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Cse In News

Cse In News

बधाई हो! सोलन को बेस्ट ग्रीन डिस्ट्रिक्ट अवार्ड

शिमला में मुख्यमंत्री सुखविंदर सिंह सुक्खू ने पुरस्कार देकर नवाजा, लगातार चौथे साल हासिल किया खिताब सौरभ शर्मा-सोलन जिला सोलन ने एक बार फिर पर्यावरण व्यवस्था के प्रति बेहतरीन कार्य करते हुए प्रतिष्ठित ‘बेस्ट ग्रीन डिस्ट्रिक्ट’ का प्रदेशस्तरीय खिताब अपने नाम किया है। विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस पर शिमला के होटल पीटरहॉफ में आयोजित समारोह में प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री सुखविंदर सिंह सुक्खू ने जिला सोलन को इस पुरस्कार से नवाजा। जिला विज्ञान पर्यवेक्षक अमरीश शर्मा ने यह पुरस्कार प्राप्त किया। इसके अतिरिक्त जिला सोलन के स्कूलों को भी अन्य पुरस्कार प्रदान किए गए। गौर रहे कि सोमवार को विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस के मौके पर विशेष समारोह का आयोजन किया गया। समारोह में प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री सुखविंदर सिंह सुक्खू बतौर मुख्यातिथि उपस्थित रहे। उनके अलावा संयुक्त राष्ट्र की पर्यावरण एंबेसेडर व अभिनेत्री दीया मिर्जा, प्रदेश के मुख्य सचिव प्रबोध सक्सेना व निदेशक पर्यावरण विभाग हिमाचल प्रदेश ललित जैन भी विशेष रूप से उपस्थित रहे। इस समारोह में सेंटर फॉर साईंस एंड एनवायरमेंट के ग्रीन स्कूल प्रोग्राम के तहत स्कूलों, जिलों व अध्यापकों को पुरस्कृत किया गया। समारोह में एक बार फिर जिला सोलन ने ग्रीन स्कूल प्रोग्राम में अपनी धाक जमाते हुए बेस्ट ग्रीन डिस्ट्रिक्ट का खिताब अपने नाम किया। जिला विज्ञान पर्यवेक्षक अमरीश शर्मा ने यह अवार्ड प्राप्त किया। इसके अतिरिक्त राजकीय वरिष्ठ माध्यमिक विद्यालय बघेरी ने प्रतिष्ठित एनवायरमेंटल लीडरशिप स्कूल कैटेगरी में प्रथम पुरस्कार प्राप्त किया। इतना ही नहीं कसौली इंटरनेशनल स्कूल व ब्वाय स्कूल नालागढ़ ने चेंजमेकर ग्रीन स्कूल का खिताब अपने नाम किया। गौर रहे कि सेंटर फॉर साईंस एंड एनवायरमेंट द्वारा इसी वर्ष फरवरी में दिल्ली में आयोजित समारोह में भी प्रदेश के 9 स्कूलों को ग्रीन सर्टिफाइड स्कूल से सम्मानित किया गया था, जिसमें से 6 स्कूल अकेले सोलन जिला के थे। इनमें रावमापा बोहली, रावमापा छात्र नालागढ़, एमआरए डीएवी सोलन, कसौली इंटरनेशनल स्कूल, दून वैली स्कूल और शिवालिक वैली स्कूल नालागढ़ शामिल थे। -एचडीएम

State of India’s Environment: Where Does It Stand And Who Is Accountable For It?

With unprecedented heatwaves in European cities and severe cold waves in the tropics, the effects of climate change are visible to all of us today. Even 15 years ago, those who took climate change seriously, saw it as something that will happen far away in the future – maybe affecting their grandchildren. But with unprecedented heatwaves in European cities and severe cold waves in the tropics, the effects of climate change are visible to all of us today. India, too, has already been badly impacted by climate change. Average rainfall levels have been falling, while erratic heavy rains are disrupting agricultural seasons and causing floods. This has destroyed the livelihoods of millions of people and forced them to migrate to other places. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has estimated that in 2022 alone, more than 2.5 million Indians were internally displaced because of climate change. The CSE’s report ‘2023 State of India’s Environment in Figures’, released on Sunday, says that there were 314 extreme weather events last year. The states that were worst affected by extreme weather were Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh. These extreme weather events not only led to extreme heat, cold and rain but also cost lives. CSE’s report estimates that 3,026 people died as a direct result of extreme weather – over 80 per cent during the monsoon season. More than 60 per cent of these deaths were recorded in the northwestern and central regions. The report estimates that 1.96 million hectares of agricultural land were damaged by extreme weather events in 2022 alone, leading to significant crop losses to farmers. According to the Climate Transparency Report 2022, Indian farmers lost $ 3.75 billion because of crop failure, between 2016-21, because of extreme weather. Climate change-related extreme weather events resulted in a loss of nearly 36 million hectares of cropped area. A study by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) estimates that if average temperatures continue to rise at the present rate, Punjab will see a significant drop in crop yields by 2050. Maize is likely to see a drop of 13 per cent, cotton 11 per cent, 5 per cent in wheat and potato, and paddy yields could drop by one per cent. It is not just agriculture which has been and will be, affected by climate change. According to the Climate Transparency Report 2022, in 2021 alone India lost an equivalent of 5.4 per cent of its GDP due to extreme weather events, across all sectors of the economy. Extreme heatwave conditions caused a loss of 167 billion potential labour hours. The report predicts that if global temperatures rise by another 1.5 degrees Celsius, India’s average labour productivity will drop by 5 per cent, and it will drop by more than 10 per cent if global temperatures rise by 2.5 degrees Celsius. Speaking on the occasion of World Environment Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India is moving ahead on tackling climate change while balancing its development needs. ‘The theme of this year's World Environment Day is to get rid of single-use plastic, an issue about which the world is talking today but India has been working on it consistently for the last four-five years,’ he said. PM said that while India is committed to helping the poor, it is also focusing on clean and green energy. India launched the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NPACC) 15 years ago, which is designed by the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change (PMCCC). It has eight submissions that focus on promoting solar power, enhanced energy efficiency, sustainable habit, sustainable water supply, protecting and sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem, greening India, promoting sustainable farming, and generating strategic knowledge on climate change. However, environmentalists and activists say that while these are steps in the right direction, the NPACC needs more teeth and accountability as some of the targets are unachievable. For instance, the Modi government had announced in 2015 that India will have 100 GW of installed solar power capacity by 2020, but as per the available data, to date, only 36 GW could be achieved. The government has also been criticised for not providing enough budgetary support to its climate-change management programmes. The good news, however, is that there is a growing awareness among ordinary citizens that climate change has to be tackled on an urgent basis. India Inc is also contributing both financially and in its corporate practices to help control climate change.

Pollution crisis

DATA is a great explainer, reasons green think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), because what we can measure, we can fix. Quantifying the problems and indicating where they are, the CSE’s report on India’s environmental performance throws up statistics that are unnerving. Though waste treatment and monitoring have improved in India, only 32 per cent of the over 1,60,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste generated daily in 2020-21 was accounted for. The rest usually ends up choking drains or is burnt illegally. Air pollution in 2020 is likely to have shortened average life expectancy by four years and 11 months. Last year, the country experienced extreme weather events on 314 days. Globally, the climate crisis was responsible for 54% of the total internal displacement of people in 2022. For India, the figure was nearly 100%. Observed annually since 1973, the World Environment Day has grown to be one of the largest global platforms for environmental outreach. The call on June 5 this year was to scale up action to resolve the plastic pollution crisis. According to the United Nations, every year, over 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced worldwide, one-third of which is used just once. The CSE report gives a glimpse of the casual approach on single-use plastics. After the ban last year, the Central Pollution Control Board rolled out a mobile application that allows citizens to complain about its illegal sale and use. A dismal redress rate has meant a declining number of complaints.

Tamil Nadu fares poorly in green rankings, is at 21 among 29

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s performance in the environmental rankings since 2016 is low in comparison to other states, a study by the Centre for Science and Environment along with a media organisation shows. TN is 21 among 29 states. A total of 32 parameters including change in forest cover, municipal waste treatment, share of waterbodies not in use, state of groundwater extraction, change in number of polluted river stretches, share of sewage that gets treated, change in installed grid renewable power and water bodies not in use were studied. Tamil Nadu scored just 4.4 of 10, while Telangana topped with a score of 7.2. States that fared well include Gujarat with 6.5, Goa 6.3, Maharashtra 5.7 and Haryana 5.5. As per India State of Forest Report (ISFR), the total forest cover in TN was 26,364.02 sqkm, but only 3,605.49 sqkm was classified very dense forest (VDF), which means large tracts of forest area have degraded. As per ISFR 2021, TN’s forest cover is 26,419 sq km, 20.31% of its geographical area. Jayashree Vencatesan, trustee of Care Earth Trust, said green infrastructure being restricted to areas under the control of the forest department and seen as a common goal is a problem. Thinning of very dense forests indicates degradation. The report focused on statistics of climate and extreme weather, health, food and nutrition, migration and displacement, agriculture, energy, waste, water and biodiversity.A book, ‘State of India’s environment in figures,’ was launched on Sunday, eve of World Environment Day, by CSE director-general Sunita Narain.

GNDU awarded for contribution in protecting environment

Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, has received the prestigious Shaheed Bhagat Singh Punjab State Annual Environment Award, 2023, in recognition of its significant contribution toward improving and protecting environment in the state. The award was presented by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann recently. The award consisted of a cash prize of Rs one lakh, a certificate of appreciation and a silver plaque. Vice-Chancellor Prof Jaspal Singh Sandhu said in a press release issued here today that the university successfully implemented the ‘zero-waste green campus’ initiative in recent years. These initiatives effectively addressed the issue of waste management by implementing a comprehensive system of segregation and recycling of garbage at its source. Moreover, the university actively promoted sustainable transportation methods such as the use of bicycles and e-buses, developed pedestrian-friendly pathways, restricted automobile entry and created a lush green campus with a variety of trees, shrubs and seasonal flowers. GNDU has also been given the title of ‘green mentor’ of the district by the government and honoured as a water champion by the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi.

Ohzone! Rising levels a danger to life

NEW DELHI: The Centre for Science and Environment has cautioned against rising ozone levels in Delhi in the summer months. If allowed to go unchecked, this dangerous pollutant, which is difficult to trace, could create a serious public health crisis. CSE said the areas in the city most affected by ozone were south Delhi and New Delhi. CSE pointed out that the current policy and public attention is nearly fully focused on particulate matter pollution and has neglected the mitigation of toxic gases. Inadequate monitoring, limited data and other drawbacks have weakened the understanding of this growing public health hazard. "Learn from the advanced economies. After controlling particulate pollution, they are in a crisis over nitrogen oxides and ozone," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE. "India should avoid this trap, but the standard practice of the Central Pollution Control Board averaging out the data of all weather stations to determine the daily AQI cannot capture the public health risk from this short-lived and hyper-localised pollutant." Based on CPCB stations, CSE determined that between 2019 and 2023, ozone standards breached safe standards in March-May in each station in the NCR. There are two sets of standards for ozone: an eight-hour norm of 100 micrograms per cubic metre and one hourly standard of 180 micrograms per cubic metre. CSE noted the ozone data of CPCB is capped at 200 microgram per cubic metre, leaving it impossible to determine the concentration beyond that. Avikal Somvanshi, senior programme manager, CSE, said, "Compliance requires that the standards are met for 98% of the time annually. It may exceed the limit on 2% of the days, which means just eight days in a year, but not on two consecutive days." Speaking of risks, CSE's analysis said that age-standardised rates of death attributable to ground-level ozone was among the highest in India and the seasonal 8-hour daily maximum concentrations have recorded one of the highest increases in the country between 2010 and 2017 - about 17%. The analysis said New Delhi and south Delhi were worst affected by ground-level ozone pollution. Nehru Nagar in south Delhi was the most chronically affected, having exceeded the standard on 75 days in March-May. It was followed by Aurobindo Marg, Karni Singh Shooting Range and Mandir Marg. Mandir Marg in New Delhi registered the highest increase, 63%, in exceedance days compared with the average of the last four summers. It was followed by Gwal Pahari in Gurgaon and Patparganj in east Delhi, both recording 51 exceedance days.

Around 240 tonnes of plastic waste gets dumped in India's national capital every day, says report

India's national capital New Delhi has been currently generating more than 1,100 tonnes of plastic waste every day, but only around 870 tonnes per day (TPD) is being managed or recycled, which leaves a gap of 242 TPD or around 22 per cent of the plastic waste load of Delhi, which finally either reaches the drains or ends up in landfills or contaminates the River Yamuna, as per the latest data. A target of June 2024 has been set by the national capital to bridge this gap completely. Experts stated that officials may have to work much harder, especially considering that it was not able to implement the ban on 19 single-use plastic (SUP) items successfully. Municipal bodies shared data during their meeting held with the high-level solid waste monitoring committee, as per which the current plastic waste generation figure of the national capital stood at 1,113.25 TPD, and only 871.25 TPD is being processed, leaving a gap of 242 TPD which needs immediate attention. The committee was appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and is headed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. Programme director of the municipal solid waste sector at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Atin Biswas said that waste segregation is the base for any city which is aiming to find a solution to its waste problem. “At present, even this figure of 78 per cent of 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,” Biswas stated. Capital's unfulfilled single-use plastic (SUP) goals Meanwhile, the national capital is lagging behind its single-use plastic (SUP) goals. In Delhi, as well as other states and union territories, 19 SUP items were banned from July 1, 2022, onwards, according to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2021 which was issued on August 12, 2021. Even though a ban was imposed, several items mentioned in the list are still commonly found in the markets of the city. Price difference substantial Fruit juice Bhiku Ram is still using plastic straws and plastic spoons at his shop. He said that he tried to use the alternatives, however, the price difference remained substantial. “Plastic is still easily available and agencies also are not too keen on enforcing such a ban,” Ram stated. NGO Indian Pollution Control Association (IPCA) founder and director Ashish Jain said, “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 exist in the market. We need to stop giving consumers such options.” Plans to clear three dumpsites of capital Meanwhile, the government of Delhi had earlier announced the ambitious project of clearing all three dumpsites in the national capital. As per their set goals, the Okhla dumpsite should be cleared by December 2023, Bhalswa by March 2024 and Ghazipur by December 2024. Cumulatively, the three dumpsites are covering an area of 200 acres, which carries around 28 million tonnes of legacy waste.

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

A recently published report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has brought to light a distressing rise in suicides within the agricultural sector. The report discloses that a staggering 10,881 individuals involved in farming tragically took their own lives in 2021, signifying the highest count recorded over the preceding five years. The report has also revealed that approximately 30 farmers and farm laborers, on average, died by suicide each day in the span of a year. The report serves as a stark reminder of the government’s failure to deliver on its pledge of doubling farm income. “Despite the Centre promising to double farm income, the number of farmers dying by suicide has been rising,” read the report. It is interesting to note that 2021 was also the year that witnessed widespread agitations by farmers and laborers throughout India to repeal a set of predatory anti-labor laws, as previously reported. The demands also included relief from inflation, the legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP), and a minimum wage to be paid out. Despite that, the situation seems grim. Among the states, Maharashtra reported the highest number of farm-related suicides, with a devastating total of 4,064 cases. Following closely behind were Karnataka with 2,169 suicides and Madhya Pradesh with 671 cases. Punjab witnessed 270 farm-related deaths, while Haryana recorded 226, Rajasthan reported 141, and Himachal Pradesh saw 24 tragic incidents. Compared to the previous year, nine states experienced an alarming increase in suicides in 2021, with Assam alone witnessing a nearly 13-fold rise. A government report from 2016-17 had previously identified three main reasons behind this trend: frequent crop failures due to unpredictable weather patterns, the absence of reliable water resources, and increased pest attacks or diseases. Furthermore, a parliamentary panel on agriculture tabled a report in Parliament on March 23 of this year, exposing the government’s failure to achieve its goal of doubling farm income by 2022. The panel revealed that the average monthly income of agricultural households had only marginally increased by about Rs 2,000, rising from Rs 8,059 in 2015-16 to Rs 10,218 in 2018-19. This marginal increase scarcely accounts for the atmosphere of retail inflation that has gripped India in the recent months. Addressing the situation, Devinder Sharma, an agriculture expert, emphasized that farmers were unable to attain their rightful income and were trapped in a vicious cycle of debt. Sharma urged the government to provide direct income support to alleviate their conditions.

CSE-DTE mark World Environment Day with release of State of India’s Environment 2023: In Figures

A highlight of this year’s report is a ranking of Indian states on parameters like environment, agriculture, public health and infrastructure Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth (DTE) released their annual compendium of data, State of India’s Environment 2023: In Figures, on June 4 — a day before World Environment Day 2023. The report offers a wealth of statistics on the state of climate and extreme weather, health, food and nutrition, migration and displacement, agriculture, energy, waste, water and biodiversity. Sunita Narain, CSE director general and editor of DTE, released The State of India’s Environment 2023: In Figures online on the eve of the World Environment Day. She said: Data is a great explainer. It tells the story at a glance and backs it up with evidence. The State of India’s Environment 2023: In Figures is our attempt 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. “In this year’s report, we have – for the first time – analysed and ranked the performance of India’s states on four key parameters. The report makes sense of the state of affairs using data that otherwise remains cold statistics. As they say, what we can measure, we can fix. The State of India’s Environment 2023: In Figures does precisely that by quantifying the problems and indicating where they are,” said Richard Mahapatra, managing editor, DTE. In terms of overall environmental performance, the report has ranked Telangana 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 waterbodies not in use”, “stage of groundwater extraction” and “change in number of polluted river stretches”. Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra follow Telangana, in that order. The bottom rung is occupied by Rajasthan, Nagaland and Bihar. The bottom-ranked 10 states include six from the northeast, including Assam. In agriculture, 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 un-insured. Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh feature on the second, third and fourth spots. The bottom is populated by Delhi, Goa and Meghalaya, among others. Delhi leads in public health — it 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. Sikkim, Goa and Mizoram follow Delhi. Madhya Pradesh, which is at the bottom, has a high incidence of maternal mortality ratio and infant mortality rate. Chhattisgarh, Assam and Uttar Pradesh also range in the bottom half. In public infrastructure and human development, 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. Jharkhand occupies the bottom spot, and is preceded by Nagaland, Rajasthan and Arunachal Pradesh. “Three key things emerge out of this ranking of states. One, we have found that in each theme, even the top-ranked states are struggling in some of the crucial indicators. Two, none of the states perform well across all four themes that are critical for sustainable development. And three, small states like Goa and Sikkim seem to be performing well,” Mahapatra noted. There were some key findings in other areas as well. In July 2022, when India banned single-use plastics, the Central Pollution Control Board had rolled out a mobile application called SUP-CPCB that allows citizens to complain about illegal plastic sale and use. “A dismal redressal rate” has meant a declining number of complaints, the report has found. In 2020-21, India generated over 160,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste a day — 32 per cent of this remained accounted for. This unaccounted waste usually ends up choking drains or is burnt illegally. On the brighter side, India’s waste treatment and monitoring has improved, according to the analysis. The average life expectancy of an Indian is likely to have shortened by four years and 11 months due to air pollution in 2020, the report found. People in rural areas are likely to have been the worst hit, with their average life expectancy cut short by five years and two months. The life expectancy of their urban counterparts are nine months longer. 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 hectares of crop area. While heatwaves were common in the first part of 2022, hailstorms became the predominant extreme weather phenomena in 2023. In 2022, the world saw over 60 million newly displaced people due to the Ukraine war and the La Nina weather phenomenon. In India, climate-induced disasters accounted for almost 100 per cent of the 2.51 million new displacements. “We have sourced all the data from government and official documents and sources. For ranking the states, we have looked at 32 indicators under four themes for 29 states. The report’s first chapter clearly lays down the methodology used,” Kiran Pandey, programme director, environment resources unit, CSE and one of the lead analysts behind this report, stated. Rajit Sengupta, associate editor, DTE and another lead analyst and author of the report, added: “We identified and compiled the data, and then standardised the numbers to make them comparable. Differential weightages were assigned to the indicators, and the final scores and rankings were computed thereafter.”

10 Environmentalists to watch out in 2023

Sunita Narain is one of the foremost environmentalists in India who has had a significant impact on environmental discourse and played a pivotal role in shaping environmental policies and regulations. She is the Director General of Centre for Science and Environment and the Director of Society for Environmental Communications. She has been at the forefront of promoting sustainable development practices, advocating for environmental justice, and raising awareness about pressing environmental issues such as water management and air pollution control. She is the recipient of many accolades, including the Padma Shri, for her environmental work.

Delhi: सामान्य से अधिक रहा इस बार भी ओजोन गैस का स्तर, पर पिछले साल के मुकाबले सुधरे हालात

दिल्ली-एनसीआर में मार्च से मई के दौरान 87 दिन के अंतराल में ओजोन गैस का स्तर बढ़ा हुआ दर्ज किया गया है। वहीं इस बार नई दिल्ली और दक्षिणी दिल्ली को जमीनी स्तर के ओजोन प्रदूषण से सबसे ज्यादा प्रभावित किया है। 2022 की तुलना में गर्मी इस वर्ष भले ही अधिक नहीं पड़ी हो, लेकिन ओजोन की मात्रा फिर भी सामान्य से अधिक रही है। एक मार्च से 30 मई के दौरान 87 दिनों में इसकी मात्रा अधिक दर्ज की गई थी। विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस पर जारी सेंटर फार साइंस एंड एन्वायरमेंट (सीएसई) के विश्लेषण में 2019 -2023 के बीच गर्मियों (मार्च-मई) के दौरान ओजोन की स्थिति का अध्ययन किया गया। विश्लेषण केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड (सीपीसीबी) के आनलाइन पोर्टल सेंट्रल कंट्रोल रूम फार एयर क्वालिटी मैनेजमेंट पर उपलब्ध आंकड़ों के आधार पर किया गया है। डेटा एनसीआर में फैले 58 एयर क्वालिटी मानिटरिंग स्टेशनों से लिया गया है। सूरज की किरणें प्रदूषित गैसों से मिलकर बनाती हैं ओजोन ओजोन गैस स्थानीय स्तर पर उत्सर्जित गैसों के साथ सूर्य की किरणें मिलने से बनती है। इसी के अनुरूप इसका स्तर कहीं कम व कहीं ज्यादा होता है। अगर कहीं ओजोन का स्तर ज्यादा है तो इसका मतलब वहां पर वाहनों की संख्या एवं औद्योगिक इकाइयां ज्यादा जबकि पेड़ पौधे कम होना है। जहां पर ओजोन का स्तर कम है, वहां उक्त समस्याएं नहीं होती। विश्लेषण की मुख्य बातें इस साल मार्च-अप्रैल के दौरान एनसीआर में औसतन 10 स्टेशन दैनिक मानक से अधिक रहे हैं, लेकिन बीती चार गर्मियों के औसत से 33 प्रतिशत कम है। गाजियाबाद, गुरुग्राम और ग्रेटर नोएडा भी जमीनी स्तर के ओजोन प्रदूषण से गंभीर रूप से प्रभावित हैं। ओजोन की अधिकता वाले इलाकों में दिल्ली में नेहरू नगर, श्री अरबिंदो मार्ग, डा केएस शूटिंग रेंज, मंदिर मार्ग, अलीपुर और पटपड़गंज शामिल हैं। गाजियाबाद में संजय नगर और वसुंधरा, गुरुग्राम में ग्वाल पहाड़ी और ग्रेटर नोएडा में नालेज पार्क हैं। एनसीआर में सबसे कम जमीनी स्तर के ओजोन प्रदूषण वाले स्थानों में दिल्ली में पंजाबी बाग, अशोक विहार, सिरी फोर्ट, चांदनी चौक, नॉर्थ कैंपस और पूसा शामिल हैं। फरीदाबाद में सेक्टर 16ए और 11 और न्यू इंडस्ट्रियल टाउन और नोएडा में सेक्टर एक शामिल है। नई दिल्ली में मंदिर मार्ग में पिछली चार गर्मियों के औसत की तुलना में दिनों की संख्या में अधिक वृद्धि दर्ज की गई है। इसने 63 अतिरिक्त अधिक दिनों की छलांग दर्ज की। इसके बाद गुरुग्राम में ग्वाल पहाड़ी और पूर्वी दिल्ली में पटपड़गंज में दोनों ने 51 दिनों की वृद्धि दर्ज की। फरीदाबाद में सेक्टर 16ए और दिल्ली में सिरीफोर्ट में पिछले चार गर्मियों के औसत की तुलना में अधिक दिनों में सबसे अधिक कमी दर्ज की गई। इस गर्मी में उनकी अधिकता 40 दिनों से अधिक कम हो गई थी। दिल्ली में जेएलएन स्टेडियम, नरेला और सोनिया विहार और गाजियाबाद में इंदिरापुरम और लोनी अन्य स्थान थे जिन्होंने महत्वपूर्ण सुधार दर्ज किया। जमीनी स्तर के ओजोन में सबसे अधिक वृद्धि दर्ज करने वाले स्थानों में दिल्ली में मंदिर मार्ग, अलीपुर, बुराड़ी क्रासिंग, सीआरआरआई मथुरा रोड शामिल हैं। गुरुग्राम में ग्वाल पहाड़ी, गाजियाबाद में संजय नगर और वसुंधरा और नोएडा में सेक्टर 116 शामिल हैं। पांच मई 2023 को दिल्ली के पटपड़गंज में अधिकतम आठ घंटे का औसत 191 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति क्यूबिक मीटर था। यह इस स्थान पर अब तक का उच्चतम स्तर दर्ज किया गया था। जमीनी स्तर का ओजोन रात की हवा में आदर्श रूप से नगण्य हो जाना चाहिए, लेकिन एनसीआर में एक दुर्लभ घटना देखी जा रही है, जहां ओजोन का स्तर सूर्यास्त के घंटों बाद भी ऊंचा बना रहता है। इस मई रात के समय के ओजोन को 28 दिनों में नोट किया गया था, जिसमें तीन स्टेशन औसतन हर रात इसकी रिपोर्ट करते थे। रात के समय का ओजोन पूर्वी दिल्ली के पूर्वी अर्जुन नगर में सबसे अधिक होता है, जहां इस गर्मी में 42 रातों में इसकी सूचना दी गई थी। गाजियाबाद में वसुंधरा, ग्रेटर नोएडा में नॉलेज पार्क III, गुरुग्राम में ग्वाल पहाड़ी और नोएडा में सेक्टर 116 में भी रात के समय जमीनी स्तर के ओजोन के अधिकांश मामले सामने आए। इस गर्मी में सेक्टर 125, नोएडा में 84 दिनों की अधिकता दर्ज की गई, जो एनसीआर के किसी भी स्टेशन के लिए सबसे अधिक है। इसके बाद डीयू नार्थ कैंपस और दिल्ली में आईजीआई एयरपोर्ट टी3 का स्थान रहा। सीओ प्रदूषण से गाजियाबाद और गुरुग्राम भी गंभीर रूप से प्रभावित हैं। दिल्ली में नजफगढ़ और आया नगर और फरीदाबाद में न्यू इंडस्ट्रियल टाउन इस क्षेत्र में सबसे कम प्रभावित स्थान हैं। अभी कदम उठाएं सीएसई की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता राय चौधरी का कहना है कि स्वच्छ वायु कार्य योजना और विशेष रूप से ग्रीष्मकालीन कार्य योजना अब ओजोन शमन की उपेक्षा नहीं कर सकती है।

पर्यावरण प्रदर्शन में तेलंगाना अव्वल, केटीआर ने सीएसई रैंकिंग की सराहना की

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE), एक प्रमुख जनहित अनुसंधान और वकालत संगठन की वार्षिक रिपोर्ट में समग्र पर्यावरणीय प्रदर्शन के मामले में तेलंगाना को शीर्ष स्थान दिया गया है। रैंकिंग के लिए वन आवरण बढ़ाने और नगरपालिका अपशिष्ट उपचार में हुई प्रगति पर विचार किया गया। रैंकिंग की सराहना करते हुए राज्य मंत्री के.टी. रामा राव ने कहा कि विभिन्न मापदंडों पर राष्ट्रीय चार्ट में शीर्ष पर रहा तेलंगाना एक बार फिर साबित कर देता है कि वह देश के लिए एक रोल मॉडल है। उन्होंने दावा किया कि मुख्यमंत्री के. चंद्रशेखर राव के दिमाग की उपज 'हरित हरम' और पर्यावरण के अनुकूल अन्य कार्यक्रमों ने यह दुर्लभ सम्मान हासिल किया है। केटीआर ने राज्य सरकार की अग्रणी पहलों को याद किया, जिसके कारण ग्रामीण और शहरी दोनों क्षेत्रों में हरित आवरण में उल्लेखनीय वृद्धि हुई, सामाजिक लाभ और राष्ट्रीय, अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मान्यता, अपशिष्ट-से-ऊर्जा कार्यक्रम और अन्य पहलुओं को हासिल किया। उन्होंने कहा कि मुख्यमंत्री ने राज्य में पर्यावरण को हुए नुकसान की भरपाई के लिए हरित हरम कार्यक्रम चलाया। मंत्री ने कहा कि राज्य सरकार ने हरित क्षेत्र को 22 प्रतिशत से बढ़ाकर 33 प्रतिशत करने के लिए लोगों के सहयोग से कार्यक्रम लागू किया है। केटीआर ने कहा कि विभिन्न संगठनों ने कार्यक्रम के सकारात्मक प्रभावों को पहचाना है। पिछले नौ वर्षों में लगभग 273 करोड़ पौधे लगाए गए, जिससे वन क्षेत्र में 2015-16 में 19,854 वर्ग किमी से 2023 में 26,969 वर्ग किमी तक की वृद्धि हुई। राज्य में भौगोलिक क्षेत्र का उल्लेखनीय 24.06 प्रतिशत कवर किया गया है। जंगलों के साथ। मंत्री ने भारतीय वन सर्वेक्षण की रिपोर्ट का हवाला दिया, जिसमें कहा गया है कि हरित हरम कार्यक्रम ने राज्य में हरित क्षेत्र में 7.70 प्रतिशत की वृद्धि की है। मंत्री ने कहा कि सामाजिक वानिकी के साथ शहरी और ग्रामीण दोनों क्षेत्रों में पार्कों का विकास किया गया। केटीआर ने कहा कि हरित बजट पंचायत राज अधिनियम और नगरपालिका अधिनियम के तहत आवंटित किया जाता है, जो कि अपनी तरह का पहला है। अब, उन्होंने कहा, लगभग 15,000 नर्सरी, लगभग 19,400 पल्ले प्रकृति वनम और 2,725 बड़े पल्ले प्रकृति वनम विकसित किए गए। मंत्री ने कहा कि शहरों में अर्बन फॉरेस्ट पार्क विकसित करने के लिए 700 करोड़ रुपये खर्च किए गए। हैदराबाद को ट्री सिटी ऑफ द वर्ल्ड के रूप में मान्यता दी गई है। उन्होंने कहा कि राज्य सरकार ने स्वच्छता प्रबंधन में भी सर्वोत्तम प्रथाओं को लागू किया है। नगर निगमों और नगर पालिकाओं में कचरे के वैज्ञानिक निपटान को सुनिश्चित करने के लिए बायोमाइनिंग की प्रक्रिया शुरू की गई थी। केटीआर ने नोट किया कि हैदराबाद में अपशिष्ट-से-ऊर्जा के माध्यम से 24 मेगावाट (मेगावाट) का उत्पादन किया गया। वैकल्पिक स्रोतों से बिजली पैदा करने में भी राज्य अग्रणी रहा है। मंत्री ने कहा कि 2014 में राज्य के गठन के समय जहां सौर ऊर्जा से केवल 74 मेगावाट का उत्पादन होता था, वहीं अब यह बढ़कर 5,865 मेगावाट हो गया है। उन्होंने कहा कि यह गर्व की बात है कि सौर ऊर्जा से बिजली पैदा करने के मामले में छोटा राज्य देश में दूसरे स्थान पर है और यह राज्य की प्रतिबद्धता का प्रमाण है। केटीआर ने कहा कि राज्य सरकार के प्रयासों को राष्ट्रीय और अंतरराष्ट्रीय स्तर पर मान्यता मिलने से और प्रेरणा मिलती है। उन्होंने पॉलिसी थिंक टैंक NITI Aayog की प्रशंसा को याद किया कि प्रकुर्ति वनम अवधारणा देश के लिए एक रोल मॉडल है। उन्होंने कहा कि यह राज्य सरकार की व्यापक और संतुलित पर्यावरण नीतियों और मुख्यमंत्री केसीआर की पर्यावरण के प्रति प्रतिबद्धता की मान्यता है।

प्रकृति संरक्षित रहेगी तो आने वाली पीढि़यां सुखी रहेंगी

हैदराबाद: सीएम केसीआर ने कहा कि आने वाली पीढ़ियां तभी खुशियों से खिलेंगी, जब सृष्टि के स्रोत प्रकृति की रक्षा की जाएगी. मुख्यमंत्री ने विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस के अवसर पर सोमवार दोपहर कोकापेट के एचएमडीए लेआउट नियोपोलिस में पौधारोपण किया. सीएम ने ग्रीनइंडिया चैलेंज के संस्थापक सांसद संतोष कुमार और शहरी वन निदेशक डॉ. प्रभाकर द्वारा प्रदान किया गया तीन साल पुराना 7.5 फीट 'पोन्ना' का पौधा लगाया. इस मौके पर केसीआर ने लोगों से हरियाली बढ़ाने और पर्यावरण संरक्षण के लिए किए जाने वाले उपायों को अपने दैनिक जीवन का हिस्सा बनाने का आह्वान किया। उन्होंने कहा कि मानवीय भूलों के कारण ही दुनिया पानी और ऑक्सीजन खरीदने की स्थिति में पहुंच गई है, जो पंचतत्वों का हिस्सा है। उन्होंने कहा कि तेलंगाना सरकार द्वारा किए गए उपायों से राज्य हरित हो रहा है और जैव विविधता फल-फूल रही है। उन्होंने याद दिलाया कि भारतीय वन सर्वेक्षण की रिपोर्ट में खुलासा हुआ है कि हरियाली के साथ प्रदेश में हरित आवरण बढ़कर 7.7 प्रतिशत हो गया है। उन्होंने कहा कि यह तेलंगाना के लोगों की पर्यावरण संरक्षण पहल का प्रतिबिंब है। सीएम केसीआर ने कहा कि यह बहुत अच्छी बात है कि तेलंगाना देश में सौर ऊर्जा उत्पादन में दूसरे नंबर पर है. उन्होंने कहा कि नीति आयोग द्वारा बृहत् प्राकृतवन की सराहना, 273 करोड़ पौधे लगाकर दुनिया के सबसे बड़े मानव प्रयास के रूप में हरियाली का रिकॉर्ड, और 'सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट' रिपोर्ट में पर्यावरण संरक्षण में राज्य का पहला स्थान जैसी उपलब्धियां, सभी दर्शाती हैं। पर्यावरण संरक्षण के प्रति तेलंगाना सरकार की प्रतिबद्धता मुख्यमंत्री ने स्पष्ट किया कि सरकार पर्यावरण के अनुकूल राज्य बनाने के उद्देश्य से आगे बढ़ रही है. इस कार्यक्रम में बीआरएस संसदीय दल के नेता सांसद के केशा राव, मंत्री सबिता इंद्रा रेड्डी, प्रशांत रेड्डी, मल्लार रेड्डी, ग्रीन इंडिया चैलेंज के संस्थापक सांसद संतोष कुमार समेत अन्य ने हिस्सा लिया.

World Environment Day 2023: हिमाचल के 5 स्कूलों को मिला GSA अवाॅर्ड, ये जिला बना सर्वश्रेष्ठ

हिमाचल प्रदेश के पांच स्कूलों को अपने कैंपस को इको फ्रेंडली बनाने के लिए ‘ग्रीन स्कूल अवॉर्ड’ (Green School Award) से नवाजा गया है। पर्यावरण (Environment) के क्षेत्र में काम करने वाली संस्था सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) के ग्रीन स्कूल प्रोग्राम (जीएसपी) के तहत स्कूलों को उनकी पर्यावरण व्यवस्था के आधार पर विभिन्न श्रेणियों में पुरस्कृत किया गया। पर्यावरण (Environment) के अनुकूल पर्यावरण बनाए रखने के लिए सोलन जिले को राज्य का सर्वश्रेष्ठ जिला भी घोषित किया गया। पिछले चार वर्षों से सोलन जिला पूरे प्रदेश में प्रथम स्थान पर आ रहा है। मुख्यमंत्री सुखविंदर सिंह सुक्खू ने सोमवार को विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस (World Environment Day) के अवसर पर स्टेट गेस्ट हाउस पीटरहॉफ शिमला में ग्रीन स्कूल अवार्ड (Green School Award) प्रदान किए। सोलन और हमीरपुर जिले के स्कूलों ने पर्यावरण (Environment) के निर्धारित मानकों पर बेहतरीन प्रदर्शन किया है। चेंजमेकर स्कूल अवार्ड सोलन जिले के जीएमबी स्कूल नालागढ़ और कसौली इंटरनेशनल स्कूल को दिया गया है। चंबा जिले के राजकीय वरिष्ठ माध्यमिक विद्यालय हिमगिरी को भू प्रबंधक पुरस्कार मिला है। हमीरपुर जिले के राजकीय वरिष्ठ माध्यमिक विद्यालय गुलेला को वेस्ट वारियर पुरस्कार तथा राजकीय वरिष्ठ माध्यमिक विद्यालय कुल्हेड़ा को ऊर्जा प्रबंधक पुरस्कार से सम्मानित किया गया। हर साल ये पुरस्कार सीएसई और हिमाचल प्रदेश विज्ञान प्रौद्योगिकी और पर्यावरण परिषद के सहयोग से दिए जाते हैं। वास्तव में, सीएसई का ग्रीन स्कूल प्रोग्राम स्कूलों के छात्रों और शिक्षकों को अपने परिसरों को पर्यावरण के अनुकूल बनाने के लिए प्रोत्साहित करने की एक पहल है। सीएसई के उप कार्यक्रम प्रबंधक नीरज कुमार ने कहा कि स्कूलों को पर्यावरण के प्रति जागरूक करने के लिए ग्रीन स्कूल अवार्ड (Green School Award) दिए जाते हैं। उन्होंने कहा कि हिमाचल प्रदेश वर्ष 2012 में सीएसई के ग्रीन स्कूल कार्यक्रम में शामिल हुआ था। तब इसमें 44 स्कूलों ने भाग लिया था। वर्ष 2022 में ग्रीन स्कूल कार्यक्रम में भाग लेने वाले हिमाचल के स्कूलों की संख्या 800 से अधिक हो गई है।

Extreme weather events making the year 2023 more deadly

In the first four months of 2023, a total of 32 states and union territories of India experienced extreme weather events, indicating an increase compared to the previous year. These events resulted in the loss of 233 human lives and caused damage to approximately 0.95 million hectares of agricultural land. Extreme weather events The increasing frequency of extreme weather events underscores India’s growing vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. The ‘India’s State of Environment 2023 in Figures’ report provides valuable insight into the environmental conditions prevailing in the country during this period. The report reveals that from January to April 2023, several states faced a series of extreme weather events. These events included hailstorms, heat waves, heavy rain, flooding, landslides, snowfall, lightning, storms, and cold snaps. Such events occurred over a significant number of days, highlighting the need for effective adaptation and resilience strategies. The report also provides information on the frequency of different extreme weather events between January and April 2023. Lightning and storms occurred for 58 days, heat waves were experienced for 15 days, torrential rains, floods and landslides affected the region for 21 days, snowfall occurred on 10 days, and there were 2 days of cold snaps or cold days. The winter, which spanned January and February, saw 38 of 59 days marked by extreme weather events, affecting 21 states and union territories. Uttar Pradesh witnessed the highest number of extreme events in 25 days, closely followed by Madhya Pradesh with 24 days and Punjab with 15 days. In total, India experienced extreme weather events on 84 out of 120 days during this period.

Telangana ranks first in nation in environment conservation, forest cover: Report

Progress achieved in increasing forest cover and other parameters were considered for the ranking in the ‘State of India’s Environment 2023’ report released by the Centre for Science and Environment. Telangana has been ranked at the top in terms of overall environmental performance in the annual report of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a prominent public interest research and advocacy organisation. Progress achieved in increasing forest cover and in municipal waste treatment was considered for the ranking in the ‘State of India’s Environment 2023’ report released by CSE ahead of World Environment Day on June 5. Telangana scored 7.21 in ‘the state of the states ranking’ under the environment category, the only state to score over 7 points out of 10 (followed by Gujarat with 6.59 points). Lauding the ranking, state Minister KT Rama Rao said that the Telangana government’s flagship conservation programme Telangana ku Haritha Haram (Green Garland for Telangana) and other environmentally friendly programmes secured this honour. KTR said that the state government's initiatives had led to a remarkable increase in green cover in both rural and urban areas, garnering social benefits and national and international recognition for their waste-to-energy programmes and other aspects. He said that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao undertook the Haritha Haram programme to reverse the damage caused to the environment in the state. The minister said that the state government implemented the programme, with the cooperation of the people, to increase the green cover from 22% to 33%. KTR said that various organisations have recognised the positive impacts the programme had. About 273 crore of saplings were planted in the last nine years, which led to an increase in the forest cover from 19,854 square km in 2015-16 to 26,969 square km in 2023. A remarkable 24.06% of the geographical area in the state is covered with forests, he said. The minister cited the Forest Survey of India's report, which stated that the Haritha Haram programme increased the green cover in the state by 7.70%. He said that along with social forestry, parks were developed in both urban and rural areas. KTR said that the green budget is allotted under the Panchayat Raj Act and Municipal Act, which is a first of its kind. Now, he said, about 15,000 nurseries, nearly 19,400 Palle Prakruthi Vanams, and 2,725 large Palle Prakruthi Vanams were developed. The minister said that Rs 700 crore was spent to develop urban forest parks in cities. Hyderabad has been recognised as the Tree City of the World. He said that the state government implemented best practices in sanitation management too. The process of biomining, to ensure scientific disposal of waste, was started in municipal corporations and municipalities. KTR noted that 24 Megawatts (MW) were produced through waste-to-energy in Hyderabad. The state also stood as a leader in generating electricity through alternative sources. The minister said that while only 74 MW was produced through solar energy when the state was formed in 2014, it surged to 5,865 MW now. He said that it is a matter of pride that the small state stood in second position in the country in terms of generating power through solar energy and that it is a testament to the state's commitment.