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Focus on NE’s renewable energy potential

Shillong: Harnessing northeast’s renewable energy potential was the focus of discussion at a national seminar organized here on Friday by the New Delhi-based think-tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), in association with the Association of Renewable Energy Agencies of States (AREAS) under the Union ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE). The northeast, which accounts for just 8% of India’s total land area, possesses a remarkable renewable energy (RE) potential of 129 gigawatt (GW), the Union ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) has said, even as it pointed out that the region has a long way to go before this potential was realized. At present, the utilization of RE resources in the region stands at less than 4%. The per capita energy consumption in the northeast is the lowest in the country, with figures amounting to one-third of the national average (488 kWh in 2021). This “energy poverty” resembles the situation in some African countries and necessitates immediate action towards developing climate-resilient programmes that incorporate renewable energy. The Meghalaya Non-conventional and Rural Energy Development Agency (MNREDA) hosted the seminar, which was titled ‘Promotion of Clean Energy Access in Northeast India’.

Heat Waves Are Unleashing a Deadly but Overlooked Pollutant

LUTYENS’ DELHI IS one of the most iconic neighborhoods of India’s capital. Home to the country’s parliament, numerous embassies, and a lush, 90-acre Mughal-era park, it’s an architectural paradise, connected by tree-lined streets and roundabouts with mini-gardens. Yet despite being one of the city’s most refined districts, this clean, green neighborhood is home to something sinister. It is a hot spot for a dangerous and overlooked air pollutant: ozone. India is no stranger to pollution, with many of its cities reporting some of the worst air quality in the world. Every winter, New Delhi gets shrouded in smog for days. But discussions about air pollution and policies to mitigate it mostly focus on particulate matter: PM2.5 and PM10—small particles or droplets that are only a few microns in diameter. However, scientists are increasingly raising the alarm about surface ozone. It’s a secondary pollutant that isn’t released from any source, forming naturally when oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds—such as benzene, which is found in gasoline, or methane—react under high heat and sunlight. This makes ozone a particularly ugly modern threat—a problem that arises where pollution and climate change coincide. “Even an hour of exposure can give you very poor health outcomes,” says Avikal Somvanshi, a researcher at the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi. While ozone is beneficial in the high atmosphere, where it absorbs ultraviolet radiation, down on Earth’s surface, concentrations of it can be deadly. Data on its impacts is patchy, but a 2022 study estimates that ozone killed more than 400,000 people worldwide in 2019, up 46 percent since 2000. And according to the State of Global Air Report 2020, it is in India where the number of ozone deaths has increased the most over the past decade. Ozone wreaks havoc in the respiratory tract. The gas can “inflame and damage airways” and “aggravate lung diseases like asthma,” warns the US Environmental Protection Agency. It does this by affecting the cilia, the microscopic hair-like structures that line the airways to help protect them, explains Karthik Balajee, a clinician and community medicine specialist based in Karaikal, India. After exposure “we are more prone to respiratory infections,” he says, adding that inhaling ozone also affects lung capacity. Studies show that long-term exposure is associated with an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a lung disease that makes it hard to breathe, and increases the risk of dying from other cardiovascular or respiratory conditions. Even short-term exposure can land you in the emergency room. “One or two days following a peak in ozone, there have been increases in hospital admissions due to respiratory problems,” says Balajee. Delhi and other major Indian cities see spikes in ozone throughout the year, but particularly during summer heat waves, which have become increasingly common due to climate change. The World Health Organization says that exposure to ozone in the air, across an eight-hour period, shouldn’t exceed 50 parts per billion; India’s air quality standard says this WHO limit shouldn’t be broken on more than eight days a year, and not on two consecutive days. But analysis by Somvanshi and his colleagues has found that ozone has already exceeded limits in Delhi and its surrounding areas on 87 days between March and May this year. And they’ve seen similar results over the past three summers. And while the number of monitoring stations recording a breach of the ozone threshold was fewer this year than in previous years, the duration of the exceedance was higher. “We are not even close to compliance with the standard,” says Somvanshi. Part of what’s driving this problem is ozone’s complicated relationship with other air pollutants. Ozone formation is a cyclic reaction, meaning that after it’s generated by reactions between air pollutants, ozone gets converted back to oxygen when it reacts again with pollutants in the air, such as oxides of nitrogen. But if those pollutants are not present after ozone has formed, it lingers. That’s why ozone levels shot up during India’s Covid-19 lockdown in the summer of 2020, when traffic screeched to a halt—the air pollutants needed to convert it back to oxygen weren’t being produced. It’s also why ozone is often found in green neighborhoods like Lutyens’ Delhi—because their air is cleaner, reactions that get rid of the ozone don’t take place. Controlling particulate pollution is relatively simple—you just regulate its sources, such as vehicles and crop burning. Reducing ozone levels is harder. “Our prediction of how ozone might respond to pollutant changes or emission changes is complicated by environmental factors,” says Steve Arnold, professor of atmospheric composition at the University of Leeds. When trying to drive levels down, everything depends on the exact mixture of the different precursor pollutants in the air, he says. Reducing precursor gasses is one way to reduce ozone formation. But bring them down too much and you won’t have any left to neutralize the ozone that’s already present. This is exactly what has happened in China, says Arnold, where stringent policies have reduced PM2.5 pollution in recent decades but the ozone problem has worsened. “There’s a delicate balance that needs to be made,” says Somvanshi. At present, particulate matter is India’s focus, and rightly so—it’s a bigger problem. According to Arnold’s research, 900,000 deaths in India each year are linked to PM2.5, with 374,000 linked to ozone. But in the future, we should worry more about ozone, Arnold says. He has modeled how ozone pollution in India might look in the coming years. “If you go to 2050, then the health impacts from particulate matter and the health impacts from ozone pollution become much more similar in magnitude,” he says. One reason is that researchers believe pollution control policies in the future will be more successful in mitigating particulate matter than ozone. Arnold’s study estimated that by 2050, India could see more than a million premature deaths a year linked to ozone exposure if there is no change in emissions. Even under a strict pollution control policy, premature deaths due to ozone were estimated to be 791,000—more than twice as many as in 2015. While the gas is a problem in other countries, it is India’s poor air quality and increasingly common heat waves that makes ozone a particularly grave threat there. And for Arnold, how the country will evolve is concerning: India will have both a growing and aging population in the coming decades—meaning more people will be exposed to ozone, and in particular, more who are vulnerable. And it’s not just human health that is damaged. Ozone also threatens food security by causing plant yields to “reduce drastically,” says Madhoolika Agrawal, a professor in the department of botany at Banaras Hindu University. Ozone enters plants through small pores on their leaves, explains Agrawal, and then kills cells by oxidizing them. Leaves then start yellowing and the plant is unable to photosynthesize. India’s wheat crop is particularly vulnerable. The country is a major producer and aspires to be a top exporter—yet studies show it loses millions of tons of wheat and rice annually to ozone. In fact, a 2021 paper shows that ozone affects the yield and seed quality of all major crops in India. Current policies are “insufficient in reducing crop loss to ozone,” its authors write. At present, Somvanshi says India is “not doing anything” about ozone, and that the way the country’s Central Pollution Control Board monitors the toxic gas is flawed. The CPCB caps ozone pollution measurement at 200 micrograms per cubic meter—above that, the measurement software just records a blank cell in the data sheet. “We don’t really know exactly how severe the problem gets,” says Somvanshi, comparing the situation to checking someone’s fever using a thermometer that can only go up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The CPCB also reports ozone levels after averaging values at all the monitoring stations in a city, which Somvanshi calls a “disaster” because ozone is a hyperlocal pollutant. “Within the city, there is a massive variation and if you average it out, it will always be below the standard,” he says. WIRED reached out to the CPCB for comment but did not receive any response. And while ozone monitoring infrastructure is robust in the capital region—Delhi and its five satellite cities have nearly 60 stations—more than 200 Indian cities don’t monitor ozone at all. The rest only have one or two ozone monitoring stations, which is basically “useless” says Somvanshi, because of the localized nature of the gas. A quick way to mitigate the problem would be to issue targeted local ozone alerts, he says. In the US, for example, health advisories during periods of high ozone pollution warn residents to not go to refuel their cars when it is sunny outside, because petrol or diesel can evaporate to form volatile organic compounds that can further increase ozone formation. India could do something similar. Somvanshi suggests that factories could also be directed to operate during the evening or nighttime. That way, any nitrogen oxides they release wouldn’t be converted into ozone because there’s no sunlight. To reduce the precursor gasses, Arnold says the government should encourage “policies that can limit motor vehicle emissions in cities.” As for addressing the threat to food security, Agrawal says farmers could choose crop varieties that are less susceptible to ozone. Some plants show resilience, she says, and by cross-breeding we could get crops that are less affected by it. Another solution could be to plant crops during seasons when ozone levels are low, like during the monsoon, but that’s not possible for all plants. Above all, Arnold says, the Indian government should “take the time to understand the potential consequences of emission reductions” and learn from what happened in China. Use “modeling to try and predict the response you might get to emission control policies,” he advises. Ozone pollution, he says, cannot be ignored anymore.

Global South debt crises draining fight against climate change: Report

The report by environmental think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) comes as world leaders gather in Paris for a two-day summit to discuss reforms of the international financial system to better tackle poverty and climate change Many low and middle-income countries are spending more money on debt payments than on meeting their climate goals, delaying their transition to green economies, a new report says. The report by environmental think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) comes as world leaders gather in Paris for a two-day summit to discuss reforms of the international financial system to better tackle poverty and climate change. The report titled ‘Beyond climate finance’ argues that historical inequalities have made developing countries dependent on imports of food, energy, and goods. High debts have limited their capabilities to spend on development and climate. Poor and developing countries are also the hardest hit economically by climate disasters. For example: hurricane Maria that hit the Carribean island of Dominica in 2017 caused damage equivalent to 226 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP). Floods in Pakistan in 2022 and cyclone Pam in Vanuatu in 2015 caused damages worth 9 per cent and 64 per cent of their respective GDPs. Developing nations often lack sufficient funds for social and environmental projects, and rely on foreign debt to support essential activities. The report said debt payments for low-income countries are at their highest since 1998, with an average external debt service payment of 16.3 per cent of government revenue in 2023. “Debt burden exceeds the annual cost of achieving the NDC for many low and middle-income countries; it is plausible that their climate ambition is being hindered by debt obligations,” it said. Avantika Goswami, programme manager, climate change, CSE, said losses and damage due to climate change are mostly concentrated in developing countries. “These are also the countries that need finance for the climate transition to help them develop, without adding significantly to the stock of greenhouse emissions.” Sunita Narain, director general, CSE said most of the money given is not free or cheap – it’s given as loans or investments instead of grants, which means countries have to pay it back. This is a problem because the countries that need the money the most can’t afford to pay it back. “In the 2011-20 period, only about 5 per cent was given as grants and the rest were loans or equity. It is then no surprise that what is termed as climate finance is not going to the countries where it is needed the most,” she said. Seventy-five per cent of all the climate finance in the decade 2011 2020 was concentrated in North America, western Europe, East Asia and the Pacific, primarily led by China. Regions where the majority of low and middle-income countries are located received less than 25 per cent of climate finance flows, the CSE report says, citing data from Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), a San Francisco-based independent climate policy organisation. Shocks like the Covid-19 pandemic have stretched domestic spending capabilities of developing countries. For gas-dependent developing countries like Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the energy crisis driven by the Russian war on Ukraine left them unable to afford the LNG supplies needed to keep the power running, and hindered the industry’s aspiration to switch from coal to gas in countries like India, the CSE said. According to CPI, only 16 per cent of the total climate finance that flowed in the 2011-2020 period can be termed as concessional money given on favourable terms such as grants or low-interest loans. This means the rest 84 per cent of climate finance was provided as loans on market rates which poor and developing countries clearly cannot afford. The CSE report said accessing money for climate investments is costlier for developing countries because they are perceived to have a more “high-risk environment” due to socio-economic challenges and limited resources. This means higher interest rates on loans and higher expected returns on equity. This makes deployment of green technologies — which are newer and require more upfront capital investment — up to seven times costlier in emerging and developing countries than in Europe and the United States, reducing its economic attractiveness. Goswami said multilateral development banks (MDBs), an important source of concessional finance, are risk-averse and provide 80 per cent of the climate finance as loans, which worsens the debt crisis. Also, MDBs’ mandate is being expanded to make financial flows “Paris-aligned”, which could be paternalistic and may narrow funding streams to developing countries, she said. “Now, when we view the pressure to decarbonise within the context of larger systemic financial barriers, it looks like the walls are closing in from all sides for the Global South. It is unacceptable that it is being said at UNFCCC forums that developing countries do not want to take on climate ambition. “The reality is that most of them simply cannot afford it. This system is broken and needs urgent reform. Climate ambition cannot be unlocked whilst operating in a financial system that is inequitable by design,” Narain said.

Winter 2022 was most polluted for city in last four years: CSE

The last winter (2022-23) turned out to be the most polluted one for Nagpur city in the last four years, revealed an analysis done by the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), recently. The air quality (PM2.5) analysis for October 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023 has been carried out by the CSE’s Urban Lab for Maharashtra and Gujarat which was released in the month of April. In these States, winter pollution typically sets in during late November and early December, when the cooler and calmer conditions trap local pollution. The analysis covered 58 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) spread across 17 cities in two States. In Maharashtra, it was conducted at 21 stations in Mumbai, four stations in Navi Mumbai, eight stations in Pune, two stations in Chandrapur, and one each in Aurangabad, Kalyan, Nagpur, Nashik, Solapur, and Thane. While mentioning about Nagpur city, the analysis stated, “Nagpur in Maharashtra was the worst performer (polluted) and registered an increase of 105 per cent compared to the previous winter.” There is a significant rise in Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) concentration during November and December compared to October 2023. NO2 comes entirely from combustion sources and significantly from vehicles. Kalyan in Maharashtra registered highest rise with 3 times maximum build-up of NO2 between October and December. Whereas, Nagpur and Nadesari each registered 2.3 times increase in NO2. In the contrast, Nagpur had the least polluted Diwali night in the region with 75 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) in 2022-23 followed by Nashik 85 µg/m3. Mumbai at the bottom with 70 µg/m3. Whereas, Vidarbha’s Chandrapur recorded the pollution level on Diwali night 4.6 times higher than previous three years. According to the analysis, “Winter pollution level in Nagpur this season has been 94 per cent higher than the mean of previous three winters. Similarly, there has been 83 per cent increase in winter peak compared to the mean of peaks of previous of three winters.” Air Quality Index (AQI) categorisations of day’s shows that the city’s air quality has deteriorated considerably this winter with 47 days of very poor and poor air quality, a considerable increase compared to previous two winters. According to CSE analysis, “Open burning of waste and landfill fires, use of solid fuels in households, vehicles and transport, industries, construction, and dust are the major sources for aggravating winter pollution in Nagpur city.” It also advised that there was an urgent need of aggressive scaling up of multi action plan to control pollution through these sources. While interacting with The Hitavada, Dr Jayshankar Pandey, former Chief Scientist, Science Secretary and Head of Climate Change and Skilling Division of CSIR-NEERI said, “Winter pollution is a threat to all developing cities in the country. Mixing height of pollutants depends on the temperature and when the temperature is low the mixing height is also low. Due to this factor pollutants can disperse in air at low height during winter season.” Trees and urban forests are carbon sinks that absorb the pollutants in any weather. Meanwhile, trees has the capability to absorb pollution during winter. However, due to urbanisation these absorbers are reducing and we are witnessing more polluting winters, said the former Chief Scientist of CSIR-NEERI.

Climate Change Driving India’s Unseasonally Severe Heat Wave

Close to 200 people have died in Central India as a result of a severe heat wave in the region with temperatures in the range of 40-43 degrees Celsius, according to India’s Meteorological Department. While there has been no official confirmation of the death toll, Associated Press has estimated that close to 200 people have died so far in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar alone. The heat wave is affecting seven states. Heat-related deaths are notoriously hard to pin down and overwhelmed hospitals are often not able to dedicate the time to clinically establish it in the middle of a heat wave, which gives authorities the alibi to easily downplay the numbers. Earlier, heat wave warnings were also issued for the months of April and May. Last year, large parts of South Asia experienced the hottest March in 132 years. This was unusual as April and May are usually the hottest months India. The current heatwave is also unusual for June when monsoon showers usually cool down the subcontinent. Human-caused climate change doubled the likelihood of the three-day extreme heat wave over India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, between 14- 16 June, according to a new analysis by researchers at climate communication group Climate Central. With climate change, such anomalies are expected to rise, according to scientists, but heat-related deaths are easily preventable, they say. Early warning India has adequate early warning system in place, Abhiyant Tiwari, the lead of health and climate resilience at NDRC-India, told Health Policy Watch. His organisation works with governments on improving climate resiliency. Heat-related deaths can be prevented by improving coordination between weather and city officials, said Tiwari, something his team helped set up in Ahmedabad city in 2013, making it the first city in South Asia to have a heat action plan in place that remains functional to date. India’s weather department already releases alerts ahead of heat waves and other extreme weather events. In Ahmedabad, a local officer was charged with coordinating with the weather department and other health and civic officials to kickstart a response in the event of a heat wave. Such plans have worked to drastically reduce deaths by simply warning the communities to stay indoors ahead of time, and asking them to keep hydrated. Hospitals too are warned to brace up for additional patients. “The best part is that it is a low-hanging fruit. Heat-related deaths are easily averted and there are no major costs involved at least in implementing the early warning systems. I’m not talking about the long-term mitigation measures, but at least these short-term measures during summer which can save lives by proper messaging, proper preparedness, proper response,” Tiwari said. In the past few days, both day and night time temperatures have been high in Central India leading to a high “heat load,” he said. As average global temperatures continue to rise, night-time heat waves are set to worsen, according to studies. India’s central government has advised affected states to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply and improve the collection of data from the ground on heat wave deaths to improve response, as hours’ long power cuts are still common in the country’s rural areas. Climate change worsening heat waves Summers in India are always hot and a time when schools shut down for the annual break. But rising global temperatures linked to the changing climate have significantly worsened the heat, according to scientists. An analysis released in May this year by a team of international climate scientists at the Weather Attribution Report found that climate change had made the April heat wave over parts of India, Bangladesh, Laos and Thailand 30 times more likely. “We see again and again that climate change dramatically increases the frequency and intensity of heat waves, one of the deadliest weather events that exist. Our most recent WWA study has shown that this has been recognized in India, but the implementation of heat action plans is slow. It needs to be an absolute priority adaptation action everywhere,” said Dr Friederike Otto, a researcher at Imperial College London and co-lead of World Weather Attribution (WWA). While many Indian cities and states have developed heat wave action plans in recent years, their implementation remains weak. This week the country’s central government asked all states to develop a plan with the summers increasingly turning deadly. Images from news reports from the ground in Central India showed collapsed old and young people being carried to the hospital by family members, overcrowded hospitals beds, and family member performing the last rites of the dead. High temperatures also mean increased demand for electricity and higher carbon emissions as roughly half of India’s electricity is primarily generated by burning coal, despite the ongoing attempts to scale up access to solar electricity. The air pollution connection India’s toxic air is also making matters worse. High temperatures generally also worsen air pollution levels. “During heat waves, levels of ozone, and in some cases, production of particulate matter pollution can increase,” said Pallavi Pant, who is the head of global health at the Washington-based Health Effects Institute. Ozone pollution can damage tissues of the respiratory tract and worsen asthma symptoms, while persistent exposure to particulate matter can cause strokes, heart disease, lung disease, lower respiratory diseases (such as pneumonia), and cancer, according to the UN Environment Programme. High levels of fine particles also contribute to other illnesses, like diabetes, can hinder cognitive development in children and also cause mental health problems. “This problem is also not unique to India. Cities and regions around the world are experiencing a higher intensity of heat waves and deterioration of air quality. In California, one study found that exposure to high heat and air pollution at the same time led to nearly three times higher risk of death compared to air pollution or heat alone,” Pant said. High heat and air pollution are linked to respiratory diseases and together, they can increase the risk of poor health, especially for people living with chronic lung or heart diseases. In some cases, exposure to high heat and pollution can also lead to death. Older people and outdoor workers are particularly vulnerable. Central India is already home to a majority of the world’s most polluted cities and an analysis from Delhi by the Centre for Science and Environment confirmed that ozone pollution spikes in summers. India has one of the highest levels of ozone pollution in the world. While short-term measures like heat wave plans can reduce deaths, scientists are clear that unless global carbon emissions are brought down and fossil fuels are phased out, such extreme weather events are only going to get worse. But on that front, there isn’t enough largescale movement yet and the world is currently headed to an average global temperature rise of 2.8 degrees Celsius by the turn of the century, according to the United Nations.

We need change : Lake of urgent funds

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has released a new report titled ‘Beyond Climate Finance’ which has said climate change measures in the Global South cannot be enforced without financial system reforms. What the Report Talks about: The New Delhi-based environmental think tank released it right before the international convention on the New Global Financial Pact being organized in Paris. This creates opportunities for civil societies and academicians to make a strong case for the urgent reforms needed in the Global South. The director general Sunita Narain elaborated on the issue stating that climate finance needs to be redirected to where it is needed the most. Developing countries need a step up from other developed nations that have already secured their position at the top. Multilateral development banks were highlighted in the report. As important sources of concessional finance, they extend about 80% of this budget as loans, eventually leading to a debt trap. They are increasingly aligning themselves with the Paris Agreement which could impose top-down criteria and restrict funding to these countries. Wealthy nations must refrain from reneging in terms of their collective oath to help poorer nations financially to fight climate change. Issues Highlighted: In 2009 at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 100 billion US dollars had been pledged which is too little, too late. Additionally, whatever little is being given in the name of climate change is not concessional (not offered at reduced rates of interest). In the period 2011-20, only about 5% was given as grants and the rest were loans and equity. Countries that need the most money cannot afford to pay it back. The money that has been flowing to invest in clean energy projects, is concentrated in Western Europe, North America, and East Asia (mostly China). As a result, the poorest, most vulnerable countries are left without a support system. Most low and middle-income countries spend more on annual debt servicing costs than what they would do in achieving their goals. They face restrictive costs of capital for green technologies and socio-economic challenges which hinder investment in clean energy, even after possessing rich renewable resources. Poor countries happen to be hit hardest economically by climate disasters. For example, Hurricane Maria which hit the Caribbean Island of Dominica in 2017, Solutions: CSE believes the way ahead can be made brighter with the necessary steps. Additional and reductive finance must flow for climate mitigation (existing funding pools should not be redirected under the pretense of creative accounting). Middle-income countries need better access and the private sector cannot be relied upon to help solve this crisis. A comprehensive rule-based approach has to be adopted to solve the debt crisis and slow down the creation of new debt. Emerging economies in the Global South (excluding China) must secure at least a trillion dollars in external finance by 2030. Despite what conspiracy theorists on Reddit would argue, climate change is very real and very close to changing our lives as we know it (not in a good way either). Developing nations need extended monetary support not just to adapt to this change but also to carve a path to lower emission rates of greenhouse gases. The system is broken and needs to be more equitable. This financial matter is not about us versus them but about a collective interest in a just and inclusive world, which will combat this problem together. The oceans are rising and so should we!

Global south's climate ambition debilitated by debt crisis: Report

A CSE report has found that countries most in need of financial assistance do not receive enough climate finance A report has found that debt crises in many low and middle-income countries are impeding their efforts to combat climate change and transition to green economies. The report, titled 'Beyond climate finance' and published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), sheds light on the detrimental impact of historical inequalities and high debt burdens on these nations' ability to allocate resources for development and climate-related initiatives. Key findings of the report A significant finding of the report is that developing countries, particularly those with limited resources, are disproportionately affected by climate disasters. The report gives examples of hurricane Maria, which struck Dominica in 2017, caused damages equivalent to a staggering 226 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP). Furthermore, floods in Pakistan in 2022 and cyclone Pam in Vanuatu in 2015 resulted in damages amounting to nine per cent and 64 per cent of their respective GDPs. These countries also often face a shortage of funds for social and environmental projects, leading them to rely heavily on foreign debt to support essential activities. The report highlighted that debt payments for low-income countries have reached their highest levels since 1998, with an average external debt service payment of 16.3 per cent of government revenue in 2023. This excessive debt burden surpasses the annual cost of achieving the countries' nationally determined contributions (NDCs), hindering their climate ambitions. Sunita Narain, the director general of CSE, underscores that the financial support provided to these countries is predominantly in the form of loans or investments rather than grants, creating a repayment burden that they cannot afford. Only about five per cent of the climate finance disbursed between 2011 and 2020 was given as grants, while the rest was in the form of loans or equity. Consequently, the countries most in need of financial assistance do not receive adequate climate finance. The report also revealed that 75 per cent of climate finance during the same period was concentrated in North America, western Europe, east Asia, and the Pacific, primarily led by China. In contrast, regions housing the majority of low and middle-income countries received less than 25 per cent of climate finance flows, worsening the financial disparities. The report also emphasised how external shocks like the Covid-19 pandemic have further strained the spending capabilities of developing countries. Gas-dependent nations such as Pakistan and Sri Lanka faced energy crises due to the Russian war on Ukraine, rendering them unable to afford necessary liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies. This situation hindered their transition from coal to gas, which is crucial to reducing emissions. Furthermore, accessing funds for climate investments is more expensive for developing nations as they are perceived as having higher risks and face more socio-economic challenges. The limited resources and high-interest rates on loans contribute to making the deployment of green technologies up to seven times more expensive in these nations compared to Europe and the United States. How can this be solved? The CSE report proposes several solutions to address these challenges. It advocates for increased financial support for developing countries in the form of non-repayable funds. This would make the process more accessible. Additionally, the report also calls for fairer lending rules that consider the unique circumstances of middle-income countries. Inclusive decision-making processes regarding the distribution of funds is also necessary, as well as moving away from the influence exerted by a handful of powerful countries. Finally, it highlights the need to tackle existing debt problems first and prevent the creation of further debt burdens, so that this is no longer an hindrance for economies.

कई विकासशील देशों में कर्ज का संकट जलवायु परिवर्तन के खिलाफ लड़ाई को कमजोर कर रहा :रिपोर्ट

निम्न और मध्यम आय वाले कई देश अपने जलवायु लक्ष्यों को पूरा करने की तुलना में ऋण भुगतान पर अधिक पैसा खर्च कर रहे हैं, जिससे हरित अर्थव्यवस्था अपनाने में देरी हो रही है। एक नयी रिपोर्ट में यह दावा किया गया। पर्यावरण के क्षेत्र में काम करने वाले संस्थान ‘सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवॉयरमेंट’ (सीएसई) की यह रिपोर्ट ऐसे समय में आई है, जब दुनिया के नेता गरीबी और जलवायु परिवर्तन से बेहतर ढंग से निपटने के लिए अंतरराष्ट्रीय वित्तीय प्रणाली में सुधारों पर चर्चा करने दो दिवसीय शिखर सम्मेलन में पेरिस में एकत्र हो रहे हैं। ‘जलवायु वित्त पोषण से परे’ शीर्षक से जारी रिपोर्ट में दलील दी गयी कि ऐतिहासिक असमानताओं ने विकासशील देशों को खाद्य सामग्री, ऊर्जा और वस्तुओं के आयात पर निर्भर बना दिया है। इसमें कहा गया है कि अधिक ऋण ने विकास और जलवायु पर खर्च करने की उनकी क्षमताओं को सीमित कर दिया है। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार गरीब और विकासशील देश जलवायु आपदाओं के कारण भी आर्थिक रूप से बुरी तरह प्रभावित हुए हैं। उदाहरण के लिए 2017 में कैरिबियाई द्वीप डोमिनिका में आये तूफान ‘मारिया’ से इस देश के सकल घरेलू उत्पाद (जीडीपी) के करीब 226 प्रतिशत का नुकसान हुआ था। पाकिस्तान में 2022 में आई बाढ़ और 2015 में वनुआतू में आये तूफान ‘पाम’ के कारण इन देशों की जीडीपी के क्रमश: नौ प्रतिशत और 64 प्रतिशत के बराबर नुकसान हुआ। विकासशील देशों में अक्सर सामाजिक और पर्यावरण परियोजनाओं के लिए पर्याप्त धन की कमी होती है और ये आवश्यक गतिविधियों के लिए विदेशी ऋण पर आश्रित रहते हैं। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार निम्न आय वाले देशों के लिहाज से कर्ज भुगतान 1998 के बाद से सर्वाधिक है। सीएसई की जलवायु परिवर्तन के लिए कार्यक्रम प्रबंधक अवंतिका गोस्वामी ने कहा कि जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण नुकसान अधिकतर विकासशील देशों में केंद्रित होते हैं। उन्होंने कहा, ‘‘इन्हीं देशों को विकसित बनाने में मदद के लिए जलवायु में उत्सर्जन कम करने के लिहाज से ऊर्जा के स्रोत बदलने के लिए वित्त की जरूरत होती है।’’ सीएसई की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण ने कहा कि ज्यादातर धन मुफ्त नहीं होता और इसे अनुदान के बजाय ऋण या निवेश के रूप में दिया जाता है, जिसका मतलब हुआ कि देशों को इसे लौटाना होता है। उन्होंने कहा कि इसमें एक समस्या है क्योंकि जिन देशों को धन की जरूरत होती है, उनमें अधिकतर इसे वापस नहीं कर पाते। सैन फ्रांसिस्को के संस्थान ‘क्लाइमेट पॉलिसी इनीशियेटिव’ (सीपीआई) के अनुसार 2011-2020 की अवधि में जलवायु से जुड़े कुल वित्त का केवल 16 प्रतिशत धन छूट वाला कहा जा सकता है जिसे अनुदान के रूप में या कम ब्याज दरों पर दिया गया। इसका मतलब हुआ कि जलवायु से जुड़ा बाकी 84 प्रतिशत वित्त बाजार दर पर ऋण के रूप में दिया गया जिसे गरीब और विकासशील देश साफतौर पर वहन नहीं कर सकते।

खेती में रासायनिक खाद के बढ़ते इस्तेमाल से बढ़ता खतरा

भारत में 83 फीसद रासायनिक उर्वरकों का इस्तेमाल देश के महज 292 जिले करते हैं. अब असम सरकार इसे थामने की तैयारी कर रही है. तेजी से बढ़ती आबादी की खाद्य जरूरतों को पूरा करने के लिए खेती में रासायनिक खाद के बढ़ते इस्तेमाल का आम लोगों के स्वास्थ्य पर प्रतिकूल असर पड़ रहा है. इस मुद्दे पर विशेषज्ञों की तमाम चेतावनियां भी अब तक बेअसर ही रही हैं. खाद्य विशेषज्ञ रासायनिक की जगह जैविक खाद के इस्तेमाल को बढ़ावा देने पर जोर दे रहे हैं. कीटनाशकों का मंडराता संकट और घिसापिटा कानून रासायनिक खाद से बढ़ता खतरा कृषि वैज्ञानिकों का कहना है कि रासायनिक उर्वरकों के अधिक मात्रा में उपयोग से न सिर्फ फसल प्रभावित होती है बल्कि इससे जमीन की सेहत, इससे पैदा होने वाली फसल को खाने वाले इंसानों और जानवरों की सेहत के साथ ही पर्यावरण पर भी बेहद प्रतिकूल असर पड़ता है. अनाज और सब्जियों के माध्यम से इस जहर के लोगों के शरीर में पहुंचने के कारण वे तरह-तरह की बीमारियों का शिकार बन रहे हैं. धरती और किसानों को भी मार रहे हैं कीटनाशक सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक रासायनिक खाद के बढ़ते इस्तेमाल के कारण देश की 30 फीसदी जमीन बंजर होने के कगार पर है. यूरिया के इस्तेमाल के दुष्प्रभाव के अध्ययन के लिए वर्ष 2004 में सरकार ने सोसायटी फॉर कंजर्वेशन ऑफ नेचर की स्थापना की थी. उसने भी यूरिया को धरती की सेहत के लिए घातक बताया था. रासायनिक खाद व कीटनाशकों की सहायता से खेती की शुरुआत यूरोप में औद्योगिक क्रांति के साथ हुई थी. इसका मकसद था, कम जमीन पर अधिक पैदावार हासिल करना. बाद में विकासशील देश भी औद्योगीकरण और आधुनिक खेती को विकास का पर्याय मानने लगे. रासायनिक उर्वरकों की खपत बढ़ने से जहां एक ओर लागत बढ़ी वहीं दूसरी ओर उत्पादकता में गिरावट आने के कारण किसानों के लाभ में भी कमी आई. यूरिया के अत्यधिक इस्तेमाल ने नाइट्रोजन चक्र को भी बुरी तरह प्रभावित किया है. नाइट्रोजन चक्र बिगड़ने का दुष्परिणाम केवल मिट्टी-पानी तक सीमित नहीं रहा है. नाइट्रस ऑक्साइड के रूप में यह एक ग्रीनहाउस गैस भी है और वैश्विक जलवायु परिवर्तन में इसका बड़ा योगदान है. केंद्रीय रसायन और उर्वरक मंत्रालय की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार 1950-51 में भारतीय किसान मात्र सात लाख टन रासायनिक उर्वरक का प्रयोग करते थे. यह अब कई गुणा बढ़कर 335 लाख टन हो गया है. इसमें 75 लाख टन विदेशों से आयात किया जाता है. विशेषज्ञों का कहना है कि रासायनिक खाद के बढ़ते इस्तेमाल से पैदावार तो बढ़ी है. लेकिन साथ ही खेत, खेती और पर्यावरण पर इसका प्रतिकूल प्रभाव भी पड़ा है. कृषि वैज्ञानिकों का कहना है कि अगर रासायनिक उर्वरकों के इस्तेमाल में कटौती नहीं की गई तो मानव जीवन पर इसका काफी दुष्प्रभाव पड़ेगा. उनके मुताबिक, खाद्यान्नों की पैदावार में वृद्धि की मौजूदा दर से वर्ष 2025 तक देश की आबादी का पेट भरना मुश्किल हो जाएगा. इसके लिए मौजूदा 253 मीट्रिक टन खाद्यान्न उत्पादन को बढ़ा कर तीन सौ मीट्रिक टन के पार ले जाना होगा. बीते पांच वर्षों के दौरान देश में रासायनिक कीटनाशकों का इस्तेमाल भी बढ़ा है. वर्ष 2015-16 के दौरान जहां देश में करीब 57 हजार मीट्रिक टन ऐसे कीटनाशकों का इस्तेमाल किया गया था वहीं अब इस तादाद के बढ़ कर करीब 65 हजार मीट्रिक टन तक पहुंचने का अनुमान है. इस मामले में महाराष्ट्र और उत्तर प्रदेश शीर्ष पर हैं. राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर इस्तेमाल होने वाले रासायनिक कीटनाशकों में से करीब 40 फीसदी इन दोनों राज्यों में ही इस्तेमाल किए गए. इस मामले में गोवा और पुद्दुचेरी जैसे छोटे राज्यों का स्थान सबसे नीचे रहा. इनके अलावा सिक्किम और मेघालय जैसे पूर्वोत्तर राज्यो को ऑर्गेनिक राज्य का दर्जा मिला.

Debt Crises In Global South Debilitating Fight Against Climate Change: Report

The report by environmental think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) comes as world leaders gather in Paris for a two-day summit to discuss reforms of the international financial system to better tackle poverty and climate change. Many low and middle-income countries are spending more money on debt payments than on meeting their climate goals, delaying their transition to green economies, a new report says. The report by environmental think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) comes as world leaders gather in Paris for a two-day summit to discuss reforms of the international financial system to better tackle poverty and climate change. The report titled 'Beyond climate finance' argues that historical inequalities have made developing countries dependent on imports of food, energy, and goods. High debts have limited their capabilities to spend on development and climate. Poor and developing countries are also the hardest hit economically by climate disasters. For example: hurricane Maria that hit the Carribean island of Dominica in 2017 caused damage equivalent to 226 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP). Floods in Pakistan in 2022 and cyclone Pam in Vanuatu in 2015 caused damages worth 9 per cent and 64 per cent of their respective GDPs. Developing nations often lack sufficient funds for social and environmental projects, and rely on foreign debt to support essential activities. The report said debt payments for low-income countries are at their highest since 1998, with an average external debt service payment of 16.3 per cent of government revenue in 2023. "Debt burden exceeds the annual cost of achieving the NDC for many low and middle-income countries; it is plausible that their climate ambition is being hindered by debt obligations," it said. Avantika Goswami, programme manager, climate change, CSE, said losses and damage due to climate change are mostly concentrated in developing countries. "These are also the countries that need finance for the climate transition to help them develop, without adding significantly to the stock of greenhouse emissions." Sunita Narain, director general, CSE said most of the money given is not free or cheap - it's given as loans or investments instead of grants, which means countries have to pay it back. This is a problem because the countries that need the money the most can't afford to pay it back. In the 2011-20 period, only about 5 per cent was given as grants and the rest were loans or equity. It is then no surprise that what is termed as climate finance is not going to the countries where it is needed the most," she said. Seventy-five per cent of all the climate finance in the decade 2011–2020 was concentrated in North America, western Europe, East Asia and the Pacific, primarily led by China. Regions where the majority of low and middle-income countries are located received less than 25 per cent of climate finance flows, the CSE report says, citing data from Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), a San Francisco-based independent climate policy organisation. Shocks like the Covid-19 pandemic have stretched domestic spending capabilities of developing countries. For gas-dependent developing countries like Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the energy crisis driven by the Russian war on Ukraine left them unable to afford the LNG supplies needed to keep the power running, and hindered the industry's aspiration to switch from coal to gas in countries like India, the CSE said. According to CPI, only 16 per cent of the total climate finance that flowed in the 2011-2020 period can be termed as concessional – money given on favourable terms such as grants or low-interest loans. This means the rest 84 per cent of climate finance was provided as loans on market rates which poor and developing countries clearly cannot afford. The CSE report said accessing money for climate investments is costlier for developing countries because they are perceived to have a more "high-risk environment" due to socio-economic challenges and limited resources. This means higher interest rates on loans and higher expected returns on equity. This makes deployment of green technologies -- which are newer and require more upfront capital investment -- up to seven times costlier in emerging and developing countries than in Europe and the United States, reducing its economic attractiveness. Goswami said multilateral development banks (MDBs), an important source of concessional finance, are risk-averse and provide 80 per cent of the climate finance as loans, which worsens the debt crisis. Also, MDBs' mandate is being expanded to make financial flows "Paris-aligned", which could be paternalistic and may narrow funding streams to developing countries, she said. "Now, when we view the pressure to decarbonise within the context of larger systemic financial barriers, it looks like the walls are closing in from all sides for the Global South. It is unacceptable that it is being said at UNFCCC forums that developing countries do not want to take on climate ambition. "The reality is that most of them simply cannot afford it. This system is broken and needs urgent reform. Climate ambition cannot be unlocked whilst operating in a financial system that is inequitable by design," Narain said. The report suggests some solutions. One is that developing countries need more money that they don't have to pay back, and that this money should be easier to get. They also say that the rules for lending money should be fairer to middle-income countries. The CSE said that decisions about who gets the money should be made together, instead of being decided by a few powerful countries and that it's important to stop creating more debt and to find ways to solve the existing debt problems.

Climate finance is not going to Global South where it is needed the most: CSE

The Global South needs additional and concessional finance flows for climate mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage, according to a new report by the New Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment. Climate finance is not going to the countries where it is needed the most. These countries face the highest climate impact and need finance for climate transition to help them develop, without adding significantly to the stock of greenhouse emissions. The current climate finance is inadequate, and ‘additionality’ for funds is crucial — existing pools cannot be repackaged via creative accounting, said CSE’s latest report — Beyond Climate Finance. The report was launched at a recent webinar on June 19, 2023 and was addressed by global experts. The report preceded a two-day summit for a New Global Financial Pact, which will kick off in Paris, France on June 22, 2023. Losses and damage due to climate change are largely concentrated in the countries of the Global South. These are also the countries that need finance for climate transition to help them develop without adding significantly to the stock of greenhouse emissions, the report said. However, the Global South countries face financial obstacles that hinder their climate ambitions, like a growing debt crisis. Many low and middle-income countries pay more in annual debt servicing costs than what they would need to spend annually to achieve their nationally determined contribution goals, CSE added. CSE Director General Sunita Narain said at the webinar: We agree that the $100 billion a year pledged in 2009 is too little, too late. But what we do not know and rarely discuss is that whatever is being given in the name of climate finance is not concessional — in the period 2011-20, only about 5 per cent was given as grants and the rest were loans or equity. “Developing countries also face prohibitively high costs of capital, particularly for green technologies, which hinders the economic attractiveness of clean energy investment in these countries, even if they possess rich renewable resources,” said Avantika Goswami, programme manager, climate change, CSE and co-author for the report. Only 16 per cent of total climate finance can be termed as concessional – money given on favourable terms such as grants or low interest loans. The money that is flowing towards climate projects is heavily concentrated in North America, Western EU and East Asia (predominantly China), said Goswami. This is where most of the growth in clean energy investment has been concentrated as well. So, the money is not going to the poorest, most vulnerable countries. Emerging economies and developing countries (other than China) will need US $1 trillion in external finance by 2030, she added. On June 22-23, France is hosting a summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris “to build a new contract between the countries of the North and the South to address climate change and the global crisis”. This offers an opportunity for civil society and scholars to strongly put forward a case for the urgent systemic reforms that the Global South needs. Goswami will be covering the summit for Down To Earth.

CSE Report Highlights Key Challenges & Strategies for Scaling Up Organic Farming in India

The CSE report serves as a comprehensive resource highlighting the challenges and potential solutions for scaling up organic farming in India. A recent report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) titled "Market Access for Organic and Natural Produce" emphasizes the need to address the challenges of transitioning to organic farming and improving marketing and market access in order to promote the growth of organic farming in India. While there has been a growing interest in organic farming in recent times, the report highlights the lack of efforts in creating better markets for organic produce. The webinar organized to release the report shed light on various case studies and strategies to overcome these challenges. Amit Khurana, Director of the sustainable food systems program at CSE, emphasized the importance of developing better markets through a structured approach. While existing initiatives primarily focus on capacity-building and incentives to facilitate the transition to organic farming, there is a pressing need to establish robust market channels for organic produce. The role of farmer-producer organizations (FPOs) in scaling up organic farming was discussed by G V Ramanjaneyulu, executive director of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture. He highlighted the potential of federated FPOs in augmenting resources, leveraging technology, and establishing efficient supply chains that connect producers directly with consumers. Sahaja Aharam Producer Company Limited, a federation of 19 FPOs, was featured as a case study in the report, showcasing their successful efforts in supporting over 9,000 farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to adopt organic farming practices.

Seminar on Clean Energy Access held in Shillong

The seminar aimed to address the urgent need for developing climate-resilient programmes in the Northeastern states, with renewable energy (RE) playing a crucial role. A one-day seminar on Promotion of Clean Energy Access in Northeast India was organised jointly by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the Association of Renewable Energy Agencies of States (AREAS) at Courtyard by Marriott, Shillong, On June 23. The seminar aimed to address the urgent need for developing climate-resilient programmes in the Northeastern states, with renewable energy (RE) playing a crucial role. The programme also shed light on the various technologies, policies, and challenges involved in transitioning the northeastern states towards a cleaner and more sustainable energy future. Participants will explore the existing energy mix in the states and emphasize the importance of shifting towards a decentralized and distributed RE deployment. The focus will be on biogas, compressed biogas, and hybrid mini-grids as key components of this transition. The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy pointed that with 8 percent of India’s total land area, the northeast region possesses a remarkable renewable energy potential of 129 GW. Currently, the utilization of RE resources in the region stands at less than 4 percent, highlighting the vast untapped potential. Moreover, the per capita energy consumption in the northeast is the lowest in the country, with figures amounting to one-third of the national average (488 kWh in 2021). This energy poverty resembles the situation in some African countries and necessitates immediate action towards developing climate-resilient programs that incorporate renewable energy. By harnessing advanced technologies such as bioenergy, solar, wind, small hydro, and others, the region can address its energy poverty and provide access to clean energy to its communities. This approach not only contributes to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions but also enhances the region’s energy supply, generates income for rural communities, and improves the overall resilience of local societies. The seminar witnessed participation from various stakeholders from government agencies, research organizations, academia, industry, and civil society to come together and explore collaborative approaches to accelerate the adoption of clean energy solutions in the northeast. It will serve as a platform for sharing knowledge, experiences, and best practices in renewable energy deployment. About Centre for Science and Environment (CSE): The Centre for Science and Environment is a leading public interest research and advocacy organization based in India. CSE aims to promote sustainable development, equitable access to resources, and environmental protection through policy research, capacity building, and public awareness. About Association of Renewable Energy Agencies of States (AREAS): The Association of Renewable Energy Agencies of States is a national-level organization established under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in India. AREAS supports state-level agencies in the promotion, development, and implementation of renewable energy projects and policies. About Meghalaya Non-Conventional and Rural Energy Development Agency (MNREDA): Meghalaya Non-Conventional and Rural Energy Development Agency was set-up on September 1987. The aims and objective of the Agency is to formulate and implement

कुम्हड़ा किसानों को इस वजह से मालामाल करता है आगरा का पेठा

मिठाई बाज़ार में आगरे का पारंपरिक पेठा अब लड्डू और बर्फी को टक्कर दे रहा है। ऐसे में पेठे की बढ़ती माँग से कुम्हड़ा की ख़ेती किसानों के लिए अच्छा विकल्प है। पारंपरिक फ़सलों से मुँह मोड़ चुके कई किसान इसकी ख़ेती पर अब ज़ोर दे रहे हैं। कितना आसान है इसकी ख़ेती और कैसे बनती है पेठे की मिठाई जानिए यहाँ। आगरा का पेठा, जी हाँ नाम लेते ही इसकी मिठास दिमाग में ख़ुद ब ख़ुद ताज़ा हो जाती है। आगरा में बने पेठे को इसके मूल स्थान को प्रमाणित करने के लिए भौगोलिक संकेत (जीआई) टैग दिया गया है। जिससे पेठे की पहचान न सिर्फ आगरा से हमेशा जुड़ी रहेगी बल्कि इसे बनाने वालों को उचित दाम भी मिलेगा आज 15 तरह के पेठे देश भर में बनाये जा रहे हैं, लेकिन सबका फल तो है कुम्हड़ा ही। जी हाँ, वही कुम्हड़ा जिसे बरसात से चंद रोज पहले किसान भाई खेतों में बोते हैं। 100 रुपए के बीज़ से 3 बीघे में कुम्हड़ा बोया जा सकता है। बस ध्यान इस बात का रखना होता है कि समय-समय पर निराई गुड़ाई करते रहें और खाद डालते रहें। कुम्हड़े के लिए बलुई मिट्टी बेहतर मानी जाती है फिर भी जिन ख़ेतों में पानी नहीं रुकता हो वहाँ इसकी ख़ेती बड़े आराम से की जा सकती है। जून के आखिर में या जुलाई की शुरूआत में इसके लिए खेत को अच्छी तरह तैयार कर लें, फिर गोबर की खाद के एक लाइन में छोटे-छोटे ढ़ेर लगा दें और इन्हीं ढेरों पर 5 से 10 बीज़ तक गाड़ सकते हैं। खरपतवार होने पर उसकी निराई करते रहें। फूल आने के समय खाद का हल्का छिड़काव कर दें। रोग के लक्षण अगर दिखाई दें भी तो जानकर की सलाह से दवा का छिड़काव कर दें। इसे छुट्टा पशु नहीं खाते हैं, इसलिए ज़्यादा फ़िक्र की ज़रूरत नहीं है। पेठा के बढ़ते कारोबार की वजह से सिर्फ 120 से 150 दिन में तैयार होने वाली कुम्हड़े की फ़सल जिसे खबहा भी कहा जाता है, किसानों में काफी लोकप्रिय हो रही है। उन्नाव, बरेली, इटावा, कानपुर देहात के किसानों की बदौलत ही तो पेठा मिठाई का कारोबार चल रहा है। ऐसे बनता है पेठा आगरा से करीब 336 किलोमीटर दूर उत्तर प्रदेश की राजधानी लखनऊ, में गाँव कनेक्शन की टीम जब पेठा मिठाई बनाने के एक कारख़ाने पहुँची तो वहाँ कुम्हड़े को धोने की तैयारी चल रही थी। इस कारखाने में दिनभर 100 किलो से ज़्यादा पेठा बनकर तैयार होता है। "इसे बनाने के लिए सबसे पहले ठीक से हम कुम्हड़े को धोते हैं जिससे बाहरी गंदगी बिल्कुल साफ़ हो सके। इसके बाद पेठा बनाने के लिए इसके फल को चार टुकड़ों में काटकर बीच का हिस्सा निकाल दिया जाता है। बाकि बचे हिस्से को नुकीले औजार से गोंदा जाता है, "लखनऊ में पेठा मिठाई के कारीगर रवींद्र सिंह ने गाँव कनेक्शन को बताया। वे बताते हैं कि इसे बनाने में कच्चे पेठा का सिर्फ 40 प्रतिशत हिस्सा की इस्तेमाल में लिया जाता है, बाकी 60 फीसदी बेकार हो जाता है। "करीब 100 किलो पेठा मिठाई बनाने में 150 से 200 किलो कच्चे पेठे (कुम्हड़े) की ज़रूरत पड़ती है।" रविंद्र कहते हैं। पेठा को गोदने के बाद साँचों की मदद से अलग- अलग तरह के आकार दिए जाते हैं। फि‍र बारी आती है चूने के पानी में करीब एक घंटे तक रखने की। ऐसा इसलिए लिए किया जाता है ताकि पेठा उबलने के बाद भी कड़ा रहे। "चूने के पानी से निकालने के बाद इसे उबाला जाता है। उबलते पानी में थोड़ी फिटकरी डाल देते हैं, ताकि चूना पूरी तरह साफ़ हो जाए, अच्छी तरह पानी से धोने के बाद फिर चीनी की चाशनी में घोलकर उबालते हैं। सूखा पेठा बनाने के लिए इसे सुखा लिया जाता है और गीला बनाने के लिए चाशनी को रहने दिया जाता है।" रविंद्र सिंह समझाते हुए कहते हैं। सादा पेठा बनाने में करीब 20 से 25 रुपये प्रति किलोग्राम की लागत आती है। मिठाई बाज़ार में इस पारम्परिक पेठे की माँग बनी रहने के पीछे वजह है। आगरा पेठा का कारखाना चलाने वाले देवकी नंदन कहते हैं " इसमें कोई मिलावट नहीं होती है, कोई कर भी नहीं सकता है, इसीलिए व्रत में भी लोग इसे खाते हैं, नवरात्र में खूब माँग होती है आगरा पेठे की।" इस पेठा मिठाई को बनाने की शुरुआत हुई कैसे, और कहाँ हुई इससे जुड़ी अलग -अलग कहानियाँ हैं। ज़्यादातर रिपोर्ट और जानकर हालाँकि इसे शाहजहां से जोड़कर देखते हैं। कहते हैं इस मिठाई को सबसे पहले शाहजहां की रसोई में ईजाद किया गया। हुआ यूँ कि शाहजहां ने एक ऐसी मिठाई बनाने को कहा जिसका रंग ताजमहल की तरह शुद्ध और सफ़ेद हो। बस फिर क्या था, जुट गए सभी खानसामे ऐसी मिठाई बनाने में, और कड़ी मशक्कत के बाद तैयार हुआ सफ़ेद पेठा। आगरा के बुजुर्ग़ तो एक और किस्सा सुनाते हैं। वे बताते हैं की मुमताज़ महल खुद कभी कभी इसे बनाकर शाहजहाँ को खिलाती थीं। एक कहानी ये भी है कि 1631 और 1648 के बीच जब आगरा में ताज़ महल बन रहा था तब उसके मज़दूरों को हाड़तोड़ मेहनत के बाद हर रोज़ कुछ मीठा देने के लिए एक ऐसी मिठाई तैयार की गई जो सस्ती और आसान हो। आजकल बाज़ार में पान के शौकीन लोगों के लिए पान पेठा भी मिलने लगा है। जिसे गुलकंद और कई मसालों से तैयार किया जाता है। इसकी कीमत 200 से 300 रुपये किलोग्राम है। लेकिन ये एक दो दिन से ज़्यादा नहीं रखा जा सकता है। शादी या पार्टी में इसकी काफ़ी डिमांड रहती है। आगरा से निकल कर आसपास के शहरों में पेठा कारोबार के फैलने की बड़ी वजह है ताजमहल को प्रदूषण से बचाने की कवायद। कोयला बंद करने से करीब 85 प्रतिशत पेठा इकाइयां आगरा में बंद हो गईं या पास के दूसरे शहरों में चली गईं। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट (सीएसई) की एक रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक आगरा का नूरी दरवाजा जहाँ 2013 से पहले 500 से अधिक पेठा बनाने की इकाइयां थीं वो आधे से अधिक बंद हो चुकी हैं। सीएसई के मुताबिक, अभी वहाँ करीब 70 इकाइयां ही बचीं हैं। पेठा मिठाई अब कई आकार में है। साल 2000 में सैंडविच पेठा शुरू हुआ तो उसके बाद पान गिलोरी, गुझिया पेठा ,लाल पेठा, शाही अंगूर और गुलाब लड्डू पेठा जैसे कई नाम और आकार वाले पेठा आगए, लेकिन सभी में मिठास वही है, जिसे ताज़ महल के दीदार के बाद कोई भी लेना नहीं भूलता है, 'आगरे का पेठा'।

Coal power plants in India struggle to bridge emission norm gap

In a recent analysis by the Center for Science and Environment (CSE), it was revealed that India’s coal-fired power plants are struggling to meet emission standards, particularly in controlling Sulfur dioxide emissions (SO2). The CSE analysis, based on the updated status of Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) published by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), highlights the lack of progress in the implementation of air pollution control measures in this sector. As per the CSE analysis, the 5 per cent of plants that have so far installed FGDs for controlling SO2 emissions include 9,280 MW that have been reported to have commissioned FGDs and another 1,430 MW that ‘claim to be SO2 compliant’. Says Anubha Aggarwal, programme officer, industrial pollution unit, CSE: “How far these claims are true is difficult to say, considering that there is no information available about on-ground inspections conducted by state-level regulatory bodies to confirm these claims.” The accuracy of these claims remains uncertain as no information is available regarding on-the-ground inspections conducted by state-level regulatory bodies to verify these claims. Installation of FGD systems for SO2 control generally takes about two years, followed by a temporary shutdown of the unit to facilitate necessary repairs. Based on the compliance stage and the remaining duration to meet deadlines, CSE researchers estimate the likelihood that coal-fired power plants will meet emission standards. Says Aggarwal: “Based on this methodology, we have found that despite five to eight years of extensions in deadlines, 43 per cent of the capacity (Category A, which includes plants within 10 km radius of Delhi-NCR or cities with million-plus population); 11 per cent of the capacity (Category B — within 10 km radius of critically polluted areas); and 1 per cent of the remaining capacity (Category C) are unlikely to meet the norms by the latest deadlines of 2024, 2025 and 2026, respectively.” Nivit Yadav, program manager at CSE’s Industrial Pollution Unit, acknowledges a slight improvement in compliance compared to December 2021, which can be attributed to deadline extensions and greater clarity regarding 34 GW capacity that the CEA had not previously reported. Key Highlights of the Report Newly commissioned capacity complying with norms: Only 0.81 GW out of the total 32.63 GW newly commissioned capacity is currently complying with the emission norms. Capacity likely to comply due to deadline extensions: Approximately 13 GW of capacity is now expected to comply with the norms as a result of the extended deadlines. Capacity exploring feasibility of FGD installation: Around 23 GW capacity is still in the process of assessing the feasibility of commissioning FGD systems. Capacity identified for decommissioning: Approximately 2.47 GW capacity has been marked for decommissioning, but the retirement plans for these plants are unclear.