Patancheru: Prithvi Raj, a zealous advocate for wildlife and the environment, is rising to fame as a prominent voice for nature’s preservation and sustainable living. Not only is Mr. Prithvi profoundly tied to the natural world, but he also stands as a pioneering force and initiates impressive endeavors. Among his innovative ventures are the MDR Foundation, YLAPAC.org, and Maadri.org. Each reflects his commitment to better society and environment. Known for its wildlife richness, the Biodiversity Center in Sangareddy district – Patancheru Constituency houses more than 170 species of birds, an astounding collection of 20,000 peacocks, and a significant number of spotted deer, ranging between 1000 and 1500 in the forest range. The juxtaposition of this thriving ecosystem against industrial growth emphazises on the fundamental requirement for preserving the environment. The distinct biodiversity jewel – Ameenpur lake: Ameenpur Lake, the only Biodiversity Heritage Site in Telangana, is a corner stone for the region’s wildlife diversity. The lake, with over 170 bird species, has transformed into a critical wildlife sanctuary and plays a crucial role in maintaining Patancheru’s ecological equilibrium. Studies by the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad highlight Lake Ameenpur’s diverse biology that includes 20 fish varieties, 15 reptilian and amphibian species, and a dozen mammal species. The eco-impact of ICRISAT: The safeguarding role of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) spans over 3,500 hectares, providing a sanctuary for more than 130 bird species. This institute significantly contributes to ecological equilibrium and enhancement of diverse life forms. Green corridors and forest areas: Patancheru’s widespread links of green routes, incorporating city patches of woods like Bonthapalle Urban Forest,Jinnaram Forest and buffer areas like Kothapally, Pyaranagar, Nallavally, Mumbapur, and Mangampet, our region includes significant portions of the Narsapur forest reserves and essential woodland sections, offer crucial living spaces for diverse species. Bodies of water such as Ameenpur, Sakhi, and Thimma play a significant role in the local environment and foster a variety of plant and animal life. Sustainable development and conservation: It is a formidable but necessary task to strike a balance between the rapid urbanization and industrial growth (inclusive of chemical and pharmaceutical sectors) in Patancheru, and the need for environmental conservation. A collective endeavor is needed from all sections of the community, especially the industries, to implement sustainable methodologies. This encompasses: Enforcing strict pollution control measures, executing efficient waste management, and undertaking preventive conservation initiatives to curtail the environmental repercussions of industrial operations. As per a study conducted by the Telangana State Pollution Control Board in 2019, Patancheru emerges as one of the most pollution-affected industrial regions in the state, bearing significant levels of air, water, and soil pollution. Opting for thoughtful utilization of natural assets like water, land, and energy to diminish environmental deterioration and guarantee lasting sustainability. A research report by the Centre for Science and Environment in 2017 indicates that Patancheru is grappling with serious issues of water shortage and purity, with groundwater depletion and contamination by industrial effluents and sewage. Unified Plea for Change: Driven by the everlasting insight from Mahatma Gandhi – “be the change that you wish to see in the world”, Maadri Prithvi Raj invites all parties involved, from locals to pioneering industrial figures and decision-makers, to unite in safeguarding the cherished natural legacy of Patancheru. His call for inculcating sustainability and a lifestyle of wellness targets the harmonious unity of industrial activities and the thriving of the priceless ecological treasure of the Patancheru Endowment Land. As a beacon of change, Maadri Prithvi Raj not only leads but also motivates dedication towards the preservation of the gifted ecosystem of Patancheru.
“I have been living in this shelter for almost three months since it was set up. It has helped me survive the bitter cold; otherwise, I might have died on the streets,” says Raj. Raj has been residing in a temporary shelter in the vicinity of Daryaganj that the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) had set up as a response to the extreme cold experienced by Delhi’s homeless population. This last winter, DUSIB had established 190 shelters accommodating approximately 8000 people across the city. These tent shelters are part of DUSIB’s winter action plan to address Delhi’s extreme winters. However, while these were constructed by DUSIB to help the poor and homeless survive the cold, they are now set to be dismantled with the onset of warmer weather. According to DUSIB, these shelters will be dismantled by March 15th. This has left many in the lurch. Ramachandra, residing in another temporary shelter at AIIMS with his wife, says, “We’ve been here for four days. My wife is undergoing treatment at AIIMS for her tumour. We’ll have to come back here again in three months. When it’s cold, we get a tent, but when it gets warm and the tent is removed, we sleep near Metro gate no. 2.” Neha, another resident of a temporary shelter around INA, also says, ‘Where can we go? We’ll have to go back to the streets.’ Summer vulnerability in the capital Delhi finds itself equally vulnerable to both the biting cold of winter as well as intense and long heat waves during summer. Residents of the city are scorched by the blistering heat, characterised by soaring temperatures, especially between April and July. March 2022 went down in history as India’s hottest month on record according to the IMD*, while Delhi braved its second-warmest April in a span of 72 years. In April 2022, the capital endured a heat wave where temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for seven consecutive days. According to D S Pai, director at the Kottayam-based Institute for Climate Change Studies, increasing concretisation, deforestation and changes in land use are causing extreme departures from normal maximum temperatures across India. Delhi is no exception. With new or worsened heat patterns, temporary shelters for the homeless in summer are as crucial as in winter. Naturally, a call for their extension rings loud and clear. As Neha says, “These shelters should not only be extended but also equipped with facilities like fans and coolers for summers. Otherwise, what purpose do they serve?” The inequity of climate impact A recent study on homelessness and climate change in Delhi revealed that the impacts of extreme heat on homeless people are even more profound due to their extended marginality and limited ability to mitigate the impacts of climate change. According to the study, 88% of interviewed homeless individuals reported the lack of access to drinking water along footpaths, roads or shelters even during extreme heat. They confront a myriad of health challenges including dehydration, respiratory difficulties, fever, coughing, diarrhoea, and even cholera due to the scorching temperatures. “During the summer, it’s very difficult. We sleep here and there,” says Ramachandra’s ailing wife Meena, “The heat radiates from the ground all day long, making it difficult to even lie down on the streets.” The severity of the situation is underscored by the tragic loss of numerous lives attributed to extreme heat. According to a study released by the IMD and quoted in this report, heatwaves claimed the lives of 30 individuals in 2022, marking it as the fifth warmest year on record since 1901. And it is not just the heat. In June 2023, the Centre for Science and Environment in Delhi issued a warning about the rising ground-level ozone pollution and multi-pollutant crisis that the city faces during summers. Air quality is often construed to be a winter issue, but the CSE release underlined that summer air in the region is also a toxic cocktail of gases and multiple particulate forms – particulate, ozone, nitrogen oxides and even high CO pollution. As shelters are dismantled, and the poor turned out on to the streets, their exposure to the toxic air through the day and night become inevitable, creating disastrous health consequences. https://www.cseindia.org/delhi-ncr-hit-by-summer-ozone-once-again-but-levels-lower-than-previous-summers-cse-analysis-11745
The "Asia-Pacific Micronutrient Fertilizer - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts 2016 - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Asia-Pacific Micronutrient Fertilizer Market size is estimated at USD 1.85 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 2.76 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 6.89% during the forecast period (2024-2030). Key Highlights Largest Segment by Type - Zinc : Zn is the most applied micronutrient fertilizer because of increasing Zn deficiencies in soils of major growing regions and application of Zn is proven to give higher yields. Fastest growing segment by Type - Iron : The alkaline soils with high pH are deficient for Iron micronutrient. Moreover, the degrading health and quality of the agrcultural soils are drcreasingthe Iron availbility. Largest Segment by Crop Type - Field Crops : Field crops are most widely grown in the region, as most of them are considered as the staple food and can feed exploding population in large populous countries in the region. Largest segment by Country - India : The adaption of micronutrient fertilizers have increased as the Indian soils are deficit in boron (47%), iron (37%), and zinc (39%),The Centre for Science and Environment. APAC Micronutrient Fertilizer Industry Overview The Asia-Pacific Micronutrient Fertilizer Market is moderately consolidated, with the top five companies occupying 64.50%. The major players in this market are Chambal Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd, Coromandel International Ltd., Israel Chemicals Ltd (SF), Sociedad Quimica y Minera (SQM) and YARA International ltd (sorted alphabetically).
The Indian Express’s Chief of National Bureau (govt) Ritika Chopra and independent journalist Greeshma Kuthar have been jointly awarded the Chameli Devi Jain Award 2024 for Outstanding Woman Media Person of the Year. The Media Foundation, in a statement, said Chopra, who is also the national education editor at The Indian Express, “is known for her in-depth investigative stories in the fields of education and government policy”. Commending Kuthar for her “deeply-researched long-form investigative reporting from conflict areas such as Manipur”, the Foundation in its release said that her reportage has a strong focus on the social and cultural impact of national political narratives on India’s marginalised communities. An independent jury comprising senior journalist and columnist Radhika Ramaseshan (Chair), award-winning journalist and author Mariyam Alavi, and Down to Earth managing editor Richard Mahapatra selected the winners from more than 65 entries of women journalists. The award presentation will take place at 6 pm on Friday at the India International Centre, New Delhi (CD Deshmukh Hall). It will be followed by the BG Verghese Memorial Lecture, to be delivered by TN Ninan, editor and author, on ‘Work and Wages: Old Challenges in the Age of Automation and AI’. Set up by the Media Foundation in 1980, the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Woman Media Person of the Year is named after Chameli Devi Jain, a freedom fighter and community reformer, who was imprisoned during India’s independence movement. The first award was given in 1982 and since then, it has been presented every year to those practising impactful journalism in fields such as social development, politics, gender justice, human rights, health, conflict and consumer values. Past winners include Barkha Dutt, Neerja Chowdhury, Usha Rai, Pamela Philipose, Sunita Narain, Nirupama Subramanian, and Patricia Mukhim. The award has also recognised women journalists from rural areas whose stellar work often goes unnoticed. The Media Foundation was instituted in 1979 with the aim of upholding freedom of speech, expression and information and enhancing the quality of life through media and communication.
सीएसई ने एक अक्टूबर 2023 से 31 जनवरी 2024 तक देश के 36 में से 29 राज्यों और केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों का विश्लेषण किया। यहां के 254 शहरों के 538 एयर क्वालिटी मॉनिटरिंग स्टेशनों से पीएम 2.5 के आंकड़े लिए गए। तब पता चला कि सात राज्यों और केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों में मानिटरिंग ही नहीं हो रही है। पीएम 2.5 का सामान्य स्तर 60 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर है।
March 14 is observed every year as the 'International Day of Action for Rivers'. This year’s theme is ‘Water for All’. But why do we need a dedicated day to underline this very fundamental Ancient Chinese (River Yellow) all flourished thanks to the steady supply of potable water and the fertile river banks that facilitated agriculture. With food and water taken care of, man then progressed to finer pursuits like arts, politics and literature. In medieval India, ancient centres of learning and seats of various empires were cities and towns that mushroomed around rivers. Agra and Delhi on the banks of Yamuna in the north, Kashi and Pataliputra along the Ganga in the Kumbakonam on the banks of Kaveri are just a few examples in the very long list of cities by the rivers that have defined India’s history. The Rig Veda reveres these rivers in the Nadistuti Sukta rivers need a new lease of life The same rivers that once breathed life into civilisations across the world, are now gasping for life breath. According to the UN, around two million tons of sewage and effluents are discharged day, making the riverine ecosystems the most degraded on the planet. Rivers also have a high ecological and economic impact. Not just human life, but they also sustain wildlife — flora and fauna — that form an integral part of the ecosystem and source of livelihood for humans. According to (LPR) 2022, freshwater aquatic life has decreased by 83% globally in the last 50 years, thanks to infrastructure projects like the construction of dams on rivers and other ventures for power generation. Only 37 per cent of the world’s rivers flow uninterrupted adds. According to the non-profit International Rivers, only one-third of the world’s rivers remain free-flowing and less than 10% of the world’s river basins are protected. ‘Intervention is the need of the hour’ Depinder Singh Kapur, Programme Director, Water, Centre for Science and Environment, suggests that the issue needs “Firstly, the civil society needs to draw attention to the crisis and move the political and administrative establishment to prioritise water conservation and its rational use. It needs to offer appropriate, nature-based solutions. It needs to provide feedback and support HOME LATEST INDIA ANALYSIS ENTERTAINMENT VIDE 3/14/24, 4:00 PM International Day of Action For Rivers 2024: Water for All | Opinion Analysis News - News9live https://www.news9live.com/opinion-analysis/international-day-of-action-for-rivers-2024-water-water-in-every-river-but-not-available-for-all-2465467 23/33 actions implemented by the government
Journalists Greeshma Kuthar and Ritika Chopra have been declared the winners of Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Women Mediaperson for the year 2024. The Media Foundation made the announcement on Thursday, March 14. The award ceremony is scheduled to be held on March 15. The journalists were selected by a jury comprising senior journalist and columnist Radhika Ramaseshan (Chair), journalist and author Mariyam Alavi and Richard Mahapatra, the managing editor of ‘Down to Earth’ magazine. Greeshma Kuthar, an independent journalist and an advocate from Tamil Nadu has extensively covered the violence in Manipur, which broke out in May 2023. At least 175 people were officially declared dead and more than 60,000 were displaced in the ethnic conflict. She has also written extensively on the institutionalisation of Hindutva. Ritika Chopra has been a journalist for the past 17 years and has been reporting widely on politics and government policy. Currently, she is the Chief of National Bureau (Govt) and National Education Editor with The Indian Express. She has received the Vienna-based International Press Institute's India Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2022 and the Laadli Media Award in 2018.
The proliferation of private automobiles, driven by an improved standard of living and the affordability of personal transportation across various income brackets within urban areas, has led to a notable surge in vehicle ownership. Predominantly led by two-wheelers (TW) and four-wheelers (FW), this surge has heightened traffic density on road networks. The cumulative count of registered motor vehicles escalated to 295.8 million in 2019, demonstrating a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.91 percent between 2009 and 2019. TW constituted 75 percent of the total registered vehicles in 2019, exhibiting the most rapid growth, with a CAGR of 10.47 percent over the past decade, followed closely by FW at 10.29 percent. Among the 48 million-plus cities documented by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) in 2018-19, Delhi registered the highest vehicle count at 11.4 million, trailed by Faridabad (8.6 million), Bengaluru (8.1 million), Chennai (6 million), and Ahmedabad (4.3 million), collectively representing 41.49 percent of the total vehicles registered in 2019. Moreover, the prevalence of TW in the total pool of registered motor vehicles in India surged to 79 percent in 2019 from 8.8 percent in 1951, underscoring a significant evolution in vehicle preferences over the decades. Each new vehicle requires dedicated parking spaces at both their origin and destination points, irrespective of the purpose of the trip. Typically, a vehicle remains parked for 23 hours daily, utilising multiple parking spots weekly. Parking challenges are increasingly prominent in Central Business District (CBD) areas and specific high-footfall zones like shopping centres. With concentrated commercial, governmental, social, and religious activities in core city areas, parking scarcity persists throughout the day in major and medium-sized cities. The economical operation of motorised TW has made them the predominant mode of transport in many of India’s second-tier cities. The boom in vehicle ownership has made on-street parking a persistent challenge, where fulfilling conflicting objectives amidst escalating parking space demands poses a significant dilemma. On-street parking scenarios in Indian cities Across numerous cities, the demand for parking surpasses the available supply, resulting in various adverse consequences. These include a scarcity of parking spaces, heightened emissions due to vehicle idling, and increased strain on roadways and pedestrian pathways resulting from haphazard on-street parking practices. Empirical evidence from research conducted across Indian cities underscores the severity of the issue. For example, studies indicate that on-street parking reduces urban road space by an average of 35 percent in Kolkata, 14 percent in Delhi, 56 percent in Jaipur, and 45 percent in Kanpur. Even in much smaller cities like Godhara in Gujarat, the demand for on-street parking exceeds the available supply by 2.5 times the capacity. Moreover, across many Indian urban centres, the parking index (ratio of parking demand to supply) consistently exceeds 100 percent. Research from the Centre for Science and Environment highlights that based on the city’s size and motorisation rate, the annual demand for additional parking spaces will be substantial. For instance, in Delhi, this demand can be equivalent to as much as 310 football fields, while in Chennai, it amounts to 100 fields, and in Chandigarh, 58 fields. On-street parking management in India The administration of on-street parking, notably within the CBDs, presents a considerable challenge for numerous municipal authorities. The demand management strategies under the National Urban Transport Policy 2006 (NUTP) emphasise the imposition of parking fees commensurate with land valuation costs. Additionally, it recommends diverse measures such as establishing park-and-ride facilities at transit nodes, a tiered system of parking fees, and creating multi-level parking structures in urban cores. The segment addressing sustainable urban transport in the National Mission for Sustainable Habitat delineates strategies, objectives, and action plans to facilitate the transition toward sustainable mobility in urban environments. The chapter also delineates approaches to formulating a “parking policy aimed at reducing parking demand,” echoing concerns and proposed solutions articulated by the Environmental Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) in its submission to the Supreme Court as well as the NUTP of 2006. Consequently, numerous cities across India have framed tailored parking policies. Cities such as Surat, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Chandigarh, among others, have formulated parking policies for their respective urban areas.
The Himalayan mountains have been a stronghold for human survival since our species settled in the area. They play various roles in our country, such as shielding India from invaders, preventing northward cloud movement to reduce rainfall in the north, and providing water to a quarter of the world's population. However, despite their historical significance, the Himalayas are now facing the detrimental effects of climate change. Over the last few decades, the region, spanning India, Nepal, Bhutan, and other countries, has experienced a disproportionate amount of climate-related disasters, including floods, landslides, and thunderstorms. According to the Centre for Science and Environment's State of India's Environment 2024 report, 44% of all climate-related incidents in India from 2013-2022 occurred in the Himalayan region. Glacier melt has also accelerated significantly, with glaciers in the Hindu-Kush Himalayas losing 65% more ice mass between 2010 and 2019 compared to the previous decade. This loss of glaciers poses catastrophic consequences for irrigation, hydropower, and domestic use. Additionally, the region is experiencing a loss of permafrost, which could lead to mountain slope destabilisation and increase the risk of rock avalanches. The melting glaciers are also creating more glacial lakes, which can overflow or burst, causing devastating floods downstream. Furthermore, a study suggests that 90% of the Himalayan region could face droughts lasting longer than a year if global temperatures rise by 3°C. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C, as outlined in the Paris Agreement, could significantly reduce the impact on India and other countries in the region. It is crucial to adhere to the Paris Agreement's temperature targets to mitigate the severe consequences of climate change on vulnerable regions like the Himalayas. By taking decisive action and meeting climate goals, we can ensure a future where these majestic mountains are spared from the worst effects of climate change.
Ahmedabad: The city’s waste management system is about to get a significant boost as the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) gets set to approve contracts worth a whopping Rs 3,380 crore over 10 years for door-to-door waste collection. The civic body will likely approve seven tenders for garbage collection for the next decade, marking its highest expenditure for the initiative. Sources said four companies have been selected for these tenders, with the base price set at Rs 315 crore per annum, while the lowest bids came in at Rs 338 crore per annum. The decision to allocate the work will be deliberated upon at Thursday’s standing committee meeting. AMC officials are keen to secure approval for these tenders before the announcement of Lok Sabha election dates, as they will not be able to do so once the election code of conduct is enforced. The initiative aligns with AMC’s vision document, Road Map for Zero Waste Ahmedabad, prepared in 2014-15 when the city’s waste generation averaged 600g per capita. The objective was to reduce this to 450g. Door-to-door waste collection expenditure rose from Rs 100 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 240 crore in 2023. The projected cost for 2024 stands at Rs 338 crore annually. Tenders stipulate a requirement for 100% waste segregation without a strict provision for cancellation in case the contractor does not fulfil the condition. Penalties are outlined instead. We also published the following articles recently LMC to set up LTP to deal with legacy wasteLucknow Municipal Corporation plans to construct a leachate treatment plant at the solid waste management plant site in Shivri. The plant will treat legacy waste and fresh waste leachate, with Ramky Group handling the clearance of legacy waste. The estimated cost of the plant is around Rs 2.5-3 crore. Waste burns in open, MCG gets a noticeHaryana State Pollution Control Board issues a show-cause notice to MCG for non-compliance with SWM Rules, 2016. Garbage burning persists in Gurgaon despite complaints. Centre for Science and Environment emphasizes need for waste processing infrastructure and stricter action against polluters. Gurgaon's air quality remains poor. Women make wealth from waste, turn breadwinnersWomen in Borchila village, Assam, use water hyacinth from Sonai river to make handicrafts through ASRLM. They earn Rs 10,000 per month. The project started in Dolongghat cluster and received training from NEDFi. Products are sold internationally by Dolongghat Handicraft Co Operative Society.
As human civilization encroaches further on natural ecosystems, it’s imperative to reduce our impact on the environment, including the food we consume. Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) addresses this urgency with its latest release, ‘The Future of Taste’, part of the ‘First Food’ series, advocating for sustainable agriculture and food production amidst climate challenges. The book reflects a paradigm shift towards conscious eating for the health of both individuals and the planet, emphasizing the critical need for environmentally friendly food systems in an era of escalating global environmental crises. During the official launch event in New Delhi on March 12, 2024, Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) today said, “In our climate-risked world, how should we practice agriculture and food production to ensure the security of livelihood, nutrition, and nature? The Future of Taste, part of the First Food series, provides some answers. It brings the colour, essence, and joy of a biodiverse food that is good for nutrition and nature”. In 2018, the food the world produced contributed to about 11 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Narain points out the reality of emissions from agriculture and food systems, highlighting that there are two distinct agricultural worlds. Reimagining agriculture: sustainability for livelihood, nutrition, nature She explains: “One, based on an intensive industrial model where food is manufactured in factory farms at a massive scale; and another which is subsistence level, practised by farmers in the developing world with small landholdings, who grow food for their livelihood”. Sunita added, “The agriculture and food production sector, thus, creates a divide between a world that emits for survival and one that emits for luxury. At a time when the survival of farmers is threatened across the world by climate change and other factors, we cannot go ahead with the intensive, luxury-emission-based model of food production.” Narain remarked, “The ‘Future of Taste’ and the broader ‘First Food’ series reveal answers by highlighting the vibrancy, essence, and joy of biodiverse foods. These foods are not only nutritious but also environmentally sustainable. We acknowledge that extreme weather events destroy the livelihood of India’s farmers,” Narain stated. “Farmers require risk mitigation, and we need to decrease the emissions from the food systems.” “Most importantly,” says Narain, “we must realise that what our farmers grow depends on us – the consumers. The food on our plates has lost the meaning of nutrition. We know we need good food to live healthy, but we continue to eat wrong. If we change our diets, it will provide signals to our farmers to grow differently, to cultivate food that is good as well as climate-resilient.” Says Narain: “For instance, where there is water shortage, farmers should grow water-prudent crops such as millets. Government must enable policies that will promote the cultivation of these crops.” Renowned chefs launch sustainable cookbook A prominent group of culinary experts, including Jatin Mallick, chef and co-owner of Tres Restaurant, New Delhi; Manish Mehrotra, culinary director at Indian Accent, The Lodhi, New Delhi; Manjit S Gill, former corporate chef of ITC Hotels and founder-president of the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations; and Rajiv Malhotra, corporate chef at Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, released the book. Vibha Varshney, who initiated CSE’s First Food series, highlights the profound wisdom of local Indian communities regarding nutritious foods like millets, known long before they gained global popularity. These communities possess extensive knowledge of crafting healthy recipes from various locally available resources, including weeds, tree-borne foods, long-shelf-life seeds, plants with short life-cycles, and often overlooked parts of cultivated plants. The First Food series compiles over 100 such ‘non-mainstream’ recipes, showcasing the potential of these foods to address global challenges posed by climate change. By emphasizing sustainable and nutritious food practices rooted in local wisdom, the series aims to promote healthier diets and environmental sustainability. The book states that farms and food from “our world, countries like India,” will provide answers to the future in such a scenario. Apart from other recommendations, the book suggests choosing crops that are nutritive and compatible with the local environment. The Future of Taste recommends measures such as promoting multiple cropping to minimise risk; using non-chemical alternatives to fertilisers and pesticides to improve soil health; and encouraging low-input, cost-effective agriculture.
recent study by the University of New Mexico Health Sciences, published in the journal Toxicological Sciences, has reported microplastics in the human placenta. The researchers, alarmingly, found microplastics in all 62 samples tested. Polyethylene, commonly used to make plastic bottles and polybags, was the most commonly found plastic in the human tissue. Matthew J. Campen, regents’ professor in the University of New Mexico’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, who led the research, said the concentration of microplastics in placentas was troubling because the tissue has been in the body for hardly eight months. The placenta starts to form from the second month of pregnancy. “Other organs of your body are accumulating [microplastics] over much longer periods of time,” Campen said. While the study was done in the US, experts say microplastics is a global problem. Microplastics, or plastic particles less than 5mm in size, are generally of two kinds. The primary microplastics are microbeads added intentionally in cosmetics and personal care products, such as scrubs, facewash, toothpaste and shampoo. Secondary microplastics are a result of poor management of plastic waste. They are created when plastic waste is left lying around in water bodies, riverbeds, roads and landfills, disintegrating and degrading over time and eventually ending up in the human body through food and water. Given their size, these micro and nanoplastics have the potential to wreak havoc on the human body due to their ability to penetrate human cells, the gastrointestinal tract and the bloodstream. The study by the University of New Mexico said the increasing incidence of inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer and infertility could be related to the rising concentration of microplastics in the human body. Moreover, plastics, though chemically inert, usually contain chemicals such as stabilisers, hardeners and fragrances, to give them required properties as per the end use. These chemicals get leaked into the environment along with the plastics, finding their way into the human body, explains Satish Sinha, associate director at Toxics Link, the Delhi-based non-profit that works on concerns related to toxicity and waste. There are enough studies to prove that microplastics are ubiquitous. They are found in the air, soil, water, oceans and rivers around the world. A Toxics Link report, ‘Toxic Chemical “Nonylphenol”: A Barrier to Safe Drinking Water’, found high levels of the toxic chemical Nonylphenol in water samples, including tap and drinking water, collected from various locations in India. Nonylphenol is used to make common consumer products such as detergents and wetting agents. A 2021 study had found microplastics pollution in the Ganga to be much higher than in rivers in Europe, North America and South America. Another study, by Toxics Link, shows the presence of microplastics in all soil samples across states like Maharashtra and Karnataka. The burgeoning problem of microplastics is essentially the result of poor management of plastic waste, says Atin Biswas, programme director at the Delhi-based public interest research organisation and think-tank Centre for Science and Environment. “Our consumption is increasing exponentially and no gram panchayat or local municipality has the wherewithal or resources to manage the amount of waste generated,” says Biswas. “If plastic is seen as a problem of managing waste, it will not be solved even in the next 100 years.” Biswas explains that the entire lifecycle of plastics, from its production to disposal, needs to be regulated. Putting a cap on the quantity manufactured, ensuring use of sustainable packaging material and limiting multi-layer packaging to the bare minimum while ensuring that all waste is properly collected, segregated and recycled so that it doesn’t end up in the environment are a few steps that need to be implemented on a war footing, he says. Sinha of Toxics Link says the low-hanging fruit is to restrict and regulate the use of primary microplastics, which are added intentionally to cosmetics. “The problem is we don’t have filtration systems to capture such small particles, so their substitute has to be found and promoted,” he adds. Several countries, such as the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Italy and Korea, have banned the use of microbeads in cosmetics. The problem of plastic pollution and microplastics is only going to worsen, and unless radical steps are taken, the consequences could be catastrophic.
There is something fundamentally broken in the world’s agricultural system when you see images of rich European farmers and their poorer counterparts in India straddling tractors to block highways to make their anger heard. The fact is that these farmers are enjoined across continents with a serious problem of increased cost of agricultural production in an age of climate risks and losses. In Europe, the flashpoint ironically was the introduction of the climate regulation, under which farms would be required to halve pesticide use; cut fertiliser use by 20 per cent; double organic production; and leave more land for non-agricultural use for biodiversity conservation. In addition, the Netherlands had proposed to reduce its livestock numbers to cut nitrogen pollution and Germany to slash its subsidy on diesel, a fossil fuel. All this is clearly needed in a world faced with the existential threat of climate change. Agriculture in the European Union (EU), as in other parts of the world, contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions — one-tenth of its annual emissions. If this cost of abatement is high for rich farmers, what will it do to farmers in our world who are at the margins of survival? The fact is that the European farming system, which epitomises modern agriculture as we know it today, has survived because of massive subsidy. Since 1962, the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has provided financial support for agriculture — after much criticism, the support was brought down but only marginally. Today it constitutes some 40 per cent of the EU budget and involves direct payments to farmers. Each farmer, according to the European Commission data, received €6,700 annually (roughly Rs 50,000 / month) in 2021 as direct income support. Over and above this, there is more investment made to facilitate agriculture. Over the years, the “nature” of farming has evolved; farms have become larger and more consolidated. Small agriculturists now struggle to survive because of increased input costs, higher standards and bureaucracy. Larger farms are also faced with high debt as costs increase. The practice of organic farming — today 10 per cent of EU land is under this system — has been designed to increase the cost of cultivation. Farming has responded by becoming more intensive — more productivity per crop or livestock — and this means more use of chemicals and inputs, which combined with environmental conditions, results in even higher costs. This spiral of costs is then faced with two realities — one, the need to keep consumer prices of food under control and two, growing crop damages because of climate exigencies. This is the system of intensive agriculture that is feted in the world — it is touted that environmental standards can be built into the system and yet farmers can increase production and make the business work. Clearly, this is not the case. The cost of food is not affordable even in countries of the western world. The environment is not protected. n India, farmers protesting on the doorstep of Delhi want higher minimum support price (MSP) for their produce. They face the same challenges as their counterparts in rich Europe, but without the massive subsidy to support food cultivation. Then they face a pincer attack — government has to procure food for distribution and so it needs to keep the price under control; consumers (all of us) do not want to be hit by food inflation. So, even as farmers struggle to make ends meet in terms of costs and increased risk because of weather and pest attacks, and every time the food price goes up and they could benefit, the option is to cool down prices through cheaper imports. They lose. They cannot then invest in the improvement of soil, water or biodiversity. In this system, the only way ahead is to discount the cost of environmental safeguards. They are now being told that they need to increase productivity to stay profitable. But this comes at a higher cost because of expensive inputs — this food economics makes no sense as the higher costs will not be paid for in a country that needs affordable food. It is clear that the Indian government cannot subsidise individual farmers at the scale of Europe. It is also clear that even this whopping financial support would not be enough in this system of intensive agriculture. So, we need to discuss how to reduce costs of cultivation and yet put money on the table for farmers. This is where regenerative or natural farming will play a role, but at scale and with great policy and deliberate practice and science to back it. We also need food procurement policies to work at the local level, so that farmers get assured markets for good food. The Odisha government’s millet procurement for mid-day meals is one such practice. The fact is, the world has enough food to feed people; the problem is that much of this food is going into feeding livestock or just to waste. This is what needs to be addressed. (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)
