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Delusion On Delhi Pollution: Why 'Crucify' Farmers On Stubble Burning When Stats Say Otherwise| Explainer<

The national capital Delhi has been reeling under severe pollution for the last few days with AQI surpassing the 300 mark in the ‘very poor’ category. Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) data suggests the air quality of Delhi this year in October was ‘worst’ since 2020. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its survey in 2021 said vehicles were the biggest contributor to Delhi pollution. The real-time share of vehicular emissions in air pollution increased to over 50 per cent at the onset of winters, the analysis revealed.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Progress on carbon markets key for climate talks: Experts

Creating an official global carbon market will be discussed at the UN climate summit in Dubai, according to the UAE, which holds the COP presidency. Creating an official global carbon market that can help generate climate finance for developing countries would be one of the major issues to be discussed at the upcoming UN climate summit in Dubai, an official said. “We see carbon markets as a really important component of COP28. We are having a lot of discussions with parties on carbon markets and how we can revive them,” an official from the United Arab Emirates said on Friday. The UAE holds the presidency of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will be held in Dubai from November 30. The parties denote nations that are signatories to the convention. “For many years, they (carbon markets) have stagnated and that’s mainly around integrity. It’s about ensuring that there is confidence in the market,” the official said. “That’s how carbon markets are really going to make a difference.” “It will be a major component of the finance story and an important way to raise the private capital that is needed to address the challenges that face us,” he added. “We are encouraging parties both on the negotiation and non- negotiation side to deliver on shaping a carbon market.” In the absence of rules and regulations, the global voluntary carbon market has exploded in recent years and India is an integral part of this boom, according to an analysis released earlier this month by the Centre for Science and Environment, an advocacy group. India is the world’s second-largest source of carbon offsets in the voluntary carbon market, it said. India’s voluntary carbon market is worth over $1.2 billion, the analysis claimed. As on June, over 1,400 projects were registered or were under various stages of consideration in the two major crediting programmes called the Verra and Gold standards. When researchers travelled to 40 villages and towns across India to understand how the market works, they found that communities, their lands and their labour were central to the business, but community members were mostly unaware that they were working to generate carbon credits. There were several issues with accounting practices in these projects, like overestimation of emission reduction, the researchers said. “There is widespread overestimation of emission re­ductions by project developers,” the report said. “One lesson that must be learnt is to keep the project design simple and not to trust the army of consult­ants and profiteers in this business. It means keeping their role minimal and to keep the control of the projects with public institutions and people.” Despite a sluggish economy, the demand for voluntary carbon-emissions credits is growing rapidly,” the Boston Consulting Group said in January. The focus of credit trading is shifting from reducing emissions to removing them altogether, the consultancy found, mainly because most private firms have adopted net- zero emission goals. A reputable monitoring, reporting and verification framework has become a priority when making purchase decisions for companies in this regard, the consultancy recommended. “Despite greater economic challenges, most respondents think that the volume of emissions compensated through offsets will increase as more companies set net-zero targets. We found, in fact, that demand for some classes of credit, such as nature-based credits, could soon outstrip supply,” its analysis said. The voluntary carbon market must work within the confines of the govern­ment’s nationally determined contributions, CSE recommended. The only “exportable” credits have to be those that are ex­pensive for the country to do but where there is an advantage for the country, as they can transform its emission trajectory, it said. The current voluntary carbon market is based on cheap options and it means that countries have sold off the lowest-hanging fruit—the options of emission reductions that they could easily afford, CSE said, adding that the market mainly seems to be working for the interests of project developers, auditors, verifiers and registries. "Our initial approaches to these projects encountered significant transparency challenges. Project developers and local partners were initially unwilling to share information and even requested non-disclosure agreements. Emission reductions appeared overstated, especially in household and community projects, which were based on the assumption that the mere distribution of devices such as cookstoves would change user behaviour. Poor monitoring was evident in some cases, and in others, there was an absence of any monitoring at all. In the community projects that we sampled; the people who were shouldering the effort of emission reduction remained oblivious to the concept of carbon credits. They neither owned the credits nor received proceeds from them. The carbon credit business seldom seemed to serve any purpose beyond feathering its own nest," said Trishant Dev, programme officer at CSE.

Farmers using new tech? Farm fire count in Haryana lowest in 3 years

Gurgaon: At 1,019, the state has seen fewer farm fires from September 15 to October 29 this year than in the same period in the last two years. It is 31.8% down from 1,495 farm fires in 2022 and 44.9% down from 1,849 in 2021. Since the rains did not continue into October like the previous two years, the farm fires began early this year, which means this trend may continue further, said officials. Experts said the numbers show farmers may be switching to new technologies. “There has been a drop in farm fires, according to the numbers, and it is possible that on the ground, the farmers are getting some technological aid. But how much the tools are working can only be analysed after the season is over. Also, the air quality of Delhi-NCR is a complex issue, not just about the farm fires but many other components. Each needs addressing at the roots to tackle pollution,” said Hiren Jethva, a senior research scientist at Nasa. Jethva, however, warned it is too early to conclude anything since there can be a slight increase in farmers clearing their fields for sowing season in the next couple of weeks. “The numbers, as of now, show the trend that this year could end up as the fourth most active fire season after 2021, 2016 and 2020 (considering cases rise to reach the 2022 numbers). But predictions can go wrong; it can be a different year altogether. Also, these numbers are based on satellite data; the ground situation might be different," he said. With the state reporting nearly 14 active fire locations in the past 24 hours, experts also warned the count may peak in November, as is usual every year. “The farm fires from September 15 to October 29 was fewer than the past two years, but the worst is yet to come. The region will likely witness an increase in farm fires in the first week of November, which is the usual trend,” said Shubhansh Tiwari, research associate at Centre for Science and Environment. State agriculture officials said the total area under paddy cultivation is down to 30.4 lakh acres this year compared to 34 lakh acres last year, so they expect the count will remain low compared to 2022. “We have successfully reduced the incidents of farm fires. Efforts are on to provide subsidised machinery to farmers to manage crop waste,” said Darshan Kumar, technical assistant with Kurukshetra agriculture department. At 157, Fatehabad reported the highest number of farm fires, followed by Ambala (137), Kaithal (136), Jind (125), Kurukshetra (119), Yamunanagar (63) Hisar (61) Karnal (59), Sonipat (53), Palwal (49), Sirsa (20), Panipat (20) Rohtak (9), Jhajjar (5), Faridabad (3), Bhiwani (2) and Panchkula (1), according to the satellite data from Nasa, collated by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute. The air quality in Gurgaon on Sunday was in the ‘moderate’ category, with AQI at 198. Three of four air monitoring stations recorded ‘moderate’ AQI while one logged ‘poor’ AQI. On Sunday, the AQI was ‘moderate’ at Vikas Sadan (167), Sector 51 (187) and Teri Gram (134), and poor at Gwal Pahari (280).

Pay attention to what’s happening with the Loss & Damage Fund

Climate justice hangs in the balance, as developed countries look for exit routes and seek to narrow eligibility for receiving money “It’s late, we’re tired, we’re frustrated. We have, to a large extent, failed you”, said a statement by Richard Sherman, co-chair of the Transitional Committee (TC) for the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF). As the conflict in Israel-Palestine raged on, a small group of climate negotiators convened in the Nile-side city of Aswan in southern Egypt to fight another crucial battle for climate justice that has continued for about three decades. At the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, also held in Egypt last year, a historic agreement was reached to establish a Loss and Damage Fund. It was designed as a multilateral entity that will disburse money to recover from damage that poor countries have suffered due to climate change-induced weather disasters and other impacts. One of the provisions of the agreement was to set up a 24-member committee (the TC) representing developed and developing country Parties, co-chaired by Sherman of South Africa and Outi Honkatukia of Finland. The TC was to meet four times (TC 1-4) before producing its recommendations for the LDF at COP28 this year. HOW EVENTS UNFOLDED IN ASWAN What started at TC1 as a cooperative and optimistic process earlier this year, has rapidly morphed into a battleground for the rich and the poor, the polluters and the victims. At the TC4 held last week in Egypt — what was to be the “absolutely final” meeting of the TC — disagreements soared, meetings ran past 1 am and negotiators had to postpone their scheduled return flights. Sherman’s statement reflected the disarray with which the gathering, tasked with operationalising the LDF, concluded. The meeting formally closed with no agreement except for one: To have a TC5 at Abu Dhabi in November. The LDF negotiations are interesting because although the TC members represent specific countries and blocs, their overall constituencies are classified as “Developed” or “Developing” Parties. Therefore, the points made starkly show the views of the Global North versus that of the Global South. One such example is of the location of the Fund — the element that derailed the agenda of TC4. Developed country parties including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Australia are staunch advocates for the World Bank to host the LDF. According to them, as an established institution, it has what it takes to quickly operationalise the Fund. This is concerning developing country blocs such as the G77 and China, African Group of Negotiators and Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). Given the World Bank’s track record, they believe an LDF under it will stall finance, increase debt and undermine country needs. Instead, they want the LDF to have new, independent hosting under UNFCCC, where it will mandatorily uphold the principles of common but differentiated responsibility (CBDR) and equity. The location debate led to a twist on Day 2. Observers were locked out as World Bank representatives held a closed-door session with TC members. The sudden development led to further closed sessions throughout the second day. On day 3, as the open sessions resumed, it was clear that the World Bank had provided little solace. As Dianne Black-Layne of Antigua and Barbuda representing AOSIS put it: “If the World Bank is the only option, [then] let us stop negotiating. It is a decision of the developed countries, not a TC4 decision”. The key issue seemed to be a 17 per cent “hosting fee” proposed by the World Bank. To pay money in order to receive critical Loss and Damage finance is “highway robbery”, as Dianne Black-Layne said. In contrast, Jean-Christophe Donnellier of France said the 17 per cent fee of the World Bank, “is probably one of the lowest on the market.” Christina Chan of the US stated that the time spent on discussing the location of the Fund is “concerning”. However, for developing countries its location will determine the policies it is governed by, ultimately deciding on equitable and timely access to the LDF, laying bare the difference in fundamental priorities regarding the Fund’s operation. The next most contentious debate was on eligibility. Developed countries have long advocated for the LDF to be accessible only to Least Developed Countries (LDC), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and “particularly vulnerable” countries. Developing countries have said that “all developing countries” should have access to the fund. At TC4, developed countries referred to specific allocations for LDCs, SIDS and the particularly vulnerable under eligibility. “You are saying [that] some human beings are of [a] higher level than other human beings,” said Mohamed Nasr of Egypt, representing the COP27 Presidency. Nasr stressed the need to separate the language on ‘eligibility’ and ‘allocation’. He added that he is ready to be flexible around different allocations for different country groups, but eligibility must include all developing countries. On day 4, expected to be the final day, developing countries pointed out an imbalance in the proposed draft. Matheus Bastos of Brazil representing G77 and China (the largest group of developing countries), stressed that they will not accept the World Bank option. Nasr pointed out that the replenishment of the Fund has not been addressed. Angela Rivera Galvis of Colombia brought back the importance of acknowledging the eligibility of all developing countries. In response, Jaime de Bourbon de Parme of Netherlands agreed on the need for safeguards for developing countries to ensure access to the funds while saying that developed countries need similar safeguards to justify the finance to their taxpayers. In simple terms, this means justifying the LDF for “particularly vulnerable” countries will be easier. But then, it becomes a case of the rich countries deciding how, when and where the money will go to the Global South — going against equity and the acknowledgement of the historical responsibility of the Global North. It was not a surprise to us, therefore, when Christina Chan said unequivocally: “We would not accept language on principles and provisions of the Convention.” Harjeet Singh, head of global political strategy, Climate Action Network International, said: Developed countries must be held accountable for their shameless attempts to push the World Bank as the host of the fund, their refusal to discuss the necessary scale of finance, and their blatant disregard for their responsibilities under the UN Climate Change Convention and the Paris Agreement. Behind closed doors, developed nations not only attempted to fracture the solidarity of developing countries, but when unsuccessful, brazenly asked even the poorest nations to contribute to the fund. ALL EYES SHOULD REMAIN ON LDF UNFCCC is regarded as a sacred space by many, particularly those countries which find their voices drowned out by wealthier countries at fora like the World Bank or the World Trade Organization. It operates on ‘consensus’ and each country has an equal voice that must say ‘yes’ for every decision to pass. No country is more powerful than others in those rooms. Stallers are clearly visible to all; every hesitation is noted for all to see. Loss and damage, in particular, is one of the purest distillations of the climate justice issue — the fact that the polluters are being asked to pay for damages that have reversed decades of development in the poorest parts of the world; damages that are themselves caused by carbon-intensive development which has enriched the polluters. At loss and damage negotiations, developed countries can’t hide behind the private sector — there is no money to be made here, only grants will do. They are attempting to hide behind Multilateral Development Banks — among which the World Bank can be considered a Western institution heavily influenced by the US. But developing countries — especially the G77, representing over 80 per cent of the world’s population — clearly see their attempt to hide behind a puppet institution. In loss and damage discussions, it’s hard to point to current emitters like China and India, since most of the damage today is being caused by CO2 emitted a century ago. In fact, loss and damage is the true manifestation of the principle of CBDR and equity. It shows how developed countries’ climate posturing — with John Kerry denouncing coal and Ursula von der Leyen touting carbon pricing — is no more than, well, posturing. They appear to be climate leaders but are in fact dodgers of responsibility. TC4 saw developed countries constantly asking for more flexibility from the developing countries over the draft recommendations, with little compromise themselves. If they are successful in watering down the needs of the Global South in the final draft at TC5, it will be a mirror to the fading of equity in international cooperation on climate action. We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together. Source : https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/governance/pay-attention-to-what-s-happening-with-the-loss-damage-fund-92503

"Nits sense ficció" proposa una reflexió sobre les conseqüències del canvi climàtic amb l'estrena de "Camí de Marina" i "Canvi climàtic: Els fets"

Demà, a les 22.05, "Nits sense ficció" estrenarà "Camí de Marina", una dissecció del col·lapse territorial a partir de la primera transhumància que es fa del Pirineu al mar en més de setanta anys pel recentment recuperat camí ramader de Marina. "Camí de Marina" serà la pel·lícula inaugural del Festival Suncine que començarà el proper dijous, 2 de novembre, i amb el qual 3Cat ha signat un acord institucional. "Camí de Marina" "Camí de Marina" és una road movie a ritme de cavall que exposa el disseny i la gestió del territori de Catalunya i, per extensió, de tota la Mediterrània, tenint en compte els fluxos biològics de la fauna salvatge, la situació dels boscos, els desastres dels grans incendis forestals, la intensificació agrícola i ramadera, l'estat de l'aigua i la biodiversitat. El documental acompanya la Rosa, de la Fundació Marina, que es dedica a recuperar cavalls que han estat objecte de maltractaments o decomissats en operacions policials, en l'aventura de recuperar l'antic camí mil·lenari de Marina, una teranyina mil·lenària de camins, de més de 200 quilòmetres, que cosia el país de dalt a baix. La Rosa i els seus còmplices surten de l'Alt Berguedà amb un ramat de cavalls en una fila índia que en va sumant més al seu pas. El ramat emprèn el camí cap a la platja de la Marina del Penedès en una ruta que travessa deu comarques i el rastre del patrimoni cultural i natural del país. "Les últimes dècades -explica el consultor ambiental Josep M Mallarach- les infraestructures han fragmentat aquestes artèries que durant mil·lennis havien estat en funcionament". Hi ha un abans i un després de Montserrat. A partir d'aquí el paisatge i el camí mateix canvien radicalment. Els polígons industrials, les carreteres, les autovies fan d'aquest viatge una temeritat, un acte heroic contra els elements. A mesura que els cavalls avancen, el documental retrata els efectes del canvi climàtic sobre el territori i la pèrdua de diversitat, i planteja els grans reptes pendents sobre com protegir el país de la sequera, les plagues, les pluges torrencials i els grans incendis. Al cap de 10 dies, el ramat trota sobre la sorra de la platja. Alguns es quedaran per sempre vora el mar. Fitxa tècnica Direcció i guió: Carles Caparrós i Obiols Realització: Sacha Soliman Latorre Producció: Carles Caparrós i Obiols Productor executiu 3Cat: David Bassa Cabanas Edició continguts 3Cat: Agustí Argelich Gironès Productor delegat 3Cat: Daniel Barea Delgado Director de fotografia: Norman García Solera Muntatge: Laila Romero i Torrent Director de producció: Sacha Soliman Latorre Música: Marian Márquez Ruiz de Gopegui Lingüista: Laia Rúbies i Ambit Grafisme: Miriam Sugranyes "Camí de Marina" és una producció d'Aigua Films amb la participació de 3Cat, Fundació Miranda, Xarxa per la Conservació de la Natura, Diputació de Barcelona, Fundació Pau Costa, IDAPA, Sèlvans, Consorci del Lluçanès, Associació Camí Ramader de Marina i l'ICEC. "Canvi climàtic: Els fets" Què passarà si la temperatura de la Terra puja més d'un grau? Podrem revertir la situació? Això és el que planteja el naturalista David Attenborough en aquest documental, una àmplia anàlisi del canvi climàtic i de les possibles solucions que podem adoptar abans no sigui massa tard. Davant de l'evidència que la crisi climàtica és real i que ja ens afecta, Attenborough dona una crua ullada als fets que l'envolten i detalla els perills als quals ja ens estem enfrontant i les amenaces futures: "Se'ns acaba el temps, però encara hi ha esperança. Crec que si entenem millor l'amenaça a què ens enfrontem, és més probable que puguem evitar un futur tan catastròfic." A través d'experts, científics i activistes, "Canvi climàtic, els fets" mostra com han evolucionat els canvis socials i polítics en relació amb un augment constant de la temperatura i un futur cada cop més incert. Una evolució que el científic climàtic Peter Stott explica així: "El que ha passat els últims anys ens demostra què significa que pugi un sol grau, no només per a la vida salvatge, sinó per a les persones, per a la seva seguretat, per als seus mitjans de vida i per al seu futur." Refugiats climàtics El documental posa el focus en la vida humana i en com aquesta crisi ja afecta milions de persones arreu del món. Pobles sencers que han de ser evacuats per l'augment del nivell del mar. "Està passant al vostre món, està passant al meu món. I que quedi clar: encara serà molt pitjor", avisa Sunita Narain, directora general del Centre per la Ciència i el Medi. Respostes polítiques Però tot i que mostra àmpliament els desastres naturals cada cop més freqüents i ens adverteix dels perills ja existents, Attenborough exposa les possibles solucions al problema: energies renovables, reforestacions, màquines que xuclen CO₂ o inclús la possibilitat d'arribar a viatjar amb avions elèctrics. Mesures que, en definitiva, requereixen una resposta política imminent. Fitxa tècnica Documental presentat per David Attenborough Direcció: Serena Davies Guió: Richard Klein, Jonathan Warne, Leanne Kyle Producció executiva: Sacha Baveystock, Andrew Cohen, Jonathan Renouf Direcció de producció: Kate Dooley, Ross Kirby, Kathryn Jein, Laura Davey Direcció de fotografia: Patrick Acum, Toby Wilkinson, Kendal Kempsey, Ben Joiner, David Farmer, Stuart Ireland So: Ali Pares, Sam Staples, Stuart Thompson, Mike Williams, Terry Meehan Edició: Stephen Moore, Ben Salkeld Mùsica original: Rob Manning Una producció de BBC Studios en coproducció amb IWC Media.

Climate Change-Induced Surge In Humidity Fuels Discomfort, Drives Power Demand In Delhi: Report

New Delhi: Shift in the rainfall pattern due to climate change have led to a rise in Delhi’s relative humidity, increasing discomfort even though there has been no significant change in the city’s ambient temperatures since 2011, according to a new analysis. The analysis by the independent think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) underscores that the rise in heat index, due to the increase in Delhi’s relative humidity, is driving the power demand in the city. The heat index, also known as the ‘apparent temperature’ or ‘feels-like temperature’, is a measure of how hot it feels to the human body when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature.

CSE Report: क्लाइमेट चेंज के कारण बदला बारिश का पैटर्न, दिल्ली में बढ़ा हीट इंडेक्स

CSE Report, नई दिल्ली: देश की राजधानी दिल्ली में पहले की तुलना में ज्यादा दिन तक एसी-कूलर के इस्तेमाल की वजह जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण बारिश के पैटर्न में आए बदलाव और हीट इंडेक्स में बढ़ोतरी है। विज्ञान व पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) की रिपोर्ट में यह बात कही गई है। इसके मुताबिक जलवायु परिवर्तन के चलते बारिश के पैटर्न में बदलाव से दिल्ली की सापेक्ष आर्द्रता और हीट इंडेक्स में वृद्धि हुई है। साथ ही राजधानी में बिजली की मांग भी बढ़ रही है। इन्हीं वजहों से राजधानीवासियों को दिल्ली में पहले की तुलना में अब ज्यादा दिनों तक एसी-कूलर का इस्तेमाल करना पड़ रहा है।

Delhi records coldest night of season, AQI falls to 'very poor'

NEW DELHI: The air quality in the city plummeted to the " very poor" category on Saturday with an AQI of 304 as against 261 a day earlier. It is likely to remain " very poor" till Tuesday. According to officials, calm wind conditions, low temperatures and a low mixing layer height have caused accumulation of pollutants. In fact, Delhi recorded the coldest night of the season on Saturday with the minimum temperature dropping to 14.3°C, two degrees below normal, at Safdarjung, which is the city's base station. It was the first time this season when the minimum temperature was below 15°C at Safdarjung. However, the night temperature is likely to remain at 16°C for the next two days. Track the pollution level in your city Satellite data compiled by Indian Agricultural Research Institute shows that farm fires have started increasing in states of north-west India. Most polluted Jahangirpuri in severe zone The stubble burning count in Punjab stood at 398 on Wednesday, 589 on Thursday and 766 on Friday. However, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh reported 127, 14 and 36 instances, respectively, on Saturday. Detection of farm fires on Saturday was hampered by the presence of clouds over Punjab, Haryana and central UP, said IARI, which follows the standard protocol 2021 notified by the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM). Delhi_pollution “Calm wind conditions prevailed during the night, which impacted the dispersion of pollutants. Northwesterly winds at a speed of 6-8 kmph blew during the day. Low temperature and a low mixing layer height also slowed down the process of dispersion of pollutants,” said a met official. Central Pollution Control Board’s data showed that Jahangirpuri was the most polluted station in the city on Saturday as the AQI there reached the "severe" category with a reading of 409. This is the second time this season when the air quality has entered the "very poor" category. On October 22, it had turned "very poor" for the first time this season with an AQI of 313. Measures under Stage II that correspond to this category in the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) are already in place. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, told TOI: “The cool and calm conditions of winter are deepening now. High local and regional pollution levels are beginning to get trapped. This is tilting the scale towards the ‘very poor’ category. Implementation of GRAP measures needs to get stronger.” According to Air Quality Early Warning System, the air quality is likely to be in ‘very poor’ category till October 31. The outlook for the subsequent six days from October 31 is that the air quality is likely to remain in ‘very poor’ to ‘poor’ category. Meanwhile, aiming to tackle vehicular pollution, the "Red Light On, Gaadi Off" campaign was on Saturday being implemented at the Barakhamba intersection.

Incidents of stubble burning fall in Punjab, Haryana; rise in U.P.

This year’s harvest season so far has seen a 59% fall in the number of stubble burning incidents in Punjab as compared to the same period last year. In Haryana it is down by 40%, according to official data. In absolute numbers, Punjab and Haryana contribute to the highest number of stubble-burning incidents in the region. This comes as a breather for Delhi and many other parts of north India, where air pollution spikes during the winter months mainly due to meteorological factors. Pollution caused by stubble-burning compounds the problem. However, Uttar Pradesh has seen a 30.6% rise in stubble burning incidents during the ongoing harvest season. These figures are based on data collected by Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modelling from Space (CREAMS) Lab, run by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), for the period between September 15 and October 28. It may still be early for a full reading of the situation as the harvest season is considered to end only by November 30. Falling trend For the complete harvest season, in both Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, the number of farm fires has been falling year-on-year consistently through 2020, 2021, and 2022, according to the data. However, in Haryana there was a fall in 2020, but the State witnessed a 22.1% increase in 2021 which again fell by to 47.6% in 2022. Vinay Kumar Sehgal, Principial Scientist at IARI, said that about 40% of harvesting has been completed in Punjab and 60% in Haryana and they are hoping the current trend will hold till the end of the harvesting season. As for the rise in Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Sehgal, said, “In absolute terms, the rise in stubble-burning incidents in Uttar Pradesh this year is less than 200 and not that worrisome. We are hoping that by the end of the harvesting season it will come down compared to last year.” Arvind Kumar Nautiyal, Member Secretary of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and Adjoining Areas, told The Hindu that though the current harvest season is yet to be over, the fall in the number of stubble burning incidents in both Punjab and Haryana are expected to continue and the final figures are most likely to be significantly less than last year. Mr. Nautiyal said that both in-situ and ex-situ stubble management and using different varieties of paddy are among the reasons for the decrease in stubble burning and it is the result of collective efforts of all stakeholders. Politically sensitive Stubble-burning is a politically sensitive issue and in the past, the AAP government in Delhi used to blame stubble burning in Punjab for the air pollution in Delhi during winters. But since the AAP came to power in Punjab, the BJP has been attacking the AAP government in Punjab for causing air pollution in Delhi. Earlier this month, in a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, V.K. Saxena, said it was “extremely worrisome” that the number of farm fires registered in Punjab between September 15 and October 11 was 1,063, over 300 more than the count over the same period last year. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said that there is a falling trend in farm fires over the past few years. But she said that governments should make sure that solutions such as machines used for stubble management reach all, including small and marginal farmers. “Industrial use of stubble as fuel is picking up. If the government enables storage and transportation of stubble for further reuse as fuels or power generation, then industrial use of stubble will increase and create an economic incentive for farmers which will help reduce stubble burning,” she added.

Delhi parking wars intensify, over 7,000 calls to police this year

These incidents show a disturbing problem that is symptomatic of a city that has maximum number of registered vehicles but very few organised parking spaces Till October 25 this year, the Delhi Police received 7,328 calls reporting violent disputes over parking on neighbourhood roads — more than the cumulative number of such calls received in the previous two years, shows official data shared by the police. According to data, the police received 3,367 and 2,413 parking disputes related calls in 2022 and 2021 (3,145 and 2,267 till October 25), respectively. Besides injuries to scores of people in these clashes over parking space, three people have died in the cases reported in the past three years, according to data. On February 17 this year, a 52-year-old man and his son, returning home from a wedding, were shot and injured by their neighbour and his friends following an altercation over parking of their cars in north-east Delhi’s Yamuna Vihar. On June 25, two brothers were allegedly stabbed by their neighbour in north Delhi’s Kirari area after an argument over parking a scooter. Similarly, on July 3, a 37-year-old man and his parents were allegedly thrashed with sticks by their neighbours during a quarrel over parking a motorcycle in outer Delhi’s Mangolpuri. These incidents show a disturbing problem that is symptomatic of a city that has maximum number of registered vehicles but very few organised parking spaces. However, police data indicates that the problem has only grown acute this year. The highest number of such calls – 816 – were received from west district, followed by 766 (south-west), 702 (south) and 682 (Dwarka), shows the data. Also, of the total 7,380 calls till October 25, 43% (3,190) were received after June 30 this year, according to the data. The number of vehicles registered in Delhi has witnessed a huge drop from 12.2 million in 2020-21 to 7.9 million in 2021-22, according to the Delhi Economic Survey 2022-23. Of 7.9 million vehicles in the Capital, personal cars and jeeps account for around 26%, while around 66.5% are two-wheelers, according to the survey. In addition, Delhi has 85,033 taxis, 17,522 buses, 1,145 ambulances and 93,578 auto rickshaws. This sharp decrease in number can largely be attributed to the deregistration of end-of-life vehicles — no vehicle which is 15 years old can legally operate on the roads of the national capital, according to orders issued by the National Green Tribunal (2015) and the Supreme Court (2018). Delhi Police spokesperson Suman Nalwa said attending to such calls puts additional burden on the time of police. “Every month, on an average, there are 700 PCR calls regarding quarrels due to parking issues. Every day, the number of vehicles in the city is increasing without any commensurate availability of parking spaces. Thus, the conflict between neighbours on parking, specially on neighbourhood roads, leads to fights. Our emergency vehicles and local police spend a lot of time dealing with these calls,” she said. Experts said the police cannot resolve the issue that is at the root of the problem. BK Singh, former joint commissioner of Delhi Police and now a Supreme Court lawyer, said the problem has grown over the years as the vehicle density in the city is at peak. “The police have no solution for this issue. The city lacks parking spaces even as the number of vehicles are increasing by the day. People are forced to leave their vehicles on the road and disputes are common. Sometimes, it takes an ugly turn and results in violence,” he said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, Research and Advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said the city has failed to implement the Parking Management Rules (PMR) 2019, and its mandate for parking management area plan in each municipal ward. “This was needed to ensure legal parking spaces are identified and demarcated on ground across neighbourhoods, variable parking pricing and residential parking permits are implemented, and penalty for illegal parking outside the demarcated areas is enforced. This is essential not only to manage parking efficiently but also to reduce demand for parking and emissions, improve efficient use of available but limited parking spaces, and improve overall liveability of the city,” she said. Atul Goyal, president, URJA, an organisation of 2,500 resident welfare associations (RWA) across Delhi, said despite knowing the gravity of parking issues in the Capital, the state government, the traffic police and Municipal Corporation of Delhi have failed to frame guidelines, in complete defiance of the Master Plan of Delhi and directions by various courts.

Surge in Delhi's Parking Disputes as 7,328 Calls Are Recorded in 2023; What Are the Reasons?

Delhi: The Delhi Police have reported a spike in violent altercations over parking, with 7,328 calls recorded this year till October 25—higher than the combined total of the last two years. Tragically, three lives have been lost in these disputes over the past three years. Examples of violence over parking disputes include a father-son duo shot after a quarrel in Yamuna Vihar, two brothers stabbed over a scooter parking issue in Kirari, and a family assaulted in Mangolpuri over a motorcycle parking argument. Lack of Organised Parking Spaces Despite having the most registered vehicles, Delhi lacks sufficient organized parking areas. This inadequacy has intensified the problem, especially this year. West district recorded the highest number of dispute calls Decline in Registered Vehicles, but Issues Persist The number of vehicles registered in Delhi has dropped significantly from 12.2 million in 2020-21 to 7.9 million in 2021-22, largely due to the deregistration of older vehicles. Yet, of these, 26 per cent are personal cars and jeeps, and 66.5 per cent are two-wheelers, highlighting the parking space challenge. Delhi Police spokesperson, Suman Nalwa, noted that resolving parking quarrels has become a significant demand on police resources. She emphasized the city's growing vehicle numbers and the continuous shortage of parking spaces. BK Singh, a former joint commissioner of Delhi Police, said the vehicle density is at its peak, leading to disputes that sometimes escalate to violence. Anumita Roychowdhury from the Centre for Science and Environment pointed out the city's failure to implement the Parking Management Rules 2019. Atul Goyal, president of URJA, urged city agencies to immediately enforce a parking policy in Delhi, stressing the need for a management action plan involving Resident Welfare Associations (RWA). The city's growth in vehicular population and its insufficient parking infrastructure is a critical issue that demands immediate attention to ensure the safety and well-being of its residents.

CSE Report: जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण बढ़ी बिजली की मांग, बारिश के पैटर्न में भी बदलाव, हीट इंडेक्स में बढ़ोतरी

विज्ञान व पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक दिल्ली में जलवायु परिवर्तन की वजह से बिजली की मांग बढ़ रही है। रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक जलवायु परिवर्तन की वजह से बारिश के पैटर्न में बदलाव आया, जिससे दिल्ली की सापेक्ष आर्द्रता और हीट इंडेक्स में बढ़ोतरी हुई है। यही वजह है कि लोगों को दिल्ली में अब पहले की तुलना में ज्यादा दिनों तक एसी-कूलर का इस्तेमाल करना पड़ रहा है। सीएसई शोधकर्ताओं का कहना है कि ये स्थानीय रुझान प्रमुख जलवायु वैज्ञानिकों के वैश्विक निकाय, इंटरगवर्नमेंटल पैनल ऑन क्लाइमेट चेंज (आईपीसीसी) के निष्कर्षों से मेल खाते हैं। https://www.varta24live.com/ncr/cse-report-demand-for-electricity-increased-due-to-climate-change-change-in-rain-pattern-increase-in-heat-index-431662

Rise in Capital’s heat index driving power demand

Climate change has led to shift in the rainfall pattern resulting in a rise in Delhi's relative humidity, increasing discomfort even though there has been no significant change in the city's ambient temperatures since 2011, according to a new analysis. The analysis by the independent think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) underscores that the rise in heat index, due to the increase in Delhi's relative humidity, is driving the power demand in the city. The heat index, also known as the 'apparent temperature' or 'feels-like temperature', is a measure of how hot it feels to the human body when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature. The combination of high heat and humidity can compromise the human body's main cooling mechanism -- sweating. Evaporation of sweat from the skin cools our bodies. However, higher humidity levels limit this natural cooling mechanism. As a result, people can suffer heat stress and illness, and the consequences can even be fatal even at much lower ambient temperatures. A heat index of 41 degrees Celsius is considered dangerous to human health. CSE researchers point out that these local trends are consistent with the observations made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a global body of leading climate scientists. The IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report (AR6 WG-I) report says hot extremes, including heatwaves, have intensified in urban centres that are experiencing air temperatures several degrees warmer than the surrounding areas, especially during the night. The urban heat island effect can add two degrees Celsius to local warming, reducing the adaptive capacity of cities and increasing risks, the IPCC warns. "Climate change is making the city so hot and humid that it is not cooling down adequately even during nights, adding to severe thermal discomfort. As a result, electricity demand -- driven largely by mechanical cooling (especially air-conditioners) -- is surging. "In 2023, average daily peak electricity demand in the monsoon period was the highest since real-time load monitoring started in Delhi in 2018," says Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE. The report said the ambient average temperature for the last 10 summers is marginally lower than the decadal average for 2001-10, but this does not mean Delhi is getting cooler. Changes in the pattern of rains, especially unseasonal rains in the pre-monsoon period, have led to an increase in relative humidity, which is making the city's weather muggier and more uncomfortable even though there have been no significant changes in ambient temperatures, it said. During the pre-monsoon season in 2023, the average relative humidity stood at 49.1 per cent, which was about 21 per cent more humid than the 2001-10 average. During the monsoon season (June to September), the average relative humidity was 73.2 per cent, 14 per cent higher than the 2001-10 average, the CSE analysis reveals. Delhi's power demand is closely linked to outdoor temperature and humidity conditions. The demand is at its minimum when the outdoor heat index is between 17.5-22.5 degrees Celsius (daily mean) during February and October

Delhi News: दिल्लीवालों ने सालभर बाद ऐसे ली साफ हवा में ‘सांस’

बारिश और जी-20 समिट के चलते तीन दिन की छुट्टी के बाद दिल्लीवालों को करीब 11 महीनों बाद साफ हवा मिली है। केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण विभाग (CPCB) के मुताबिक, रविवार को दिल्ली का औसत वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक 45 के अंक पर रहा। पिछले साल अक्टूबर में हवा का स्तर इतना साफ-सुथरा रहा था। राजधानी और आसपास के इलाकों में शनिवार और रविवार को हल्की से मध्यम बारिश हुई है, जबकि जी-20 शिखर सम्मेलन (G-20 Summit) के चलते शुक्रवार से ही स्कूल कॉलेजों और कार्यालयों में छुट्टी कर दी गई थी। इसके चलते सड़कों पर वाहनों की संख्या में भारी कमी आई है। इन दोनों ही कारणों के चलते दिल्ली के प्रदूषण में खासी गिरावट दर्ज की गई है। केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड के मुताबिक, रविवार को दिल्ली का औसत वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक 45 के अंक पर रहा है। इस स्तर की हवा को अच्छी श्रेणी में रखा जाता है। शनिवार को भी सूचकांक 54 के अंक पर रहा था। यह भी पढ़े : दिल्ली के ट्रांसफर-पोस्टिंग पर संसद से पास कानून को चुनौती वाली याचिका पर सुनवाई से सुप्रीम कोर्ट का इनकार सीपीसीबी के आंकड़े बताते हैं कि पिछले साल 10 अक्टूबर को वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक 44 के अंक पर रहा था। अब लगभग 11 महीनों बाद हवा की गुणवत्ता इतनी साफ हुई है। मौसम विभाग का अनुमान है कि साफ हवा का यह स्तर ज्यादा दिन तक नहीं बना रहेगा। प्रदूषण जांच के आधार केंद्रों में प्रदूषक कण पीएम 10, पीएम 2.5, नाइट्रोजन आॅक्साइड, सल्फर डाई आॅक्साइड, कार्बन मोनोआॅक्साइड, ओजोन और अमोनिया के प्रदूषक कणों के आधार पर निगरानी होती है। 8 साल में प्रदूषण पर बीस गुना रीयल टाइम निगरानी बढ़ी वहीं, राजधानी और एनसीआर समेत देश के तमाम शहरों में प्रदूषण की निगरानी में इजाफा हुआ है। यहां तक कि आठ वर्षों में प्रदूषण पर रीयल टाइम निगरानी करने वाले केन्द्रों की संख्या बीस गुना तक बढ़ गई है। सीपीसीबी के आंकड़ों के आधार पर विज्ञान एवं पर्यावरण केंद्र ने इसका विश्लेषण किया है। निगरानी केंद्रों के बढ़ने से प्रदूषण के स्रोतों को जानने और उसकी रोकथाम करने में मदद मिली है। इस वर्ष इजाफा हुआ सीएसई की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, वर्ष 2015 में देशभर में केवल 25 प्रदूषण निगरानी केंद्र थे, जबकि वर्ष 2023 में इनकी संख्या बढ़कर 517 हो गई है। यानी आठ वर्षों में लगभग बीस गुना का इजाफा हुआ है। वर्ष 2015 में आधे रियल टाइम निगरानी केंद्र दिल्ली में मौजूद थे।