The Delhi government has launched a pilot project to penalise vehicle owners who have not renewed their pollution under control (PUC) certificates, by checking their PUC status at fuel stations, officials aware of the proposal said on Friday. As part of the pilot, CCTV footage of vehicle registrations from cameras installed at two fuel stations in north Delhi — at Model Town and Gulabi Bagh — is checked against PUC data from the Vahan database of the Union ministry of road transport and highways, officials said, adding that around 800 vehicles have been monitored per day starting September 13. “A private agency, which has technical expertise in the domain, has developed a mechanism which uses CCTV cameras to scan the registration number of vehicles coming to the fuel stations. These cameras have been installed at the entrance of the filling stations. Within seconds of the cameras scanning the registration number, the feed is relayed to computer monitors as well as mobile phones through the website of the agency. It flashes the status of the PUC of the vehicle after checking the status, and the PUC status is recorded in the website, and can be seen by authorised viewers,” a Delhi government official said, asking not to be named. On April 21, HT reported that the project to check a vehicle’s PUC status will be based on automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) technology. Delhi has 966 PUC checking centres, where the tailpipe emission standards of the vehicles can be checked by paying a nominal fee. According to transport department data, around 1.7 million active vehicles in the Capital do not have a valid PUC. Through the project, officials said, the government aims to check vehicular pollution — one of the contributors to the Capital’s poor air, according to an analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in November last year. Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act makes it mandatory for vehicles to have PUC certificates. The owner of a vehicle plying without a valid PUC certificate is liable to be prosecuted and may be imprisoned for up to three months or fined up to ₹10,000, or both. The government launches crackdowns on polluting vehicles from time to time — especially during the high-pollution winter months — to make people aware that the PUC certificate is a mandatory document.
Haryana's Fatehabad, Kaithal, and Jind districts have been identified as stubble-burning hotspots, with over 500 fires recorded in each district last winter, according to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). Haryana has submitted an action plan to reduce fire counts, with some districts aiming for near elimination. Data shows that nine districts had zero or few incidents, while four had fewer than 100. The CAQM highlighted Sirsa, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Ambala, Yamuna Nagar, and Hisar as districts of concern. Punjab remained the largest source of farm fires, reporting 49,922 instances last year. Fatehabad, Kaithal and Jind districts in Haryana have been identified as stubble-burning hotspots with a fire count of over 500 in each district last winter, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said on Friday, following a meeting with the state last week. The body also said Haryana submitted a state action plan for the management of paddy stubble burning to bring down fire counts substantially — including near elimination in some districts. Data shared by Haryana to CAQM in the meeting held on September 15, which CAQM shared on Friday, showed that out of the 22 districts, nine had zero or few farm fire incidents last year while four districts — Palwal, Panipat, Rohtak and Sonipat — had fewer than 100 incidents. “The other districts of concern are Sirsa, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Ambala, Yamuna Nagar and Hisar,” the CAQM said. Four review meetings have already been held between Haryana and the body ahead of winter in the presence of the chief secretary and district collectors, it added. Based on satellite data from last year, Haryana classified villages into three categories — red zone or “high risk” villages, where the active fire locations (AFL) were the highest; yellow zone or “moderate risk” villages, where AFLs were moderate; and green zone or “low risk” villages, where fire counts were lowest. A total of 147 villages are in the red zone, 582 in yellow, and the remaining 6,175 villages in green. “Most of the red zone villages are located in Fatehabad (49), Kaithal (36), Jind (24), Sirsa (11) and Karnal (10),” the CAQM added. Between September 15 and November 30 last year, Haryana reported 3,661 fires – almost half of the 6,987 fires in 2021. Punjab, however, remained the largest source of farm fires, recording 49,922 instances. The count was 71,304 fires in 2021. Delhi and the national capital region annually face a public health crisis in the run-up to and during most of the winter. The crisis begins with the farm fires in Punjab and Haryana, where farmers set fire to miles and miles of paddy fields after harvest to clear them of residue. Meteorological conditions such as a lack of winds that would otherwise blow local pollutants away and festival fireworks during Diwali worsen the crisis. An amalgamation of factors creates conditions that force the shutting of schools, halting of construction work, limits on business, etc. “With the action plan in place, Haryana is expected to witness a drastic decline in stubble burning cases this year,” the CAQM added. Experts, meanwhile, said that like the previous years, timely intervention from the federal green authority and proactive measures on the part of the state are imperative in controlling farm fires and the subsequent air quality crisis. “This year too, early intervention of the CAQM for proactive monitoring of on-ground preparedness and the same time, the state government’s strategic interventions in vulnerable districts before the onset of winter are critical. Over the years, Haryana has shown considerable progress in controlling farm fires in the state,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment.
This week on The India Story, Vikram Chandra decodes the critical air pollution issue especially in North India and explores the steps that can be taken to combat the severe bad air conditions entire Indo-Gangetic plains grapple with every winter. A recent study has revealed that air pollution reduces the lifespan of the capital's residents by nearly 12 years. It's well known that exposure to unhealthy levels of particulate matter takes a toll on the lungs and hearts of a significant portion of the population in the country. In recent years, medical studies have linked poor air quality to an increased vulnerability to various forms of cancer, cognitive disorders, and stunted development in children. This week on 'The India Story,' Vikram Chandra discusses the critical issue of air pollution, especially in North India, with experts Dr. GC Khilnani, Chairman of PSRI, and Anumita Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director of the Centre for Science and Environment. The conversation explores the steps that can be taken to combat the ‘airpocalypse’ that Delhi and the entire Indo-Gangetic plains grapple with every winter. Can the opposition's INDIA alliance pose a challenge to the BJP's political dominance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections? Author and veteran journalist Minhaz Merchant discusses all this and more in his new book, 'Modi: The Challenge of 2024' with Vikram Chandra. An exclusive conversation with Grandmaster Rameshbabu 'Pragg' Praggnanandhaa, who shares insights into his recent Chess World Cup success and his preparations for the upcoming Asian Games.
Hoe ver klimaatontwrichting uit de klauwen gaat lopen, hangt grotendeels af van onze klimaatmoraal. Maar die wordt constant ondermijnd door de superrijken, die hun vervuilende gedrag gewoon kunnen afkopen, schrijft Sjors Roeters. Wat doet dit met de rest van ons, aardbewoners zonder privéjet? Napoleon stelde dat ook als je tegenstander drie keer zoveel soldaten en wapens heeft, je alsnog wint als je troepen een superieure strijdlust hebben. Kolonel Foertsch, een Duitse militair theoreticus voegde daaraan toe: ‘Het laatste woord over overwinning en nederlaag rust niet op wapens en uitrusting, noch op de manier waarop ze worden gebruikt, zelfs niet op de principes van strategie en tactiek, maar op de moraal van de troepen.’ In Nederland zagen we de collectieve moraal in actie komen met de Russische invasie van Oekraïne. Er volgde een collectieve inspanning om het gasverbruik drastisch te verminderen om de oorlogskas van Rusland niet meer te spekken. Overal ging de verwarming omlaag, doofden de lichten en werden warmtepompen geïnstalleerd. Het menselijke leed aan de andere kant van het Europese continent gaf een enorme boost aan de moraal in de rest van Europa. Het slagen of falen van een collectief doel hangt voor een groot deel af van onze bereidheid aan dat collectieve doel bij te dragen. Neem onze belastingmoraal. De meeste mensen zien het nut van een gemeenschappelijke pot wel in. Ze hebben zelf immers ook genoten van onderwijs, gezondheidszorg en andere sociale voorzieningen die ermee betaald worden. Maar als de rijken niet betalen, is het hele ding kapot. Dit was goed te zien in de nasleep van de gelekte Panama Papers, waaruit bleek dat rijken en multinationals massaal belasting ontwijken. Met een ondermijning van de belastingmoraal als gevolg. Op rantsoen De groteske uitstoot van een minderheid van de mensheid leidt tot klimaatontwrichting overal op aarde, waarbij de rijken klimaatrampen veel makkelijker kunnen ontvluchten. Steeds extremere stormen, droogtes, hittegolven, overstromingen en hongersnoden zorgen voor gigantisch menselijk leed – vooral bij de meest kwetsbaren die het minste hebben bijgedragen aan klimaatontwrichting. Het aantal klimaatvluchtelingen kan oplopen tot 1,2 miljard mensen in 2050, stelt een studie uit 2020. Hoe ver klimaatontwrichting uit de klauwen gaat lopen, hangt grotendeels af van de klimaatmoraal, onze bereidheid om bij te dragen. Hierin schuilt de kern van het probleem van het bestaan van privéjets vol marmer, superjachten vol zwembaden en onderzeeërs, en zware SUV’s die naast duizenden extra verkeersdoden ook voor nodeloze uitstoot zorgen. Want er is naast de immense CO2-uitstoot per persoon, en de disproportioneel grote bijdrage aan klimaatverandering van de rijken als groep, iets misschien nog wel schadelijker aan luxe-consumptie: het erodeert de klimaatmoraal haast even snel als dat het het poolijs laat wegsmelten. Koolstofdioxide uitstoten is op zichzelf niet slecht. Elke keer als we uitademen, brengen we CO2 de lucht in. Het wordt pas echt problematisch, om niet te zeggen catastrofaal, als we overmatig veel CO2 de atmosfeer inbrengen. De vergelijking met oorlog hierboven klinkt misschien wat grof, maar is niet zo vergezocht. Net als in een oorlog zouden ook nu in korte tijd de productiemiddelen totaal moeten worden getransformeerd. In de Tweede Wereldoorlog werd in de VS in twee jaar tijd de hele economie heringericht om munitie en wapens in plaats van consumptiegoederen te produceren. Energie en voedsel gingen op rantsoen. In plaats van koelkasten werden er wapens geproduceerd, afgedwongen door de overheid. Alles om Hitler te verslaan. De nationale moraal was cruciaal voor het laten slagen van deze economische transformatie. Er werd zelfs een comité voor de nationale moraal opgericht. Zoals de voorzitter van dit comité stelde: ‘Morale wins wars, solves crises, is an indispensable condition of a vigorous national life.’ Luxe-emissies en basisemissies Dat geldt ook voor de klimaatcrisis. Om de klimaatontwrichting niet compleet te laten ontsporen, moeten we binnen ons koolstofbudget blijven. Dat is de maximum hoeveelheid CO2 die we nog uit kunnen stoten willen we onder de anderhalve graad opwarming blijven, zoals afgesproken in bij het Klimaatakkoord van Parijs. Wetenschappers hebben begin 2023 berekend dat we wereldwijd in totaal nog 380 gigaton CO2 kunnen uitstoten. Op de huidige koers is dat koolstofbudget in 2030 op. (En laten we vooral dit optimistische scenario gebruiken, want er zijn ook wetenschappers die deze schatting met de nieuwe IPCC-methodologie recent hebben geüpdatet en uitkomen op 260 gigaton CO2, waarmee het wereldwijde koolstofbudget in 2028 al op zou zijn.) Koolstofdioxide uitstoten is op zichzelf niet slecht. Elke keer als we uitademen, brengen we CO2 de lucht in. Daarnaast komt er onvermijdelijk CO2 vrij als we proberen te overleven. De productie van voedsel, schoon drinkwater, huisvesting, kleding, gezondheidszorg, onderwijs: alles zorgt op een of andere manier voor emissies. Het wordt pas echt problematisch, om niet te zeggen catastrofaal, als we overmatig veel CO2 de atmosfeer inbrengen. De Indiase klimaatwetenschappers Anil Agarwal en Sunita Narain problematiseerden daarom in een essay het gelijkstellen van verschillende soorten CO2-uitstoot. Tuurlijk, natuurkundig gezien is de CO2 die vrijkomt bij de productie van voedsel gelijk aan de CO2-uitstoot van een superjacht. Maar moreel gezien? ‘Can we really equate,’ schrijven Agarwal en Narain, ‘the carbon dioxide contributions of gas guzzling automobiles in Europe and North America (…) with the methane emissions of draught cattle and rice fields of subsistence farmers in West Bengal or Thailand? Do these people not have a right to live?’ Filosoof Henry Shue ontwikkelde op basis van dit concept een onderscheid tussen luxe-emissies en basisemissies. Luxe-emissies zijn het resultaat van nodeloze overconsumptie, zoals privéjets, superjachten of SUV’s. Basisemissies is uitstoot om te overleven en je staande te houden in de wereld. Zoals de Zweedse sociaal-ecoloog en activist Andreas Malm het omschrijft: ‘The former happen because rich people like to wallow in the pleasure of their rank, the latter because poor people try to survive.’ Betalen om te vervuilen Wat te doen? De vervuiler laten betalen, zeggen niet alleen progressieve clubs als GroenLinks en Greenpeace, maar ook steeds meer gevestigde economen. Een manier om dat te doen, is het invoeren van een stevige CO2-belasting. Dan zal er minder worden vervuild, volgens berekeningen van economen. Pay to pollute, betalen om te vervuilen. Maar er is iets mis met deze aanpak, legt Harvard-filosoof Michael Sandel uit. In zijn boek What Money Can’t Buy uit 2012 zet hij uiteen wat geld allemaal níet kan kopen, en welke averechtse effecten het heeft als je geld de plaats van moraal in laat nemen. Zo is er een verschil tussen een boete en een tarief betalen. ‘Boetes duiden op morele afkeuring, terwijl tarieven gewoon prijzen zijn die geen moreel oordeel impliceren,’ schrijft Sandel. Hij is bang dat als je mensen laat betalen om meer CO2uit te stoten, dat net zoiets zou zijn als mensen laten betalen om zwerfafval de natuur in te mogen mieteren. De Range Rover-rijder mag dan, tegen betaling, lekker zijn plastic flesjes uit het raam smijten. We vinden zwerfafval moreel verwerpelijk, en daarom staat er een boete in plaats van een tarief op. Hoe kan het dan dat we betalen voor groteske CO2-uitstoot, wat nog veel meer ecologische verwoesting teweegbrengt dan plasticvervuiling, niet als boete maar simpelweg als tarief beschouwen? De vermogens van de rijken stellen hen in staat hun energie-intensieve levensstijl af te kopen zonder hun destructieve gedrag te hoeven veranderen. Want dat is het systeem waar nu steeds meer op wordt vertrouwd. Het Europese CO2-handelssysteem, waarin door middel van emissierechten broeikasgasduitstoot kan worden gekocht, is een belangrijk instrument voor de Europese Unie om de uitstoot naar beneden te brengen. Maar voor bedrijven is de handel in CO2 simpelweg een kostenpost bij het zakendoen – klimaatverandering opgenomen en gesteriliseerd in hun Excel-sheets. Het afkopen van je CO2-uitstoot is zo eerder een obstakel dan een oplossing voor het probleem. (En dan heb ik het nog niet eens over het feit dat de CO2-compensatie-industrie nu al een schimmig trackrecord heeft gekregen.) Het afkopen vormt een morele bedreiging, meent Sandel. Degenen die deze CO2-aflaten kunnen kopen, zien zichzelf als ontdaan van verantwoordelijkheid voor klimaatverandering. Sandel schrijft voorzichtig: ‘A global market in the right to pollute may make it harder to cultivate the habits of restraint and shared sacrifice that a responsible environmental ethic requires.’ De grote en al decennia hard groeiende vermogens van de rijken stellen hen in staat hun energie-intensieve levensstijl gewoon af te kopen zonder hun destructieve gedrag te hoeven veranderen. De pay to pollute-aanpak maakt het zo waarschijnlijk moeilijker in plaats van makkelijker om tot ontmoediging van deze overconsumptie te komen.
India’s killer air-pollution wake-up call Northern India is rapidly becoming the pollution capital of the world Experts discuss the critical problem and solutions Dr. GC Khilnani and Anumita Roy Chowdhury provide insights Air pollution in Delhi and the Indo-Gangetic plains is a major concern India’s Killer Air-Pollution Wake-Up Call In recent years, the northern part of India has been witnessing a dangerous rise in air pollution, making it the pollution capital of the world. This alarming trend has caught the attention of experts and authorities who are now trying to find effective solutions. Dr. GC Khilnani, chairman of PSRI Institute of Pulmonary, New Delhi, and Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director of Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, shed light on the severity of the problem and explore the steps that can be taken to combat the airpocalypse that Delhi and the entire Indo-Gangetic plains face every winter. The Critical Problem One of the major concerns is the rapid increase in air pollution in northern India. The region is facing unprecedented levels of pollution, posing serious health risks to the population. The causes of this pollution need to be identified and addressed urgently to prevent further damage. - Advertisement - Expert Insights Dr. GC Khilnani, an expert in pulmonary health, emphasizes the need for immediate action to tackle the air pollution crisis. He highlights the impact of pollution on respiratory health and calls for stringent measures to control emissions from various sources. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, an environmental expert, stresses the importance of adopting cleaner technologies and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. She advocates for sustainable practices and policies that prioritize the environment and public health. It is essential for authorities and individuals to come together and take proactive steps to combat air pollution in northern India. The severity of the problem demands immediate attention and effective solutions to safeguard the well-being of the population.
The Delhi government has initiated a pilot project to penalize vehicle owners who have not renewed their Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates. This project involves checking the PUC status of vehicles at fuel stations. As part of the pilot, CCTV footage of vehicle registrations from cameras installed at two fuel stations in north Delhi is compared against PUC data from the Vahan database of the Union ministry of road transport and highways. The cameras installed at the entrance of the filling stations scan the registration number of vehicles. Within seconds, the feed is relayed to computer monitors and mobile phones, displaying the PUC status of the vehicle. This status is recorded on the website of the agency and can be viewed by authorized personnel. he aim of this project is to monitor vehicular pollution, which is one of the key contributors to the poor air quality in the capital city. According to the Centre for Science and Environment, Delhi has around 1.7 million active vehicles without a valid PUC certificate. Under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, it is mandatory for vehicles to have PUC certificates. The owner of a vehicle without a valid PUC certificate may be prosecuted and fined up to ₹10,000, or imprisoned for up to three months. Currently, the PUC status is being recorded manually, but the plan is to send e-challans to violators, similar to traffic infractions. The pilot project will continue for two months to evaluate its effectiveness. The data from the mParivahan portal is used to check the PUC status. The project has received positive feedback from experts and industry associations. Anumita Roychowdhury from the Centre for Science and Environment emphasizes the importance of stringent monitoring of vehicle emissions. Ajay Bansal, president of the All India Petroleum Dealers Association, also supports the initiative, stating that it will create awareness and encourage people to maintain a valid PUC. Overall, this pilot project by the Delhi government aims to reduce vehicular pollution by ensuring compliance with PUC norms. By monitoring the PUC status of vehicles at fuel stations, the government hopes to create awareness and take necessary actions against violators.
n our world racked and wrecked by extreme weather events, it is hard to find nuggets of good news. But look hard enough and human endeavour shines through. Last fortnight, Down To Earth published an inspiring report on how communities in the desert of Rajasthan made full use of the very heavy rain that the region saw—it was a deluge, but they decided to store the water and use it. These people may not know that what they are seeing this year, and now every year in terms of unseasonal events, is climate change. They may not know about climate agreements or adaptation goals, but they have shown us how best to adapt to such a crisis. This part of Rajasthan normally receives less than 300 mm of rain annually. But this year, the rain came before time, and it poured. The desert districts saw more than their annual rainfall in a matter of a month. My colleague Anil Ashwani Sharma travelled to these districts to find out how people were coping with the ravages of the heavy rain and floods. We were expecting him to come back with stories of grief and despair. Instead, he found how in villages spread across the districts of Beawar, Pali, Barmer and Jaisalmer, communities and individuals had decided to make the best of the rain they received. They had built, rebuilt and rejuvenated thousands of water structures which could capture every drop of rain. The ponds, he said, were brimming with water and people with joy. In the village of Sendra in Beawar district, just as the rains came in May, the residents realised the opportunity to repair the existing water structures built using traditional knowledge—from the talab (large pond) to the nadi (small ponds in fields) to the tanka (tanks collecting rainwater from small catchments) to rooftop collection in every house. They also expanded and cleaned the catchment of each structure. Then as the rains came in June, all the 320 structures were nearly full; water level in wells had gone up. But people did not stop there. Overnight, they dug trenches in the hill slope adjoining their village so that rain would not destroy their crops, but instead percolate into the ground. All this has meant that more water is now available for the next crop. In Madhasar village of Barmer district, residents constructed 155 ponds in just two months, all to hold the precious rain. And in Sanwata village of Jaisalmer, most of the 400-odd water structures were desilted; people say they carry a stick wherever they go, so that they can keep digging to improve percolation. It was no wonder that in each village, there was joy of rain in anticipation of living through the coming drought months with enough water to drink and irrigate crops. This happened because communities were prepared to bring about change. First, a lot of effort has gone into bringing an appreciation of the value of decentralised water structures, built using traditional knowledge. In 1997 when our colleague Anil Agarwal led the work to document traditional water wisdom, there were no takers for this solution. But we persevered and advocated how the knowledge published in our book, Dying Wisdom, could be part of water policy. Then came the government’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which took this knowledge to another level. Under this employment programme, millions of water structures have been built across the country. Many of these structures have fallen into disuse or are just dysfunctional because of poor design. But as this monsoon season has shown, when people make water their business, they create magic. There are many lessons we must draw from this work. First, we must understand the value of MGNREGA in our climate-risked world. This is perhaps the world’s biggest adaptation programme, where labour of people is paid for to provide a social safety net and this labour is used to build ecological wealth, which in turn builds resilience against variable weather. Second, in the age of extreme weather—witness what is happening in a country like Spain where drought has been replaced by incessant rains—we need to learn to capture every drop of rain using decentralised water structures. This is where this incredible work of the people of Rajasthan must be understood and emulated. And third, most importantly, we must salute human enterprise; ordinary people who have taken charge of their water future. They are the water warriors showing us the way ahead. DTE The writer is the Director-General of CSE and editor of DownToEarth. Views expressed are personal
