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'Ganga Prahari' cadre formed to boost public participation in river conservation: Jal Shakti MoS

Dharamshala/New Delhi, Mar 24 (UNI) union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, informed the Rajya Sabha that a dedicated “Ganga Prahari” cadre has been constituted under the National Mission for Clean Ganga to engage local communities and youth in the conservation and cleanliness of the Ganga River. Responding to a query by Rajya Sabha MP Indu Bala Goswami, the Minister said the initiative aims to create awareness among the masses and ensure their active participation in protecting the river. He stated that several awareness campaigns have been conducted under the mission, with a total expenditure of ₹17.68 crore over the past three years. Choudhary further informed the House that various outreach programmes, including “Ganga Utsav,” “Swachhta Pakhwada,” “Ghat Par Yog,” celebrations on World Environment Day, and cleanliness drives, have been organised along the riverbanks to strengthen community involvement. Highlighting special initiatives, he said the NMCG, in coordination with the Border Security Force, organised an all-women river rafting expedition from Devprayag to Ganga Sagar to promote awareness about river conservation. The minister also noted that partnerships have been initiated with universities, colleges, training institutions, and the Centre for Science and Environment to involve students and youth in rejuvenation efforts. To address local issues effectively, district-level Ganga Committees have been constituted in 139 districts through which the river flows, he added.

गंगा नदी के संरक्षण और स्वच्छता के लिए गंगा प्रहरी कैडर गठित: राज भूषण चौधरी

केंद्रीय जल शक्ति राज्य मंत्री राज भूषण चौधरी ने बताया कि गंगा नदी के संरक्षण और स्वच्छता के लिए स्थानीय समुदाय और युवा वर्ग को जोड़ने के लिए नेशनल मिशन फॉर क्लीन गंगा के अन्तर्गत गंगा प्रहरी कैडर गठित किया गया है। इस कैडर का मुख्य उद्देश्य आम जन मानस को गंगा नदी के संरक्षण और स्वच्छता के लिए जागरूक किया जाना है ताकि इस मिशन में उनकी सक्रिय भागीदारी सुनिश्चित की जा सके। केंद्रीय मंत्री चौधरी ने यह जानकारी राज्यसभा सांसद इंदु बाला गोस्वामी को उनके पूछे गए सवाल के जवाब में सदन में दी है। केंद्रीय मंत्री चौधरी ने बताया कि इस इस मिशन के अन्तर्गत विभिन्न जागरूकता अभियान चलाये गए हैं और पिछले तीन सालों में इन जागरूकता अभियानों पर कुल 17.68 करोड़ रूपये खर्च किये गए हैं। उन्होंने बताया कि नेशनल मिशन फॉर क्लीन गंगा के तत्वावधान में गंगा नदी के संरक्षण और स्वच्छता के लिए स्थानीय समुदाय और युवा वर्ग को जोड़ने के लिए गंगा नदी के तटों पर गंगा उत्सव, स्वच्छता पखवाड़ा, घाट पर योग, विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस और स्वच्छता अभियान आयोजित किये गए हैं। उन्होंने बताया कि इस उदेश्य के लिए नेशनल मिशन फॉर क्लीन गंगा ने सीमा सुरक्षा बल के साथ समवन्य कर देवप्रयाग से गंगा सागर तक आल वीमेन रीवर राफ्टिंग का आयोजन किया। उन्होंने बताया कि इस मिशन ने गंगा नदी के जीर्णोद्धार में बच्चों और छात्रों को जोड़ने के लिए विभिन्न विश्विद्यालयों, कॉलेजों, प्रशिक्षण संस्थानों और सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट के साथ भागीदारी शुरू की है। गंगा नदी के जीर्णोद्धार में स्थानीय मुद्दों को प्रभावी ढंग से निपटाने के लिए देश के उन 139 जिलों में जिला गंगा समितियों का गठन किया गया हैं जहां से गंगा नदी गुजरती है।

Gurgaon records cleanest air in five months, AQIturns ‘satisfactory’

GURGAON: The city recorded its cleanest day in 162 days on Friday, with the air quality index (AQI) dropping to 98 and entering the ‘satisfactory’ category for the first time since Oct 9 last year, when the AQI stood at 69. The day started with AQI at 115, in the ‘moderate’ category, but favourable weather conditions helped disperse the pollutants and bring the air quality up by the evening. Station-wise data showed variation across the city. NISE Gwal Pahari recorded an AQI of 67 and Vikas Sadan logged 92, both in the ‘satisfactory’ range, while Sector 51 recorded an AQI of 135 in the ‘moderate’ category. The improvement comes after a prolonged winter spell marked by sustained high pollution levels. The lowest air quality in these months was recorded on Jan 20, when the AQI touched 394. AQI began deteriorating after the first week of Oct. By Oct 21, PM2.5 levels surged to 370, pushing the city into the ‘very poor’ category. In Nov, the condition worsened further and AQI remained above 250 on most days of the month. On Nov 2 and Nov 11, pollution peaked for the month with AQIs of 357 and 378, respectively. The trend continued through Dec, with AQI largely above 260 and multiple spikes pushing the air in the ‘severe’ category, including an AQI of 322 on Dec 13, 345 on Dec 15 and 364 on Dec 23. Jan emerged as the most polluted month of the season, with several consecutive days recording AQI levels above 350 and multiple peaks in the 370–390 range. Feb brought only marginal improvement, with air quality largely oscillating between the ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories, barring a brief dip to 148 on Feb 19. March saw fluctuating conditions before easing in the latter half of the month. The city recorded several days with AQI above 300 — 322 on March 7, 307 on March 10, 304 on March 11 and 301 on March 12 — before readings dropped to 129 on March 16 and 154 on March 19, setting the stage for Thursday’s sharper improvement. Officials attributed the drop in pollution levels to recent rainfall and gusty winds that helped flush out accumulated pollutants from the air. Experts, however, cautioned against viewing the improvement as a long-term shift. “This improvement is largely driven by favourable meteorological conditions such as rain and strong winds, which help disperse pollutants,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment. “Unless emission sources are consistently controlled, air quality is likely to deteriorate again once weather conditions turn stagnant,” she added.

Now is an Opportune Time to Promote Alternate Fertilisers

In this regard, a recent study by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) shows that inefficient use of fertilisers is resulting to low nitrogen and organic carbon respectively in 64% and 48.5% of soils tested. Thus, the existing fertiliser policy needs to be revamped as it is not only promoting indiscriminate use of highly import dependent chemical fertilisers with mounting fiscal burden but also leading to unsustainable agricultural practices adversely impacting soil health and productivity. India’s urgent need for promoting alternate fertilisers for domestic self-sufficiency has come to the forefront with the ongoing geopolitical conflicts in West Asia and the resultant supply disruptions. Moreover, global fertiliser supplies came under pressure and prices rose by about 14% in 2025 due to the changing trade policies and restrictions of major trading countries. India, being heavily dependent on imports for raw materials and feedstock for chemical fertiliser production, is exposed to the high risks of global supply disruptions and price volatilities, apart from the loss of precious foreign exchange. Such a scenario provides an opportunity for the government to reorient fertiliser policy to scale-up and promote production and use of alternate fertilisers like organic and bio-fertilisers towards achieving domestic self-reliance in fertiliser production in the country. Dire need In addition to the substantial dependency on import, the existing fertiliser policy is aiding in indiscriminate and excessive use of chemical fertilisers with subsidies. Fertiliser subsidies rose sharply since 2019-20 onwards stood at Rs.1.86 lakh crore in 2025-26 as per the Revised Estimate, which is more than double compared to Rs.0.8 lakh crore in 2019-20. It is important to note in this context is that the fertiliser subsidy, intended for farmers for enhancing agricultural production, is still given to fertiliser industry instead of directly giving to farmers. In addition, the continuous and excessive use of chemical fertilisers has also been resulting to serious negative externalities such as reduced soil productivity due to accumulation of chemicals and pollution of soil and water, severe deficiency of soil organic carbon and micronutrients. In this regard, a recent study by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) shows that inefficient use of fertilisers is resulting to low nitrogen and organic carbon respectively in 64% and 48.5% of soils tested. Thus, the existing fertiliser policy needs to be revamped as it is not only promoting indiscriminate use of highly import dependent chemical fertilisers with mounting fiscal burden but also leading to unsustainable agricultural practices adversely impacting soil health and productivity. Challenges and way forward To reduce excessive chemical fertiliser use and promote balanced use of organic and chemical fertilisers, various policy measures were initiated with schemes such as soil health card (SHC) scheme in 2015 and the PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness Generation, Nourishment, and Amelioration of Mother Earth (PM-PRANAM) in 2023. In addition, schemes to promote organic and natural farming such as Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region, are also introduced. However, the extent of their success in reducing chemical fertiliser use appears to be very limited so far. While the first step, testing of soils appears to be picking up with about 116 lakh soil samples collected and about 97.6 lakh SHCs generated in 2025-26, but progress in shifting to optimal and judicious use of chemical and alternate non-chemical fertilisers appears to be slow. Major reasons for such limited progress in using organic and bio-fertilisers include limited rise in production, issues with quality control, low preference from farmers, lack of awareness, relatively cumbersome in application compared to chemical fertilisers, etc. Production of organic fertilisers has not yet picked up momentum and remains slow and erratic. Total production of organic fertilisers in the country has in fact declined to 80 lakh tonnes in 2024-25 from about 127 lakh tonnes in 2023-24 according to the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. In order to effectively reduce chemical fertilisers, the first and foremost requirement is the adequate availability of alternate organic and bio-fertilisers at affordable prices. Production of such alternate fertilisers needs to be scaled up by providing adequate support and level playing field for the manufacturers of organic and bio-fertilisers. Another major challenge is ensuring quality with increasing instances of failed quality tests with inferior quality and spurious bio and organic fertiliser products. Further. Deterioration of quality is apparently increasing over the period. The extent of spurious bio-fertiliser samples failing the quality tests increased from 1% in 2013-14 to 44% in 2019-20 according to a study of CSE. In addition, there is limited availability of testing facilities with only 8 states having government-owned notified testing laboratories. It is also essential to create widespread awareness among farmers about the harmful long-term impacts of excessive chemical fertiliser application on soil and the need to adopt optimal and balanced application for chemical and non-chemical fertilisers for ensuring sustainable soil health and crop productivity. In addition to the subsidised prices, chemical fertilisers are preferred for their easy availability, handling and usage especially compared to organic fertilisers. Towards this, there is a need to promote innovation in devising methods for easy handling and use of organic fertilisers. Hence, for successful adoption of alternate fertilisers, it is vital to create awareness among farmers about the benefits and importance of using non-chemical fertilisers and need for reducing use of chemical fertilisers. Thus, to shift successfully away from import dependent burdensome chemical fertilisers and achieving self-sufficiency in domestic fertiliser production, there is a need to reorient the existing fertiliser policy to scale-up production and use of organic and bio-fertilisers with requisite strategies. This will provide adequate support & level playing field for manufactures, ensure quality and create awareness among farmers.

Gen Z in India Can’t Stop Worrying About Climate Change—Here’s Why It Matters

On a particularly hazy morning in Mumbai, 16-year-old Veena scrolls past yet another headline about rising temperatures and erratic rainfall. She doesn’t pause, she doesn’t react—not because she doesn’t care, but because caring has begun to feel like a weight her generation quietly drags along. Across India’s cities with choked lungs, from Bengaluru’s traffic-burdened tech hubs to Delhi’s smog-thick winter mornings, young people are experiencing a lived, daily tension and are navigating a strange emotional landscape shaped by climate uncertainty. For them, being sustainable often means going out of the way—refusing convenience that their predecessors created for humanity. “My friends and I often joke that we can’t imagine life beyond 25 — not because we’re pessimistic, but because the future feels uncertain. Climate anxiety has become a quiet part of growing up”, said Revathi Kodalli, a 23-year-old marketing consultant from Hyderabad. Unicef defines climate anxiety to represent real and valid feelings of fear, worry, stress, helplessness, and unease related to evolving climate crises. These should be understood as natural reactions when witnessing the impacts of climate change and not as a mental health condition. A study on the Indian youth by the Centre for Science and Environment showed a growing sense of helplessness, disrupted sleep, eco-guilt, and a persistent undercurrent of fear about the future, sharpened by lived experience. Extreme weather events are everyday news. For many urban young adults, climate change is forming a constant mental backdrop, altering how they plan careers, imagine families, and think about adulthood itself. Jaipur’s Dhruv Sarda learnt about climate change at school in the fifth standard. “I imagine the earth becoming like a glowing fireball — no trees, no water, no electricity, no humans or animals. Just a dry, sandy planet with no life. That scares me.” The 13 year old belongs to the generation that fosters hope for the seemingly bleak future of our planet. “I think the earth is dying. There’s a real shortage of water, temperatures are rising, and the weather has become unpredictable. But our school also teaches us how to fight climate change—things like using sustainable energy, planting trees, and reducing our carbon footprint”, he told Free Press Journal.

Madhya Pradesh tops forest land diversion list with 22% share:38,553 hectares cleared for projects in 10 yrs; major setback to state image

Known for having the largest forest area in India, Madhya Pradesh has suffered a major setback to its image. According to the latest report “State of India’s Environment 2026” released by the Centre for Science and Environment, the state accounts for the highest share (22%) of forest land conversion for non-forest use in the country over the past decade (2014–15 to 2023–24). In the last 10 years, 38,553 hectares of forest land in Madhya Pradesh has been converted for development projects. Notably, 23,054 hectares of this conversion occurred in just the past five years. National Scenario Across India, a total of 1,73,397 hectares of forest land has been converted over the last decade. This is more than the total forest area of Haryana (1,61,426 hectares) and even larger than Delhi’s total geographical area (1,48,300 hectares).

साफ पानी के बिना कल की बात बेमानी

दिल्ली, बिहार, उत्तर प्रदेश सहित देश के 19 राज्य अभी बारिश-तूफान की चपेट में हैं। साल 2026 के ‘अल नीनो वर्ष’ होने की आशंका पहले ही जताई जा चुकी है। इसका अर्थ है कि दिन और रातें अपेक्षाकृत अधिक गर्म होंगी, मानसून अनियमित रहेगा और बेमौसम व अनियमित बारिश जैसी चरम मौसमी घटनाएं अधिक होंगी। जाहिर है, यह उस प्राकृतिक संसाधन के लिए कठिन साल साबित हो सकता है, जिसके बिना जीवन की कल्पना संभव नहीं है। मैं यहां पर जल की बात कर रही हूं, जो जलवायु परिवर्तन और अन्य वजहों से बुरी तरह प्रभावित हो रहा है। इसकी उपलब्धता लगातार कम होती जा रही है और गुणवत्ता भी बिगड़ रही है। यह स्थिति तब है, जब भारत के शहरों को भविष्य में आज से अधिक पानी की दरकार होगी। यानी, जल की सुरक्षा के लिए हमें बहुत कुछ करने की आवश्यकता है। इसके लिए एक ओर हमें अपने अतीत के जल-प्रबंधन संबंधी ज्ञान खंगालने होंगे, तो दूसरी ओर, भविष्य के लिए जल की महत्ता समझने वाले समाज का निर्माण करना होगा। गौरतलब है, प्राचीन भारतीय समाज में पानी के सावधानीपूर्वक उपयोग की अद्भुत परंपरा रही है। पुराने दिनों में हमने हर बूंद को सावधानी से संरक्षित और उपयोग होते देखा है। यहां तक कि हर क्षेत्र की अपनी जल-प्रबंधन प्रणाली थी। हमें उनसे सीखना चाहिए। हमारा यही मूलमंत्र होना चाहिए कि जहां पानी गिरे, वहीं पर उसको रोकें। इसके साथ ही, हमें अपने शहरों के जल-स्रोतों, नदी या धाराओं के नजदीकी मैदानों और दलदली क्षेत्रों को उनका पुराना रूप देना होगा। इससे हरित-नीले क्षेत्रों के पुनर्निर्माण और भीषण गर्मी में शहरों को ठंडा रखने में भी मदद मिलेगी। दूसरा काम जो हमें करना है, वह है अपशिष्ट-प्रबंधन। वास्तव में, हमें अगर एक लीटर पानी की आपूर्ति की जाती है, तो उसका 80 प्रतिशत हम किसी-न-किसी रूप में बर्बाद कर देते हैं। हम इस पानी को जमा करने और उसका उपचार करके फिर से उपयोग लायक बनाने के लिए निवेश क्यों नहीं कर सकते? करीब तीन महीने पहले देश के सबसे स्वच्छ शहर माने जाने वाले इंदौर में दूषित पेयजल के कारण कई लोगों की मौत हो गई थी, जिसकी स्वाभाविक ही निंदा हुई। हालांकि, हमें यह समझना होगा कि यह मामला इंदौर या जल-आपूर्ति से जुड़ा नहीं था, बल्कि इसका कारक वह अपशिष्ट जल, यानी मल-मूत्र था, जिसे हम हर दिन बहा देते हैं और भूल जाते हैं। समस्या यही है कि हम तथ्यों को आपस में नहीं जोड़ते। हरेक नगर प्रशासन या सरकारें जल-आपूर्ति पर तो ध्यान देती हैं, लेकिन अपशिष्ट जल के प्रबंधन को नजरंदाज कर देती हैं। अच्छी बात है कि शहरी क्षेत्रों से जुड़ी योजनाओं में इसका महत्व समझा गया है, बावजूद इसके जल और सीवेज व्यवस्था में बदलाव लाने के पर्याप्त प्रयास नहीं हो रहे। जल-आपूर्ति, सीवेज और पर्यावरण के अनुकूल बुनियादी ढांचे के लिए ‘कायाकल्प व शहरी परिवर्तन के लिए अटल मिशन’ (एएमआरयूटी) के तहत पूंजी की व्यवस्था की गई है, लेकिन इसके खर्च के अनुपात में संतुलन नहीं है। मसलन, केंद्रीय आवास एवं शहरी मामलों के मंत्रालय के अनुसार, इसमें जल-आपूर्ति ही सर्वोच्च प्राथमिकता है, जिस पर 62 प्रतिशत तक खर्च किया जाता है, जबकि सीवेज पर सिर्फ 34 फीसदी। भूजल में सुधार लाने वाले और जल-आपूर्ति बढ़ाने वाले जल निकायों के पुनरोद्धार पर सिर्फ तीन प्रतिशत खर्च होता है। यह तस्वीर अब बदलनी चाहिए। इसके लिए सीवरेज पर अधिक धन खर्च करने की जरूरत नहीं है, बल्कि हमें अपने बुनियादी ढांचे को इस तरह बनाना होगा कि वह किफायती हो। आज की जल-आपूर्ति प्रणालियां पाइपों और पंपों पर निर्भर हैं, जिनमें पानी लंबी दूरी से लाया जाता है। जबकि, हम जानते हैं कि पाइपलाइन जितनी लंबी होगी, उसे बनाने में उतना ही अधिक खर्च आएगा, रिसाव की आशंका अधिक होगी और पंपिंग के लिए बिजली की खपत भी अधिक होगी। इन सबके कारण पानी की कीमत बढ़ जाती है। नतीजतन, कई परिवार पीने के लिए भूजल पर निर्भर रहने को मजबूर होते हैं। इसी तरह, सीवरेज योजनाएं भी पाइपों और पंपों के इर्द-गिर्द घूमती रहती हैं, जो कभी पूरी नहीं होतीं। हर बार घरों को जोड़ना पड़ता है, सीवेज नालियां बनानी पड़ती हैं और सड़कों को खोदना पड़ता है। ये गंदे पानी भूमिगत पाइपों के जरिये उपचार संयंत्र तक लाए जाते हैं और फिर उनको नदियों या झीलों में बहा दिया जाता है। जबकि, हमारी नदियां पहले से ही उन ज्यादातर लोगों की गंदगी ढो रही हैं, जो आज भी बिना सीवेज कनेक्शन के हैं। फिर, इन योजनाओं पर खर्च अधिक है और ये लेट-लतीफ भी चलती रहती हैं। एक तरफ सीवेज नेटवर्क पूरा होता नहीं कि दूसरी तरफ से दिक्कतें आनी शुरू हो जाती हैं। यही कारण है कि भारत के अधिकांश हिस्से में सीवरेज नहीं है और परिवार सेप्टिक टैंक के भरोसे रहते हैं। इंदौर में इन्हीं के रिसाव से पीने का पानी दूषित हुआ था। मैं यहां सेप्टिक टैंक जैसी व्यवस्था की आलोचना नहीं कर रही। वास्तव में, वे भविष्य के समाधान हैं, लेकिन ये तभी कारगर होंगे, जब शौचालयों की नियमित सफाई हो, मल-मूत्र उपचार के लिए भेजे जाएं और उपचारित जल (अपशिष्ट जल नहीं) व गाद का उपयोग खाद व ईंधन के रूप में किया जाए। हमें सीवेज प्रबंधन को केंद्र में रखना ही होगा। इसके लिए नए सिरे से एएमआरयूटी दिशा-निर्देश बनाने होंगे। यह सुनिश्चित किया जाना चाहिए कि इन ‘सेप्टेज’ को उपचार सुविधाओं तक भूमिगत पाइपों के बजाय टैंकरों से ले जाया जाए। यह तेज, सस्ता व अधिक समावेशी तरीका होगा। दूसरा काम, नए दिशा-निर्देशों में पानी के पुन:उपयोग को बढ़ावा दिया जाना चाहिए। इसके लिए, शहरों को आर्थिक मदद देनी पड़ेगी, ताकि वे उपचारित अपशिष्ट जल को इस लायक बना सकें और गाद को जैव-संवर्द्धन या ईंधन के लिए भेज सकें। यानी, सीवेज संग्रहण या उपचार संयंत्रों के निर्माण के लिए नहीं, बल्कि अपशिष्ट जल के दोबारा उपयोग के लिए योजनाएं तैयार की जानी चाहिए। तीसरा, जल परियोजनाओं को स्थानीय स्रोतों से जोड़ा जाना चाहिए, जिसके लिए जल निकायों का पुनरोद्धार जरूरी है। इससे लंबी दूरी से पानी लाने में जो लागत आती है, वह कम हो सकेगी, भूजल अधिक टिकाऊ बनेगा और जल-आपूर्ति सस्ती होगी। जाहिर है, हमें अब अपने आस-पास के जल स्रोतों को प्रदूषण से बचाना ही होगा, ताकि साफ पानी की तलाश में हमें दूर तक भटकना न पड़े।

How long does it take to make a law on food labelling to protect public health?

It’s now 12 years since the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) admitted in 2014 that there was a need for front of pack labelling of packaged foods. Yet, not only has it not put in place such regulation, it has informed the Supreme Court that it could take a great deal longer. The sequence of events started in 2010, when a Delhi NGO filed a public interest petition on junk food being served in school canteens, after which the court ordered FSSAI to frame guidelines on sale of junk food, especially in schools. The food and beverage industry had first contended that ‘junk’ food does not fall under the purview of the FSSAI and then tried to argue that the problem was not junk food but children’s lack of physical activity. It is the same industry that FSSAI is holding endless consultations with. Two years later, the guidelines that were framed included front-of-pack labelling specifying how much fat, sugar or salt packaged food contained. FSSAI put it in the public domain in 2014 stating that the guidelines would be “converted into regulation in due course after following the process of inviting suggestions and comments, suggestions etc. from various stakeholders”. After holding half a dozen ‘stakeholder consultations’, most of them dominated by the food and beverages industry, FSSAI told Supreme Court in its affidavit filed on March 13 that “further consultations may also be required”. While civil society groups point out that there is a conflict of interest in consulting the industry which is to be regulated on the framing of the regulations, food and beverage industry representatives continue to dominate the ‘stakeholder’ consultations. Timeline of regulation for front of pack labelling of packaged food Dec 2010– PIL filed by Uday Foundation, a Delhi-based non-profit seeking a ban on junk food sold in schools and around them, regulation of junk food promotion and advertisement, and development of a school canteen policy Nov 2011– All India Food Processors Association became party in the case Jan 2012– High Court gave health ministry six months to frame guidelines Jul 2013– Court gave union govt 10-day deadline to frame detailed guidelines on sale of junk food in and around schools Sept 2013– Centre sought expert committee review of recently drafted guidelines on regulating sale of junk food in and around schools, court allowed it Oct 2013– Court rejected objections by the food and beverages industry and rejected industry’s contention that ‘junk’ food does not fall under the purview of FSSAI. Industry tried to argue that problem was not junk food but children’s lack of physical activity Mar 2014– FSSAI submitted guidelines for making quality and safe foods available in schools which included strict control on promotions and advertisements designed and targeted to children and adolescents across all media, with strong recommendations against celebrity endorsement and front-of-pack labelling specifying the amount of fat, sugar or salt contained Apr 2014– Sunita Narain, co-chair of the expert committee, alleged that guidelines that FSSAI submitted in court were diluted on influence of food industry, and that key changes were made to original guidelines submitted by expert committee Oct 12, 2015– FSSAI put draft guidelines in public domain stating that they would be “converted into regulation in due course after following the process of inviting suggestions and comments, suggestions etc. from various stakeholders” Jun 2016-2018 FSSAI signed MoU with CHIFFS (CII-Hindustan Unilever Initiative on Food Safety Sciences) “to co-produce food safety as a shared responsibility” and forged several partnerships with food industry such as the Eat Right campaign and launched the Nestle Food Safety Institute to build food safety awareness, training on regulatory standards, and improving testing methods, aimed at strengthening India’s food safety ecosystem Oct 2017– National Multisectoral Action Plan-NMAP (2017-22) drawn up included enactment of laws and other regulatory measures, launching of IEC (information, education, communication) campaigns, formulation of appropriate policies, and so on for “reduction of risk factors levels in children, adolescents and adults”. Unhealthy diet was one of the key risk factors identified Apr 11, 2018– FSSAI put draft Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2018 in public domain and sought comments and suggestions from stakeholders Aug 17, 2018– CUTS International (Consumer Unity and Trust Society), a consumer rights organisation, in partnership with FSSAI organised a national consultation on food labelling regulation for safe and healthy foods attended by representatives from the health ministry, WHO public health experts and industry associations including Vanaspati Manufacturer’s Association of India, Federation of Biscuit Manufacturers of India and Assocom Institute of Bakery Technology & Management Nov 18, 2020– Food Safety and Standards (Labeling and Display) Regulations 2020 put in public domain Jun 30, 2021 –FSSAI decided to hire a reputed institution like IIMs to carry out a study of FOPL formats to identify ease of understanding and behavioural change of Indian consumers on a national level. Feb 15, 2022– IIM, Ahmedabad report submitted, suggested star rating Feb 15, 2022– FSSAI held meeting on FOPL. All 17 food industry representatives voted for star rating system and all six consumer organisations asked for warning labels. Mar 2022– Consultation of public health and nutrition experts rejected health star rating saying that it could be misleading to give stars to foods which didn’t deserve to be called healthy by creating health haloes, while a warning system would be more easily understood. Sept 13, 2022– Amended draft of the Food Safety and Standards (Labeling and Display) Regulations 2020 was put in public domain for objections and suggestions. Draft included the proposed Indian Nutrition Rating (INR) for FOPL which was a star-rating system where higher star rating would indicate a healthier product to help consumers make healthier dietary choices. The draft regulation also suggested a four-year voluntary period before making FOPL mandatory. 14,452 comments and suggestions were received from public and stakeholders including food businesses, associations, consumer organisations, public health organisations and other regulatory bodies Feb 17, 2023– FSSAI constituted an expert committee to analyse and address the public feedback received. Committee conducted five meetings to carefully review all stakeholder comments and prepared its report in the fifth meeting. Oct 30, 2023– Extension in tenure of expert committee to review comments related to FOPL regulation. FSSAI said that the expert committee’s report and amended draft notification of FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2022 will be submitted to the scientific committee for further recommendation and approval and after approval from scientific committee the proposal will be placed before the food authority for final approval May 15, 2024– writ petition filed in court by 3S and Our Health Society seeking mandatory FOPL in the form of clear warning labels as FOPL on packaged products high in sugar, salt and saturated fat and stating that star-rating was insufficient. Nov 12, 2024– FSSAI impleaded as a respondent in the case Jan 29, 2025– FSSAI in its affidavit in court sought time from the court “to continue with its structured, consultative and evidence-based approach” to deliberate on FOPL and related regulations to ensure “effective, sustainable and contextually appropriate solutions for public health” Apr 9, 2025– Govt told court it had decided to undertake necessary amendments in the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2022. Court gave three months for expert committee to submit report and prepare its recommendations so that necessary amendments could be made based on the report. May 16, 25, 26, 30, 2025– FSSAI organized four stakeholder consultations with food business operators and other concerned stakeholders across four regions-Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad and Kolkata Jul 7, 2025– FSSAI filed an affidavit to inform the court about the stakeholder consultation Jul 15, 2025– Govt sought a further extension of three months to enable expert committee to prepare the report as directed by the court and court gave the extension. Jul 23 to Sep 30 2025– Expert committee held seven meetings to discuss the draft regulation and the comments received Oct 8, 2025– Expert committee submitted its report two years and eight months after it was constituted in February 2023. It noted that there was no consensus among stakeholders regarding Indian Nutritional Rating using star rating format Oct 9, 2025– Committee of secretaries (CoS) held meeting under chairmanship of cabinet secretary. Committee said “serious concerns have been raised on the draft notification by the stakeholders as it does not balance the requirements of different sections”. CoS said that the Ministry of Food Processing Industry had independently received 430 representations. Cos recommended that FSSAI withdraw FOPL notification and decide further course of action based on expert committee recommendations and stakeholder consultations Nov 28, 2025– FSSAI filed affidavit in court submitting expert committee report and informing court about the CoS meeting and its recommendation. Dec 16, 2025– Parliament committee submitted report on amendments to FSS (Labelling & Display) Regulations 2020 after receiving oral submissions and written comments from the health ministry, National Institute of Nutrition, FSSAI, ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises and various food industry associations and their representatives Mar 19, 2026– FSSAI organised a stakeholder consultation on FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 including representatives from regulatory departments, food industry associations, consumer organisations, scientific experts and research institutions

MP tops India in forest land diversion with 22% share

Madhya Pradesh leads India in forest land diversion with 38,553 hectares cleared in 10 years, raising alarm over wildlife loss and ecological drought in central India. A damaging distinction for the green state Madhya Pradesh, long recognised as the state with the largest forest cover in India, has now earned a far less flattering distinction. According to the State of India's Environment 2026, released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the state accounts for 22 per cent of all forest land diverted for non-forest use across the country over the past decade — the highest share of any state. Between 2014–15 and 2023–24, a total of 38,553 hectares of forest land in Madhya Pradesh was cleared for infrastructure, mining, and development projects. Of this, 23,054 hectares — more than half — was diverted in just the last five years, indicating the pace of clearance has accelerated sharply in recent times. National picture paints a grim canvas At the national level, the numbers are no less sobering. India diverted 1,73,397 hectares of forest land over the same ten-year period — an area exceeding the entire forest cover of Haryana (1,61,426 hectares) and larger than the total geographical extent of Delhi (1,48,300 hectares). In 2023–24 alone, approvals for conversion of nearly 29,000 hectares were granted, as per the report. Four states — Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, and Gujarat — together account for close to 49 per cent of the national total, reflecting a geographic concentration of forest-to-non-forest conversion in central and eastern India. Tigers pushed to the margins The ecological cost of this diversion is becoming visible on the ground. In Madhya Pradesh, which is home to some of India's most celebrated tiger reserves — Bandhavgarh, Kanha, and Pench — tigers are increasingly being pushed out of dense core forest zones. As their habitat shrinks, some big cats have begun settling in shrublands on the periphery of forests and preying on livestock instead of wild animals. Wildlife experts say the trend is directly linked to habitat fragmentation caused by project-related forest clearances. The result is a steady rise in human-wildlife conflict, with communities living near forest edges bearing the brunt. Scientists warn of 'ecological drought' Beyond wildlife, CSE scientists have flagged a longer-term threat to the very character of central India's forests. They have described the region as entering a state of "ecological drought" — a condition where prolonged water stress strips forests of their density, structure, and ecological functions over time. If unchecked, the report warns, this could permanently diminish the ecological services these forests provide, including groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration, and local climate regulation — consequences that would extend well beyond forest boundaries. Official response: scale justifies diversion State forest authorities have defended the volume of diversions, arguing that Madhya Pradesh's large forest base means any absolute figure will appear disproportionate when set against other states. Shubh Ranjan Sen, Head of Forest Force, Madhya Pradesh, stated: "Since Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest area in the country, higher diversion for development is natural." Forest land conversion approvals are granted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the process follows statutory clearance requirements under the Forest Conservation Act. Policy gap at the heart of the problem Conservation groups argue, however, that the volume and speed of approvals signal a structural imbalance between development priorities and ecological safeguards. India's national biodiversity targets call for protecting and restoring natural ecosystems — commitments that critics say are being quietly eroded by the pace of clearances. Compensatory afforestation is mandated for every hectare diverted, but independent assessments have long questioned whether plantation-based replacements can replicate the biodiversity value of old-growth forests. What next for central India's forests With the CSE report placing Madhya Pradesh's forest diversion firmly in the national spotlight, pressure is likely to mount on state and central authorities to tighten clearance norms and strengthen compensatory mechanisms. Environmental campaigners are expected to raise the issue in upcoming legislative sessions, while wildlife agencies are already engaged in corridor protection efforts around key tiger habitats. The forest land diversion data from Madhya Pradesh serves as a pointed reminder that development and conservation, left unbalanced, carry a measurable ecological cost — one that the state, and the country, will bear for decades to come.

LPG crisis: can electric cooking shield India’s economy from supply shocks?

The Iran war led LPG crisis in India, which has exposed the country's heavy reliance on imports, and should be seen as a wake-up call for the government to go back to the drawing board and push for a more durable, large-scale transition to electric cooking, experts say. Although India has launched campaigns and policies, such as the 'Go Electric' campaign started in 2021, to boost e-cooking awareness regarding the benefits of adopting electric vehicles and appliances like induction cooktops and electric pressure cookers, these efforts have not made any significant impact. "This is a wake-up call," Alok Kumar, former power secretary in the Union Ministry of Power, India, and current DG of All India Discoms Association, told Invezz. "It's good that we discuss this and the government takes it up as a mission, not only because the government dependence (on imports) should decrease, but also because the entire energy transition is premised on the electrification of energy services. You cannot achieve net zero without electrification, and so it serves the cause of long-term emission reduction as well," he added. How the Iran war exposed India's acute LPG import dependence India's reliance on imports of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has intensified in recent decades. Currently, external sources meet as much as 60% of the country's LPG needs, with the country spending roughly $26.4 billion annually on LPG imports. Out of this, 90% of the imports move through the Strait of Hormuz, the critical passage for 20% of global crude supplies, which is facing a blockade and severe disruption due to the ongoing conflict. According to the country's ministry of shipping, 1.67 million tonnes of crude oil, 320,000 metric tonnes of LPG and about 200,000 tonnes of LNG are stuck on the 22 Indian-flagged ships stranded in the Persian Gulf, waiting to transit through the Strait. Meanwhile, the crisis has hit home hard with restaurants and eateries struggling to procure cylinders, being forced to cut down on offerings, and taking big hits to their business. At the peak of the crisis last week, some restaurants had to shut down temporarily as well as LPG stocks ran out. Meanwhile, household consumers were seen queueing up outside gas agencies across the country, even as induction cookers flew off the shelves. The Indian government on Wednesday noted that the situation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is still worrisome and offered an additional 10% allocation of commercial LPG to States and Union Territories (UTs). State of adoption of e-cooking in India and factors limiting its use As per the Indian Residential Energy Survey (IRES) conducted in 2020, electricity use for cooking remains marginal in Indian homes, with only 5% of households using any electric cooking appliance. As expected, the use of e-cooking is higher in urban India (10%) than in rural areas (3%). Since e-cooking is not very affordable either, adoption rates were also six times higher among the top five wealth deciles than the bottom five. Also, studies have found that even in houses that have adopted e-cooking, the primary fuel, either LPG or LNG, has not been replaced, but only complemented. "Electric cooking is far more dispersed and hence more difficult work because it needs a lot of behavioural change," says Kumar. There are many factors that prevent the widespread use of electric cooking. These include high upfront appliance costs, cooking habit adaptation, reliable electricity supply concerns, and gaps in repair and maintenance services. The average price of a single-burner induction stove in India typically ranges from ₹1,500 to ₹3,000. Premium/high power (2000W+) models range from ₹2,500 to ₹4,000 or more, offering faster cooking and advanced features. Along with the purchase of an induction stove, a household also has to invest in utensils that are compatible with induction cooktops. Purva Jain, lead energy specialist, gas & international advocacy, South Asia, at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, however, points out that there does exist a market gap when it comes to induction cooking in terms of both pricing and design. Studies show e-cooking is more affordable than LPG/PNG Even so, studies have held that e-cooking over the long term is more affordable than LPG or LNG. According to the International Institute for Sustainable Development, in urban and peri-urban areas, electric cooking is becoming an increasingly competitive option. At current prices, annual cooking costs are estimated at INR 6,800–6,900 for LPG or PNG, compared to INR 5,800–5,900 for electric cooking. This cost advantage persists even with a moderate increase in electricity tariffs. Further, a study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in 2023 found that over the course of five and ten years, the cost of ownership of cooking with electricity was about 20% lower than with LPG, but was comparable over the first year. "Costs drop significantly as usage continues over time, and e-cooking becomes 17% cheaper than LPG over five years, and over 20% in 10 years. However, it must be kept in mind that these projections have not factored in rising gas prices or inflation," the study said. Impact on grid and possible ways to tackle it One of the most crucial factors to consider is that increased demand for electricity from e-cooking can strain existing grid capacity, which means that even if households and other commercial users might be willing to adopt this mode of cooking in a big way, infrastructure upgrades will be required to support the additional load. "From the distribution network aspect, the difficulty is that peaking load will go up. E-cooking does not envisage battery storage because it is not very economical to store solar energy and then use it for e-cooking," Kumar says. Kumar says to tackle this, some demand in peak hours can be shifted to non-solar hours through tariff incentives, to make space for electric cooking in the evening, when it will also compete with air conditioning. "We will have to, in parallel, take steps for more demand-side management like demand flexibility, shifting some load from non-solar to solar. Because India will be a very solar-heavy system, and if you do not shift the demand, then the battery storage will become very expensive," he says. Why electric options are better for India's energy security? While households and some commercial establishments have quickly ensured they have an induction cooktop ready in the current crisis, the Indian government is encouraging both households and commercial users to shift to PNG (piped natural gas) instead. The Centre announced it will raise commercial LPG allocation from 20% to 30% for states that commit to reforms boosting PNG penetration. It is now encouraging wider adoption of PNG, particularly in urban areas where infrastructure is available. About half of India's PNG supply is domestic gas drilled from onshore and offshore fields, for example, by companies such as ONGC and Reliance. The balance is met through LNG imports. Imports totalled around 24–25 million tonnes in 2025, making India one of the world's largest LNG buyers. The conflict has not spared India’s gas imports either, with the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz already disrupting supplies. However, the situation has worsened following Iran’s strike on Qatar’s energy infrastructure at Ras Laffan industrial city, hours after Israel targeted Iran’s South Pars gas field—the world’s largest natural gas reserve. India sources roughly 20% of its natural gas imports from Qatar, heightening concerns over supply risks. Jain says transitioning to gas would not be the best way to solve the issue of energy security. "LPG and LNG, at least going by what we have seen in the past five years, have always been very volatile," Jain tells Invezz, adding that gas has been volatile even before Covid-19. According to an analysis she says they did two years ago, where they looked at different commodities like gold, NASDAQ, oil as well as gas, in the one-year time span of 2024, gas was the most volatile. "In events of general geopolitical calm, too, gas was volatile—that is the nature of that fuel," she says. "Therefore, transitioning from LPG to gas would probably not help us solve the problems of energy security, subsidies, affordability, etc. But transitioning to electric could, as it is more affordable, more energy efficient, and actually gives us the energy security," she said. Lessons from India’s EV transition According to Jain, EV adoption in India has seen success due to strong government policy, lower operational costs compared to conventional fuels, rising consumer awareness, and global campaigns and adoption. A similar coming together of the right factors could also help position electric cooking (e-cooking) as a valid cooking fuel choice in India. India's electric vehicle (EV) market crossed a major milestone in 2025, with total EV sales reaching 2.3 million units, accounting for 8% of all new vehicle registrations, according to the Annual Report: India EV Market 2025 prepared by the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) based on Vahan Portal data. However, it is still way behind the Indian government's target for EVs to make up 30% of total passenger vehicle sales by FY 2030. "India has managed to do very well on the front of EV adoption, I would say. In a span of less than a decade, we have managed to see good numbers, which is a big achievement," Jain says, attributing the progress to clear policy direction such as demand and supply-side incentives and awareness programs. In this context, the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) scheme launched in 2015, and concluded in 2024, played a major role as it was aimed at market creation and early adoption through infrastructure deployment, demand incentives and domestic manufacturing. The FAME II program, which started in April 2019, focused on electrifying public and shared transportation. "It happened because a collection of factors came together for it to happen and work. And this is something I have also talked about when I have compared the two, that electric cooking needs a collection of factors to sort of come together to make it work because it's definitely an economically more viable solution," she says. In a study by Jain, published by the IEEFA, she recommends introducing a similar scheme to FAME, which could focus on market creation, such as demand incentives, and reducing upfront purchase costs for wider adoption. "A policy promoting e-cooking in commercial spaces could also be beneficial, much like how state policies and the PM-eBus Sewa scheme were for electric buses," the study says. She adds that multiple awareness campaigns were run by the government that advocated the benefits of using EVs in India and helped address the initial transition challenges to some extent. Such an understanding needs to be extended to e-cooking as well via public awareness and demonstration campaigns. Actionable initiatives and the way forward It is agreed upon by experts that the initial market to push e-cooking forward will be urban India, and within urban India, the start should be made with community kitchens and commercial spaces, as change at a household level is challenging. "My view is that initially we should promote electric cooking in community kitchens, Anganwadis, and schools because it is also a bulk demand and it will make sense to make that investment," says Kumar. "Even restaurants can have dual cooking arrangements (of LPG/LNG and e-cooking) as the equipment is not very expensive. They can make use of electric cooking during solar hours in the day when the power is abundant, and we can make it cheaper for them, and in the evening, they can use a mix of sources," he said. Jain agrees and says mandates for commercial kitchens and anganwadis, government schools where mid-day meals are being provided, or even bigger institutions like hospitals, can be the first line of priority. She also speaks of adopting certain international practices. For example, in 2023, New York became the first state in the US to ban natural gas and other fossil fuels in most new buildings, with officials hoping it will encourage the use of more climate-friendly appliances, like induction stoves. "The government could liaise with big developers and see that the first option that is being provided in new housing developments is electric cooking. Such mandates are likely to lead to massive uptake, and like we are seeing right now, if push comes to shove, the change will happen," she says. "And the best part is that in the longer term, you are looking at the greening of the grid, you are looking at higher deployment of renewable energy sources. We have those targets, and India is already working rapidly to deploy clean energy in the country," she says. Further, this is also an opportune time for companies manufacturing electric cooking appliances to invest in R&D and come up with more energy-efficient solutions, say experts. After-sales services should also be strengthened, while local capacity should be augmented to ensure a smoother transition.

GRAP lifted in Delhi: Is air pollution problem under control?

The Delhi government has withdrawn the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) from the capital, but the question remains whether the relief from pollution is merely a function of the weather. According to Shambhavi Shukla, an expert at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), GRAP is an emergency measure that is often implemented between October 15 and March 15. In winter, due to low mixing height and slow wind speed, Delhi traps pollutants like a bowl. Now, with the onset of summer, the pollutants move upwards with the wind, leading to an improvement in the air quality. This situation clearly shows that the change in weather has played a greater role than government efforts in reducing Delhi's suffocating pollution.

Four-way segregation, landfill restrictions: Will India’s new solid waste rules bring about change?

There are not many provisions in the new rules that directly address air pollution or heat stress, despite the clear link between waste burning, emissions and air quality,” says Shrotik Bose, Research Associate, Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). India’s environment ministry notified the new solid waste management rules of 2026 on January 27, superseding the 2016 rules. The new rules signal a shift towards a more systematic compliance architecture, with a clearer outline of duties for waste generators, a revised definition of Bulk Waste Generators, and higher landfill user fees for mixed waste to encourage segregation. Well-intentioned as the new rules are, experts caution against gaps in implementation that have dogged solid waste management in India for decades. Illustrating this are the towering landfills in New Delhi – Bhalaswa, Ghazipur and Okhla – symbols of the city’s historical failure to segregate waste at source. Delhi leads all Indian cities, generating approximately 600 grams of waste per person per day. Nearly 64% of the collected waste is processed, according to the Central Pollution Control Bureau, while the remaining 36% or 4,241 tonnes, find its way to unsanitary landfills, or dumpsites everyday. These landfills and dumpsites are silent contributors to air pollution through the year as well as to greenhouse gas emissions and heat stress during the summers. Biomass and waste burning are the second largest contributors to particulate matter emissions in Delhi, contributing 23% to PM10 and 24% to PM2.5, according to one source apportionment study. When biodegradable waste accumulates and is left to rot, it produces methane, which has a warming potential 80 times greater than that of carbon dioxide, over a 20-year-period, and is the second-largest contributor to global warming. According to another study, higher temperature zones within the Ghazipur landfill are widening and reaching the surface, which is unsuitable. “There are not many provisions in the new rules that directly address air pollution or heat stress, despite the clear link between waste burning, emissions and air quality,” says Shrotik Bose, Research Associate, Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).