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Fines on bulk waste generators to be linked to water bills

GURGAON: The Municipal Cororation of Gurgaon (MCG) has decided to link the challans issued to bulk waste generators (BWGs) flouting waste management norms to their water bills. According to officials, while BWGs found violating the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016, are penalised by the corporation, they often don’t deposit the challan amounts. The decision has been made to recover the fines, they added. A fine of Rs 25,000 is imposed on bulk generators for improper waste disposal. The civic body has also decided to confer awards on the BWGs composting their wet waste and recycling their dry waste properly as per the SWM Rules. “The commissioner, in a meeting held recently, directed senior officials to merge the challans imposed on the defaulting BWGs with the water bills issued to them by GMDA so that they pay up. It was also decided to give awards to the best performing BWGs,” said MCG spokesperson SS Rohilla. MCG has also decided to take stringent action against defaulting bulk generators, officials said. In the last two months, MCG has issued 12 challans to bulk waste generators in zone 3 and six in zone 4. A majority of the city’s BWGs are located in zones 3 and 4. Around 27 challans were issued last year. According to the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, a bulk waste generator means and includes buildings occupied by the central government departments or undertakings, state government departments or undertakings, local bodies, public sector undertakings or private companies, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, colleges, universities, other educational institutions, etc having an average waste generation rate exceeding 100kg per day. MCG came up with a public notice in 2018, stating that the civic body will consider waste generators which produce 50kg or more waste every day as BWGs. There are around 1,200 residential societies, including condominiums, in the city. According to the norms, BWGs should first segregate their waste into three categories — dry, wet and domestic hazardous. The dry recyclable material should be \given to the authorised waste pickers or recyclers, while the wet waste is to be processed, treated and disposed of through composting or bio-methanation within the premises. In February this year, the MCG commissioner had constituted a committee to start an audit of BWGs of the entire city. The committee comprised the MCG additional commissioner-1, additional commissioner-4, additional municipal commissioner, joint commissioner (Swachh Bharat Mission) and chief engineer. sOfficials said that they are soon going to start inspections of the existing BWGs to check their waste disposal practices. In April, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had said MCG needs to map BWGs as the numbers currently identified are underestimated. The civic body had identified 614 BWGs — such as gated communities, institutions, hotels and restaurants in an area over 5,000sqm – in the city. Of these, just around 200 — around one-third — are composting wet waste within their premises, CSE had said in a report.

The 360° UPSC Debate| Himalayan States: Environmental concerns vs development

The occurrence of recent disasters such as landslides, rains, cloudbursts, and the subsidence in Joshimath in the Himalayan States has highlighted the imperative of prioritising environmental preservation over development. However, there is an ongoing debate on whether environmental concerns be traded for development in Himalayan states? The Himalayan mountain ranges extend from the western region of Afghanistan to the eastern region of Myanmar, serving as the prominent geological features in nations such as India, China, and Pakistan. Rivers such as the Ganges, Indus, and Brahmaputra play a crucial role in supporting a population of over 1.5 billion individuals and facilitating various businesses, hence contributing to the rapid economic development witnessed in these regions. Additionally, they flow through one of the most unstable geopolitical boundaries. The occurrence of recent disasters such as landslides, cloudbursts, and the subsidence in Joshimath in the Himalayan States has highlighted the imperative of prioritising environmental preservation over development. The proposed action has the potential to increase the susceptibility of the already precarious and environmentally delicate area, exacerbating its vulnerability and rendering development more detrimental. However, there is an ongoing debate on whether environmental concerns be traded for development in Himalayan states. The frightening footage of the latest disaster in Himalayan states shows multi-storey buildings crashing into the river like a deck of cards, and cars, bridges, and buildings being sucked into a powerful vortex. According to activists, the prevention of these circumstances may have been achieved had the state administration responded to the request to halt construction activities and encroachment on the riverbed. According to scientific experts, the construction of dams on the Ganga river, encroachment on its riverbed, and mining operations in the area are causing significant detrimental effects on the region. According to Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, a significant number of projects lack rigorous studies of their environmental and social impacts. Mallika Bhanot, member of Ganga Ahvaan, a public forum dedicated to the preservation of the sacred Ganga river, reports that a total of 244 dams are currently under construction along the river’s course. It is worth noting that only three dams were halted following the declaration of a 100-kilometer segment, extending from the glacial source at Gaumukh to Uttarkashi town, as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) in December 2012. The opposition from the Uttarakhand government towards the government notification in New Delhi has been highlighted by Bhanot. It is worth noting that this notification was developed after a comprehensive evaluation of the geographical features and with the primary objective of safeguarding human lives in an area susceptible to landslides. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), located in New Delhi, has also established a connection between the disaster and the approach to development used in this unique location. CSE Director-General Sunita Narain raises a pertinent query regarding the consideration given by the Central or state government to the collective ramifications of hydropower projects on the rivers and mountains, given the significant economic significance of energy generating. At present, there exist approximately 70 ongoing or planned projects along the Ganga river, with the objective of producing an estimated 10,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity. The model was characterised as “bumper to bumper development”, wherein projects are undertaken in rapid succession without any gaps in between. According to Narain, the implementation of diversion channels and reservoirs will have a significant impact on around 80 percent of the Bhagirathi, which is the second head stream of the Ganga river, as well as approximately 65 percent of the Alakananda. In the arid season, extensive sections of the river will experience full desiccation. According to her, these efforts prove to be highly profitable for developers, hence creating significant barriers for tiny environmental groups to effectively express their concerns. There are numerous environmentally friendly alternatives available, such as the use of smoke from burning pine needles to drive turbines for electricity generation, biomass energy, and the implementation of micro hydro plants with a capacity to produce two MW of power. However, firms are not inclined to favour these less lucrative initiatives. According to Narain, the causation of this specific calamity cannot be fully ascribed to climate change. However, it is obvious that there is an observable increase in the occurrence of strong and extreme weather events, particularly characterised by a heavier and more unpredictable monsoon. The prevailing consensus among scholars is that climate change is mostly attributed to the combustion of fossil fuels and the subsequent release of excessive carbon dioxide into the Earth’s atmosphere. Consequently, it is evident that the present environmental crisis is predominantly caused by human activities. The occurrence of a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in 2021, characterised by the descent of boulders and debris from the mountains, serves as an additional indication that the intricate equilibrium of natural forces has been perturbed. Consequently, the Himalayan States are currently experiencing the consequences of this disruption.

Coordination, collaboration key to solving crisis of antibiotic development

The crisis around antibiotic research is a global problem and would need global solutions, experts at CSE event highlighted Calling the current antibiotic development pipeline inadequate would be an understatement. Of the 297 antibiotic medicines that are being researched globally, only 77 are undergoing clinical trials, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) database. This is minuscule compared to over 10,000 drugs for cancer, over 1,800 for neuropsychiatric conditions, and about 1,500 for endocrine, blood and immune disorders. On July 28, 2023, Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) organised a webinar titled The Crisis of Antibiotic Research and Development to discuss the issue. The webinar was based on CSE’s latest assessment — ‘A Developing Crisis’ — published in Down To Earth magazine, where CSE researchers have highlighted the current status of the antibiotic development pipeline. The webinar, the first of a multi-part series, was moderated by Sunita Narain, CSE director general. It brought together key stakeholders — James Anderson, executive director, global health, International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, Switzerland; Richard Lawson, senior project manager, Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator, the United States; Lesley Ogilvie, director of the secretariat, Global AMR R&D Hub, Germany — for an online panel discussion. The key issues discussed are as follows: The world is currently facing a triple jeopardy, the experts pointed out. First, there is the issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antibiotics becoming more and more ineffective. Second, there is less research and development in the case of antibiotics and third is the issue of access to new antimicrobials. The experts recognised that there is indeed a crisis when it comes to antibiotic research and development (R&D). Society and healthcare systems place a low value on antibiotics despite the public health risks of AMR, sending a clear signal to companies that investing in them is not a priority. This creates a fragmented antibiotic development pipeline that lacks the predictability of funds to encourage the development of a more sustainable and healthier pipeline. Even though there has been progress in terms of antibiotic development, there still is a long way to go to solve this crisis. The crisis of antibiotic research is a global problem and would need global solutions. The antibiotic development pipeline requires robust and resilient funding. Around $1.8-2 billion goes into AMR R&D every year from the public and philanthropic sectors globally, according to data from the Global AMR R&D hub. Just 23 per cent of this, however, goes into the development of new antibiotics/antibacterials. This is insufficient to meet the growing crisis of AMR. Push incentives are working but have their challenges, the speakers pointed out. These incentives aim to support innovation, research and development of new antibiotics from the early stages of basic science to clinical trials. Push incentives lower developers’ costs and risks through financial, tax and technical help. The main limitation of any push funding organisations, however, is that they alone can’t do the job. Push and pull incentives need to work together. Pull incentives aim to reward new antibiotics with proven scientific viability and relevance to the market. It ensures developers’ financial viability by reducing the risk of insufficient future revenues. On the pull side, there is a need to build on the experience of countries like the United Kingdom, Sweden etc., who are currently implementing pull-based initiatives. An example of pull incentive that was highlighted was the UK Subscription Model. This model introduced a couple of years ago as a pilot project is based on the idea that negotiation should be around the value of an antibiotic to society as a whole, not just to individuals. That value determines the prefixed amount paid to the company for several years. Even though this model solves some challenges, it would only work if other countries do something similar. Additionally, there is a need to develop and implement mechanisms for push and pull incentives that ensure a robust and sustainable R&D ecosystem. Experts also emphasised that coordination, collaboration and communication are key to solving the antibiotic R&D crisis. Access and affordability issues should also be considered while developing antibiotics. New antibiotics which are being developed target the critical priority pathogens and will be kept in ‘reserve’ category and used only when needed (in order to avoid resistance from emerging quickly against them). However, if companies are assured of predictability, such as being done in the UK subscription model (fixed level of payment to the company), then there could be a possibility of ensuring access to such antibiotics in low and middle-income countries as well. The issue of access and antibiotic development cannot be solved without cooperation between countries and stakeholders. There were discussions around evolving the Priority Pathogens List into a Priority Indications List backed up by indication-specific target product profiles to guide researchers and developers. Aligning research with priority indications and feasible clinical trials can help improve the productivity of the pipeline. In addition, there is a need to leverage the infrastructure created during COVID-19 Pandemic. Moreover, it is necessary to understand what a promising pipeline looks like and set targets for achieving it. If there are no targets set on what needs to be done, all the discussions happening will become much more difficult going ahead. The Global Leaders Group on AMR is in a very important position to convene and bring together these conversations ahead of the 2024 UN High Level meeting on AMR. 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. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/health/coordination-collaboration-key-to-solving-crisis-of-antibiotic-development-91036

30 sub-Saharan Africa countries among 38 that fail to provide basic electricity access

About 38 countries globally fail to provide basic electricity access to the population with an average per capita electricity consumption of 118 kWh, varying between a broad range of 17 kWh and 333 kWh. The benchmark annual per capita electricity consumption is 360 kWh. Some 30 countries out of these are from sub-Saharan Africa, with an average per capita electricity consumption of 110 kWh. This means, in the worst-case scenario, a family has to make a hard choice between using a fan for an hour a day for 300 hot days or a CFL bulb for five hours a day throughout the year. More than 60 per cent of Africa’s population is facing acute energy poverty, an analysis for 2021 by Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment revealed. The 30 SSA countries that fail to provide basic electricity access to their residents collectively account for 62 per cent of the total population of the African region, which signifies the enormity of energy poverty in the continent. At just 502 kWh, the average per capita electricity consumption for entire Africa is not encouraging either. South Africa leads the per capita consumption chart with 3,758 kWh, followed by nine other countries with a better-than-average electricity access scenario. However, six other countries managed to extend basic energy supplies marginally better than the recommended threshold but still below the average for Africa. Needless to mention, there is no point of comparison against the world average, which stands at 3,600 kWh, except for the case with South Africa. This further implies that the entire Africa region is facing poverty issues affecting almost the entire population of the continent barring South Africa, 17 per cent of the world’s population. Following table presents the most abject state of energy access in the SSA region. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/africa/30-sub-saharan-africa-countries-among-38-that-fail-to-provide-basic-electricity-access-91045

Gurgaon Municipality to link Rs 25,000 penalty for waste generation with water bills. Here are details

In a big move, the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has decided to link penalties for violating waste disposal regulations with water bills. As per a TOI report, this step aims to ensure compliance and fine payment, as often the fines imposed on bulk waste generators (BWGs) remain unpaid. A penalty of Rs 25,000 is levied on bulk generators for improper waste disposal, in accordance with the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016. To encourage better waste management practices, the civic body has also decided to recognize and award BWGs that effectively compost their wet waste and appropriately recycle their dry waste as per SWM Rules. MCG's spokesperson, SS Rohilla, told ToI, "The commissioner, in a recent meeting, directed senior officials to combine the penalties imposed on noncompliant BWGs with the water bills issued by GMDA to ensure payment. The plan also involves presenting awards to the most responsible BWGs." MCG is taking stringent action against BWGs that violate waste management norms. Over the past two months, 12 challans were issued in zone 3 and six in zone 4, which host the majority of the city's bulk waste generators. Last year, around 27 challans were issued for similar violations. As defined by the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, bulk waste generators include entities such as government departments, local bodies, public and private sector companies, healthcare institutions, educational establishments, etc., generating over 100kg of waste daily To further elaborate the norms, MCG announced in 2018 that waste generators producing 50kg or more waste daily would also be considered as BWGs. The city houses about 1,200 residential societies, including condominiums. Regulations require BWGs to segregate waste into three categories: dry, wet, and domestic hazardous. Dry recyclables should be handed over to authorized recyclers, while wet waste must undergo composting or bio-methanation onsite. Earlier this year, the MCG commissioner formed an audit committee to evaluate BWGs across the city. This committee comprised officials from various departments. In April, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) highlighted the need for accurate mapping of BWGs, indicating that the current identification numbers are underestimated. The civic body had earlier recognized 614 BWGs, with only around 200 effectively composting wet waste within their premises, as reported by CSE

[Explainer] Living with microplastics, is not fantastic

Microplastics are less than 5 mm in size – the size of two grains of sand or even less. Studies show that microplastics can cause neurotoxicity, immune system disruption and other health hazards in humans, but the full extent of toxic effects on humans and animals, remains unknown. Even after the Indian government announced a ban on certain single-use plastic items such as plates, cups and polystyrene (Thermocol), they still float around in the market. India does not yet have a policy on microplastics. However, researchers argue that it is important to discuss the impacts of microplastics on human health. Plastic is pervasive in our lives – now in everything, everywhere, all at once. But plastic’s most sinister avatar is the one that’s barely visible – microplastic. It is less than 5 mm in size – the size of two grains of sand or even less. Microplastics are so ubiquitous in our world. Where do microplastics come from? One, of course, is all the plastic you see around you that breaks down into small particles. Other sources of microplastics are all around us – road markings, tyres, marine equipment, synthetic clothing. However, microplastics are also manufactured for making plastic pellets and personal care products. There is growing evidence that this tiny particle is a bigger problem than we might think. Microplastic is an emerging pollutant. We are ingesting microplastics in many ways. Plastics that end up in the ocean break down to form microplastics that marine life ingests. Once in the food chain, it makes its way into our bodies. But it is not just fish-eaters who need to worry. Our sugar, honey and beer have the same problem. While some estimates say that every week, you may be inhaling plastic that is equal to an entire credit card, researchers even found microplastic in the placenta of newborn babies. Studies show that microplastics can cause neurotoxicity, immune system disruption and other health hazards in humans, but the full extent of toxic effects on humans and animals remains unknown. Efforts to curb microplastic pollution India does not have a policy on microplastics yet. However, in July 2022, the government announced a ban on certain single-use plastic items such as plates, cups and polystyrene (Thermocol). India’s Plastic Waste Management Rule was also amended in 2021 to increase the permitted thickness of plastic carry-bags. The thinner the bag, the higher the probability of its breakdown into microplastics. But with a lack of alternatives to plastic and poor implementation of rules, these banned items still float in the market. In 2022, UN member states, including India, committed to developing a legally binding agreement by 2024 to ‘End Plastic Pollution’. The resolution addressed the full lifecycle of plastic, including its production, design and disposal. Need for more studies There are over 10,000 unique chemicals used to make plastic of different kinds. A quarter of them are of potential concern to human health. So, if microplastics come from plastics, can’t these ingredient chemicals tell us something about the impacts? “The discussions are not really happening around what kind of chemicals are being used and what would be the long-term effects of these chemicals on the human health and on the environment,” states Siddharth Singh from Centre for Science and Environment.” Singh argues that it is imperative to start talking about microplastics in our country to safeguard the health of citizens.

Pushing antibiotic development agenda needs more support

Globally, discussions on the need for an antibiotic development pipeline have been gaining momentum. There is an emerging consensus that novel financing models must come up to rejuvenate the dipping pipeline, which has often been attributed to a broken market for antibiotics. An ongoing incentive model is the ‘push’ incentive, which aims to push the antibiotic candidate under development through different stages of basic research, preclinical and clinical trials. Push incentive, therefore, involves funding mostly the early stages of antibiotic development carried out by small and medium size developers through the involvement of philanthropic organisations, public-private partnerships, industry and the governments. They help reduce development costs and the risk of failure is also shared by the funder. There are different push incentives currently in operation. For example, Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) and the United Kingdom government’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance Innovation Fund (GAMRIF) focus on discovery and early-stage funding. Those like Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARD-P) and AMR Action Fund support the late-stage development. The United States government’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) helps with end-to-end product development, while the Joint Programming Initiative on AMR (JPIAMR) is looking at basic exploratory research. The development of various products is currently supported by these push incentives. CARB-X is currently supporting 30 projects that include therapeutics (for example, antibiotics), preventatives (for example, vaccines) and diagnostics. BARDA supports CARB-X and recently committed an additional $370 million along with London-based charitable foundation Wellcome Trust. GARDP, which is developing five antibiotics by 2025 under its 5 BY 25 initiative, has invested around EUR 28 million for development of antibiotics against sepsis for children. The UK government has invested GBP 20 million for three years in CARB-X and GBP 4.5 million for four years in GARDP through GAMRIF. Industry initiatives like the AMR Action Fund, which has commitment of $1 billion over 10 years shared by 20 companies, is currently supporting five developers. NO DOWNSTREAM FUNDING Push incentives, however, have their own set of challenges. In a recent webinar organised by the Delhi-based thinktank Centre for Science and Environment to discuss the antibiotic research and development crisis, Richard Lawson, Senior Project Manager, CARBX acknowledged that these incentives alone cannot do the job. Speaking about the small and medium antibiotic developers, he said, “One of the greatest risks that we have is that CARBX and other organisations will advance these projects to a cliff, where there is nowhere else for them to go. There is no downstream funding to work towards”. The webinar was based on CSE’s latest assessment — A Developing Crisis — which talked about the fragile and thin global antibiotic pipeline, the exit of major pharmaceutical players from antibiotic R&D space, and what needs to be done further. The webinar brought together key stakeholders and experts like Lawson, James Anderson, executive director, global health, International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), and Lesley Ogilvie, director of the secretariat, Global AMR R&D Hub. “Small- and medium-scale antibiotic developers may also not have access to or be able to afford all the skills, capabilities or expertise that are needed,” said Lawson. “CARBX not only helps companies advance their product and also prepares them for the next step, which includes where the next stage of funding is going to come from and how we can make that case for the next stage.” Echoing the same, Daminao De Felice, Director of Development and External Engagement at CARBX acknowledges that the teams that bring these innovations are often very small and typically expert with the foundational technologies but not with drug discovery and development. “Additionally, because of the high level of innovation of many programs that CARB-X supports, there is little to no precedence with many pre-clinical models, particularly animal models of infection, as well as clinical development and regulatory strategies,” he said. With GARDP, which looks at late stage antibiotic, the limitations are different. Manica Balasegaram, Executive Director of the GARDP highlights that antibiotic development becomes more challenging when clinical trials are needed to be conducted in diverse geographies and populations. Another issue is that of ensuring access to the new antibiotics it is developing in partnership with companies as well as existing antibiotics, even if it did not play a role in the development of the antibiotic. “Sustainable access to antibiotics is highly challenging — whether due to a lack of laboratory and diagnostic capacity, insufficient capacity or resources in the health system, and challenges with forecasting demand to ensure adequate quantities of an antibiotic are available when required,” said Balasegaram. Developing new antibiotics for children and newborns is also another important area that needs attention since their bodies react differently than adult bodies. GARDP is addressing these challenges by forming collaborations and networks, enabling better access in low- or middle-income countries through its SECURE initiative,and identifying and developing new treatments for children and newborns. SOME SUCCESS, BUT NOT ENOUGH The webinar acknowledged that, besides funding, appropriate implementation mechanisms for current incentives are needed to ensure a robust and sustainable innovation ecosystem. “We need to build more robustness and resilience in funding for the antibiotic development pipeline,” said Ogilvie at the webinar. Experts also emphasised the importance of coordination, collaboration and communication as the keys, in addition to money. Lawson, highlighted how Bugworks Research Inc., which was initially supported by CARB-X since 2017, from lead optimisation to phase-I clinical trials, was now joining hands with GARDP to forward the development of a novel antibiotic, BWC0977. The potential antibiotic will help treat serious bacterial infections in both critical care and community settings, as well as infections caused by drug resistant pathogens in hospital settings. “Vast parts of the world need access to antimicrobials, and they need to get this at affordable costs. The development of new antimicrobials has therefore to be linked with the issue of affordability and access,” said Sunita Narain, director general, CSE, who moderated the recently concluded webinar. Push incentives, like GARDP and CARBX are also taking into consideration the importance of ensuring access as well as stewardship while working with developers. Push incentives are working. There have been examples of some successes, but the current investments are not enough and need to be supplemented. “More push funding is definitely needed for early stage and preclinical research,” said Christine Ardal from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. “While CARB-X and GARDP are doing fantastic jobs supporting the current pipeline, they would both benefit from additional financing. They are unable to support all promising antibacterial candidates. Especially, if we seek truly innovative candidates that will have a higher failure rate, we need more investment in push funding,” said Ardal. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/health/pushing-antibiotic-development-agenda-needs-more-support-91070

Thus begins our season of despair

Climate records have tumbled like never before in the past two months. First, the planet observed its hottest June on record. Then came July, which recorded the hottest two weeks ever. In June, the surface temperature of the world’s oceans was the highest ever; Antarctica’s ice was the thinnest ever. The heat has gone off the charts in many parts of the world, and never before have there been extreme rainfall events that have resulted in such large-scale loss of property and lives. Scientists warn that this is only the beginning of our season of despair as much is changing in the natural world around us. The unprecedented intense heatwaves in the oceans, including in the Bay of Bengal, is changing the way the monsoon winds blow over the Indian subcontinent’s landmass. Then the western disturbances, which emanate from the Mediterranean region and bring snow and rainfall to the subcontinent in the winter season, are becoming more variable. This, scientists believe, is linked to temperature changes in the Arctic. In 2023, the western disturbances that came as late as in June collided with the monsoons and resulted in extreme rainfall, floods and devastation. This is now going to be combined with the much-warmer-than-anticipated North Atlantic Ocean temperatures, which drives extreme weather disturbances like cyclones, and the onset of El Nino in the Pacific, which is a precursor of extreme heat and drought. The bottom line is that there is no weather pattern for scientists to follow. We are out of our comfort zone and will be exposed to nature’s dictates like never before. Yet, our response to the catastrophic events has been grossly inadequate in terms of action to combat climate change. Let’s be very clear about this—greenhouse gas emissions are not decreasing anywhere close to the scale or at the pace they need to. This is a fact and needs to be repeated so that we are not under the optical illusion that the already rich and industrial world is moving out of fossil fuels into clean energy and battery-driven vehicles or, even better, buses. The only big development that has brought down emissions in the rich world has been its shift away from coal for energy supply—mostly to use natural gas. But natural gas is a fossil fuel; it still pollutes and keeps the world in the unsafe zone. Furthermore, the world that is today ravaged by the impacts of climate change is not getting the investment it needs to move even incrementally towards a cleaner tomorrow. We need to address this and now. Let’s stop beating around the bush on this issue, and understand that when we say we are in this together, we really are. Many parts of the world, which are heating up, will need to find solutions for thermal comfort—including installing air conditioners. What this will mean for our warming world will depend on what these countries do to reduce the emission intensity of their energy grid. It will also depend on their ability to do what has been discussed for long; retrofit their buildings for better insulation and for ventilation. The fast-warming world will require inventive solutions so that we do not end up blowing up even more of the non-existent carbon budget. In our world, we have millions of farmers, who are the worst impacted by extreme and variable weather. The situation is so bad that they have no idea when to plant their next crop—the planting season, which starts with the advent of the monsoon, has come and gone. What they plant is devastated by flood or by lack of rain. There is no crop calendar that they can work with now; and their risks are compounded many times. This is the tragic human face of extreme weather that we are seeing over and over again. Let’s not lose sight of this. Then, we are oblivious of the need for climate-resilient development. In fact, we are doing the reverse. We are building on the floodplains, choking drainage and filling up waterbodies. We are mindless about the fact that the Himalayas are the world’s youngest mountain range and so, development of everything from buildings to roads and other infrastructure must be based on this vulnerability. The devastation in our world is not only because of climate change—as our politicians would like us to believe. Climate change is exacerbating, making worse our human-made mess. I say this because we must not slip into believing that fixing this mess is beyond our control. Then there is no way ahead. This would be the ultimate tragedy. (Courtesy: https://www.downtoearth.org.in; Writer is Director General of CSE and editor of Down To Earth, an environmentalist who pushes for changes in policies, practices and mindsets)

Back Insurers will place a vital role in India’s green-energy transition

India has emerged as a compelling market for the rapid growth and adoption of renewable energy. According to the Asian Development Bank, the country has increased its renewable-energy capacity by 250% over the past seven years and now ranks fourth in the world on this. The development and deployment of green technologies such as solar and wind, upcoming investments in hydrogen energy, and encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) have all played an important role in this transition. India's stake in green-energy solutions Over the past few years, the urgency of addressing climate change has given the world the impetus it needs to transition to low- or zero-carbon energy sources. In its latest report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emphasised the need to significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption to keep global warming below 1.5°C (it’s currently at 1.1°C). India, which has significant exposure to tropical cyclones and extreme weather, experienced such conditions on 314 out 365 days in 2022, as highlighted by the Delhi-based non-profit Center for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down to Earth (DTE) Data Centre. While India currently ranks third globally on electricity consumption, it is making commendable progress in its energy transition efforts and the government has set an ambitious target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2070. Notably, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy reported approximately 62GW in installed solar-power capacity as of November 2022. Challenges to energy transition The benefits of green technology and renewable energy are apparent and tangible, but their implementation faces many risks and challenges. The construction and installation of such projects requires considerations of contractor/engineer experience, supply chain issues, accidents, and force majeure events. Once operational, new challenges arise. As the technology is new, there is no historical data on how performance could actually develop over time. Additionally, the rapid development of hydrogen-based technologies and the potential transition to them from wind and solar needs to be considered in the long-term upkeep of such infrastructure. Environmental factors further amplify these risks as solar panels and wind turbines are exposed to the elements and will inevitably incur wear and tear or damage from adverse weather conditions. Given that the green energy sector is relatively nascent, it is also imperative to build technical knowledge in this field as historical data either does not exist or stems from a technical standard that has become antiquated. Uncertainty regarding the frequency and severity of extreme weather events pose additional challenges to risk evaluation. Meanwhile, the ever-growing risk of cyber threats continues to loom large, for both green-technology and traditional-energy infrastructure, further necessitating proper risk management and financial protection. The role of insurance Green technology and renewable energy projects are capital intensive and typically financed by major banks and institutional investors, who require the assets to be properly insured. This gives insurance a pivotal role in supporting the energy transition. Insurers supported by reinsurers could effectively undertake risk assessments and underwrite renewable energy projects, providing coverage and financial protection to investors, lenders and project developers. In doing so, they could encourage investment in green energy infrastructure and facilitate the growth of renewable energy capacity. As long-term renewable energy output remains a risk, reinsurers through insurers could provide performance guarantees, taking on risks such as projects producing less power than anticipated. This approach would stabilise returns for investors, making these projects more attractive for long-term financing. The same is true of batteries used in electric vehicles. Their long-term performance is crucial for the resale value of these vehicles. Many customers still hesitate to buy an electric vehicle because they are not sure if they will be able to resell it at a reasonable price down the road as there is simply no historical data on how engine performance will be affected. Performance guarantees provided by the insurance sector could eliminate this risk and boost the sales of environmentally friendly cars. Reinsurers have access to vast amounts of data, and by leveraging their expertise in risk modelling and data analytics, they could accurately assess and quantify the risks and uncertainties associated with renewable energy projects. This knowledge also allows them to offer valuable insights to project developers and investors, enabling informed decision-making and more precise risk assessment. Moving towards green energy The demand for green-technology insurance in India is expected to soar, given the country’s pursuit of renewable energy solutions and ambitious carbon-neutrality targets. As the country embraces green technologies, the insurance sector will serve as a crucial enabler. By assessing risks, providing performance guarantees and leveraging data analytics, (re)insurers could facilitate the growth of renewable energy projects and infrastructure. Given the complexity of insuring green technology, well-capitalised reinsurers, in partnership with leading insurers, have a critical role to play in mitigating these risks and providing support and protection to these assets and projects. The author is chief executive, India, Middle East and Africa, Munich Re.

Bullish on India | An air pollution-free India by 2047 is not a Utopian dream

Airshed-level planning where the fight against air pollution crosses state boundaries and urban-rural divides, strict enforcement of emission standards, switch to renewables, building green infrastructure could help to significantly improve air quality nationwide in the next 24 years to India@100. The man-made monster called air pollution is getting bigger and stronger by the day. So, 24 years from now, when independent India turns 100, will gas masks become part of our attire? Or would it be possible for us to breathe clean air in 2047 at all? Experts in the field say a pollution-free India is not a Utopian dream and is achievable. However, it requires strict, pointed, concerted, consistent and years-long efforts that go beyond state jurisdictions as air pollution knows no boundaries. Listing a few goals, RoyChowdhury says binding clean air targets based on more stringent national ambient air quality standards can catalyze pollution-abatement strategies such as clean and affordable renewable energy in industries, small businesses, power plants, and households. RoyChowdhury bats for mass transit systems, promotion of walking and cycling, ambitious targets for zero emission vehicles and a big shift of freight from roadways to railways and waterways. Among other measures, she suggests compact cities to reduce distances and cut energy-intensive travel, strengthening municipal governance for near 100 percent reuse and recycling of waste and significant greening and soil stabilization to cut dust pollution. “These measures need short-, medium- and long-term milestones for infrastructure and system development, committed funding, pricing and taxation measures, institutional preparedness, and industry participation. Convergence of multi-sector funding schemes can maximize clean air gains. The present strategies are not yet designed for scalable impact across cities, towns and villages.” Pointed strategies Simi Mehta, CEO and editorial director, Impact and Policy Research Institute, says a completely pollution-free India by 2047 is an ambitious, yet attainable goal that requires a combination of policy changes, technological advancements, community involvement, and public awareness. Mehta lists a few steps to achieve this goal: *Invest heavily in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear power to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Promote electric vehicles, develop charging infrastructure. *Implement and enforce strict emission standards for industries and power plants. Encourage industries to adopt cleaner technologies. *Develop efficient public transport systems and promote cycling and walking infrastructure to reduce congestion and pollution. *Implement effective waste management practices to reduce open burning and landfill emissions. Encourage waste segregation, recycling, and composting. *Plant trees and create green spaces in urban areas to absorb pollutants and improve air quality. Implement urban planning that prioritizes green infrastructure. *Establish a robust air quality monitoring network to track pollution levels. Share real-time air quality data with the public to raise awareness and drive collective action. *Encourage organic and sustainable farming practices to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Minimize stubble burning and promote alternative uses for crop residue. *Launch awareness campaigns about the health risks of air pollution and encourage responsible behavior such as reducing the use of personal vehicles, avoiding burning waste, and conserving energy. *Enforce strict emission standards for vehicles. Incentivize the adoption of cleaner vehicle technologies. *Collaborate with neighbouring countries to address transboundary air pollution issues. Share best practices and technologies. *Invest in research and development of solutions. *Formulate and enforce comprehensive air quality policies at both national and local levels. Establish dedicated government bodies to oversee air quality management and enforce regulations. “Attaining these goals will take time, consistent commitment, and adaptive strategies,” Mehta said. Plan beyond boundaries Another crucial aspect is airshed-level planning, which experts say will go a long way in alleviating the problem. An airshed is a geographical area sharing a common and discrete air mass because of climate, topography or meteorology. Pollution in one part is most likely to affect other parts of the airshed. For example, a polluting source in Delhi’s neighbouring cities will affect air quality in the capital and vice-versa. Or stubble-burning in Punjab affecting Delhi’s air. “Air pollution requires regional action because polluted air affects all cities, towns and villages in a common airshed,” RoyChowdhury says. In a paper titled ‘Regulating air quality at an airshed level in India’, produced by the Initiative on Climate, Energy and Environment at the Centre for Policy Research, environmental lawyer Shibani Ghosh and co-authors Bhargav Krishna and Abinaya Sekar outline the importance of airshed planning. “Planning and implementation of mitigation measures at the airshed-level need to be integrated into regulatory processes,” Ghosh told Moneycontrol. The west-central Indo-Gangetic plains comprising Punjab (India and Pakistan), Haryana, parts of Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh is one such airshed. Bihar, Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bangladesh form another. Odisha-Chhattisgarh and Eastern Gujarat-Western Maharashtra are two other airsheds. “A coordinated effort across a region supporting consistent and uniform measures against similar pollution sources is likely to lead to greater gains,” states the paper shared with Moneycontrol. The authors say air pollution is a pan-India problem, and there is no reason to continue an urban focus. “It is imperative for air quality governance to transition from a city-centric approach to an airshed approach.” The present regulatory set-up focuses on point sources and the jurisdictional mandate of regulatory bodies aligns with state or city boundaries. And that needs to change. New regulatory architecture To effectively regulate pollution and reduce pollution exposure, this regulatory architecture needs to adopt an airshed-level approach. The authors say state governments should notify airsheds as ‘air pollution control areas’ under the Air Act. More importantly, the paper says the Centre should constitute multi-stakeholder institutions for each airshed under the Environment Protection Act. Each airshed could have a different committee or commission. Its members could include senior Central and state bureaucrats related to environment, health, transport, rural and urban development and industry; chief secretaries of states; heads of local bodies, and subject experts. Such airshed regulatory institutions will be a focal point for standard setting, policy guidance, planning and knowledge generation for the airshed, the authors say. “By adopting a regional perspective and introducing reforms such as the proposed airshed-level institution and nested hybrid monitoring networks, India is much better positioned to address the complex challenges posed by air pollution,” the authors say.

Each degree rise in heat index led to 187 MW increase in power demand: CSE

Every degree rise in heat index resulted in 187 megawatt increase in electricity demand during Covid-19 lockdown, which was 6 per cent higher than in 2019, according to a new analysis. The analysis by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) was on electricity demand and its correlation with weather data during the successive stages of lockdown and unlocking in Delhi.

Season of despair

There is now no weather pattern for scientists to follow, and humans are exposed to nature’s dictates like never before Climate records have tumbled like never before in the past two months. First, the planet observed its hottest June on record. Then came July, which recorded the hottest two weeks ever. In June, the surface temperature of the world’s oceans was the highest ever; Antarctica’s ice was the thinnest ever. The heat has gone off the charts in many parts of the world, and never before have there been extreme rainfall events that have resulted in such large-scale loss of property and lives. Scientists warn that this is only the beginning of our season of despair as much is changing in the natural world around us. The unprecedented intense heatwaves in the oceans, including in the Bay of Bengal, is changing the way the monsoon winds blow over the Indian subcontinent’s landmass. Then the western disturbances, which emanate from the Mediterranean region and bring snow and rainfall to the subcontinent in the winter season, are becoming more variable. This, scientists believe, is linked to temperature changes in the Arctic. In 2023, the western disturbances that came as late as in June collided with the monsoons and resulted in extreme rainfall, floods and devastation. This is now going to be combined with the much-warmer-than-anticipated North Atlantic Ocean temperatures, which drives extreme weather disturbances like cyclones, and the onset of El Nino in the Pacific, which is a precursor of extreme heat and drought. The bottom line is that there is no weather pattern for scientists to follow. We are out of our comfort zone and will be exposed to nature’s dictates like never before. Yet, our response to the catastrophic events has been grossly inadequate in terms of action to combat climate change. Let’s be very clear about this—greenhouse gas emissions are not decreasing anywhere close to the scale or at the pace they need to. This is a fact and needs to be repeated so that we are not under the optical illusion that the already rich and industrial world is moving out of fossil fuels into clean energy and battery-driven vehicles or, even better, buses. The only big development that has brought down emissions in the rich world has been its shift away from coal for energy supply—mostly to use natural gas. But natural gas is a fossil fuel; it still pollutes and keeps the world in an unsafe zone. Furthermore, the world that is today ravaged by the impacts of climate change is not getting the investment it needs to move even incrementally towards a cleaner tomorrow. We need to address this and now. Let’s stop beating around the bush on this issue, and understand that when we say we are in this together, we really are. Many parts of the world, which are heating up, will need to find solutions for thermal comfort—including installing air conditioners. What this will mean for our warming world will depend on what these countries do to reduce the emission intensity of their energy grid. It will also depend on their ability to do what has been discussed for long; retrofit their buildings for better insulation and for ventilation. The fast-warming world will require inventive solutions so that we do not end up blowing up even more of the non-existent carbon budget. In our world, we have millions of farmers, who are the worst impacted by extreme and variable weather. The situation is so bad that they have no idea when to plant their next crop—the planting season, which starts with the advent of the monsoon, has come and gone. What they plant is devastated by floods or by lack of rain. There is no crop calendar that they can work with now; and their risks are compounded many times. This is the tragic human face of extreme weather that we are seeing over and over again. Let’s not lose sight of this. Then, we are oblivious of the need for climate-resilient development. In fact, we are doing the reverse. We are building on the floodplains, choking drainage and filling up water bodies. We are mindless about the fact that the Himalayas are the world’s youngest mountain range and so, development of everything from buildings to roads and other infrastructure must be based on this vulnerability. The devastation in our world is not only because of climate change—as our politicians would like us to believe. Climate change is exacerbating, making worse our human-made mess. I say this because we must not slip into believing that fixing this mess is beyond our control. Then there is no way ahead. This would be the ultimate tragedy. DTE The writer is the Director-General of CSE and editor of DownToEarth. Views expressed are personal

GenWorks Revolutionizing Women’s Wellness As The Real Freedom

New Delhi (India), August 8: For long, societal norms and expectations have been assigning women the role of caregivers because of which women’s health and well-being are considered secondary to the responsibilities at home and work. To change this trend for good, women leaders in India have been encouraging conversations on women’s health needs that have been neglected for a long time by setting an example in society. They are introducing and promoting good health practices by leading from the front so that women in all corners of the country are encouraged to keep their health as the foremost priority. Dr. Indira Hinduja, a leading gynaecologist is known for her work in fertility treatment and women’s healthcare in India. Sunita Narain, an environmentalist and a healthcare practitioner is known for her work on public health in India. Dr. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, an entrepreneur and a pioneer in the biotechnology industry is known for her work in making healthcare more affordable and accessible. In the sports field, Sakshi Malik a wrestler and Olympic bronze medalist has been associated with campaigns that promote menstrual hygiene and women’s health awareness in India. Just as these women are looked upon for their exceptional in their respective fields, it is necessary that they are also followed for their dedication to healthcare and wellness. Progress in different aspects of society including women’s rights and gender equality has been rampant but has not guaranteed uniform advancements in women’s health and wellness. There are many factors that pose a challenge including healthcare disparities, work-life balance, cultural factors, societal norms, etc. Women’s health remains a complex issue as access to healthcare services depends on economic factors, education, background, and lack of insurance which ultimately affects the well-being of women. That said, it cannot be overseen that progress is being made in many regions and there are organizations dedicated to working on empowering women’s health and wellness with their products and services. GenWorks, one of the leading digital healthcare solution providers in India works to make healthcare affordable and accessible. Amongst many other services, the company also sensitizes an increasing number of women about the importance of FemTech by spreading the knowledge of screening, diagnostics, & treatment products, and services to focus on women’s health. FemTech is a wide term used to refer to all kinds of technology-based software, products, and services that can address the gaps in women’s health requirements by offering advanced consumer solutions. The FemTech market is valued at $22Billion and is expected to grow at a steady pace over the coming decade. With this, the company is increasingly focused on ensuring that women give higher importance to their health and well-being. Health problems such as breast and cervix cancer are common diseases in India. In India, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every four minutes, and with over 1,78,000 new cases being diagnosed each year, breast cancer has surpassed cervical cancer to become a common disease in women. Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer have been on the rise in the country and can be attributed to factors such as increased life expectancy, lack of awareness, limited access to screening and vaccination, etc. Efforts are being made to increase awareness, improve screening, and promote HPV vaccination. FemTech also helps tremendously in early detection and improving outcomes for breast and cervical cancer. FemTech covers all stages of feminine health including menstrual health, pregnancy, fertility, contraception, and more. GenWorks firmly believes that #SheDeservesBetter is focused on offering viable solutions to these women’s healthcare problems with its offerings. With a primary focus on women’s wellness, the company has solutions to unique problems aimed at being free from illnesses and attaining wellness. It promotes devices for minimally invasive and non-invasive procedures such as The New Eva Pro (Digital Colposcope Powered by Al), Thermo Glide (Treating precancerous lesions with thermocoagulation), Braster Pro (AI-Enabled Breast Health Screening Device), TruClear Mechanical Hysteroscopic Tissue Removal System, Voluson Series Products (GE Ultrasound System decreasing maternal mortality rate) and many more. The fundamental idea behind these products is to enable rapid digitalization to emerge as a prominent trend in the healthcare sector for solving the unmet needs of women. GenWorks aspires to make an increasing number of women aware of and embrace the importance of FemTech devices. Mr. S Ganesh Prasad, Founder, MD & CEO, GenWorks said, “Women’s health has been overlooked for a long time and by using tech solutions to reach women, offering them products and services that were inaccessible to them before, FemTech has the power to change the lives of women. We aim to ensure that women embrace self-care by offering them a wide range of healthcare accessibility. We want to normalize female-specific conversations and offer seamless healthcare care to women.” About GenWorks: GenWorks is an Indian healthcare startup in India dedicated to improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services. It works dedicatedly with the objective to create a platform that can solve healthcare access, affordability, and adoption. The company is dedicated to building awareness by leveraging technology and solutions with state-of-the-art digital solutions and an added focus on improving specialist access for the last mile.

DNA: शहद या मीठा जहर? लैब टेस्ट में फेल हुआ डाबर हनी!

DNA Analysis on Dabur Honey: आयुर्वेद में शहद को अमृत के समान माना गया है. शहद का सेवन करने से शरीर में ऊर्जा बरकरार रहती है. रोग प्रतिरोधक क्षमता भी अच्छी होती है. यहां तक कि नियमित शहद खाने से कैंसर जैसी बीमारियों का खतरा भी कम होता है. DNA Analysis on Dabur Honey: आयुर्वेद में शहद को अमृत के समान माना गया है. शहद का सेवन करने से शरीर में ऊर्जा बरकरार रहती है. रोग प्रतिरोधक क्षमता भी अच्छी होती है. यहां तक कि नियमित शहद खाने से कैंसर जैसी बीमारियों का खतरा भी कम होता है. इसलिए आयुर्वेदिक औषधियों में भी शहद का इस्तेमाल होता है. आपमें से बहुत से लोग शहद खाते होंगे. गुनगुने पानी में लोग ये सोचकर शहद ले लेते हैं कि वो पतले हो जाएंगे. डायबिटीज के कई मरीज, चीनी के विकल्प के तौर पर शहद की चाय-कॉफी पीते हैं. यहां तक कि भारतीय परिवारों में नवजात बच्चे के अन्नप्रासन में सबसे पहले शहद की बूंद चटाई जाती है. ये सोचकर कि शहद, प्रकृति से मिलने वाली सबसे शुद्ध चीज है. लेकिन मिलावट के इस दौर में अब अमृत समान शहद के नाम पर कैसे आपको विष बेचा जा रहा है, आज हम इसका, Lab Tested खुलासा करेंगे. देश की नामचीत कंपनियां Branded शहद को लेकर दावा करती हैं कि उनका ब्रांड देश ही नहीं दुनिया का नंबर वन Brand है. आपमें से कई लोग इस Brand के शहद का सेवन करते हैं. ज्यादातर लोग ये मानते हैं कि Branded Company का शहद है तो इसमें मिलावट नहीं होगी. लेकिन क्या ये शहद असली है ? शुद्ध है ? जैसा कि कंपनियां दावा करती हैं . Powered By VDO.AI इसका Reality Check करने के लिए ज़ी न्यूज़ ने कई महीनों तक रिसर्च और Ground Reporting की हैं. ज़ी न्यूज़ ने देश में सबसे ज्यादा बिकने वाले शहद के कई बड़े और छोटे Brands का लैब टेस्ट भी करवाया है..जिसके नतीजे, जितने हैरान कर देने वाले हैं, उससे ज्यादा परेशान कर देने वाले हैं... बड़े बड़े ब्रैंड्स दावा करते हैं कि उनका शहद सबसे शुद्ध है. और जीरो मिलावट का दम भरते हैं. लेकिन क्या वाकई डाबर जैसे बड़े ब्रैंड्स के शहद, शुद्धता की कसौटी पर खरे उतरते हैं? शहद में शहद है ही नहीं, चीनी है. ऐसी शिकायतें सुनने को मिलती हैं. हमें शिकायत मिलीं. लेकिन वो लैब टैस्ट नहीं करवा सकते. इसका फायदा कंपनियां उठाती हैं. हमने बाजार से देश में सबसे ज्यादा बिकने वाले शहद के दो सैंपल उठाए. जिसमें से एक सैंपल, सबसे बड़े ब्रैंड डाबर का था. और फिर इन सैंपल्स को लैब टेस्टिंग के लिए भेजने की तैयारी शुरु की. हमने दोनों सैंपल्स को उनके ब्रैंड्स के डिब्बों से निकालकर दूसरे डिब्बों में स्टोर किया. ताकि जब हम लैब में ये सैंपल भेजें तो पता ना चले कि कौन सा शहद, किस ब्रैंड का है. शहद की टेस्टिंग करने वाली मान्यता प्राप्त लैब्स की संख्या देश में गिनी चुनी है. ज्यादातर प्राइवेट लैब ने हमारे सैंपल टेस्ट करने से ही इंकार कर दिया. गुड़गांव की एक नामी लैब Fare labs ने हमारे सैंपल टेस्ट करने के लिए हामी भरी. हमसे सैंपल भी ले लिए. कंपनी के एक्सपर्ट ने सैंपल रिसीव करते समय हमसे बाकायदा कैमरे पर बात की. हमें उम्मीद थी कि जल्द ही हमें टेस्ट रिजल्ट मिल जाएंगे. लेकिन करीब एक हफ्ते बाद कंपनी की तरफ से एक ई-मेल भेजा गया. जिसमें कहा गया कि शहद की टेस्टिंग करने वाली मशीन का एक पार्ट टूट गया है जिसे उन्हें इंपोर्ट करना पड़ेगा इसलिए वो टेस्टिंग नहीं कर पाएंगे. यानी लैब, शहद का टेस्ट करने से ही मुकर गई. लेकिन हमने हार नहीं मानी और फिर शहद के सैंपल्स को लेकर हम पहुंचे गुजरात के आणंद में स्थित National Dairy Development Board की laboratory...Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food के सेंटर पर. जो देश की सबसे विश्वसनीय टेस्टिंग लैब है. लैब में शहद के सैंपल्स की जांच उन सभी 40 मानकों पर की जानी थी जो भारत में शहद बेचने के लिए जरूरी है . तो सैंपल, लैब में जा चुके थे. और हमें इंतजार था टेस्ट रिपोर्ट का. तो क्या शहद के बाजार में मार्केट लीडर, बिक्री में नंबर वन, डाबर हनी शुद्धता के मानकों पर खरता उतरा? बाजार में मिलने वाले नामी ब्रैंड्स के शहद की लैब टेस्टिंग के नतीजे चौंकाने वाले आए. हमने दो Brands के शहद के तीन सैंपल टेस्ट के लिए भेजे थे. और दोनों ही सैंपल, एक खास Parameter पर Fail हो गये. दोनों ही कंपनियों के शहद में एक खास Compound की मात्रा, तय सीमा से दोगुने से भी ज्यादा मिली. इस कंपाउंड का नाम है Hydroxy-methyl-furfural यानी HMF. डाबर के जिस शहद का सैंपल हमने टेस्टिंग के लिए भेजा. उसमें HMF की मात्रा 176.57 मिलीग्राम मिली. तय मानकों के मुताबिक ये मात्रा किसी भी स्थिति में 80 मिलीग्राम से ज्यादा नहीं होनी चाहिए. डाबर के ही दूसरे सैंपल में भी HMF की मात्रा 97.250 मिलीग्राम मिली. जबकि एक अन्य ब्रैंड, श्री जी हनी का सैंपल भी टेस्ट में फेल हो गया. जिसमें HMF की मात्रा 135.16 मिलीग्राम थी. यानी तीनों ही सैंपल शुद्धता की कसौटी पर खरे नहीं उतरे. तो अब आप सोच रहे होंगे कि आखिर ये HMF है क्या ? और ये सेहत के लिए कितना नुकसानदायक हो सकता है. तो ये भी आपको बताते हैं. HMF एक Organic Compound है जो कुछ मात्रा में मीठी चीजों में पाया जाता है. आमतौर पर शुद्ध और ताजा शहद में HMF की मात्रा प्रति किलो 15 मिलीग्राम तक होती है. शहद के अलावा HMF, ब्रेड्स और बेकरी के ज्यादातर प्रॉडक्ट्स, डेयरी प्रॉडक्टस में भी पाया जाता है. अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मानकों के मुताबिक शहद में HMF की मात्रा प्रति किलो 40 मिलीग्राम से ज्यादा नहीं होनी चाहिए. गर्म इलाकों में बनने वाले शहद के लिए ये मात्रा प्रति किलो 80 मिलिग्राम से कम होनी चाहिए. लेकिन बाजार में मिलने वाले बड़े Brands के शहद के जो Samples हमने टेस्ट करवाए हैं. उनमें HMF काफी ज्यादा है. टेस्ट रिपोर्ट साफ-साफ इसका खुलासा कर रही है. लेकिन जब डाबर जैसी कंपनियां एकदम शुद्ध शहद बेचने का दावा करती हैं तो फिर उनके शहद में HMF की मात्रा ज्यादा क्यों मिली ? तो इसकी कई वजह हो सकती हैं. अमेरिका की National Centre For Bio-Technology Information के मुताबिक...शहद में HMF की मात्रा तब बढ़ जाती है, जब शहद बहुत पुराना है. शहद को Processing के दौरान ज्यादा गर्म किया गया हो. शहद में Moisture यानी नमी ज्यादा हो. शहद का Storage सही तरीके से नहीं किया गया हो. शहद में चीनी जैसे Sugar Syrup की मिलावट की गई हो. या शहद को Metal के Container में रख दिया गया हो. इन सभी वजहों से शहद में HMF Compound ज्यादा हो सकता है. और हमारे पास जो लैब टेस्ट रिपोर्ट हैं. वो साबित करती हैं कि डाबर जैसे बड़े ब्रैंड्स के शहद में भी HMF की मात्रा, तय मानक से बहुत ज्यादा पाई गई है. इसका सीधा सा मतलब ये है कि बाजार में मिलने वाला शहद, शुद्ध तो बिलकुल भी नहीं है. तो अब तो आप भी मानेंगे कि बाजार में मिलने वाला शहद, जो आप सेहतमंद बनने की इच्छा से खाते हैं. वो आपकी सेहत के लिए बेहद नुकसानदायक साबित हो सकता है. इसके बावजूद हमारे देश में डाबर जैसे बड़े ब्रैंड भी शुद्ध शहद का दावा करके मिलावटी शहद बेच रहे हैं. और इसकी एक बड़ी वजह ये भी है कि हमारे देश में शहद की क्वालिटी चेक करने का जो Mechanism है, वो इतना कारगर नहीं है कि शहद में मिलावट को सौ फीसदी पकड़ पाए. हम ये किस आधार पर कह रहे हैं. ये भी आपको बताते हैं. दिसंबर 2020 में NGO, Centre For Science And Environment यानी CSE ने भारत में बिकने वाले ब्रैंडेड शहद को लेकर एक बड़ा खुलासा किया था. CSE ने दावा किया था कि डाबर सहित भारत में 13 प्रमुख Brands द्वारा बेचे जाने वाले शहद में चीनी सिरप की मिलावट पाई गई. CSE के शोधकर्ताओं ने शुद्धता की जांच के लिए, उन 13 Brands को चुना था जो भारत में Processed शहद बेचते हैं. इस स्टडी में पाया गया था कि 77 प्रतिशत सैंपल्स में चीनी सिरप की मिलावट थी. CSE की स्टडी में कहा गया है कि डाबर, पतंजलि, बैद्यनाथ, झंडू, हितकारी जैसे प्रमुख ब्रांड्स के शहद के सैंपल्स, टेस्ट में फेल रहे. दिलचस्प बात ये है कि इन Brands के Samples का टेस्ट सबसे पहले भारत की लैब्स में किया गया था. और लगभग सभी Samples, शुद्धता के परीक्षण में पास भी हो गये थे. लेकिन जब इन सैंपल्स का, CSE ने जर्मनी की Bruker Biospin लैब में Advance Test करवाया तो Branded शहर में मिलावट पकड़ में आई. भारत में शहद के Samples की testing करने वाली लैब्स की विश्वसनीयता तभी से संदेह के घेरे में है. जो शहद में मिलावट को पकड़ ही नहीं पा रही हैं. लेकिन तीन साल पहले जब CSE ने शहद में मिलावट का खुलासा किया था. तब भी डाबर ने ये मानने से इंकार कर दिया था कि उसके शहद में कोई मिलावट है. और अब तीन साल बाद ज़ी न्यूज़ ने डाबर के शहद में मिलावट का खुलासा किया है तो अब देखते हैं कि इस बार डाबर क्या जवाब देती है. लेकिन इससे एक बात तो साबित होती है कि बाजार में मिलने वाले शहद को लेकर चाहे कोई कंपनी जितने मर्जी दावे करे. उनके शुद्ध होने की ना तो कोई Guarantee है और ना कोई Warranty.

GenWorks Revolutionizing Women’s Wellness As The Real Freedom

For long, societal norms and expectations have been assigning women the role of caregivers, because of which women’s health and well-being are considered secondary to the responsibilities at home and work. To change this trend for good, women leaders in India have been encouraging conversations on women’s health needs that have been neglected for a long time by setting an example in society. They are introducing and promoting good health practices by leading from the front so that women in all corners of the country are encouraged to keep their health as the foremost priority. Dr. Indira Hinduja, a leading gynaecologist, is known for her work in fertility treatment and women’s healthcare in India. Sunita Narain, an environmentalist and a healthcare practitioner, is known for her work on public health in India. Dr. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, an entrepreneur and a pioneer in the biotechnology industry, is known for her work in making healthcare more affordable and accessible. In the sports field, Sakshi Malik, a wrestler and Olympic bronze medalist, has been associated with campaigns that promote menstrual hygiene and women’s health awareness in India. Just as these women are looked upon for their exceptional in their respective fields, it is necessary that they are also followed for their dedication to healthcare and wellness. Progress in different aspects of society, including women’s rights and gender equality, has been rampant but has not guaranteed uniform advancements in women’s health and wellness. There are many factors that pose a challenge, including healthcare disparities, work-life balance, cultural factors, societal norms, etc. Women’s health remains a complex issue as access to healthcare services depends on economic factors, education, background, and lack of insurance, which ultimately affects the well-being of women. That said, it cannot be overseen that progress is being made in many regions and there are organizations dedicated to working on empowering women’s health and wellness with their products and services. GenWorks, one of the leading digital healthcare solution providers in India, works to make healthcare affordable and accessible. Amongst many other services, the company also sensitizes an increasing number of women about the importance of FemTech by spreading the knowledge of screening, diagnostics, & treatment products and services to focus on women’s health. FemTech is a wide term used to refer to all kinds of technology-based software, products, and services that can address the gaps in women’s health requirements by offering advanced consumer solutions. The FemTech market is valued at $22Billion and is expected to grow at a steady pace over the coming decade. With this, the company is increasingly focused on ensuring that women give higher importance to their health and well-being. Health problems such as breast and cervix cancer are common diseases in India. In India, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every four minutes, and with over 1,78,000 new cases being diagnosed each year, breast cancer has surpassed cervical cancer to become a common disease in women. Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer have been on the rise in the country and can be attributed to factors such as increased life expectancy, lack of awareness, limited access to screening and vaccination, etc. Efforts are being made to increase awareness, improve screening, and promote HPV vaccination. FemTech also helps tremendously in early detection and improving outcomes for breast and cervical cancer. FemTech covers all stages of feminine health, including menstrual health, pregnancy, fertility, contraception, and more. GenWorks firmly believes that #SheDeservesBetter is focused on offering viable solutions to these women’s healthcare problems with its offerings. With a primary focus on women’s wellness, the company has solutions to unique problems aimed at being free from illnesses and attaining wellness. It promotes devices for minimally invasive and non-invasive procedures such as The New Eva Pro (Digital Colposcope Powered by Al), Thermo Glide (Treating precancerous lesions with thermocoagulation), Braster Pro (AI-Enabled Breast Health Screening Device), TruClear Mechanical Hysteroscopic Tissue Removal System, Voluson Series Products (GE Ultrasound System decreasing maternal mortality rate) and many more. The fundamental idea behind these products is to enable rapid digitalization to emerge as a prominent trend in the healthcare sector for solving the unmet needs of women. GenWorks aspires to make an increasing number of women aware of and embrace the importance of FemTech devices. Mr. S Ganesh Prasad, Founder, MD & CEO, GenWorks said, “Women’s health has been overlooked for a long time and by using tech solutions to reach women, offering them products and services that were inaccessible to them before, FemTech has the power to change the lives of women. We aim to ensure that women embrace self-care by offering them a wide range of healthcare accessibility. We want to normalize female-specific conversations and offer seamless healthcare care to women.” About GenWorks: GenWorks is an Indian healthcare startup in India dedicated to improving the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services. It works dedicatedly with the objective of creating a platform that can solve healthcare access, affordability, and adoption. The company is dedicated to building awareness by leveraging technology and solutions with state-of-the-art digital solutions and an added focus on improving specialist access for the last mile.

प्लास्टिक के पैकेट्स खोलने में आपकी ये गलती लोगों की 'जान' ले सकती है!

चिप्स खाते वक्त, दूध का पैकेट फाड़ते वक्त हर कोई ये गलती कर रहा है. हल बहुत आसान है और हर हाल में इसे जान लेना चाहिए... फ़ास्ट फ़ूड खाते वक्त आपसे एक गलती हो रही है, जिससे आप शायद अनजान हों. गलती ये कि मान लीजिए आपने एक चिप्स का पैकेट लिया. उसको फाड़ा. और फाड़ने के साथ हाथ में आया प्लास्टिक का छोटा टुकड़ा जमीन पर फेंक दिया. खाने के बाद आपने भले चिप्स का पैकेट डस्टबिन में डाल दिया. मगर जो छोटा टुकड़ा आपने बेफिक्र होकर जमीन पर फेंका, वो बड़ी आफत बन रहा है, कैसे. चलिए समझते हैं. सबसे पहले हम आपके सामने कुछ आंकड़े रखते हैं जो हमें 'सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट' के प्रोग्राम मैनेजर सिद्दार्थ सिंह से पता चले. # ये जो प्लास्टिक का कचरा है, वो हर साल टनों की मात्रा में समुद्र या डंप साइट्स में चला जाता है. 'सेंट्रल पॉल्यूशन ऑफ़ कण्ट्रोल बोर्ड' की 2015 की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, करीबन हर डंप साइट में 7% प्लास्टिक कचरा होता है, जो आज के समय में दोगुना हो गया है. आपको जानकर हैरानी होगी कि ये प्लास्टिक वेस्ट दुनिया में सबसे तेजी से बढ़ती पर्यावरणीय समस्याओं में से एक बन गया है. ये भी जानना जरूरी है कि बड़े प्लास्टिक के पैकेट्स तो फिर भी रीसायकल हो जाते हैं, लेकिन जो छोटे प्लास्टिक के टुकड़े ऐसे ही फेंक दिए जाते हैं, वो खत्म नहीं हो पाते. तो क्या होता है उनका? प्लास्टिक के छोटे टुकड़े रीसायकल करना है मुश्किल 'सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट' के प्रोग्राम मैनेजर, सिद्दार्थ सिंह का यह भी कहना है कि, वजन में हल्के प्लास्टिक का कलेक्शन भी थोड़ा कठिन हो जाता है. जो प्लास्टिक का टुकड़ा हम पैकेट से अलग कर देते हैं, वो आगे चलकर माइक्रोप्लास्टिक्स का रूप ले लेता है. अब ये माइक्रोप्लास्टिक क्या है? माइक्रोप्लास्टिक दरअसल 5 मिलीमीटर से छोटे प्लास्टिक के कण होते हैं. इनका आकार एक तिल के बीज के बराबर हो सकता है. अब बड़ा खतरा ये है कि कई बार ये कण इंसानों के फेफड़ों तक पहुंच जाते हैं. इससे त्वचा और सांस संबंधी जोखिम बढ़ सकते हैं. जान तक जोखिम में आ सकती है. प्लास्टिक पैकेट खोलने का सही तरीका क्या? तो मुद्दे की बात ये है कि सबसे पहले हमें प्लास्टिक का उपयोग करने से बचना चाहिए. इसको मानने में दिक्कत ये है कि ज्यादातर चीजें प्लास्टिक बंद पैकेट्स में आती हैं तो क्या किया जाए. जवाब है एक जुगाड़. जुगाड़ आप नीचे लगी तस्वीर देख समझ जाएंगे. इसमें एक दूध का पैकेट दिख रहा है. जिसको फाड़ते वक्त ये खयाल रखा गया है कि प्लास्टिक का छोटा तुकड़ा पैकेट से अलग ना हो. माने साइड पर कट लगा काम चलाया गया है. तो आपको भी यही करना चाहिए. अदम्य चेतना संस्था की अध्यक्ष तेजस्विनी अनंतकुमार के अनुसार, अगर हम सभी दूध के पैकेट से बिना टुकड़े को अलग किए खोलें तो बड़ा फायदा हो सकता है. अकेले बेंगलुरु में 50,00,000 छोटे प्लास्टिक के टुकड़ों को कूड़े में जाने से रोका जा सकता है. हम फिर आपको ध्यान दिला दें कि ये छोटे टुकड़े रीसायकल नहीं हो पाते हैं. तो ऐसा ही करना है और पर्यावरण को सुरक्षित करने में अपना योगदान देना है.