in India but globally, is going to contribute to this $10 trillion economy," he added. Anumita Roychowdhury said that there is a takeaway from the summer people just had as first there was a persistent heat wave and then an unprecedented flood. "It's telling us that climate change is real and constant but we can't keep blaming climate change all the time, keeping in mind the way infrastructure is taking shape today, it aggravates and compounds the impact if we don't get the blueprint right," she added. Vinayak Chatterjee pointed out that India is burdened with very large historical installations of infrastructure from colonial times, be it railway bridges, dams or tunnels. "We should have a very strong inspection team to keep that infrastructure in check so that railway bridges and dams don't collapse, cracks don't appear in hill towns such as Joshimath," he said.
धीरे-धीरे हो रहे ऋतुचक्र में बदलाव को वैज्ञानिक इंसानी मनमानी का परिणा म बता रहे हैं। उनके मुताबिक बेतरतीब तथाकथित विकास की वजह से जलवायु परिवर्तन की समस्या आई है। इससे देश दुनिया में अनेक नई समस्याएं आए दिन पैदा हो रही हैं। इससे ऋतुओं का स्वभाव ही नहीं, हीं बहुत कुछ बदल गया है। इंसान के साथ वनस्पतियों,यों जीव-जंतुओं का स्वभाव भी बदलने लगा है। सबसे खतरनाक असर शहरों में लोगों की नींदनीं पर पड़ रहा है। गर्मी का दौर लंबा चलने लगा है, तो विकट शीत भी कंपाने लगी है। इसी तरह बरसात की अति हो गई है। अब उन इलाकों में भी विकट बरसात होने लगी है, जो रेगिस्तान माने जाते थे। वैज्ञानिकों के मुताबिक इन बदलावों का असर स्थानीय तपिश यानी ‘लोकल वार्मिंग’ के रूप में देखा जा रहा है। दिल्ली सहित देश के कई हिस्सों में इस बार एक महीने से ज्यादा प्रचंड गर्मी या लू चलने की वजह ‘लोकल वार्मिंग’ बताया जा रहा है। अलावा पंजाब, जम्मू-कश्मीर, कर्नाटक, महाराष्ट्र और तमिलनाडु के शहरों में वर्ष में करीब 50 से 80 ऐसी अतिरिक्त रातें दर्ज की गर्इं , जब तापमान 25 डिग्री सेल्सियस को पार कर गया। यह जलवायु परिवर्तन का असर है, जो ‘लोकल वार्मिंग’ के रूप में देखा जा रहा है। ‘लोकल वार्मिंग’ का सबसे ज्यादा असर मुंबई में देखा जा रहा है, जहां पिछले वर्ष पैंसठ अतिरिक्त गर्म रातें दर्ज की गईं। आंकड़ों के मुताबिक, पश्चिम बंगाल और असम पर जलवायु परिवर्तन का असर ‘लोकल वार्मिंग’ के रूप में देखा जा रहा है। इससे इन राज्यों के जलपाईगुड़ी, गुवाहा टी, सिलचर, डिब्रूगढ़ और सिलीगुड़ी की औसतन चालीस रातों का तापमान पिछले कई सालों से 25 डिग्री सेल्सियस के ऊपर दर्ज किया जा रहा है। रपट के मुताबिक गंगटोक, दार्जिलिंग, शिमला और मैसूर में भी इस साल की औसतन 35 रातों का तापमान सामान्य से ऊपर रहा। सेंटर फार साइंस एंड एन्वायरमेंट’ (सीएसई) के दिल्ली, चेन्नई, कोलकाता और मुंबई में किए गए अध्ययन के मुताबिक उक्त शहरों के ग्रामीण इलाकों का तापमान शहरों की अपेक्षा तीन डिग्री सेंटीग्रेड तक कम रहा। जबकि रात का तापमान बारह डिग्री तक कम दर्ज किया गया। इसकी वजह घरों की बनावट, उनके निर्माण में इस्तेमाल होने वाली सामग्री भी है। अगर गांवों की तरह शहरों के मकान भी एक मंजिला बनने लगें तो शहरों के तापमान में तीन डिग्री सेंटीग्रेड की कमी हो सकती है। बताया जा रहा है कि संकरी गलियां, बंद कमरे, वायुमंडल में कार्बन की ज्यादा मात्रा भी ‘लोकल वार्मिंग’ की वजह हो सकती है।
हाल ही में ‘सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट’ द्वारा किये गए एक शोध में बताया गया था कि कोल्ड ड्रिंक्स के हानिकारक प्रभावों के चलते दुनियाभर में हर साल लगभग 184,000 मौतें हो रही हैं. शोध में कहा गया था कि लगातार एक महीने तक कोल्ड ड्रिंक के ज्यादा मात्रा में सेवन से भी जल्दी मौत का जोखिम बढ़ता है. जामा इंटरनल मेडिसिन जर्नल में प्रकाशित इस शोध में पूर्व के आंकड़ों का अध्ययन किया गया था. जिसमें पता चला था कि 16 साल तक लगातार दिन में 2 गिलास से उससे अधिक सॉफ्ट ड्रिंक्स का सेवन करने वाले लोगों में से लगभग 11.5% लोगों की इसके कारण जनित समस्याओं के चलते मृत्यु हुई थी. जबकि एक गिलास या उससे कम कोल्ड ड्रिंक पीने वालों की मृत्यु का आंकड़ा लगभग 9.5% था. इससे पूर्व वर्ष 2021 में रिसर्च गेट.नेट में प्रकाशित एक शोध में भी कोल्ड ड्रिंक के ज़्यादा सेवन के खतरों को लेकर आगाह किया गया था. उक्त शोध के नतीजों में कहा गया था कि कोल्ड ड्रिंक के ज्यादा सेवन से कई शारीरिक प्रणालियों जैसे लोको मोटर सिस्टम, जठरांत्र प्रणाली और हृदय प्रणाली, केंद्रीय तंत्रिका तंत्र और यहां तक की प्रजनन प्रणाली सहित शरीर की लगभग सभी संरचनाएं प्रभावित होती है. इसके अलावा इसके कारण मधुमेह, हृदय रोग, हड्डियों और दांतों के विकार होने व उनके कारण स्वास्थ्य के ज्यादा बिगड़ने का जोखिम भी बढ़ जाता है. इनके अलावा भी कोल्ड ड्रिंक के सम्पूर्ण स्वास्थ्य से जुड़े जोखिमों को लेकर दुनिया भर में कई शोध व रिसर्च हुए हैं, जिनके नतीजों में इस बात का उल्लेख किया गया है कि ज्यादा मात्रा में कोल्ड ड्रिंक के सेवन से स्वास्थ्य पर दीर्घकालिक व गंभीर प्रभाव नजर आ सकते हैं. क्या कहते हैं चिकित्सक वहीं चिकित्सक भी ज्यादा मात्रा में कोल्ड ड्रिंक के सेवन से स्वास्थ्य को होने वाले नुकसानों की पुष्टि करते हैं. तथा लोगों को इसके ज्यादा मात्रा में सेवन करने से बचने की सलाह देते हैं. नई दिल्ली की पोषण व आहार विशेषज्ञ डॉ दिव्या शर्मा बताती हैं कि चाहे बच्चे हो या बड़े कोल्ड ड्रिंक का ज्यादा मात्रा में सेवन ना सिर्फ उनके सामान्य स्वास्थ्य को प्रभावित कर सकता है, बल्कि कई बार उनमें कुछ कोमोरबीटी या गंभीर रोगों के होने या उनके प्रभावों के गंभीर होने का कारण भी बन सकता है. कोल्ड ड्रिंक के ज्यादा सेवन से होने वाले नुकसान डॉ दिव्या शर्मा के अनुसार कोल्डड्रिंक के लगातार लंबी अवधि तक तथा ज्यादा मात्रा में सेवन से होने वाली समस्याओं व नुकसान में से कुछ इस प्रकार हैं. कोल्ड ड्रिंक में शक्कर की मात्रा अत्यधिक होती है. एक साधारण कोल्ड ड्रिंक के एक कैन में लगभग 10-12 चम्मच शक्कर हो सकती है. यह शक्कर शरीर में तेजी से अवशोषित होती है और ब्लड शुगर लेवल को अचानक बढ़ा देती है. जिसके कारण डायबिटीज का खतरा बढ़ जाता है. इसके अलावा, अधिक शक्कर के सेवन से मोटापा भी बढ़ता है, जो अन्य कई स्वास्थ्य समस्याओं का कारण बन सकता है. कोल्ड ड्रिंक में फॉस्फोरिक और कार्बोनिक एसिड होता है, जो इसे एक तीखा स्वाद देता है. ये एसिड हमारे दांतों के एनामेल को कमजोर कर देते हैं, जिससे दांतों में सड़न और कैविटी जैसी समस्याएं हो सकती हैं. इसके अलावा, ये एसिड पेट में भी एसिडिटी बढ़ाते है, जिससे पेट में जलन और अल्सर जैसी समस्याएं हो सकती हैं. कोल्ड ड्रिंक में कैलोरी की मात्रा भी अधिक होती है. बिना किसी पोषक तत्व के केवल कैलोरी का सेवन करने से वजन बढ़ सकता है और शरीर में चर्बी जम सकती है. यह स्थिति विशेष रूप से उन लोगों के लिए खतरनाक है जो पहले से ही वजन घटाने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं. कई कोल्ड ड्रिंक में कैफीन भी होता है, जो कि एक उत्तेजक पदार्थ है. कैफीन का अधिक सेवन शरीर में नींद की समस्याएं, चिड़चिड़ापन और उच्च रक्तचाप जैसी समस्याएं उत्पन्न कर सकता है. बच्चों और गर्भवती महिलाओं के लिए यह विशेष रूप से हानिकारक हो सकता है. कोल्ड ड्रिंक में कई प्रकार के कृत्रिम रंग और स्वाद मिलाए जाते हैं, जो शरीर के लिए हानिकारक हो सकते हैं. ये रसायन एलर्जी, त्वचा की समस्याएं और यहां तक कि कैंसर जैसी गंभीर बीमारियों का कारण बन सकते हैं. कोल्ड ड्रिंक पीने से शरीर में पानी की कमी हो सकती है. ये पेय पदार्थ शरीर से पानी निकालते हैं और डिहाइड्रेशन का कारण बन सकते हैं. खासकर गर्मियों में, कोल्ड ड्रिंक के बजाय पानी, नारियल पानी या ताजे फलों के रस का सेवन अधिक फायदेमंद होता है. जरूरी है नियंत्रण व परहेज डॉ दिव्या शर्मा बताती हैं कि कोल्ड ड्रिंक के ज्यादा मात्रा में ही नहीं बल्कि कम मात्रा में सेवन से भी परहेज करना चाहिए. कोल्ड ड्रिंक की बजाय ताजे फलों के जूस, नारियल पानी, छाछ,शेक, लस्सी या घर में बने शरबत या पेय पदार्थों का सेवन शरीर को पोषण देने के साथ स्वास्थ्य को दुरुस्त रखने व हाइड्रेट रखने में भी मदद करता है.
Gurgaon: The city has been experiencing an unusual shift in its air pollution profile recently, with carbon monoxide (CO) emerging as the lead pollutant, surpassing usual concerns of particulate matter such as PM 10 and PM 2.5. The CO levels in the city is over 68 times the permissible limit in the past seven days, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. The CO concentration between June 24 and June 30 varied between 114µg/m³ and 168µg/m³, while the safe limit is 1.7µg/m³. The city’s authorities are being called upon to take immediate measures to curb waste burning incidents and enforce stricter waste management protocols. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has also called for strong punitive actions and ordered HSPCB to urge MCG to conduct inspections in hotspots where waste burning is rampant and apprise it about actions taken against violators, the status of cases, and plans to end waste burning in the open. Experts primarily attributed the alarming increase in CO levels to waste burning in open areas, particularly combustion of plastics and rubber. Shubhansh Tiwari, a research associate at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said, “Vehicles and machinery that burn fossil fuels are the primary sources of CO in outdoor air. The data reveals that CO emissions spike when overall pollution levels are high. The elevated levels of CO in the city result from local factors such as garbage burning and use of diesel vehicles.” Residents from various areas have reported making multiple complaints to the authorities regarding illegal waste dumping and burning. Pankaj Mahajan of Sector 108 said, “I have been witnessing waste burning daily, though I can say that the number of such incidents have come down compared to 15 days ago, but incidents are still going on.” The CPCB guidelines indicate that when the air quality index (AQI) is in the ‘moderate’ category, people with asthma and lung or heart disease can face breathing discomfort. In ‘poor’ AQI, most people are likely to face breathing discomfort on prolonged exposure. The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), an official said, has asked municipal corporations to take steps to curb garbage burning incidents in the city. We also published the following articles recently Waste burning rampant, rain fails to flush out air pollutantsGurgaon's air quality worsens due to waste burning in open areas, releasing harmful pollutants. HSPCB takes action to curb the issue, urging municipal corporations to address garbage burning incidents promptly for a cleaner environment.111298509 Fix citys waste woes in a week: CM to MCGChief Minister Nayab Singh Saini directed prompt action on sanitation issues, including the takeover of maintenance services and upgrades in private colonies. His proactive approach to resolving citizen complaints highlights a commitment to improving civic infrastructure and services in Gurgaon.111326249 From streets to landfills: An exhibition to honour women managing city wasteThe Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in partnership with SEWA, empowers women informal workers in India, concentrating on waste recyclers and sustainable practices in the waste management sector.111261573
Do you think ESG is here to take over modern industrial best practices? You might be right. It is said that in 2023, a majority of Fortune 500 companies listed carbon and energy transitions as part of their ESG commitments. At the same time, the gap of skilled personnel capable of designing, advocating and reporting ESG solutions is getting wider and wider. As of today, ESG agendas and programmes vary from country to country. The Indian industrial training sector is offering its own set of programmes to bridge the gap. One of them is the Postgraduate Diploma Course in ESG floated by the Institute of Good Manufacturing Practices India (IGMPI). Currently delivered in three formats—the Certificate Course, the PG Diploma Course, and the Executive Diploma Course—the ESG programme is conducted by experts from IIMs, IITs, and the IISERs. 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As more individuals become aware of the impacts that corporate behaviour can have on our current circumstances, networks, and society, ESG has turned into a fundamental point of convergence for organisations and people. With a strong vision to create managers and leaders in the field of ESG, the CEHS department has opened its admission channels for young entrepreneurs, mid-senior level associates and partners and directors alike for this programme. The Institute has partnered with many organisations to provide placement assistance for the participants of Post Graduate Diploma Programmes. Besides, it has a robust placement cell comprised of senior-level human resources professionals and talent acquisition experts, which maintains close links with business and industry. This cell is continuously engaged in promoting employment opportunities to participants and encouraging the concerned human resources department and hiring managers to recruit/hire our participants for their vacant positions. The efforts of the placement cell also include helping with professional resume writing and interview skills. In recent months the institute has witnessed more and more participation from professionals working with companies like Big 4s, Accenture, SGS, Fortune 100, Uniqus Consultech Ltd., ESG Book, Vision 360, TCS, Ckinetics, CSE(Centre for Science and Environment, TERI (The Energy and Research Institute), Iforest, CEEW (Council on Energy, Environment and Water ), CPR (Centre for Policy and Research ), Centre for Energy and Environment Sustainability, WWF (Worl wildlife Fund ), IWMI (International Water Management Institute ), Greenpeace, 350.org, ATREE, Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, Kraft, Heinz , Barclays, Unilever, Tata Chemicals, Sodexo, Pepsico, NTPC ltd, Reliance group, KPMG, Heineken, PWC, United Nation Escap, Councell of Energy Environment and Water, Diligent Corporation, WRI India, Benchmark Digital Partners, EY, Center for Policy Research, Bacardi, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Aurobindo Pharma, Glenmark Generics, Cipla, Wockhardt, Pfizer, Abbott, Medtronic, Foster Corporation, IPCA Laboratories, Calyx, Bliss GVS Pharma, SeQuent, Mankind, Beryl Drugs, Allergy Therapeutics, Ciron, Sun Pharmaceutical, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, Ranbaxy, Biocon etc. The IGMPI's Corporate Resource Division actively recommends students and training participants for various job requirements and specialised roles in HR and talent acquisition, as well as the heads of various departments in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, on a regular basis. About IGMPI The Centre for Environment Health and Safety (CEHS), which has been set up under the aegis of the Institute of Good Manufacturing Practices India (IGMPI), is registered as a non-profit society recognised by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and accredited Vocational Institution of Ministry of HRD, Government of India, is dedicated to promoting working in a healthy and safe environment. IGMPI is moving hand in hand with technology advances and has gained recognition as a strong and competent training & online learning platform provider in the areas of environmental safety, pharmaceutical GMP, regulatory affairs, food safety, nutrition, health safety & many more. Institute of Good Manufacturing Practices IGMPI is also duly licensed and certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) under the Bureau of Indian Standards (Conformity Assessment) Regulations 2018.
Deadly flash flooding due to sudden heavy rains has inundated India’s capital, replacing one of the worst heat waves in Delhi’s history that sent temperatures soaring well above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). An observatory in New Delhi on Friday reported 228.1 millimeters (nearly 9 inches) of rainfall in a 24-hour period, the most recorded in a single June day for 88 years and surpassing the city’s average for the whole month, according to the Indian Meteorological Department. At least 11 people died from the rain and flooding last week, including four people who drowned in submerged underpasses, Reuters reported citing local media. Heavy rains caused roads to flood, submerged cars and subways and cut power to some parts of the city. Video posted to social media showed waterlogged streets in Delhi as residents wade waist-deep through the floods. Delhi capital region “is becoming home to extreme weather every season now,” said independent weatherman Navdeep Dahiya on X. Heavy rain caused a section of roof at New Delhi’s airport to collapse on Friday, crushing one man to death, and injuring eight others. Photos of the scene released by the fire service showed the large white canopy of the roof had plunged to the ground, crushing several cars. One person could be seen slumped under twisted metal in the driver’s seat of one of the cars. The heavy rains have brought some respite from weeks of blistering heat, with one part of Delhi reaching 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in late May — the capital’s highest temperature on record. This year’s scorching heat wave persisted even after the blazing sun had set, with high nighttime temperatures providing little relief. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a weather warning until July 4 as heavy rains hit much of India’s northeast, east and northwest coast. Red alerts, indicating the highest-level threat, were issued for parts of the northeast states of Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, and Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday. “Heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely over northwest, east and northeast India over the next four to five days,” Indian Meteorological Department said Sunday. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders the Indian Capital Territory, two women reportedly died after a water tank collapsed in the heavy rain, according to ANI News. In Uttarakhand, video posted by ANI News shows vehicles swept away following heavy rain being hauled out of floodwaters. CNN cannot independently verify these reports. On Friday, five Indian army personnel died after their tank got stuck in flash floods while attempting to cross a river during training in India’s northern Ladakh, the army said in a post on X. “Rescue teams rushed to the location, however, due to high current and water levels, the rescue mission didn’t succeed and the tank crew lost their lives,” the army said. Heavy monsoon rains have also caused damage in neighboring countries. In Nepal, at least nine people, including three children, were killed after rains triggered landslides in the country’s west, Reuters reported, citing an official from the National Disaster Rescue and Reduction Management Authority. From no water to too much water India, the world’s most populous nation, is one of the countries worst affected by the human-caused climate crisis, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – potentially affecting 1.4 billion people nationwide. The climate crisis is making extreme weather events more frequent and severe, scientists say, and this can be seen play out in climate-vulnerable India which is suffering from extremes of heat, rainfall and other disasters such as cyclones. While India often experiences heat waves during the summer months of May and June, in recent years, they have arrived earlier and become more prolonged, with scientists linking some of these longer and more intense heat waves to climate change. New Delhi topped a recent list of hottest capital cities, recording 4,222 days above 35 degrees Celsius in the past three decades – more than any other city analyzed. Between 2014 and 2023, just under half (44%) of days in the Indian capital met that threshold, compared to 35% from 1994 to 2003, and 37% from 2004 to 2013. Delhi, like many cities in India, is suffering from a water crisis, with acute water shortages and lack of groundwater supply leaving many people to rely on water tankers for their supply of fresh, clean water. “We get water only once a day, and it’s scalding hot, unless you fill up a bucket and let it cool off all day before using it, you can’t bathe in this water,” 60-year-old Kalyani Saha, a resident of the Lajpat Nagar neighborhood of the capital city, recently told CNN. Meanwhile, seasonal monsoon rains usually start in June until September, bringing bands of heavy rains from the southwest that quench fields, nourish crops, and replenish reservoirs. But recent studies have shown India’s monsoons have become more erratic in the past 10 years, due to the climate crisis, posing significant risks to critical sectors such as agriculture, water, and energy. Last June, nearly half a million people in northeast India were affected by severe flooding after heavy rains battered the region. “Because of climate change, you will get more extreme rain events, which means more rain in a fewer number of rainy days, rainy hours,” Sunita Narain, director general of Indian research body Centre for Science and Environment, said in a video post on YouTube last week. “If you look at the data from across India, you will find that many weather stations are already reporting that they are breaking the record of 24-hour rainfall, which means that a city, a region, can get its annual rain, as much as a whole year’s rain, in a matter of a few days or even one day.” Going from water scarcity to floods is a “cycle that we are beginning to see more and more,” Narain said, adding that it was an opportunity “to make a change.” In a separate video post on the importance of rainwater harvesting, Narain said, “The only way we can manage floods is when we can build drainage so that our rivers are drained into channels, into ponds, so that excess rain can be held and it can recharge groundwater for the dry season that comes after.”
We know that climate change impacts weather, which in turn devastates lives and livelihoods. But what we don’t discuss enough is how these extremes in weather impact human health. In this season of despair, when temperatures spiralled out of control, we learnt how heat could kill. We also learnt how the rise in minimum temperature—night-time heat—could be the cause of human death. It is critical that we join the dots of what seems like a faraway crisis of a changing climate to what it can do to our health. This year, the world has seen scorching temperatures. And this heat has taken lives—in Delhi, when I write this at the end of June 2024, it is estimated that some 270 people have died because of extreme heat. But I repeat this number with caution. We really don’t know how many have died, because heat is an exacerbating factor to existing health ailments like cardiovascular or kidney diseases. Many more may have succumbed to heat this summer, but doctors would have written it down to underlying conditions. We know that the most vulnerable are those exposed to heat because of their work conditions—from construction workers to farmers. It is also the poor, who do not have access to electricity and so, cannot use appliances to cool down their bodies. But their deaths are not recorded as heat stress; only that they are either poor, or old and died of “unknown causes”. Heat is not listed in the notified diseases of the country, which also means that it is not required to be recorded or to provide information for further action. So, we must recognise that we know little about the health burden and deaths because of the ferocious burn we have seen of late. However, research is now pointing to the dynamics of deadly heat. First, it is now being understood that the rise in night-time heat is the cause of maximum mortality. A 2022 paper in the British medical journal The Lancet found “that the relative mortality risk on days with hot nights could be 50 per cent higher than on days with cooler night temperatures.” The reason, the authors explain, is that heat affects sleep; does not allow the body to repair itself; and this, in turn, exacerbates the health stress. Second, we know that evaporation is the method for our bodies to cool down; but this becomes ineffective when humidity increases beyond 75 per cent—also known as wet bulb phenomenon. So, thermal discomfort is what needs to be understood, not just temperatures. The worry is that we are seeing an increasing trend in all three killer factors, particularly in urban centers. Here, temperatures are rising beyond human tolerance; humidity is increasing; and so is the night-time heat. A recent report by my colleagues at the Centre for Science and Environment tracked heat trends across major cities of India and found that ambient air temperatures are increasing in cities, as against the average for the country. Then Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are seeing a more humid summer—5-10 per cent increase in the last decade (2014-2023) as compared to 2001-2010. Only Bengaluru has not shown any increase in summer humidity level and this needs further investigation. Then, the report finds that cities are not cooling down at night—across all climatic zones. It notes that during summers of the decade of 2001-10, night temperatures dropped by 6.2°C to 13.2°C from the day-time peak. But in the last 10 summers, this difference between day and night temperatures (maximum and minimum) is decreasing. Hyderabad is down by 13 per cent; Delhi by 9 per cent and Bengaluru by 15 per cent. Kolkata, which already had the dubious distinction of a smaller difference between day and night temperatures, is now worse, because of higher humidity levels. We know that all this is part of that double-whammy we see in our world. On the one hand, there is a warming Planet—this year has broken all previous high temperature records. Worse, there are changes afoot in the way the weather behaves in terms of erratic rain, intense heat and changes in wind patterns. All this makes heat more stressful; more deadly. On the other hand, our cities are seeing a dramatic change in micro-climate—the heat island effect is amplified as concrete takes over open and green spaces; traffic and the use of energy for cooling add to the heat being trapped in the air. This summer has taught us new lessons in heat stress. The fact is, climate change will throw us many such surprises in terms of impacts on human health. Even now, this science is not understood. What climate change will do is bring the impacts closer to our bodies and our health. This is why planetary health is about human health. It is time we made this connection. It is time we understood why climate change is an existential crisis; it is literally about life and death. (Courtesy: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/; Writer is Director General of CSE and editor of Down To Earth, an environmentalist who pushes for changes in policies, practices and mindsets)
Deadly flash flooding due to sudden heavy rains has inundated India’s capital, replacing one of the worst heat waves in Delhi’s history that sent temperatures soaring well above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). An observatory in New Delhi on Friday reported 228.1 millimeters (nearly 9 inches) of rainfall in a 24-hour period, the most recorded in a single June day for 88 years and surpassing the city’s average for the whole month, according to the Indian Meteorological Department. At least 11 people died from the rain and flooding last week, including four people who drowned in submerged underpasses, Reuters reported citing local media. Heavy rains caused roads to flood, submerged cars and subways and cut power to some parts of the city. Video posted to social media showed waterlogged streets in Delhi as residents wade waist-deep through the floods. Delhi capital region “is becoming home to extreme weather every season now,” said independent weatherman Navdeep Dahiya on X. Heavy rain caused a section of roof at New Delhi’s airport to collapse on Friday, crushing one man to death, and injuring eight others. Photos of the scene released by the fire service showed the large white canopy of the roof had plunged to the ground, crushing several cars. One person could be seen slumped under twisted metal in the driver’s seat of one of the cars. The heavy rains have brought some respite from weeks of blistering heat, with one part of Delhi reaching 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in late May — the capital’s highest temperature on record. This year’s scorching heat wave persisted even after the blazing sun had set, with high nighttime temperatures providing little relief. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a weather warning until July 4 as heavy rains hit much of India’s northeast, east and northwest coast. Red alerts, indicating the highest-level threat, were issued for parts of the northeast states of Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, and Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday. “Heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely over northwest, east and northeast India over the next four to five days,” Indian Meteorological Department said Sunday. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders the Indian Capital Territory, two women reportedly died after a water tank collapsed in the heavy rain, according to ANI News. In Uttarakhand, video posted by ANI News shows vehicles swept away following heavy rain being hauled out of floodwaters. CNN cannot independently verify these reports. On Friday, five Indian army personnel died after their tank got stuck in flash floods while attempting to cross a river during training in India’s northern Ladakh, the army said in a post on X. “Rescue teams rushed to the location, however, due to high current and water levels, the rescue mission didn’t succeed and the tank crew lost their lives,” the army said. Heavy monsoon rains have also caused damage in neighboring countries. In Nepal, at least nine people, including three children, were killed after rains triggered landslides in the country’s west, Reuters reported, citing an official from the National Disaster Rescue and Reduction Management Authority. From no water to too much water India, the world’s most populous nation, is one of the countries worst affected by the human-caused climate crisis, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – potentially affecting 1.4 billion people nationwide. The climate crisis is making extreme weather events more frequent and severe, scientists say, and this can be seen play out in climate-vulnerable India which is suffering from extremes of heat, rainfall and other disasters such as cyclones. While India often experiences heat waves during the summer months of May and June, in recent years, they have arrived earlier and become more prolonged, with scientists linking some of these longer and more intense heat waves to climate change. New Delhi topped a recent list of hottest capital cities, recording 4,222 days above 35 degrees Celsius in the past three decades – more than any other city analyzed. Between 2014 and 2023, just under half (44%) of days in the Indian capital met that threshold, compared to 35% from 1994 to 2003, and 37% from 2004 to 2013. Delhi, like many cities in India, is suffering from a water crisis, with acute water shortages and lack of groundwater supply leaving many people to rely on water tankers for their supply of fresh, clean water. “We get water only once a day, and it’s scalding hot, unless you fill up a bucket and let it cool off all day before using it, you can’t bathe in this water,” 60-year-old Kalyani Saha, a resident of the Lajpat Nagar neighborhood of the capital city, recently told CNN. Meanwhile, seasonal monsoon rains usually start in June until September, bringing bands of heavy rains from the southwest that quench fields, nourish crops, and replenish reservoirs. But recent studies have shown India’s monsoons have become more erratic in the past 10 years, due to the climate crisis, posing significant risks to critical sectors such as agriculture, water, and energy. Last June, nearly half a million people in northeast India were affected by severe flooding after heavy rains battered the region. “Because of climate change, you will get more extreme rain events, which means more rain in a fewer number of rainy days, rainy hours,” Sunita Narain, director general of Indian research body Centre for Science and Environment, said in a video post on YouTube last week. “If you look at the data from across India, you will find that many weather stations are already reporting that they are breaking the record of 24-hour rainfall, which means that a city, a region, can get its annual rain, as much as a whole year’s rain, in a matter of a few days or even one day.” Going from water scarcity to floods is a “cycle that we are beginning to see more and more,” Narain said, adding that it was an opportunity “to make a change.” In a separate video post on the importance of rainwater harvesting, Narain said, “The only way we can manage floods is when we can build drainage so that our rivers are drained into channels, into ponds, so that excess rain can be held and it can recharge groundwater for the dry season that comes after.”
A hundred years ago, in the month of June, Calcutta had recorded 43.9° Celsius. It was a rare event. This April, the Bengal capital came close to beating its record, as the daytime temperature touched 43°C. If this summer feels bad, brace yourself; the worst is yet to come, if climate scientists are right. Over 25 years, India’s east coast – which includes Calcutta – will see a ten-fold increase in the occurrence of a daily maximum temperature above 43°C, according to a study published in Springer in October 2023. For the west coast, that will be a 16-fold hike, with an average increase in the number of days with heatwave conditions by another seven-eight days. A hundred years ago, in the month of June, Calcutta had recorded 43.9° Celsius. It was a rare event. This April, the Bengal capital came close to beating its record, as the daytime temperature touched 43°C. If this summer feels bad, brace yourself; the worst is yet to come, if climate scientists are right. ADVERTISEMENT Over 25 years, India’s east coast – which includes Calcutta – will see a ten-fold increase in the occurrence of a daily maximum temperature above 43°C, according to a study published in Springer in October 2023. For the west coast, that will be a 16-fold hike, with an average increase in the number of days with heatwave conditions by another seven-eight days. TTO graphics This trend of increased heatwave days is expected to start from next year, 2025, and is likely to continue for another 25 years. It will not stop. Between the years 2076 and 2100, the number of heatwaves days is likely to rise by 10-17 days from the present range which, according to the India Meteorological Department, could last from one to five days in spells of short to medium range between the months of March and June. In extreme cases, that will extend to July. For Calcutta, it is going to be a double whammy as the discomfort level from heat as well as humidity both are on the rise and are likely to remain on an upward trend. So, even days of heavy rainfall are unlikely to provide much relief. The monsoons have already turned more uncomfortable as the average heat index is higher by 3.5°C than the pre-monsoon days in Calcutta, according to another study, by the Delhi-based environmental think-tank Centre for Science and Environment. Average heat index is a measure of how hot it really feels when humidity is factored in with the actual temperature. According to the United States National Weather Service, a heat index of 41°C is “dangerous for human health”. The CSE study analysed the heatscape of Calcutta between 2021 and 2023. The report was published early this year. Research has proven that climate change has impacted both types of heat stress, dry and moist, said Rajib Chattopadhyay, a scientist with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. “Moist heat stress is increasing along with dry heat stress,” he said. “Heat stress measures the impact of heatwave on the human body. For our bodies to function normally, a constant inner temperature is required. A heat-stressed body may not function properly.” Dry heat stress results in dehydration and could have a severe impact on people with adverse health conditions who are exposed to the sunlight for more than the threshold which could range from an hour to 90 minutes or more depending on the individual’s vitals. “Moist heat stress occurs when the body cannot effectively evaporate away heat and the ambient humidity in the atmosphere adds to the discomfort,” Chattopadhyay explained. “If there is excess moisture, the body is unable to release sweat and cannot cool efficiently. The moist heat stress internally is as harmful as the dry heat stress.” Between 2001-10 and 2014-23, the relative humidity in Calcutta has increased by 5 per cent which has contributed to an upward surge in the city’s heat stress by 6.6 per cent, according to the CSE. The decadal heat index in Calcutta has increased on an average by 3.5 per cent, according to the same study. And the number of days with the daily heat index exceeding 41°C has tripled compared to 2001-10. In the past two decades, Calcutta’s built-up area has jumped from 70 per cent in 2001 to 80.1 per cent in 2023. In the corresponding period, the city’s green cover has depleted from 15. 2 per cent to 14.5 per cent last year, according to the CSE. The Ahmedabad model Ahmedabad was the first city in India as well as South Asia to come up with a heat action plan in 2013. The plan suggested heat-reflecting paint be applied on tin roofs in the low-income dwellings for those forced to live in cemented rooms with poor ventilation and no access to any cooling mechanism. It also has provisions like mandatory cool roofs for all municipal, commercial and government buildings. The wake-up call for Ahmedabad’s civic authorities came after a particularly disastrous May in 2010, when heat reportedly claimed the lives of over 1,000 people, hospitals were overrun with heatstroke patients and a few hundred bats dropped dead. Bats have dropped dead in Delhi as well this summer. In Ahmedabad, heat alerts are sent by SMS and WhatsApp and put out via press releases and billboard messages. Health workers, community leaders and radio jockeys are engaged to amplify the message to the masses. Calcutta’s heat action plan Bengal’s department of disaster management has prepared a list of dos and don'ts as part of the heat action plan. Calcutta’s municipal corporation is working on a comprehensive climate action plan exclusively for the city. "Some changes have already been incorporated,” said Debashish Kumar, state legislator and member, mayor-in-council, Calcutta Municipal Corporation. “The process of paving footpaths and pruning trees has been tweaked to reduce frequent uprooting of trees. Any pruning that compromises the balance of a full-grown tree will be considered an offence, as would be the paving of footpath covering exposed roots." Heatwaves may happen earlier as well India now has a 10 per cent chance of being hit by an extreme heatwave in late spring, according to a study published in Nature last month. The heatwave in 2022, for example, happened in the month of March in India. “Heatwave intensity, duration , frequency [of heatwaves] due to anthropogenic climate change is a matter of concern in India. An effective heat plan action needs to be implemented,” said Chattopadhyay.
Deadly flash flooding due to sudden heavy rains has inundated India’s capital, replacing one of the worst heat waves in Delhi’s history that sent temperatures soaring well above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). An observatory in New Delhi on Friday reported 228.1 millimeters (nearly 9 inches) of rainfall in a 24-hour period, the most recorded in a single June day for 88 years and surpassing the city’s average for the whole month, according to the Indian Meteorological Department. At least 11 people died from the rain and flooding last week, including four people who drowned in submerged underpasses, Reuters reported citing local media. Heavy rains caused roads to flood, submerged cars and subways and cut power to some parts of the city. Video posted to social media showed waterlogged streets in Delhi as residents wade waist-deep through the floods. Delhi capital region “is becoming home to extreme weather every season now,” said independent weatherman Navdeep Dahiya on X. Heavy rain caused a section of roof at New Delhi’s airport to collapse on Friday, crushing one man to death, and injuring eight others. Photos of the scene released by the fire service showed the large white canopy of the roof had plunged to the ground, crushing several cars. One person could be seen slumped under twisted metal in the driver’s seat of one of the cars. The heavy rains have brought some respite from weeks of blistering heat, with one part of Delhi reaching 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in late May — the capital’s highest temperature on record. This year’s scorching heat wave persisted even after the blazing sun had set, with high nighttime temperatures providing little relief. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a weather warning until July 4 as heavy rains hit much of India’s northeast, east and northwest coast. Red alerts, indicating the highest-level threat, were issued for parts of the northeast states of Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, and Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday. “Heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely over northwest, east and northeast India over the next four to five days,” Indian Meteorological Department said Sunday. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders the Indian Capital Territory, two women reportedly died after a water tank collapsed in the heavy rain, according to ANI News. In Uttarakhand, video posted by ANI News shows vehicles swept away following heavy rain being hauled out of floodwaters. CNN cannot independently verify these reports. On Friday, five Indian army personnel died after their tank got stuck in flash floods while attempting to cross a river during training in India’s northern Ladakh, the army said in a post on X. “Rescue teams rushed to the location, however, due to high current and water levels, the rescue mission didn’t succeed and the tank crew lost their lives,” the army said. Heavy monsoon rains have also caused damage in neighboring countries. In Nepal, at least nine people, including three children, were killed after rains triggered landslides in the country’s west, Reuters reported, citing an official from the National Disaster Rescue and Reduction Management Authority. India, the world’s most populous nation, is one of the countries worst affected by the human-caused climate crisis, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – potentially affecting 1.4 billion people nationwide. The climate crisis is making extreme weather events more frequent and severe, scientists say, and this can be seen play out in climate-vulnerable India which is suffering from extremes of heat, rainfall and other disasters such as cyclones. While India often experiences heat waves during the summer months of May and June, in recent years, they have arrived earlier and become more prolonged, with scientists linking some of these longer and more intense heat waves to climate change. New Delhi topped a recent list of hottest capital cities, recording 4,222 days above 35 degrees Celsius in the past three decades – more than any other city analyzed. Between 2014 and 2023, just under half (44%) of days in the Indian capital met that threshold, compared to 35% from 1994 to 2003, and 37% from 2004 to 2013. Delhi, like many cities in India, is suffering from a water crisis, with acute water shortages and lack of groundwater supply leaving many people to rely on water tankers for their supply of fresh, clean water. “We get water only once a day, and it’s scalding hot, unless you fill up a bucket and let it cool off all day before using it, you can’t bathe in this water,” 60-year-old Kalyani Saha, a resident of the Lajpat Nagar neighborhood of the capital city, recently told CNN. Meanwhile, seasonal monsoon rains usually start in June until September, bringing bands of heavy rains from the southwest that quench fields, nourish crops, and replenish reservoirs. But recent studies have shown India’s monsoons have become more erratic in the past 10 years, due to the climate crisis, posing significant risks to critical sectors such as agriculture, water, and energy. Last June, nearly half a million people in northeast India were affected by severe flooding after heavy rains battered the region. “Because of climate change, you will get more extreme rain events, which means more rain in a fewer number of rainy days, rainy hours,” Sunita Narain, director general of Indian research body Centre for Science and Environment, said in a video post on YouTube last week. “If you look at the data from across India, you will find that many weather stations are already reporting that they are breaking the record of 24-hour rainfall, which means that a city, a region, can get its annual rain, as much as a whole year’s rain, in a matter of a few days or even one day.” Going from water scarcity to floods is a “cycle that we are beginning to see more and more,” Narain said, adding that it was an opportunity “to make a change.” In a separate video post on the importance of rainwater harvesting, Narain said, “The only way we can manage floods is when we can build drainage so that our rivers are drained into channels, into ponds, so that excess rain can be held and it can recharge groundwater for the dry season that comes after.” — CNN