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Cse In News

दिल्ली में ग्राउंड लेवल ओज़ोन प्रदूषण

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एन्वायरनमेंट (CSE), केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड (Central Pollution Control Board- CPCB), ओज़ोन प्रदूषण, वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक (Air Quality Index- AQI), NCAP मेन्स के लिये: दिल्ली में ग्राउंड लेवल ओज़ोन प्रदूषण चर्चा में क्यों? सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एन्वायरनमेंट (CSE) के एक नए विश्लेषण के अनुसार, दिल्ली-NCR क्षेत्र के कुछ हिस्सों में वर्ष 2023 में मार्च तथा मई के बीच 92 में से 87 दिनों में ग्राउंड लेवल ओज़ोन राष्ट्रीय मानकों से अधिक देखा गया। केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड (Central Pollution Control Board- CPCB) के आँकड़ों के आधार पर किया गया विश्लेषण ओज़ोन प्रदूषण की अवधि एवं भौगोलिक प्रसार तथा विभिन्न मौसमों के दौरान इसके प्रभाव और अंतर्निहित कारणों पर प्रकाश डालता है।

India has the potential to achieve UN SDG – 3 ‘Good Health and Well Being’

According to annual report titled ‘State of India’s Environment 2023 (SoE)’, released by the fortnightly magazine ‘Down To Earth’ published by New Delhi-based non-profit ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in March 2023, India ranks 121 in 2022. The report cited that India has skidded down by nine spots as the country is facing challenges in 11 out of the 17 UN SDGs. The report has been compiled with ground level data collected from across states and interestingly it also highlights that there have been considerable improvements in individual states’ performances in some of the major UN SDGs namely SDGs 1 (no poverty), 2 (zero hunger), 3 (good health and well-being), 5 (gender equality), 7 (affordable and clean energy), 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and 12 (responsible consumption and production). India’s dominance in tacking Covid19 With special reference to UN SDG 3 – ‘Good Health and Well Being’, India has already demonstrated its leadership role to the world both in terms of capabilities and potential which tackling the Covin19 pandemic. Vaccinating the country’s large population while at the same time supplying more than 235mn Covid19 Vaccine to 98 countries through India’s flagship initiative ‘Vaccine Maitri’ (Vaccine Friendship). In line with the clarion call made by the UN for promoting the use of Digital Public Goods (DPGs) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in achieving the UN SDGs by 2030, India has been lauded by many nations for the use of DPIs like ‘Aadhar’, ‘Co-WIN’ along with Unified Payments Interface (UPIs) in tackling the Covid19 pandemic. Moving forward with the ‘Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission’ India has laid the foundation for a robust digital infrastructure primarily for the healthcare sector. Leveraging the ‘Co-WIN’ user experience will further the usage of digital platforms and expedite the process of achieving the UN SDG 3 in community healthcare sector. Promoting the use of DPIs for surveillance of diseases, administration of mass drug distribution and running parallel health campaigns for various diseases is the need of the hour for community healthcare. Role of Non-governmental social welfare organisations There are various Public Private Partnership (PPP) programmes in India that currently in progress in various parts of the country. Non-governmental social welfare organisations are working towards improving the social, humanitarian and environmental cause through providing education to children, empowering women, planting trees, reducing hunger and poverty, and so forth. The more the opportunities for non-governmental social welfare organisations to participate, it will expediate the process of mass healthcare programme implementation. Conclusion India, to achieve the 2030 target for UN SDG 3 – ‘Good Health and Well Being’, the need of the hour is to push for more and more use of DPIs while the government, the private sector and the non-governmental social welfare organisations needs to participate in collaboration. Access to effective, affordable, quality and safe essential medicines and vaccines are some of the key components of SDG 3 and can be better achieved through meaningful collaboration.

CAQM introduces new norms for diesel generators in Delhi-NCR

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Thursday issued a schedule for regulations on diesel generators (DG) sets in the National Capital Region. Under this, DG sets with a capacity of over 19 kilowatts (kW) will only be allowed to operate from October 1, 2023, onwards if they are equipped with either retrofitted emission control devices (ECDs) or dual fuel kits of natural gas and diesel. CAQM said these conditions will be applicable even when the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) is not in place, asking those who had not yet retrofitted their DG sets to do so before the deadline. In the schedule released on Thursday, CAQM said for portable DG sets with capacity below 19kW, or generator sets running on LPG, natural gas, biogas, propane or butane, no retrofitting would be needed, stating they will also not be restricted during Grap. For DG sets with capacity between 19kW and 125kW, they will be required to run on a dual fuel mode. For such DG sets, CAQM said, there will be no restrictions on their use, except during Grap, when they will be permitted to run for a maximum of two hours a day. For DG sets with a power capacity of 125kW to 800kW, CAQM said they will be required to be run on a dual fuel mode and will also have to be retrofitted with ECDs. However, there will be no restrictions on such DG sets, even during Grap. For sets with a capacity of over 800kW, the operators must either retrofit them with dual fuel kits or with ECDs, with such sets again facing restrictions only during Grap, where they will be allowed to run for a maximum of two hours. It also said that all new power generating sets with a capacity of up to 800kW were now being procured as per the standards laid out by the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) via its notification dated November 3, 2022, which had made the norms more stringent. Such new sets had no restrictions in place, even during Grap. Through its latest order, CAQM said it had revised the norms for operation of DG sets “across all sectors” including industrial area, commercial, residential and office establishments, stating this had been done to comprehensively and effectively prevent, control and abate air pollution caused by the DG sets in the region. “Retro-fitment of dual fuel kits and/or emission control devices (ECDs), wherever warranted, needs to be targeted to be completed latest by September 30, 2023, failing which the use of the DG set shall not be permitted under any circumstances, anywhere in the entire NCR, even for periods not under Grap restrictions,” said CAQM on Thursday. It further clarified that there will be no exemptions under Grap, unlike previous years, where DG sets were allowed at essential and emergent services like lifts, interstate bus terminals, airports, healthcare facilities, Metro stations, sewage treatment plants or telecommunication and data service institutes. While ECDs are devices fitted at the exhaust of the machines to trap the pollutants like particulate matters and gases being emitted, the dual fuel mode kits will allow a machine to operate on multiple fuels like diesel and natural gas. CAQM has said that the retrofitting or modifications must be done through authorised vendors before October this year. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), says the move to phase out DGs is an important step in improving the air quality in the region. “These emissions can be a sustained source and can lead to toxic exposure for individuals over time. In addition to comprehensive guidelines for retrofitment of ECDs and monitoring, we also need to ensure an uninterrupted power supply throughout NCR and for that, CAQM needs to work with discoms,” she said.

फास्ट फूड खाने से बढ़ रही है ये बीमारियां

सेहतमंद रहना है तो आपकी डाइट हेल्दी और पौष्टिक होनी चाहिए. इस तरह का खानपान न सिर्फ आपकी बॉडी को एक्टिव रखता है, बल्कि बीमारियों से भी बचाता है. आजकल जंक फूड का ट्रेंड चल गया है. हर कोई बड़े ही चाव से खाते हैं लेकिन यह काफी खतरनाक (Junk Food Side Effects) हो सकता है. नेशनल फूड एंड टेस्टिंग एजेंसी के अनुसार, साल 2019 में फास्टफूड खाना वालों का आंकड़ा जहां 25 प्रतिशत तक था, वहीं, 2022 में यह 40 प्रतिशत के पार पहुंच गया. ICMR के अनुसार जंक फूड का सेहत पर बुरा असर होता है. यह आपकी खूबसूरती और उम्र पर भी असर डाल सकते हैं. आइए जानते हैं जंक फूड खाने से क्या-क्या नुकसान हो सकते हैं... जंक फूड नुकसानदायक क्यों हेल्थ एक्सपर्ट के मुताबिक, जंक फूड में चीनी, नमक और फैट ज्यादा मात्रा में होता है. ये सभी हाई कैलोरी फूड्स होते हैं. इन फूड्स में पोषण का लेवल शून्य होता है. इस तरह के फूड खाने में टेस्टी और ललचाने वाले होते हैं इसलिए इनकी डिमांड बढ़ती जा रही है. इसे खाने से लाइफस्टाइल का बैलेंस बिगड़ रहा है. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट की टेस्टिंग लैब में हुए एक रिसर्च के मुताबिक, इंडिया में FSSAI के मानकों की तुलना में पैकेज्ड फूड आइटम में फैट, तेल और नमक की मात्रा ज्यादा है. चिप्स, नमकीन, बर्गर, स्प्रिंग रोल, पिज्जा समेत 33 जंक फूड्स ऐसे हैं, जिसे लोग ज्यादा पसंद करते हैं. फास्ट फूड खाने से बढ़ रहीं बीमारियां फास्ट फूड के ज्यादा सेवन से हर साल 8 परसेंट लोग बीमार हो रहे हैं. रेगुलर जंक फूड खाने से हाई ब्लड प्रेशर, दांतों में समस्या, कब्ज, हार्ट से जुड़ी परेशानी, स्किन प्रॉब्लम, लेटने और बैठने में घबराहट जैसी समस्याएं हो सकती हैं. जंक फूड के नुकसान हार्ट की समस्याएं हेल्थ एक्सपर्ट के मुताबिक, जंक फूड्स में कार्बोहाइड्रेट पाए जाते हैं. इसमें फाइबर की मात्रा बिल्कुल न के बराबर ही होती है. जब डाइजेस्टिव सिस्टम जंक फूड्स को तोड़ता है तो कार्बोहाइड्रेट ब्लड सर्कुलेशन में ग्लूकोज के तौर पर निकल जाते हैं. इससे ब्लड में शुगर भी बढ़ सकता है. इसी कारण इंसुलिन बढ़ जाता है. दिल की सेहत भी बिगड़ सकती है.

SE Report Shows Telangana Ranks 1st for Overall Environmental Performance

Telangana Ranks 1st for Overall Environmental Performance: Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released its annual compendium of data, 'State of India’s Environment 2023: In Figures'. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a non-profit organization, released its annual compendium of data, ‘State of India’s Environment 2023: In Figures’, on the eve of World Environment Day. The report includes statistics on various aspects of the environment, including climate and extreme weather, health, food and nutrition, migration and displacement, agriculture, energy, waste, water, and biodiversity.

These Families Have Said ‘NO TO CARS’ And ‘YES TO PLANET EARTH’

Swarupa Salve was pregnant when she suffered an asthma attack while she was stuck in traffic in Delhi on her way home from work. “I was scared, trapped in a whirlwind of dark grey smoke coupled with heat and smog, and had nowhere to go and no one to help me. I passed out and woke up in the hospital. Luckily, my baby and I survived – he is 2 now but has severe respiratory issues. He is always coughing, I can hear him wheezing while he is asleep and all this because pollution is now a part and parcel of life you either live with it or suffer through it.” Shortness of breath, asthma, sneezing, coughing, lunch infections, and constant use of an inhaler or nebulizer that’s standard and a lifestyle for many of us now. Between 2018-2021, India witnessed the maximum levels of human-induced air pollution, noted a recent 2023 study titled 'Machine learning-based country-level annual air pollutants exploration using Sentinel-5P and Google Earth Engine' published in the journal Nature. This period saw a surge in air pollution owing to industrial power plants, green space dynamics, unplanned urbanisation and development and an increase of transportation, in the country. For the past century, the car has dominated the urban landscape. Streets have been widened in many cities to accommodate automobiles, and huge amounts of space are given over to parking them. Private vehicles have revolutionised mobility, according to research by C2FO, annual car sales in India are projected to increase from the current 3.5 million to about 10.5 million — a three-times increase — by 2030. While these numbers speak volumes about the country’s spending capacity, this also comes at a greater cost and sacrifice – increasing exposure to vehicular exhaust emissions. According to studies, vehicles annually contribute about 290 gigagrams (Gg) of PM2.5 – this is considered more toxic because of the toxic constituents of its PM2.5 emissions. At the same time, around eight per cent of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in India are from the transport sector, and in Delhi, it exceeds 30 per cent according to an analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The levels of the pollutant PM 2.5 are often well above the World Health Organisation’s recommended level of exposure (often over 5 times higher) and this leads to serious respiratory problems for those exposed to it. As part of a worldwide survey, it was discovered that 21 out of the 30 most polluted cities in the world were in India. And this pushed India’s ranking as a country to 5th place, according to figures published by iqair.com. Over 50 over cent of this pollution comes from factories/industries, followed by 27 per cent from vehicles, 17 per cent from crop burning and 7 per cent from domestic cooking. Vehicular emission is a major cause of air pollution in India and over 2 million Indians lose their life to causes attributed to air pollution. Globally, the movement to trade private cars in lieu of active transportation such as walking, biking and taking public transportation has been gaining popularity to reduce carbon emissions. India’s goals over the next few years to reduce air pollution include the introduction of over one lakh electrically powered buses across the country and the upgrading of engines using fossil fuels to meet the stringent BS6 standards. Tax relaxations on Electric Vehicles (EVs) ownership with hopes that by 2030, 25 per cent of all privately-owned vehicles on Indian roads will be EVs. Vehicles older than 15 years or that fall below the BS6 emission standards will be banned from city roads. In addition to steps taken by the governments, families are doing their bit, and today a small but growing number of cities are trying to design cars out of the urban landscape altogether. Her Circle spoke to individuals who have taken active steps and given up driving private cars to help the planet heal.

Ground Level Ozone Pollution in Delhi: CSE

Why in News? According to a new analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), parts of the Delhi-NCR region witnessed ground-level ozone exceeding the national standards on 87 out of 92 days between March and May in 2023. The analysis, based on data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), highlights the duration and geographical spread of Ozone Pollution, its impact during different seasons, and the underlying causes.

Ground-level ozone: CSE analysis says South Delhi, New Delhi worst affected

Why in News? According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), parts of the Delhi-NCR region witnessed ground-level ozone readings exceeding the safe standards (50 ppb over an 8-hour average) between March and May. Moreover, the region is seeing a rare phenomenon where ozone levels remain elevated even at night (should ideally become negligible during the night) and has become a yearlong problem. What’s in Today’s Article? What is Ground-level Ozone? What are the Harmful Effects of Ground-level Ozone? What is the Situation of Ground-level Ozone in India?

Ground-level ozone: CSE analysis says South Delhi, New Delhi worst affected

Why in News? According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), parts of the Delhi-NCR region witnessed ground-level ozone readings exceeding the safe standards (50 ppb over an 8-hour average) between March and May. Moreover, the region is seeing a rare phenomenon where ozone levels remain elevated even at night (should ideally become negligible during the night) and has become a yearlong problem.

Ground-level ozone

Context: The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has issued an alert on rising ozone pollution and multi-pollutant crisis in the national capital on World Environment Day 2023 (June 5). World Environment Day (WED): It is celebrated annually on 5 June and encourages awareness and action for the protection of the environment. It was established in 1972 by the UN at the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. In 1973, the first WED was held with the theme “Only One Earth”. WED 2023 is hosted by Côte d’Ivoire in partnership with the Netherlands with the theme #BeatPlasticPollution.

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has issued an alert on rising ozone pollution and multi-pollutant crisis in the national capital on World Environment Day 2023 (June 5).

Highlights of the CSE analysis: Ground-level ozone usually exceeds the safety standard (50 ppb over an 8-hour average) on all summer days in some locations in Delhi-NCR every year. Ground-level ozone, which should ideally become negligible in the night air, remains a problem at night too in the Delhi-NCR region. Even winter months (winter can inhibit the formation of ground-level ozone) in Delhi-NCR face excess ozone levels, making it an all-year problem.

CSE analysis says South Delhi, New Delhi worst affected by ground-level ozone: What is this pollutant?

Also known as tropospheric ozone, ground-level ozone is “a colourless and highly irritating gas that forms just above the Earth's surface (up to 2 miles above the ground),” as per Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). According to a new analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), parts of the Delhi-NCR region witnessed ground-level ozone readings exceeding the national standards on 87 out of 92 days in the summer period between March and May. The worst affected parts in the area are New Delhi and South Delhi neighbourhoods. Based on Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data on ozone levels from 58 stations across Delhi-NCR, the CSE analysis also noted that although the spatial spread — number of stations exceeding the standard across the core NCR — of ground-level ozone has been lower this year, its duration has increased. “This summer, at the stations which reported exceedance the rolling 8-hr average stayed above standard for 4.9 hours on average, which is up from 4.6 hours observed last summer.,” the assessment noted. Moreover, the region is seeing a rare phenomenon where ozone levels remain elevated hours after sunset — ground-level ozone should ideally become negligible during the night. Another issue is that the pollutant, which once used to be prominent only during the summers, has become a yearlong problem. What is ground-level ozone? Also known as tropospheric ozone, ground-level ozone is “a colourless and highly irritating gas that forms just above the Earth’s surface (up to 2 miles above the ground).,” as per Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). Notably, it’s not directly emitted into the air but rather produced when two primary pollutants react in sunlight and stagnant air. These two primary pollutants are nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Therefore, ground-level ozone is called a “secondary” pollutant. “NOx and VOCs come from natural sources as well as human activities. About 95 per cent of NOx from human activity comes from the burning of coal, gasoline and oil in motor vehicles, homes, industries and power plants. VOCs from human activity come mainly from gasoline combustion and marketing, upstream oil and gas production, residential wood combustion, and from the evaporation of liquid fuels and solvents.,” ECCC noted. Ground-level ozone is likely to breach safety standards on hot summer days in urban areas, but can also reach unhealthy levels during colder months. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mentioned on its website that the pollutant can also travel long distances due to wind and affect rural areas also.

Corp fails to act on plaints against illegal plastic use

KOCHI: Even as the waste menace in Kochi turns from bad to worse, it has come to light that Kochi corporation has failed to act against illegal plastic use despite receiving complaints. Centre had banned use of single-use plastic in July 2022. Subsequently, the state government banned single-use plastic irrespective of GSM (gram per square metre) standards. But Kerala High Court scrapped this stating that the ban doesn’t extend to non-woven bags of 60 GSM and above. A report titled ‘State of India’s Environment in Figures’ by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) shows that 91 complaints regarding illegal plastic use were received from Ernakulam city on the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) mobile application SUP–CPCB till March 2023. Launched in May last year, the app allows people to file complaints against illegal plastic use. However, no complaint has been addressed so far though the application itself was launched for redressal. As per the report, which used data from the CPCB, Ernakulam is one among the 20 cities with maximum number of complaints received through the app. Ernakulam is in the 18th position. Chennai received 85 complaints on the app during the same period and 54 of them were redressed. “More than half of the complaints were related to illegal use/sale of cutlery items and carry bags,” says the report. The state PCB officials said the complaints received on the app are redirected to the respective local bodies to take action. “When a person files a complaint on the app, it will be automatically transferred to the registered local body. We will check on the grievance app and will give directive to the respective local body,” said a PCB official in Thiruvananthapuram. Kochi corporation officials said the complaints received on the application have not come to their notice so far. They also admitted that the corporation faltered on the raids on illegal sale of banned plastic following the fire at Brahmapuram and only one or two raids are carried out per week now. “Earlier, the corporation used to collect a fine of Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh per month from raids to check illegal plastic sale. Now, only a few thousand rupees are collected from one or two raids per month. We can rein in sale and use of illegal plastic only through frequent raids. As per rule, we can even book those who use banned plastic bags at public places. We have not implemented it yet. Currently, the raid is concentrated at collection and distribution centres,” said a corporation official. He said they can resume the raids once the waste management issue in the city is addressed, and it will take a few more months.