Centre for Science and Environment masthead Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Donate

Cse In News

Cse In News

Telangana's green initiatives best in the country: Report

The report published by Centre for Science and Environment commends Telangana for increasing its forest cover Telangana has emerged as the top State in overall environmental performance, as per a report, ‘The State of India’s Environment 2023: In Figures’, released on the eve of World Environment Day on Sunday. The report, published by Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth, commends Telangana for progress in increasing forest cover and municipal waste treatment. Scoring more than 7 out of 10 points, Telangana is the only State which has shown more than 7% improvement in forest cover from 2019 to 2021. The State has also developed facilities to treat most of its waste and sewage. It has also shown remarkable achievement in generating power from renewable sources. However, the State’s performance is below average in parameters such as ‘share of water bodies not in use’, ‘stage of groundwater extraction,’ and ‘change in the number of polluted rivers stretches’. The overall rank was determined by considering 32 indicators in four areas — environment, agriculture, public health, and infrastructure. Telangana, along with Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Gujarat, emerged as the leading States in the report. Telangana secured the 4th position in public health infrastructure and human development, with a score of 7.8. In agriculture, the State stood at the 18th position with an overall score of 4.1, while in public health, it stood at number 13. Meanwhile, MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao lauded the government officials for their efforts in contributing to the increase in the State’s green cover and improving public health sector. He said that Telangana was already a role model for the country, particularly with its unique policies focused on the environment, and the government remains committed to creating a better atmosphere for future generations. According to the Forest Survey of India report, Telangana has witnessed a 7.7% increase in greenery. The Haritha Haram programme launched to restore depleting forests, stands as the second-largest people-led initiative globally, with nearly 273 crore plants planted over the last nine years. To ensure proper sanitation in urban areas, Telangana has introduced a bio-mining programme for processing accumulated garbage in municipalities and municipal corporations across the State. Moreover, Hyderabad city ranks second in the country in terms of energy generation from waste, producing 24 megawatts of electricity. KTR lauds officials MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao lauded the government officials for their environment protection efforts and improving public health sector

24 extreme weather events in Bengal this year: Report

KOLKATA: In just one year, the impact of climate change has become far more severe in Bengal. While there were only 10 extreme weather events in the whole of 2022, in just over five months this year, there have already been 24 such events in Bengal, revealed the latest report of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on the state of India's environment 2023 on the eve of World Environment Day. In 2022, India experienced extreme weather events on 314 of the 365 days, leading to a loss of over 3,026 lives and damage to 1.96 million hectare of crop area. While heatwaves were common in the first part of 2022, hailstorms became the predominant extreme weather phenomena in 2023. "Our attempt is to use the best available data points to tell you the story of India's environmental performance: where it has faltered, where it has managed to move towards a sustainable existence, and where, if any, are the gaps in data," said CSE director general Sunita Narain. Bengal has a mixed bag in different categories of environmental and climate-related governance among the states. In terms of overall environmental performance, the report has ranked Bengal among the bottom five states with its score being 3.7 out of 10. Telangana (score 7.2) is at the top for its progress in increasing its forest cover and in municipal waste treatment. However, the state has performed below average in parameters such as "share of water bodies not in use", "stage of groundwater extraction" and "change in the number of polluted river stretches". In agriculture, Bengal is somewhere in the middle at 11th position with a score of 4.6. Madhya Pradesh takes the top slot for the highest share of net value added, and its jump in foodgrain production. However, almost half the crop area in the state remains uninsured. While Delhi leads in public health, Bengal remains somewhere middle in the 16th rank with a score of 4.5. Delhi has allocated the highest share of its budget to health and boasts of a robust network of healthcare facilities. It, however, has a low immunisation rate. In public infrastructure and human development, Bengal again remained in the bottom half along with the north-eastern states. Gujarat leads the rankings - it makes the cut for its performance in providing employment and tap water connections. The state, however, ranks comparatively low in sex ratio and has a high proportion of rural households using unclean cooking fuels. On the management of municipal solid waste: With its 120 legacy dump sites, Bengal is one of the top five municipal waste generators (14.6 million tonnes) per day with 95% of its waste to be remediated. In 2020-21, India generated over 160,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste a day - 32% of this remained accounted for. This unaccounted waste usually ends up choking drains or is burnt illegally. On the brighter side, the country's waste treatment and monitoring improved.

Act now or the Earth will choke on plastic

oday is World Environment Day and the UN’s focus this year is on the plastic pollution crisis. While plastic has become a vital part of everyday life, experts warn that its annual production could treble over current levels by 2060. At the current recycling rate of 9% that would be a recipe for disaster. The only way out of this mess is to use less plastic and recycle more The world now produces 460 million tonnes of plastic every year – double of what it did 20 years ago – and at the current rate plastic production will treble by 2060. That’s because affordable, durable and flexible plastic is in everything from packaging to clothes and beauty products. image0 (3). Unfortunately, more than two-thirds of plastic products – such as packaging – have a short useful life, and they add to the pile of toxic waste. Globally, only 9% of plastic waste is recycled, while 22% finds its way into landfills, oceans, rivers, lakes and other reservoirs where it not only damages the soil and poisons groundwater but also chokes marine life and enters the food chain, posing a serious health hazard. Two Main ProblemsRavi Agarwal, director of the environmental NGO Toxics Link, says plastics have two main problems. “Firstly, they are not biodegradable as waste, which globally exceeds 350 million tonnes (MT) a year. They can persist for hundreds of years as waste.” Agarwal is an expert who has worked in the fields of waste and circularity for years. He says more than 5.3 trillion plastic pieces are already in the oceans. They can be found in every corner of the Earth, down to the Mariana Trench – the deepest point in the ocean – as floating masses in ocean gyres, and in fish and birds that mistake it for food. image1. “Plastics have become new ‘bio-forms’ entangled with living creatures, not infrequently killing them. Microplastics, which are 5mm in size or less, have been found in fish, drinking water, human blood and in soil.” The second problem, Agarwal says, is that “plastics are often carriers of very toxic chemicals that have been introduced to make them usable.” Heavy metals like chromium, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) like BPA (bisphenol A), phthalates, BFRs (flame retardants), etc, leach out from plastic packaging and products like feeding bottles, teethers and electronic products during use, or during waste disposal and recycling. They can cause cancer, neurological effects, etc, with even a low dose over a prolonged period. Rivers Full Of Waste Plastic touches every part of our lives. About 60% of material made into clothing – including polyester, acrylic and nylon – is plastic. Industrial fishing gear adds about 45,000 tonnes of plastic to the oceans every year. And plastic is even used in seed coatings for agriculture. The OECD’s first Global Plastics Outlook report released last year noted that in 2019 alone, 6.1 MT of plastic waste had leaked into aquatic environments and 1.7MT had flowed into oceans. “There is now an estimated 30MT of plastic waste in seas and oceans, and a further 109MT has accumulated in rivers,” it said. So, even if plastic waste mismanagement stops today, the plastic that’s already in rivers will continue to leak into the oceans for decades. Role In Global Warming The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which has been working on a legally binding instrument to deal with plastic pollution, says plastics also contribute to the climate crisis: “The production of plastic is one of the most energy-intensive manufacturing processes in the world. The material is made from fossil fuels such as crude oil, which are transformed via heat and other additives into a polymer. In 2019, plastics generated 1.8 billion MT of greenhouse gas emissions – 3.4% of the global total.” Circularity Is The Answer What’s the way out? Experts agree that it’s time to shift to a “circular” plastic economy in which plastic is not used and discarded but kept in the economy at its highest value for as long as possible. “Clearly, we need to use plastic, but we need better management based on the principle of minimising what cannot be recycled; understanding the limits to recycling, and banning items like multilayered plastic,” says Sunita Narain, director general of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the New Delhi-based think tank on environmental issues. But while systemic reform is needed, individual choices can also make a difference. That’s why many countries, including India, have taken a citizen-centric approach to avoid single-use plastic products wherever possible. India already has a countrywide ban on single-use plastic, and this World Environment Day (June 5) it will make a big pitch for tackling plastic pollution as a key component of its Mission LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment) – a mass movement for an environmentally conscious lifestyle. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will himself appeal to citizens on the occasion to deal with plastic through collective actions. Making Better Plastics Should we aim to return to a plastic-free life? Agarwal is sceptical about the idea. “Technically, we can live without lastics, of course, but these materials have become integrated into almost all aspects of our lives today. Hence, contemporary life without plastics seems hard to conceive.” Instead, he recommends making better, environment-friendly plastics. “This can be achieved by making materials that are degradable (bio-plastics), or using plant-based materials to break plastic’s link with fossil fuels. Secondly, toxic chemicals in plastics can be substituted with safer additives to make them easier to recycle. And finally, we can minimise plastic use by reducing packaging, eliminating non-essential or single-use plastics, and improving waste management and disposal.

240 tonnes of plastic dumped in Delhi everyday: Report

The Capital currently generates over 1,100 tonnes per day (TPD) of plastic waste, but only around 870 TPD is being recycled or managed, leaving a gap of 242 TPD, or 22% of Delhi’s plastic waste load which ends up either in drains, at landfill or finding its way to the Yamuna, the latest data shows. While Delhi has set a target of June 2024 to bridge this gap completely, experts say the Capital may have to work much harder, especially considering the fact that it has failed to successfully implement the ban on 19 single-use plastic (SUP) items. Data shared by municipal bodies during a meeting on April 25 with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) appointed high-level solid waste monitoring committee, which is headed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, showed that Delhi’s current plastic waste generation figure stood at 1,113.25 TPD, with 871.25 TPD being processed. This leaves a gap of 242 TPD, which required immediate attention, with agencies fixing a timeline of June 2024 to bridge this gap. Atin Biswas, programme director of the municipal solid waste sector at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) says segregation of waste is the base for any city looking to solve its waste problem. “At present, even this figure of 78% plastic being recycled seems fairly high, as Delhi is not segregating its waste like other cities. Only when that is being done, can waste be effectively separated. Until we achieve segregation at source, this target of June 2024 appears highly unlikely,” said Biswas. Meanwhile, Delhi has also fallen behind on its single-use plastic (SUP) goals. From July 1, 2022 onwards, 19 SUP items were banned in Delhi and other states and Union territories across the country simultaneously, as part of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2021, issued on August 12, 2021. However, several items in the list are still commonly found in markets across Delhi. Bhiku Ram, 39, who sells fruit juice at the Lajpat Nagar central market, still has both plastic straws and plastic spoons on display at his counter. He said while he tried to transition to the alternatives, the price difference still remains substantial. “Plastic is still easily available and agencies also are not too keen on enforcing such a ban,” Ram said. Read here: Second cleanest start to years since 2016 in Delhi: CAQM Ashish Jain, founder and director of the NGO Indian Pollution Control Association (IPCA) said there is an urgent need for action on plastic pollution. “Agencies are finally beginning to act on plastic pollution, but it still needs a change in the mindset of consumers too. For instance, plastic items like plastic furniture have several alternatives, but plastic ones still exists in the market. We need to stop giving consumers such options.”

World Environment Day: Key climate meet to begin in Germany's Bonn today

An important meeting is set to begin in Bonn in Germany on Monday, celebrated as World Environment Day, which will set the agenda for the next United Nations climate summit scheduled to be held in Dubai towards the end of this year. As the world inches closer to breaching global warming by 1.5 degree Celsius, a goal of the 2017 Paris climate pact, the Bonn meeting is expected to lay down the groundwork for a strong outcome on the climate crisis. The technical discussions on the global stocktake of Paris agreement are expected to end at Bonn. They will set the tone for political discussions to begin. The world is currently not on track to meet the goals of the Paris pact that wants to limit global temperature rise within 2 degrees compared with pre-industrial times and make efforts to contain it to 1.5 degrees. The planet would warm by 2.7 degree by the end of this century is no significant action is taken, according to United Nations Environment Programme. The World Meteorological Organisation warned on May 15 that there is a 66% chance that annual global surface temperature will exceed 1.5 degrees at least once in the next five years. The climate summit has to not only inform the wide gap in emissions reductions needed globally, but also get political consensus to put the world back on the Paris Agreement track. The Bonn climate talks are halfway to the annual summit, also known as the 28th Conference of Parties, or COP28. It will determine what will finally find its way to the summit’s decision text at the end of the year, experts said. “We already know that at COP28, we need a deal to get global climate action back on track,” Tom Evans, policy advisor of think tank E3G’s climate diplomacy and geopolitics programme, said at a briefing last week. COP 28 needs to deliver outcomes on emissions reduction, fossil fuel phase-out and making climate finance and the loss and damage fund a reality, he said. The global stocktake in Dubai will take place in the backdrop of the United Arab Emirate’s contentious presidency. Over 130 lawmakers from the European Union and the US have urged the removal of oil executive Sultan Al Jaber as the president of COP28. Al Jaber is also the chief executive of state oil giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Corporation. Some experts say his country is stuck in a credibility crisis due to its fossil fuel political economy, which could be countered at Bonn. The diplomatic push toward phasing out fossil fuels is another critical area that will have to be addesssed at COP28 and the groundwork for that has to be laid out in Bonn, experts said. Following the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Germany attended by climate envoys of 40 countries last month, experts pointed out that the UAE carefully avoided endorsing a shift away from using fossil fuels, instead endorsed phase out of fossil fuel emissions. Climate experts and activists have said countries are trying to protect their fossil fuel interests and cleverly framing the overall climate action goal so that they can continue the use of fossil fuels. “We need to address the emissions that are happening today. What we are saying is let’s have the solutions on table that real things are going to happen today to get us back on track so that’s why we are saying let’s focus on addressing emissions. Let’s not have ideological discussions,” COP28 director-general ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi said in an interview to HT last week on fossil fuel phase-out. “Diplomacy is often the art of brinkmanship. There is time to get COP28 in shape, but the next two weeks are key. Al Jaber has to meet the moment and lay out the contours of a Dubai deal. If he doesn’t, he won’t bend the conversation away from his fitness for office. If we ever needed a Bonn bounce, it’s now,” Rachel Kyte, dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University in the US, said in a statement. The G7 communique issued last month also did not show ambition on phasing out fossil fuels or a just energy transition in developing countries. G7 countries only said developed world would start delivering on its promise of $100 billion per year during 2020 to 2025 from this year. It also justified investments in gas. “We stress the important role that increased deliveries of LNG (liquified petroleum gas) can play and acknowledge that investment in the sector can be appropriate in response to the current crisis and to address potential gas market shortfalls provoked by the crisis,” the communique had said while calling for all emerging economies to set a goal of net zero emissions by no later than 2050. This is unlikely to be accepted by developing countries, including India and China. Climate experts are waiting to see G20’s communique on climate mitigation expected in September. India has the G20 presidency this year. The issue of mitigation cannot be addressed without climate finance or the means for implementation which will also be key at Bonn. “Finance is the biggest header for climate politics in 2023. For our collective progress in the year of the global stocktake to line up with considerations of equity, the spotlight must be on finance in various concrete forms,” said Avantika Goswami, programme manager of climate change at the Centre for Science and Environment, an advocacy group. “Bonn is a crucial session where discussions will be held on assessing the progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, preparing for and dealing with the impacts of worsening storms, droughts and rising seas,” said Harjeet Singh, head of global political strategy at Climate Action Network International, a collactive of non-profits. “The onus of success of this round of climate talks is on the rich industrialised nations, who have not yet demonstrated leadership on taking up their fair share of climate action.”

Telangana As Number 1: జయహో తెలంగాణ‌, తాజా నివేదికలో రాష్ట్రం నెంబర్ వన్ - మంత్రి కేటీఆర్ హ‌ర్షం

తెలంగాణ రాష్ట్రం ఏర్పాటయ్యాక సీఎం కేసీఆర్ తీసుకున్న నిర్ణయాలలో ముఖ్యమైనది హరితహారం కార్యక్రమం. రాష్ట్రంలో అడవుల శాతాన్ని పెంచాలని, పచ్చదనాన్ని పెంపొందించే అన్ని రకాలుగా ప్రయోజనం ఉంటుందని తీసుకున్న నిర్ణయాలు ఫలితాన్నిస్తున్నాయి. ఇదే ఇప్పుడు రాష్ట్రానికి మ‌రో ఘ‌న‌త‌ను తెచ్చిపెట్టింది. ప్ర‌పంచ పర్యావ‌ర‌ణ దినోత్స‌వం సంద‌ర్భంగా సెంట‌ర్ ఫ‌ర్ సైన్స్ అండ్ ఎన్విరాన్‌మెంట్ ఓ బుక్‌ను విడుద‌ల చేసింది. సెంట‌ర్ ఫ‌ర్ సైన్స్ అండ్ ఎన్విరాన్‌మెంట్ విడుద‌ల చేసిన‌ తాజా పుస్త‌కంలో తెలంగాణ రాష్ట్రం అగ్ర‌స్థానంలో నిలిచింది. తెలంగాణ ప‌చ్చ‌ద‌నంతో నిండాలని, అందరికీ ప్రయోజనం చేకూరుతుందన్న ఉద్దేశంతో హరితహారాన్ని ప్రతిష్టాత్మకంగా ప్రారంభించారు సీఎం కేసీఆర్. దాని ఫలితంతో సెంటర్ ఫర్ సైన్స్ అండ్ ఎన్విరాన్ మెంట్ విడుదల చేసిన బుక్ లో తెలంగాణ రాష్ట్రం అగ్రస్థానంలో నిలిచింది. 7,213 పాయింట్ల‌తో తెలంగాణ తొలి స్థానం కైవసం చేసుకోగా, పెరిగిన అడ‌వుల శాతం, మున్సిప‌ల్ వేస్ట్ మేనేజ్‌మెంట్‌లోనూ తెలంగాణ మొదటి ర్యాంకులో నిలిచింది. హరితహారం కారణంగా రాష్ట్ర ప్రభుత్వం మరో అరుదైన ఘనత సాధించడంపై తెలంగాణ ఐటీ, పురపాలక శాఖల మంత్రి కేటీఆర్ హర్షం వ్యక్తం చేశారు. సీఎం కేసీఆర్ మానసపుత్రిక హరితహారం రాష్ట్రాన్ని అగ్రస్థానంలో నిలిపిందన్నారు. సీఎం కేసీఆర్ విజన్, ఆలోచనలు సత్ఫలితాన్ని ఇస్తున్నాయని ట్వీట్ చేశారు. 7 పాయింట్లు పైగా సాధించిన ఏకైక రాష్ట్రంగా తెలంగాణ నిలిచింది. తెలంగాణ తరువాత గుజరాత్ 6.593, గోవా 6.394, మహారాష్ట్ర 5.764, హర్యానా 5.578 పాయింట్లతో టాప్ 5లో నిలిచాయి. ఏపీ 5.567 పాయింట్లతో 6వ స్థానంలో ఉంది.

World Environment Day: Telangana ranks top on overall environmental performance: CSE Report

On the eve of World Environment Day, non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has released its annual compendium of data in which Telangana was ranked in the top in terms of overall environmental performance. The report states that in terms of overall environmental performance, Telangana has ranked at the top for its progress in increasing its forest cover and in municipal waste treatment. However, further adding, it stated that the state has performed below average in parametres such as ‘share of waterbodies not in use’, ‘stage of groundwater extraction’ and ‘change in number of polluted river stretches’.

New Delhi And South Delhi Areas Worst Affected By Ground-Level Ozone: CSE Reports

Delhi-NCR is hit by summer ozone once again, but levels lower than previous summers, as the region is in the grip of a multi-pollutant crisis, according to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) analysis. On the eve of the World Environment Day (5 June), CSE has issued an alert on rising ozone pollution and multi-pollutant crisis that Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) are facing during summers.

10,881 farm suicides in 2021, most in 5 years; Punjab sees 270 deaths

As many as 10,881 persons engaged in the farm sector died by suicide in 2021, the count highest over the preceding five years, according to a report released on Sunday by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). On an average, nearly 30 farmers and farm labourers died by suicide in 2021, said the CSE, a research think-tank. “Despite the Centre promising to double farm income, the number of farmers dying by suicide has been rising,” read the report. Maharashtra reported the highest 4,064 suicides, followed by Karnataka (2,169) and MP (671). In Punjab, 270 farm-related deaths were witnessed in the year while the count stood at 226 in Haryana, 141 in Rajasthan and 24 in Himachal Pradesh. Compared to 2020, nine states witnessed an increase in suicides in 2021, with Assam alone seeing a nearly 13-fold rise. A government report in 2016-17 had cited three main reasons for the alarming trend: Frequent crop failure due to vagaries of weather, absence of assured water resources and pest attacks or diseases. A parliamentary panel on agriculture had, in a report tabled in Parliament on March 23 this year, revealed that the government was far from its 2022 goal of doubling the farm income. The panel said the average monthly agricultural household income had risen by a meagre about Rs 2,000 from Rs 8,059 in 2015-16 to Rs 10,218 in 2018-19. Devinder Sharma, an agriculture expert, said farmers were unable to reap the “rightful income”. “They are caught in the vicious debt cycle. The government must ensure direct income support to bail them out,” he said.

Telangana now a model in environmental performance too, says KTR

According to IT and industries minister KT Rama Rao, the 'The State of India's Environment 2023: In Figures' report from the Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth has once again confirmed Telangana's superior performance in terms of overall environmental performance, particularly the growth in forest cover and in municipal waste treatment. The minister said telangana was now a role model for the nation and congratulated the people of the State for receiving CSE honour. In a statement released here on Sunday, he said that this acknowledgment demonstrated the telangana government's dedication to protecting the environment at a time when the State's centenary celebrations were in full swing. With his vision, chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao gave environmental protection high priority and started the Haritha Haram plan to raise the State's green cover from 24% to 33%. According to him, a significant increase in green cover had been made possible by effective execution and commitment to guaranteeing the survival of saplings. Against a goal of 230 crore seedlings, 273 crore saplings have been planted in the past nine years. The State's forestland covered 19,854 square kilometres in 2015–16, and 26,969 square kilometres by 2023. According to the Forest survey of india 2021, Telangana's green cover had risen by 7.7%. The State government also built 15,000 nurseries, 19,400 Palle Prakruthi vanams, and 2745 Bruhat Palle Prakruthi vanams in rural regions around the State in addition to the forest cover. Similar to this, 180 urban forest parks were built for Rs. 700 crore. hyderabad was acknowledged as the World's Tree City. In addition to this, the minister claimed that the New panchayat raj Act, Municipal Act, and establishment of Haritha Nidhi (Green Budget) were all presented. He said that the State administration has also adopted the finest sanitation management practises. In order to assure the scientific disposal of garbage, municipal corporations and municipalities began the biomining process. In hyderabad, waste-to-energy generated about 24 Megawatts (MW) of electricity, placing telangana second in the country. The State also takes the lead in producing power from non-conventional sources. The minister stated that solar energy production has grown from 74 MW in 2014 to 5,865 MW today. "It is a source of pride that the youngest State came in second in the nation for solar energy production. It is evidence of Telangana's dedication, according to Rama Rao.

Unusual western disturbances in May could be indicative of changing climate

India has witnessed an unusually high number of western disturbances (WDs) in the last three months. There were six WDs in May, a surprisingly high number for the summer months. April and March also saw three and seven WDs, respectively, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), collated by New Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment and Down to Earth. Share If you like it Heavy rain and hailstorms in May were due to six WDs, may interact with monsoon weather systems Moderate to intense convection seen over several parts of the country on May 30, 2023. Photo: IMD Moderate to intense convection seen over several parts of the country on May 30, 2023. Photo: IMD India has witnessed an unusually high number of western disturbances (WDs) in the last three months. There were six WDs in May, a surprisingly high number for the summer months. April and March also saw three and seven WDs, respectively, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), collated by New Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment and Down to Earth. Read more: Seven disasters have cost the US $19 billion in 2023: NOAA The extratropical storms that travel primarily from the Mediterranean region to India kept long-lasting heat waves at bay for most of the three months for some parts of India. However, they also caused heavy rainfall and hailstorms in many regions, which destroyed crops and added to farmers’ woes. The heavy rain and hailstorms are significant, as WDs are sparse and weaker in warmer months. They usually peak in winter. The trend of decreasing activity of WDs during winter months and their increasing activity in the summer months is a possible result of human-induced climate change. It could indicate changing characteristics of the typical weather conditions during these seasons. “This is definitely a very high count for May, considering that the frequency of western disturbances should peak during the winter months,” said Akshay Deoras, a research scientist at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science and Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, the United Kingdom. Normally there are two-three WDs during May. “Their frequency decreases sharply between June and September when the subtropical westerly jet migrates northwards,” he added. Another negative impact of increasing WDs during summer could be their possible interaction with monsoon weather systems, such as low-pressure areas and depressions in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. These systems cause rainfall in southern and central India during the monsoon. Read more: Launch of State of India’s Environment 2023: In Figures — what to expect & how to register The interaction can lead to extreme rainfall events and even cloud bursts in the hills and mountains, which can cause floods, flash floods and landslides. The WDs could also possibly interact with the monsoon trough — a low-pressure region that extends from northwest India to northeast India during the monsoon months. This happened in June 2013, causing the massive Uttarakhand floods, which killed at least 5,000 people. “I don’t think there will be any negative impact of WDs on the monsoon in June. The subtropical jet (that carries the WDs to India) is showing signs of migration. Specific WD-monsoon interaction events can’t be forecast with such a prolonged lead time”, said Deoras. The continuous activity of WDs over India in the spring and summer months has meant ample rainfall in many regions. Data from the IMD shows that 52 per cent of districts in the country received large excess rainfall, while 12 per cent of districts received excess rainfall. Gujarat received the highest excess rainfall at 831 per cent of the normal for the season. Sixteen states received large excess rainfall. These were spread out in northwest, central and southern India, while northeastern states remained deficient in rain. Read more: Deluge in Spain continues, could still face its driest summer in over 6 decades Manipur received 66 per cent deficient rains, the least in the percentage of average rainfall. There were large deficits in Tripura (61 per cent), Mizoram (48 per cent), Meghalaya (47 per cent), Arunachal Pradesh (41 per cent), Assam (38 per cent) and Nagaland (33 per cent). Outside the northeast, only Goa (65 per cent), Kerala (34 per cent), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (65 per cent) and Lakshadweep Islands (49 per cent) had deficient rainfall for the pre-monsoon season, according to the IMD data. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/unusual-western-disturbances-in-may-could-be-indicative-of-changing-climate-89738

MoEFCC finalises emission standards for small boilers; but silent on whether they’re applicable for Delhi-NCR

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) finalised the draft notification for tightening particulate matter (PM) emission specifications for industrial boilers based on different fuels in May 2023. The industries employing boilers that use different fuels, thermic fluid heaters and hot air generators have to comply with the PM standards within two years of introducing the new rules. Unlike its draft version of June 2022, the new rules have also specified emission norms for different capacity boilers that are based on agro-residue or bagasse to generate steam. Other than finalising the specifications for these boilers, the PM norms for certain categories have been relaxed from the limit proposed in the draft notification. The relaxation applies to boilers that generate 10 or more tonnes of steam per hour using coal, pet coke, furnace oil, light diesel oil, or low sulphur heavy stock. PM emission norms for these boilers have been diluted to 100 milligrams per normal cubic metre (mg/Nm3) from the proposed limit of 50 mg/Nm3 in the draft notification released in June last year. The draft notification had also proposed industries with boilers with capacities of 10 tonnes per hour and above to install continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS) to monitor PM and sulphur di-oxide stack emissions — but the notified rules exempted such units from complying with this obligation. CEMS is an automation system that continuously monitors the gaseous emissions (such as PM, sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and others) from stacks of industries. It helps ensure industrial compliance with minimal inspections by the state pollution control boards. NCR AND ADJOINING AREAS The commission for air quality management (CAQM) in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas had pitched the PM emissions standard from biomass-based boilers at 80 mg/Nm3; in fact, CAQM intended industries to bring it down to 50 mg/Nm3 gradually. However, the latest rules are too lenient as they have increased the permissible limit for emissions by three-six times of CAQM standards, depending on the boiler capacity. It is unclear if these relaxed standards will be applicable in the NCR and adjoining areas or if the industries in the region will have to adhere to the more stringent norms. Similarly, for industries using fuels other than biomass in their boilers, the standards are too relaxed compared to CAQM norms. The new rules are definitely an improvement over the old PM standards that ranged from 150-1200 Nm3. But these are still way more relaxed compared to the standards set up by CAQM for NCR and adjoining areas. If the industries under the jurisdiction of CAQM can comply with stringent norms, the rest may also try adhering to stricter standards. WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE? Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) analysed the challenges faced by industries while shifting towards cleaner fuels and the strategies adopted to combat them. The non-profit came up with a report titled Refuelling Delhi-NCR after an in-depth survey of the industries in the Matsya Industrial Area (MIA) and Bhiwadi in the Alwar district. Of the 15 biomass-firing industries surveyed, only one unit with a sophisticated air pollution control device (APCD) was able to meet the PM emission norms, the report stated. The rest were found to be flouting the norms; they were using less efficient APCDs or were running without any pollution control equipment. The new notification gives clarity to industries of different scales and types on what standards are to be followed by them, but these rules may not be adhered to by industries on the ground. State pollution control boards (SPCB) do not have an adequate workforce to manually conduct site surveys for such a huge number of boilers that are rampantly scattered all over its jurisdiction. In such a scenario, formulating stringent rules alone may not be very useful unless its implementation is also thought through. As was the case with reducing emissions from brick kilns, the major thrust was given to using cleaner fuel, such as natural gas or shifting to cleaner technology like zigzag kilns, where inherently, the emission is lower if the kiln is constructed properly. Similarly, the standards formulated by the government for industries need to be technology-centric, accompanied by incentivising the use of cleaner fuels in these industries and gradual phasing out of obsolete technologies by a capital-intensive process. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/environment/moefcc-finalises-emission-standards-for-small-boilers-but-silent-on-whether-they-re-applicable-for-delhi-ncr-89766

एशिया का सबसे स्वच्छ गांव मेघालय का मावलिन्नोंग:यहां नो प्लास्टिक, नो स्मोकिंग का नियम; जो गांव की सफाई में शामिल नहीं, उसे खाना नहीं

मेघालय की राजधानी शिलांग से करीब 90 किमी दूर भारत-बांग्लादेश सीमा के पास बसे गांव मावलिन्नोंग को एशिया के सबसे स्वच्छ गांव का तमगा हासिल है। इसकी खूबसूरती से लगता है मानो ये मिनी स्विट्जरलैंड है। बहुत सारे लोग आज इसे ईश्वर की बगिया कहते हैं। लेकिन मावलिन्नोंग शुरू से ऐसा नहीं था। 25 साल पहले की ही बात है जब गांव में हर सीजन में महामारी फैलती थी। जब रोग फैलते थे तो सबसे ज्यादा चपेट में बच्चे ही आते थे। हर साल कई बच्चों की मौत होती थीं। इससे त्रस्त होकर एक स्कूल शिक्षक रिशोत खोंग्थोरम ने लोगों को स्वच्छता और शिक्षा से जोड़ने का संकल्प लिया। स्वच्छता-शिक्षा के लिए समिति बनाई दैनिक भास्कर से बात करते हुए खोंग्थोरम ने कहा है कि तब हालात बहुत खराब थे। बीमारियों की जड़ गंदगी ही थी। शिक्षक होने के नाते मुझे लगा कि मेरा दायित्व है कि स्वच्छता का ज्ञान फैलाना चाहिए। इस काम में माताओं ने भरपूर सहयोग दिया। गांव में स्वच्छता-शिक्षा के अभियान को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए समिति का गठन हुआ। समिति ने ग्रामीणों से पशुओं को बांधने, गंदगी नहीं फैलाने और घर में शौचालय बनाने की प्रेरणा दी। लोगों ने भी इसे जल्द ही मानना शुरू कर दिया। घरों के कूड़ों को एकत्र कर एक स्थान पर पहुंचाया गया। कचरे के लिए कंपोस्ट पिट और बांस के बॉक्स रखे गए, ताकि बाद में रिसाइकिल किया जा सके। 2003 में बन गया एशिया का सबसे स्वच्छ गांव उन्होंने बताया कि लोगों के संकल्प का ही परिणाम था कि कुछ ही वर्षों में इस गांव में स्वच्छता और शिक्षा का फैल गई। 2003 में इसे डिस्कवर इंडिया की ओर से एशिया के सबसे स्वच्छ गांव के तौर पर चिन्हित किया गया था। मावलिन्नोंग में 100 फीसदी लोग साक्षर है। गांव के सभी लोग अच्छी अंग्रेजी बोलते हैं। हिन्दी थोड़ी कम ही समझते हैं। गांव में ऐसे सभी प्लास्टिक उत्पादों पर रोक है, जिसे रिसाइकिल नहीं किया जा सकता। धूम्रपान पर भी पूरी तरह प्रतिबंध है। नियम नहीं मानने वालों को भारी जुर्माना देना पड़ता है। 600 लोगों की आबादी वाले इस गांव के खासी जनजाति के लोग स्वच्छता को बहुत गंभीरता से लेते हैं। सफाई न करने वाले घर को खाना नहीं मिलता आज यहां हर घर में शौचालय है। लोग घरों के साथ सड़कों की भी सफाई करते हैं। हर घर के पास बांस से बने कूड़ेदान लगे हुए हैं। परिवार के सभी सदस्य गांव की सफाई में रोजाना भाग लेते हैं। सफाई नहीं करने वाले को घर में खाना नहीं मिलता। मावलिन्नोंग गांव में बांस से बना 75 फीट ऊंचा द स्काई व्यू टावर है, जहां से बांग्लादेश का शानदार नजारा दिखता है। यहां की ड्वकी नदी का पानी इतना साफ है कि उस पर तैरती नाव को देखकर लगता है कि नाव पानी पर नहीं, हवा में तैर रही है। मावलिन्नोंग की बैलेंसिंग रॉक लोकप्रिय पर्यटक केंद्र है, वहीं लोगों के लिए यह चट्टान हर बला से गांव और उसके लोगों की रक्षा करती है। पर्यावरण संरक्षण में तेलंगाना टॉप, गुजरात दूसरे नंबर पर पर्यावरण संरक्षण रैंकिंग में ग्रीन कवर बढ़ाने और ठोस कचरे के प्रबंधन के दम पर देश के सभी राज्यों में तेलंगाना अव्वल है और इसी रैंकिंग में राजस्थान आखिरी स्थान पर है। गुजरात दूसरे, गोवा तीसरे, महाराष्ट्र चौथे और हरियाणा पांचवें, हिमाचल प्रदेश सातवें, छत्तीसगढ़ 10वें, झारखंड 13वें, पंजाब 17वें, मध्य प्रदेश 19वें और बिहार 27वें पायदान पर हैं। हालांकि पहले नंबर पर होने के बावजूद जल निकायों के संरक्षण, भूजल दोहन और नदियों के प्रदूषण के मामले में तेलंगाना की स्थिति संतोषजनक नहीं है। यह जानकारी विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस से एक दिन पहले जारी सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट (सीएसई) की सालाना रिपोर्ट ‘स्टेट ऑफ इंडियाज एनवायरमेंट इन फिगर्स 2023’ में सामने आई है। इसमें चार थीम पर रैंकिंग तय की गई है। कृषि रैंकिंग में मप्र अव्वल कृषि रैंकिंग में मप्र अव्वल है। खाद्यान्न उत्पादन व मूल्यवर्धन में राज्य का प्रदर्शन सबसे अच्छा है, लेकिन राज्य की आधा फसल क्षेत्र बीमित नहीं है। इस श्रेणी में छत्तीसगढ़ तीसरे, पंजाब नौंवे, राजस्थान 12वें, बिहार 13वें, महाराष्ट्र 14वें, झारखंड 15वें, हरियाणा 16वें, गुजरात 18वें, हिमाचल 25वें पायदान पर है। रिपोर्ट में खास पेड़ों की कटाई पर्यावरण क्षरण की एक प्रमुख वजह है। तेलंगाना, आंध्र प्रदेश और ओडिशा ने अपने वन आवरण में सबसे अधिक वृद्धि की। नगालैंड, मणिपुर और मिजोरम ने सबसे अधिक वन गंवाया। शहरी सॉलिड वेस्ट के ट्रीटमेंट: छत्तीसगढ़, मध्य प्रदेश और गोवा सबसे अच्छा प्रदर्शन करने वाले राज्यों में शीर्ष पर, जबकि अरुणाचल, असम और प. बंगाल निचले पायदान पर। सीवेज उपचार: पंजाब, दिल्ली और हरियाणा का सबसे अच्छा प्रदर्शन। बिहार, अरुणाचल प्रदेश, असम, मेघालय, नगालैंड, मणिपुर और मिजोरम खबसे खराब प्रदर्शन वाले राज्य। भूजल दोहन: अरुणाचल, नगालैंड, मेघालय का प्रदर्शन सबसे अच्छा। पंजाब, राजस्थान और हरियाणा की हालत खराब।

पांच साल कम हो गई भारतीयों की औसत उम

प्रदूषण के चलते देश में लोगों की औसत उम्र कम हो रही है। विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस के मौके पर ‘सेंटर फार साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट ’ (सीएसई) ने अपनी रपट ‘स्टेट आफ इंडियाज एनवायरमेंट 2023 इन फिगर्स’ में यह जानकारी दी है। रपट में बताया गया है कि वर्ष 2020 में वायु प्रदूषण के कारण एक भारतीय की औसत उम्र 4 साल और 11 महीने कम हो गई। ग्रामीण क्षेत्र इससे सबसे अधिक प्रभावित है, जहां जीवन प्रत्याशा में 5 साल और 2 महीने की कमी आई है। ग्रामीणों के मुकाबले शहरी लोगों की जीवन प्रत्याशा तीन महीने अधिक है। रिपोर्ट में चार मापदंडों-डों पर्यावरण, कृषि, स्वास्थ्य और आधारभूत संरचना पर भारत के राज्यों की ‘रैंकिंग’ भी दी गई है। इस सूची में तेलंगाना, मध्य प्रदेश, दिल्ली और गुजरात सबसे ऊपर हैं। पर्यावरण के क्षेत्र में प्रदर्शन के मामले में रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक तेलंगाना सबसे आगे है। उसे यह स्थान मुख्य रूप से वन क्षेत्र में वृद्धि और नगरीय ठोस अपशिष्ट के उपचार के लिए मिला है हालांकि राज्य का प्रदर्शन जल निकायों के संरक्षण, भूजल दोहन और नदी प्रदूषण के मामले में औसत से कम है। इसके बाद गुजरात, गोवा और महाराष्ट्र का स्थान है और राजस्थान, नगालैंड और बिहार निचल स्वास्थ्य के क्षेत्र में दिल्ली सबसे आगे : स्वास्थ्य के क्षेत्र में दिल्ली सबसे आगे है। इस राज्य ने स्वास्थ्य के क्षेत्र पर अपने बजट का सबसे बड़ा हिस्सा आबंटित किया है और यहां स्वास्थ्य देखभाल के लिए मजबूत ‘नेटवर्क’ है। हालांकि राज्य में टीकाकरण की दर निम्न है। दिल्ली के बाद सिक्किम, गोवा और मिजोरम का स्थान है। सबसे निचले पायदान पर रहे मध्य प्रदेश में मातृ मुत्यु अनुपात और शिशु मृत्यु दर अधिक है। छत्तीसगढ़, असम और उत्तर प्रदेश भी स्वास्थ्य के क्षेत्र में निचले पायदानों पर हैं। कृषि क्षेत्र में मध्य प्रदेश आगे : कृषि के क्षेत्र में मध्य प्रदेश अव्वल है। शुद्ध मूल्य वर्धन और खाद्यान्न उत्पादन में राज्य का प्रदर्शन सबसे अच्छा है हालांकि राज्य का करीब आधा फसल क्षेत्र बीमित नहीं है। आंध्र प्रदेश, छत्तीसगढ़ और उत्तर प्रदेश क्रमश: दूसरे, तीसरे और चौथे स्थान पर हैं। निचले पायदानों पर दिल्ली, गोवा और मेघालय हैं। गुजरात आधारभूत संरचना व मानव विकास में नंबर एक : आधारभूत संरचना और मानव विकास के मामले में गुजरात ने पहला स्थान हासिल किया है। गुजरात ने अपने प्रदर्शन में सुधार रोजगार प्रदान करके और नल जल कनेक्शन देकर किया है हालांकि राज्य का लिंगानुपात तुलनात्मक रूप से कम है और ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में एक बड़ी आबादी ऐसी है जो स्वच्छ ईंधन का इस्तेमाल नहीं करती। इस मामले में झारखंड सबसे नीचे है। इसके बाद नगालैंड, राजस्थान और अरुणाचल प्रदेश का नंबर है।

25 lakh displaced, India among worst hit by climate change

India witnessed the fourth-highest climate-induced internal migration in the world last year. As many as 25 lakh people in the country were internally displaced due to climate crisis in 2022. Globally, climate crisis was responsible for 54 per cent of the total internal displacement. It was, however, responsible for 100 per cent displacement in India. “In India, the total internal displacement was 25 lakh in 2022. All of this was only because of climate crisis,” according to the 2023 State of India’s Environment in Figures report released on Sunday. The report was released by the green think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The report highlighted that the country experienced extreme weather events on 314 days in 2022. The northwest region — which includes Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi — recorded the highest extreme weather events in a year. The region reported extreme events on 237 days. Uttar Pradesh was the worst hit, with extreme events on 127 days. In the central region, which recorded such events on 218 days, Madhya Pradesh was the worst hit with extreme events on 144 days. The report highlighted that the extreme weather events claimed 3,026 lives and damaged 1.96 million hectares of crop area. Of 3,026 deaths in 2022, 2,431 died from extreme events in the monsoon season. The central region recorded the highest number of 938 deaths. In the northwest region, 878 deaths were reported.