How Patanjali and covid reshaped Dabur
On 2 December 2020, Sunita Narain, the present director general of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a research and advocacy body, dropped a bombshell.
On 2 December 2020, Sunita Narain, the present director general of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a research and advocacy body, dropped a bombshell.
We need to rethink the practice of exclusion and fortification of the original and western-oriented tiger charter as one which includes the interest of people who coexist with the tiger The year 2023 marks 50 years of the birth of Project Tiger — India’s flagship programme to protect its flagship species. In 2005, I chaired a tiger task force with fellow conservationists as its members to review what had gone wrong in the Sariska tiger sanctuary that had lost all its tigers. Our report, Joining the Dots, put forward the agenda for tiger conservation. It was not well received in the close-knit “tiger” community, as it was seen to be more human-centric than a conservationist. Much water has flowed under the bridge since we submitted the report to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Much has been done to follow up on its recommendations — the tiger census methodology has changed from tracking pugmarks to scientific estimation using camera traps; the tiger authority and wildlife crime bureau have been established with much-enhanced budgets; new protocols for management and protection have been laid down; relocation costs to villages have been enhanced. All these have borne results in terms of a stable and now increasing tiger population in the country. But still, in this 50th year, we should recognise that there is a huge unfinished agenda that needs to be worked upon. India’s challenge now is twofold: One, to safeguard the tigers in the wild and two, to grow the tiger numbers beyond the carrying capacity of the designated reserves. This is why the agenda of co-existence — where conservation works are reconciled with support for local communities — must be the future. There is some reason to cheer. The 2006 All India Tiger, Co-predator and Prey Estimation found that there were 1,411 tigers in the country; in 2010, the numbers increased to 1,706; by 2014 to 2,226 and in the fourth round in 2018, to 2,967. But there is a catch. In 2006, the tigers roamed some 93,000 sq km; by 2018, this came down to 89,000 sq km. This means there is now better protection inside the tiger reserves, but the habitat of the tiger is shrinking. The “zoo-fication” of the tiger is happening. Also, the 2018 estimation showed that some 1,923 tigers — 65 per cent — are found within the confines of the reserves; the rest roam outside in the contiguous forests, habitat to both wild animals and people. This is why I would reiterate that my position on co-existence — working with people outside the core area of the tiger reserve to build alliances and to bring them benefits — which was much reviled by the conservation community, must find real takers. Till now, the policy has ensured that communities outside the reserve get nothing from protection. Over the years, with little investment and even less understanding of how to plant trees that survive cattle and goats, the lands outside the reserves stand denuded. People have no option but to send their cattle to protected areas for grazing. As the ruminants move into forests, the herbivores — deer and other animals — move out to farmers’ fields to forage and destroy. We must learn this reality if we want more land to safeguard more tigers. The answer is in, first and foremost, paying people quickly and generously for the crops destroyed or the cattle killed. Second, we need to ensure that there is huge and disproportionate development investment in the lands that adjoin a tiger reserve. People should be benefitted to live in the buffer of the reserve. They must want to secure the tiger for their own interest. Third, people must directly gain from conservation. They must be preferred in jobs to protect. They must be partners, owners and indeed earners of tourism the tiger brings. We know today that wildlife tourism is growing; it is also high-end, exclusive and caters to all of us in the middle classes who want to see animals in the wild. It must grow, but in ways that can benefit people who live in the tiger’s habitat. This is not happening. The fact is that conservation is still happening in ways that exacerbate the conflict between animals and local communities. Today, in many cases, tribals are relocated from the parks and there is a virtual takeover of the same area by luxury tourism. This only adds to alienation and conflict. In the 2005 Tiger Task Force report, we had asked for a 30 per cent cess to be imposed on hotels that were in the vicinity of tiger reserves and had asked for this money to be ploughed back to people and the park. We had also said that homestead tourism, owned and run by local communities should be incentivised, indeed pushed, so that people are partners in protection. They have an equal stake in the tiger and its future. This is not happening, but it must. The new conservation agenda should not revolve around tigers versus tribals. It has to be about tigers and people. This is why in the next 50 years, we need Indian ethics of conservation — we need to reinvent the practice of exclusion and fortification of the original and western-oriented tiger charter as the one which includes the interest of people who coexist with the tiger. Only then can the tiger roam free, far and be bright. DTE The writer is the Director-General of CSE and editor of DownToEarth. Views expressed are personal
PM Narendra Modi set the tone for the country's climate action trajectory by targeting net-zero by 2070.... The 2070 date is not drastically different from most pre-COP26 estimates of what is economically viable for the country. For example, the International Energy Agency's India Energy Outlook 2021 report identified the mid-2060s in its Sustainable Development Scenario, and the Centre for Social and Economic Progress estimated 2065-70 to be a fair target for net zero in India. India's 2070 target takes into account its contribution to total emissions in comparison to emissions released historically by developed countries, and includes policies that prioritise its economic growth. The Centre for Science and Environment details that 2070 is on a par with the commitments of industrialised nations considering OECD countries and China have significantly delayed their own net-zero targets. Despite being the thirdlargest global emitter, India's emissions are relatively low in per-capita terms. This makes India's 'enhanced' commitments not only ambitious but also more useful. India's 'enhanced' commitments combine short-, medium- and long-term accountability measures to ensure that its net-zero target is not just a 'diplomatic tick box'. This could see India's annual greenhouse gas emissions peak by 2030, as noted by Professor Nicholas Stern. From 'India for Net Zero: Is 2070 the Real Deal?', The London School of Economics and Political Science
In light of the high and rising prevalence of obesity, we studied females and males aged 25–54 years with excess weight in the Kolkata metropolitan region, one of India's main cities, to understand the perception, environmental determinants and health complications of obesity. We resorted to primary fieldwork. The close-ended quantitative survey questionnaire was designed to capture the perception and health complications of the sampled population, while a semi-structured interview guide comprising open-ended questions was prepared to capture the target population’s in-depth views. Following the WHO guidelines on BMI and WC cut-off for Asian adults, the sampled population comprised females and males aged 25–54 with a waist circumference of 80 cm and 90 cm or higher, respectively, and a BMI of 25 or higher in the Kolkata metropolitan area. Using a concurrent mixed methods approach, we collected and analysed quantitative and qualitative data separately using descriptive statistics and inductive coding before combining them. In the study area, we completed 120 surveys and 18 in-depth interviews. Some environmental factors promoting obesity were the lack of access to healthy, fresh foods, lack of health awareness programmes, advertisements, and weather conditions in Kolkata. Interview participants also extended their concerns about food adulteration and the food industry. Participants confirmed that obesity could increase the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol and heart disease. Further, participants felt squatting was challenging for them. Hypertension was the most common existing health complication found among the study participants. Participants suggested raising awareness, promoting and making access to healthy food and wellness programs more accessible, and regulating fast foods and sugary beverages at institutional, community and social/public policy levels to prevent obesity. Health education and better policies are required to combat obesity and related complications. Introduction According to World Health Organization (WHO), two-thirds of the global burden of diseases are chronic non-communicable diseases, primarily associated with people’s diet1, and high energy density foods are the primary agent conditioned by other environmental conditions that result in obesity2. Globally, obesity prevalence increased threefold between 1975 and 2016, with 15% of women and 11% of men, i.e. estimated to be 650 million or more individuals with obesity3. Since many adults have excess weight in several countries, the WHO consultation report has accentuated that obesity needs to be addressed and understood as a population problem, not an individual one4. It has been estimated that human genes can be accountable for around 40–70% of having obesity. Even though human genetic build-up plays a significant role, influencing the risk of obesity becomes much more robust when it interacts with environmental factors and lifestyle5. Understanding the physical environment is vital in determining the risk of obesity. Environmental factors include food marketing and advertising, knowledge regarding exercise and nutrition, availability of resources, local walkability and crime, etc., making the role of the environment multifaceted and complex6. Obesogenic neighbourhoods built by ‘food deserts’ make access to healthy and fresh foods challenging. Further, too many fast-food chains contribute to such an environment, selling unhealthy meals with low nutrition and high fat at low prices7. Living in such an environment encourages people to make poor food choices and to become less active while making it challenging to maintain a healthy body weight. Therefore, at the neighbourhood level, fast food consumption increases alongside a degraded home diet while promoting the possibility of nutritional morbidities like diabetes and obesity. This is how our environment unconsciously or consciously encourages people to make wrong choices6. Obesity can affect overall health, i.e. physical, mental/psychological, social and cultural, emotional and spiritual health8. The long list of associated complications of obesity includes type 2 diabetes7,9,10,11, hypertension, heart problems, stroke, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease7,9, dyslipidaemia, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, polycystic ovarian syndrome7, cancers7,11, pregnancy complications and depression7,9,12. People with excess weight have twice the higher chances of becoming the victim of heart failure than non-obese individuals, and 85 per cent or higher of type 2 diabetes patients are overweight. Individuals with obesity are at higher risk of developing and dying from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer than normal-weighted subjects. Besides, osteoarthritis risk increases by 9 to 13 per cent with a gain of every two pounds9. Even individuals with Body Mass Index (BMI) over 25 exhibited a higher risk of contracting Covid-1913, with a 50 per cent increased risk of mortality14. Alongside undernutrition, India is now facing another malnutrition problem, i.e. obesity, with around 20 per cent of the population aged 15–49 years with a BMI of 25 or higher15. In 2014, 3.7% of males and 5.3% of females worldwide, who ranked fifth and third, respectively, had excess weight in India, according to the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration research study. The percentages increased from 0.8% for females and 0.4% for males, moving the percentage from 19th place in just three and a half decades16. Increasing prevalence can increase the medical burden and decrease labour productivity17, which can be challenging in low- and middle-income countries with poorly equipped health systems5, lack of sub-optimal services and unqualified carers18,19. Despite recent reforms, India’s health system remains challenging because of the low financial investment and increasing non-communicable diseases13. India's health system is yet to be well-equipped to deal with non-communicable diseases20. Historically, India has had poor financial health coverage for most of the population. Partly due to the low government investment in health, out-of-pocket spending accounted for around 62.6 per cent of total health expenditures in 2015, thrice the global average and one of the world’s highest18. Due to the poor government facilities, people avail the private carers18. On the other hand, a community-based study in Delhi found that when the government offered quality healthcare services, people who previously went to private healthcare providers opted for community clinics19. Even with the insurance plan, several services and treatments related to obesity may not be covered6. India has well-drafted, articulated policies and programmes, which are only partially implemented. On the other hand, many people may forego medical care due to the higher costs of stroke, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases12. In India, the urban population have a higher prevalence of obesity than the rural population21. We have chosen Kolkata metropolitan area as the study area since it is the largest urban agglomeration in Eastern India and the oldest metropolis in India22. It ranked 7th out of 640 districts, the highest among the five major urban cities in India, with around 43 per cent of the male and 41 per cent of the female population aged 15–49 years with a BMI of 25 or higher15. In light of the high and rising prevalence rate in Kolkata, it was worthwhile to study perceptions, environmental determinants, and health complications of excess weight, which could help to design necessary interventions and programs for public wellbeing. This study found the participatory/advocacy philosophical worldview appropriate to deal with the research problem. Furthermore, using mixed methods, no previous studies have explored the perceptions, environmental determinants, and health complications of excess weight among adults with excess weight in the Kolkata metropolitan area. The present study's novelty is that it is based on the recently collected field data, qualitative and quantitative data. The principal investigator (PI) measured each participant's height, weight, and waist circumference. Methods Research design We opted for a concurrent mixed methods design where we separately collected data between November 2019 and October 2020, analysed the quantitative (closed-ended) and qualitative (open-ended) data and then integrated them. We gave equal weight to quantitative and qualitative data23. A drawing of the convergent mixed methods design has been presented in Fig. 124. To develop the field instruments and framework for this study, we considered the Social-Ecological Model and the Health Belief Model. Figure 1 figure 1 Diagram of concurrent mixed methods design (Forman 2019). Full size image Sampling, study population and data collection procedure Purposive and snowball nonprobability sampling procedures were adopted for this study's quantitative and qualitative aspects. In the Asian population, the body fat percentage is 3–5 per cent higher than that of European descent17. Hence, the Consensus Guidelines25 and WHO26 suggested different BMI guidelines for Asian adults and labelled obesity at a BMI of 25 or higher. Similarly, the at-risk waist circumference (WC) cut-off is 90 cm in males and 80 cm in females due to higher odds for cardiovascular risk factors at and above the same range. Following the same guidelines, we opted for purposive sampling because we aimed to examine females and males aged 25–54 years with a BMI of 25 or higher and a waist circumference of 80 cm or 90 cm, respectively, who had lived in the Kolkata metropolitan region for the prior six months. We took this age group and those with excess weight for several reasons. First, it has been mentioned in the literature12 that people tend to gain weight as they get older, especially in their middle years. Second, this group was selected because it represented the years when an individual was most productive. Careers are built, marriages occur, and children are reared during this time. Hence, it is essential to prioritise a healthy lifestyle and establish preventative health habits for oneself and their family. Last but not least, previous research has shown that people with excess weight are more likely to experience clinical and sociological complications. Furthermore, we decided to do snowball sampling because there was no data to single out the intended study population, and we did not choose a door-to-door or household survey due to the sensitivity of this topic and the potential stigma attached to bigger bodies. PI reached out to the participants via referral, phone, or social media, and the rest PI recruited with the help of other research participants. PI pre-informed the interviewees that interviews would be audio recorded, and PI took prior consent with a signature on the consent form. PI measured height, weight and waist circumference for every participant using a standard long tape, a weighing machine and a waist measuring tape, respectively. PI gave out the quantitative questionnaires to the participants or administered them during the fill-up, depending on the respondents' preference. PI assigned a pseudonym for the interview participants. Saturation was reached with the completion of eighteen interviews. The investigator tried to be as harmonic, unbiased, respectful, and non-judgmental during the interviews and surveys27. Jawaharlal Nehru University's Institutional Ethics Review Board (IERB-JNU) granted pre-approval for data collection. The final results have been reported truthfully to uphold the study's ethics27. The PI conducted the entire survey and the interview procedure. Instruments used for data collection The closed-ended quantitative survey questionnaire provided a numeric portrayal of the perceptions of the sampled population23. There were 28 items to answer that used a five-point level of agreement Likert scale, whose Cronbach's alpha was 0.76, 4 items that used the five-point level of importance on the Likert scale, whose Cronbach's alpha was 0.73 and another 5 items that used the two-point dichotomous Likert scales, whose Cronbach's alpha was 0.37. With the assistance of three native Bengali speakers, the English quantitative survey questionnaire was translated into the regional language, Bengali. The survey took about ten minutes to complete. To gain a more in-depth insight into the target population's perception, we created a semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions aligned with the quantitative survey questionnaire and research problem. PI audio-recorded the discussions while conducting face-to-face interviews. We asked six semi-structured questions in total. PI administered the interviews with voluntarily agreed-upon participants in their native languages (Bengali, English, and Hindi), designed to allow the interviewees to speak their minds freely. An interview lasted an average of 20 to 25 min to complete. Field experiences Between November 2019 and October 2020, the PI visited the field. The covid-19 pandemic, weight-related prejudice, and lack of interest, time, and motivation made it challenging to conduct surveys and interviews. The final results included 120 quantitative surveys and 18 in-depth interviews. Analysis of data Univariate analysis We used descriptive statistics to present the percentage and frequency of demographics and responses of the sampled individuals with the help of Stata 14.0. We estimated the BMI by inputting each participant's height (cm) and weight (kg) into the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website. Coding of themes We followed Creswell's23 six-step approach for analysing qualitative data: a) Transcribing the audio recording and writing up the field notes b) Re-reading the data to evaluate the overall meaning and credibility of the transcripts; c) Writing a code for the relevant sections that is an abbreviation of the given topic; and d) These codes are then developed to construct broad themes as a representation of the study findings e) Making connections between narrative and the themes; f) documenting the qualitative data alongside with the literature. The lead investigator transcribed the interviews, which was laborious and took approximately 1–2 h per interview. In this study, we focused on three prominent themes. Merging results of two datasets We used 'joint displays' to combine, compare, and exhibit the results by juxtaposing (side-by-side) the qualitative and quantitative data23. Human and animal ethics The Institutional Ethics Review Board of Jawaharlal Nehru University (IERB-JNU) gave the pre-approval for collecting data and approved the study protocol. Furthermore, informed consent was obtained from all subjects and we obtained their approval via a signature on a consent form. The authors confirm that all methods have been carried out in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations. All data are kept anonymous and confidential. This research study did not involve the use of biological or human tissue samples. Results Descriptive statistics of the survey participants The study enlisted the participation of 120 persons, 60 of whom were females and 60 of whom were males. The descriptive statistics of study participants aged 25 to 54 years, with an average age of 39 years, are shown in Table 124. The participants in the study were mainly between the ages of 25 and 34. Half of the respondents had obtained their diplomas or had completed their college education. The average monthly family income of the participants was between 40,001 and 80,000 INR, and they were generally employed, with a household size of around four people. Most of those who took the survey were Hindu believers, from the General or Other Backward Classes (OBC) social group and spoke Bengali as their native language. The majority of the people who took part were married and had children. In addition, more participants had a BMI of 30 or higher, a waist circumference of 102 cm or higher, and were nonsmokers. The average BMI of the study subjects was 31.28, with a waist circumference of 106.44 cm. In addition, 45.83 per cent of those who took the survey never consumed alcohol, and one-fifth of them had hypothyroidism. Table 1 Descriptive statistics of the survey participants, Kolkata, 2019–20. Full size table Descriptive statistics of the in-depth interviewees Nine females and nine males, 18 individuals, volunteered to participate in the interview (Table 2)24. The interviewers' mean age was also 39, ranging from 27 to 52 years. Most participants had graduated, were employed, had a monthly family income of more than 80,000 INR, and generally lived in four-person households on average. Hinduism was the most common religious belief among the sampled participants, who were mainly from the 'General' social category and spoke Bengali as their first language. Most of those interviewed were married people with children. Further, most sample interviewees had a waist circumference of more than 102 cm and a BMI of over 30. The average BMI of the participants was 32.87, with a waist circumference of 109.28 cm. Furthermore, nearly half of the participants stated that they had never smoked, occasionally drank alcohol, had at least one health concern, or were on medication. Table 2 Descriptive statistics of the interviewees, Kolkata, 2019–20. Full size table Themes Three broad themes emerged from the qualitative data: 1) environmental determinants, 2) health complications, 3) preventing obesity. Environmental determinants A side-by-side comparison of quantitative and qualitative findings on environmental determinants is shown in Table 3. The table is a side-by-side display with three sections: The first column displays the type of integration for each domain and the relationship between the two types of data. The quantitative results appear in the second column, while the qualitative results appear in the third. By confirmation, we signify that two types of evidence agree; by expansion, we mean that understanding is expanding. On the other hand, the unstructured observations are generally derived from the PI's field visits and while collecting the surveys. See Table 3. Table 3 Juxtaposed findings of quantitative and qualitative investigation on environmental determinants. Full size table Health complications Table 4 is a joint display combining quantitative and qualitative findings on health complications. The green colours indicate agreement, and the blues imply disagreement as per the maximum study participants’ responses to the associated health complications. Furthermore, the grey colour specifies the inconclusive answers, while red demonstrates the existing health complications among the study respondents. Table 4 Juxtaposed findings of quantitative and qualitative investigation on health complications. Full size table Preventing obesity Table 5 is the final side-by-side display combining quantitative and qualitative findings on preventing obesity. The green colours indicate the agreement, and the grey colours pinpoint the strategies to prevent obesity as per the maximum study participants’ responses. Table 5 Juxtaposed findings of quantitative and qualitative investigation on preventing obesity. Full size table Discussion Environmental determinants Participants in this study had reported encountering serious challenges posed by the built environment—most notably, the food environment. Participants shared their concerns about packaged foods and food advertisements, especially those of western origin, which have become the badge of belonging to a higher social status. Participants also shared their concerns about the affordability of healthy and organic food. They hinted at the profit-making food industry and the profit-making fitness industry. On the other hand, they found no discussions about food knowledge or awareness programs related to good health practices. Participants indicated that the food, medical, and weight loss industries were profiting from people's weaknesses. On the contrary, most participants felt they lived in a walkable, convenient, and safe neighbourhood. Nevertheless, the interview participants found the city's weather their perceived barrier to engaging in physical activities. The relationship between environment and obesity is multifaceted and complex, involving communities, workplaces, and homes6. Prior research had established the link between obesity and the built environment28, as also found in our study. Obesogenic environments comprising food affordability, availability, marketing, etc., have been confirmed to encourage obesity in populations5. According to Jones and Bentham29, the modern diet includes high-energy–density foods as well as large portion sizes. When coupled with reduced physical activity, the energy balance gets tipped in favour of obesity. On the other hand, individual food preferences are often influenced by people’s culture29. The increasing income and literacy alongside urbanisation, improved infrastructure, and connection to the global trend are reshaping consumer preference and their demands in India30. Recent dependency on imported foods has simplified people's diets in an unhealthy manner, displacing the genetically diverse nutrient-rich whole foods in favour of more processed foods due to corporate branding31. Changes in food behaviour, such as the dependency on instant foods or the conventional diet, have roots in economic and social trends and self-choice. Consistent with the study's findings, numerous food and beverage advertisements and promotion appears on the internet, in magazines, in newspapers, and on television, with consequences that the general population may be ignorant of6 and can be challenging to overcome. Advertisements with food images primarily promote high-calorie, less nutritious foods and tend to encourage consumption, creating a poor food environment6,7. Harris et al.32 observed that most adults did not foresee the impact of food advertising on their eating behaviours. To sum up, the contemporary built environment encourages sedentary behaviours and the intake of more calories than required6. Hence, people now also tend to gain weight since they live in an obesogenic environment7. Besides, participants also shared their concerns about food adulteration. Adulterating food products could cause adverse effects on human physiology, and it is plausible that it plays a significant role in increasing the rate of obesity in Kolkata. Even though no literature had been found that showed a link between food adulteration and obesity, a study on food contamination was not published and was conspired into silence33. The Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), 2014–15, revealed that nearly one-fifth of the food items were misbranded or adulterated34. A study by Marshall et al. published in 2003 tested common vegetables (spinach, cauliflower, okra) that were found in the daily Indian diet in Delhi between May 2001 and June 2003 and found that 72% of the 222 spinach samples exceeded the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue as per the Indian standard35. In India, pesticide contamination of food is a big issue, especially in milk, vegetable and fruit. Despite that, government agencies in33 do not regularly test heavy metals in vegetables. These food safety incidents are caused mainly by lax regulations and poor standards35. Policymakers and public health professionals should consider these factors while planning intervention programs. As the national income rise in developing nations like India, changes in dietary pattern and activity levels increase the risk of overnutrition while undernutrition is still there7. Since the urban rates of obesity are much higher than their rural counterparts15, urban residents should get access to a clean, healthy food environment. Health complications Survey participants appeared to be well perceptive on physical health complications of obesity except for cancer. The interview participants frequently mentioned that obesity could increase the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol and heart diseases. They also linked female reproductive problems, haemoglobin issues, breathing troubles, thyroid, fatigue, uric acid, depression, gastric issues, arthritis, asthma, body pain and joint pain, kidney problems, migraine and carpal tunnel syndrome with obesity. However, few also asserted that some of these health complications might also be related to genetics9 and that one can be equally functional and have excess weight. On the contrary, the interviewees did not mention cancer, liver problems, sleep apnea or premature death as the physical health complications of obesity. Participants manifested their understanding of several health complications of obesity, consistent with the findings of prior studies36,36,38. Obesity has been associated with several comorbidities and may lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and other complications9. Besides, in another previous study, it was given that people of different bodyweight might have varying health outcomes due to the complex range of factors37. Around 68.33 per cent (n = 82) of the survey participants said they had at least one health complication, while 17.5 per cent (n = 21) had three or more health complications. Altogether, these complications were more commonly found among female survey participants, with a BMI of 30 or higher and waist circumference of 102 cm or higher. On the other hand, 11 interview participants, three females and six males had at least one health complication, while two female participants had at least three or more complications with a BMI of 30 or higher and a waist circumference of 102 cm or higher. That suggests that higher BMI and waist circumference will likely elevate the risk of health complications. The four most-cited complications present among the participants were hypertension, thyroid, cholesterol and high blood glucose. These health complications and BMI tend to increase with higher age. In addition, a few interview participants also pinpointed concerns regarding the lack of health and nutrition education. The associated physical health complications were also mentioned in the literature7,9,38. Chronic diseases like hypertension, obesity, and diabetes tend to emerge in the middle ages due to prolonged exposure to unhealthy lifestyles, specifically poor diet, lack of physical activity, and tobacco use39. Among survey participants, fewer people agreed to have problems with walking, climbing stairs, doing household chores, and being depressed, whereas more agreed to have difficulty squatting and snoring. Among them, 37.5 per cent (n = 45) had three or more concerns, and only 2.5 per cent (n = 3) had all six. While the interview participants now and then mentioned having problems with walking, climbing stairs, doing household chores, and squatting and that they were depressed and snored. These concerns were also more commonly found in females, with a BMI of 30 or higher and a waist circumference of 102 cm or higher. It is known that snoring could be a symptom of sleep apnea40. Although 51.38 per cent of snoring survey participants did not report having sleep apnea, it is likely that more than 21.67 per cent of individuals had sleep apnea but were unaware of it. Agrawal et al.41 also reported that many women had problems with walking, climbing stairs, squatting, and doing household chores because of their body weight. In addition, prior research7,9 also showed that individuals with excess weight were more likely to be depressed. Preventing obesity At the community level, obesity was seen as a critical health problem in Kolkata, with other diseases rising. In the present study, more than half of the interview participants (n = 10) stated that they had gained weight over the years. Participants suggested that there should be awareness programs and knowledge dissemination on nutrition, health, healthy behavioural habits, promotion and easy access to healthy food options and other wellness programs, and promotion of participation in physical activities at the institutional and community level. At the social/public policy level, there should be regulation on fast foods and sugary beverages. Nevertheless, participants hinted at the association between the big food industry, influential stakeholders, bureaucracy, and the government. The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cancer etc., perhaps implies that people are not consuming the right kind of food that their bodies are designed to have42. Hence, public health messages need to opt for a balance to convey health risks targeting the disease ‘obesity’ and not an individual35. Most importantly, the key to healthy living should be moderation, balance and variety43. Furthermore, the general population should be protected from 'toxic' food industries, which have been thoroughly established in the literature44. The food industry’s motive for profit-making target people’s craving for sugar and claims that all calories are equal45 and that the association between diet and obesity is bad science33. Conversely, Spell46 recommended, “Counting calories alone doesn’t work”, and people also need to look into the quality of the calorie. However, these profit-driven food businesses are enshrouded by multinational stakeholders who receive backing from powerful lobbyists and are well aligned with the political system44, making them a challenging target. Conclusions The present study assessed the perception, environmental determinants, and health complications of excess weight in Kolkata using a concurrent mixed methods approach. Some environmental factors promoting obesity were the lack of access to healthy, fresh foods at a fair price and a lack of health awareness programmes, advertisements, and weather conditions in Kolkata. Interview participants also extended their concerns about food adulteration and the food industry. Participants repeatedly confirmed that obesity could increase the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol and heart diseases, whereas they periodically disagreed with the association between cancer and obesity. Further, participants felt squatting was challenging for them. Hypertension was the most common existing health complication found among the study participants. Several survey participants agreed that sleep apnea was a health concern of obesity; few already had it; however, no interview participants cited it as a health concern. Participants felt most concerned about the food environment. Hence, they suggested raising awareness, promoting and making access to healthy food and wellness programs more accessible, and regulating fast foods and sugary beverages at institutional, community and social/public policy levels, respectively, to prevent obesity. The finding illustrates a safe environment and social and public policies promoting good health practices are essential to make an intervention. Henceforth, emerging from the results and discussion, further statements can be made. It is imperative to raise consumer awareness about food safety risks. Rigorous inspection and continuous monitoring of food products must be carried out to ensure food safety. India needs to regulate its pesticide usage following the latest scientific findings to ensure food safety and safeguard public health33. Obesity is a complex chronic disease that can challenge primary care treatment, and in the absence of specialist obesity treatment in India13, several people would be unable to maintain a healthy body weight5. Thus, healthcare services need to improve47. After the Ayushman Bharat Program (ABP) was announced in 2018, it was asserted that the success and effectiveness of Health and Wellness Centres would depend on a rapid transition from the policy stage to implementation, increased and dedicated funding by the government, participation of the community and other stakeholders, focus on population health interventions & public health services, political will, effective use of information and communication technology, among other factors48. Even though ABP could assist India in achieving universal health coverage, it would be untenable on its own and need to be combined with other initiatives18. Besides, improved policies governing the sale, marketing, and advertising of junk and fast foods, as opposed to controlled pricing of healthy whole foods, can directly or indirectly encourage healthy eating. Improved policies and programmes addressing the social, environmental, and commercial roots of obesity are fundamental to legitimate support systems for healthier lives5. Obesity is a pandemic and one of the most significant public health problems in recent years. Yet the government in India does not classify obesity as a disease; even more, it is subsumed under the nutrition agenda. At the very least, India needs to reform its healthcare systems to address new developing realities to achieve universal health coverage, as pledged in the National Health Policy 201720. Even though political investment extends to trans-fat and sugar tax, very little financial investment is given to obesity. Although numerous medical organisations have clinical guidelines and recommendations for obesity, their uptake is poor because these guidelines lack government support13. In addition, in 2003, when WHO urged governments to grow more vegetables and fruits and pushed toward healthy food subsidies and food education to combat obesity, the government of India chose to criticise the approach33. Unless we take action by educating, raising awareness and challenging, it will continue to rise and escalate even in the rural areas and, even worse, among individuals with lower socio-economic positions, which would undoubtedly put an economic burden on the public health expenditure and especially on the individual resources. Furthermore, future research should raise and address food safety and health concerns. Data availability The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available since this study is based on a primary survey but are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. A supplementary Appendix file has been provided for the survey items. Abbreviations ABP: Ayushman Bharat Program BMI: Body Mass Index FSSAI: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India IERB: Institutional Ethics Review Board JNU: Jawaharlal Nehru University NFHS: National Family Health Survey NIH: National Institute of Health NCD: Non-communicable disease OBC: Other Backward Classes PCOS: Polycystic ovary syndrome PI: Principal investigator SC: Scheduled Caste ST: Scheduled Tribe WC: Waist circumference WHO: World Health Organization References Shannawaz, M. & Arokiasamy, P. Overweight/obesity: An emerging epidemic in India. J. Clin. Diagn. Res. 12(11), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2018/37014.12201 (2018). 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A., Zhou, B., Danaei, G., Lu, Y., Bixby, H., Cowan, M. J., Riley, L. M., Hajifathalian, K., Fortunato, L., Taddei, C., Bennett, J. E., Ikeda, N., Khang, Y. H., Kyobutungi, C., Laxmaiah, A., Li, Y., Lin, H. H. & Cisneros, J. Z. Trends in adult body-mass index in 200 countries from 1975 to 2014: A pooled analysis of 1698 population-based measurement studies with 19.2 million participants. The Lancet. 387(10026), 1377–1396 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30054-X Seo, M. H., Lee, W. Y., Kim, S. S., Kang, J. H., Kang, J. H., Kim, K. K., Kim, B. Y., Kim, Y. H., Kim, W. J., Kim, E. M., Kim, H. S., Shin, Y. A., Shin, H. J., Lee, K. R., Lee, K. Y., Lee, S. Y., Lee, S. K., Lee, J. H., Lee, C. B. & Yoo, S. J. Korean society for the study of obesity guideline for the management of obesity in Korea. J. Obes. Metab. Syndrome 28, 40–45 (2019). https://doi.org/10.7570/JOMES.2019.28.1.40 Lahariya, C. ‘Ayushman Bharat’ Program and Universal Health Coverage in India. 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महाराष्ट्र के कोल्हापुर जिले में 25% शौचालय बायोगैस इकाइयों से जुड़े हैं जो मौके पर ही मल का निपटान करते हुए उसे ईंधन में परिवर्तित कर देते हैं। यह महत्वपूर्ण है, क्योंकि आम तौर पर भारत में बायोगैस उत्पन्न करने के लिए मानव मल के इस्तेमाल को अनुचित माना जाता है। इसकी बड़ी वजह गैस का खाना पकाने में इस्तेमाल किया जाना है। कम तकनीकी जानकारी के अलावा, भारत में खाना पकाने के ईंधन, उर्वरक और स्वच्छता के लिए अत्यधिक सब्सिडी वाली प्रतिस्पर्धी योजनाएं भी बायोगैस के कम इस्तेमाल के लिए जिम्मेदार हैं। पश्चिमी राज्य महाराष्ट्र के कोल्हापुर जिले में चौधरवाड़ी गांव की 35 वर्षीय रूपाली चौधरी का उनकी शादी के बाद ज्यादातर समय परिवार के लिए खाना पकाने में बीतता है। पहले वह चूल्हा जलाने के लिए जलाऊ लकड़ी इकट्ठा करने के लिए दिन में तीन बार अपने गांव के पास एक जंगल में जाया करती थीं। लेकिन 2018 में उनके घर के पीछे आंगन में एक बायोगैस संयंत्र स्थापित होने के बाद से जंगल में आना-जाना कम हो गया और उनका काफी समय बचने लगा। अब वह खाना पकाने का काम बायोगैस से जलने वाले चूल्हे पर करती हैं। इससे न सिर्फ उन्हें धुएं से मुक्ति मिली है, बल्कि जलाऊ लकड़ी पर उनकी निर्भरता भी कम हो गई है। उनका ये चूल्हा बायोगैस संयंत्र से निकलने वाली गैस से चलता है, जो उसके घर में हाल ही बने शौचालय के साथ जुड़ा है। चौधरवाड़ी के 100 में से 60 परिवारों ने अपने शौचालयों को ‘बायोगैस डाइजेस्टर्स’ से जोड़ा हुआ है जो वहां के शौचालयों से निकले कार्बनिक पदार्थ को विघटित कर बायोगैस उत्पन्न करता है। इसका एक मतलब यह भी है कि रूपाली को अब शौच के लिए रोजाना आम सार्वजनिक शौचालय में जाना नहीं पड़ता है। उन्होने कहा, “मैं अब खेतों में ज्यादा समय बिता पाती हूं। संयत्र से निकलने वाला घोल (स्लरी) अच्छी खाद बनाता है जिसे हम अपने दो एकड़ के गन्ने के बागान में इस्तेमाल करते हैं। नतीजन यूरिया पर होने वाला खर्च कम हो गया है।” कोल्हापुर की कृषि अधिकारी गौरी पी. माथापति ने कहा, “बायोगैस से जुड़े शौचालय हमारी महिलाओं के लिए जीवन बदलने वाले रहे हैं। ये महिलाएं खाना पकाने और जलाऊ लकड़ी इकट्ठा करने के काम के बोझ तले दबे रहती थीं और यहां तक कि शौच के लिए घर से बाहर जाने पर भी उनकी सुरक्षा का जोखिम भी बना रहता था।” कोल्हापुर में लगभग 25% शौचालय यानी 5,30,000 में से 1,19, 780 शौचालय बायोगैस संयंत्रों से जुड़े हैं। बायोगैस डाइजेस्टर के निर्माण में लक्ष्यों को प्राप्त करने के लिए जिले को 1982 से देश में और महाराष्ट्र में कई बार प्रथम स्थान दिया गया है। कोल्हापुर के 1186 गांवों में से 12 गांवो में बायोगैस से जुड़े शौचालयों (बीएलटी) का 100% कवरेज है। मौजूदा या नए शौचालयों को बायोगैस संयंत्रों से जोड़ने की पहल कोल्हापुर में जिला प्रशासन की ओर से तब शुरू की गई थी, जब 2014 में ‘स्वच्छ भारत अभियान’ लॉन्च किया गया था। सरकार बायोगैस से जुड़े शौचालय बनाने के लिए लोगों को प्रोत्साहित करने के उद्देश्य से अनुमानित खर्च के लगभग 30% की सब्सिडी प्रदान करती है। लेकिन इस पहल की अपनी कुछ चुनौतियां हैं, जिनसे निपटना आसान नहीं है। सबसे बड़ी चुनौती मुख्य रूप से लोगों के व्यवहार में बदलाव की है। कोल्हापुर के जिला कार्यक्रम प्रबंधक (जिला जल और स्वच्छता मिशन) विजय पाटिल ने कहा, “शौचालय लोगों में घिन पैदा करता है। वह इसे हिकारत भरी नजरों से देखते हैं। मल को संसाधन के रूप में मानने की मानसिकता में बदलाव इस प्रक्रिया में सबसे बड़ी बाधा थी। लेकिन एक मजबूत जागरूकता कार्यक्रम ने हमारी मदद की। ” भारत को 2019 में खुले में शौच मुक्त घोषित किया गया था। लेकिन ग्रामीण भारत में अभी भी सीवरेज नेटवर्क नहीं है। भारत के 6 लाख गांवों में से सिर्फ 1.36 लाख में तरल अपशिष्ट प्रबंधन के लिए कुछ व्यवस्था है। अपशिष्ट से निपटने के लिए ज्यादातर शौचालय के साथ सेप्टिक टैंक यानी जुड़वां गड्ढे या एक गड्ढा बनाया जाता है, जिसे हर कुछ सालों में खाली करने की जरूरत होती है। बिहार में 2018 के एक अध्ययन के अनुसार, यह शौचालय का इस्तेमाल करने में सबसे बड़ी बाधा के रूप में उभरा है। कुछ गांव खाली किए गए मल को पास के शहरी क्षेत्रों में उपचार संयंत्रों में ले जाते हैं लेकिन यह एक महंगा मामला है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई), नई दिल्ली स्थित थिंक-टैंक की वरिष्ठ कार्यक्रम प्रबंधक सुष्मिता सेनगुप्ता ने कहा, “मानव मल से निपटने के लिए ऑन-साइट प्रबंधन महत्वपूर्ण है क्योंकि तभी इसका पूरा फायदा उठाया जा सकता है. बीएलटी को किसी भी इलाके में स्थापित किया जा सकता है और विशेष रूप से जल-जमाव वाले क्षेत्रों के लिए यह काफी अच्छा है।” कचरे से ईंधन भारत में आमतौर पर एक बायोगैस संयंत्र में मुख्य फीडस्टॉक के रूप में गाय का गोबर होता है और इसमें तीन भाग होते हैं – एक इनलेट जहां से गोबर को पानी के साथ मिलाया जाता है, एक डाइजेस्टर और एक स्लरी संग्रह टैंक से जुड़ा एक आउटलेट। लेकिन मानव शौचालय सीधे पीवीसी पाइप लाइन के जरिए डाइजेस्टर से जुड़ा होता है और इसे मैन्युअल रूप से संभालने की जरूरत नहीं पड़ती है। बायोगैस में 55-65% मीथेन, 35-44% कार्बन डाइऑक्साइड और अन्य गैसें होती हैं। बायोगैस का उत्पादन कार्बनिक पदार्थ के रूप में होता है और डाइजेस्टर के ऊपर से खाना पकाने के स्टोव तक पाइप से जुड़ा होता है। गैस का बढ़ा हुआ दबाव स्लरी (घोल) को स्लरी स्टोरेज टैंक से बाहर निकलता है। फिर ये घोल 20-30 दिनों के लिए डाइजेस्टर में रखा जाता है, अधिकांश रोगजनकों और खरपतवार के बीजों को विघटित करता है, जिससे नाइट्रोजन युक्त खाद बनती है। बायोएथेनॉल या बायो-डीजल के विपरीत बायोगैस कचरे से प्राप्त होती है, इसलिए इसमें खाद्य उत्पादों के लिए भूमि और जैव विविधता के साथ प्रतिस्पर्धा शामिल नहीं है। बायोगैस संयंत्र जो सिर्फ मानव मल पर काम करते हैं, वे घरेलू उद्देश्यों को पूरा नहीं कर पाते हैं। दरअसल इनमें पर्याप्त मात्रा में गैस का उत्पादन करने के लिए फीडस्टॉक बहुत कम होता है। गाय के गोबर और मानव मल का मिश्रण अधिक प्रभावी होता है। कोल्हापुर में पूर्वनिर्मित बायोगैस संयंत्रों की आपूर्ति करने वाली एजेंसी शिवसदन सहकारी सोसाइटी के प्रबंध निदेशक आर.पी. नीलकांत ने कहा, “एक किलोग्राम गाय के गोबर से 40 लीटर बायोगैस पैदा होती है जबकि एक किलोग्राम मानव मल से 70 लीटर गैस पैदा होती है। (अगर गाय के गोबर और मानव मल का उपयोग किया जाए) स्वाभाविक तौर पर रोजाना खाना पकाने के लिए ज्यादा ईंधन उपलब्ध हो पाएगा।” दो क्यूबिक मीटर/दिन (2000 लीटर) क्षमता की एक बुनियादी बायोगैस इकाई पांच सदस्यों के परिवार के लिए रोजाना के इस्तेमाल के लिए काफी होती है। इसके लिए प्रतिदिन 4-5 मवेशियों के गोबर और मानव मल की आवश्यकता होती है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) द्वारा ग्रामीण जल आपूर्ति और अपशिष्ट जल प्रबंधन पर सफल केस स्टडी के विस्तृत विवरण ‘बिग चेंज इज पॉसिबल’ नामक एक रिपोर्ट का कहना है। “एक महीने में दो घन मीटर का संयंत्र 26 किलोग्राम एलपीजी, 88 किलोग्राम चारकोल या 210 किलोग्राम जलाऊ लकड़ी के बराबर 60 घन मीटर बायोगैस का उत्पादन कर सकता है। अगर कोई परिवार महीने में एक एलपीजी सिलेंडर का इस्तेमाल करता है और बीएलटी में शिफ्ट हो जाता है, तो इससे सालाना 12,000 रुपये की बचत होगी।” कोल्हापुर में प्रगति कोल्हापुर के गगनबावड़ा ब्लॉक के धुंडावाडे गांव में 60 परिवार हैं। साल 2021 तक सभी के पास बीएलटी सुविधा आ गई थी। धूंदावड़े के सरपंच सरजाराव चौधरी ने कहा, “मेघालय के बाद गगनबावड़ा में सबसे ज्यादा बारिश होती है। मानसून के दौरान, जलाऊ लकड़ी को सूखा रखना मुश्किल हो जाता था।” पहला बीएलटी 15 साल पहले धुंधवाडे में लगाया गया था। उन्होंने कहा, “लोगों ने इसके फायदे देखे। हमें पहले एक एकड़ धान के खेत में 500 किलो यूरिया की जरूरत होती थी। स्लरी के प्रयोग से अब सिर्फ 150 किग्रा. यूरिया से काम चल जाता है। कुछ लोगों को हाल ही में एलपीजी कनेक्शन मिला है, लेकिन उन्होंने भी अब इसे छोड़ दिया है क्योंकि उनके पास पूरे दिन का खाना पकाने के लिए पर्याप्त बायोगैस होती है।” कोल्हापुर में जलस्तर काफी ज्यादा है और समय-समय पर यहां बाढ़ आती रहती है। पदाली खू गाँव के प्रकाश एस पाटिल ने कहा, “सेप्टिक टैंक बनाने से यहां का पानी दूषित हो जाएगा।” इस गांव के 1700 घरों में से 250 में बीएलटी हैं। जल और स्वच्छता शोधकर्ताओं सी एस शारदा प्रसाद और ईशा रे ने ‘व्हेन द पिट्स फिल अप- (इन) विजिबल फ्लो ऑफ वेस्ट इन अर्बन इंडिया’ नामक अपने 2019 के एक अध्ययन में कहा था कि गड्ढों से मल अपशिष्ट की लिंचिंग और फिर पीने के पानी के स्रोतों को दूषित करने वाले रोगजनकों का खतरा उच्च भूजल तालिका या मानसून की बारिश वाले क्षेत्रों में आम है। कोल्हापुर के एक खेत में बायोगैस से जुड़े शौचालय का निर्माण कार्य। तस्वीर- कृषि अधिकारी, जिला परिषद, कोल्हापुर। कोल्हापुर के एक खेत में बायोगैस से जुड़े शौचालय का निर्माण कार्य। तस्वीर- कृषि अधिकारी, जिला परिषद, कोल्हापुर। खेतिहर मजदूर उमा जाधव ने दो साल पहले बीएलटी बनवाया था। इसके बाद से उसकी कमाई बढ़ने लगी है। उन्होंने कहा, “अब मेरे पास काफी समय बच जाता है। समय बचने का मतलब है कि मैं और अधिक काम कर सकती हूं।” उसके गांव संगरोल में 3000 परिवारों में से लगभग 2000 ने बीएलटी स्थापित किए हैं। वह बताती हैं, “बाकियों के पास घर में जगह नहीं है, इसलिए वे सेप्टिक टैंक रखने को मजबूर हैं।” पाटिल ने कहा, “हम एक कृषि अर्थव्यवस्था हैं। बायोगैस संयंत्र को बनाए रखने के लिए हर घर में काफी मवेशी हैं। खुले में शौच मुक्त गांवों का अभियान जब पहली बार शुरू हुआ तो लोगों का झुकाव सेप्टिक टैंक की तरफ ज्यादा था। लेकिन जब उन्होंने महसूस किया कि इसका मतलब हर कुछ साल बाद गड्ढों को खाली करना होगा, तो वे बीएलटी में जाने के लिए तैयार हो गए।“ महाराष्ट्र के अन्य जिलों में 250 की तुलना में कोल्हापुर ने इस साल 1000 बीएलटी का लक्ष्य रखा है। रूपाली से जब पूछा गया कि क्या वह कभी अपने शौचालय से निकलने वाली बायोगैस का इस्तेमाल करने के खिलाफ थीं, तो उन्होंने कहा, “यह गंदा नहीं है। आखिरकार, आग में सब कुछ जल जाता है। ” हालांकि माथापति ने बताया कि उन्हें अभी भी शिरोल और हाटकनागले ब्लॉक में कुछ समुदायों को समझाने में मुश्किलें आ रही हैं। उन्होंने कहा, “उनके पास बीएलटी स्थापित करने के लिए सभी साधन मसलन जमीन, पशु और पैसा है। लेकिन वे ऐसा नहीं करना चाहते हैं। उन्हें लगता है कि बायोगैस पर बना खाना अशुद्ध होता है। हमने उन्हें बताया कि वेदों के अनुसार, “अग्नि” सब कुछ शुद्ध करती है। वास्तव में, अगर वे लकड़ी के लिए पेड़ काटते हैं तो वे हिंसा कर रहे हैं। लेकिन वे हमारी बात से सहमत नहीं हैं।” ‘अनुचित‘ माने जाने वाली तकनीक जिला कार्यक्रम प्रबंधक पाटिल ने 2011 का एक उदाहरण दिया, जब महाराष्ट्र के बाहर के अधिकारियों की एक समिति 2011 में कोल्हापुर में एक स्वच्छ योजना ‘निर्मल ग्राम’ के कार्यान्वयन की जांच करने आई थी। अधिकारियों ने बीएलटी से जुड़े चूल्हे पर बनी चाय को पीने से इनकार कर दिया था। उन्होंने कहा, “अगर स्वच्छता विभाग के अधिकारियों का ऐसा रवैया है, तो हम अनजान लोगों से इस तकनीक को अपनाने की उम्मीद कैसे कर सकते हैं।” 1970 के दशक में पहले तेल संकट के बाद भारत में बायोगैस तकनीक पर काफी ध्यान दिया गया। उस समय यह साफ हो गया था कि कमर्शियल एनर्जी ग्रामीण और शहरी गरीबों की आर्थिक पहुंच से बाहर रहेगी। ऊर्जा को अधिक सुलभ बनाने और संकट के प्रभावों को कम करने के तरीके के रूप में बायोगैस संयंत्रों को प्रोत्साहित करने के लिए सब्सिडी देने पर विचार किया गया और फिर 1981 में राष्ट्रीय बायोगैस विकास कार्यक्रम शुरू हुआ। इसे अब नया राष्ट्रीय बायोगैस और जैविक खाद कार्यक्रम कहा जाता है। 30 करोड़ गोजातीय आबादी के साथ, जो बायोगैस संयंत्रों के लिए फीडस्टॉक का स्रोत है, भारत में 1.2 करोड़ से ज्यादा बायोगैस इकाइयां स्थापित करने की क्षमता है। आज तक देश में पचास लाख प्लांट लगाए गए हैं। भारत में कितने बीएलटी मौजूद हैं, इसका कोई आधिकारिक रिकॉर्ड नहीं है। साल 2020-21 में नवीन और नवीकरणीय ऊर्जा मंत्रालय ने 8450 ऐसे बायोगैस शौचालय स्थापित करने का लक्ष्य रखा है। यह 60,000 बायोगैस संयंत्रों के वार्षिक लक्ष्य का 14% है। सरकार दो घन मीटर बायोगैस संयंत्र के लिए 14,350 रुपये की सब्सिडी के साथ-साथ इसे शौचालय से जोड़ने के लिए अतिरिक्त 1,600 रुपये भी देती है। सब्सिडी का प्रतिशत 50,000 रुपये के अनुमानित खर्च का लगभग 30% है। फिर भी उम्मीद के मुताबिक चीजें आगे की ओर नहीं बढ़ रही हैं। कोल्हापुर में बायोगैस से जुड़ी शौचालय योजना के लाभार्थी। फोटो -कृषि अधिकारी, जिला परिषद, कोल्हापुर कोल्हापुर में बायोगैस से जुड़ी शौचालय योजना के लाभार्थी। फोटो -कृषि अधिकारी, जिला परिषद, कोल्हापुर इंजीनियरिंग प्रोफेसर से किसान बने धीरेंद्र और स्मिता सोनेजी गुजरात के नर्मदा जिले में रहते हैं। ये दोनों एक एनजीओ ‘प्रयास’ के साथ ग्राम-स्तरीय सुपरवाइजर थे, जिसने 1986 में गुजरात में बायोगैस संयंत्र स्थापित किए और बायोगैस इकाइयों को शौचालयों से जोड़ा। उन्होंने कहा, “लेकिन किसी ने उन शौचालयों का इस्तेमाल नहीं किया। वे उनमें लकड़ी या खेती के उपकरण जमा करते हैं, लेकिन शौच के लिए इसका इस्तेमाल कभी नहीं किया।” असम में 2022 में एक अध्ययन किया गया था। इसमें राज्य और यूनाइटेड किंगडम के शोधकर्ताओं ने तकनीकी, सामाजिक-सांस्कृतिक और सामाजिक-तकनीकी में बीएलटी को अपनाने की अनिच्छा के कारणों का विश्लेषण किया था। अध्ययन के मुताबिक, सामाजिक-सांस्कृतिक कारण भारत की जाति व्यवस्था में मौजूद हैं। यहां समाज को उसके पेशे, पवित्रता और अपवित्रता की धारणा के आधार पर बांटा जाता है। अध्ययन के प्रतिभागियों ने बताया कि बीएलटी धार्मिक प्रथा के खिलाफ है, बीएलटी पर खाना बनाना पाप है, मानव मल के साथ गाय के गोबर को मिलाना अपराध है, परिवार के बुजुर्ग इसे स्वीकार नहीं करेंगे, रिश्तेदार उनके घर खाना नहीं खाएंगे। अगर लोगों को पता चलता है कि वे बीएलटी का इस्तेमाल कर रहे हैं तो उन्हें उनकी जाति या गांव से बाहर कर दिया जाएगा। अध्ययन में पाया गया कि बीएलटी कैसे काम करता है, इस बारे में ज्ञान और अनुभव की कमी इन मान्यताओं को मजबूत करती है। अध्ययन में जिन सामाजिक-तकनीकी कारणों का जिक्र किया गया, उसमें से एक यह था कि खाने से टॉयलेट की गंध आएगी। लोगों को शौचालय गैस पर खाना पकाए जाने के बारे में सोचना भी हिकारत लगता है। उनकी नजर में बीएलटी की देखरेख करना एक गंदा काम है और बायोगैस पर पका हुआ खाना खाना धार्मिक और शारीरिक रूप से अपवित्र है। हालांकि, प्रतिभागियों ने बताया कि ईंधन स्रोत के बारे में नाम न बताने से लोग बीएलटी के अभ्यस्त हो सकते हैं। गुजरात विद्यापीठ, अहमदाबाद में बायोगैस रिसर्च एंड माइक्रोबायोलॉजी विभाग के पूर्व सहायक प्रोफेसर प्रदीप आचार्य ने कहा, “यह ऐसा है जैसे किसान अपने खेतों में इस्तेमाल करने के लिए सीवेज ट्रीटमेंट प्लांट से खाद खरीदते हैं लेकिन अपने बायोगैस संयंत्र से निकलने वाली जैविक खाद को हाथ लगाना नहीं चाहते ।” फिलहाल आचार्य बीएलटी पर सलाहकार के तौर पर काम कर रहे हैं। बीएलटी लाभार्थियों का कहना है कि इसके इस्तेमाल को लेकर कई तरह की सामाजिक-सांस्कृतिक वर्जनाएं हैं और साथ ही बहिष्कार का डर भी है। तस्वीर- कृषि अधिकारी, जिला परिषद, कोल्हापुर बीएलटी की कम स्वीकार्यता का एक अन्य कारण इसके बारे में कम जानकारी है। बीएलटी में दी जाने वाली सेवाओं मसलन खाना पकाने के ईंधन, उर्वरक और स्वच्छता को सब्सिडी वाले और जीवाश्म ईंधन आधारित एलपीजी, रासायनिक उर्वरकों से प्रतिस्पर्धा मिलती है। इसमें सरकार का स्वच्छ भारत मिशन भी शामिल है, लेकिन वह मुख्य रूप से बुनियादी गड्ढे वाले शौचालयों पर केंद्रित है। हालांकि बीएलटी इस मिशन के एक घटक के रूप में है। पूंजीगत लागत, बायोगैस संयंत्र के रखरखाव के बारे में कम जानकारी, और सही लाभार्थियों तक पहुंचने में सरकार की अक्षमता ने बायोगैस की सफलता को प्रभावित किया है। गुजरात विद्यापीठ में बायोगैस और माइक्रोबायोलॉजी विभाग के सहायक प्रोफेसर प्रतीक शिल्पकार ने कहा, “बायोगैस एक संपूर्ण सर्कुलर तकनीक है। यह जरूरतमंद लोगों तक पहुंचनी चाहिए, जो अभी भी जलाऊ लकड़ी पर निर्भर हैं और जिनके पास शौचालय नहीं है।” और पढ़ेंः बायोचार में बिगड़ते मौसम को बचाने की ताकत, लेकिन लागत बड़ी बाधा एक बायोगैस संयंत्र का नियमित रखरखाव करना पड़ता है- पर्याप्त पानी, रोजाना उसमें डालने के लिए गोबर, टॉयलेट साफ करने के लिए किसी तरह का एसिडिक क्लीनर का इस्तेमाल न करना, समय-समय पर सफाई और देखभाल, उचित धूप या फिर सर्दियों में गर्म पानी, क्योंकि उस दौरान माइक्रोबियल क्रिया धीमी हो जाती है। यह सब काम लोगों को बोझिल लगता है। प्लांट के ठीक से काम न करने पर उसकी मरम्मत के लिए प्रशिक्षित राजमिस्त्री की कमी समस्या को और बढ़ा देती है। कंक्रीट की बढ़ती कीमतों के कारण दो घन मीटर बायोगैस संयंत्र की पूंजीगत लागत 50,000 रुपये से ज्यादा बैठती है। साल 1997 से कोल्हापुर में बायोगैस संयंत्र स्थापित कर रहे वर्कर उत्तम निगड़े ने कहा “उन्हें कम से कम 50% सब्सिडी देनी चाहिए ताकि लोग आगे आयें। शौचालय बनाने का खर्च भी बढ़ जाता है। हालांकि सरकार शौचालय के लिए 12,000 रुपये की सब्सिडी देती है। लेकिन सेट-अप की पूरी लागत ज्यादातर लोगों की 2-3 महीने की आय से ज्यादा है। ”
पश्चिमी राज्यों में महाराष्ट्र और गुजरात के लिए साल 2022-23 की सर्दी पिछले चार वर्षों में सबसे अधिक प्रदूषित रही है। विज्ञान और पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) द्वारा प्रदेशों की शीतकालीन वायु गुणवत्ता (पीएम 2.5) के स्तर के किए गए नए विश्लेषण में यह बात सामने आई है। विश्लेषण के अनुसार नागपुर ने पिछली सर्दियों की तुलना में 105 प्रतिशत के साथ प्रदूषण में सबसे अधिक वृद्धि दर्ज की है। सीएसई का यह विश्लेषण दोनों राज्यों के 17 शहरों में कार्यरत 58 वायु गुणवत्ता निगरानी स्टेशनों से उपलब्ध वास्तविक समय के आंकडों पर आधारित है। दोनों राज्यों में 1 अक्टूबर 2022 से 28 फरवरी 2023 की अवधि के लिए सीईसी की अर्बन लैब द्वारा यह विश्लेषण किया गया। विश्लेषण के मुताबिक इन राज्यों में सर्दियों का प्रदूषण आमतौर पर नवंबर के अंत और दिसंबर की शुरुआत में शुरू होता है, जब ठंडी और शांत स्थिति स्थानीय प्रदूषण को पकड़ लेती है। विश्लेषण बताता है कि इन राज्यों के बड़े शहरों के साथ-साथ छोटे शहरों में भी सर्दियों में पीएम2.5 के स्तर में वृद्धि हुई है, जो इस क्षेत्र में वायु प्रदूषण की समस्या के तेजी से फैलने की ओर इशारा करता है। विश्लेषण के लिए महाराष्ट्र के मुंबई, नवी मुंबई, पुणे, चंद्रपुर, औरंगाबाद, कल्याण, नासिक, सोलापुर और ठाणे को शामिल किया गया था। यहां स्थित निगरानी स्टेशन से प्राप्त आंकडों के मुताबिक यहां प्रदूषण तेजी से बढ़ रहा है। नागपुर ने पिछली सर्दियों के मुकाबले 105 फीसदी के साथ प्रदूषण में सबसे अधिक वृद्धि दर्ज की गई है। सीएसई के अनुसंधान विभाग की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमति रॉय चौधरी का कहना है कि क्षेत्र में विभिन्न स्रोतों से होने वाले प्रदूषण को नियंत्रित करने के लिए तत्काल रोडमैप की दरकार है।
NEW DELHI : On 2 December 2020, Sunita Narain, the present director general of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a research and advocacy body, dropped a bombshell. Citing an investigation, Narain claimed that 10 of the biggest honey brands in India had flunked a purity test. The list included Dabur Ltd, the country’s leading branded honey seller. The company had the most to lose on reputation and market share. Dabur rubbished the investigation. Subsequently, a bitter battle ensued on the sidelines, not so much with the CSE but with a rival company.
Republished by Pioneer, Faridabad on 12 April 2023 Please see the attachment. (Original source : https://www.downtoearth.org.in/hindistory/wildlife-biodiversity/wildlife/reinvent-tiger-conservation-88700)
Republished by Pioneer, Faridabad on 12 April 2023 Please see the attachment. (Original source : https://www.downtoearth.org.in/hindistory/river/dam/in-the-last-four-decades-the-extent-of-rivers-changed-due-to-changing-climate-and-dams-88696)
Republished by Pioneer, Faridabad on 12 April 2023 Please see the attachment. (Original source :https://www.downtoearth.org.in/hindistory/weather/heat-and-cold-wave/showers-in-gujarat-maharashtra-marathwada-strong-surface-winds-will-blow-in-haryana-and-uttar-pradesh-88694
Republished by Pioneer, Faridabad on 12 April 2023 Please see the attachment.
In 2022-23, Maharashtra and Gujarat faced the highest winter air pollution levels in the last four years: CSE’s new analysis Indicates growing local pollution and regional influence despite the advantage of natural ventilation of the coastal climate Peak pollution growing faster in Gujarat, but is a problem in Maharashtra as well Regional influence of pollution is sharply evident in synchronised spread of winter pollution across the cities of the two states Most polluted locations are in the Greater Mumbai region Region is beginning to face multi-pollutant problem with NO2 levels rising in Ahmedabad, Kalyan, Nagpur and Nandesari This demands urgent and upscaled action to cut emissions from vehicles, industry, open burning, landfill fires, use of solid fuels in households, construction and dust sources For the complete analysis report: https://www.cseindia.org/APC-West-India-Winter-2023-Note.pdf New Delhi, April 11, 2023: For the western Indian states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, the winter of 2022-23 had been the most polluted in the last four years – says a new analysis by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) of the region’s winter air quality (PM2.5) trends. The analysis, done for the period October 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023, has been carried out by CSE’s Urban Lab. In these states, winter pollution typically sets in during late November and early December, when the cooler and calmer conditions trap local pollution. “The fact that the big cities as well as smaller towns have experienced the rise in winter PM2.5 levels points to the rapid spread of the air pollution problem in this region. This is evident in both the seasonal average and the peaks. While local pollution is increasing in these rapidly motorising and developing cities, the regional influence is further aggravating the challenge. This is overpowering the advantage of natural ventilation of the coastal climate. This demands an immediate roadmap to control pollution from the key sources across the region,” says Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE. “While in absolute terms Gujarat has a higher pollution level, it is rising faster in Maharashtra. Most polluted locations in the region are located in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Vapi and Surat are among the most polluted locations in Gujarat. Nagpur registered the highest increase in pollution with a 105 per cent rise compared to the previous winter,” says Avikal Somvanshi, senior programme manager, Urban Lab, CSE. This analysis is part of the third edition of Urban Lab’s Air Quality Tracker Initiative which was started in the winter of 2020-21. This analysis is based on the real time data available from the current working air quality monitoring stations in these two states. A huge volume of data points have been cleaned and data gaps have been addressed, based on USEPA methods, for this analysis. Winter here is defined as the period between October 1, 2022 and February 28, 2023. Winter average is based on the mean of daily averages where continuous data is available since 2019. The analysis covers 58 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) spread across 17 cities in two states: Gujarat: stations in Ahmedabad, three in Gandhinagar, and one each in Ankleshwar, Vapi, Vatva, Nandesari and Surat Maharashtra: 21 stations in Mumbai, four in Navi Mumbai, eight in Pune, two in Chandrapur, and one each in Aurangabad, Kalyan, Nagpur, Nashik, Solapur and Thane. Says Somvanshi: “Even though there are multiple real time monitors in a few cities of these states, many could not be considered for long term analysis due to data gaps and lack of quality data. In several cases, the real time monitors have been set up recently and, therefore, long term data is not available.” The key findings of the CSE analysis Winter average of PM2.5 in the cities in this region was highest in the last four years: The average PM2.5 concentration across cities in the west stood at 69 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) this winter. It is 10 per cent higher than the mean of the previous three winter seasons (October to February). Daily peak for the region this winter happened on October 24, 2022 (day after Diwali) when the level was 127 µg/m³. It was 25 per cent higher than the mean of the previous three winter peaks. Fifteen cities that have been considered from the western states for assessment of the regional trend include Ahmedabad, Ankleshwar, Gandhinagar, Nandesari, Vapi, Vatva, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, Chandapur, Kalyan, Nasik, Nagpur and Solapur. Most polluted winter in the last four years: The average winter pollution level in the cities of Maharashtra rose by 13 per cent compared to the mean of the previous three winter seasons. Winter pollution has been rising in Maharashtra on a yearly basis and stood at 66 µg/m³ this winter. In absolute terms, Gujarat was the more polluted of the two states, with a winter average of 73 µg/m3. Gujarat registered an increase of 6 per cent compared to the mean of previous three winters. Winter pollution was on a decline in Gujarat since 2019, but it spiked up this winter. Peak pollution is growing faster in Gujarat, but is a problem in Maharashtra as well: Gujarat had its daily peak of PM2.5 at 158 µg/m3 on October 24, 2022. This was the highest regional peak in the last four years and was 19 per cent higher than the mean of the previous three winter peaks. Maharashtra’s daily peak PM2.5 happened much later in the season, on December 2, 2022. Maharashtra’s daily PM2.5 peak stood at 112 µg/m3, which is marginally lower than the 2021-22 winter peak but 10 per cent higher than the mean of the previous three winter peaks. Regional influence of pollution is sharply evident in synchronised spread of winter pollution across the cities: Worsening of air quality starts mid-October across western India in a synchronised fashion as weather starts to cool down and winds slow down. But the analysis is hampered by poor data quality among the stations in the region. Data for 96 days is missing from stations in Pune, while in Nandisari data of 68 days is missing. There are large gaps in data from other stations as well. Pollution hotspots and cleaner cities: Navi Mumbai and Vapi are the most polluted cities in these states. The winter average PM2.5 level in Vapi was 128 µg/m³. In Navi Mumbai, it was 107 µg/m³; Surat had a level of 103 µg/m³. Gandhinagar in Gujarat was the least polluted city with PM2.5 average of 45 µg/m³. Solapur in Maharashtra also has a seasonal average of 45 µg/m³ but due to excessive missing data (36 days of missing data), this cannot be said with certainty. Same goes for the cities of Nandesari and Pune which have a high quantum of missing data. Nagpur followed by Navi Mumbai registered the highest increase in winter pollution: Nagpur in Maharashtra was the worst performer and registered an increase of 105 per cent compared to the preceding winter. It was followed by Navi Mumbai with a 59 percent increase. Winter pollution level in Vapi this season has been 38 per cent higher than the mean of previous three winters. However, Kalyan in Maharashtra showed the most improvement in air quality this season (23 per cent) compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. It is followed by Pune with 19 per cent, Ankleshwar with 18 per cent, Ahmedabad with 10 per cent and Vatva with 5 per cent improvement in PM2.5 levels compared to the previous year. Most polluted locations are in the Greater Mumbai region: There is also a wide variation in pollution concentration among the monitoring locations of these states. Navi Mumbai’s Sector 19A monitoring station was the most polluted location among the cities of the two states with PM2.5 averaging at 164 μg/m³. Vapi’s monitoring station at GIDC was the second most polluted location. Mumbai’s monitoring stations at Deonar, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mazgaon, Navy Nagar, Chakala and Vile Parle West make up six of the 10 most polluted locations in the two states. Surat in Gujarat also features among these 10 locations. Multi-pollutant challenge — increasing levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) during November and December: In 2022, there was a significant increase in the amount of NO2 concentration during November and December compared to October. NO2 comes entirely from combustion sources and significantly from vehicles. Kalyan in Maharashtra registered the greatest increase – three times the maximum build-up of NO2 between October and December. Nagpur and Nandesari each registered a 2.3 times increase. In absolute concentration, Ahmedabad registered the highest NO2 average of 104 µg/m³. It is followed by Kalyan with 89 µg/m³ and Navi Mumbai with 61 µg/m³. The lowest NO2 levels were recorded by Nandesari with 4 µg/m³ and Vapi with 7 µg/m³. Diwali pollution increased in several cities: Thepollution level on Diwali night (8 pm to 8 am) in cities shot up by 1-5.9 times the average level recorded seven nights preceding Diwali (see graph on this in the complete analysis report). Ahmedabad experienced a 5.9 times higher PM2.5 level on Diwali night at 393 µg/m³. It is followed by Chandrapur in Maharashtra with 4.6 time’s higher PM2.5 concentration. Mumbai and Nagpur had the least polluted Diwali night in the region, with 70 and 75 µg/m³ respectively, followed by Nashik with 85 µg/m³. Step up the action Says Roychowdhury: “The rapidly growing cities of the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat that were hitherto not so much under the scanner for growing air pollution problem, are increasingly coming under the spotlight. Winter pollution is indicative of the growing local problem. As soon as the weather turns adverse with cool and calm conditions, the high local pollution gets trapped and spirals.” “This demands urgent and aggressive scaling up of the multi-sector action plan to control pollution from vehicles and transport, industries, open burning of waste and landfill fires, use of solid fuels in households, construction, and dust sources,” she adds.
Centre for Science and Environment and National Environment Management Council, Tanzania, jointly released a report on Plastic Waste Management in Africa: An Overview. Photo: CSE. Considering the emerging global challenges around solid waste management, Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) felt the need to have a ‘Global Forum of Cities for Circular Economy (GFCCE),’ focusing especially on the Global South, including the countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa — Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia joined GFCCE at the time of its launch in July 2022. o take the initiatives and learnings forward, a report titled Plastic waste management in Africa: An overview was released January 23, 2023, in the presence of delegates from nine African countries. The High Commissioner of India in Tanzania, Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, Samuel Mafwenga, director general of the National Environment Management Council (NEMC), and Menan Jangu, director of research (NEMC), Government of Tanzania, were present at the event. The two organisations have also signed a formal memorandum of understanding (MoU) to improve the existing solid waste management practices in Tanzania. Between July 2022 and January 2023, many more nations, especially from Asia, expressed their interest in joining GFCCE to make it an inter-continental forum. The core objective of GFCCE is to provide a global platform to countries where they can share evidence-based learnings, policy interventions, institutional frameworks and implementation modalities. The aim is to enable countries to establish sustainable solid waste management ecosystems based on the principles of circular economy. Therefore, the GFCCE was conceived as a bridge to connect countries and cities in the pursuit of sustainable solid waste management practices that can eventually emerge as a good practice to inspire and influence others. A dialogue of this scale can help cities reinvent their waste management systems with the help of evidence-based research and best practices. The report is a secondary scoping research on the state of plastic waste management systems and practices in fifteen African countries — Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, South Africa, Côte D’Ivoire and Cameroon. Of the 15 countries, the first 10 are already part of GFCCE. Five new countries have been added to extend the forum in the coming years. This report captures insights into a diverse ecosystem of regional, local and national challenges that confront these countries in terms of plastic waste management through the existing basket of policy interventions. Based on information available in the public domain, the study is an attempt to assess the current state of preparedness that countries are equipped with to deal with ever-increasing plastic pollution coupled with marine litter. Through the review, the study also looks into various policy interventions and implementation challenges regarding existing institutional arrangements in place to combat plastic pollution. A research team from CSE, headed by the centre’s executive director Anumita Roychowdhary, was in Tanzania to conduct and coordinate the release meeting in association with the director general of NEMC, Samuel G Mafwenga. In her introductory remarks, Roychowdhary appreciated the collaborative partnership between CSE and NEMC in different environmental management programmes, including capacity building and knowledge sharing and developing environmental regulations and guidelines. In a follow-up message, Mafwenga extended his appreciation for all the support that NEMC has received so far from CSE in terms of creating knowledge products, conducting various online training programmes, technical assistance for the development of various regulations, guidelines and capacity-building programmes, both in India and Tanzania. The two organisations have now officially signed a formal MoU to improve the existing solid waste management practices in Tanzania, focusing on source separation, improving collection efficiencies and scientific treatment and disposal based on the principles of the circular economy. Jagdeep Gupta, executive director of CSE and Mafwenga signed the MoU to work together and share assistance in framing regulations related to sustainable solid waste management, guidelines, monitoring protocol and standards, initiate capacity building programmes and exposure visits.
For the western Indian states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, the winter of 2022-23 had been the most polluted in the last four years – says a new analysis by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) of the region’s winter air quality (PM2.5) trends. The analysis, done for the period October 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023, has been carried out by CSE’s Urban Lab. In these states, winter pollution typically sets in during late November and early December, when the cooler and calmer conditions trap local pollution. “The fact that the big cities as well as smaller towns have experienced the rise in winter PM2.5 levels points to the rapid spread of the air pollution problem in this region. This is evident in both the seasonal average and the peaks. While local pollution is increasing in these rapidly motorising and developing cities, the regional influence is further aggravating the challenge. This is overpowering the advantage of natural ventilation of the coastal climate. This demands immediate roadmap to control pollution from the key sources across the region,” says Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research an advocacy, CSE. “While in absolute terms Gujarat has a higher pollution level, it is rising faster in Maharashtra. Most polluted locations in the region are located in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Vapi and Surat are among the most polluted locations in Gujarat. Nagpur registered the highest increase in pollution with a 105 per cent rise compared to the previous winter,” says Avikal Somvanshi, senior programme manager, Urban Lab, CSE. This analysis is part of the third edition of Urban Lab’s Air Quality Tracker Initiative which was started in the winter of 2020-21. This analysis is based on the real time data available from the current working air quality monitoring stations in these two states. A huge volume of data points have been cleaned and data gaps have been addressed, based on USEPA methods, for this analysis. Winter here is defined as the period between October 1, 2022 and February 28, 2023. Winter average is based on the mean of daily averages where continuous data is available since 2019. The analysis covers 58 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) spread across 17 cities in two states: Gujarat: stations in Ahmedabad, three in Gandhinagar, and one each in Ankleshwar, Vapi, Vatva, Nandesari and Surat Maharashtra: 21 stations in Mumbai, four in Navi Mumbai, eight in Pune, two in Chandrapur, and one each in Aurangabad, Kalyan, Nagpur, Nashik, Solapur and Thane. Says Somvanshi: “Even though there are multiple real time monitors in a few cities of these states, many could not be considered for long term analysis due to data gaps and lack of quality data. In several cases, the real time monitors have been set up recently and, therefore, long term data is not available.” The key findings of the CSE analysis Winter average of PM2.5 in the cities in this region was highest in the last four years: The average PM2.5 concentration across cities in the west stood at 69 microgramme per cubic metre (µg/m³) this winter. It is 10 per cent higher than the mean of previous three winter seasons (October to February). Daily peak for the region this winter happened on October 24, 2022 (day after Diwali) when the level was 127 µg/m³. It was 25 per cent higher than the mean of the previous three winter peaks. Fifteen cities that have been considered from the western states for assessment of the regional trend include Ahmedabad, Ankleshwar, Gandhinagar, Nandesari, Vapi, Vatva, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, Chandapur, Kalyan, Nasik, Nagpur and Solapur. Most polluted winter in the last four years: The average winter pollution level in the cities of Maharashtra rose by 13 per cent compared to the mean of previous three winter seasons. Winter pollution has been rising in Maharashtra on a yearly basis and stood at of 66 µg/m³ this winter. In absolute terms, Gujarat was the more polluted of the two states, with a winter average of 73 µg/m3. Gujarat registered an increase of 6 per cent compared to the mean of previous three winters. Winter pollution was on a decline in Gujarat since 2019, but it spiked up this winter. Peak pollution growing faster in Gujarat, but is a problem in Maharashtra as well: Gujarat had its daily peak of PM2.5 at 158 µg/m3 on October 24, 2022. This was the highest regional peak in the last four years and was 19 per cent higher than the mean of the previous three winter peaks. Maharashtra’s daily peak PM2.5 happened much later in the season, on December 2, 2022. Maharashtra’s daily PM2.5 peak stood at 112 µg/m3, which is marginally lower than the 2021-22 winter peak but 10 per cent higher than the mean of the previous three winter peaks. Regional influence of pollution is sharply evident in synchronised spread of winter pollution across the cities: Worsening of air quality starts mid-October across western India in a synchronised fashion as weather starts to cool down and winds slow down. But the analysis is hampered by poor data quality among the stations in the region. Data for 96 days is missing from stations in Pune, while in Nandisari data of 68 days is missing. There are large gaps in data from other stations as well. Pollution hotspots and cleaner cities: Navi Mumbai and Vapi are the most polluted cities in these states. The winter average PM2.5 level in Vapi was 128 µg/m³. In Navi Mumbai, it was 107 µg/m³; Surat had a level of 103 µg/m³. Gandhinagar in Gujarat was the least polluted city with PM2.5 average of 45 µg/m³. Solapur in Maharashtra also has a seasonal average of 45 µg/m³ but due to excessive missing data (36 days of missing data), this cannot be said with certainty. Same goes for the cities of Nandesari and Pune which have a high quantum of missing data. Nagpur followed by Navi Mumbai registered the highest increase in winter pollution: Nagpur in Maharashtra was the worst performer and registered an increase of 105 per cent compared to the preceding winter. It was followed by Navi Mumbai with a 59 per cent increase. Winter pollution level in Vapi this season has been 38 per cent higher than the mean of previous three winters. However, Kalyan in Maharashtra showed the most improvement in air quality this season (23 per cent) compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. It is followed by Pune with 19 per cent, Ankleshwar with 18 per cent, Ahmedabad with 10 per cent and Vatva with 5 per cent improvement in PM2.5 levels compared to the previous year. Most polluted locations are in the Greater Mumbai region: There is also a wide variation in pollution concentration among the monitoring locations of these states. Navi Mumbai’s Sector 19A monitoring station was the most polluted location among the cities of the two states with PM2.5 averaging at 164 μg/m³. Vapi’s monitoring station at GIDC was the second most polluted location. Mumbai’s monitoring stations at Deonar, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mazgaon, Navy Nagar, Chakala and Vile Parle West make up six of the 10 most polluted locations in the two states. Surat in Gujarat also features among these 10 locations. Multi-pollutant challenge — increasing levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) during November and December: In 2022, there was a significant increase in the amount of NO2 concentration during November and December compared to October. NO2 comes entirely from combustion sources and significantly from vehicles. Kalyan in Maharashtra registered the greatest increase – three times the maximum build-up of NO2 between October and December. Nagpur and Nandesari each registered a 2.3 times increase. In absolute concentration, Ahmedabad registered the highest NO2 average of 104 µg/m³. It is followed by Kalyan with 89 µg/m³ and Navi Mumbai with 61 µg/m³. The lowest NO2 levels were recorded by Nandesari with 4 µg/m³ and Vapi with 7 µg/m³. Diwali pollution increased in several cities: The pollution level on Diwali night (8 pm to 8 am) in cities shot up by 1-5.9 times the average level recorded seven nights preceding Diwali (see graph on this in the complete analysis report). Ahmedabad experienced a 5.9 times higher PM2.5 level on Diwali night at 393 µg/m³. It is followed by Chandrapur in Maharashtra with 4.6 time’s higher PM2.5 concentration. Mumbai and Nagpur had the least polluted Diwali night in the region, with 70 and 75 µg/m³ respectively, followed by Nashik with 85 µg/m³. Step up the action Says Roychowdhury: “The rapidly growing cities of the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat that were hitherto not so much under the scanner for growing air pollution problem, are increasingly coming under the spotlight. Winter pollution is indicative of the growing local problem. As soon as the weather turns adverse with cool and calm conditions, the high local pollution gets trapped and spirals.” “This demands urgent and aggressive scaling up of the multi-sector action plan to control pollution from vehicles and transport, industries, open burning of waste and landfill fires, use of solid fuels in households, construction, and dust sources,” she adds.
भारत में बीते पांच साल में 89 हजार हेक्टेयर जंगल (रिकोर्डिड वन) गायब हो गए हैं। केंद्रीय पर्यावरण मंत्रालय द्वारा संसद में दी गई जानकारी के अनुसार, देश में करीब 89 हजार हेक्टेयर वन भूमि पर सड़क आदि 25 अलग अलग गैर-वन उपयोगों के इस्तेमाल के लिए डायवर्जन की इजाजत दी गई है। यह इतना बड़ा क्षेत्रफल है कि इससे छोटे छोटे कई शहर समा जाएंगे। केंद्रीय पर्यावरण मंत्रालय के अनुसार देश में कुल भूमि का करीब 24 प्रतिशत वन क्षेत्र है। डीडब्लू वेबसाइट द्वारा प्रकाशित एक रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, केंद्रीय पर्यावरण मंत्रालय द्वारा संसद को जानकारी दी गई है कि 25 अलग अलग गैर- वन उद्देश्यों के इस्तेमाल के लिए 88,903.80 हेक्टेयर वन भूमि के इस्तेमाल की इजाजत, सरकार द्वारा दी गई है। वन भूमि का सबसे ज्यादा डायवर्जन सड़कों के लिए किया गया है। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार सड़कों के उपयोग के लिए सर्वाधिक 19,424 हेक्टेयर वन भूमि का डायवर्जन किया गया है। बीते पांच सालों में वन भूमि के बड़े गैर वन उद्देश्यों के लिए इस्तेमाल की बात करें तो सड़कों के बाद सर्वाधिक 19,424 हेक्टेयर जंगल काटे गए हैं। दूसरा नंबर खनन गतिविधियों के लिए वन भूमि के इस्तेमाल का हैं। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, खनन गतिविधियों के लिए 18,847 हेक्टेयर वन भूमि के इस्तेमाल की इजाजत दी गई है। अलग अलग सिंचाई परियोजनाओ के लिए 13,344 हेक्टेयर वन भूमि का उपयोग किया गया है। जबकि 9,469 हेक्टेयर वन भूमि का विद्युत परियोजनाओं यानी बिजली के टॉवर व तार बिछाने के लिए डायवर्जन किया गया है। सेनाओं के उपयोग के लिए भी बड़े पैमाने पर वन भूमि का गैर वन उद्देश्यों के लिए डायवर्जन किया गया है। अलग अलग रक्षा परियोजनाओं के लिए 7,630 हेक्टेयर वन भूमि का इस्तेमाल पिछले पांच सालों में किया गया है। भारत में वनों की परिभाषा देश में एक हेक्टेयर से बड़े क्षेत्रफल (भूमि) जिसमे पेड़ों की यानी हरित छतरी यानी हरियाली का घनत्व 10 प्रतिशत से ज्यादा हो, जंगल कहा जाता है। फिर चाहे वो वाकई में जंगल हो या फिर किसी का खेत या कोई बगीचा या किसी की निजी संपत्ति हो। रिकोर्डिड फॉरेस्ट से इतर देंखे तो... भारत में पांच साल में खो गए 668,400 हेक्टेयर जंगल रिकोर्डिड फॉरेस्ट से इतर गायब जंगल का आंकड़ा और खतरनाक है। यूके स्थित फर्म यूटिलिटी बिडर के मुताबिक वन विनाश के मामले में भारत, ब्राजील के बाद दूसरे स्थान पर है, जहां पिछले पांच वर्षों में 668,400 हेक्टेयर में फैले जंगल काट दिए गए हैं। हालांकि 13 जनवरी 2022 को प्रकाशित “इंडिया स्टेट ऑफ फॉरेस्ट रिपोर्ट 2021” (ISFR 2021) में जारी आंकड़ों पर गौर करें तो 2019 से 2021 के बीच वन आवरण में 1.6 लाख हेक्टेयर (0.2 प्रतिशत) की मामूली वृद्धि दिखाई गई है। लेकिन यहां ध्यान देने वाला तथ्य यह है कि, ये ज्यादातर वन रिकॉर्डेड फॉरेस्ट (राज्य सरकारों के वन विभाग के अधीन वन भूमि) के बाहर उग रहे हैं। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) द्वारा किए विश्लेषण के मुताबिक बात करें तो भारत के करीब उत्तर प्रदेश के आकार के बराबर 2.59 करोड़ हेक्टेयर में फैले जंगल लापता हैं। विश्लेषण के मुताबिक इतनी बड़ी अनियमितता का ISFR 2021 में कोई स्पष्टीकरण नहीं है, केवल सरसरी तौर पर कहा गया है कि यह रिकॉर्डेड फॉरेस्ट बिना वन आवरण का है। देखा जाए तो अगर यह लापता वन क्षेत्र इतना विशाल न होता तो इसे नजरअंदाज किया जा सकता था। लेकिन करीब 2.6 करोड़ हेक्टेयर क्षेत्र को नजरअंदाज कर देना संभव नहीं है। वन विनाश में दुनिया में दूसरे स्थान पर भारत यूके स्थित फर्म यूटिलिटी बिडर के मुताबिक वन विनाश के मामले में भारत, ब्राजील के बाद दूसरे स्थान पर है, जहां पिछले पांच वर्षों में 668,400 हेक्टेयर में फैले जंगल काट दिए गए हैं। डाउन टू अर्थ में छपी यूटिलिटी बिडर द्वारा जारी नई रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, भारत ने पिछले 30 वर्षों के दौरान जंगलों के होते सफाए के मामले में सबसे ज्यादा वृद्धि देखी है। इसमें 2015 से 2020 के बीच उल्लेखनीय बढ़ोतरी हुई है। आंकड़ों की मानें तो इन पांच वर्षों के दौरान भारत में 668,400 हेक्टेयर क्षेत्र में फैले वन क्षेत्र को काट दिया गया है। देखा जाए तो यह आंकड़ा ब्राजील के बाद सबसे ज्यादा है। गौरतलब है कि इस दौरान ब्राजील में 16,95,700 हेक्टेयर में फैले जंगल साफ कर दिए गए हैं। मार्च 2023 में जारी यूटिलिटी बिडर रिपोर्ट में डेटा एग्रीगेटर साइट अवर वर्ल्ड इन डेटा द्वारा 1990 से 2000 और 2015 से 2020 के लिए जारी आंकड़ों का विश्लेषण किया गया है। इन आंकड़ों में पिछले 30 वर्षों के दौरान 98 देशों में काटे गए जंगलों का ब्यौरा प्रस्तुत किया गया है। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार जहां भारत ने 1990 से 2000 के बीच अपने 384,000 हेक्टेयर में फैले जंगलों को खो दिया था। वहीं 2015 से 2020 के बीच यह आंकड़ा बढ़कर 668,400 हेक्टेयर हो गया है। मतलब की इन दो समयावधियों के दौरान भारत में वन विनाश में 284,400 हेक्टेयर की वृद्धि देखी है जो दुनिया में सबसे ज्यादा है। देखा जाए तो इसके लिए कहीं न कहीं देश में बढ़ती आबादी जिम्मेवार है जिसकी लगातार बढ़ती जरूरतों के लिए तेजी से जंगल काटे जा रहे हैं। कौन है इस विनाश के लिए जिम्मेवार ब्राजील और भारत के बाद अफ्रीकी देश जाम्बिया है। जहां इन दोनों अवधियों के बीच वन विनाश में 153,460 हेक्टेयर की वृद्धि दर्ज की है। गौरतलब है कि 1990 से 2000 के बीच जहां जाम्बिया में 36,250 हेक्टेयर में फैले जंगल काट दिए गए थे। वहीं 2015 से 2020 के बीच यह आंकड़ा बढ़कर 189,710 हेक्टेयर पर पहुंच गया था। वहीं यदि 2015 से 2020 के आंकड़ों पर गौर करें तो वन विनाश के मामले में ब्राजील अव्वल है, जहां इस दौरान 1,695,700 हेक्टेयर में फैले जंगल काट दिए गए हैं। रिपोर्ट की मानें तो इसके लिए कहीं न कहीं जलवायु में होती वृद्धि जिम्मेवार है। हालांकि यदि 2015 से 2020 के आंकड़ों से तुलना करें तो इस वहां इस दौरान वन विनाश में भारी कमी आई है। पता चला है कि 1990 से 2000 के बीच ब्राजील में 42,54,800 हेक्टेयर में वन क्षेत्र नष्ट कर दिए गए हैं। इसी तरह इंडोनेशिया में ताड़ की बढ़ती खेती ने 650,000 हेक्टेयर में फैले जंगलों को नष्ट कर दिया है, इस तरह यह 2015 से 2020 के बीच वन विनाश के मामले में भारत के ठीक पीछे है। इंडोनेशिया को दुनिया के सबसे बड़े ताड़ तेल उत्पादक देशों में से एक माना जाता है। भले ही ताड़ के तेल के इतने सारे उपयोग हैं, जिनके बारे में आप जानते भी न हों, लेकिन एक बात जो व्यापक रूप से सामने आई है वो यह है वनों के विनाश के मामले में जंगलों पर ताड़ के तेल उत्पादन का व्यापक प्रभाव पड़ा है। रिपोर्ट में यह भी सामने आया है कि वैश्विक स्तर पर पशुपालन व्यवसाय ने जंगलों को गंभीर नुकसान पहुंचाया है, जिसकी वजह से हर साल 21,05,753 हेक्टेयर में फैले जंगल काट दिए गए हैं। इसके बाद तेल के लिए 950,609 हेक्टेयर वनों का विनाश किया गया है।