आज श्री हर्ष यादव कार्यक्रम अधिकारी (सी॰एस॰ई) द्वारा बुलंदशहर की नगर निकाय खुर्जा में स्थिति FSTP का निरक्षण किया गया तथा स्वयं सहायता समूह की महिलाओं द्वारा किये जा रहे कार्यों की प्रशंसा की श्री हर्ष यादव द्वारा बताया FSSM हेतू सभी शहरवासियों को अपनी भूमिका निभानी होगी एवं सभी को प्रत्येक तीन साल में सेप्टिक टैंक ख़ाली करवाना होगा ।
As we envision the next 50 years of Project Tiger, it is imperative to build on the lessons learned and address the gaps identified In 2023, India commemorated the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger, a landmark initiative in wildlife conservation that has long been touted to have bold and visionary measures. Its success stories, frequently highlighted by conservation stalwarts, have become a source of national pride. However, the narrative around Project Tiger needs a deeper, more nuanced understanding. Despite its early accolades, some observations suggest that the changes in tiger populations and their habitats over the past two decades have perhaps been more modest than often claimed. This discrepancy between public narrative and on-ground reality calls for a critical assessment of Project Tiger’s strategies and outcomes. The reported growth in tiger numbers from 1,411 in 2006 to 3,682 in 2022 demands careful examination in light of ecological principles and methodological discrepancies. Each assessment has seemingly led to unreliable conclusions, casting doubt on the monitoring programme’s efficacy and its success narratives. The national tiger monitoring initiative is underpinned by “model-based inference” as defined by scientists. Following the prohibition of the pugmark census method in 2004—due to its failure to detect the disappearance of tigers in Sariska and later in Panna—India’s official tiger population monitoring strategy changed course to involve the application of photographic capture-recapture methods in key areas (reserves) and index-based assessments (such as tigers, prey and human-related signs), synthesised together with a straightforward model to generate population estimates at the state and national levels. The credibility of population estimates is contingent upon the robustness of the model. However, specialists in quantitative and tiger ecology have over time demonstrated severe instability in the model being used. When these issues are acknowledged, the reported rise in tiger numbers is called into question until adjustments are made. Consider the analogy of a car in New Delhi’s heavy traffic with a speedometer reading of 200 km per hour. One would not accept this reading without question; similarly, the reported tiger numbers should not be accepted until the data has been re-evaluated. It is equally important to understand that the essence of tiger conservation extends beyond mere reporting of tiger numbers. It involves a deep understanding of tiger population ecology and the mechanisms to necessitate their conservation. The concept of the occupancy-abundance relationship, crucial in ecology, has to be invoked so that as a species’ population naturally grows, its required habitat also expands correspondingly. However, the focus in India, especially in recent times, has disproportionately been on increasing tiger numbers within confined reserves, often by neglecting the simultaneous need to expand tiger habitat in a corresponding manner. Such a scientifically counterintuitive approach has reportedly led to unnatural habitat modifications within confined reserves (such as increased view lines and creation of grasslands specifically targeting chital population rise) without making sufficient room for tigers and prey and potentially leading to increased human-wildlife conflicts, beyond natural levels. It has also brought into discussion the previously unnecessary need to manage tigers between functionally disconnected reserves. CLARIFY HUMAN IMPACT ON TIGER CONSERVATION Tiger populations face various threats that can lead to their decline, such as elimination of their prey, direct killing, and encroachment and conversion of tiger habitats for other uses such as agriculture or industrial activities. It is crucial to understand that from the tiger’s perspective, the identity of the perpetrator is irrelevant. Whether it is a local village resident hunting for sustenance or as a pastime, or a poacher from a larger, organised illegal wildlife trade network, the impact on the tiger depends entirely on how many of the big cats or prey are being removed from a local population. Likewise, whether forests are cleared for agriculture, or industrial purposes, the detrimental effect on tiger habitats is simply a function of the area lost. However, discussions within tiger conservation circles often focus more on who is causing the damage rather than the extent of the harm. This perspective has been costly for conservation efforts for big cats globally. Currently, wildlife conservation discourse often divides stakeholders into two broad categories: local communities and the forest department. This bipartite division can be counterproductive. A more effective approach would be to recognise just one category: people. All people, irrespective of their background, should collaborate on unified policies to save wildlife. This simplifies negotiations and strategies for tiger and habitat conservation. In an ideal scenario, especially in a country like India, individuals interested in wildlife conservation should be encouraged and enabled to contribute, regardless of their background. Similarly, local community members seeking opportunities in urban areas should be supported. There is a valid argument that current tiger conservation practices, largely managed by the forest department, could benefit from involving more stakeholders and refining existing practices. NEED FOR CRITICAL, SCIENCE-BASED APPROACH Despite widespread belief that the tiger is a very well-studied species, the reality is that our understanding of their ecology is surprisingly shallow. Significant funds are allocated to tiger conservation science, particularly for periodic population monitoring, yet the insights yielded often muddy our understanding rather than clarify it. For instance, we are encountering paradoxical trends such as the inverted relationship between tiger occupancy and abundance. Moreover, alongside growing evidence of inbreeding in certain populations, there is an increase in their numbers within the same habitats, a complex scenario to untangle. Such contradictory conclusions could misguide future conservation efforts if used as a basis for policy decisions. Furthermore, the lack of vibrant scientific debate and questioning within the Indian conservation and scientific community is a significant concern. Unlike other scientific fields, where progress is marked by constant questioning and re-evaluation, the progress of tiger conservation in India has seen little of this dynamic. The prevailing acceptance of increasing tiger numbers, without substantial discussion, points to a need for a more robust scientific discourse in the field. Tigers, being a globally important species, have traditionally attracted the involvement of several large international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in conservation efforts. Many of these organisations also have a presence in India. It is crucial for these NGOs to actively shape and guide the scientific discourse. However, a major issue arises when these large institutions refrain from criticising or show support to the existing tiger conservation narratives in India even when the scientific findings suggest the contrary. This scenario often leaves little room for robust scientific debate, essential for effective conservation and may dissuade smaller institutions from contributing to the debate. In such circumstances, it might be more prudent for international NGOs involved in tiger conservation and operating in India to reconsider whether and how they can contribute meaningfully to the scientific discourse. As we envision the next 50 years of Project Tiger, it is imperative to build on the lessons learned and address the gaps identified. The project must evolve to incorporate advanced scientific methodologies, foster a culture of critical inquiry, and ensure that conservation strategies are responsive to ecological realities. There must be a sound scientific basis for tiger conservation, which can be modelled along the lines of other rigorous programmes in India, for example, space research. Arjun M Gopalaswamy is founder and scientist at Carnassials Global, Bengaluru, a science advisory firm This was first published in the State of India’s Environment 2024 published by Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth Magazine https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/lack-of-scientific-debate-and-involvement-of-all-stakeholders-will-not-help-project-tiger-succeed-95368
Manipur’s cherry-like tiny tree fruit, Heimang, Heiribob, a citrus fruit and even Yaipan, a funnel-shaped wildflower, besides Awa-Phadigom, a flavouring agent, were listed among the various plants that make India’s 100+ recipes. These plants sourced from local biodiversity were categorically and beautifully described in a recently released book, ‘First Food: Future of Taste', published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a New Delhi-based public interest research organisation. “This book is a primer for surviving food shortages brought on by the uncertainties of extreme weather events. Many of the plants that make the recipes featured in the book are still found in our backyards or can be grown and harvested for food,” says Director General Sunita Narain of CSE. “India is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries and has 11 percent of the world’s plant species. It is only when this biodiversity is lived that it will live.” In fact, Heimang (Rhus chinensis), a deep red cherry-like, tiny spherical tree fruit, has a citrus-like tartness and is packed with nutrients such as polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidants. This fruit is useful for indigestion,stomach ulcers,kidney diseases and urinary stones. Traditionally in Manipur, Heimang (Rhus chinensis) is used for gastrointestinal problems like diarrhoea and dysentery, according to a write-up in the book by Vibha Varshney, consulting editor of Down to Earth magazine. Stating that locals prepare herbal shampoo (Chinghi) out of Heimang leaves after boiling them with rice water in Manipur, she wrote, “In ancient China, certain communities used to add the fruit to food for its salty taste.” Thus, the promotion of such traditional products will provide livelihood opportunities to communities with access to the tree, which grows in warm temperatures, she felt. On the other hand, Yaipan (Curcuma angustifolia), a funnel-shaped wildflower with shades of deep purple, blue, pink and white, is a favourite kitchen item in Manipur. In a write-up by Chitra Balasubramaniam in the book, it is used in Ayurveda for its healing properties and is believed to cure tuberculosis, asthma, cough and burning sensations in the body, says a 2015 paper published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Phytochemistry.
Manipur’s cherry like tiny tree fruit Heimang, Heiribob-a citrus fruit and even Yaipan-a funnel shaped wildflower besides Awa-Phadigom-a flavouring agent, were listed among the various plants that make India’s 100+recipes. These plants sourced from local biodiversity were categorically and beautifully described in a recently released ‘First Food: Future of taste’ -a book published by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a New Delhi based public interest research organisation. “This book is a primer to survive food shortages brought in by uncertainties of extreme weather events. Many of the plants that make the recipes featured in the book are still found in our backyards or can be grown and harvested for food,” says Director General Sunita Narain of CSE.”India is one of the 17 megadiverse countries and has 11 percent of the world’s plant species. It is only when this biodiversity is lived that it will live.” In fact, Heimang(rhus chinensis) -a deep red cherry like tiny spherical tree fruit has a citrus like tartness and is packed with nutrients such as polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidants. This fruit is useful for indigestion, stomach ulcer, kidney diseases and urinary stones. Traditionally in Manipur, Heimang (rhus chinensis)is used for gastrointestinal problems like diarrhoea and dysentery, according to a write up in the book by Vibha Varshney, consulting editor of Down to Earth magazine. Stating that locals prepare herbal shampoo (Chinghi) out of Heimang leaves after boiling with rice water in Manipur, she wrote, “In ancient China, certain communities used to add the fruit to food for its salty taste.” Thus, the promotion of such traditional products will provide livelihood opportunities to communities with access to the tree which grows in warm temperatures, she felt. On the other hand Yaipan (curcuma angustifolia)-a funnel shaped wildflower with shades of deep purple, blue, pink and white is favourite kitchen item in Manipur. In a write-up by Chitra Balasubramaniam in the book, it is used in Ayurveda for its healing properties and believed to cure tuberculosis, asthma, cough & burning sensation in the body, says a 2015 paper published in Journal of Pharmacology and Phytochemistry. Also known as tikhur in hindi,keturi haoldi in Bengali and tavakeera in Marathi and East Indian Arrowroot in English,pakoda and chutney of Yaipan which smells of turmeric when eaten raw, are popular side-dishes in Northeast. A sun-dried candy made from Heiribob (citrus macroptera),a citrus fruit found in Manipur also prominently mentioned in the book. Similarly, Awa-Phadigom (eryngium foetidum)-Wild coriander which is a popular flavouring agent in Manipuri kitchens particularly in meat and vegetable dishes. This wild aromatic plant which has small leaves spiked at the edges, can also be used as medicine for constipation and epilepsy. It can tolerate heat, drought and has potential to increase marginal farmers’ climate resilience. Serious efforts to cultivate it(Awa-Phadigom) on a large scale can increase income of growers and sellers, according to another write-up of Chitra Balasubramaniam in the book. Interestingly tasty rice kheer made from Manipur’s black rice ‘Chak-hao’ which bagged Geographical Indication tag in 2020, is also slowly coming up as a well-known dessert in the Indian cities.
University of Mysore and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for knowledge exchange and capacity building on sustainable habitat. CSE, a Delhi-based environment research and advocacy organisation and SPA have extended their two-year old engagement to mainstream sustainability in the built environment, Energy Efficiency, Circular Economy, Clean and Low Carbon Strategies etc. UoM Vice-Chancellor, Prof. N.K. Lokanath and V.R. Shylaja, Registrar, Prof. Nagaraj, PMEB Director, Prof. Pramod M. Gawari, Director, SPA and Dr. H.S. Kumara, HoD and Associate Professor, SPA were present from UoM. Rajneesh Sareen, Programme-Director, Sustainable Building and Habitat programme, CSE, New Delhi represented in the signing ceremony. The purpose of this engagement is to sensitise the faculty and students on rising environmental challenges and the need to incorporate climate action in education and professions such as planning, architecture, engineering and other sciences. Following the signing of MoU, CSE and SPA organised a special lecture themed at ‘Heat Resilience Planning and Governess”. About 40 faculty members and 150 students from Planning and Architecture Departments of the University participated. The theme of the programme focused on heat resilience planning and governess as cities are getting warmer every year and the rainfall is becoming erratic due to the urban heat island effect, stated a press release from the Director, School of Planning and Architecture, Manasagangothri.
यूरोपियन देशों के सहयोग से फीकल स्टज ट्री टमेंट के लिए अमृत भारत योजना के अन्तर्गत तैयार 25 केएलडी प्लां ट बिना तकनीकी जांच के ही बड़ी खामियों के बावजूद नगरपालिका परिषद् को हैंडओवर कर दिया। आधी-अधूरी तैयारियों वाले इस एफएसटीपी के संचालन के लिए पालिका प्रशासन ने छह कर्मचारियों की तैनाती कर पूरी तैयारी भी कर ली थी, लेकिन जब प्लांट खामियों के कारण नहीं चल पाया तो शासन ने संज्ञान लेकर यहां पर विशेष तकनीकी टीम भेजकर इसके निर्माण की जांच कराई, जिसमें अनेक खामियां पाये जाने पर टीम ने मौके पर ही कार्यदायी संस्था जल निगम के अधिकारियों को तलब किया और समाने आई खामियों को तत्काल दूर कराकर नियमित प्रक्रिया के साथ पालिका प्रशासन को हैंडओवर करने के निर्देश दिये। टीम अपनी जांच रिपोर्ट शासन को सौंपेसौं पेगी। वहीं पालिका ईओ प्रज्ञा सिंह ने स्पष्ट कर दिया है कि प्लांट में खामियां दूर होने से पहले पालिका इसको हस्तगत नहीं करेगा। केन्द्र सरकार की अमृत योजना के अन्तर्गत यूपी के सभी जिलों में यूरोपियन तकनीकी सहयोग के तहत फीकल स्टज ट्री टमेंट प्लां ट (एफएसटीपी) का निर्माण किया गया है। इसी कड़ी में जनपद में भी नगरपालिका परिषद् की मौहल्ला किदवईनगर में स्थित भूमि पर 25 (केएलडी) किलोलीटर प्रतिदिन की क्षमता वाला एफएसटीपी बनाया गया। इसके निर्माण के लिए कार्यदायी संस्था सीएण्डडीएस जल निगम उत्तर प्रदेश (नगरीय) रही। इसके निर्माण पर अमृत योजना के तहत करीब 85 लाख रुपये का बजट तैयार किया गया है। प्लांट के संचालन से शहर के निजी और सार्वजनिक शौचालयों के सेप्टिक टैंक की गंदगी का निस्तारण होने के साथ ही जैविक खाद बनाने की योजना है। इस खाद को कृषि कार्यों के लिए बेचकर पालिका प्रशा सन की आय बढ़ाने और प्रदूषण से निस्तारण का उद्देश्य लेकर काम किया जा रहा है। इतना ही नहीं सेप्टिक टैंक से मल के साथ निकले वाले गंदे पानी का ट्री टमेंट भी प्लांट में करने की सुविधा है। ताकि इस पानी से भी खेतों की सिंचाई का कार्य किया जा सके। पालिका के इस एफएसटीपी का संचालन नहीं होने की जानकारी मिलने पर नगरीय निकाय निदेशालय लखनऊ से सेंटर फाॅर साइंस एण्ड एनवायरमेंट की दो सदस्यीय टीम ने पालिका की ईओ प्रज्ञा सिंह के साथ प्लांट का स्थलीय निरीक्षण कर व्यवस्था को तकनीकी पैमाने पर परखा। इसमें यह प्लांट फेल साबित हुआ। जांच टीम के अधिकारियों में शामिल वरिष्ठ कार्यक्रम प्रबंधक सुब्रोतो चक्रवर्ती और उप कार्यक्रम प्रबंधक हर्ष यादव ने पूरे प्लांट का भ्रमण कर एक एक व्यवस्था को तकनीकी स्तर पर परखने का काम किया तो कई खामियां पाई गई। इस दौरान ईओ प्रज्ञा सिंह को टीम के अधिकारियों ने जब इन खामियों के बारे में बताया तो उन्होंनेन्हों नेआधी अधूरी तैयारी के बीच ही जल निगम द्वारा प्लां ट पालिका को हैंडओवर करने पर नाराजगी जताई। इसके बाद जांच टीम के अधिकारियों ने सीएण्डडीएस जल निगम नगरीय के अधिकारियों को मौके पर ही तलब किया। परियोजना प्रबंधक आबू जैद और अवर अभियंता एनके पाल कुछ ही देर में वहां पहुंचे तो टीम की नाराजगी का सामना करना पड़ा।
मुजफ्फरनगर। अमृत योजना में बना नगर पालिका का ट्रीटमेंट प्लांट नहीं चल पाया है। शासन के निर्देश पर लखनऊ से आई टीम ने प्लांट की जांच की। मौके पर ही कार्यदायी संस्था जल निगम के अधिकारियों को तलब किया और सामने आई खामियों को तत्काल दूर कराकर नियमित प्रक्रिया के साथ पालिका प्रशासन को हैंडओवर करने के निर्देश दिए। केंद्र सरकार की अमृत योजना के अंतर्गत किदवईनगर में स्थित भूमि पर 25 (केएलडी) किलोलीटर प्रतिदिन की क्षमता वाला एफएसटीपी बनाया गया। इसके निर्माण के लिए कार्यदायी संस्था सी एंड डीएस जल निगम उत्तर प्रदेश (नगरीय) रही। प्लांट के संचालन से शहर के निजी और सार्वजनिक शौचालयों के सेप्टिक टैंक की गंदगी का निस्तारण होने के साथ ही जैविक खाद बनाने की योजना है। इस खाद को कृषि कार्यों के लिए बेचकर पालिका प्रशासन की आय बढ़ाने और प्रदूषण से निस्तारण का उद्देश्य लेकर काम किया जा रहा है। पालिका के इस एफएसटीपी का संचालन नहीं होने की जानकारी मिलने पर नगरीय निकाय निदेशालय लखनऊ से सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट की दो सदस्यीय टीम ने पालिका की ईओ प्रज्ञा सिंह के साथ प्लांट का स्थलीय निरीक्षण कर व्यवस्था को तकनीकी पैमाने पर परखा। इसमें यह प्लांट फेल साबित हुआ। जांच टीम के अधिकारियों में शामिल वरिष्ठ कार्यक्रम प्रबंधक सुब्रोतो चक्रवर्ती और उप कार्यक्रम प्रबंधक हर्ष यादव ने पूरे प्लांट का भ्रमण कर एक एक व्यवस्था को तकनीकी स्तर पर परखने का काम किया तो कई खामियां पाई गईं। इस दौरान ईओ प्रज्ञा सिंह को टीम के अधिकारियों ने जब इन खामियों के बारे में बताया तो उन्होंने आधी अधूरी तैयारी के बीच ही जल निगम ने प्लांट पालिका को हैंडओवर करने पर नाराजगी जताई। जांच टीम के अधिकारियों ने सी एंड डीएस जल निगम नगरीय के अधिकारियों को मौके पर ही तलब किया। परियोजना प्रबंधक आबू जैद और अवर अभियंता एनके पाल के सामने नाराजगी जताई।
Delhi’s air pollution problems often receive global attention, but Kolkata’s air quality often ranks among the world’s worst. Data show that levels of PM2.5 — small particulate matter that can enter the lungs and harm human health — can be dangerously high in Kolkata. PM2.5 pollution is associated with a long list of heart and respiratory diseases including cancer; data show lung cancer rates in Kolkata to be higher than in other cities. Transportation and diesel pollution are major contributors to Kolkata’s air pollution. Delhi’s air pollution crisis is one of the most talked-about global issues relating to environment and climate change. As a result, a multitude of efforts have been taken to alleviate the smog clouding India’s capital city — from the U.N. taking regular stock of the situation and suggesting steps to control the pollution to the national and local Delhi governments making and implementing policies on the ground — and in the air. However, the same sense of urgency goes missing when it comes to other Indian cities where the air is equally polluted, and at times even more so. Kolkata, one of the largest Indian metros with a population of more than 14 million, is one such city that has been grappling with severe air pollution in recent times. According to a 2022 report on global air quality, Kolkata was the second-most polluted city in the world in 2019 when taking the city’s population into account. During Diwali — India’s Festival of Lights — in November 2023 and throughout the winter, Kolkata’s air quality remained hazardous and unhealthy. Indians celebrate Diwali by burning fireworks, which release hazardous gases into the air. A 2022 study, which assessed air quality over the Indo-Gangetic Plains during the Diwali season, found that sulfur dioxide and pollution from fine particulates known as PM2.5 were the major pollutants produced by burning firecrackers. The study confirmed that emissions from fireworks significantly deteriorate air quality, affecting not just the night of Diwali but also subsequent days. In late 2023, on Nov. 8, four days prior to Diwali, Kolkata was the third-most polluted city globally after Delhi and Pakistan’s Lahore. Then, on Nov. 11, one day before Diwali, Kolkata’s air was reportedly the most polluted of all Indian metros. By Nov. 13, Kolkata once again ranked second in India, behind Delhi, and it was the fourth-most-polluted city worldwide. The bad air continued into 2024. According to the SwitchON Foundation, an environmental conservation group based in Kolkata, the city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) has fluctuated in recent times from moderate to poor. By other standards, air quality in Kolkata can dip into the “very unhealthy” zone. According to AirNow, which uses U.S. Environmental Protection Agency categorizations, air quality is considered “good” if the AQI falls between 0 and 50. An AQI of 51-100 is considered “moderate,” 101-150 is “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” 151-200, noted in red, is regarded as “unhealthy,” and 201-300 as “very unhealthy” and 301 or more as “hazardous.” SwitchOn data show that Kolkata’s air quality in mid-January fluctuated between 195 and 271 the entire week — which would put it solidly in the purple “very unhealthy” category, according to AirNow’s ratings. What causes air pollution? AQI, which is a measurement of air quality in a specific area, is calculated based on the most dominant pollutant during a given period. Air pollution can be caused by a variety of pollutants, including gases, heavy metals, volatile organic substances, toxins and particulate matter suspended in the air. The size of a pollutant matters. Larger particulate matter (PM) such as dust, soot or smoke, are known as PM10, meaning they are 10 micrometers (µm) or less in diameter — just a fraction of the width of a human hair — and they are much more dangerous to human health. When considering the air quality in Kolkata, PM2.5 is the most prevalent. Due to their small sizes, both types of particulate matter can be breathed deeply into the lungs, potentially leading to various health problems, including heart disease, stroke and respiratory problems. Long-term exposure can result in lung cancer and adverse childbirth outcomes. It’s a key indicator for assessing air pollution impacts, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). According to a 2017 study published by MDPI, transportation in Kolkata was the major factor behind the city’s air pollution crisis, owing to an abundance of poorly maintained vehicles and the use of petrol fuel. The issue of vehicular pollution in Kolkata is largely due to the high volume of vehicles that travel daily on just 6% of the available road space. This leads to traffic congestion, which in turn lowers the average speed of vehicles and results in significant vehicular emissions. According to the 2017 paper, “The vehicular population in Kolkata has increased at an annual growth rate of 4%. … The heavy concentration of private motor vehicles has been one of the key reasons for congestion, increased travel times, pollution, and accidents.” Sasanka Dev, an environmentalist, echoed the same. “We have to impose some kind of control over the usage of diesel-run personal vehicles. Also, at a time when the number of vehicles has increased, enough road has not been built. Kolkata has the highest vehicular density among Indian cities,” Dev, joint secretary of Sabuj Mancha (Green Platform), a joint platform of multiple environmental groups in West Bengal, told Mongabay. There were reportedly 4.53 million vehicles plying 1,850 kilometers (1,150 miles) of road in Kolkata in 2023, bringing the number of vehicles per kilometer to 2,448. By contrast, despite having more than 10.3 million vehicles, Delhi’s road length totals 33,198 km (20,628 mi) resulting in vehicular density of less than 400 per km. A 2020 media report, stating West Bengal’s transport department records, revealed that more than 3.3 million vehicles in Kolkata and the surrounding area were run on diesel. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had previously called Kolkata the “diesel capital” of the world, with diesel constituting 45% of total oil consumption by car users in the city. The CSE reported noted that 65% of new cars in Kolkata were diesel, as were 99% of commercial vehicles in the city. CSE warned that black carbon emissions from diesel-run vehicles, with higher carbon content than vehicles run by petrol, were “several times more heat trapping than CO2”. According to the report, “Diesel cars emit seven times more particulates and five times more Nox [nitrogen oxides] and contribute toward formation of ozone – pollutants of concern in our cities.” Exposure to vehicle exhaust among people in Kolkata and Delhi is 3-4 times higher than the world average, according to the report. The European Commission had found that the total pollution expenses over the lifespan of a diesel car that is Euro IV compliant — meaning it adheres to standards introduced by the European Commission in 2005 aimed at cutting down emissions, specifically particulate matter — were significantly greater than those of petrol cars, the report further stated. The WHO categorized diesel emissions as a “class 1 carcinogen” for their strong link with lung cancer — ranking in the same class as tobacco smoking. According to a 2022 study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, Kolkata has one of the highest age-adjusted incidence rates (AAR) of lung cancer for Indian cities outsidse the Northeast (where access to medical facilities is lacking). Among males, the incidence rate of lung cancer in Kolkata was 22 in comparison with Delhi’s 11.8, Chennai’s 11.8 and Mumbai’s 9.5. For females, it was 7.0, while the Delhi rate was 4.0. In Chennai and Mumbai, the figure was 4.7 and 6.0, respectively. Incidences of lung cancer are not just limited to the capital city of Kolkata. A news report in February revealed that lung cancer made up around 14% of all cancer cases in West Bengal, a “worryingly high” rate when compared with the national average of 6%. Dev, 71, added that even though diesel and petrol prices are now almost at par, a few years ago, diesel was way cheaper. “This led to a massive increase in the number of diesel-run vehicles. As a result, more diesel is burnt and more heat-trapping CO2 is released, causing air pollution.” The CSE report suggested that replacing diesel vehicles with CNG was an opportunity to curb air pollution. But the entire state of West Bengal reportedly has only 46 CNG stations, in comparison with Delhi’s 470. Despite high vehicular intensity, nearly half of the working population in Kolkata commutes by bus, bicycle, train and other transit such as auto rickshaws or taxis. The CSE report found that more than one-fourth of the working population walked to their place of work. But due to the high air pollution, walkers and public transport users — who are part of the solution — are also suffering. “Kolkata needs a technology leapfrog, scaling up of public transport, integrated multi-modal transport options, car restraints and walking for clean air,” according to Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE executive director, research and advocacy, and the head of the CSE air pollution control campaign. Consequences of air pollution The WHO estimates that 4.2 million deaths globally are linked to ambient air pollution, mainly from heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections. A 2020 paper published in International Journal of Environmental Health Research, declared that short-term exposure to pollutants can worsen existing respiratory conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic respiratory sputum, coughing, wheezing and breathing difficulties as well as preexisting cardiovascular diseases such as ischemia, arrhythmias and heart failure. This can lead to an uptick in hospital admissions and visits to the emergency department. “We don’t have to talk about any illnesses air pollution causes to understand its seriousness. It’s directly linked with lung cancer and increased mortality. That should be enough to ring the alarm bells now,” Dr. Aloke Gopal Ghoshal, a pulmonologist and medical director of the National Allergy Asthma Bronchitis Institute, told Mongabay. The former WHO Fellow continued, “Extremes of age — that is, children and senior citizens — suffer the most from air pollution. Air pollution causes irreversible damages to a child’s genes. Even if the air quality improves in later years of that person’s [life], the condition of their genes would not improve. We call this epigenetic change.” Other than its effects on human health, air pollution also has a direct impact on a region’s economy. In India, 1.67 million deaths were caused by air pollution in 2019. (In Kolkata, the 2022 global air quality report found, about 99 deaths per 100,000 people were due to exposure to PM2.5.) According to the findings in a Lancet study, the financial toll of premature deaths and morbidity caused by air pollution in India that year amounted to $28.8 billion (with a range of $21.4 billion to $37.4 billion) and $8.0 billion (with a range of $5.9 billion to $10.3 billion), respectively. “The high burden of death and disease due to air pollution and its associated substantial adverse economic impact from loss of output could impede India’s aspiration to be a $5 trillion economy by 2024,” the study warned.
Ghaziabad The lane just off the main road is caked with hay and framed by open sewage lines. The sun beats down on flat-walled buildings that are struggling to keep their posture. Most of their windows are shut. At the far end, a metal wall cuts off the road, but being less than 10 feet high, it is dwarfed by a towering mass of filth. This is the infamous Ghazipur landfill. Surender Sharma zips down the street on his bicycle, stopping at the foot of the cramped lane that leads to his home – a shanty with a tin panel for a roof and a worn tarpaulin sheet for a door. Off his bicycle’s handle hangs a plastic bag of medicines. His chest has felt tight for two weeks, he says. “But I haven’t ever breathed freely.” The 49-year-old was born in a slum at the foot of the landfill. A pair of jet-black sunglasses, usually prescribed to patients after cataract surgeries, sit awkwardly on his face. “I also have an eye infection,” he says, pointing to a vial of eye drops. Sitting on the edge of a sewage line in front of the slum, Feroz Khan cuts him off. “It’s not just you. All of us have eye infections all the time,” says the 24-year-old, who lives near Jama Masjid and runs a dairy in Ghazipur. “And it’s not only our eyes,” Khan adds, pointing to two more people with bloodshot eyes standing by him. “Our skin, our hair -- all of it is ruined.” At the fringe of Delhi’s border with Ghaziabad, the Ghazipur landfill throttles life around it, casting a toxic shadow for miles around. Doctors have, for decades, underscored the harms of living in such a toxic setting – respiratory, digestive, skin and eye illnesses in the short term, as Sharma and Khan have experienced, and a raft of crippling ailments, including cancer, in the longer term. But from the cheek-by-jowl slums around the waste mountain to the gated colonies of Indirapuram that form the Ghaziabad constituency, Ghazipur is just the most visible identifier of an existence orchestrated by pollution – of the air, the water, and soil – and the surprising lack of public and political will to change the status quo. Top of the chartsA heavily industrialised city packed with over 27,000 factories and manufacturing units that spit out hazardous fumes and waste, Ghaziabad is a permanent fixture on national and global air pollution rankings. The 2023 World Air Quality Report by Swiss firm IQAir ranked Ghaziabad as the 35th most polluted city in the world, with an average PM2.5 (a microscopic pollutant that enters and settles in the lungs) concentration of 76.1μg/m³, 15 times above global safe standards. In November, this number spiralled to 191μg/m³, the equivalent of constantly breathing air thick with smoke from a dozen cigarettes. But much like the rest of the National Capital Region (NCR), the city’s travails with pollution are compounded by neighbouring towns. Apart from sharing a border with Delhi, the vast Ghaziabad parliamentary constituency spans five assembly segments – Ghaziabad, Loni, Muradnagar, Sahibabad (which together form Ghaziabad district) and Hapur. In many cases, the smaller towns don’t even have adequate monitoring systems to measure the toxins its inhabitants are inhaling. But on April 26, when Ghaziabad’s 2.6 million people vote in the Lok Sabha elections, none of this will likely make an impact. “Why will a political party bother?” asks Rakesh Singh, 52, a resident of Khoda in Ghaziabad. “ On the way to the main road, I have to ride my motorcycle through unpaved streets that kick up clouds of dust. I travel to the dairy farms in Ghazipur to get milk every other day. Who knows how contaminated the produce is?”. “Parties are only concerned with national issues. Nobody’s interested in addressing such local problems, whether it’s a general election or a civic one,” says his wife, asking not to be named. By the waysideThe Ghaziabad constituency was carved out of the expansive Hapur segment in 2008. In the elections since, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has held a vice-like grip on the seat. In 2009, now defence minister Rajnath Singh won the contest by nearly 60,000 votes. The party’s margin swelled to 550,000 in 2014, when General (retd) VK Singh eased past the Congress’s Raj Babbar. He nearly equalled that winning margin in 2019, defeating the Samajwadi Party’s Suresh Bansal by around half a million votes. In such a seemingly lopsided contest, complex issues such as pollution – which neither have one source nor just one stakeholder, and which doesn’t bring immediate political returns – are often overlooked. Politicians admit that this is true. Sanjeev Sharma, the BJP’s Ghaziabad district president, says that pollution is much less of a voting issue than it should be. “We need a fix. Everybody in the administration is on the same page about this,” he said. “The issue comes up in meetings very often. Bureaucrats, MLAs, ministers, all raise the issue, but arriving at a consensus is a major hurdle.” The Congress agrees. The party’s district president Bijender Yadav stresses that “a clean environment has always been a key feature of the Congress’s developmental agenda”. “We will carve out more parks, plant more trees across the region and crack down on polluting units in Ghaziabad,” Yadav says. But Sanjeev Sharma is not too worried, because he knows that pollution won’t remotely move the vote-count needle. “No matter who the candidate is, we’re confident of sweeping this constituency by more than 500,000 votes.” From dust to dustA dollop of dust coats National Highway 709B in Loni. The corridor slices through the town of around half a million people and bridges Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh with Akshardham in Delhi. Known locally as Saharanpur Road, the highway is the backbone of the town’s economy. Street vendors, shops, offices and malls crowd either side of the sepia-stained street. Yet, even on an afternoon when the town’s local air quality index (AQI) monitors read in the respectable 160s, plumes of dust blur one’s vision. Bablu Mishra, 40, who runs an electronics store along the highway, points to a line of dusty washing machines, refrigerators and coolers. “And this is what it looks like when we cleaned every unit two hours ago,” he says. “Customers walk in and walk out instantly when they see the dust. They think we’re selling old products. Just think – would you ever buy anything so dirty for a special occasion?”. Neither Mishra nor his neighbours have much choice. “I’ve lived here for all 26 years of my life. This town has always been dusty and will remain dusty,” said Sunny, who asked to be identified by a single name and who owns a mobile phone store a few shops away from Mishra’s. Officials at the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) believe much of Loni’s difficulties are down to the construction of the Delhi-Dehradun highway, which started in December 2021. “Controlling dust along this stretch is the National Highway Authority of India’s (NHAI) responsibility. In November 2023, we fined them ₹25 lakh for letting pollution spiral out of control,” says Vikas Misra, UPPCB’s regional officer in Ghaziabad. The air is just as unforgiving in urban Ghaziabad, for a similar reason. Vikas Singh, 42, a resident of Lajpat Nagar colony, says the near-constant construction work in the city, coupled with the zig-zags of unpaved streets keep the air foul all year. “There isn’t a single local officer I haven’t approached for a fix to the air pollution. Forget the political parties. Even the bureaucrats don’t care.” Thick with industriesPolluting industries are another part of the puzzle. Factories with grey chimneys puff out dark smoke into the Ghaziabad sky at Vijay Nagar industrial area, flanked by residential properties and commercial units. “We’re resigned to breathing such air now, because we have to live with it. But ask anybody in Ghaziabad how long their AC lasts. A couple of years at best,” says Kaveri Pandit, a 24-year-old resident of Crossings Republik. Rakesh Singh from Khoda concurs. “It isn’t just an inconvenience – it’s also a major recurring expense. And if the air does this to an AC, you can only imagine what it’s doing to our bodies.” The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies industrial units into four categories based on the severity of their emissions – red, orange, green and white. Industries categorised red are, at least on paper, subject to the highest thresholds of pollution control measures and monitoring. According to a June 2023 report by UPPCB, 426 units in Ghaziabad were in the red zone. And even as authorities insisted that each of these units were subject to stringent checks, data from 2023 also showed that the city was able to only exact 27% of the fines imposed on its polluting units. Taken together – the landfill, the peri-urban areas choking with infrastructure dust, the urban heartland struggling to manage traffic and construction work, and the industrial areas spewing smoke into the air – Ghaziabad presents a microcosm of the hydra-headed problem that pollution poses in urban India. And it also shows how feeble the official response is in addressing this. “We have to fend off pollution at every step of our lives. But the administrative and civic apathy whenever we raise a concern is even worse. It’s better to take matters into our own hands and sort it out on a local level,” says Vikas Misra. The expert view is that Ghaziabad’s troubles germinated with poor planning. “Allowing industrial units to proliferate in and around residential areas massively increases people’s exposure to pollution, whether of the air or water,” says Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, (research and advocacy) at the Centre for Science and Environment. “Such industrialisation also promotes development that will only suit these industries. Ghaziabad has, for instance, grown while facilitating the movement of private vehicles – wider roads, more flyovers, more underpasses – but not of pedestrians, or even public transport,” she adds. What’s left unsaid is that many of these polluting activities are key sources of income for large chunks of the population, creating barriers in generating public pressure for action. A 2023 paper by Shikhar Singh and Tariq Thatchill also pointed to two other reasons behind air pollution not becoming an election issue – sensitivity to personal costs from any climate mitigation steps, and hyper partisanship that allows voters to selectively blame politicians for health crises. A complex interplay of these factors is how these issues evade one election after another. Back at Ghazipur, Surender Sharma is only too aware of this, as he takes off his thick glasses to squeeze eye drops out of a green bottle. Khan, standing by his side, is irate. “This was once a park. We used to play here. It was the only patch of green in this place, so they thought it best to turn it into another dumping ground,” he says. But Sharma is calm. “We will all live and die in this squalor. And elections won’t change that.”
संयुक्त रा ष्ट्र द्वा रा जा री नवी नतम मा नव वि का स सूचकां क (ह्यूम ह्यू न डेवलपमेंट इंडेक्स) में भा रत को 193 देशों की सूची में 134वें पा यदा न पर रखा गया है। सूचकां क वर्ष 2022 के आंकड़ों पर आधा रि त है। इस सूचकां क में भा रत को कुल 0.644 अंक दि ए गए हैं। जो भा रत को मध्यम मा नव वि का स वा ले देशों की श्रेणी में रखता है। वहीं दूस दू री तरफ स्वि टजरलैंड को इस इंडेक्स में 0.967 अंकों के सा थ पहले स्था न पर रखा गया है। इससे पहले 2022 में जा री मा नव वि का स सूचकां क में भा रत को 0.633 अंकों के सा थ 132वें पा यदा न पर जगह दी गई थी । मतलब की इस बा र भा रत दो पा यदा न नी चे आ गया है। वहीं यदि अंकों के लि हा ज से देखें तो भा रत के स्को र में 2021 के मुका बले 0.011 अंकों का सुधा र आया है। 2022 में,मेंभा रत का लैंगि क असमा नता सूचकां क (जी आईआई) 0.437 रहा , इस इंडेक्स में भा रत ने प्रगति दर्ज की है। यदि वैश्वि क औसत 0.462 और दक्षि ण एशि या ई औसत 0.478 से तुलना करें तो भा रत का प्रदर्शन बेहतर हुआ है। बता दें कि इस इंडेक्स का कम मा न इस बा त का सूचक है कि महि ला ओं और पुरुषों के बी च असमा नता कम है। वहीं यदि 2019 की तुलना में देखें तो भा रत ने मा नव वि का स में उल्लेखनी य प्रगति दर्ज की है। जहां 1990 के बा द से देश में जन्म के समय जी वन प्रत्या शा में 9.1 वर्षों का इजा फा हुआ है। इसी तरह स्कूली शि क्षा के अपेक्षि त वर्षों में 4.6 वर्ष की वृद्धि हुई है। इतना ही नहीं इस दौ रा न स्कूली शि क्षा के औसत वर्षों में भी 3.8 वर्ष की वृद्धि दर्ज की गई है। गौ रतलब है कि इससे पहले 2019 के लि ए जा री मा नव वि का स सूचकां क (ह्यूम ह्यू न डेवलपमेंट इंडेक्स) में भा रत को 189 देशों की लि स्ट में 131वें स्था न पर रखा गया था । वहीं पि छले वर्ष भा रत इस लि स्ट में 130वें पा यदा न पर था । कहीं न कहीं यह इस बा त को भी दर्शा ता है कि भा रत इस लि स्ट में लगा ता र नी चे आ रहा है। यह मा नव वि का स सूचकां क, मा नव वि का स के ती न प्रमुख आया मों स्वस्थ लंबा जी वन, शि क्षा तक पहुंच और जी वन गुणवत्ता को मा पता है। इनकी गणना चा र प्रमुख संकेतकों जी वन प्रत्या शा , औसत स्कूली शि क्षा ,स्कूली शि क्षा के अपेक्षि त वर्ष और प्रति व्यक्ति सकल रा ष्ट्री य आय पर आधा रि त है। 2019 की तुलना में जी वन प्रत्या शा में आई गि रा वट आंकड़ों के अनुसा र जहां वैश्वि क स्तर पर 2022 में जन्म के समय जी वन प्रत्या शा 67.7 वर्ष दर्ज की गई थी । वहीं 2019 में यह आंकड़ा 70.9 वर्ष जबकि 2021 में 67.2 वर्ष दर्ज की गई थी । ऐसे में यदि 2019 से तुलना करें तो देश में औसत जी वन प्रत्या शा में 3.2 वर्षों की गि रा वट आई है। देखा जा ए तो जी वन प्रत्या शा के मा मले में जो रुझा न वैश्वि क स्तर पर सा मने आए थे उन्हें भा रत से जुड़े आंकड़ों में भी स्पष्ट तौ र पर देखा जा सकता है। इसके लि ए कहीं न कहीं को रो ना जि म्मेवा र था , जि सने देश में जी वन प्रत्या शा पर गहरा आघा त कि या है। आंकड़ों के मुता बि क देश में शि क्षा प्रा प्ति के औसत वर्षों को देखें तो वो 2022 में 6.57 वर्ष दर्ज की गई थी । बता दें कि 2021 में यह आंकड़ा 6.7 वर्ष दर्ज कि या गया था । हा लां कि देश में स्कूली शि क्षा के अपेक्षि त वर्षों में इजा फा दर्ज कि या गया है जो 2021 में 11.9 वर्ष से बढक़र 2022 में 12.6 वर्षों पर पहुंच गया । इसी तरह देश में प्रति व्यक्ति सकल रा ष्ट्री य आय से जुड़े आंकड़ों को देखें तो वो 6,951 डॉ लर दर्ज की गई है। वहीं 2021 में यह 6,590 डॉ लर दर्ज की गई थी । मतलब की इसमें पि छले वर्ष की तुलना में इजा फा दर्ज कि या गया है। आंकड़ों के मुता बि क यदि 1990 से 2022 के बी च, भा रत के मा नव वि का स सूचकां क के मूल्यों को देखें तो वो 0.434 से बढक़र 0.644 पर पहुंच गया है। मतलब की इन ती न दशकों में इसमें 48.4 फी सदी का बदला व आया है। समृद्ध और वंचि त समुदा यों के बी च बढ़ रही असमा नता की खा ई इस बा रे में संयुक्त रा ष्ट्र वि का स का र्यक्रम (यूनी डी पी ) ने जो नई रि पो र्ट ‘ब्रेकिं ग द ग्रि डलॉ क’ जा री की है, उसके मुता बि क यह सही है कि जहां 2020, 2021 में को रो ना महा मा री के का रण मा नव वि का स की रा ह में बड़ी गि रा वट दर्ज की गई थी , लेकि न अब 2023 में गा ड़ी दो बा रा पटरी पर लौ ट रही है। यही वजह है कि वैश्वि क स्तर पर मा नव वि का स अपने रि कॉ र्ड स्तर पर पहुंच गया है, लेकि न सा थ ही समृद्ध और वंचि त समुदा यों के बी च असमा नता की खा ई और गहरी हुई है। एक तरफ जहां समृद्ध देशों में अभूतपूर्व वि का स हुआ है, वहीं दुनि दु निया के सबसे कमजो र देशों में से करी ब आधे देश, वि का स की रा ह में को वि ड संकट से पहले के स्तर से भी नी चे चले गए हैं। बता दें कि 2020 या 2021 में अपने मा नव वि का स सूचकां क में गि रा वट दर्ज करने वा ले 35 सबसे कमजो र देशों में से 18 अभी 2019 के स्तर पर नहीं लौ ट पा ए हैं। रि पो र्ट के अनुसा र वि का स की रा ह में मौ जूद इस वि षमता के चलते सबसे कमजो र देश पी छे छूट रहे हैं। इससे असमा नता एं बढ़ रही हैं और रा जनैति क ध्रुवी करण को बढ़ा वा मि ल रहा है। रि पो र्ट के मुता बि क एक तरफ जहां स्वि टजरलैंड , नॉ र्वे और आइसलैंड जैसे देश रा ष्ट्री य स्तर पर मा नव वि का स सूचकों में सबसे आगे हैं। वहीं सेंट्रल अफ्री कन रि पब्लि क, दक्षि ण सूडा न, सो मा लि या , ना इजर, चा ड, मा ली , बुरुंडी , यमन, बुर्कि ना फा सो जैसे देश अभी भी बेहद पी छे हैं। कुल मि लकर देखें तो अफ्री की देशों में स्थि ति सबसे ज्या दा खरा ब है। वहीं यदि ओईसी डी के सभी 38 देशों की बा त करें तो इन सभी ने 2023 में 2019 की तुलना में मा नव वि का स सूचकां क में बेहतर प्रदर्शन कि या है। मा नव वि का स को सबसे अधि क हा नि अफगा नि स्तान व यूक्रेन में हुई है। अफगा नि स्ता न में ह्यूम ह्यू न डेवलपमेंट इंडेक्स 10 वर्ष पहले के स्तर पर पहुंच गया है, जबकि यूक्रेन में यह 2004 के बा द से अपने सबसे नि चले स्तर पर है। वहीं सभी वि का सशी ल क्षेत्र 2019 से पहले के मा नव वि का स सूचकां क के रुझा नों के अनुसा र अपनी सम्भा वना ओं को पूरा नहीं कर पा ए हैं, और भवि ष्य में भी उनकी वि का स प्रक्रि या को झटका लगने का खतरा है। रि पो र्ट की मा नें तो इसके लि ए को वि ड-19, यूक्रेन में जा री युद्ध और जलवा यु परि वर्तन और पर्या वरण से जुड़े का रक जि म्मेवा र हैं। इन सबने मि लकर लो गों के जी वन पर व्या पक असर डा ला है, रा जनैति क, वि त्ती य और जलवा यु से जुड़े संकटों ने को रो ना की मा र झेल रही आबा दी को संभलने का मौ का ही नहीं दि या । (डाऊन टू अर्थ)
Zakariyapura village in Borsad taluka, Anand district, Gujarat has become a model for other villages across India by embracing small-scale biogas facilities in every household that owns milch cattle. In a typical biogas facility, cow dung undergoes anaerobic (absence of oxygen) digestion by bacteria, with the help of conventional technology, to produce biogas comprising 50-55 per cent methane and 30-35 per cent carbon dioxide. Minor amounts of hydrogen sulphide and moisture are also produced. This gas serves as a direct cooking fuel, effectively replacing traditional sources such as wood and fossil fuels like liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). These flexible biogas plants are easy to instal and can be set up quickly, are portable, demand minimal maintenance and are more cost-effective compared to conventional biogas digesters. The initiative can be traced back to 2019 when officials from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) facilitated meetings and educational visits for women from Zakariyapura to observe flexible biogas units in an adjacent village, Mujkuva, situated in Anklav taluka of Anand district. Witnessing these flexi biogas plants for the first time inspired them to bring similar models to their own village. With the assistance of NDDB, all 368 households with livestock were equipped with flexi biogas plants of 2 cubic metres capacity. Each of these plants requires about 50 kilogrammes of animal dung daily. The cost of setting up a plant was between Rs 30,000 and Rs 32,000. NDDB paid for half the cost, while the households contributed the remaining. This contribution can be recovered through the sale of slurry. All 368 biogas plants have been geotagged and two villagers from the local community have been trained to address any immediate operational problem. The installation company, in collaboration with NDDB personnel, conducted a series of training sessions to educate local women on plant operation, maintenance and the potential economic and environmental advantages. Women dairy farmers already being a part of a milk cooperative in the village facilitated their efforts to persuade all women farmers to adopt these decentralised biogas units. A noteworthy development in the village is the establishment of a centralised slurry processing centre. Each biogas digester produces approximately 80 litres of slurry every day. In March 2020, the village, along with adjacent Mujkuva, pioneered India’s first women-managed manure cooperative, aiming to acquire, process and market slurry-based fertiliser. To ensure fairness, a transparent slurry procurement system was implemented similar to that of milk, where women farmers are compensated based on the quality of slurry supplied (ranging from Rs 0.25-2 per litre), assessed using predefined rate charts based on dissolved solids and electrical conductivity measurements. Unlike milk collection, where farmers deliver milk to a central point, the cooperative arranges for the collection of slurry directly from the farms or households, minimising effort for the women managing the biogas units. NDDB has developed a slurry applicator with a 3,500 litre capacity for efficient collection from these plants. Payments for slurry sales are deposited directly into the individual beneficiaries’ bank accounts. The centralised slurry processing facility in Vasna near Borsad town has deployed a dewatering machine to separate the slurry into liquid and solid components. These components are then enriched and transformed into useful biofertilisers such as phosphate-rich organic manure, micronutrient-rich liquid and others. NDDB has granted the cooperative the rights to utilise the SuDhan trademark for marketing fertiliser products under the SuDhan brand. The effectiveness of the slurry was validated through research conducted at the Anand Agricultural University in Gujarat. “I have utilised SuDhan fertilizers like PROM, Root Guard and MRL in banana and potato crops. Their use has led to increased crop yield and improved crop quality compared to previous years,” said Vinubhai, a local resident. The implementation of these plants has yielded numerous economic, environmental and societal benefits. Each biogas plant produces gas equivalent to around two LPG bottles per month, sufficient to fulfil the cooking needs of a five-person family three times a day. Every plant generates slurry, which is either sold for processing or utilised as organic fertiliser in their own fields. The monthly revenue from slurry sales typically ranges from Rs 1,500-2,500. In total, the biogas system helps households save between Rs 3,500 and Rs 4,500 per month. The innovation has also relieved women from the burden of collecting firewood and dealing with soot in their homes and utensils, allowing them to dedicate their time to other activities such as tailoring, embroidery and educating their children. The initiative in Anand, known as the dairy hub of India, can serve as the catalyst for another ‘white revolution’, focusing on the utilisation of animal waste rather than solely milk. Building on the success of this model, NDDB has planned to replicate it in 11 other locations across India. DTE Views expressed are personal
