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"Need strictness with our control measures": Centre for Science and Environment on increasing pollution in Delhi Post-Diwali

: Principal Programme Manager, Air Pollution Control Cell (/topic/air-pollution-control-cell), Centre for Science and Environment (/topic/centre-for-science-and-environment) (CSE), Vivek Chattopadhyaya, on Monday, warned of escalating pollution levels in the city following the bursting of crackers during Diwali and said "we need strictness with our control measures so that the action plan can be implemented across the city". "The Air Quality Index is in the Very Poor category in several areas... It indicates that the air pollution level has gone up after the bursting of crackers... The air has become still and its speed is slowing down, causing an accumulation of pollution. Right now, we need strictness with our control measures so that the action plan can be implemented across the city," Vivek Chattopadhyaya, Principal Programme Manager of the Air Pollution Control Cell (/topic/air-pollution-control-cell), Centre for Science and Environment (/topic/centre-for-science-and-environment) (CSE), told ANI.

인도 델리 당국, 치명적인 스모그 퇴치 위해 ‘인공강우’ 뿌린다

인도 수도 뉴델리에서는 치명적인 대기오염에 맞서 싸울 새로운 무기인 ‘인공강우’를 준비 중이다. 2023년 11월 발표된 인공강우를 이용한 대기오염 대응 실험은 아이오딘화은(silver iodide)과 같은 화학 물질을 구름에 주입하여 비를 생성하는 방식으로 진행된다. 세계 최대 규모 도시 중 한 곳인 델리에 남아있는 미립자를 씻어내고자 구상한 계획이다. 대기오염 대응이 절실히 필요한 상황이다. 델리는 이미 교통 제한 조치, 수백만 달러 규모의 공기 정화 타워, 살수차를 동원한 대기 중 미립자 분해 등 각종 노력을 펼쳤으나 어떠한 효과도 없어 신물이 난 상태이다. 인공강우를 이용한 대기오염 대응 전략은 논란의 여지가 있다. 뉴델리 과학환경연구소(Center for Science and Environment) 소속 연구원 아비칼 솜반쉬(Avikal Somvanshi)는 “인공강우는 대기오염 해결책이 아닌 임시 완화 수단이므로 자원을 투자하는 것이 좋은 방법은 아니다”라고 말했다. 환경 전문가와 과학자 사이에서는 정부 대응 대부분이 오염원 차단이 아닌 오염 완화에 주력한다는 점에서 우려의 목소리를 낸다. 깨끗한 공기를 요구하는 엄마들의 네트워크인 워리어 맘즈(Warrior Moms)의 공동 창립자이자 환경 운동가인 바브린 칸다리(Bhavreen Kandhari)는 “대기오염을 해결할 정치적 의도가 없다는 점이 가장 큰 문제이다”라고 말했다. 델리의 공기는 현지 학교와 주변 지역에서 폐쇄 조치를 시행하고, 사무실은 직원의 재택근무를 허용할 정도로 오염 수준이 심각하다. 인도 정부는 아동과 노인, 만성 질환 환자는 외출을 자제하도록 권고했다. 이제 생활필수품을 운반하는 차량을 제외한 디젤 트럭은 델리에 진입할 수 없다. 일시적으로 내린 비로 공기가 정화됐으나 대기질이 다시 악화되면서 대기오염 완화 효과는 오래 이어지지 못했다. 힌두교 등불 축제인 디왈리(Diwali)가 열린 주간에 사용한 폭죽이 대기오염에 악영향을 미쳤다. 이에, 델리 당국 관료는 인도 연방 기관을 대상으로 인공강우 사용 허가를 받을 방안을 모색하기 시작했다. 인공강우 생성 기법에는 구름에 은이나 요오드화 칼륨, 드라이아이스라는 이름으로도 알려진 고체 이산화탄소 등과 함께 구름을 뿌릴 항공기 비행을 통한 비 생성 과정이 포함된다. 화학 분자는 이미 구름 속 습기에 붙어서 비가 내릴 때보다 더 큰 물방울을 형성한다. 과거, 중국에서도 대기오염 퇴치 방법으로 인공강우를 활용한 적이 있다. 그러나 인공강우를 제대로 뿌리려면, 습기를 적당히 포함한 구름이 많아야 한다. 델리에서는 날이 갈수록 겨울이면 구름이 부족해지는 추세이다. 카락푸르 인도공과대학교에서 인공강우 프로젝트를 이끄는 과학자팀은 날씨 조건에 따라 11월 20일(현지 시각), 인공강우를 생성할 계획을 세웠다. 적어도 인공강우를 생성하기 전까지 델리 전역은 겨울의 해로운 날씨가 된 두꺼운 잿빛 안개가 덮인 상태가 이어질 것이다. 미립자와 유독가스가 위험한 수준으로 섞인 스모그는 초겨울 발생하는 여러 가지 날씨 문제의 결과이다. 2023년 10월 말, 델리 북서부에 있는 펀자브주와 하리아나주의 밀 농사 지역을 중심으로 인도 북부 지역의 농지에서는 신선한 씨앗을 뿌리기 위해 저렴하면서도 손쉬운 논 정화 방식을 활용했다. 바로 수확 후 남은 작물을 태울 불을 피우는 방식이다. 이 과정에서 연기에서 발생한 재가 대기 중으로 널리 확산됐다. 인도 당국은 농부에게 논에 불을 태우는 방식 대신 작물 잔류물을 제거할 기계를 사용하도록 설득하려 했다. 그러나 농기계를 구매할 경제적 여유가 있는 농부는 거의 없었다. 일부 영세 스타트업은 작물 잔류물을 판지 생산 재료로 이용할 수 있을 정도로 걸쭉하게 만들었다. 주 정부와 연방 정부 모두 농부가 농지를 태우지 않도록 충분한 비용을 지원하는 방안을 모색했다. 가장 심각한 때는 작물을 태운 연기는 델리의 대기오염원 중 1/3을 차지하기도 한다. 농부가 작물을 태우는 행위를 막는 것만으로는 스모그를 퇴치할 수 없다. 델리 일대에는 대기오염을 일으키는 활동을 막을 활동이 없기 때문이다. 석탄발전소, 벽돌가마, 쓰레기 소각, 가정 내 요리용 나무 및 숯 사용 등 대기오염에 영향을 미치는 요소가 많다. 외부 자원만으로 충분하지 않은 듯 미립자는 화학 반응을 통해 생성되기도 한다. 대기 중 습기가 약간 있는 데다가 기온이 낮은 날씨일 때는 질소산화물과 산화황, 휘발성 유기 화합물, 암모니아를 비롯한 각종 가스 오염원이 반응하면서 제2의 미립자를 생성한다. PM 2.5라는 약자로 알려진 대기오염물이기도 한 델리의 미립자 약 25%는 가스 오염원의 반응으로 생성된다. 인도 열대기상연구소 대기오염 전문가 겸 기상학자인 구프란 베이그(Gufran Beig)는 제2의 미립자 생성이 인공강우 이용 위험성을 지녔다고 말한다. 대기질이 대폭 개선되려면, 지속 가능한 폭우가 필요하다. 인공강우가 보슬비만 생성한다면, 습도가 상승하면서 제2의 연무제(aerosol)가 형성될 확률이 높다. 델리의 겨울 스모그 현장에는 도치라고 알려진 대기 현상이 부분적인 영향을 미친다. 여름에는 지상과 가까운 공기가 따뜻해지며, 상공과 가까워질수록 추워진다. 결과적으로 지상에 자연적으로 방출하는 것은 무엇이든 뜨거운 공기와 함께 상승하면서 분해된다. 겨울에는 말 그대로 상황이 180도 바뀐다. 솜반쉬 연구원은 “지상 온도가 하락하면서 지상 공기 온도도 내려간다. 그리고 지상에서 멀어질수록 기온이 상승한다”라고 말했다. 인도 북부 전역에 차갑고 무거운 공기층이 형성되고는 공기의 수직 이동이 중단된다. 내륙지역인 델리에는 수평으로 오염원이 이동하도록 할 바닷바람이 불지 않는다. 결과적으로 오염원이 어디에도 이동하지 못하는 상황이 된다. 결국, 안개는 도시 전체가 적갈색으로 흐릿하게 보이도록 한다. 델리 당국은 디지털 화면 디스플레이에 대기질 지수(Air Quality Index, AQI)를 네온 색상 글씨로 표시한다. 대기질 지수는 대기 중 오염원 포화 수준을 나타낸다. 대기질 지수는 세계보건기구(WHO)가 24시간 동안 제시한 AQI 평균치를 15 이하로 권고한다. 중앙 오염 통제위원회 데이터에 따르면, 2023년 11월 평균 델리 도시 전역의 평균 AQI는 대부분 350 이상이었다. 어느 한 지역의 AQI는 999를, 일부 지역은 500을 기록하기도 했다. 가장 해로운 성분은 반경 단 몇 마이크론인 대기 중 미립자나 에어로졸인 PM2.5와 PM10의 결합이라는 치명적인 결과로 탄생한 성분이다. PM2.5와 PM10이 결합하면, 호흡하면서 미립자가 폐에 쌓이고, 혈류에도 미립자가 진입하기도 한다. 단기적으로는 호흡 곤란과 장기간 이어지는 두통, 눈 가려움, 끊임없는 마른기침 증상을 일으킬 수 있다. 장기간 노출된다면, 심장 질환과 폐질환, 호흡기 질환 감염, 출산 문제 등과 같은 건강 문제가 발생할 수 있다. 세계은행은 대기오염 때문에 남아시아에서만 매년 200만 명 이상이 조기 사망한다고 추산했다. 대기오염이 이어지는 내내 델리시는 건설 활동을 제한하여 대기 중 먼지양을 줄이고, 살수차로 남은 먼지를 씻어내려 한다. 또한, 각각 200만 달러가 넘는 초당 공기 1,000큐빅미터를 분류할 대형 팬을 갖춘 공기 청정 시스템인 스모그 타워 두 대를 설치했다. 그러나 연구를 통해 스모그 타워는 수백 미터 떨어진 곳의 공기만 정화할 뿐 대기오염 대응 효과는 매우 적은 것으로 나타났다. 직접 배출량을 목표로 한 조처 중 하나는 차량 운행 홀짝제 시행이었다. 차량 운행 홀짝제 시행과 함께 차량 번호판 숫자에 따라 특정 날짜에 주행할 수 있는 차량을 제한하면서 매일 도로를 주행하는 차량 수도 제한했다. 그러나 델리시에서는 규정이 시행되는 때가 매우 적으며, 소수 차량만 시행 대상이 된다. 베이그는 “한 가지 요소를 포기하지 않는다면, 실효성이 없다”라고 언급했다. 칸다리는 대기오염 대응의 실효성을 위해 차량 운행 홀짝제와 같은 규정을 1년 내내 적용해야 한다는 견해를 제시했다. 또, 델리 당국의 대중교통 체계 개선도 필요하다고 언급했다. 한 가지 희망적인 부분으로 솜반쉬 연구원이 연구를 통해 알아낸 바와 같이 델리시의 PM2.5 평균 수치가 2015년 이후 서서히 줄어든다는 사실이다. PM2.5 수치 감소는 대기오염 수준을 완화하기 비교적 좋은 날씨인 여름과 우기에 두드러지게 나타난다. 칸다리는 평생 델리에서 스모그 현상이 발생하지 않는 날을 하루도 볼 수 없을 것이라는 점을 가장 우려한다. 놀랍게도 주기적으로 대기오염 문제를 두고 대중적 반발이 이어지지만, 대기오염 문제는 지금까지 중요한 안건이 된 적이 없다. 투표권을 행사하는 날이 온다면, 출마 후보에게 대기오염 퇴치를 정책 우선 사항으로 두었는지 물어보아야 할 것이다. ** 위 기사는 와이어드UK(WIRED.co.uk)에 게재된 것을 와이어드코리아(WIRED.kr)가 번역한 것입니다. (번역 : 고다솔 에디터)

COP28 tasked with finding consensus on first global stocktake to meet Paris goals

India has underlined that equity, fair share of the global carbon budget, and obligations of developed country parties to provide finance for transition and technology transfer will be critical to address in the global stocktake The first global stocktaking of the progress made on containing climate change, expected to conclude at the UN summit in Dubai in a few weeks, has received polarising views from nations that are signatories to the 2015 Paris Agreement. India has underlined that equity, fair share of the global carbon budget, and obligations of developed country parties to provide finance for transition and technology transfer will be critical to address in the global stocktake (GST). In its submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in September, India said equity has to be designed in the GST. “India has always maintained that Equity is an important component for preserving the collective and facilitative nature of GST, therefore a commonly agreed guidance to operationalise Equity needs to be designed in the GST, through inclusive equity indicators arrived at by Parties. Equity needs to be captured not only as an overarching but also a cross cutting issue in each and every element of the GST outcome,” India said. Developed country parties must lead in the ambition of their climate action and support, and their efforts to achieve or exceed their commitments on mitigating the impacts of the climate crisis, India said. The synthesis report of the first GST released by UNFCCC found that global efforts on the climate crisis are falling short of meeting the Paris Agreement goals of keeping global warming well under 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial times and pursuing efforts to keep it under 1.5 degrees, HT reported on September 9. This year, the 1.5 degree threshold was breached temporarily in certain months. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which holds the presidency of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) of the UNFCCC, where parties denote nations, is trying for consensus on contentious issues of GST. “We don’t think about red lines. Our job is really to get countries together and deliver an outcome that all of us can have consensus on. Our job is to be that mediator. That’s what we did on the Loss and Damage piece. We went in and helped parties come to an outcome and we will do the same for the GST. We know that the GST needs to lay out how we can accelerate both ambition and action to bridge the gaps we know we face. We are getting a lot of great ideas from parties but at the end of the day it’s a party-driven process. We have already framed what we believe we need to see in the GST outcome in several of our letters sent to parties and now it’s for parties to deliver an outcome for us at COP28,” said COP28 director-general Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi. Countries have varying expectations from the final round of discussions, which have been provided to the UNFCCC as submissions from February. The key negotiating blocs, including the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDCs), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), G77 and China, BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India, China) and African Group of Negotiators (AGN), Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay (ABU) have made submissions, along with individual countries and regions like the US, the UK, Australia and the European Union. “While the different contexts of the Global North versus the Global South issue lead to differing perspectives on climate change concerns, consensus is crucial in this decade as the window to rapidly reduce GHG emissions by 2030 is closing,” the Centre for Science and Environment, an advocacy group, said in an analysis on Friday. “The GST process revealed the many existing debates with predictable opponents on each side that are holding us back from equitably furthering climate ambition.”

Air pollution news today: Air quality in Delhi remains ‘poor’ but shows significant improvement; AQI at 204

Delhi pollution news: Rain brought a huge sigh of relief for residents in the national capital, who have been breathing toxic air over the last few weeks. The overall air quality in the national capital continued to stay in the ‘poor category’ with AQI at 204 marking a significant improvement from the last few days, according to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) data at 7:30 am. As per SAFAR data, areas like Delhi University, IIT Delhi, Airport (T3), Dhirpur, Lodhi Road witnessed ‘poor’ category air with AQI at 269, 221, 239, 228, 218 respectively. Bringing a major relief, some areas like Pusa, Mathura Road, Noida, Gurugram, Ayanagar, recorded ‘moderate' category air with AQI at 142, 159, 183, 169, 159 respectively. Delhi, NCR Air Pollution LIVE Updates As per CPCB data, Anand Vihar recorded ‘poor’ category air with AQI at 266 which is a major improvement after last week aqicn.org data recorded AQI at 999. Speaking of other areas in the national capital, Dwarka Sector-8 recorded AQI at 221, ITO recorded AQI at 231, Jahangirpuri recorded 268 AQI, RK Puram at 242, Rohini at 215, Shadipur at 264, Wazirpur at 248 all in ‘poor’ category, as per CPCB data. Currently, Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been implemented in the national capital after air quality plummeted to the 'severe plus' category last week. Earlier on Saturday, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the rainfall dispersed pollutants and reduced the extent of pollution in the city by 50 percent. While speaking to ANI, Rai said, "The rainfall on Friday dispersed pollutants from the city air. The wind, too, picked up, helping cleanse Delhi's air of toxic matter. The showers reduced the extent of pollution in the city by 50 per cent -- from an AQI of 450 to 225. However, it's too early to say how long will be the impact of the showers on the city's air quality." Meanwhile, Delhi University has declared an early winter break from November 13-19 which is generally given in December. Amid the increasing pollution levels, Anumita Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment has asked to speed up action throughout the year to build adequate infrastructure. "On November 2, when the massive buildup of pollution happened. We were amazed at the rate and the speed with which the pollution had increased by nearly 68 per cent within 24 hours. We really have to ramp up our action throughout the year so that we can build adequate infrastructure systems to scale, to implement the solutions at a scale so that vehicular pollution can be controlled by improving public transport," Anumita Roy Chowdhury said as quoted by ANI.

The Blowing of Toxic Winds is a Pattern We Need to Break

It is an inconvenient truth we must confront. Just erecting war memorials to honour the dead, showering pilgrims with rose petals or performing smoke-emitting yagnas for purifying the environment is not going to ward off the next mass extinction. It may hasten it. Saakhi is a Sunday column from Mrinal Pande, in which she writes about what she sees and also participates in. That has been her burden to bear ever since she embarked on a life as a journalist, writer, editor, author, and chairperson of Prasar Bharti. Her journey of being a witness-participant continues. It has always been a source of wonder to me how, compared to the great environmental meltdown that stares the world in face today, wars – first the one in Ukraine and then in Israel – get such a remarkably good press coverage all over. Once upon a time, around 2005, Al Gore, a formal presidential candidate and ex-vice president of the US, appeared in An Inconvenient Truth, an Oscar-winning documentary directed by Davis Guggenheim. It was one of the first hard-hitting exposes of the effects of global warming on our steadily degrading world environment. Using very few aids – except some photo slides – the documentary explained how we had messed up our planet. Mrinal Pande Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty He issued a warning: something had to be done soon to arrest the climate change driven by human greed, or else the Earth faced floods, hurricanes, melting of ice on the poles, rise in sea levels all over; in short, migrations and soon after that, extinction on an unbelievable scale. Memories of those predictions still haunt us, but regrettably, despite the immense damage to the environment and suffering the two World Wars have generated, feelings of hate and distress against them have grown hazy in our generation. The First World War was long over before our generation arrived and the Second World War was something our parents talked of. Those were pre-TV and social media days – but today, each time a “master stroke” is reported, we cheer in the streets and on social media and celebrate the death of soldiers with great fanfare. Not just us, even the world still celebrates the Armistice Day that marked the end of the First World War, quite overlooking the fact that mankind grew no wiser after the first one and waged a second one that killed many more soldiers and civilians. Those of you who watched the BBC in the last month may have noticed (or not) the irony of the little red poppy flower marking Armistice Day worn by all anchors in the studios in their lapels. The poppies, you find, come out of the ‘Earl Haig Poppy Factory’ (named after Douglas Haig, the commander-in-chief who led soldiers to the Battle of the Somme). The funds collected by their sale go to the Haig Fund for wounded servicemen, even as thousands of both soldiers and civilians are being killed each day in Europe and Asia. History has its own cruel little jokes. Just as the grim battle on the Somme killed the idea of a jubilant victory after a war for many who lost friends and family in Britain, the war in Gaza has killed the lies about an environmental apocalypse being the senseless propaganda of some gloomy environmentalists backed by a political agenda. No matter what the outcome of the present wars raging in Gaza and Ukraine, we cannot ignore the horrifically visible environmental degradation it has speeded up. This year is reportedly the hottest in 1,25,000 years and the ultimate human cost of global heating, especially for poorer nations, will be immense. We in India will have to share it, no matter how many world leaders meet (including ours) and make an appeal for peace and justice with a toothless UN leading the pack. “The unarmed war – between the so-called West and the so-called East (US vs China) – is going to make things worse for the fight against climate change”, writes environmentalist Sunita Narain as the world heads to the UN climate change conference in Dubai. At home, democratic values symbolised by the freedom of speech are being tested severely. Legacy print and visual media, we learn, are now controlled by four major corporations all supportive of a questionable agenda being promoted in the name of modernising India. Power plants are being built in the Himalayan region, and protected forest zones and ancient sites of pilgrimage built over delicate ground full of shale rubble have been opened up to tourists. Real estate agents and builders for landowners in both urban and rural areas control the region. The result is toxic air, toxic rivers, and mass migrations all over India. Like wars, pollution blows across state boundaries. As the local leadership struggles to control pollution in the national capital, it needs well-financed and target-aligned strategies, and strong compliance across all the four NCR states. Now the Supreme Court has ordered the government to take measures to end this agony, because toxic gases surround slum dwellers and dwellers of the Lutyens’ zone similarly. Delhi is not some zoo being subjected to a golly-green-eyed monster’s annual visits. Anger against successive chief ministers is an easy dodge, a massive distraction from the real, more prosaic question of just where the toxins are being released, how and why? The laws of nature carry no philosophy, make no judgments and don’t sit down to write tracts. Having signed agreements to hand over national parks and swapping land assets to carbon emitting industrialists, after encouraging the production of more cars and chemicals, and hounding and harassing protesters, leaders cannot simply go and sit in a lotus pose along the banks of some holy river or kund, or within the womb room of an ancient temple. How can Ma Ganga and Ma Yamuna or Lord so-and-so give answers for the way out of extinction to leaders whose policies have ruined the source of our holiest rivers and temple towns in unimaginable ways? Nature, or Gods if you will, permit just so much cheating and exploitation of natural resources. No more. It is literally a pathetic fallacy to say that nature mourns extinction. Nature uses extinction to wipe off a species that has outlived its value. So the annual wearing of red poppies or Soldiers’ Day flags upon our lapels, erecting war memorials to honour the dead, or showering pilgrims with rose petals and performing smoke-emitting yagnas for purifying the environment is not going to ward off the next mass extinction. It may hasten it. An inconvenient truth, but there it is!

"Really have to revamp our action": Centre for Science and Environment on increasing pollution in Delhi

Amid the increasing pollution in Delhi, Anumita Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment has asked to speed up action throughout the year to build adequate infrastructure. Following the rainfall on Friday, there was a slight improvement in Delhi's air quality on Saturday. The air quality, which was previously categorized as 'Very Poor' by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), has now improved to the 'Poor' category. "On November 2, when the massive buildup of pollution happened. We were amazed at the rate and the speed with which the pollution had increased by nearly 68 per cent within 24 hours. We really have to ramp up our action throughout the year so that we can build adequate infrastructure systems to scale, to implement the solutions at a scale so that vehicular pollution can be controlled by improving public transport," Anumita Roy Chowdhury said. "Eliminate solid fuel burning in all sectors. At the same time, deal with and aggressively scale up the use of clean fuel and technology in industries," she added. Meanwhile, Delhi's Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, has written a letter to the Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister and asked for action on the plying of non-destined vehicles in Delhi from UP's border to curb pollution in Delhi. "In this regard, it is requested that directions be issued to the concerned to ensure that all the non-destined vehicles should be diverted through Eastern and Western Peripheral expressway night at their entry points before the Delhi Border. Accordingly, additional enforcement teams may be deployed at all the Entry Points to Peripheral ways to ensure the implementation of the aforesaid directions," read the letter addressed to UP Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh. The Delhi government also announced to delay proposed implementation of the odd-even car-rationing scheme in the city. The announcement comes after the Supreme Court, earlier in the day, directed the Delhi government to make a definitive decision on the implementation of the Odd-Even Scheme. The court, however, refrained from taking a decision itself, leaving the matter in the hands of the state government. Currently, Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been implemented in the national capital after the city's air quality plummeted to the 'severe plus' category. (ANI)

Delhi AQI: Delhi NCR should not depend on rain alone to tackle pollution

Finally, after all crisis-management efforts failed, it was left to the 'weather gods' to rescue a choked Delhi-NCR from one of the longest air emergency spells in recent times. There is, however, no reason to cheer yet as it is only the beginning of winter, which coincides with the annual pollution season. The rain and wind rescued Delhi this time, but favourable weather conditions may not be present all the time and only coordinated, long-term and year-long efforts involving all stakeholders can help address the annual air pollution emergency, say experts. So, what happened? A thick blanket of smog had enveloped Delhi and nearby areas for nine days, from November 1 to 9, leaving Delhi-NCR residents gasping for breath – and forcing the authorities to enforce the highest restrictions in the rule books in a bid to control the air emergency. Gas chamber October was breathable but the smokey story began around October 28 when Delhi's average air quality index (AQI) entered the ‘very poor’ category and slowly climbed up. On November 2, it neared the ‘severe’ category, resting at 392 at ‘very poor’. On November 3, the AQI crossed the ‘severe’ mark for the first time this season, recording 468 in the 4 pm daily bulletin. From there, the AQI stayed put at ‘severe’ till November 8, barring one day on November 7, when it marginally came down to 375 in the ‘very poor’ category. On two days, November 3 and 5, the AQI crossed the severe-plus mark, recording 468 and 454, respectively. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severe’. At many monitoring stations such as Anand Vihar – one of Delhi's notorious pollution hotspots – the AQI breached the 500 mark. The story was somewhat similar in the surrounding region, with a thick blanket of smog making breathing almost an impossible task. The Commission for Air Quality Management reacted quickly, first invoking the stage 3 graded action plan (Grap) and then Grap 4, when the AQI crossed the 450-mark. Grap is a set of emergency plans implemented in four stages. Stage 1 is implemented when the AQI is 'poor', stage 2 in the ‘very poor’ phase, and stage 3 when the AQI is between 401 and 450. Stage 4, which entails the highest restrictions, is invoked when the AQI crosses 450. Apart from the Grap 4 measures, the Delhi government shut schools, banned app-based cabs registered in other states, stopped diesel trucks from entering the city, etc. It even mulled introducing the odd-even road rationing scheme and is considering cloud-seeding to induce artificial rain. It finally rained relief late November 9 night and on November 10, when rain and winds blew away the smog and brought down the AQI from an alarming 437 on November 9 to a ‘poor’ 279 on November 10 and 220 on November 11. Similar spells of seven consecutive days of ‘severe’ or near severe AQI in November were reported in 2016, 2017 and 2019 and six days in 2018, 2020 and 2021 – mostly in the first half of the month, when stubble burning peaks.

Cameras at fuel points to check PUC violation in Delhi

The Delhi transport department has decided to install cameras at 25 fuel stations across the Capital to penalise vehicle owners who have not renewed their pollution under control (PUC) certificates, officials aware of the proposal said. This project, they said, is in continuation of a pilot project launched at two fuel stations, in which special cameras have been linked with the mParivahan software to check a vehicle’s PUC status. The project to check a vehicle’s PUC status is based on automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology, officials said. Transport commissioner Ashish Kundra said: “The automatic detection of non-PUC compliant vehicles had started in September at two fuel stations, which has had an encouraging outcome. Vehicle owners are getting encouraged to get their vehicles tested for PUC. We are soon going to start the automatic PUC detection at 25 fuel stations in different parts of the Capital.” On September 28, HT had reported that the transport department’s pilot project at fuel stations in Model Town and Gulabi Bagh had helped track 300-400 vehicles every day. Later, these special cameras were installed at two more fuel stations — at Shastri Nagar and in Shahdara. As part of the project, around 3,500 vehicles which were found without PUC certificates have been sent challans, officials said. Kundra said in the next phase, the transport department will convene a meeting with petroleum dealers to encourage them to get the facility installed at fuel stations which have PUC centres, so that vehicle owners are encouraged to keep their vehicles pollution compliant. Ajay Bansal, president of the All India Petroleum Dealers Association, said, “The move will lead to higher compliance with PUC norms. It is more effective than manual on-the-ground checking of PUC certificates… Petroleum dealers welcome the move... It will create awareness among people about vehicular pollution and encourage them to keep a valid PUC certificate.” Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said, “Strict monitoring of emissions from vehicles on the road is necessary because the vehicles are among the top contributors to Delhi’s poor air quality. The government should also ensure that 100% compliance with basic PUC norms also requires credible and properly conducted PUC tests.”

Gurgaon breathes a little easy as rain and wind help improve air, AQI still poor

GURGAON: Rain and wind speed helped improve the city's air quality from 'severe' to 'poor' on Friday, bringing some much-needed respite from the hazardous pollution levels. The AQI was 240 (poor) on Friday, down from 404 the day before. The wind speed was 8kmph on Friday, up from 4kmph the day before. The city received 2.5mm rain till 5.30pm on Friday. According to the India Meteorological Department, (IMD), a western disturbance is affecting north India at present, which is likely to bring more rain to Punjab, Haryana and Delhi and to some parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan by November 11-12. Track the pollution level in your cityOut of the city's four air monitoring stations, Gwalpahari recorded the cleanest air on Friday at 199 (moderate), while the other three - Vikas Sadan (210), Teri Gram (244) and Sector 51 (270) - recorded 'poor' AQI. "The air quality will stay 'poor' this Diwali. Local factors will still contribute to pollution. The region may witness a slight relief as a western disturbance is approaching. This has brought some changes in the air quality, but it is just temporary. It will again turn worse in some days because of local factors," said Shubhansh Tiwari, a research associate at the Centre for Science and Environment. The PM2.5 level was highest in Sector 51 (203 g/m³) on Friday, followed by 201 g/m³ in Gwalpahari, 189 g/m³ in Teri Gram, and 181 g/m³ in Vikas Sadan. The level of PM10 was the highest at Sector 51 (221 g/m³), followed by Teri Gram (211g/m³) and Gwalpahari (121g/m³). Vikas Sadan doesn't record PM10 data. According to the CPCB, the annual average permissible limits for PM2.5 and PM10 are 40g/m³ and 60g/m³, respectively. Meanwhile, neighbouring Delhi recorded 'poor' AQI at 279 on Friday, while Faridabad's air was 'very poor' with an AQI of 308. The AQI of Noida was 247, while that of Ghaziabad was 267, both 'poor'. According to satellite data from Nasa, collated by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, no farm fires were detected in Haryana on Friday and six in Punjab. The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) said surface winds with speeds ranging from 4kmph to 12kmph are expected in the region for the next six days, and the AQI is likely to stay 'very poor' or 'severe'. According to guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board, when AQI is in the 'moderate' category, there can be breathing discomfort to the people with asthma and lung or heart disease. In 'poor' AQI, breathing discomfort can be felt by most people on prolonged exposure. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'. Meanwhile, the city's minimum temperature was 18.3 degrees Celsius on Friday, while the maximum was 31.9 degrees. IMD has issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms and lightning in the region. Light to moderate rain is also likely at isolated places on November 10, with the weather expected to be dry thereafter in the state, officials said. "The minimum temperature may fall by 2-4 degrees Celsius during the next two to three days over parts of the state," an IMD official said.

The Men in Black

The climate change crisis has now reached every country; extreme weather events are costing all economies. It is clear that the world is failing by many marks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. So, the idea that is gaining traction, once again, is to build a carbon market that will allow countries and companies to buy credits by doing all things good—from planting trees to distributing clean cookstoves to investing in renewable energy. This market would put a price on every tonne of carbon dioxide or the equivalent greenhouse gas avoided, reduced or sequestered, which can then be used to offset emissions of companies and countries. It is simple in some ways; complicated in others. Because of this carbon market, you will be able to pick up a luxury bag that is labelled “carbon-neutral”; or take a flight that has “offset” your emissions; or even read about an oil or food company that has declared a “net-carbon footprint”. You may wonder how. These items and companies become carbon-neutral by “buying” credits—these credits are issued against activities that either reduce greenhouse gas emissions (like building a solar plant or using an efficient cookstove) or remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere (for instance, by planting trees). The management of this “market” of buyers and sellers is done through a paraphernalia of registries, project developers, validators, verifiers and carbon exchanges. The idea of carbon credit began in the first decade of the 2000s, after the Kyoto Protocol, set up under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), entered into force. Countries agreed to set up the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) for the purchase of carbon credits from developing countries. But with the end of the Kyoto Protocol, this market dried up. It was replaced by an unregulated global market of buyers and sellers, called the voluntary carbon market. It is hoped that soon there will be an internationally negotiated agreement for an official carbon market. At the next Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UNFCCC to be held from November 30 to December 12, discussion on the Article on creating the rules for the carbon market (Article 6 of the Paris Agreement of 2015) is top billed. Once these rules are finalised, there will be a public registry of all projects and countries will be allowed to trade either bilaterally (under Article 6.2) or through a global programme like what existed earlier under CDM (under Article 6.4). The question is if the voluntary carbon market, run today by the private industry, is working for people and for the planet. My colleagues at Down To Earth and the Centre for Science and Environment examine this and find there is much that needs to be done to set this market in order. In fact, it is a can of worms. This is not what we need in this time of existential crisis. (Courtesy: Down To Earth)

Air Pollution: दिल्ली में वायु प्रदूषण के ये 13 हॉटस्पॉट, खतरनाक है यहां की हवा, आप भी तो इन इलाकों में नहीं रहते?

नई दिल्ली. उत्तरी भारत और उपमहाद्वीप के अधिकांश हिस्से के साथ राष्ट्रीय राजधानी में सर्दियों का मौसम शुरू हो गया है. दिल्ली वार्षिक पर्यावरणीय चुनौती वायु प्रदूषण से जूझ रही है. आवर्ती पैटर्न के साथ, शहर में अक्टूबर से जनवरी तक चार महीने की चुनौतीपूर्ण अवधि है, जो हवा में धुएं, धुंध और धूल की व्यापक उपस्थिति से चिह्नित करता है. दिल्लीवासियों को जहरीली हवा में सांस लेने के लिए मजबूर होना पड़ रहा है, जिसे व्यापक रूप से दुनिया की सबसे प्रदूषित हवा करार दिया गया है. वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक (एक्यूआई) स्थिति की गंभीरता के एक स्पष्ट संकेतक के रूप में कार्य करता है, जो नियमित रूप से विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन (डब्ल्यूएचओ) द्वारा परिभाषित पीएम2.5 कणों की 60 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर की “सुरक्षित” सीमा से 10 गुना अधिक है. प्रदूषण का यह खतरनाक स्तर शहर के निवासियों के लिए महत्वपूर्ण स्वास्थ्य जोखिम पैदा करता है. नवंबर, दिसंबर और जनवरी के ठंडे महीनों के दौरान शीतकालीन कोहरे के चलते दिल्ली में धुएं और धूल की मोटी चादर होती है. विशेषज्ञों का कहना है कि इन कारकों के संयोजन से दमघोंटू धुंध पैदा होती है जो शहर को ढक लेती है, विजिबिलिटी को प्रभावित करती है और श्वसन स्वास्थ्य के लिए हर साल गंभीर खतरा पैदा करती है. दिल्ली की जहरीली वायु गुणवत्ता पर एक हालिया रिपोर्ट में बताया गया है कि राजधानी में वायु प्रदूषण के स्तर में भारी वृद्धि के लिए केवल पराली जलाने को जिम्मेदार नहीं ठहराया जा सकता है. इसमें इस बात पर जोर दिया गया है कि वाहन उत्सर्जन जैसे स्थानीय कारकों ने पराली जलाने के प्रमुख कारक बनने से पहले ही दिल्ली में प्रदूषण के स्तर में महत्वपूर्ण योगदान दिया था. एक्यूआई सांद्रता सीमा के अनुसार, दिल्ली के प्रदूषण स्तर पीएम 2.5 की सांद्रता में इस सर्दी के मौसम में पहली बार भारी वृद्धि देखी गई: 24 घंटों के भीतर अचानक और आश्चर्यजनक रूप से 68 प्रतिशत की वृद्धि के साथ, 313 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति मीटर क्यूब (एमजी/एम3) को पार कर गया, जो ‘गंभीर प्लस’ श्रेणी के बराबर था. सीएसई की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी ने इन दिनों दिल्ली-एनसीआर को जकड़ने वाले घातक शीतकालीन प्रदूषण पर सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) द्वारा एक नया विश्लेषण जारी करते हुए कहा, ”इस सर्दी के मौसम की शुरुआत पिछले साल नवंबर की तुलना में काफी अधिक प्रदूषण स्तर के साथ हुई है. प्रतिकूल मौसम संबंधी परिस्थितियों, फसल अवशेष जलाने की शुरुआत और उच्च स्थानीय प्रदूषण के संयोजन ने पैमाने को खतरनाक तरीके से झुका दिया है, जिससे सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य जोखिम बढ़ गया है.”

Top 10+ Cities With The Most Traffic Congestion In The World

What causes traffic congestion? Top 10+ Cities With The Most Traffic Congestion In The World 1. Istanbul, Turkey 2. Moscow, Russia Why Not Use Public Transport Instead? 3. Kiev, Ukraine Pieces of advice for the “beginners” on Kyiv roads 4. Bogota, Colombia 5. Mumbai, India 6. Jakarta, Indonesia 7. St. Petersburg, Russia 8. Bucharest, Romania 9. Novosibirsk, Russia 10. Bengaluru, India 11. New Delhi, India 12. Manila, Philippines Poor Public Transport 13. Lodz, Poland How To Avoid Traffic Congestion Have you ever witnessed the hundreds of vehicles and motorcycles filling the street each morning, obstructing your path to work? If you live in a large city, that scene probably doesn't seem strange to you. Large cities across the globe are now plagued by terrible traffic congestion. We have selected the top ten cities worldwide with the worst traffic congestion. And if you don't live in those places, you'll be fortunate. What causes traffic congestion? The increased number of cars on the road is one of the primary causes of the congestion. As the number of adults rises, so does the desire for personal transportation among the populace. Congestion is more likely to occur as the number of cars rises. For this reason, traffic jams are practically unheard of in smaller cities and villages. In addition, there is inadequate infrastructure. The impending threat of severe traffic congestion is ignored by national and local governments until it occurs. The population that depends more and more on cars does not cause the city to grow. After the population grows, a single street with a lane on each side might not be adequate in ten years. It is frequently not converted into a dual carriageway by the authorities. Another issue is taking different routes. Due to inadequate funding and planning restrictions that prohibit building on green belt spaces, cities have limited capacity to expand. Cities have no choice but to make due with the routes they currently have. Congestion results if they are unable to add more lanes. Employers have a role to play in addressing traffic congestion. When people are traveling to and from work, congestion virtually always occurs. Growing unemployment and the introduction of more flexible work hours have contributed to an improvement in traffic congestion in recent years. Top 10+ Cities With The Most Traffic Congestion In The World 1. Istanbul, Turkey Avoid driving in Istanbul if you detest slow traffic. This is due to the fact that the city had the most congested roads in the world in 2021, according to transportation technology company TomTom. 404 cities in 58 countries had their traffic compared by the TomTom Traffic Index. Istanbul, Turkey, was discovered to be the most congested city, with its citizens spending 142 hours a year stuck in traffic. Istanbul's 2021 traffic density was 62%, which means that during peak travel times, such as after work, travel times were, on average, 62% longer than during less congested times. Put another way, during peak traffic, a 30-minute trip would actually take roughly 49 minutes. The average daily travel time increased by six minutes in the Turkish city, and the level of congestion was 11% higher than in 2020. Why Traffic Jams in Moscow Are So Bad? To begin with, the city is enormous! Moscow is home to 12 million people, according to official statistics. However, that figure needs to be increased by two to three million visitors and unregistered residents. There are 4 million registered cars in the city, and an undetermined amount of cars travel to and from the Moscow region every day. More than 1000 square kilometers are occupied by Moscow. The second, and perhaps most significant, fact is that Moscow was established in 1147, and radial ring planning was the most common for historic Russian cities. Moscow currently has numerous radial roads in addition to the Boulevard, Garden, Third, and City Limit rings. The more you are near the center, the more congested the traffic gets, which is not how things worked in the past. Furthermore, the city government only recently began overseeing parking in the city and implemented paid parking in the center. Prior to being able to park anywhere you find a space large enough to accommodate your vehicle. On both sides of small roads and even on sidewalks, people had parked their cars in multiple lanes. These days, it's beginning to get regulated with fines and car evacuations. Additionally, it is no longer permitted for big trucks to enter the city limits during the day. However, there are currently no additional economic regulatory measures or entrance fees to the central area. Last but not least, Russian drivers tend to break the law, which leads to a lot of accidents and worsens traffic jams, particularly during the winter. Dash cams are popular among drivers because of this. Why Not Use Public Transport Instead? A good question, especially in light of all the praise Moscow's metro system has received! The Moscow subway is undoubtedly one of the city's treasures and makes any Muscovite feel incredibly patriotic. Every station in the center is unique, and the majority of them have sculptures, murals, and other incredible decorations in addition to veneers made of marble or granite. 3. Kiev, Ukraine Every day, the streets of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, are congested and congested. The greatest concentration of traffic can be found in areas of the city such as: - South Bridge - traffic movement to the left bank is halted due to repair work, specifically the change of expansion groove and road constructions; - Highway junction on Moscow Square - as a result of road reconstructions, these sections of the road suffer the most. There are traffic jams on Darnytskyi Bridge, North Bridge, and all bridges in the direction of the right bank, as well as in the city center. Pieces of advice for the “beginners” on Kyiv roads If you are visiting Kyiv and are not a native, you can rent a car from the city. Then, you can drive around the city on the rental car and quickly reach your destination by following the following tips: 1. Do you have Internet connection? Then use «Яндекс. Пробки» (Yandex. Traffic jams) and you will be able to escape from the traffic jams and get wherever you want with “minimum losses”, 2. Be on to “problem areas” in Kyiv, get to know which roads and at what exact time it is almost impossible to drive. 3. Buy or rent GPS system – it will be useful in every trip of yours. If such a thing happened and you could not escape from the traffic jam, do not get distracted from the road. The most part of road traffic accidents happen when the cars are in traffic jams. 4. Bogota, Colombia Why is there so much traffic in Bogota? It undoubtedly has serious issues with traffic congestion. With a population of more than 7.4 million and a metro area with a population of over 10 million, it is both Colombia's capital and largest city. Despite this, its total area is just 307 square kilometers. That's a large number of people crammed into a small space. Thus, in terms of population, it is comparable to New York City, the largest city in the country. Nevertheless, New York City occupies an area of over 780 square kilometers, which is more than twice that of Bogota! 5. Mumbai, India During office opening and closing hours, almost all Mumbai faces a huge traffic, but here are some places with major blocks. D.S.P. Mukherjee chowk (regal) Kalaghoda (fort) Johar chowk (Bhindi bazar) Nana chowk (Peddar road) Vatsalabai Desai chowk (Haji ali) A.H. Ansari chowk (Khada Parsi) Hindamata Khodadad circle (Dadar TT) Wadala bridge Rani Laxmibai chowk (Sion station) Kherwaadi junction (Kalanagar) Suman Nagar Junction Jijamata Bhosale marg Junction Datta Samant chowk (Saki Naka) Hiranandani (Powai) C.D.Barfiwala road (JVPD) D.N. Nagar (four bunglows) Bahar Cinema (Chakala highway) Behram baug (Jogeshwari) When it comes to places with the worst traffic, Jakarta ranks first. The daily traffic that thirty million residents of Jakarta, Indonesia, have to put up with has already caused them pain and suffering. The issue with Jakarta is that the government is still unable to rein in or stop the city's explosive growth. The nation's biggest problem is traffic, which has been exacerbated by the city's continued growth despite its underdeveloped public utility and local infrastructure systems. An immediate solution to the worst traffic situation on Earth is still out of reach for the nation, with 1,000 cars contributing to the clogged pile of vehicles that travel through the city's streets every day. Many think that the current traffic problem in the city could be solved, or at least made easier, with a massive mass transit system. Since the mass transit project is already five years behind schedule, traffic congestion has become a daily occurrence for Indonesians. 7. St. Petersburg, Russia One of Russia's most beautiful cities, St. Petersburg, has sadly already been marred by traffic issues. In 2012, the first major snow storm of the year caused a traffic jam that left people stranded in the streets for three days. Snow falls heavily in St. Petersburg. Between Moscow and St. Petersburg, a 400-mile stretch caused 100 miles of traffic and 10,000 vehicles to become stuck in the streets for three days. Due to traffic, trips and travel times take 44% longer in St. Petersburg. Conversely, the trip takes nearly twice as long during rush hour. Actually, Moscow and St. Petersburg are the second and third most congested cities in the world during rush hour. However, by urging commuters to take public transportation, authorities are able to maintain traffic order. To lessen the issue, they are also erecting pay parking lots and removing cars that are parked illegally. 8. Bucharest, Romania TomTom Traffic Index for 2021 shows that Bucharest remains one of the world's most congested cities. The Romanian capital is sixth in Europe and eighth globally with an average congestion level of 50%. Additionally, it is the EU city with the worst automobile traffic. Last year, traffic jams cost drivers in Bucharest an average of 115 hours of lost time. Estimates of traffic congestion put it at 50%, up 8% from 2020 but down 2% from 2019. This was prior to the coronavirus pandemic, which put travel restrictions in place and increased the popularity of remote work. 9. Novosibirsk, Russia As the administrative hub of the Novosibirsk Oblast and the Siberian Federal District, Novosibirsk is the third most populous city in Russia. It is Siberia's biggest hub for business, culture, transportation, education, and science. Many refer to Novosibirsk as the "Capital of Siberia." Novosibirsk experienced higher levels of traffic in 2021. According to the data, daily average travel time increased by two minutes. 10. Bengaluru, India Bengaluru's congestion levels fell from 71% in 2019 to 48% in 2021, a 32% decrease. Peak traffic congestion will be reduced by 44% by 2021. On October 9, 2021, the city experienced its worst traffic day, when heavy rain caused certain waterlogged pockets, resulting in widespread logjams and high congestion. Congestion levels in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Pune decreased by 18%, 14%, and 29%, respectively. India outperformed the global average of 10% reduction in congestion. 11. New Delhi, India According to Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of the Center for Science and Environment's research and advocacy division, "Delhi will simply run to stand still if not addressed immediately." This is an unavoidable result of the explosive and uncontrolled vehicle population, which surpassed 10 million in 2017. An additional factor inflating the figures is the daily influx of cars from outside Delhi. Car congestion is only going to get worse as car prices under the GST continue to decline. At the moment, traffic in Delhi is increasing at a rate of 7% a year. Every day, 1,158 two-wheelers and 537 cars are added to these roads. Roychowdhury notes that Delhi's fight against pollution, traffic, and energy-guzzling is becoming more and more challenging even with the construction of so many roads—22% of the city's total land area. The city's attempts to reduce emissions and hazardous exposures across the board are being undermined by this. Reversing this trend of high toxic exposure, crippling congestion, and lost productive time will become more challenging if strategies to curb motorization are not modified. A study by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) found that building flyovers and underpasses, as well as extending roads or right of way, are not better ways to deal with traffic congestion. The study, titled "Gradual Sustainability Approach for Urban Transport through Subtle Measures," also demonstrates how, after only a few years of development, these strategies have worsened sustainability without lowering traffic.