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दिल्ली की यमुना पर गंभीर सवाल, सुनीता नारायण बोलीं- नदी की हालत बेहद खराब

राजधानी दिल्ली में यमुना नदी के कायाकल्प और सफाई के तमाम दावों के बीच सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण ने नदी की बदहाली पर गहरी चिंता जताई है। उन्होंने कहा कि यमुना की स्थिति इस कदर चिंताजनक हो चुकी है कि इसे 'मृत' घोषित करना ही तार्किक होगा। उन्होंने वैज्ञानिक आंकड़ों का हवाला देते हुए खुलासा किया कि दिल्ली की सीमा में प्रवेश करते समय यमुना जल में घुलनशील ऑक्सीजन (Dissolved Oxygen) का स्तर लगभग 6 रहता है, किंतु आईएसबीटी (ISBT) तक पहुँचते-पहुँचते यह घटकर शून्य हो जाता है। इसी आधार पर उन्होंने तीखी टिप्पणी करते हुए कहा कि 'यमुना मर चुकी है, बस उसका अंतिम संस्कार होना बाकी है।'

BPCL-CSE MoU For Developing Biofuels, CBG & Circular Economy Value Chains

To collaborate on biofuels, biomass resource utilisation, waste-to-resource solutions and circular economy initiatives, BPCL and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU will explore opportunities across the biofuels value chain, including Compressed Biogas (CBG), with a focus on feedstock assessment, supply chain development, biomass and waste resource management, by-product utilisation, technology assessment and pilot and demonstration projects. They will also work on market development, capacity building and knowledge sharing to support the development of scalable bioenergy solutions. The collaboration comes as India steps up efforts to promote cleaner energy sources and sustainable management of resources. As per the MoU, BPCL and CSE will explore the assessment and utilisation of biofuel by-products, including Fermented Organic Manure (FOM), digestate, Bio-CO₂ and Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS). The partnership will also examine sustainable value chains and potential carbon credit opportunities linked to bioenergy projects.

Global Leaders Call For Sustainability Education To Move From Awareness To Action At ICSE 2026 In New Delhi

Ms. Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Padma Shri Awardee, delivered one of the morning's sharpest interventions, linking the Nepal disaster directly to decades of what she called an engineering mindset that assumed rivers and mountains could be re engineered at will. She cited data from her own organisation's analysis of India Meteorological Department records showing an extreme weather event occurring in India roughly once a day, and said the Yamuna's dissolved oxygen level falls from six near Delhi's entry point to zero by the time it reaches ISBT, a reading she called scientific proof, not sentiment, that the river is dead. "The one thing that we do not need more of is more reports and more incremental steps to fix what is today an existential crisis," she said, arguing that Delhi's air will not be fixed by adding electric vehicles but by rebuilding public transport so people do not need to drive at all.

Global leaders call for sustainability education to move from awareness to action at ICSE 2026 in New Delhi

The 8th International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE) 2026 opened today at the India Habitat Centre, bringing together policymakers, educators, scientists, industry leaders and young people under the theme “Sustainability Education for Transformative Action.” The inaugural session was convened by the Mobius Foundation and came against the backdrop of the flash flood on the Nepal Tibet border, a tragedy several speakers returned to through the morning as evidence that the climate crisis is no longer a distant risk. Delivering the chairman’s address, Mr. Pradip Burman, Chairman, Mobius Foundation, said the gap between climate commitments and implementation remains too wide even as India posts real gains. “In 2025, India achieved 50 percent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources, five years ahead of the 2030 target. Our renewable energy capacity has now crossed 290 gigawatts. This is significant progress, but the journey is far from over,” he said, adding that ICSE has grown since its launch in 2019 from a youth engagement platform into a driver of climate literacy and green jobs through initiatives such as the Pani Pahar curriculum and the Mobius Young Climate Leaders Program across India’s northeast. “We want ideas that become partnerships, partnerships that become commitments and commitments that become action,” he said. Ms. Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Padma Shri Awardee, delivered one of the morning’s sharpest interventions, linking the Nepal disaster directly to decades of what she called an engineering mindset that assumed rivers and mountains could be re engineered at will. She cited data from her own organisation’s analysis of India Meteorological Department records showing an extreme weather event occurring in India roughly once a day, and said the Yamuna’s dissolved oxygen level falls from six near Delhi’s entry point to zero by the time it reaches ISBT, a reading she called scientific proof, not sentiment, that the river is dead. “The one thing that we do not need more of is more reports and more incremental steps to fix what is today an existential crisis,” she said, arguing that Delhi’s air will not be fixed by adding electric vehicles but by rebuilding public transport so people do not need to drive at all.

The Yamuna is dead, it just hasn’t been officially cremated,” says CSE’s Sunita Narain at ICSE 2026

Mr. Kartikeya Sarabhai, Founder Director, Center for Environment Education (CEE) and Padma Shri Awardee, placed the conference in a longer arc, noting it falls close to the 50th anniversary of the 1977 Tbilisi conference that first defined environmental education. He recalled that India pushed to link poverty and environment at Stockholm in 1972 and introduced the word “lifestyle” into the 2015 Paris Agreement after the United States had resisted the term at Rio in 1992. He pointed to eco clubs being rolled out under Mission LiFE, a target for every Indian school to have one by 2030, and a new NCF 2023 textbook making environmental education compulsory at the 10th standard for the first time. He also proposed that every school and institution adopt one square kilometre of land to implement roughly 30 of the SDGs directly, while noting that India’s entire environmental education spend still trails the advertising budget of a single soap brand.

नेपाल की तबाही सिर्फ चेतावनी नहीं! CSE डायरेक्टर सुनीता नारायण ने बताया, हिमालय में विकास के नाम पर कहां हो रही चूक

नेपाल में आई बाढ़ ने एक बार फिर पूरे हिमालयी क्षेत्र की संवेदनशीलता को सामने ला दिया है. बदलते मौसम और पहाड़ी इलाकों में तेजी से हो रहे निर्माण के बीच हिमालय को बचाने की चुनौती लगातार बढ़ रही है. दिल्ली के इंडिया हैबिटेट सेंटर (India Habitat Centre) में आयोजित इंटरनेशनल कॉन्फ्रेंस ऑफ सस्टेनेबिलिटी एजुकेशन (International Conference on Sustainability Education) के दौरान पद्म श्री से सम्मानित और सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (Centre for Science and Environment) की डायरेक्टर जनरल सुनीता नारायण ने हिमालय में विकास और पर्यावरण के बीच संतुलन को लेकर अहम बात कही. नेपाल की घटना को सिर्फ नेपाल तक सीमित न मानें सुनीता नारायण ने कहा कि नेपाल में हुई तबाही को सिर्फ नेपाल की समस्या नहीं माना जा सकता. हिमालयी क्षेत्र के अलग-अलग हिस्सों में ऐसी घटनाएं लगातार सामने आ रही हैं. उन्होंने चमोली और सिक्किम में हुई घटनाओं का उदाहरण देते हुए कहा कि हिमालय दुनिया के सबसे संवेदनशील क्षेत्रों में से एक है. उनके मुताबिक हिमालय दुनिया की सबसे युवा पर्वत श्रृंखलाओं में शामिल है. इसलिए यहां विकास करते समय इसकी संवेदनशीलता और भौगोलिक परिस्थितियों को ध्यान में रखना बेहद जरूरी है. समस्या सड़क या इमारत नहीं, विकास का तरीका है हिमालय के लिए सबसे बड़े खतरे को लेकर पूछे गए सवाल पर सुनीता नारायण ने कहा कि समस्या केवल सड़क, इमारत या प्रदूषण नहीं है. असली सवाल विकास के तरीके का है. उन्होंने कहा कि पहाड़ी इलाकों में सड़कें चाहिए, घर चाहिए, होटल और दूसरी सुविधाएं भी चाहिए. लेकिन यह देखना जरूरी है कि इनका निर्माण किस तरह किया जा रहा है. पहाड़ों की क्षमता और वहां के प्राकृतिक संतुलन को नजरअंदाज करके किया गया निर्माण भविष्य में बड़ी परेशानी खड़ी कर सकता है.

सुनीता नारायण का बड़ा बयान- ‘यमुना मर चुकी है, बस अंतिम संस्कार बाकी है’, नेपाल त्रासदी पर भी चेताया

जलवायु संकट अब भविष्य का खतरा नहीं, बल्कि हमारे सामने खड़ी हकीकत है. नेपाल में आई विनाशकारी बाढ़ से लेकर भारत में बढ़ती गर्मी, अचानक होने वाली भारी बा... https://www.aajtak.in/science/story/sunita-narain-yamuna-dead-nepal-flood-climate-crisis-dskc-2635258-2026-09-03

BPCL and CSE Sign MoU to Advance Biofuels, Biomass Utilisation and Circular Economy

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and the Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in biofuels, biomass resource utilisation, waste-to-resource solutions and circular economy initiatives. The partnership aims to combine the complementary expertise and capabilities of both organisations to develop and scale sustainable solutions supporting India’s transition towards cleaner energy and sustainable resource management. BPCL and CSE to Collaborate on Key Biofuel Segments Under the MoU, BPCL and CSE will collaborate across several key areas of the biofuel and sustainable energy ecosystem, including: Compressed Biogas (CBG) Bioethanol Biodiesel Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Biomass resource utilisation Waste-to-resource solutions Sustainable utilisation of biofuel by-products The collaboration will explore opportunities to improve the utilisation of biomass and waste resources while supporting the development of sustainable fuel solutions. Focus on Circular Economy and Resource Utilisation The partnership will focus on strengthening circular value chains by exploring sustainable ways to utilise biomass resources, waste streams and biofuel by-products. Key areas of focus include: Developing waste-to-resource solutions Promoting efficient biomass utilisation Exploring sustainable applications for biofuel by-products Supporting stronger circular value chains Identifying innovative and scalable solutions for cleaner energy BPCL and CSE Highlight Complementary Expertise Subhankar Sen, Director (Marketing), BPCL, and Dr. Sunita Narain, Director General, CSE, highlighted the importance of combining the complementary expertise and capabilities of the two organisations. The partnership aims to advance innovative and scalable solutions that can support India’s cleaner energy transition while promoting sustainable resource management. Partnership to Support India’s Clean Energy Transition The MoU comes as India continues to explore cleaner energy alternatives and sustainable approaches to resource utilisation. Through collaboration in biofuels, biomass and waste-to-resource solutions, BPCL and CSE aim to contribute to the development of sustainable energy models and strengthen circularity across the resource value chain. About BPCL Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is a Maharatna public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. The company operates across the oil and gas value chain, including refining, petroleum products marketing and energy-related businesses, while expanding its focus on cleaner and lower-carbon energy solutions.

BPCL, Centre for Science and Environment sign MoU to collaborate on biofuels, circular economy initiatives

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore collaboration in biofuels, biomass resource utilisation, waste-to-resource solutions and circular economy initiatives. Under the MoU, the two organisations will identify and explore opportunities across the biofuels value chain, including Compressed Biogas (CBG). The collaboration will cover areas such as assessment of feedstock and development of supply chains, biomass and waste resource management, utilisation of by-products, technology assessment, pilot and demonstration projects, market development, capacity building and knowledge sharing. The partnership comes as India accelerates its transition towards cleaner energy and sustainable resource management. BPCL said the collaboration aims to combine its growing biofuels portfolio with CSE's The two organisations will also explore opportunities to assess and utilise biofuel by-products, including Fermented Organic Manure (FOM), digestate, Bio-CO₂ and DDGS. The initiative will also look at developing sustainable value chains and potential carbon credit opportunities associated with bioenergy projects. Speaking on the occasion, Subhankar Sen, Director (Marketing), BPCL, said the partnership marked an important stage for the company as it looks to work more closely with other organisations to develop sustainable solutions. "This close collaboration with CSE represents a defining moment in our organization's life cycle. We are entering an era where organizationxal success is defined by collaboration and partnerships--combining our strengths to achieve what neither could do alone," Sen said. CSE's Director General said the organisation would bring its experience of working with municipalities and its understanding of the CBG ecosystem, while BPCL would contribute its industrial capabilities and execution strength. "I am highly confident that we will leverage our respective strengths. While CSE brings its deep expertise in working with municipalities and understanding the Compressed Biogas (CBG) ecosystem, BPCL brings the industrial capability and execution strength to scale these solutions," the Director General said. The MoU provides a broad framework for cooperation and knowledge exchange between BPCL and CSE. Specific projects and activities will be taken up through separate agreements, wherever mutually agreed, with such agreements defining the scope, responsibilities and mechanisms for implementation. The collaboration is expected to support the development of innovative and scalable bioenergy solutions by bringing together expertise in research, policy, waste management and industrial execution. (ANI)

BPCL, CSE sign MoU to advance biofuels and circular economy projects

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday to collaborate on biofuels, biomass utilisation, waste-to-resource solutions, and circular economy initiatives. The agreement covers the full biofuels value chain, including Compressed Biogas (CBG). Key areas of joint work include feedstock assessment, supply chain development, biomass and waste resource management, technology evaluation and pilot projects. The two organisations will also explore market development, capacity building, and knowledge sharing. The MoU additionally addresses the assessment and utilisation of biofuel by-products such as Fermented Organic Manure (FOM), digestate, Bio-CO₂, and Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS). The partnership will also look at potential carbon credit opportunities linked to bioenergy projects. BPCL Director (Marketing) Subhankar Sen said the collaboration marked a significant moment for the company, emphasising that combining the strengths of both organisations could achieve outcomes neither could deliver independently. CSE Director General said the partnership would draw on CSE’s expertise with municipalities and the CBG ecosystem alongside BPCL’s industrial and execution capabilities. Specific projects under the MoU will be governed by separate agreements defining scope, responsibilities, and implementation. BPCL, a Fortune Global 500 company and India’s second-largest oil marketing company, operates refineries in Mumbai, Kochi, and Bina with a combined capacity of around 35.3 million tonnes per annum. The company has set a target to achieve net-zero emissions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 by 2040. CSE is a New Delhi-based public interest research and advocacy organisation focused on environment and development issues.

From the India Today archives (2025) | Climate chaos: How can India build resilience?

Climate chaos, in fact, is turning into an ever-present nightmare in India. Extreme weather events such as excess rainfall, unseasonal cyclones, debilitating droughts and heat waves have increased in both regularity and intensity across the land. “Every season today is characterised by an extreme weather event,” remarks K.J. Ramesh, former director general of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). This is evident in the numbers. From January to March this year, extreme weather battered India on 87 out of 90 days. The pattern was no accident: in 2024, the country suffered climate shocks on 322 out of 366 days, or 88 per cent of the year, according to the Centre for Science and Environment, which maintains a yearly tracker. This surpassed the 318 days in 2023 and 314 in 2022.

Sunita Narain Calls Yamuna “Dead”, Urges Transformative Climate Action

“The one thing that we do not need more of is more reports and more incremental steps to fix what is today an existential crisis.” NEW DELHI (India CSR): Sunita Narain, Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Padma Shri awardee, delivered a sharp warning on India’s environmental crisis at the inaugural session of the 8th International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE) 2026 in New Delhi. “The Yamuna is dead; it just hasn’t been officially cremated,” Narain said, pointing to the severe pollution levels in the river as it passes through Delhi. Referring to CSE’s analysis of India Meteorological Department records, she said India is witnessing an extreme weather event almost every day. Linking the recent Nepal disaster to wider ecological pressures, Narain criticised the long-standing development approach that assumes rivers, mountains and natural systems can be re-engineered without consequences. She cited dissolved oxygen readings in the Yamuna, saying the level declines from around six at the river’s entry point into Delhi to zero by the time it reaches ISBT. According to her, this is scientific evidence of the river’s ecological collapse. Narain also argued that Delhi’s air pollution cannot be addressed only by adding electric vehicles. The more fundamental solution, she said, is to rebuild efficient and accessible public transport so that people do not have to depend on private vehicles. “The one thing that we do not need more of is more reports and more incremental steps to fix what is today an existential crisis,” she said. The remarks came during the inaugural session of ICSE 2026, organised by the Mobius Foundation under the theme, “Sustainability Education for Transformative Action.”

India: नए भारत को देश के चार जिलों के गांव क्या सिखा रहे हैं?

देश में हर दिन 1.7 लाख टन कचरा पैदा होता है सेंट्रल पॉल्यूशन कंट्रोल बोर्ड के अनुसार, देश में हर दिन 1.7 लाख टन कचरा पैदा होता है। इसमें से 22% कचरा लैंडफिल में जाता है और 17% का कोई हिसाब-किताब नहीं है। एक्टिविस्ट ग्रुप्स और एक्सपर्ट्स का कहना है कि ग्रामीण कचरे का डेटा तो बिल्कुल भी नहीं गिना जाता है। द हिंदू की एक रिपोर्ट में नई दिल्ली स्थित सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) में सॉलिड वेस्ट मैनेजमेंट और सर्कुलर इकोनॉमी के प्रोग्राम मैनेजर सिद्धार्थ सिंह ने कहा, 'ग्रामीण इलाकों के लिए कचरे का डेटा मौजूद ही नहीं है।'

What two dis­tricts can teach us about deal­ing with rural waste

Per the UNEP, the most expens­ive step in the waste man­age­ment chain is col­lec­tion: in the form of crew wages, vehicle fuel and main­ten­ance, insur­ance, and other indir­ect costs. A recent CSE report on plastic waste man­age­ment, which Mr. Singh co-authored, also found that primary col­lec­tion and trans­port­a­tion account for the bulk of costs in Indian cit­ies.

Bangladesh wants Nepal’s power, but India holds the key

Every monsoon, swollen rivers give Nepal a surge of hydropower, creating a surplus. Some of that could supplement downstream neighbour Bangladesh’s fossil-fuel-dependent electricity supply. But as the two countries do not share a border, electricity trade between them must pass through India’s transmission network, which comes with some conditions. Since 2024, Nepal has been exporting 40 megawatts (MW) of electricity to Bangladesh through India’s transmission network every June to November. It wants to export 20 MW more. But this June, the Indian power trading company which manages cross-border grid operations with Bangladesh declined the request, Nepali government officials told the Kathmandu Post. The company, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited, reportedly cited capacity constraints on the India-Bangladesh transmission line. In July, India held energy cooperation talks with Nepal. While there was development on bilateral energy coordination, there was no resolution on the 20 MW issue. That amount is minuscule compared to the size of the three countries’ electricity grids, which have a combined total installed capacity of around 586 GW. But energy experts, officials and power-sector analysts in those countries told Dialogue Earth the 20 MW impasse is more nuanced than it appears. There are technical, procedural and political factors at play, they note. While Bangladeshi and Nepali experts point to unused capacity on the India-Bangladesh transmission link, Indian experts say there could be a genuine capacity limitation on the line. In the absence of a regional body and trade mechanism dedicated to energy, procedural lapses and politics also have major roles to play, they note. Strained India-Bangladesh relations since Bangladesh’s 2024 change of government may also be involved. Nepal’s growing role as a hydropower exporter must also be viewed together with its vulnerabilities. On 26 August, a flash flood swept through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems, killing at least 900 people. The flood also damaged 12 hydropower plants and critical transmission infrastructure, according to India Today. A Nepal energy ministry official told Bloomberg nearly 360 MW of hydropower capacity has been damaged, and that the country may seek electricity from India to bridge shortages. It is too early to know how the catastrophe will affect Nepal’s energy exports. Why Bangladesh wants Nepal’s hydropower Nepal and Bangladesh have complementary electricity needs. The summer monsoon gives Nepal surplus hydropower, which Bangladesh can use to diversify its energy sources. In the dry winter, these roles reverse somewhat – Nepal faces shortages while Bangladesh’s demand dips – making cross-border trade beneficial in both directions over the year. In 2025-2026, Nepal’s total installed capacity reached 4.1 GW, but monthly peak domestic demand stood at only around 2.5 GW, according to the Nepal Energy Authority. Electricity exports bring total demand up to about 3.2 GW. Bangladesh has 32 GW of installed power generation capacity, 98% of which is dependent on fossil fuels, according to energy think-tank Ember. The country wants to diversify sources to meet its current demand. Bangladesh also aims to cover 20% of its electricity needs from non-imported renewables by 2030. Energy trade between Nepal and Bangladesh therefore makes “economic sense”, says Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury, director of the Centre for Energy Research at United International University in Dhaka. “Hydropower from Nepal and Bhutan could provide Bangladesh with a cheaper source of electricity than many of the country’s existing generation sources,” says Shafiqul Alam, lead analyst for Bangladesh energy at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. “Ideally, electricity trade should work both ways,” Chowdhury says. But expanding such trade is “a political decision”, he notes. “The volume is small, but it is important because it marks the beginning of cross-border electricity cooperation.” Cross-border electricity trade helps Bangladesh primarily by shielding it from geopolitical disruptions to energy supplies, volatility in international fuel prices and diversification, experts say. After all, the additional 20 MW will not help Bangladesh meet its 20% renewables target. There is no plan to include imports within what is a domestic generation target, says Aninda Islam Amit, Bangladesh’s state minister for power, energy and mineral resources. He expects the country’s private sector to “take the lead” on renewables as there are “incentives for private entrepreneurs”, he tells Dialogue Earth. For Nepal, the energy trade is part of a much larger ambition. During the July energy talks, it agreed to increase its export capacity as India ups its import capacity. Nepali energy minister Birajbhakta Shrestha tells Dialogue Earth that the deal is another step towards fulfilling the country’s agreement to export 10 GW of electricity to India, signed in 2024. A Nepali energy ministry official, requesting anonymity, says the immediate 20-MW issue could be resolved through trilateral discussions between Nepal, India and Bangladesh. India holds the missing link The 40 MW Nepal currently exports to Bangladesh is transported by the Baharampur-Bheramara high-voltage DC interconnection from east India, where it arrives on a transmission line from southern Nepal. The Baharampur-Bheramara link between India and Bangladesh has a transfer capacity of 1 GW. The country typically receives around 920-930 MW through the link, leaving some unused transfer capacity, said a Bangladesh Power Division official speaking on condition of anonymity. Nepal has also been considering alternatives. “If power cannot be exported via the Baharampur-Bheramara line, there is option for Nepal to export the additional 20 MW through other Indian transmission lines connected to Bangladesh,” says Manoj Silwal, former deputy managing director of the Nepal Electricity Authority. Apart from the Baharampur-Bheramara link, Bangladesh also imports nearly 1.7 GW from India: 160 MW through the Surajmaninagar to Comilla interconnection, and 1.5 GW from Godda to Rohanpur, the latter operated by Adani Power. However, transporting the 20 MW via existing corridors may not be feasible for a few reasons, says Nikit Abhyankar, an energy efficiency expert at the University of California, Berkeley. It is possible that these corridors are fully utilised. Additionally, the average amount of electricity a transmission line carries is not necessarily the capacity that is safely available, Abhyankar notes. At times of peak demand, power flows can be much higher, and some capacity must be reserved to manage unexpected failures elsewhere in the system. “I would be very surprised if they are actually going to operate a 1,000 MW line at 1,000 MW capacity,” Abhyankar says. A line may also be unable to deliver its rated amount of electricity due to losses from transfers. In a high-voltage DC connection, such as Baharampur-Bheramara, some electricity is lost when power is converted from AC to DC, as it travels along the transmission line, and when converted back to AC at the receiving end. Abhyankar estimates that roughly 40-50 MW could be lost on a 1-GW line. The Baharampur-Bheramara corridor is also loaded with India’s own exports to Bangladesh. India’s Central Electricity Authority “doesn’t want to run the line close to its thermal limit … on a line that also carries India’s own bilateral exports”, notes Binit Das, deputy programme manager for renewable energy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). For the India-Bangladesh link, battery storage could potentially help if the line has spare capacity during periods of lower demand, Abhyankar adds. But feasibility depends on how much the power flow on the interconnection varies over the day.