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Cse In News

Cse In News

अगले 27 साल में नहीं मिलेगा चावल, गेहूं और मक्का! जलवायु संकट से इतनी घट जाएगी पैदावार

भारत में कुछ सालों के बाद चावल, गेंहू और मक्का खाने को शायद न मिले. या कम मिले. ये सच्चाई है. क्योंकि जिस हिसाब से मौसम बदल रहा है. 2050 तक चावल, गेंहू और मक्के की पैदावार में भारी कमी आएगी. 27 साल बाद चावल के पैदावार में 20, गेंहू में 19.3 और बाजरे में 18% की गिरावट होगी. वजह क्लाइमेट चेंज है. एक्सट्रीम वेदर इवेंट्स की वजह से ज्यादा मुसीबत जलवायु परिवर्तन इंसानों द्वारा किए जा रहे ग्रीनहाउस गैसों के उत्सर्जन से हो रहा है. इसमें बड़ी भूमिका जंगलों का काटा जाना है. इस आशंका को सच करती हुई एक रिपोर्ट अभी सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट ने रिलीज की है. जिसमें बताया है कि भारत में पिछले साल 1 जनवरी से लेकर 31 अक्टूबर तक 304 दिनों में 271 दिन मौमस खराब ही रहा है. वो भी आपदाओं के तौर पर. कभी सूखा तो कभी बाढ़. कभी ओले तो कभी आंधी-तूफान.

हरियाणा में उम्र 7 साल, पंजाब में 6 साल, प्रदूषण को दोष

जनता से रिश्ता वेबडेस्क। वायु प्रदूषण के कारण एक भारतीय का औसत जीवनकाल चार साल और 11 महीने कम हो गया है, 2023 स्टेट ऑफ इंडिया की पर्यावरण रिपोर्ट से पता चलता है। ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में, लोगों का जीवन औसतन पांच साल और दो महीने कम हो जाता है, जो कि शहरी भारतीयों द्वारा गंवाए गए औसत जीवनकाल से नौ महीने अधिक है। दरअसल, वायु प्रदूषण ने भारत की 43.4 फीसदी आबादी की उम्र पांच साल कम कर दी है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) ने गुरुवार को यह रिपोर्ट जारी की। CSE एक जनहित अनुसंधान और वकालत संगठन है जो नई दिल्ली में स्थित है। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, आठ राज्यों और केंद्रशासित प्रदेशों में औसत जीवनकाल में पांच साल या उससे अधिक की कमी देखी गई, जबकि नौ राज्यों में औसत जीवनकाल में तीन से पांच साल की कमी देखी गई। राज्यों में, दिल्ली ने देश में जीवन काल में अधिकतम गिरावट – 10 वर्ष – देखी। हालाँकि, जीवन काल में सबसे कम गिरावट लद्दाख में दर्ज की गई थी, जहाँ जीवन काल को चार महीने कम कर दिया गया था। हरियाणा में, औसत जीवन काल में कमी सात साल और पांच महीने थी। पंजाब में यह पांच साल 11 महीने का था। सीएसई के अनुसार, विश्लेषण अमेरिका के शिकागो विश्वविद्यालय में ऊर्जा नीति संस्थान द्वारा जारी जिला-स्तरीय वायु गुणवत्ता जीवन सूचकांक पर आधारित है। सूचकांक पीएम 2.5 वायु प्रदूषण और जीवन प्रत्याशा के बीच संबंध का अनुमान लगाता है, जिससे उपयोगकर्ता जीवन प्रत्याशा में लाभ देख सकते हैं जो वे अनुभव कर सकते हैं यदि उनका समुदाय डब्ल्यूएचओ पीएम 2.5 वार्षिक औसत दिशानिर्देश को पूरा करता है। “हम उस तबाही के पैमाने पर काम नहीं कर रहे हैं जो हम अपने चारों ओर देखते हैं। सीएसई निदेशक सुनीता नारायण ने कहा, जब तक हम क्षति को दूर करने के लिए और अधिक जानबूझकर कदम नहीं उठाते हैं, तब तक हम लड़ाई हारते रहेंगे।

जिस ‘Coca Cola’ को 1977 में इंडिया से खदेड़ा गया, वापस आकर कर रहा सॉफ्ट ड्रिंक्स पर राज!

YourStory हिंदी की सीरीज़ ब्रांड बिदेसिया (Brand Bidesiya) में हम उन विदेशी ब्रांड्स की कहानी बताएंगे जो भारत आने के बाद इतने भारतीय हो गए कि जाने कितनी पीढ़ियों का भरोसा बन गए. आज पढ़िए कहानी 'कोका कोला' (Coca Cola) की. अपनी टीनेज के दौरान मैंने ट्रेन में घूमते हुए हापुड़ स्टेशन पर एक ऐसा दृश्य देखा तो हमेशा के लिए मेरे साथ रह गया. चिलचिलाती गर्मी में एक कुली, बोझा उठाने से ब्रेक लेकर कोल्ड ड्रिंक्स के खाली क्रेट्स की छाया में बैठकर ठंडा कोका कोला पी रहा था. कई साल बाद जब मैं कोका कोला के ऐड कैंपेन पर काम कर रहा था, मुझे ब्रीफ दिया गया कि इस ब्रांड को देसी बनाना है. मुझे पता था सबसे अच्छा तरीका असल जीवन में मौजूद दृश्यों को टेलीविज़न पर लाना है. मुझे याद आया कि कैसे उत्तर प्रदेश में रहते हुए बचपन में हम आमों को कुएं के पानी में ठंडा किया करते थे तो मैंने एक ऐसी कहानी लिखी जिसमें आमिर खान का किरदार कोका कोला की बोतलें कुएं से निकालकर लड़कियों को देता है. (success story of coca cola india) ब्रांड इक्विटी इकोनॉमिक्स टाइम्स के लिए 'ठंडा मतलब कोका कोला' कैम्पेन के बारे में लिखते हुए ये बात प्रसून जोशी कहते हैं. एक ऐसा ऐड कैंपेन जिसे कोई भूल नहीं सका. साल 2003-2004 के दौर में ऐसे आरोप लगे कि कोला ड्रिंक्स में भारी मात्रा में पेस्टिसाइड होते हैं. लेकिन कोका कोला के ऐड कैंपेन ने इन आरोपों को भी धीरे धीरे गायब कर दिया. लेकिन कोका कोला और विवादों का नाता इंडिया में 21वीं सदी से नहीं, कई दशक पुराना है. इतनी पुराना कि आज गटागट पिज़्ज़ा और बिरयानी के साथ कोक गटक रही जनरेशन उस वक़्त पैदा भी नहीं हुई थी. मुमकिन है, उनके माता पिता भी पैदा न हुए हों. तो कैसे आया सोशलिस्ट इंडिया में ये विदेशी ब्रांड, जिसे कहा जाता है 'कैपिटलिज़्म इन अ बॉटल'. जानेंगे ब्रांड बिदेसिया के हमारे आज के एपिसोड में. YourStory हिंदी की सीरीज़ ब्रांड बिदेसिया (Brand Bidesiya) में हम उन ब्रांड्स की कहानी बताएंगे जो हैं तो विदेशी मगर इंडिया के कल्चर में इस तरह से घुल गए हैं कि पूरी तरह देसी हो गए हैं. अपने ब्रांडिंग और डिस्ट्रीब्यूशन से ये ब्रांड्स गांवों में पहुंचकर इंडिया को बदलते आए हैं, ठीक उसी तरह, जिस तरह इंडिया ने इन्हें हमेशा के लिए बदल दिया. आज पढ़िए कहानी 'कोका कोला' (Coca Cola) की. लेकिन पहले जानिए कि कैसे शुरू हुआ कोका कोला, जिसने दुनिया को अपने स्वाद से जकड़ लिया. कोका कोला में पेस्टिसाइड भले ही न हो, इसमें एक बड़ी खतरनाक चीज होती थी. कोकेन. हां, वही कोकेन जो दुनियाभर में एक गैरकानूनी ड्रग है. कोका कोला की शुरुआत 1880 के दशक के जॉर्जिया में एक केमिस्ट हुए जॉन पेम्बर्टन. पेम्बर्टन का एक प्रोडक्ट बड़ा हिट था, फ्रेंच वाइन ऑफ़ कोका. ये एक ऐसी वाइन थी जिसके बारे में कहा जाता था कि ये सभी बीमारियां ठीक कर देती है. चाहे वो किसी तरह का दर्द हो, पेट की तकलीफ हो, सेक्शुअल समस्या हो या मन की बेचैनी हो. लोग इस दवाई के दीवाने थे. और ये दवा सारे मर्ज़ ठीक करती भी क्यों न. फ्रेंच वाइन ऑफ़ कोका में रेड वाइन, कैफीन और कोका लीफ़ एक्सट्रेक्ट था. कोका वो पौधा होता है जिसको केमिकली ट्रीट कर कोकेन बनाया जाता है. मगर ये पेटेंट मेडिसिन थी. दवाएं लोग रोज़ नहीं लेते. ऊपर वाइन को दिन के किसी भी वक़्त नहीं पिया जा सकता. ये बिकती भी महंगी थी और इसका टेस्ट भी कसैला था. पेम्बर्टन ने अपना दिमाग लगाया. उन्होंने फ्रेंच वाइन ऑफ़ कोका से वाइन को गायब कर दिया. और अपने कोका लीफ और कैफीन के फ़ॉर्मूले में मिलाई ढेर सारी चीनी और सोडा. ब्रिटिश फ़ूड एंड ड्रिंक क्रिटिक विलियम सिटवेल कहते हैं, "उस वक़्त लोगों को सिर्फ शराब से प्रॉब्लम थी, कोकेन से नहीं. कोकेन लीगल थी." पेम्बर्टन का ये नया सोडा 5 सेंट्स में सड़कों पर मिल जाता और बच्चे हों या बूढ़े, कोई भी इसे पी सकता था. ड्रिंक मार्केट में हिट हो गई लेकिन इसका कोई नाम नहीं था. उस वक़्त डॉक्टर पेम्बर्टन के अकाउंटेंट फ्रैंक रॉबिनसन ने इसका नाम रखा, कोका कोला. जिसमें कोका आया कोका की पत्तियों से और कोला आया कोला नट्स से. कोला वो पौधा होता है जिसके बीज से कोका कोला का स्वाद और इसमें मौजूद कैफीन आता है. दिलचस्प बात ये है कि कोका कोला के पापा पेम्बर्टन ने कभी कोका कोला की असल कीमत नहीं पहचानी. वो फ़ॉर्मूलों में उलझे रहे और व्यापार का काम अपने अकाउंटेंट को ही सौंप दिया. 1892 में अमेरिकी बिज़नसमैन एसा कैंडलर ने कोका कोला का व्यापार खरीद लिया और शुरू हुई द कोका कोला कंपनी. कंपनी बनने के बाद कैंडलर ने विज्ञापन में पैसा लगाया. और मामूली नहीं, बेतहाशा पैसा लगाया. कोक तमाम दुकानों को अपना सिरप सप्लाई करता और वे इसमें सोडा मिलाकर आगे बेचते. कोका कोला 19वीं सदी के अंत तक करोड़ों गैलन सिरप बेच रहा था. साथ ही कोका कोला की बॉटलिंग भी शुरू होने लगी थी. बुरे दिन बीसवीं सदी आते आते तमाम रिसर्च आने लगीं जो बताती थीं कि कोकेन कितना खतरनाक है. पत्रकार फ्रेडरिक एलन कोका कोला पर अपनी किताब 'सीक्रेट फ़ॉर्मूला' में लिखते हैं: 20वीं सदी में कोकेन गैरकानूनी ड्रग घोषित हो जाने के बाद, कोका कोला ने कोका की पत्तियों को डीकोकेनाइज कर दिया. यानी उसमें से कोकेन के सभी ट्रेस निकाल दिए. इसके लिए वो कोका पत्तियों को ट्रीट करने के एक लंबे प्रोसेस से गुज़रते. लेकिन स्वाद बरकारार रखने के लिए ऐसा करना ही पड़ा. एलन के मुताबिक़, कोका कोला आज भी अपने आधिकारिक बयान में कहता है कि कोक में कभी भी कोकेन नहीं था. ये बात टेक्निकली सच है. लेकिन इसमें जो कोकेन लीफ एक्सट्रेक्ट था, वो कोकेन से कम नहीं था." साल 1919 में इसे अमेरिकी बिज़नसमैन अर्नेस्ट वुडरफ़ ने खरीद लिया. कोका कोला के अच्छे दिन चल ही रहे थे कि विश्व युद्ध आ गया. द्वितीय विश्व युद्ध के दौरान अमेरिका में चीनी की राशनिंग कर दी गई. चीनी के बिना कोक का क्या होता? मगर कोका कोला के शातिर बिज़नस ने फौजियों को कम दामों पर कोक बेचकर खुद को एसेंशियल गुड साबित कर दिया. यानी एक ऐसा प्रोडक्ट जो नागरिकों के लिए बेहद ज़रूरी है, जिसका प्रोडक्शन युद्ध के दौरान भी रोका नहीं जा सकता. कोका कोला की इंडिया में एंट्री आज़ादी के तीन साल के अंदर-अंदर ही कोका कोला का बॉटलिंग प्लांट इंडिया में लग चुका था. जहां इंडिया विभाजन, गरीबी और अन्य दिक्कतों से जूझ रहा था, कोका कोला अपना डिस्ट्रीब्यूशन तगड़ा करने में लगा हुआ था. इंडिया जबतक अपनी इकॉनमी को सोशलिस्ट ढर्रे पर लेकर आता, कोका कोला इंडिया में अपनी जड़ें मज़बूत कर चुका था. जहां एक ओर सरकारी नीतियों की वजह से पेप्सी का बस्ता 1962 में पैक हो गया, कोक चलता रहा. लेकिन सोशलिस्ट सरकार को कोका कोला का होना भा नहीं रहा था. 1974 में इंदिरा गाँधी सरकार फॉरेन एक्सचेंज रेगुलेशन एक्ट यानी FERA लेकर आई. इस एक्ट के मुताबिक़ इंडिया में मौजूद सभी विदेशी कंपनियों को ये निर्देश दिया गया कि इंडिया में वे तभी रह सकते हैं जब अपने इंडिया बिज़नस का 60% शेयर वे लोकल इन्वेस्टर्स को बेच दें. इंडिया में धड़ल्ले से बिकने वाले कोक के सभी प्रॉफिट अमेरिकी पैरेंट कंपनी की जेब में जा रहे थे. सरकार को ये बात भी खटक रही थी कि इंडिया से हुई कमाई को अमेरिका ले जाते हुए वे उसे डॉलर में कन्वर्ट करते थे. जिससे इंडिया का फॉरेन एक्सचेंज रिज़र्व गिरता जा रहा था. कोका कोला ने इससे बचने के लिए बहुत तिकड़म भिड़ाए. यहां तक कि उन्होंने मैन्युफैक्चरिंग और बॉटलिंग अलग अलग करने कि कोशिश की. कोका कोला बॉटलिंग में तो इंडिया को 60% हिस्सा देने को तैयार था, मगर टेक्नोलॉजी में नहीं. जब इंडिया से समेटना पड़ा कारोबार 1977 में इंदिरा गाँधी की सरकार जाने और जनता पार्टी की सरकार आने के बाद इंडस्ट्रीज मिनिस्टर जॉर्ज फेर्नान्डेज़ अड़ गए. इसी साल कोका कोला ने अपना बस्ता बांध लिया. कोका कोला का कहना था कि वे अपने कंसन्ट्रेट सिरप की रेसिपी भारतीय हाथों में नहीं पड़ने दे सकते. कोका कोला की विदाई के बाद यहां काम करने वाले भारतीय बेरोजगार हो गए. मार्केट में कोक की कमी को भरने के लिए सरकार अपनी सॉफ्ट ड्रिंक लेकर आई. जिसका नाम था डबल सेवेन. डबल सेवेन का आना एक तरह से सरकार द्वारा 77 के साल का सेलिब्रेशन था. क्योंकि इसी साल इमरजेंसी लाने वाली इंदिरा गांधी सरकार भी गिर गई थी. इस कोला ड्रिंक को मैसूर में डेवलप किया गया और सरकारी कंपनी मॉडर्न फ़ूड इंडस्ट्रीज ने इसकी मार्केटिंग शुरू की. लेकिन मार्केट में तबतक पारले कंपनी ने थम्स अप को उतार दिया था. कोक की गैरमौजूदगी में थम्स अप भारतीयों की नयी फेवरेट ड्रिंक बन चुकी थी. इसके साथ ही लिम्का मार्केट में आ गई थी जो लोगों को निम्बू पानी की याद दिला रही थी. और डबल सेवेन कोला बुरी तरह से फ्लॉप हो गया. 1980 में इंदिरा गाँधी की सरकार वापस आई और डबल सेवेन हमेशा के लिए देश से गायब हो गया. कोका कोला की इंडिया वापसी कोका कोला की वापसी हुई 1993 में. 90 के दशक में इंडिया ने लिबरलाइजेशन की लहर देखी. कोका कोला ने वापस आते ही इंडिया की सबसे पॉपुलर ड्रिंक्स को खरीद लिया. और इस तरह थम्सअप, सिट्रा, लिम्का और रिमझिम, चारों ड्रिंक्स कोका कोला कंपनी का प्रोडक्ट बन गईं. न सिर्फ ये एक बिज़नस डिसिज़न था, बल्कि कोका कोला की ओर से शक्ति प्रदर्शन था. मानों वे कह रहे हों, सॉफ्ट ड्रिंक के बादशाह तो हम ही हैं. कोका कोला ने इंडिया में आते ही 50% मार्केट शेयर पर कब्ज़ा कर लिया. इंडिया में एक बार फिर आया बुरा दौर कोका कोला के बुरे दिन लौटते रहे. साल 2003 कोका कोला के लिए इंडिया में एक बार फिर एक बुरा दौर लेकर आया. साल 2000 में कोका कोला ने केरल के प्लाचीमाड़ा में अपना प्लांट लगाया. प्लांट लगने के कुछ ही समय बाद लोकल लोग शिकायत करने लगे कि जबसे प्लांट आया है, उन्हें पीने का पानी नहीं मिल रहा है. केरल स्टेट पल्यूशन कंट्रोल बोर्ड से हुए समझौते के मुताबिक़, कोका कोला फैक्ट्री कंपाउंड में लगे 6 बोरवेल्स से पानी खींच रहा था. गांववालों के मुताबिक़, न सिर्फ ग्राउंड वाटर कम होता जा रहा था, बल्कि फैक्ट्री से निकला कचरा पानी के साथी स्रोतों को प्रदूषित कर रहा था. 2002 में केरल में एंटी कोका कोला प्रोटेस्ट शुरू हो गए. और 2003 में एक लॉ सूट फाइल कर दिया गया. कोका कोला को अपना प्लांट 2004 में बंद करना पड़ा. इसी बीच 2003 में कोका कोला के सामने एक नयी मुश्किल खड़ी हुई. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट ने आरोप लगाए कि कोक, पेप्सी समेत 12 सॉफ्ट ड्रिंक्स में पेस्टिसाइड पाए गए हैं. इस धब्बे को मिटाने में कोक को कई साल और दसियों ऐड्स लग गए. सॉफ्ट ड्रिंक्स पर राज तमाम रिपोर्ट्स के मुताबिक़, पिछले कई साल से कोका कोला ने इंडिया में नॉन अल्कोहलिक बेवरेजेस के सेक्टर में 60% मार्केट शेयर पर कब्ज़ा किया हुआ. दिलचस्प ये है कि इसमें कोक का शेयर 8 फीसद के लगभग ही है. बल्कि कोका कोला इंडिया के प्रोडक्ट्स थम्स अप और स्प्राइट लगभग 30% पकड़ रखते हैं. कुल मिलाकर, इंडिया में वापसी कर थम्स अप को खरीदना शायद कोका कोला का इंडिया में सबसे अच्छा फैसला था. तमाम विवादों के बाद कोका कोला इंडिया के स्वाद और याद, दोनों में बना हुआ है.

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.