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Cse In News

MCD to double waste processing capacity at Delhi’s 3 waste landfills

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has decided to double its waste processing capacity by engaging an additional agency for all three landfills in Delhi at Ghazipur, Bhalswa, and Okhla. While tenders have been floated and an agency each will be finalised this month for Ghazipur and Okhla, the tender for Bhalswa landfill site will be floated next month. Mayor Shelly Oberoi said that MCD aims to reduce the three waste mountains in the city at the earliest. All three landfills are currently managed by one agency each. “One agency is currently working towards waste processing at each of the three sites. They have to process 3 million tonne of garbage each in two years. Now the target to double the garbage processing capacity has been set so that garbage mountains can be disposed of before time. According to the plan, one additional agency per landfill site will be deployed. Each agency will have to process 3 million tonne of garbage each. So, 6 million tonne of garbage will be processed in two years at each landfill site,” said Oberoi. By deploying additional agencies at the three landfill sites, each site will clear 6 million tonne of garbage. So, a total of 18 million tonne of garbage will be processed every two years across the city’s three landfill sites, officials said. Officials added that the garbage processing work by the additional agency will initially start at Gazipur, followed by Okhla and Bhalswa, which will also start in November. The mayor added that if the agency finishes the garbage processing work before time, it will be given additional work. “If any agency disposes 3 million tonne of garbage before the end of two years, then it will be given the work to dispose additional 15 million tonne of garbage. It will give them an additional income. This information has already been given to agencies so that they can work faster. These terms have been included in the tender process as well,” said Oberoi. She also said that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will personally monitor the work of garbage processing at the landfill sites. However, experts said that the Capital is still not recycling its waste and there is no energy recovery, adding that authorities do not fully understand how to manage the city’s waste. “Delhi is not following the waste management hierarchy of reduce, reuse and recycle. In fact, the calorific value of the waste is so low that additional fuel needs to be used. There shouldn’t be a need for more agencies after having three processing plants of such scale. I think there is lack of understanding among the decision makers about how the waste of Delhi needs to be managed,” said Siddharth Singh, Deputy Programme Manager, Municipal Solid waste unit, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

Very few new antibiotics in the pipeline

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) database, of the 297 antibiotic medicines that are being researched on globally, only 77 are undergoing clinical trials. This is miniscule compared to over 10,000 for cancer, over 1,800 for neuropsychiatric conditions, and about 1,500 for endocrine, blood and immune disorders. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) director general Sunita Narain says: “Antibiotics are getting increasingly ineffective. This silent pandemic of antimicrobial resistance is taking lives. What is more frightening is that not only are we not conserving the existing stock of medicines, the drug pipeline for new antibiotics is drying up.” “In the years to come we are heading for a triple jeopardy: one, the antibiotics we know today would be increasingly ineffective; two, there would be no new antibiotics available; and, three, there would be a critical need for access to these medicines for all,” Narain added. Narain is a member of the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), an independent international advisory and advocacy body which has heads of states, ministers and government officials, civil society leaders, and representatives from the private organisations as its members. CSE researchers have highlighted how the global antibiotic pipeline is weak across the pre-clinical and clinical development stages. They have analysed the clinical pipeline of 15 high-earning pharmaceutical companies to understand their R&D focus and the role of small and medium pharmaceutical companies. The assessment also covers incentives to support antibiotic R&D and what needs to be done further. AMR, antibiotic resistance in particular, is a silent pandemic that is one of the biggest public health threats of current times. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans, animals and crops is making antibiotics ineffective due to growing resistance in bacteria against antibiotics. About five million deaths worldwide were associated with antibiotic resistance in 2019. Analysis of clinical pipeline of 15 high-earning companies revealed that of the total 1,007 candidates, only 13 are antibacterials which are developed by four companies. CSE researchers point out that a majority of antibiotic developers are small and medium scale companies. “These companies are struggling and need support,” says Rajeshwari Sinha of CSE. “Push incentives have challenges, but they are working. The main limitation of any push funding organisation is that they alone can’t do the job. More money is required but more importantly, coordination and collaboration is the key,” said Richard Lawson of CARBX (Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator), which supports small and medium antibiotic developers. Lesley Ogilvie of Global AMR R&D Hub pointed out that “despite progress we still have a fragmented pipeline and what we are really lacking is the predictability that would encourage the development of a more sustainable and healthier pipeline. We need to build more robustness and resilience in funding for the antibiotic development pipeline.” Global AMR R&D is a global partnership currently consisting of 17 countries, the European Commission and two philanthropic foundations. Acknowledging the crisis with antibiotic R&D, James Anderson from IFPMA (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations) said: “Currently, 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. The way to solve this is to improve the conditions through the use of incentives, and the world’s leading economies have a role to play in this.” CSE researchers call for critical reforms to stimulate the antibiotic R&D ecosystem for a sustainable and equitable antibiotic access. There is a need for greater public financing, a coordinated response from national governments and striking the right balance in public-private partnership for antibiotic development. They have highlighted that antibiotics have attributes of a ‘global public good’ despite not fitting into the strictest definition. “These life-saving antibiotics must be conserved, which means careful, restricted use, even if less money is made in sales. Access to these medicines is critical to be ensured: drugs will have to be affordable, which also limits the profit interest of pharmaceutical firms. So it is time to look at antibiotics as a global public good,” said Narain as she concluded the webinar.

At 74, DMK has new battles to wage

CHENNAI: Three score and fourteen years ago on September 17, 1949, the DMK was founded. The following day, at its public launch, founder C N Annadurai (Anna) said their political father, the Dravidar Kazhagam’s 70-year-old E V Ramaswamy Periyar, was authoritarian and by marrying his aide Maniammai, less than half his age, had brought infamy to them. Nevertheless, he named Periyar the titular head, wished him a long life and said their aims were the same – a socialist garden where ‘Dravidam’ (an independent Dravida Nadu made of the south) would bloom. On July 27, 1947, Periyar had described the impending independence on August 15, 1947, as ‘British-Bania-Brahmin Contractual Day’. The Dravidar Kazhagam had, since 1939, considered the aforementioned three Bs enemies. On August 10, 1947, Anna demurred. He said one of the two enemies, the British, was leaving, and only the bania remained. He avoided mention of the Brahmin. In 1967, when Anna joined hands with the erstwhile ‘wily Brahmin’ Rajaji, the Brahmin had been co-opted, and in 1971 when chief minister M Karunanidhi joined hands with Indira Gandhi, the bania had become an ally. On both occasions, the dalliance with the ‘enemy’ was to defeat the ‘Pachai Thamizhan’ or ‘Pure Tamil’ Kamaraj. By 1962, the impending ban saw the DMK give up its separatist demand. Three years later, Anna denied the DMK was a party of ‘expediency’ and no principles: “Federalism, full autonomy for the states and egalitarianism —are these not principles,” he asked. The cardinal goals of federalism and full autonomy appear more distant than ever. Yet, the DMK can look back with some satisfaction on the distance covered with respect to egalitarianism. The party’s early welfare schemes and revamped public distribution system under Karunanidhi laid the foundations of the welfare state. Chief ministers M G Ramchandran and J Jayalalithaa built upon these. Karunanidhi also slightly enlarged the reservations pie, and MGR expanded it to the maximum. Today, the state isknown for both its paternal populism and reservations. On August 28, 2018, in his acceptance speech as president of the DMK, M K Stalin said, “A race that does not change itself to suit the changing times will not last”, indicating his willingness to accept change. Seven decades later, the DMK’s challenges cannot be the same. Insistence that the goalposts remain the same would mean the party has floundered. The challenges are substantial, and they remain jobs, sustainable development, graft, eradication of caste discrimination, weaning people from freebies and subsidies and a calibrated liquor policy to end drunkenness. In 1967, the party gave up on its promise of a measure of rice per rupee for want of ₹5 crore in a ₹240-crore budget. Since 2011, the state has provided five kg of free rice per person. It looks like the party and the voters have come a long way. But have they? When an estimated 35 lakh immi-grant workers have sought to better their lives in the state, the free rice to the needy does not add up. More worrying is the fact that Tamil Nadu spends close to a third of its ₹3,65,321 crore Budget, or ₹1,13,643 crore on subsidies, according to the Reserve Bank of India. These, one would assume, would include subsidised power to farmers and support prices for produce, among other things. Of this, 40% (₹45,000 crore) comes from selling alcohol. This model of taking with the left hand and returning one-and-a-half fold as subsidies with the right and the handout culture require serious introspection. Should not the scions of self-respect be enabling people to catch fish instead of handing out fish? This brings us to jobs and the bane of alcoholism. Total prohibition has proved impossible even in Iran. The state owes its women voters to launch a sustained campaign against drunkenness on the models of the anti-smoking campaign. An ear-nest and sustained awareness campaign on the evils of alcohol could be a fitting start for a party that promised total prohibition in 2016. Jobs remain the crying need of the hour. Tamil Nadu (67.7 lakh) has the second largest number of jobseekers on the live register as of 2021 after West Bengal (77.6 lakh), as per the National Career Service data and the maximum number of SC and OBC jobseekers at around 17.3 lakh and 46 lakh. The unemployment rate of those between 15-29 years for the state, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s Periodic Labour Force Survey, is 17.1%. In contrast, Gujarat is at 6.3% and Delhi 6.9%. Neighbours Andhra, Telangana and Kerala are above 20%, while Karnataka scores 13.8%. Also, despite the DMK government’s Meendum manjappai and green initiatives and the party’s environmental wing, the state’s performance in the environmental rankings since 2016 has been slipping, according to the Centre for Science and Environment. Tamil Nadu scored just 4.4 out of 10, while Tel-angana topped with a score of 7.2, followed by Goa at 6.3, Maharashtra at 5.7 and Haryana at 5.5. In the battle between jobs, development and environment, the DMK has a worthy enemy. It would require all its imagination and the help of civil society and experts to keep Tamil Nadu green and environmentally friendly. Precariously dependent on its neighbours for its water, the state must aggressively promote water conservation methods and alternative energy. The DMK’s energies could be usefully channelled thus. Heir apparent Udhayanidhi Stalin does not have to become a Rorschach test talking about Sanatana Dharma. If Sanatana Dharma as the DMK understands it is a particular community’s hegemony, today, the DMK aligned dominate the media to education to breweries. Udhayanidhi’s profile could be raised by what he does best: meetings with youth and constituents, holding job fairs, tracking the implementation of electoral promises, and providing a regular progress report. These would not provide the actor-politician the instant recognition that his remarks on Sanatana Dharma brought him, but they, in the long run, would give him much political heft. The DMK should choose its battles. NEET is a classic case of the sunken cost fallacy. The state’s students should be given all the help they need to face the exam. Similarly, returning education to the state list is an empty aspiration. For 17 years, the DMK was part of the Centre. It could not be achieved. Then how can it be now? On social justice, too, the party seems to be in a time warp. A prop in perpetuity for the backward classes limits their fullest expression, not to mention underestimating their ability to compete. The DMK, like others, abounds in tokenism. But it had lost the plot a long time ago with the vanniyars and the dalits deserting it. Vengaivasal and other incidents further reveal the chinks in the armour of Dravidian inclusiveness. Probity in public life has been in a free fall for a long time. But retaining a minister charged with graft is a new low. While describing the DMK as the party of the modest, Anna said the modest do not have to remain so, envisaging a Tamil Nadu free of want. The DMK has long ceased to be the party of the modest. Its leaders have come a long way from travelling in borrowed cars and living in modest houses. The party’s top echelons are well-heeled, and even third-tier functionaries are visibly well-off. Quite a few of these success stories, however, remain mired in mystery. Anna must be turning in his grave.

पाइपलाइन में बहुत कम नई एंटीबायोटिक्स

विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन (डब्ल्यूएचओ) के डेटाबेस के अनुसार, वैश्विक स्तर पर जिन 297 एंटीबायोटिक दवाओं पर शोध किया जा रहा है, उनमें से केवल 77 का ही क्लिनिकल परीक्षण चल रहा है। यह कैंसर के लिए 10,000 से अधिक, न्यूरोसाइकिएट्रिक स्थितियों के लिए 1,800 से अधिक और अंतःस्रावी, रक्त और प्रतिरक्षा विकारों के लिए लगभग 1,500 की तुलना में बहुत कम है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण कहती हैं: “एंटीबायोटिक्स लगातार अप्रभावी होते जा रहे हैं। रोगाणुरोधी प्रतिरोध की यह मूक महामारी लोगों की जान ले रही है। इससे भी अधिक भयावह बात यह है कि न केवल हम दवाओं के मौजूदा स्टॉक का संरक्षण नहीं कर रहे हैं, बल्कि नई एंटीबायोटिक दवाओं के लिए दवा पाइपलाइन भी सूख रही है। “आने वाले वर्षों में हम तिहरे ख़तरे की ओर बढ़ रहे हैं: एक, जिन एंटीबायोटिक्स के बारे में हम आज जानते हैं वे तेजी से अप्रभावी होंगी; दो, कोई नई एंटीबायोटिक्स उपलब्ध नहीं होंगी; और, तीन, सभी के लिए इन दवाओं तक पहुंच की गंभीर आवश्यकता होगी, ”नारायण ने कहा। नारायण ग्लोबल लीडर्स ग्रुप ऑन एंटीमाइक्रोबियल रेजिस्टेंस (एएमआर) का सदस्य है, जो एक स्वतंत्र अंतरराष्ट्रीय सलाहकार और वकालत निकाय है, जिसमें राज्यों के प्रमुख, मंत्री और सरकारी अधिकारी, नागरिक समाज के नेता और निजी संगठनों के प्रतिनिधि इसके सदस्य हैं। सीएसई शोधकर्ताओं ने इस बात पर प्रकाश डाला है कि वैश्विक एंटीबायोटिक पाइपलाइन प्री-क्लिनिकल और क्लिनिकल विकास चरणों में कैसे कमजोर है। उन्होंने अपने अनुसंधान एवं विकास फोकस और छोटी और मध्यम दवा कंपनियों की भूमिका को समझने के लिए 15 उच्च आय वाली दवा कंपनियों की नैदानिक ​​पाइपलाइन का विश्लेषण किया है। मूल्यांकन में एंटीबायोटिक अनुसंधान एवं विकास का समर्थन करने के लिए प्रोत्साहन और आगे क्या करने की आवश्यकता है, को भी शामिल किया गया है। एएमआर, विशेष रूप से एंटीबायोटिक प्रतिरोध, एक मूक महामारी है जो वर्तमान समय के सबसे बड़े सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य खतरों में से एक है। मनुष्यों, जानवरों और फसलों में एंटीबायोटिक दवाओं का दुरुपयोग और अत्यधिक उपयोग एंटीबायोटिक दवाओं के खिलाफ बैक्टीरिया में बढ़ती प्रतिरोधक क्षमता के कारण एंटीबायोटिक दवाओं को अप्रभावी बना रहा है। 2019 में दुनिया भर में लगभग पांच मिलियन मौतें एंटीबायोटिक प्रतिरोध से जुड़ी थीं। 15 उच्च कमाई वाली कंपनियों की क्लिनिकल पाइपलाइन के विश्लेषण से पता चला कि कुल 1,007 उम्मीदवारों में से केवल 13 जीवाणुरोधी हैं जो चार कंपनियों द्वारा विकसित किए गए हैं। सीएसई शोधकर्ता बताते हैं कि अधिकांश एंटीबायोटिक डेवलपर्स छोटी और मध्यम स्तर की कंपनियां हैं। सीएसई की राजेश्वरी सिन्हा कहती हैं, ''ये कंपनियां संघर्ष कर रही हैं और उन्हें समर्थन की जरूरत है।'' “पुश प्रोत्साहन में चुनौतियाँ हैं, लेकिन वे काम कर रहे हैं। किसी भी पुश फंडिंग संगठन की मुख्य सीमा यह है कि वे अकेले काम नहीं कर सकते। अधिक धन की आवश्यकता है, लेकिन अधिक महत्वपूर्ण बात यह है कि समन्वय और सहयोग महत्वपूर्ण है,'' CARBX (कॉम्बैटिंग एंटीबायोटिक रेसिस्टेंट बैक्टीरिया बायोफार्मास्युटिकल एक्सेलेरेटर) के रिचर्ड लॉसन ने कहा, जो छोटे और मध्यम एंटीबायोटिक डेवलपर्स का समर्थन करता है। ग्लोबल एएमआर आर एंड डी हब के लेस्ली ओगिल्वी ने बताया कि "प्रगति के बावजूद हमारे पास अभी भी एक खंडित पाइपलाइन है और हमारे पास वास्तव में भविष्यवाणी की कमी है जो एक अधिक टिकाऊ और स्वस्थ पाइपलाइन के विकास को प्रोत्साहित करेगी। हमें एंटीबायोटिक विकास पाइपलाइन के लिए वित्त पोषण में अधिक मजबूती और लचीलापन बनाने की जरूरत है। ग्लोबल एएमआर आर एंड डी एक वैश्विक साझेदारी है जिसमें वर्तमान में 17 देश, यूरोपीय आयोग और दो परोपकारी फाउंडेशन शामिल हैं। एंटीबायोटिक आर एंड डी के संकट को स्वीकार करते हुए, आईएफपीएमए (इंटरनेशनल फेडरेशन ऑफ फार्मास्युटिकल मैन्युफैक्चरर्स एंड एसोसिएशन) के जेम्स एंडरसन ने कहा: "वर्तमान में, एएमआर के सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य जोखिमों के बावजूद, समाज और स्वास्थ्य देखभाल प्रणालियां एंटीबायोटिक दवाओं को कम महत्व देती हैं, जिससे कंपनियों को स्पष्ट संकेत मिलता है कि उनमें निवेश करना प्राथमिकता नहीं है. इसे हल करने का तरीका प्रोत्साहनों के उपयोग के माध्यम से स्थितियों में सुधार करना है और दुनिया की अग्रणी अर्थव्यवस्थाओं को इसमें भूमिका निभानी है। सीएसई शोधकर्ता टिकाऊ और न्यायसंगत एंटीबायोटिक पहुंच के लिए एंटीबायोटिक अनुसंधान एवं विकास पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र को प्रोत्साहित करने के लिए महत्वपूर्ण सुधारों का आह्वान करते हैं। एंटीबायोटिक विकास के लिए अधिक सार्वजनिक वित्तपोषण, राष्ट्रीय सरकारों की समन्वित प्रतिक्रिया और सार्वजनिक-निजी भागीदारी में सही संतुलन बनाने की आवश्यकता है। उन्होंने इस बात पर प्रकाश डाला है कि सख्त परिभाषा में फिट न होने के बावजूद एंटीबायोटिक्स में 'वैश्विक सार्वजनिक भलाई' के गुण हैं। “इन जीवनरक्षक एंटीबायोटिक्स को संरक्षित किया जाना चाहिए, जिसका अर्थ है सावधानीपूर्वक, प्रतिबंधित उपयोग, भले ही बिक्री में कम पैसा कमाया जाए। इन दवाओं तक पहुंच सुनिश्चित करना महत्वपूर्ण है: दवाओं को किफायती बनाना होगा, जो दवा कंपनियों के लाभ हित को भी सीमित करता है। इसलिए अब समय आ गया है कि एंटीबायोटिक्स को वैश्विक सार्वजनिक वस्तु के रूप में देखा जाए,'' नारायण ने वेबिनार का समापन करते हुए कहा।

Experts Lauds Sepatge Infra

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Sepatge Infrastrucure is one of the Best in the Country, opined by experts in a Regional Workshop on reuse of bio-solids harvested from sepatage & sewage organised by Housing & Urban Development department Odisha in collaboration with Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi held yesterday here at Odisha Urban Academy. The Workshop focused on reuse and resource recovery of harvested bio-solids from FSTPs and STPs , these bio-solids can be a rich source of fertilisers in agriculture in India, say CSE reports. G Mathi Vathanan, Principal Secretary, H&UD, Odisha in his keynote address presented an overview of different Urban Sanitation and water initiatives, missions and programs in Odisha, and the emerging challenges of re-use of harvested bio solids. Odisha is known for its pioneering Faecal Sludge & Sepatge Management (FSSM), especially decentralised community-led inclusive sanitation in the country. The State has built 118 faecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs)/sewage treatment plants (STPs) across all 115 ULBs. The State-wide roll-out of convergence of rural & urban sanitation is currently underway, he added. He further highlighted the role of Odisha Urban Academy to strengthen the capacity building ecosystems in water, sanitation and inclusive urban development space. Speaking at the workshop, Depinder Singh Kapur, Director, water programme, CSE, said: “There are over 500 FSTPs all over India, generating an estimated 250 tonne of bio-solids every day. Another 104,210 tonne of bio-solids are generated from the 1,469 STPs that exist in India. Odisha leads the country with its septage treatment infrastructure, covering 115 towns.” Vinod Vijayan, deputy laboratory head at CSE shared the detailed technical findings of CSE study on Bio solids. Sagarika Pattanaik Spl Secretary and Durgesh Nadini Sahoo Additional Secretary had represented H&UD Dept in the workshop . The delegates represented cross-section of senior Govt officers, academicians, scientists, municipal officers, consultants deliberated to address some key issues on the findings of the research reports disseminated and discussed in the workshop with the focus on recommendations for what can be done to immediately address the issue of safe handling and reuse of harvested bio-solids from FSTPs/STPs in Odisha.

India generates 250 tones of bio solids from FSTPs everyday: Singh Kapur

Bhubaneswar, Sep 16 (UNI) Over 500 faucal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs) all over India are generating an estimated 250 tones of bio-solids every day, Director, Water Programme, CSE Depinder Singh Kapur said. Another 104,210 tones of bio-solids are generated from the 1,469 STPs that exist in India,Singh Kapur said at a Regional Workshop on reuse of biosolids harvested from sepatage & sewage. The workshop was jointly organized by Housing & Urban Development department Odisha and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi here on Friday The Workshop focused on reuse and resource recovery of harvested bio-solids from FSTPs and STPs as these bio-solids can be a rich source of fertilizers in agriculture in India. Principal Secretary, H&UD, Odisha G Mathi Vathanan, in his keynote address presented an overview of different Urban Sanitation and water initiatives, missions and programs in Odisha, and the emerging challenges of re-use of harvested bio solids. Odisha , he said, is known for its pioneering Faecal Sludge & Septage Management (FSSM), especially decentralised community-led inclusive sanitation in the country. The State has built 118 faecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs)/sewage treatment plants (STPs) across 115 ULBs, he said adding that the State-wide roll-out of convergence of rural & urban sanitation is currently underway. He further highlighted the role of Odisha Urban Academy in strengthening the capacity building ecosystems in water, sanitation and inclusive urban development space. The delegates represented a cross-section of senior Govt officers, academicians, scientists, municipal officers, consultants deliberated on how to address the issue of safe handling and reuse of harvested bio-solids from FSTPs/STPs in Odisha.

Odisha’s Septage Infra One Of The Best In Country: Director, CSE

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s septage infrastructure is one of the best in the country, opined experts at a regional workshop on the reuse of bio-solids harvested from septage and sewage organised by the Housing & Urban Development department in collaboration with Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi held yesterday here at Odisha Urban Academy. The Workshop focused on the reuse and resource recovery of harvested bio-solids from FSTPs and STPs, these bio-solids can be a rich source of fertilisers in agriculture in India, say CSE reports. G Mathi Vathanan, Principal Secretary, H&UD, Odisha in his keynote address presented an overview of different urban sanitation and water initiatives, missions and programmes in Odisha, and the emerging challenges of re-use of harvested biosolids. Odisha is known for its pioneering Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM), especially decentralized community-led inclusive sanitation in the country. The State has built 118 faecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs)/sewage treatment plants (STPs) across all 115 ULBs. The State-wide roll-out of convergence of rural & urban sanitation is currently underway, he added. He further highlighted the role of Odisha Urban Academy in strengthening the capacity-building ecosystems in water, sanitation and inclusive urban development space. Speaking at the workshop, Depinder Singh Kapur, Director, Water Programme, CSE, said: “There are over 500 FSTPs all over India, generating an estimated 250 tonne of bio-solids every day. Another 104,210 tonne of bio-solids are generated from the 1,469 STPs that exist in India. Odisha leads the country with its septage treatment infrastructure, covering 115 towns.” Vinod Vijayan, Deputy Laboratory Head at CSE shared the detailed technical findings of CSE study on Bio solids. Sagarika Pattanaik Special Secretary and Durgesh Nandini Sahoo Additional Secretary represented H&UD Department in the workshop. The delegates represented a cross-section of senior government officers, academicians, scientists, municipal officers, and consultants who deliberated to address some key issues on the findings of the research reports disseminated and discussed in the workshop with the focus on recommendations for what can be done to immediately address the issue of safe handling and reuse of harvested bio-solids from FSTPs/STPs in Odisha.

En Inde, la chute des ventes de véhicules diesel est une bonne nouvelle pour l'environnement

En Inde, les ventes de véhicules diésel ont chuté de manière drastique ces dernières années, jusqu’à représenter moins d’un cinquième des nouvelles ventes, toutes catégories confondues. Cela fait suite à un ensemble de mesures fiscales et réglementaires qui ont rendu ces véhicules plus chers, et ont même poussé les constructeurs à s’en détourner. Une bonne nouvelle dans un pays qui compte les villes les plus peuplées du monde. Avec notre correspondant à New Delhi, Sébastien Farcis Il y a encore dix ans, l’essentiel des véhicules en Inde étaient reconnaissables à leur bruit : un bon ronronnement de diesel. Depuis, les ventes de ces transports polluants ont été divisées par trois, pour ne représenter que 17% des achats. Les raisons de cette chute : l’État a augmenté les taxes sur ce carburant, et son prix est maintenant proche de celui de l’essence. Le récent passage aux normes d’émission Euro 6 a également obligé les constructeurs à investir dans de coûteux systèmes de filtrages des émissions, ce qui a renchéri le prix de ces véhicules. Le principal constructeur indien, Maruti Suzuki, a d’ailleurs renoncé à produire des voitures diesel. Une tendance encourageante, estime Anumita Roychowdhury, la directrice du Centre for science and environnement à New Delhi : « Le gouvernement accepte davantage l’idée qu’il faille décourager l’utilisation de véhicules diesel. Un comité parlementaire a ainsi recommandé d’arrêter les ventes de voitures diesel à partir de 2030. Ce genre de signaux politiques réduit la confiance des consommateurs et des constructeurs dans le diesel. »

En Inde, la chute des ventes de véhicules diesel est une bonne nouvelle pour l'environnement

En Inde, les ventes de véhicules diésel ont chuté de manière drastique ces dernières années, jusqu’à représenter moins d’un cinquième des nouvelles ventes, toutes catégories confondues. Cela fait suite à un ensemble de mesures fiscales et réglementaires qui ont rendu ces véhicules plus chers, et ont même poussé les constructeurs à s’en détourner. Une bonne nouvelle dans un pays qui compte les villes les plus peuplées du monde. Il y a encore dix ans, l’essentiel des véhicules en Inde étaient reconnaissables à leur bruit : un bon ronronnement de diesel. Depuis, les ventes de ces transports polluants ont été divisées par trois, pour ne représenter que 17% des achats. Les raisons de cette chute : l’État a augmenté les taxes sur ce carburant, et son prix est maintenant proche de celui de l’essence. Le récent passage aux normes d’émission Euro 6 a également obligé les constructeurs à investir dans de coûteux systèmes de filtrages des émissions, ce qui a renchéri le prix de ces véhicules. Le principal constructeur indien, Maruti Suzuki, a d’ailleurs renoncé à produire des voitures diesel. Une tendance encourageante, estime Anumita Roychowdhury, la directrice du Centre for science and environnement à New Delhi : « Le gouvernement accepte davantage l’idée qu’il faille décourager l’utilisation de véhicules diesel. Un comité parlementaire a ainsi recommandé d’arrêter les ventes de voitures diesel à partir de 2030. Ce genre de signaux politiques réduit la confiance des consommateurs et des constructeurs dans le diesel. » Par rapport à l’essence, les voitures roulant au diesel émettent 50% de plus de particules fines et d’oxyde d’azote, deux composants du smog toxique qui recouvre régulièrement le nord de l’Inde.

Odisha Septage Treatment : ओडिशा को फॉलो किया तो देश में नहीं होगी खाद की कमी !

इनका प्रयोग फसलों के उत्पादन को बढ़ानेमेंकिया जाता है. भारत नाइट्रोजन, फॉस्फोरस और पोटेशियम आधारित खादों की पूर्ति आयात से करता है. यह एक तथ्य हैकि फीकल स्लज ट्रीटमेंट प्लांट और सीवेज ट्रीटमेंट प्लांट द्वारा उत्पन्न फीकल स्लज नाइट्रोजन, फॉस्फोरस और पोटेशियम (एनपीके) का एक रिच सोर्सहोता है. और इसका इस्तेमाल फसल के उत्पादन को बढ़ानेके लिए किया जाता है. फसलों के लिहाज से इनमें आवश्यक पोषक तत्व भरपूर होतेहैं. दूसरी ओर स्थिति यह हैकि भारत पोटेशियम और फॉस्फोरस की मांग को पूरा नहीं कर पाता है, इसलिए उसे आयात पर निर्भर रहना पड़ता है. अब सीएसई ने अपने एक अध्ययन मेंपाया कि अगर इस पर काम किया गया, तो उपचारित सीवेज से हम करीब-कीब 4531 टन यूरिया का विकल्प ढूंढ सकतेहैं. इतना टन यूरिया हमें आयात करानेकी जरूरत नहीं पड़ेगी. येतीनों तत्व फसल उत्पादन को बढ़ानेवालेपोषक तत्व हैं. मल कीचड़ उपचार संयंत्रों (एफएसटीपी) और सीवेज उपचार संयंत्रों (एसटीपी) द्वारा उत्पन्न मल कीचड़ नाइट्रोजन (एन), फॉस्फोरस (पी) और पोटेशियम (के) का एक समृद्ध स्रोत हो सकता है. फसल उत्पादन में उपयोग किए जानेवालेयेतीन आवश्यक पोषक तत्व हैं. सीएसई के वर्कशॉप में इन तथ्यों पर विचार किया गया. सीएसई नेहाउसिंग एंड अएं र्बन डेवलपमेंट ओडिशा सरकार के साथ मिलकर इसे अरेंज किया था. यहां पर एफएसटीपी और एसटीपी के सामनेक्या-क्या चुनौतियां हैं, इस पर गंभीरता सेविचार मंथन किया गया. ओडिशा सरकार ने इन चुनौतियों सेनिपटनेके लिए कई कदम उठाए हैं. उनके कुछ कदम काफी सराहनीय हैं. सीएसई नेपाया कि उनके कुछ प्रयोग इतने अच्छे हैंकि इसेपूरेदेश मेंरिपीट किया जा सकता है. उन्होंनेबायो सोलिड (जैव-ठोस) के रि-यूज (पुनः उपयोग) को लेकर कुछ कदम उठाए हैं. सीएसई के निदेशक दीपेंद्र सिंह कपूर ने कहा कि पूरे देश में 500 से अधिक एफएसटीपी हैं. इनमेंसे 250 टन बायो सोलिड प्रति दिन जेनरेट करतेहैं. इसके अलावा 1469 एसीटीपी सेप्रतिदिन 104210 टन बायोसोलिड बनतेहैं. सीएसई ने यह भी पाया कि पूरेदेश में सबसे अच्छा बुनियादी ढांचा ओडिशा का है. सरकार ने 115 शहरों में इसेस्थापित किया है. सीएसई मेंलेबोरेट्री विभाग के उपनिदेशक विनोद विजयन ने कहा कि सेप्टेज और सीवेज से एकत्रित बायो सोलिड, जैवठोस, पदार्थों के पुनः उपयोग मेंमुख्य बाधा 2022 का फर्टिलाइजर कंट्रोल ऑर्डर है. ये ऑर्डर इन्हेंखाद मानकों के अनुरूप नहीं मानतेहैं. सीएसई के प्रोग्राम मैनेजर डॉ सुमिता सिंघल ने कहा कि उन्होंनेदेश के चार राज्यों के 47 एफएसटीपी के आंकड़ों का अध्ययन किया है. इसमें उन्होंने इसका मूल्यांकन और बायोसोलिड को फिर से उपयोग करने पर विचार किया.

‘Global epicentre for pollution’: South Asia bears greatest health burden for dirty air

Skyrocketing energy demand and fossil fuel use in South Asia over the past two decades have contributed to rising particulate emissions in the region. Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan – where 22.9 per cent of the global population lives – are now the top four most polluted countries in the world and bear the greatest health burden for dirty air, latest data finds. The benchmark study, an annual report known as the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), released in August by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (Epic) revealed that residents in the four South Asian countries are expected to lose about five years of life expectancy on average if levels of pollution persist. Since 2013, about 59 per cent of the world’s increase in pollution has come from India alone, said the study. “Fortunately, more and more people in these countries are recognising the severity of the problem, and governments are beginning to respond.” The report particularly cited how the government of India declared a “war on pollution” in 2019, launching a national clean air programme with a clear goal to reduce 2017 particulate pollution levels by 20 to 30 per cent by next year. Last year, it renewed the target and said that the country aims to achieve a 40 per cent reduction in particulate pollution levels by 2026 in 131 non-attainment cities – or cities that have fallen short of national ambient air quality standards for over five years. It remains to be seen, however, if India, with its resolute call to clean up air pollutants, can see sustained results like what China – another fossil fuel-reliant country – has achieved. The report calls attention to China’s success in its own “war on pollution” that has been ongoing for almost a decade. Latest data finds pollution in the country has declined each year since stricter policies were implemented. China’s efforts ‘a remarkable success’ Across China, pollution levels in 2021 were down by 42.3 per cent compared to 2013 – the year before the country began its war on pollution – and the average Chinese citizen can expect to live 2.2 years longer because of the improvements in air quality, the report said. “In fact, the small decline in global pollution levels from 2013 to 2021 is entirely due to China’s progress,” it said. In seven years, China has reduced almost as much air pollution as the United States did in three decades. Stringent public policies have led to this success, said the report. In China, coal is being replaced by a range of cleaner energy sources, such as natural gas, renewable energy, and nuclear power. Citizens are provided with real-time air quality data to raise awareness on air quality. Additionally, the country has shifted focus towards green planning urban spaces to make them more environment-friendly. China has been “able to significantly reduce air pollution thanks to a persistent, public call for change followed by strong policies”, the report said, suggesting that political will and resources, both human and financial, can reinforce each other to produce better results for solving air pollution. The report described China’s efforts to curb pollution a “remarkable success”, though it also said that the pollution in China is still six times what the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended. Because of its large population, China experiences the second highest health burden from pollution globally, behind India, in terms of total life years lost. The report also cautioned that China has traditionally relied on a command-and-control approach to combat pollution, which has imposed substantial social and economic burdens. A smog that won’t go away India’s current war on pollution, on the other hand, puts a strong emphasis on expanding renewable energy, promoting electric vehicles and supplying LPG or liquefied petroleum gas cooking oil to millions of households. Its National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) has a target which looks at extending the life expectancy of residents. Observers have repeatedly also called upon the government to show political will, including to appoint a “clear functioning authority” with a specific mandate of improving air quality to work on the issue. India’s cities, however, still suffer from hazardous air pollution. Late last year, Air Quality Index (AQI) readings in capital New Delhi oscillated between “very poor” and “severe”, as a thick layer of toxic smog hung over the city. It has spent the winter choked by such smog almost every year. A report by the Urban Lab, Centre for Science and Environment Analysis on NCAP released in September last year highlighted how there is “barely any difference” in overall PM2.5 trends between the group of cities governed under the NCAP and those outside its ambit. Both these regions have mixed air quality depending on the climatic zone, which requires a measurable reduction in pollution to meet national air quality standards. According to the AQLI Index, several factors have worsened air quality in South Asia. Practices like crop burning, the operation of brick kilns, and rapid industrialisation contribute to air pollution. India’s status as a developing economy, coupled with its growing population, adds to the issue. Additionally, the surge in vehicle usage in South Asian countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, has tripled the pollution load. The reliance on fossil fuels for electricity generation further escalates the issue, with their use growing year-on-year. Across South Asia, the most polluted country is Bangladesh. Despite a 2.1 percent dip in particulate pollution compared to 2020 levels, pollution in Bangladesh has hovered around 14 to 15 times the WHO guideline for the past decade. The report highlights efforts by other nations, other than India, in curbing air pollution. In Nepal, efforts are underway with the Air Quality Management Action Plan for Kathmandu Valley, aimed at regulating emissions from factories and vehicles. Pakistan has been increasing the deployment of pollution monitors and implementing seasonal closures of industrial zones in heavily polluted regions, particularly during the high heat energy demand winter months. In Bangladesh, air pollution monitoring has doubled in eight major cities, and brick kiln owners are being encouraged to adopt cleaner technologies. A law was passed in 2019 to prohibit brick kiln production near residential, commercial, environmental, and agricultural areas. Looking ahead, the government has plans for a ‘phase-out’ of traditional brick kilns in favour of cleaner concrete block production by 2025 to mitigate air quality issues.

Rice price spike offers preview of food disruption

A 15-year high in rice prices, prompted by top exporter India’s restrictions on overseas sales, should be a wake-up call on how climate change can disrupt food supplies, experts say. Rice prices jumped 9.8 percent in August, bucking decreases in other staples, the Food and Agriculture Organization said last week. That followed the July decision by India, which accounts for 40% of global rice exports, to ban the overseas sale of non-basmati rice. The government cited soaring domestic prices for the staple, caused by geopolitics, the El Niño weather pattern and “extreme climatic conditions.” This year is expected to be the hottest in human history, and the impacts of the seasonal El Niño weather pattern could make conditions even harsher. Despite severe flooding in parts of northern India, this August was the country’s hottest and driest on record. The monsoon season that brings up to 80 percent of the country’s annual rain has been far below normal levels. India’s July restrictions followed a decision last September to ban exports of another variety of rice that is a staple in parts of Africa. Up to 8 percent of global rice exports for 2023/24 could now be taken out of the market, according to analysis by BMI, Fitch Group’s research arm Drought fears For now, the crisis offers an opportunity for India’s rivals, including number two and three exporters, Thailand and Vietnam. Both have increased exports this year, with Nguyen Nhu Cuong, an official with Vietnam’s agriculture and rural development ministry, touting a “bumper crop” and plans to increase planting. But the dry conditions that tend to accompany El Niño mean smooth sailing ahead is unlikely, warned Elyssa Kaur Ludher, from the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s Climate Change in Southeast Asia programme.-AFP. “My question is whether they can continue to do this once El Niño comes into force towards the end of this year, when water becomes more scarce,” she told AFP. “I think the end of this year and especially the beginning of next year will be very, very tough,” she added. A naturally occurring weather phenomenon, El Niño typically lasts nine to 12 months and is expected to strengthen late this year. Even before India’s latest restrictions, its effects were boosting rice export prices, according to BMI. And in Thailand, national rainfall levels are currently 18% lower than expected for the time of year, the Office of National Water Resources said this month. Late rains could still make up the difference, but the agency said it is “concerned about a drought caused by El Niño.” ‘New normal’ The consequence is one of price rather than supply, said Charles Hart, agricultural commodities analyst at Fitch Solutions. “This is not a running out of rice moment,” he stressed, noting India’s restrictions have not been followed by other exporters. Instead, the situation is likely to force the drawdown of stocks rebuilt after pandemic-era depletions, and prompt importers to seek new deals and impose local limits. Top importer the Philippines this month signed a deal with Vietnam to help stabilise supply, days after announcing a national price cap. “It’s not just a food availability issue, but it’s also a social stability issue, it’s a political issue,” said Ludher. The current disruptions should be a wake-up call for policy-makers, she added, with more attention needed to the plight of farmers across various sectors. Climate change can affect productivity, with lower crop yields as temperatures rise, but also increases the likelihood of extreme events like the 2022 Pakistan floods. “Global grain export markets are relatively concentrated, so that kind of extreme weather risk accumulates in a few markets,” Hart added. In India, policymakers need to develop better early-warning systems and new planting patterns, said Avantika Goswami, a climate change researcher at the Centre for Science and Environment. “Erratic weather patterns are the new normal,” she told AFP. “Now, it’s a case of early adaptation. In the long-term, global emissions have to come down.”

Delhi to explore cloud seeding to check air pollution in winter: Environment Minister

In a bid to mitigate air pollution in the national capital during winter, the Delhi government is mulling over the use of cloud seeding technology to induce artificial rain, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said. Rai added that the government is preparing a separate action plan for each of the air pollution hotspots in the city. Rai's announcement came after his meeting with 24 environmental experts to discuss the 'Winter Action Plan' where scientists from IIT-Kanpur gave a presentation on inducing artificial rain in Delhi. At this meeting, suggestions were also taken from 24 members and researchers from the Council for Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), and Environmental Defense Fund, among others.

Who was Dr S M Mohnot, renowned primatologist and environmentalist?

Dr S M Mohnot who was World’s renowned Primatologist and Environmentalist Professor passed away yesterday. He died after a prolong illness. The Professor was eighty-three year old, and was also the founder and director of School of Desert Sciences (SDS) and Head of Zoology Department of Jai Narayan Vyas University from 1964 to 2001. Dr S M Mohnot was born in June 13 1941 in Jodhpur his father Ranjit Mall was an employee in Northern Railways India he did his primary education in Jodhpur only and enthusiast about environment conservation. Dr. Mohnot, an active individual, has made substantial contributions to research. He has authored books and participated in discussions at global forums on Jodhpur’s Hanuman Langurs. These works are now popular worldwide. Mohnot while staying in Germany worked on marmosets, the smallest of all living primates and developed a long range programme on langurs and came out with a sociological hypothesis on langurs in the wilderness. Germans, American and Canadian scholars have done their research and PhD under his guidance at the SDS. He always stressed the need of developing a world-class international Centre for primates at Jodhpur and to give a national character to develop a centre of excellence for primates has established a National Primate Museum and also a breeding centre to meet the demand for quality primates for a variety of research and studies. Dr Mohnot did the ground work on the western Rajasthan’s environmental issues and stone mining hazards along with late Anil Agarwal, founder of the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based research institute presently run by Sunita Narain. Among dozens of other books authored by S M Mohnot, three main books : Current Primate Researches, Primates of South Asia, and Environmental Degradation in Western Rajasthan received a world acclaim.

Airshed management pivotal to India’s pollution problem

India’s flagship programme to reduce air pollution has seen slow progress, spurring discussions on airshed-level management for air pollution control. As the first phase of India’s National Clean Air Programme for tackling air pollution nears its deadline, with insufficient progress, experts recommend considering air pollution management at an airshed level, as opposed to limiting their actions to political and administrative boundaries. “Emissions from one place can affect people living in another place, but authorities can’t take action if the source of pollution is from across the border,” said Bhargav Krishna, a fellow at the Centre for Policy Research. The think tank recently released a policy brief recommending the airshed level approach where pollution is addressed over a common geographic area, irrespective of state boundaries, where a similar level of pollutants are trapped. “Given the scale and nature of the air pollution crisis in India, urgent systemic reforms that adopt an airshed level approach and facilitate inter-state regional cooperation are essential,” notes the paper, recommending regulatory architecture to address pollution at the airshed level. India’s cities are routinely ranked among the world’s worst when it comes to air pollution management. The country has 39 out of 50 of the world’s most polluted cities, with high 2.5 particulate matter (PM) levels, according to this year’s World Air Quality Report by IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company. Every Indian, on average, loses 5.3 years of their life, because of air pollution, according to the latest Air Quality Life Index, an annual report by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, released this week. A reduced life expectancy from air pollution exceeds threats from cardiovascular disease, high systolic blood pressure, smoking and child and maternal malnutrition. To tackle the problem of air pollution, the government launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019 for non-attainment cities with the worst air pollution levels, with the aim to improve scientific understanding of air pollution and curb emissions at source. The goal of the NCAP is for non-attainment cities to reduce PM levels by 20-30 per cent by 2024, compared to 2017 levels. In September 2022, the central government renewed the NCAP, setting a target of 40 per cent reduction in PM concentrations by 2026. So far, progress under the programme has been underwhelming – only 39 out of the 131 cities have done apportionment studies to track down sources of pollution and less than 50 per cent of the total funds allocated under the NCAP (Rs 652.61 crores) have been utilised. What is an airshed? An airshed, according to the World Bank, is a “common geographic area where pollutants mix and create similar air quality for everyone.” The World Bank’s analysis suggests the South Asian region has six airsheds, four of them falling in India. These are the west/central Indo-Gangetic Plain (including Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab (India), Haryana, part of Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh), the central/eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain (Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bangladesh) middle India 1 (Odisha and Chhattisgarh) and middle India 2 (eastern Gujarat and western Maharashtra). “Air pollution travels long distances within South Asia, crossing municipal, state, and national boundaries, depending on wind, climatology, and cloud chemistry. At any given location, PM2.5 in ambient air originates from several upwind sources extending over several hundred kilometres. This is especially true on and around the IndoGangetic Plain (IGP),” says the World Bank’s report. A 2021 study by researchers from IIT Roorkee found that “while the contributions of local sources (of pollution) were found to dominate in all IGP states, significant contributions were also seen from neighbouring IGP states.” Leading contributors to the region were transport (40-50 per cent share), industry (5-20 per cent) and energy (5-40 per cent) with wide variations within each state. “Delineation of an airshed has three basic steps: First, emission quantification to prepare a multi-pollutant emission inventory; second, analysis of meteorological data to evaluate variations and similarities at the local and regional levels; and third, performing air quality modelling to understand the pollution dispersion,” says a report on managing regional air quality by the Centre for Science and Environment. Monitoring air quality beyond cities India has a network of 438 continuous air quality monitoring systems and another 883 manual stations set up by the Central Pollution Control Board across various cities. In an ideal scenario, India would require “at least 4000 continuous monitoring stations, around 2800 in the urban areas and 1200 in the rural areas, to truly represent the air quality trends,” noted a study from May this year, which proposes improving air quality monitoring for the NCAP through an airshed approach. The study divided 131 non-attainment cities into 104 airsheds, “collectively representing 164 cities and a total population of 295 million.” “These areas are what the city administrators must consider as their immediate vicinity with the potential to influence their air quality the most,” said Sarath Guttikunda, founder of Urban Emissions, a knowledge-sharing platform on air pollution, and lead author of the study. Some cities had larger airsheds than others. Delhi, for example, had the largest of all airsheds, while the smallest were in Himachal Pradesh. “If we want to focus on urban air quality, talk to the city officials, and address local-centric interventions, then we need to define an urban airshed, which the city administrators can comprehend. Here the city’s actions take center stage. In a regional problem, the states falling within an airshed have to address the problem at broader scales like inter-state cooperation for tackling the regional air pollution problem collaboratively,” Guttikunda added. The study also recommended broadening the scope of monitoring to beyond cities, noting that, “For NCAP to succeed, efforts to monitor and analyse pollution levels must expand to the rural areas.” In absence of requisite funding, the study says India can set up a “hybrid” air monitoring networks, which would include supplementing existing monitoring systems with low-cost sensors and combining these readings with satellite measurements. “More monitoring stations mean more data that we have access to understand the problem spatially and temporally. This not only helps in understanding the trends, but also helps in validating the models developed for the city or the region. If we are deviating (from air quality norms), then why, which emission sources are responsible for this, can be studied,” Guttikunda said. Krishna of the Centre for Policy Research, while talking to Mongabay India, also commented that air pollution management in India is currently city and urban-centric, which leaves out management in rural areas, which are equally affected. “An airshed management approach can improve management in rural areas too,” he said. Airshed governance and its challenges According to the Centre for Science and Environment, before an airshed is designed, “there needs to be collective motivation and incentives to justify the need for airshed air quality management, as it requires a lot of time, resources and planning.” In other words, airshed management involves shared responsibilities across city and state lines. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), set up for the management of air pollution in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas from neighbouring states, monitors air pollution and makes interventions periodically for state pollution control boards to follow. But it is only one such body that acts at a regional scale and is largely urban-centric, with only four full-time committee members heading it. The Centre for Policy Research has proposed setting up a network of institutions that could support the governance of airsheds in India, in the form of “supra state” committees which would have jurisdiction over each regional airshed. These committees would be in charge of rulemaking and planning, monitoring, and knowledge building for the region, while “implementation and enforcement would continue to remain with the SPCBs, ULBs and other agencies,” says the policy brief, released earlier this month. “This institution isn’t just going to be one that passes orders but will also be a knowledge generating institution, because it also takes in a lot of data to develop insights for state level regulators while working with them to effectively implement some of the policy directions,” explained CPR’s Krishna, who was one of the authors of the policy brief. “Unlike the CAQM, this composition of the committees will be substantially different and more diverse. It includes senior bureaucrats from the union government, chief secretaries of the various states in the region and state departments, local body representatives and experts from science, regulation, and health impacts. All of these stakeholders need to be represented in the leadership.” CPR says such committees don’t need to be constituted through an act of Parliament, as the CAQM was, but can be notified directly under the Air Act 1981 as ‘air pollution control areas’ by state governments. This way the committee’s purpose is aligned with the law. These committees “would be the first port of call to resolve any issue of jurisdiction, regulatory overlap or any other form of dispute relating to planning or regulation relating to air quality in the region,” says the policy brief. In case of violations, CPR proposes the committees refer defaulters to the National Gren Tribunal or the Union environment ministry for further action. The Ministry is empowered to issue binding directions to defaulters under the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986. But some experts say the concept of airsheds still needs to be better understood by governments before designing for their governance. Pratima Singh, senior research scientist at the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), says conversations about airsheds are still very nascent and have arrived at a time when states are designing their own state-level action plans for air pollution management, and learning more about where emissions are coming from. At the moment, most emission inventory studies are at the city level and not at a district, state or regional level. “If, for example, Andhra Pradesh has too much inbound transportation from Karnataka, then what are the solutions Karnataka can propose so that it doesn’t influence Andhra Pradesh? Within cities, departments don’t interact with each other, so how do we make sure governments collaborate on air pollution? Even if an airshed considers multiple states, implementation and coordination between states will be a big challenge,” said Singh.

Winter plan: Artificial rain among ideas to curb bad air in Delhi

Creating artificial rain, increasing frequency of buses and metro, providing training to workers at construction sites and implementing separate action plans for 13 hotspots are among the suggestions given by experts from different organisations to reduce pollution during winter months. Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai chaired a meeting with experts on Tuesday to draft a winter action plan. Rai said, “The organisations have given their suggestions to act against different sources of pollution. The main objective of this meeting is to make the winter action plan more effective.” He added that 28 departments concerned will also share their recommendations on August 14 and a winter action plan will be prepared accordingly. Rai said separate action plans would be made for 13 hotspots to reduce pollution and improve air quality. Separate winter action plan will help in tackling the issues comprehensively because they have different causes of pollution. The biomass burning is one of the major causes of pollution in the capital city as per report by real-time apportionment studies. “The local biomass burning needs sincere attention and we will conduct a meeting with local security guard companies, because it has been noticed that security guards stoke bonfires during winters. Teams of Delhi Pollution Control Committee will continuously monitor the hotspots,” said Rai. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), who attended the experts meet, said, “The issue of air pollution was discussed comprehensively with a focus on sector-wise implementation strategy. We discussed the scope of action targeting key sources, including vehicles, construction, waste, industry, energy for cooking and heating and also hotspot action. The environment department is expected to finalise the plan soon to address winter air pollution and also continue to engage with the stakeholders.” After conducting a meeting with experts, Rai later said, “IIT-Kanpur will share a detailed presentation on conducting artificial rain in winter season to reduce the number of ‘severe’ days. The proposal on artificial rain will be prepared considering the weather and other factors. It will be discussed with chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and depending on its feasibility, the government will take a call.” Cloud seeding, which is a weather-modification technology to create rain, was also proposed in 2018 with the help of institutions like IIT-Kanpur. However, the plan was later dropped as weather conditions like low moisture levels in the city were found unsupportive.