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Cse In News

Courts need to double the pace to dispose of all environmental crime cases in a year: CSE Report

The think tank said India logged 64,471 environment-related crimes in 2021 While courts in India disposed of 130 environmental crime cases a day in 2021, they need to nearly double the speed to be able to clear the backlog in a year, a new report by the Centre for Science and Environment said. Courts disposed of 47,316 cases (around 130 cases a day) in 2021, but 89,305 cases were still pending at the end of the year. To clear the backlog in a year, they need to dispose of 245 cases a day, according to the 'State of India's Environment Report' released on Thursday. The report said there has been a 4 per cent increase in the number of environmental crimes in the country between 2020 and 2021 but courts are disposing of cases at a rate much lower than required, "leading to pile-ups and delays". The think tank said India logged 64,471 environment-related crimes in 2021. A total of 59,220 went to trial, taking the total number of under-trial cases to 1,36,621 (including 77,401 cases pending from 2020). The report said around 19,000 cases registered under the Indian Forest Act (IFA), 1927 and the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 are pending and it will take courts 14 years and 11 months to dispose of them at the current rate. Similarly, around 2,000 cases registered under the Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986 are pending and it will take around 38 years and 9 months to clear them at the current rate, it said. Around 3,750 cases registered under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 are pending and the time required to dispose of them at the current rate is around 12 years. The environment ministry has proposed to amend the EPA to decriminalise its existing provisions to "weed out fear of imprisonment for simple violations". Amendments have been proposed to decriminalise violations of the Air Act of 1981, and the Water Act of 1974. It has proposed to amend the IFA to replace a jail term of six months with Rs 500 for illegal trespassing and tree cutting in forests. Experts and activists have opposed the ministry's proposal to decriminalise these laws, arguing that no environmental violation can be considered "simple" as it immediately impacts the human body.

World Water Day 2023: India can show the world how water management can be reinvented, says CSE

Even as the United Nations has launched a global campaign called ‘Be the Change’ to mark World Water Day, India is already showcasing real action on the ground. It is already holding up a picture of how big change is possible, Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said while speaking at a national workshop organised in Lucknow to mark World Water Day. “This is evident in the way states like Uttar Pradesh are tackling the challenge of providing sustainable and inclusive sanitation and water for all,” she added. The two-day workshop (March 21-22) has been jointly organised by CSE, the department of urban development of the government of Uttar Pradesh and Swachh Bharat Mission, according to a statement by the Delhi-based organisation. CSE released a series of reports based on ground studies on water and sanitation management in Uttar Pradesh on the occasion. Uttar Pradesh scenario Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state of India; 95 per cent of its cities and towns are totally dependent on non-sewered sanitation systems. Only 31 towns (out of the 734 in the state) have partial sewerage systems that manage to treat just 40 per cent of the sewage generated. “This is the reason why sustainable and inclusive scientific management of faecal sludge and septage is a priority for UP. The state’s poor are largely dependent on on-site sanitation systems — therefore, providing an effective and affordable septage management system will generate significant social, environmental and public health outcomes,” Depinder Singh Kapur, programme director-water, CSE, said. According to Subrata Chakraborty, senior programme manager-water, CSE, “Uttar Pradesh has been moving ahead towards its goal of promoting inclusive sanitation for all. A septage management policy is in place, 59 towns and cities have set up treatment systems, and with the support provided by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the towns of Bijnor and Chunar now have fully functional faecal sludge and co-treatment systems in place.” There are 62 faecal sludge and septage management projects in UP (40 faecal sewage treatment plants and 22 co-treatment plants) — out of this, 36 plants (27 FSTPs and nine co-treatment plants) are fully completed and ready to begin operations as of February 2023. The installed and under-construction capacity of UP’s septage treatment infrastructure stands at 2,075 kilolitre per day (KLD). The state has committed to establishing a network called “Super 59 Faecal Sludge Management Towns”, as the first step of a long term strategy to promote inclusive sanitation. From the workshop Kaushal Kishore, Union minister of state, ministry of housing and urban affairs, underlined the emphasis that the central government has been giving to water and sanitation issues on the inaugural day of the workshop. Water harvesting, groundwater recharge, rejuvenation of water bodies, and the importance of the role played by sanitation workers were some of the key thrust areas that his ministry was focusing on, he said. Narain, in her address at the workshop, pointed out that India’s “experience has been invaluable in teaching the world how water management can be reinvented so that it is affordable and sustainable”. The ‘Indian way’, she said, puts water in the hands of communities and is focused on decentralised recharge and reuse. “Making water everybody’s business is the only way ahead. This is the opportunity — in this decade, we can put all we have learnt into practice and turn around the water-story of India,” said Narain. She pointed out that this was “even more important in today’s climate-risked world. We must scale up our work to invest in water systems and make them durable, not just to withstand another rain, but another deluge. We need to speed up our work, because climate change will make sure that we have more rain, but in fewer rainy days. This means doing much more to capture the rain, when and where it falls so that groundwater is recharged.” Narain added: “For a country like India, the issue of water is not about scarcity but about its careful use and about its equitable and distributed access. How we manage our water resources would determine if we remain poor or become rich; diseased or healthy. In other words, water is the determinant of our future. Water management strategies will need to be carefully designed so that they lead to distributed wealth generation.” We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.

63% of waterbodies in Yamuna floodplain dry: Report

NEW DELHI: A Centre for Science and Environment report has said that 63% of Delhi’s wetlands and waterbodies in the Yamuna floodplain are dry. The ‘State of India’s Environment Report 2023’ stated that loss in waterbodies makes the city prone to floods. Three major floods have occurred in the city since 2000. The report added that the climate resilience of cities is hampered by frenetic construction, diminishing green spaces, polluted air and water as well as indiscriminate disposal of solid waste that chokes waterbodies and the stormwater drainage network. TimesView Wetlands reduce pollution levels, improve groundwater tables and, in general, better a city’s ecosystem. It is, therefore, extremely worrying thatmore than half of Delhi’s wetlands in the Yamuna floodplains are dry. The government should take note of this development and ensure that theprocess to restore them begins on a priority basis. In 2022, the Wetlands Authority of Delhi did not notify a single .wetland. There should be some urgency on that front as well. “This leaves urban areas vulnerable to the growing heat stress, flooding and deteriorating air and water quality. Cities need to start planning for resilience to minimise the impact of the changing climate and compromised quality of life,” the report said. It also stated C&D waste, made up of debris and material leftover from the construction, destruction and renovation of buildings, roads and other infrastructure, is a known effect of developmental activities. “Generation, transportation and disposal of this waste emits dust, and when it is dumped in low-lying areas or waterbodies, it obstructs natural drainage, contributes to waterlogging and pollutes the water and soil,” the report said, adding scientific management of C&D waste to minimise dust emissions should be prioritised. The report said increasing human interference in catchment areas is destroying waterbodies. It also blamed inefficient solid waste management, exploitation of floodplains, destruction of drainage, disposal of sewage, fall in groundwater level and unplanned tourism, saying they compound the problem.

What ban? Delhi 2nd only to Maharashtra in single-use plastic consumption

NEW DELHI: Single-use plastic products continue to be widely available in city markets in Delhi despite a nationwide ban. In a survey carried out by the Centre for Science and Environment from July to December 2022, citizens reported Delhi as having the second highest sighting of single-use plastic in circulation. Delhi (12.2%) ranked after Maharashtra (14.2%). Most of the products reported were unbranded. In the survey, people were told to submit geo-tagged photos of banned single-use plastic items that they came across in their neighbourhood. The survey was shared in CSE’s latest report of the State of India’s Environment, released on Thursday. single-use plastic “Of the total complaints reported, 35.5% complaints were reported against carry bags, followed by straws (22.3%) and cutlery (18.4%),” the report said. The complaints were from across the country, indicating that the ban’s enforcement was poor everywhere, the report added. The report stated that the Central Pollution Control Board launched a public grievance redress mobile app on April 2 last year. Till November last year, the total volume of complaints was 5,071 from 124 cities. New Delhi reported 634 complaints, followed by Lucknow (294) and Ghaziabad (215). “Of the total complaints filed, only 1,148 (22.6%) were redressed in the month,” the report said. Of the 634 complaints lodged in New Delhi, 377 were redressed. “The stagnancy in the redress rate... received by CPCB is concerning,” CSE added. Siddharth Ghanshyam Singh, the programme manager for the municipal solid waste unit in CSE, said that markets in Delhi were flooded with banned single-use plastic items. “Since the ban came into force, plastic straws in packaging of renowned brands have gone off the shelves. However, surveys by CSE show that banned items are still available and no action is taken against them. Awareness campaigns have been reduced,” he said. Atin Biswas, the programme director for the municipal solid waste unit in CSE, said: “Most of the banned products, including plastic cutlery, are non-branded and manufactured in the informal sector. This sector has nothing to do with branding and only wants to make money. Since such units are not included in the government’s records, how can the authorities shut them down.” Biswas added that data from several studies show that “65% of the total plastic waste is packaging material that is single-use plastic”. Municipal bodies and state pollution control boards or control committees have been entrusted with the task of implementing the ban, but they lack proper manpower, he added. He said that the implementation of the ban would need a lot of public awareness and sensitisation so that people refuse to accept banned items when sold. Besides, people can report to the authorities as soon as banned items are found.

CSE to release its annual State of India’s Environment report today

“The state of India’s environment is not a story that is unendingly, inexorably dark – it has a lot of silver lining as well, it provides us with a lot of reasons to celebrate as well. This is the story that the 2023 State of India’s Environment report, put together by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth magazine, attempts to present,” said Sunita Narain, director general, CSE. Narain would be officially unveiling the annual publication here today at a public meeting. The SoE (as the Report is referred to as) is published every year by Down To Earth, the fortnightly magazine that Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) helps bring out. The 2023 report covers an extensive gamut of subject assessments, ranging from climate change, agriculture and industry to water, plastics, forests and biodiversity. Narain added: “There is news to cheer. Environment is now mainstream – we are all outraged at how pollution is affecting our health or climate change is devastating our future. But the bad news is that we are not acting at the scale of the devastation that we see around us. We need to take more deliberate steps to reverse the damage.” Says Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, CSE: “For almost four decades now, CSE’s ‘state of India’s environment’ reports have held up a mirror to the development pathways that the country has chosen. Bringing stories and voices from the ground, they have told us where we are going wrong; what has worked and what hasn’t; and have laid down some options to correct our trajectory.” Richard Mahapatra, managing editor, Down To Earth, says the 2023 report follows the tradition. “The 2023 edition, with 20 chapters covering different aspects, shows how busy the country is with its many challenges. But it also notes the many opportunities being explored, debated and discussed to meet these challenges. India has many mutinies on the environmental front, but also has as many warriors waging a battle to win.” In the case of management of plastic waste, for instance, while the magnitude of the problem remains gargantuan, a plethora of policies and the urgency with which they were taken say that we are on the right path. Cities are becoming waste-wise, learning to segregate at source, minimise plastics and reuse reprocess waste into wealth. Says Narain: “In industry, we have now identified pathways to decarbonise industrial sectors that are usually difficult to decarbonise. In agriculture, strong evidence is emerging of the efficacy of traditional and regenerative farming methods. On the issue of forests and biodiversity, losses of forests are a dark truth, but at the same time more and more communities are demanding rights over forests – what is more, these rights are being granted.” Summarising what the report also points towards, Narain said: “The two big trends this year (2022-23) have been the reversal of gains when it comes to energy transition on one hand, and the overwhelming impact of climate change, which is a real threat staring at us. In the face of these two trends, we are seeing the worst manifestation of human behaviour – the global community and its leaders have resorted to accentuating the differences, not the common objectives to work towards a secure future.” “We must realise that this is not a time or age for war, or for divisions. We need to have a common minimum programme that brings all countries together on the only issues that matter for humanity: how to avert the existential crisis we face today and how to build a just and inclusive world order. In fact, the pandemic treaty is a welcome development in this direction,” Narain added. Also painting a grim picture: some of the darker highlights of the Report Over 30,000 waterbodies have been encroached on in the country. India generates 150,000 tonne of municipal solid waste every day – more than half of this is either dumped in landfills or remains unattended. Four years and 11 months is the average duration of life lost to air pollution in India. Rural India is losing more years due to air pollution-related health issues than the urban belt. In fact, rural India needs 35 per cent more community health centres. Environmental crimes continue unabated – courts need to decide on 245 cases every day to clear the backlog. Between January and October 2022 (304 days), India witnessed extreme weather events on 271 days. These events claimed over 2,900 lives. In the past five years, India’s overall global rank in meeting the SDGs – Sustainable Development Goals – has slipped by nine places. In 2022, it stood at the 121st position. Agenda for today Solutions cannot be sustainable if they are not inclusive, says Narain. “We must push the envelope of change – and we must push it hard. We should track developments closely and report so that the truth does not remain out of sight. We must support those who are working on solutions,” she adds.

Most complaints about single-use plastic came from Delhi: Report

On July 1, 2022, the ban on 19 single-use plastic (SUP) items came into force. Four months later, Delhi had logged 634 complaints on the Central Pollution Control Board’s app — the highest in the country — but only 59% of them have been redressed, according to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)’s annual State of Environment (SoE) report. The findings, released on Thursday, also said the ban is being poorly executed, with SUP items still being frequently found across the country. CSE had analysed CPCB data through its app, launched in April 2022, that allowed people to submit complaints of manufacturing, production, stocking, sale or usage of SUP items. CSE says this, however, did not prove to be too effective, with complaints mounting up. By September 2022, two months after the ban was imposed, the volume of complaints received from residents of 21 states and union territories stood at 3,619. By November 2022, the number complaints had reached 5,071, with participation from 22 states and UTs, but only 1,148 or 22.6% of these were redressed, CSE said. “New Delhi reported the highest complaints during that period at 634, followed by Lucknow (294) and Ghaziabad (215). Of these total complaints, 1,657 complaints were filed against cutlery items, 1,286 against carry bags and 1,033 against other items,” the report said. Out of Delhi’s 634 complaints, only 377 had been redressed at that point, it said. CSE had also launched its own survey between July-December 2022 where citizens were asked to submit geotagged photos of the banned SUP items in their area, similar to the CPCB app. The survey found the highest reporting of the banned items came from Maharashtra (14.29%), followed by Delhi (12.24%). Out of all these complaints, plastic carry bags were sighted most commonly (35.53% of all complaints), followed by banned plastic straws (22.37%) and plastic cutlery (18.42%), findings of the survey revealed. “The complaints were received from across the length and breadth of the country indicating that the enforcement of the national ban has been extremely poor in all parts of the country,” the report said. Siddharth Singh, programme manager, Solid Waste Management unit at CSE, who was part of the survey, said that currently, most states have not been able to target the source of SUPs, with the number of campaigns on awareness around the banned SUP also gradually going down. “We are seeing a lack of intention from the side of the regulators in most states. The number of advertisements around banned SUP items has gone down drastically as compared to when the ban first came and we are still getting these items in the market, meaning the production has not been impacted. There is also less fear now of people being fined,” Singh said.

वायुप्रदूषण के कारण 4 साल 11 माह कम हो रही उम्र, CSE की रिपोर्ट मेंदावा

वायुप्रदूषण लोगों जिंदगी सेऔसतन चार साल 11 महीनेछीन रहा है। अगर आप यह सोचतेहैंकि ग्रामीण क्षेत्र मेंरहनेके चलतेआप वायुप्रदूषण सेबचेहुए हैंतो यह सोच गलत है। ग्रामीण क्षेत्र के लोगों को वायुप्रदूषण ज्यादा परेशान कर रहा है। विज्ञान एवं पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) की ओर सेगुरुगुवार को जारी स्टेट ऑफ इंडियाज एंवा एं यरमेंट 2023 मेंयह दावा किया गया है। आमतौर पर वायुप्रदूषण को शहरी वातावरण की परेशानियों मेंशामिल किया जाता है, लेकिन सीएसई की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक शहरी क्षेत्र की तुलना मेंग्रामीण क्षेत्र मेंलोग प्रदूषण के चलतेज्यादा परेशानी झेल रहेहैं। वायुप्रदूषण देश के पैमानेपर औसतन हर आदमी की जिंदगी सेचार साल और 11 महीनेकम कर रहा है। प्रदूषण के चलते शहरी आबादी के जीवन मेंऔसतन यह चार साल पांच महीनेकम हो रहा है, जबकि ग्रामीण आबादी के जीवन सेवायुप्रदूषण औसतन पांच साल दो माह कम कर रहा है। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, वर्ष 2020 मेंप्रदूषण के चलतेअलग-अलग उम्र के लोगों को प्रभाव भी अलग-अलग झेलना पड़ रहा है। वायुप्रदूषण के चलतेदेश की 30 फीसदी लोगों का जीवन औसतन एक सेतीन साल, 25.7 फीसदी का जीवन औसतन तीन सेपांच साल, 21.2 फीसदी का जीवन पांच सेसात साल और 22.2 फीसदी का जीवन औसतन सात साल कम हो जाता ह ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों मेंघरों मेंइस्तेमाल होनेवाला ईंधन बड़ी वजह सीएसई मेंवायुगुणव गु त्ता विशेषज्ञ विवेक चट्टोपाध्याय नेबताया कि ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों मेंप्रदूषण की परेशानी का मुख्य कारण घर मेंइस्तेमाल किया जानेवाला ईंधन है। लकड़ी, कोयला, फसल के अवशेष आदि जलानेसेघर के अंदर प्रदूषण का स्तर काफी ज्यादा होता है। प्रदूषण किस तरह कर रहा असर 22.2% लोगों का जीवन औसतन सात साल सेज्यादा कम हो जाता है। 30% लोगों का जीवन औसतन एक सेतीन साल तक कम हो रहा। 25.7% का जीवन औसतन तीन सेपांच साल तक कम हो रहा। 21.2% लोगों का जीवन पांच सेसात साल तक कम हो रहा। रिपोर्ट की खास बातें ● देश की आबादी की जिंदगी सेऔसतन चार साल 11 महीनेछीन रहा प्रदूषण

West Bengal achieves marginal rise on sustainable goals list, at number 11 now

West Bengal stands 11th in a national ranking on achieving sustainable development goals (SDG), a marginal improvement over the performance in previous years, shows a report released by the environment thinktank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Kerala tops the list and is followed by Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Goa, according to the report, which analysed data provided by the Union government. Bihar has the poorest sustainability score, and Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are marginally better. The State of India’s Environment Report 2023, released by CSE director-general Sunita Narain on Thursday evening, shows that West Bengal has improved its score from 56 in 2018-19 to 60 in 2019-20 to 62 in 2020-21, having improved in 10 parameters and slipped in five. The state ranked 13th in 2019-20 and 11th in 2020-21. The latest ranking has been calculated on the basis of the 2020-21 data because Niti Ayog has not published any figures after that, said a member of the CSE research team. While West Bengal has done well in areas like clean energy (ranked 2nd nationally), peace and justice, and health and sanitation, it has performed poorly in key environmental areas such as climate action, in which category the state has scored 39, compared with the country average of 54. It has also not done well in having “sustainable cities and communities”, a category that saw West Bengal score 45. It has done poorly in the “life on land” parameter, which focuses on tree cover. Globally, India has ranked 121 in 2022 in achieving sustainable development goals, a notch lower than 2021 and as many as nine notches lower compared with the 2018 ranking. “The country ranking is done following a separate methodology. India’s scores over the past three years have been hovering around 60 per cent,” said a CSE official. “Several international reports point out that West Bengal is one of the most climatically vulnerable states in the country. The latest score clearly indicates that we need to act fast,” said environment activist Subhas Datta. “State governments in general, including the West Bengal government, hardly consider sustainability issues seriously,” said Nilanjan Ghosh, an environmental economist and director of the Kolkata centre of the think-tank, Observer Research Foundation. Datta alleged that the West Bengal government over the years had remained insulated from key environmental issues such as climate action and air pollution. State environment minister Manas Bhuiya, however, said West Bengal was in a frontline position in several sustainability parameters such as employment, health, economy and infrastructure. “Once I get the report, our officials will assess it and respond,” he said. The SDG score is calculated based on performances in 17 areas, as approved by the United Nations in 2015. “The original aim was to reach the sustainability goal in 2030. Covid is likely to have pushed the goalpost,” said a CSE official.

CSE की रिपोर्ट में एनवायरनमेंट से जुड़ी क्या अच्छी-बुरी ख़बरें

पर्या वरण का एक व्यक्ति के जी वन, समा ज की तरक्की और रा ष्ट्र के अस्ति त्व में कि तनी अहमि यत है, इसका अंदा ज़ा आप नहीं लगा सकते.ते हमा रे डे टू डे ला इफ से लेकर ला इफ एक्सपेक्टेंसी पर ये असर डा लता है. तभी तो देश-दुनि या के बड़े बड़े सम्मेलनों और डि प्लो मेटि क घटना ओं का गहन अध्ययन करती है, डेटा जुटा ती है और एक डि टेल्ड रि पो र्ट लेकर आती है. 2023 State of India’s Environment report ना म से इसकी लेटेस्ट रि पो र्ट आई है, जि समें क्ला इमेट चेंज से लेकर खेती , पा नी , इंडस्ट्री , पल्यूशन, फॉ रेस्ट और बा यो डा यवर्सि टी जैसे वि षयों का असेसमेंट कि या गया है. इस रि पो र्ट की बड़ी बा तें क्या है? एनवा यरनमेंट से जुड़ी क्या अच्छी और बुरी ख़बरें रहीं अपने देश के लि ए?

How a good city-wide transportation system could enhance life in urban India

An excerpt from ‘India’s Blind Spot: Understanding and Managing Our Cities’, by Devashish Dhar. Considerable literature establishes the positive link between infrastructure development and an increase in output, productivity, growth, and employment. Studies on similar lines attribute high growth in eastern and central Chinese cities to transport connectivity. The lack of proper connectivity also explains the high income disparity in multiple Chinese provinces. We have seen earlier in this book in the section on urban history how key historical urban centres, including in India, prospered due to transport connectivity. Venice, New York, London, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Singapore, Beijing, and San Francisco were all on major trade routes. Inland cities fared well, as road and later rail networks developed. Now, air connectivity is considered essential for any city to grow at a robust pace and sustain that momentum. Even in rural India, one of the most successful schemes has been the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana – a village road-building scheme started by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The scheme has continued despite the changing fortunes of leading national and regional parties in every state. I have personally interviewed hundreds of people in villages impacted by it and asked them why they rated this scheme as the best. The simplicity of their answers holds boundless lessons for policymakers. They told me that this scheme connected their villages to nearby urban centres and thus provided them year-round connectivity to better livelihoods and healthcare services. They said they could manage the other challenges on their own, but connectivity to better wage and livelihood opportunities in urban areas had transformed their lives. ADVERTISEMENT Transport plays an instrumental role in creating agglomeration economies, one of the defining features of cities and the key reason behind the success of cities. When combined with the tools of planning and urban land, transport can yield exponential gains. In the simplest terms, it can reduce commuter trips and commuting time, make it easier to do business, enhance functionality of labour markets and increase access to all services including employment. Thus, it reduces transaction costs and makes cities everything that we can imagine – growth engines, equitable, sustainable, liveable, and resilient. If cities can be considered as living beings, transport is the blood that keeps our cities running. If it takes too much effort, cities may feel fatigued. If it clots, cities go into shock. A good city-wide transportation system is critical to achieving the agglomeration economies that come with urbanisation. An efficient transport system reduces transaction costs at all levels and becomes a facilitator for the economic growth and liveability of a city. It is the lynchpin that connects people to people, people to markets, people to places and people to services. If the transport system of a city is choked and congested, it renders the city inefficient and less productive. This is evident in many of the emerging cities in developing economies including India where citizens are spending hours daily commuting on congested roads and inhaling toxic air due to increased vehicular emissions. Innovative thinking on urban transportation can unlock many benefits. Jaimie Lerner was the young mayor of Curitiba, in Brazil. He went at breakneck speed to convert some major areas such as the Rua Quinze de Novembro, one of the major streets of the city, into pedestrianised zones. He believed the area should not be deserted when shops downed their shutters and cars parked away. In manoeuvring to implement his plan, he outwitted the shopkeepers, who were initially against it. Next, he introduced new lanes for buses, which was against the global tide in favour of subways. He made a telling remark about urban works, “If you want creativity, cut one zero from the budget. If you want sustainability, cut two zeros!” As the bus movement succeeded, he found new areas to unlock the growth of bus transport – elevated platforms through which passengers could move into buses, longer buses, and prepayment for tickets. Now, 85 per cent of the city uses the Bus Rapid Transit or BRT system and more than 300 cities globally are experimenting with it. Notably, BRT failed in Delhi. But that shouldn’t stop other cities from championing it. Each city is different. While the BRT project failed to take off in Delhi, it has done remarkably well in the cities of Ahmedabad, which spurred adoption in other cities across India – Rajkot, Indore, Surat, the twin cities of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, and the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad. Curitiba, at the same time as it was pushing BRT, was championing waste recycling and providing as much as 50 sq mt of green space per person. Not surprisingly, Lerner became a three-time mayor of the city. Similarly, in Delhi, the metro rail services succeeded when the Central leadership, the state leadership under Sheila Dikshit, and the managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, E Sreedharan, came together. The success of Delhi Metro is so immense that cities all over India are now undertaking metro rail projects, even where it doesn’t make financial sense. If not done right, the costs of mismanaged and overlooked urban transport could be huge and far-reaching. The heightened urbanisation levels and even higher acceleration in motorisation levels does not bode well for urban transport in Indian cities. From 1951 to 2011, India’s population grew at an annual rate of 3.8 per cent. In the same period, the number of registered motor vehicles went from about 0.3 million in 1951 to nearly 142 million in 2011 – a double-digit growth rate. As per the Centre for Science and Environment, private vehicle ownership increased by 700 times, from 0.3 million in 1951 to 210 million in 2015. Half of this was added over a period of 57 years from 1951 to 2008, the remaining was added over the next six years. Between 1981 and 2011, the total number of registered vehicles grew at an average rate of 11.5 per cent. This trend looks set to continue at the hands of a growing urban population with increasing purchasing power. If unchecked, this trend could cause urban transport to become a serious handicap for efficient urbanisation. It could lead to choked road networks and further deteriorating air quality with serious public health implications. The issue of urban transport becomes more complex because Indian cities have failed to address basic issues. Commute options and corresponding costs significantly vary for different citizens when they step out for work or leisure. An upper middle-income household prefers a different mode of transport compared to someone from the lower middle-income group, or a poor migrant. The preferred choice of conveyance is mostly an owned vehicle, with little predilection for public transport – unless one’s means do not leave much to choose. Thereafter, congestion and pollution remain constant adverse companions throughout the commute. Commute time and costs are not the only trade-offs. In our failure to integrate land-use planning and transportation we have exponentially lessened the quality of life in our cities. Given the convoluted and institutional fragmentation in city transport, if we attempt to reform urban transport, we fail to locate where the actual responsibility lies. Some major obstacles to unleashing the benefits of a robust and efficient transport system in Indian cities are the lack of substantial focus on demand side management, little focus on non-motorised transport, a declining share of public transport and the inability to raise finances.

63% of waterbodies in Yamuna floodplain dry: Report

NEW DELHI: A Centre for Science and Environment report has said that 63% of Delhi’s wetlands and waterbodies in the Yamuna floodplain are dry. The ‘State of India’s Environment Report 2023’ stated that loss in waterbodies makes the city prone to floods. Three major floods have occurred in the city since 2000. Discover the Power of Data Analytics and AI Discover the Power of Data Analytics and AI Ad Altair The report added that the climate resilience of cities is hampered by frenetic construction, diminishing green spaces, polluted air and water as well as indiscriminate disposal of solid waste that chokes waterbodies and the stormwater drainage network. “This leaves urban areas vulnerable to the growing heat stress, flooding and deteriorating air and water quality. Cities need to start planning for resilience to minimise the impact of the changing climate and compromised quality of life,” the report said. It also stated C&D waste, made up of debris and material leftover from the construction, destruction and renovation of buildings, roads and other infrastructure, is a known effect of developmental activities. “Generation, transportation and disposal of this waste emits dust, and when it is dumped in low-lying areas or waterbodies, it obstructs natural drainage, contributes to waterlogging and pollutes the water and soil,” the report said, adding scientific management of C&D waste to minimise dust emissions should be prioritised. The report said increasing human interference in catchment areas is destroying waterbodies. It also blamed inefficient solid waste management, exploitation of floodplains, destruction of drainage, disposal of sewage, fall in groundwater level and unplanned tourism, saying they compound the problem.

Some hits, a few misses for state in sustainable development goals

Kolkata: Bengal has achieved mixed success in meeting sustainable development goals (SDG). While the state has made some strides in the journey to achieving 10 SDGs in 2020-21 compared to 2019-20, it has slipped on five critical goals, revealed the State of India’s Environment Report, 2023, an analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment on progress made by Indian states in achieving SDGs. SDGs are important markers for a balanced, earth-friendly progress of provinces and nations set by the United Nations. The deadline for fulfilling all 16 targets is 2030. It is not only Bengal that has faltered. India’s rank has also slipped because of failures in 11 goals, including SDG 11 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (good health and well being), SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 11 (sustainable cities). India, in fact, ranks below four south Asian countries — Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. While the ranks of Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka have improved over the years, India continues to slip. Bengal slipped in some critical goals, like SDG 6 (clean water, sanitation), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), SDG 10 (reduced inequalities), SDG 15 (life on land). In fact, in SDG 15, the score was -35, on the scale of ‘below -30 to above +30.’ At the same time, Bengal did well in SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), in SDG 12 (responsible consumption), and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities). In most other 10 SDGs, scores vary between +3 and +7. Bengal ranks 11 in SDGs, Kerala tops the list and Bihar is at the bottom. Unveiling the Down to Earth (DTE) annual, CSE director general Sunita Narain said, “We are outraged at how pollution is affecting our health or climate change is devastating our future. But we are not acting at the scale of devastation we see around us.” DTE editor Richard Mahapatra said, “India has many mutinies on the environmental front, but as many warriors waging a battle to win.” Narain said: “The two big trends this year (2022-23) have been the reversal of gains when it comes to energy transition and the overwhelming impact of climate change. In the face of these two trends, we are seeing the worst manifestation of human behaviour — the global community and its leaders have resorted to accentuating the differences, not the common objectives to work towards a secure future.”

Support independent critical media.SUBSCRIBE AND SUPPORT Environment: We are not Acting at the Scale of Devastation Around us, Says CSE Report

Pointing out the ‘good news’ that the environment is now "mainstream", a new report has also pointed out the ‘bad news’ that the scale of ecological devastation was affecting human health and the future of the planet. Calling for “more deliberate steps to reverse the damage”, the Annual State of the Environment Report, brought out by the Centre of Science and Environment, was released here on Thursday. The report called for a global common minimum programme to combat the environmental challenges and stressed the need for involvement of people at all levels. Sunita Narain, CSE Director General, in her opening remarks, stressed the need for inclusivity and equality and highlighted issues, such as migration, poverty, and the lives of the homeless in metropolitan cities, that are often missing from the discourse. “Environment and development are the two sides of the same coin. They are both about survival and the ability to sustain. What requires effort is understanding the challenges and also understanding new approaches towards the environment,” said Narain, adding that “If solutions are not affordable for a large number of people, it won't be sustainable in India.” Narain spoke about the condition of farmers in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar due to the recent hailstorm. According to the official estimates from the agriculture department, talking Maharashtra alone, a total of more than 1,500 hectares (ha) — including 860 ha in Dhule, 565 ha in Jalgaon, 119 ha in Nashik, and the balance in Nandurbar and surrounding districts — have sustained losses. Weather predictions suggest that Telangana is likely to have similar hailstorms, while Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka are all expected to experience rain and thunderstorms. The situation has deeply worsened in the past years. “The condition is such that the weather-related displacements have increased more than the conflict-related displacement. The crisis of migration, whether about the impact it has had on cities or as an external hot potato, has left an irreparable mark,” she said. Pollution deterrence is another major aspect of the report. It highlighted how the system of Continuous Emission Monitoring (CEMS) had no quality checks. It is not being used to check pollution and polluters. The report also mentioned how the system of environmental and forest clearance was already weak and was being further chipped away, adversely affecting communities and environment. The report acknowledges the remarkable attempts made in terms of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and what change it has brought. Back then, there was a clear mandate given by the apex judicial body of the country to bring in a specific target of CNG vehicles within a certain deadline. “It was a battle fought for a long time and eventually won. However, can the same be done in the case of electric vehicles?” asked Anumita Roychowdhury of CSE. She also spoke about the slow pace at which e-vehicles were growing despite the incentives. Summarising what the report said, Narain said: “The two big trends this year (2022-23) have been the reversal of gains when it comes to energy transition on one hand, and the overwhelming impact of climate change, which is a real threat staring at us. In the face of these two trends, we are seeing the worst manifestation of human behaviour – the global community and its leaders have resorted to accentuating the differences, not the common objectives to work towards a secure future."

How architectural solutions can help in achieving carbon neutrality

As we were preparing for winter sown crops, peninsular India in mid-march saw unusually high temperatures. The impending heat waves aside, the northwest region of India experienced almost twice as much warming as the rest of the country, according to a report from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). But in all of this, how do cities and architecture come in? As the tenth warmest year in the 143 years of our records occurred after 2010, there is much more to talk about and be concerned of rather than just temperatures. To benchmark this crisis and understand its impact across spheres we have planetary boundaries, allowing humans to prosper without causing harm to ecosystems is the goal. They are climate change, oceans, ozone layer, nitrogen and phosphorus cycle, water, land, biodiversity, aerosols in atmosphere, and chemical pollution. Where out of nine planetary boundaries, we have already crossed six. Cities themselves are major contributors to this disruption with construction and the energy required to keep buildings operational accounting for roughly 50 per cent of the country’s carbon emissions. According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India has experienced a localised climate disaster nearly every day in the first nine months of 2022. We experienced extreme weather events on 241 out of 273 days until 1 October, resulting in 2,755 deaths, damage to 1.8 million hectares of crops, destruction of 416,667 houses, and the deaths of 69,007 livestock. Climate Change isn’t only affecting humans and our infrastructure; the impact of severe cold episodes has caused many crops to fail. Events such as climate change-induced cyclonic storms have destroyed 95,066 hectares of cropland this year, even when the capacity to accurately forecast cyclones has saved many lives. But there is a definite rising trend in extreme rainfall events and temperatures around the globe, which have been further pronounced by the occurrence of “disasters”. Since there is no “quick fix” to the crisis’s numerous issues, it falls on every citizen in both a personal and professional role, to apply our abilities and actions in addressing the significant pressures on the natural environment. From our consumer patterns to our notions of just what sustainability means, we can collectively start with questions and push for answers. With “climate change” and “circularity” being the buzzwords of the decade, there is more that cities need to take care of to survive. Architecture itself is inextricably tied to material flows and energy where 36 per cent of global energy goes into construction. Cement alone accounts for 8 per cent of global emissions for GHGs. While vernacular architecture and traditional modes of living have been the go-tos for consumerism solutions, they are undoubtedly the answer to construction. With the proven use of local materials like mud, locally sourced timber, bamboo etc to be more climate-friendly as well as comfortable in these harsh weathers to dwell in – do we really need so much concrete? With Indian Architecture studios pioneering computational models with reuptake of materials, we are moving towards buildings and products which require less carbon to make and operate. From 3D-printed homes out of recycled waste to mud bunkers lined with trees and greenery, architecture has always innovated solutions for the masses. Solutions in Architecture have pushed from carbon-neutral to carbon-negative buildings! As we as people embrace “rewilding” – so have our designers and soon will our cities. As global warming causes more moisture to be concentrated in the atmosphere, it can lead to more intense monsoons in the summer and colder seasons in the winter. The frequency of these extreme events has been increasing over the years, which is a result of climate change. These sudden changes in temperature can also increase the risk of climate disasters like the Chamoli disaster. Localized action, ideas and solutions Have you wondered why you felt calmer surrounded by nature and bare architecture? Well, that could also be the large-scale solution for urban systems! Taking the shape of expanding and preserving urban green spaces and water bodies, implementing architectural design guidelines to reduce the heat load on and from buildings, using recycled and local materials, and limiting the concretization of surface areas in cities in order to reduce the heat island effect, which occurs when urban areas are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas due to the concentration of heat-absorbing surfaces and the lack of cooling vegetation. We end up with beautiful architectural solutions – buildings that have existed around us for centuries. Everyone involved in the planning of structures and cities, including architects, urbanists, policymakers, and everyday citizens, have a major duty to examine the implications of climate change and make plans accordingly in order to reduce the impact of climate change and global warming. Vulnerable communities continue fighting against the loss of their livelihoods in exchange for “global growth”, concretization and deforestation head-on. Globally, the Pacific Islands continue to demand action from world leaders on climate change as they deal with rising sea levels and more severe weather. For them, this is a matter of life and death. As young people, we aren’t only affected by climate change but are also important actors in the fight against it. As youth groups collect more voices from all over the world, it’s clear we can do a lot together. There has never been a more crucial time to demand action from our leaders. It’s high time to not only change our consumption patterns but to stop sponsoring large polluters. Join your local action groups, advocate for an inclusive future, and do the smallest bit you can towards the world – it’s your (our) lives on the line.