• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Feds to spend $34.3 million to reduce lead contamination in Omaha

OMAHA -- To the tune of $34.3 million, the federal government is underscoring its commitment to reducing lead poisoning among Omaha children. The Environmental Protection Agency is providing the city $29.9 million, largely for replacing contaminated soil, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development is providing $4.4 million to reduce lead paint hazards in homes and apartments. Officials gathered at the Revive Center at 2402 Lizzie Robinson Ave. Friday morning for a ceremonial delivery of checks. The EPA funding is for seven years and the HUD money is for four years. EPA Deputy Regional Administrator Edward H. Chu said the funding reflects a "whole of government" approach to reducing lead paint hazards, with an emphasis on disadvantaged children being at a higher risk. "Equal access to healthy living is a basic human right," he said. "It is not a privilege. Our health environment should not be contingent on economic status or where we live." Omaha was once a major hub for lead refining and recycling. The EPA estimates that more than 200,000 tons of lead were emitted into the air, with some of that settling on yards in east Omaha where it harmed the health of children. The EPA and HUD have been working to reduce lead hazards in Omaha since the late 1990s. When the yard cleanup began, the EPA considered Omaha as one of its top national priorities because thousands of children were at immediate risk. How the government works to reduce lead levels This house is an example of how the federal government is assisting Omaha in reducing the risk of lead poisoning among children. Chipping and peeling lead paint was stabilized through re-painting and contaminated soil was replaced. A new study blames pollution of all types for 9 million deaths a year globally, with the death toll attributed to dirty air from cars, trucks and industry rising 55% since 2000.That increase is offset by fewer pollution deaths from primitive indoor stoves and water contaminated with human and animal waste, so overall pollution deaths in 2019 are about the same as 2015.The United States is the only fully industrialized country in the top 10 nations for total pollution deaths, ranking 7th with 142,883 deaths blamed on pollution in 2019, sandwiched between Bangladesh and Ethiopia, according to a new study in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health. Tuesday's pre-pandemic study is based on calculations derived from the Global Burden of Disease database and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle. India and China lead the world in pollution deaths with nearly 2.4 million and almost 2.2 million deaths a year, but the two nations also have the world's largest populations.When deaths are put on a per population rate, the United States ranks 31st from the bottom at 43.6 pollution deaths per 100,000. Chad and the Central African Republic rank the highest with rates about 300 pollution deaths per 100,000, more than half of them due to tainted water, while Brunei, Qatar and Iceland have the lowest pollution death rates ranging from 15 to 23. The global average is 117 pollution deaths per 100,000 people.Pollution kills about the same number of people a year around the world as cigarette smoking and second-hand smoke combined, the study said.SEE MORE: What Makes The U.S. So Invested In Cars?"9 million deaths is a lot of deaths," said Philip Landrigan, director of the Global Public Health Program and Global Pollution Observatory at Boston College."The bad news is that it's not decreasing," Landrigan said. "We're making gains in the easy stuff and we're seeing the more difficult stuff, which is the ambient (outdoor industrial) air pollution and the chemical pollution, still going up."It doesn't have to be this way, researchers said."They are preventable deaths. Each and every one of them is a death that is unnecessary," said Dr. Lynn Goldman, dean of the George Washington University School of Public Health, who wasn't part of the study. She said the calculations made sense and if anything was so conservative about what it attributed to pollution, that the real death toll is likely higher.The certificates for these deaths don't say pollution. They list heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, other lung issues and diabetes that are "tightly correlated" with pollution by numerous epidemiological studies, Landrigan said. To then put these together with actual deaths, researchers look at the number of deaths by cause, exposure to pollution weighted for various factors, and then complicated exposure response calculations derived by large epidemiological studies based on thousands of people over decades of study, he said. It's the same way scientists can say cigarettes cause cancer and heart disease deaths."That canon of information constitutes causality," Landrigan said. "That's how we do it."Five outside experts in public health and air pollution, including Goldman, told The Associated Press the study follows mainstream scientific thought. Dr. Renee Salas, an emergency room doctor and Harvard professor who wasn't part of the study, said "the American Heart Association determined over a decade ago that exposure to (tiny pollution particles) like that generated from the burning of fossil fuels is causal for heart disease and death.""While people focus on decreasing their blood pressure and cholesterol, few recognize that the removal of air pollution is an important prescription to improve their heart health," Salas said.Three-quarters of the overall pollution deaths came from air pollution and the overwhelming part of that is "a combination of pollution from stationary sources like coal-fired power plants and steel mills on one hand and mobile sources like cars, trucks and buses. And it's just a big global problem," said Landrigan, a public health physician. "And it's getting worse around the world as countries develop and cities grow."In New Delhi, India, air pollution peaks in the winter months, and last year the city saw just two days when the air wasn't considered polluted. It was the first time in four years that the city experienced a clean air day during the winter months.That air pollution remains the leading cause of death in South Asia reconfirms what is already known, but the increase in these deaths means that toxic emissions from vehicles and energy generation is increasing, said Anumita Roychowdhury, a director at the advocacy group Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi."This data is a reminder of what is going wrong but also

• Industrial Pollution

Are industries in NCR switching to clean fuel amid coal ban? It’s not so easy, finds study

A case study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has pointed to the availability of PNG (piped natural gas) and price hikes of natural gas as key issues. With a complete ban on the use of the coal in the NCR from January 1 onwards, the switch to cleaner fuel for industries has come with challenges including high prices and limited supply of natural gas, and emissions from the use of biomass. A case study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has pointed to the availability of PNG (piped natural gas) and price hikes of natural gas as key issues. “With the high price of gas, industries are either reducing production, have started looking for land outside the NCR or have increased the prices of their product. Some industrial units are now following a policy of wait-and-watch,” said Nivit Kumar Yadav, who is part of the industrial pollution team at CSE. The case study looked at two industrial clusters in Alwar district, Rajasthan – the Bhiwadi and Matsya industrial areas. In Bhiwadi, which has around 349 industrial units, PNG pipelines are available and industries are switching towards PNG, CSE’s report noted. In contrast, the Matsya industrial area with 61 industries is still awaiting PNG infrastructure and industries are mostly shifting to the use of biomass instead of coal. The use of biomass or crop residue like paddy straw comes with a different set of challenges. “In Alwar, biomass is available in plenty and industry had begun using biomass a few years ago since it is cheaper than most other fuels. A boiler using biomass as fuel is required to comply with certain emission standards. But reducing emissions using biomass as fuel is difficult and this will have to be monitored,” Yadav explained. While some industries have reported that suppliers have restricted access to 70 to 80% of the contracted PNG quantity citing limited supply, other units have said that they had applied for PNG connections after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) ordered a transition to cleaner fuel, but were yet to receive supply due to “availability issues”. The CSE report noted: “Due to the Ukraine war crisis, cost of PNG went up significantly from Rs 52 to Rs 72/scm (standard cubic meter) between June and December 2022. It was only Rs 24/scm in 2021.” On the way forward, Yadav said: “We wouldn’t want a scenario where industries are forced to leave NCR, considering the employment. Gas will have to be brought under GST. Industries should be able to use gas as an affordable fuel.”

• Down To Earth

Whether as per a recent report by the Centre for Science and Environment and Down to Earth magazine, 71 per cent of Indians cannot afford a nutritious meal and more than 17 lakh people die annually because of diseases attributable to poor diet

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1435 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2023 LACK OF NUTRITIOUS MEAL 1435. SHRI BALUBHAU ALIAS SURESH NARAYAN DHANORKAR: SHRI S. VENKATESAN: Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state: (a) whether as per a recent report by the Centre for Science and Environment and Down to Earth magazine, 71 per cent of Indians cannot afford a nutritious meal and more than 17 lakh people die annually because of diseases attributable to poor diet; (b) if so, the reasons therefor; (c) whether as per NFHS-5, 67.1 percent of children aged 6-59 months were anaemic in 2021 against 58.6 percent in 2016 highlighting a high increase in anaemia; (d) if so, the reasons therefor; and (e) the corrective measures taken/being taken by the Government in this regard ANSWER MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI) (a) & (b) Ministry is not aware of any such report. No data of deaths related to poor diet is reported by any States/UTs However, the issue of food security at the household level has been addressed by Government by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality foodgrains at subsidised rates. During the COVID Pandemic, free ration was provided to 80 crore people under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. Further, under the new integrated food security Scheme launched on 1 January 2023, free food grains would be provided to 81.35 crore beneficiaries under NFSA, for the year 2023, targeting the most vulnerable 67% of population. Further, the Government of India has taken initiative of rice fortification to achieve nutrition security in the country. As per the Scheme Guidelines for Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, local dietary inputs and fresh produce (green vegetables, fruits, medicinal plants and herbs), fortified rice and millets have to be actively encouraged in prescription of meals under Supplementary Nutrition to be served to different categories of beneficiaries to promote health, wellness and immunity and to manage anaemia. In FY 2021-22, 7.34 lakh MT of fortified rice was allocated to States. This year onwards only fortified rice is being allocated. (c) & (d) As per NFHS-5, 67.1% children aged 6-59 months were anaemic. Anaemia is a multifaceted problem. There are various causes for anaemia in children, which inter alia include low iron stores at birth due to maternal anaemia, non-exclusive breastfeeding, insufficient quantity of iron and iron enhancers in diet such as foods rich in Vitamin-C, increased iron requirements related to rapid growth and development during infancy and childhood, iron losses due to parasite load (e.g. malaria, intestinal worms), unsafe drinking water and inadequate personal hygiene and poor environmental sanitation, etc. (e) POSHAN Abhiyaan is a programmatic approach in addressing the life cycle issues of malnutrition. Reduction of anemia is one of the important objectives of the POSHAN Abhiyaan in convergence with key Ministries/ Departments, mainly Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW). A range of efforts are underway to improve the integration of nutrition interventions into the existing health platforms through various strategic measures. As part of its comprehensive strategy to tackle anemia, Government of India has included staple food fortification from central ministries for schemes/programs in multiple States. Under POSHAN Abhiyaan, efforts are also being made to strengthen processes for community engagement, empowerment of beneficiaries and behavioural change towards better nutrition for which the Abhiyaan provides a platform for organizing Community Based Events (CBEs) in Anganwadi Centres. Under Community Based Events, messages related to public health for improvement of nutrition and to reduce illness, prevention of anemia, importance of nutritious food, diet diversity etc. are being conducted. Many States/UTs have developed indigenous best practices like use of iron utensils for cooking to reduce iron deficiency, integrating Ayurveda products and formulations with supplementary nutrition etc. Further, the Government of India has launched Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy with the target to reduce anemia in women, children and adolescents in life cycle approach. The 6x6x6 strategy under AMB implies six age groups, six interventions and six institutional mechanisms. The six interventions under Anemia Mukt Bharat strategy include, Prophylactic Iron Folic Acid Supplementation, Periodic de-worming, Intensified year-round Behaviour Change Communication Campaign, Testing and treatment of anemia, using digital methods and point of care treatment, Convergence and coordination with other line departments and ministries for strengthening implementation etc ******

• Sustainable Food Systems

Pollution and climate change set stage for rise in antimicrobial resistance

A new report from the United Nations Environment Programme illustrates the role that pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss can play in the development of antimicrobial resistance. The compounds used to treat bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungal infections have saved countless lives, but their overuse and their presence in the environment from human waste, agriculture and effluent from the pharmaceutical industry and places like hospitals has given rise to resistance to these chemicals in potentially harmful microbes. If this resistance continues to increase, experts warn that an additional 10 million people may lose their lives by 2050 — about the same number who died of cancer in 2020. The report’s authors recommend stronger safeguards around industrial runoff, better sanitation and more judicious use of antimicrobials to address this potential crisis. Pollution from a variety of sources is driving up the incidence of resistance to the compounds used to treat infections, according to a report released by the United Nations Environment Programme. The authors also note that climate change and biodiversity loss help foster the development of antimicrobial resistance, or AMR. They call for systemic societal changes to avoid rendering more of these disease-fighting tools ineffective. Our reliance on antibiotics and other antimicrobial compounds has created something of a paradox. These chemicals treat bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections, saving countless lives around the world and boosting the production of food crops and livestock. But the use — and overuse in many cases — of these antimicrobials has also come at a cost, nudging along the evolution of potentially dangerous microbes into forms that are more resistant to the medications we throw at them. “We’re selecting for stronger and more powerful microorganisms,” David Graham, a professor of ecosystems engineering at the U.K.’s Newcastle University and one of the lead authors of the report, said at a press conference ahead of the report’s launch Feb. 7 at a meeting of the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance in Barbados. Studies show bacterial infections resistant to antimicrobials played a role in the deaths of nearly 5 million people in 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers antimicrobial resistance one of the top 10 threats to global health. The report’s authors sought to tease apart the complex dynamics by which this resistance develops and to identify the pollution sources that increase the likelihood of more resistance. Effluent from the pharmaceutical industry, hospitals, human waste and agriculture exposes germs to the drugs, giving them more chances to evolve resistance to them. The presence of other pollutants in the environment, such as heavy metals like zinc used in the production of steel, can also prime the development of resistance to important antimicrobials, and the loss of biodiversity, even at the microbial level, can as well. A warmer global climate may also lead to more widespread resistance, as higher temperatures can encourage the rate at which genes are transferred from microbe to microbe. In addition, the extreme weather the world is already experiencing as a result of climate change can trigger the failure of the barriers, such as sewers, between us and virulent microorganisms. “Unfortunately, when you get a flood, for example, those barriers break down,” Graham said. “Once those barriers break, then you’ve got uncontrolled spread in places where AMR doesn’t exist. “By curbing temperature rises and reducing the extremity of events,” he added, “we can actually then fundamentally curb the probability of evolving new resistance.” Beyond the need to address climate change, the authors suggest that halting the rise of AMR will require improved sanitation and wastewater treatment, the enhanced ability of industry to contain the release of antimicrobials, resistant microbes and other pollutants, and limiting the use of these chemicals in agriculture when they’re not necessary. “If you’ve got a healthy animal, you don’t need an antibiotic,” Graham said. Recent projections suggest that antibiotic use in the animals humans raise for food will increase by 8% by 2030. “Failing to address the global burden of [antimicrobial resistance], including its environmental dimensions, could take humanity back to an era when even mild infections could become deadly,” the authors write. Research suggests this resistance could lead to an additional 10 million deaths by mid-century, about as many as the people who died of cancer globally in 2020, according to the WHO. What’s more, the resistance could cost governments trillions of dollars in lost economic productivity and impoverish 24 million more people worldwide, the authors write. Sunita Narain, the director-general of the Indian nonprofit Centre for Science and Environment, said countries like India are facing the “twin challenge” of needing access to antimicrobials but also dealing with their overuse. She said knowledge of the problems that widespread and excessive use of these compounds can cause gives less-industrialized countries the opportunity to find a different path. “The cost of cleaning up once you’ve contaminated your environment, your soil, with antimicrobials is extremely expensive,” said Narain, who served as a consultant to the authors of the report. “I think it’s very important that we bring out the environmental aspects of the silent pandemic, but we also move towards the action that we need.”

• Industrial Pollution

All governments are crony capitalists

The Adani saga has dented the government's image of incorruptibility. But it is doubtful whether the cronyism embedded in India's economic fabric will disappear anytime soon Depending on which side of the political divide you favour, l’affaire Adani has provoked righteous anger, outright glee, consternation and embarrassment. Rahul Gandhi, having found a convenient issue to build on the image he crafted during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, has ensured that the issue stays front and centre of Parliament, demanding answers from the government on its connections with a business group that grew meteorically after the National Democratic Alliance II came to power. Mr Gandhi may think he’s on to a good thing politically, but he isn’t really in a position to protest. No government — at the Centre or state — nor regulators can claim to practise strict abstinence when it comes to the business-political nexus. If anything, the Hindenburg report, with its implications of sustained regulatory tolerance, has underlined this fact. Beyond the prurient fascination with Gautam Adani’s fabled power and wealth, or the shenanigans highlighted in the Hindenburg report lies the old systemic weakness of governments’ overweening powers over economic life and the feebleness of industry regulators to counter it. It is worth noting that the basis of Mr Adani’s business growth lies in a dominant presence in areas in which government policy plays a major role — ports, airports, electricity, green energy — and the principal competition mostly comes from the public sector. With notable exceptions of companies in IT, consumer products and automobiles, Indian big business has flourished in sectors where the government — central, state, local — stands to play a heavy interventionist hand. Mr Gandhi may have forgotten, but it was the telecom sector that proved the undoing of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance 13 years ago, though it was a coalition partner that was the principal transgressor in this case. That particular scandal — amplified by the active grandstanding by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of the time — was the product of a long-standing and opaque allocative policy for telecom licensing that enabled select entrants to apply in preference to others through a “first-come-first-served” policy and, extraordinarily, the physical blocking of unwanted applicants. That various politicians implicated in the scandal were acquitted on an extraordinary technicality in 2017 was only one unusual aspect of that case. The Supreme Court’s crusading judgement cancelling all those allocated licences was the other, a landmark that set back the industry by decades. The only benign outcome of this mess was that auctions rather than allocative policies have become the norm in telecom and coal, the other CAG revelation of the time. These were headline-grabbing issues that dictated the rise and fall of a government. But as any small or medium industrial house operating outside the glare of publicity will attest, it’s the intensity of cronyism — whether with the local MP, MLA or MLC — that determines the survival of a business. Complex rules and regulations — or the evasion of them — are considered valid reasons for seeking political connections for business purposes. The construction business, which has long been India’s largest and fastest growing employer, is a good example of cronyism that impacts our daily lives: The sand mafias, which are destroying the environment in double-quick time, would never have flourished without local political backing; likewise, the flagrant violation of labour codes, which keeps millions of migrants on the breadline. These are blatant violations that are ignored for being all-pervasive — and also because any journalist runs a serious risk of murder if he were to poke his nose too far in these transgressions. Indeed, it is notable that in the days before Hindenburg’ global bombshell, Mr Adani himself had been the recipient of less complimentary headlines in India. But the cynical acceptance of cronyism at the highest levels has meant that they achieved little more than raised eyebrows. We know, for instance, that Adani received land for his mammoth SEZ at rates far cheaper than other businesspeople (including the Tata Nano project). Or that the CAG raised questions about “undue benefits” that the Gujarat government gave to Adani Ports by waiving waterfront and other charges. In 2014, for instance, questions were raised (but not answered) on why the government-owned State Bank of India signed an agreement with the Adani group for its controversial Australian mining project. In 2016, came revelations the government had waived a Rs 200 crore penalty for environmental infringements by the Mundra Port project, following the findings by the Sunita Narain committee. When the Adani group was awarded six airports, both NITI Aayog and the finance ministry raised questions citing financial risk and performance issues. Strangely, no MP chose to raise any of these issues in Parliament, although their impact would have been more deleterious than Hindenburg’s allegations of Mauritius-based share rigging. As the Adani group works overtime to prepay loans and bond redemptions by way of damage control, it is hard to predict the political outcome of this scandal. At the very least, Gautam Adani’s alleged proximity to Narendra Modi has now entered the popular lexicon and may dent the latter’s self-styled image of incorruptibility. It may prompt some degree of moderation. But it is doubtful whether the cronyism embedded in India’s economic fabric will disappear anytime soon.

• Down To Earth

Whether the Government concur with the data provided by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) regarding the steady rise in pollution across majority of rivers in the country

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 1325 ANSWERED ON: 09.02.2023 Rise in Pollution of Rivers Kaushalendra Kumar Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:- (a) whether the Government concur with the data provided by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) regarding the steady rise in pollution across majority of rivers in the country; (b) if so, the measures taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to remove the causes of the said rise in pollution and to improve the condition; (c) the details of the funds spent by the Government during the last five years on the projects to make the rivers pollution free; (d) whether any assessment has also been made by the Government to ensure the proper utilisation of the funds; and (e) if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU) (a) The report published by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the data collected therein, is the guiding document for assessment of the pollution in various stretches of rivers in the country. CPCB, in association with the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs), monitors water quality of rivers and other water bodies in the country through a network of monitoring stations under the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP). Based on water quality monitoring results, pollution assessment of rivers has been carried out by CPCB from time to time. Rivers in the country are polluted due to discharge of untreated and partially treated domestic sewage from cities/towns/local bodies and industrial effluents in their respective catchments, problems in operation and maintenance of sewage and industrial effluent treatment plants, lack of dilution and other non-point sources of pollution. Rapid urbanization and industrialization have compounded the problem. So far, CPCB has adopted the criteria of Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) as an indicator to assess the quality of water in rivers and pollution levels. Presently, CPCB under NWMP monitors water quality of rivers at 2,026 locations in the country. Based on the assessment of water quality data for the year 2019 & 2021, CPCB in its report of November 2022, identified 311 polluted river stretches on 279 rivers in 30 States/Union Territories (UTs). State/UT-wise details of polluted river stretches are given at Annexure. It was informed by CPCB that the data published by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is not available with them, as the Board was not involved in publication of the same by CSE. (b) & (c) It is the primary responsibility of the States/UTs/ Local Bodies and industrial units to ensure required treatment of sewage and industrial effluents to the prescribed standards before discharging into water bodies, seas or land to prevent and control of pollution therein. Cleaning and rejuvenation of rivers are ongoing activities. This Ministry has been supplementing efforts of the States/UTs by providing financial and technical assistance for abatement of pollution in identified stretches of rivers (except Ganga basin) in the country through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National River Conservation Plan (NRCP). Rejuvenation of river Ganga and its tributaries is undertaken through the Central Sector Scheme of Namami Gange Programme. NRCP has so far covered polluted stretches on 36 rivers in 80 towns spread over 16 States in the country with the project sanctioned cost of Rs. 6,248.16 crore, and inter alia, a sewage treatment capacity of 2,745.7 million liters per day (mld) has been created. Under the Namami Gange Programme, 409 projects, including 177 projects for sewage treatment capacity of 5,269.87 mld and a sewer network of 5,213 km, have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 32,912.40 crore. Details of the funds spent by the Government during the last five years on the projects to make the rivers pollution free are as under: Financial Year Funds Released (Rs. in crore) National River Conservation Plan Namami Gange 2017-18 173.34 1,625.01 2018-19 150.32 2,626.54 2019-20 136.66 2,673.09 2020-21 99.87 1,339.97 2021-22 202.32 1,892.70 Total 762.51 10,157.31 In addition to these, sewerage infrastructure is also created under programs like Atal Mission for Rejuvenation & Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Smart Cities Mission of Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs. As per the provisions of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution), Act 1974, industrial units are required to install effluent treatment plants (ETPs) and treat their effluents to comply with stipulated environmental standards, before discharging into river and water bodies. Accordingly, CPCB, SPCBs and PCCs monitor industries with respect to effluent discharge standards and take punitive action for non-compliance under provisions of these Acts. Additionally, in compliance of the orders of Hon’ble National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Original Application No.673/2018 regarding rejuvenation of polluted river stretches in the country, States/UTs are required to implement approved action plans for restoration of the polluted stretches in their jurisdiction as identified by CPCB and published in their report of 2018, within the stipulated timelines. As per the orders of NGT, regular review on implementation of these action plans is undertaken in the States/UTs and the same is also done at the Central level by Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Govt. of India. (d) & (e) Progress of implementation and proper utilization of funds are monitored by both the State Implementing Agencies and the Ministry through a multi-tier monitoring mechanism. Schemes under NRCP are periodically reviewed by NRCD. The concerned officers in the Ministry also visit the project sites and review the progress of the project and utilization of funds with the officer concerned from the implementing agency and the State Government. The shortcomings are then communicated to the State Government as well as the project implementing agency. The projects are also monitored on regular basis at the State level. Based on these efforts, the State Governments through its Implementing Authorities submit utilization certificates of the funds utilized for release of next installments of funds. *** ANNEXURE ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1325 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 09.02.2023 ON ‘RISE IN POLLUTION OF RIVERS’. State/UT-wise & Priority wise number of Polluted River Stretches S No. STATE/UNION TERRITORY PRIORITY CLASS TOTAL No. of PRS I II III IV V 1 ANDHRA PRADESH 1 - - 1 1 3 2 ASSAM 1 - - - 9 10 3 BIHAR - 1 2 7 8 18 4 CHHATTISGARH 1 2 3 6 5 DAMAN AND DIU, DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI - - 1 - - 1 6 DELHI 1 - - - - 1 7 GOA - - - 1 5 6 8 GUJARAT 6 1 1 1 4 13 9 HARYANA 2 1 - - - 3 10 HIMACHAL PRADESH 4 - - 1 4 9 11 JAMMU & KASHMIR - - 2 4 2 8 12 JHARKHAND - - 1 2 6 9 13 KARNATAKA 3 - - 3 11 17 14 KERALA - - 1 2 15 18 15 MADHYA PRADESH 2 - 1 5 11 19 16 MAHARASHTRA 4 5 18 17 11 55 17 MANIPUR - - - 2 11 13 18 MEGHALAYA 2 - - 1 4 7 19 MIZORAM - - - 2 1 3 20 NAGALAND - - 1 - 3 4 21 ODISHA 1 - - 3 3 7 22 PUDUCHERRY - 1 1 1 - 3 23 PUNJAB 3 - - - 2 5 24 RAJASTHAN 2 - 1 4 7 14 25 TAMIL NADU 4 1 1 1 3 10 26 TELANGANA 1 1 2 - 5 9 27 TRIPURA - - - - 1 1 28 UTTAR PRADESH 6 - 1 2 8 17 29 UTTARAKHAND 2 2 4 - 1 9 30 WEST BENGAL 1 2 1 3 6 13 GRAND TOTAL 46 16 39 65 145 311 *****

• Renewable Energy

Over 9.5 Crore LPG Connections Provided Under PMUY But Gas Refilling Woes Remain

About 9.6% of beneficiaries took no LPG cylinder refills, 11.3% took only one refill and 56.5% took four or fewer refills in 2021-22, according to data from Parliament Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the 2023-2024 budget, on February 1, 2023, said that 9.6 crore LPG (liquefied petroleum gas or cooking gas) connections were provided under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). More than 9.58 crore gas connections have been released under the PMUY scheme, as of February 2, 2023, data from the official PMUY website show. However, 9.6% of beneficiaries took no LPG cylinder refills, 11.3% took only one refill and 56.5% took four or fewer refills in 2021-22, according to data provided in the Lok Sabha in July 2022 and data from a response given in the Rajya Sabha on August 1, 2022. A typical household using only LPG for cooking, whether in urban or rural India, would need at least seven cylinders a year to meet all its cooking energy needs, a 2020 study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, a Delhi-based think tank, had found. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG), in May 2016, launched the PMUY as a "flagship scheme with an aim to make clean cooking fuel, such as LPG, accessible to rural households, which were otherwise using traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow-dung cakes etc". The target was 8 crore LPG connections to poor households by March 2020. The government said that the target was met on September 7, 2019. In 2021, the government launched PMUY 2.0 to cover an additional 1 crore households with a special focus on migrant households. The target was achieved in January 2022, as per a Lok Sabha response on February 2, 2023, along with an additional target of 60 lakh connections. From May 21, 2022, the government announced a Rs 200 subsidy per 14.2 Kg cylinder for PMUY beneficiaries, for up to 12 refills a year during 2022-23, as per the December 2022 Rajya Sabha response. Budget allocation The budget allocation for "LPG connection to Poor Households" in the 2023-24 Union budget is Rs 0.01 crore, a drop of 99.99% compared to the budget estimate of Rs 800 crores and revised estimates of Rs 8,010 crores in 2022-23. The budget for the Direct Benefit Transfer as a subsidy to households for purchasing refills remained unchanged at Rs 180 crores, compared to the revised estimates of 2022-23 while it dropped by 95.5% as compared to the Rs 4,000 crore budget estimate of 2022-23. When FactChecker asked if the scheme had been disbanded, Pardeep Kumar, from the Marketing Division of MoP&NG, clarified that the scheme is operational but refused to comment on the reasons for the fall in allocation. FactChecker has also reached out to Sitharaman's office, Pankaj Jain, secretary, MoP&NG and Praveen Mal Khanooja, Additional Secretary, MoP&NG via phone and email for clarifications and comment on the lack of refills at the consumer end and the drop in the budget for the scheme. We will update the story when we receive a response. Why people don't get cylinders refilled The main reason for fewer cylinder refills is due to the high cost of refilling them. When PMUY was launched in May 2016, the price of a standard non-subsidised 14.2 kg LPG cylinder in Delhi was Rs 527.5. This had doubled to Rs 1,053 by July 2022, FactChecker had reported in October 2022. The prices of LPG have remained unchanged since July 2022. Most beneficiaries IndiaSpend Hindi interviewed in January 2023 said that they didn't have enough money to refill cylinders. When asked the reason for not refilling their gas cylinders, Sukhnand Kumar from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh said, "What do we do, we are daily wage labourers, we are unable to fill it." "Direct benefit transfer (DBT) rules require people to first refill their cylinders before receiving a subsidy. It is difficult for poor families to get the cylinder refilled from their own pocket and to wait for the subsidy amount in the future," Binit Das, Deputy Programme Manager for renewable energy at the Centre for Science and Environment, a New Delhi-based research and advocacy think tank had told FactChecker in October 2022. "It is better that the government spend the subsidy in advance than place the economic burden of clean fuel on the poor." "The challenge with maintaining access to LPG is because oil prices have become unaffordable at this point," Bhargav Krishna, Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), a public policy think-tank based in Delhi, told FactChecker. "The scheme is dependent on states to find innovative financing mechanisms to be able to provide for running this but I don't think states are keen either." "The prices of petroleum products in the country are linked to the price of respective products in the international market," Rameswar Teli, Minister of State in MoP&NG had told the Rajya Sabha in July 2022. India imports about 58 % of the LPG consumed domestically. LPG prices are based on the Saudi Contract Prices (CP) which had surged by 218% – from $236 per metric tonne in April 2020 to $750 per metric tonne in June 2022, according to his response. "While there have been substantial increases in commitment to adjacent sectors such as transport, the almost total phase out of subsidies for LPG signal an end to the initially ground-breaking Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana," Krishna wrote in CPR's blog on the Union Budget 2023-24. "The lack of subsidies, coupled with the substantial increase in prices of LPG over the last year will almost certainly mean more households will revert to using polluting cooking fuels in their homes, harming the health especially of women and children."

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

PARKINGson’s law of mobility, and us

As we celebrate hosting this year’s G-20 annual forum, our resolve to organise over 200 meetings in 50 cities across 32 different work streams spotlighting LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) may put to test the rigours of urban mobility. The congestion on roads and pressure for parking already make for a stressful experience as is evident from the frequent road rage incidents in India. Though new technologies and business models have helped to improve transportation systems and services in the direction of a more sustainable mobility approach, it is shared mobility that has emerged as a possible answer to the rising number of vehicles. Shared mobility or shared transportation—where commuters can share resources such as vehicles, bikes, and parking space—has the potential to emerge as the most practical solution to meet a city’s urban transportation needs without unduly adding to the parking pressures. It can help cities maximise the use of public spaces and symbiotically aid ride hailing firms to generate revenue, and consequently employment. Yet, it remains a concept well resonated but seldom seeded in our policy initiatives on the ground. Shared mobility must be principally enabled as a commercial choice rather than a regulatory one. On its part, the Central Government has expressed a larger intent of promoting shared mobility. The enabling provisions of the ‘Cab Aggregators Guidelines’ of the Ministry of Road Transport allow for bikes, scooters, motorcycles, three wheelers, and cars to be on a single tech platform to be used throughout the day by several people for different trips. However, hailables do not necessarily get incubated into a single aggregators’ license issued by the state government. This is due to narrow interpretations driven by local political imperatives. Only a few states have shown the progressive intent to issue a single licence to aggregate ‘Bike Taxis, Autorickshaws and Cabs’. Most, on the other hand, have not adopted this universal interpretation but instead choose to promote a multiple licensing regime, almost reminiscent of the pre-1991 license era. This selective interpretation leads to suboptimal regulations. For instance, the ‘Bike Taxis’, which are extremely popular in Goa do not find an expression in the regulations of some of the large congested cities, despite their growing popularity despite being quick and light and best suited to avoid traffic snarls. A larger auto or cab gets thus deployed for a single passenger leading to a bigger than necessary carbon footprint. The other aspect of alleviating parking pressure and the attendant congestion and pollution lies in the larger outlook of States towards land required to park vehicles. Most cities are still trying to fulfill the insatiable demand for parking, using up large tracts of the scarce land, even as real estate development has gone vertical. Lessons from global experience are instructive. Globally, the governing principles of parking policy are changing. Instead of promoting unlimited supply of parking, parking demand is sought to be reduced by discouraging personal vehicle usage in congested areas. Such a move towards shared mobility is being encouraged in cities like Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Portland, etc., where fiscal disincentives have been put in place on use of personal vehicles, making public transport or a commercial hire a more lucrative financial choice. This frees up street spaces and parking lots, converting them into cycle lanes and recreational areas. Since India faces similar challenges, it is only natural that India’s response should also resonate with action taken across the globe. According to a study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a car in India on an average is parked for over 95 per cent of the time and is driven for less than five per cent of its life. The survey concluded that on an average, a car spends 8,360 hours parked and is only driven for 400 hours in a year. Cars or two-wheelers account for 85 per cent of parking space usage but provide for only 4-5 per cent of travel demand. In contrast, cabs account for 4-5 per cent of parking and on an average carry 15-20 times more passengers than a private car. The study also highlighted the vast land usage committed to this ever-rising parking demand in urban areas. It estimated that the annual additional demand for parking spaces can be equivalent to as much as 471 football fields in Delhi, 100 in Chennai, 58 in Chandigarh, and 179 in Gurgaon. The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), has gone on record to state that provisions of parking for personal vehicles cannot be considered a matter of public good. Land is a limited resource, so there is a limit to the additional parking spaces that can be created in a city. Decades of experience in India and across the world bear testimony to the fact that the demand for parking is insatiable. New mobility services and established mass transit must complement each other to build systems that serve consumers regardless of where they live within the cities or their circumstance. Already, for many of the millennials and Gen Z in India, the car has gone from being seen as a property asset to becoming a service that young people pay for only when they need it. It is expected that by the end of the decade, more apps, shared services, and electrification will significantly expand mobility’s scope and modes. New mobility services have the potential to carve out a meaningful role in future mobility for themselves. These are cues for policymakers to get more actively involved in envisioning these new services in the urban transportation system. One of the most powerful outcomes of shared mobility is the impact on the environment. The ability of states to garner revenues to combat the environment lies in innovative regulations. A commercial vehicle contributes substantially higher taxes, tolls and GST—a part of which needs to be channelised right to get this segment to grow. Despite the Green fund subsidies for manufacture of EVs through the FAME schemes, the current sales of electric vehicles (EV) is less than five per cent of the total vehicle sales against an ambitious target of a complete switch over for all new vehicles by 2030. Due to a higher initial capital cost, a loan for purchasing an EV entails higher EMIs than its fossil fuelled equivalent, offsetting some of the advantage of the lower running cost. A targeted interest subvention scheme for purchase of EVs by the marginal earners of commercial vehicles would create excellent self-employment opportunities. Further, Priority Sector Lending (PSL) for green mobility can be expanded to the last mile to cover purchase loans, especially for women drivers which would enable more women to earn their livelihood with complete flexibility in working hours. The tech platforms could also provide enhanced safety for women riders by mapping them to women drivers as a preference. The possibilities to convert this into an opportunity are endless. However, state governments must be exhorted to bring out the attendant rules and regulations to enable the tech platforms to aggregate all vehicles without an exception—through a single licence. The road to success need not be lined with many tempting parking spaces.

• Renewable Energy

Ethanol blending allowed up to 20% in petrol

Domestically produced ethanol has been identified as an opportunity to reduce oil imports, in an effort to achieve energy independence Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched petrol blended with 20 per cent ethanol (ethyl alcohol), also called ‘E20’, at the India Energy Week February 6, 2023. This is touted to be a landmark green initiative to help the country reduce carbon emissions. Ethanol is a biofuel naturally produced by the fermentation of sugar extracted from sugarcane and agricultural waste such as bagasse and paddy straw. Ethanol, when blended with petrol, will reduce fossil fuel consumption and bring down the country’s import bills. The government is supporting advanced biofuel projects through the Pradhan Mantri Jivan Yojana with financial assistance of approximately Rs 25,000 crore. Domestically produced ethanol has been identified as an opportunity to reduce oil imports, in an effort to achieve energy independence. The following estimates were made by a presentation at the event: Ethanol blending will be lead to Forex savings in the country by Rs 55,000 crore per annum Ethanol blending will increase the farmer’s cumulative income by Rs 45,000 crore per annum Oil marketing companies (OMCs) are in the process of setting up 2G-3G ethanol plants with a total investment of Rs 8,000 crore per annum. According to the Niti Aayog report titled Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India-2020-25 prepared by an expert committee, the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas intended to introduce ethanol blended petrol in phases. The initial plan was to make E20 available by 2030, after introducing it in phases from April 2025 onwards. Now, the target is to scale it country-wide by 2025 onwards, after introducing it at 84 retail outlets of OMCs in 11 states and Union territories this year. Rahul Jain, deputy Programme Manager of the Renewable Energy Division at Centre for Science and Environment told Down to Earth: Automobile manufacturers are aware of the ethanol blending programme and are rolling out new flex fuel engines that accommodate an ethanol blend of up to 40 per cent-50 per cent. Manufacturers like Hero and Honda are preparing themselves for this. By the end of the year, newly manufactured two wheelers will be recalibrated. India plans to set up an International Biofuel Alliance through the G20 Presidency this year. 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.

• Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

Whether Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released a report titled ‘The Plastic Life-cycle November, 2022

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO: 43 ANSWERED ON: 06.02.2023 Plastic Pollution Pritam Gopinath Munde Rahul Ramesh Shewale Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:- (a) whether plastic pollution is a threat to human health and environment with scientific reports having proved that plastic is embedded throughout the food chain and if so, the facts thereof; (b) whether currently, more than 10,000 chemicals (additives) are used to manufacture plastics with close to one-fourth of the chemicals being proven to have adverse effects on human health and if so, the details thereof; (c) whether Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released a report titled ‘The Plastic Life-cycle November, 2022; (d) if so, the details of the facts revealed by the reports released by CSE; and (e) the reaction of the Government thereon and corrective measures taken in this regard? ANSWER MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV) (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House. *** Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 43 to be answered on 6th February, 2023 on “Plastic Pollution” by Dr. Pritam Gopinathrao Munde, Shri Rahul Ramesh Shewale, Hon’ble Members of Parliament. (a) &(b):The Central Pollution Control Board conducted a study ‘Impact of Plastic Waste Disposal on soil and water quality at Lucknow dumpsites’. It was observed in the study that dumping of plastic waste may deteriorate soil and underground water quality due to leaching of additives, colours, stabilizers and fillers present in different categories of plastic products.Additive chemicals and microplastics released from unmanaged and littered plastic waste can cause pollution of environment. Scientific reports on human health risk associated with additive chemicals and microplastics have variable conclusions. Some studies have estimated microplastics in different environment samples, biota and/or human tissue. Long term studies are required at relevant exposure levels to understand potential negative impacts on human health and to reach at conclusive findings. (c)& (d):The report on “Plastic Life-cycle” prepared by an NGO - Centre for Science and Environment, was released by them in November 2022 and is available in public domain. The report covers different stages of plastics from production, consumption, waste generation and management including recycling. (e) Identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, have already been prohibited, with effect from 1st July, 2022, vide Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021notified on 12th August 2021.The notification also prohibits manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of plastic carry bags having thickness less than seventy-five microns with effect from 30th September 2021, and having thickness less than thickness of one hundred and twenty microns with effect from the 31st December, 2022 The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the Guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging vide Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022, on 16th February 2022. The Guidelines stipulate mandatory targets on EPR, recycling of plastic packaging waste, reuse of rigid plastic packaging and use of recycled plastic content. The guidelines provide for moving towards sustainable plastic packaging and reducing the plastic foot print. The implementation of ban on identified single use plastic items coupled with extended producer responsibility on plastic packaging will reduce pollution caused by littered and unmanaged plastic waste. The following steps have been taken to strengthen implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 and to implement ban on identified single use plastic items: (i) All thirty-six States/UTs have constituted the Special Task Force under the chairpersonship of the Chief Secretary / Administrator for elimination of identified single use plastic items and effective plastic waste management. A National Level Taskforce has also been constituted by the Ministry for taking coordinated efforts to eliminate identified single use plastic items and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. Four meetings of the National Task Force have been held. (ii) Twenty Four State /UT Governments and concerned Central Ministries/Departments have already developed a comprehensive action plan for elimination of single use plastic and implement it in a time bound manner. (iii) Directions have been issued under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for setting up of institutional mechanism for enforcement of provisions of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 to all State Pollution Control Boards / Pollution Control Committees. Directions have also been issued to E-commerce companies, leading single use plastic sellers/users, and plastic raw material manufacturers with respect to phasing out of identified single use plastic items. Separately, custom authorities have been asked to stop the import of banned SUP items (iv) For effective monitoring of ban on identified single use plastic items and plastic waste management in the country the following online platforms are in operation (a) National Dashboard on for monitoring of comprehensive action plan implementation, (b) CPCB Monitoring Module for Compliance on Elimination of Single Use Plastic, and (c) CPCB Grievance Redressal App. (v) Regular enforcement drives have been undertaken by CPCB, SPCBs/PCCs to implement ban on identified single use plastic items and on plastic carry bags having thickness less than one hundred twenty microns. (vi) In order to provide assistance to MSME enterprises transitioning away from single use plastic items to eco-alternatives, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has made provisions in their ongoing schemes. A National Expo on eco-alternatives to banned single use plastics items and Conference of Startups - 2022 was organized jointly with Government of Tamil Nadu in Chennai on 26-27th September 2022 to raise awareness on alternatives. Awareness generation and capacity building programmes have been organized for elimination of single use plastics.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Government pulls plug on trams, a Kolkata icon set to go the ‘heritage’ route

Tram enthusiasts said the government's decision not to revive disused tram routes was "atrocious" and "unfortunate".Transport expert Anumita Roychowchury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), however, questioned the government's decision to pull the plug on trams. "When the city is embracing electric vehicles with such robustness, how can it discard its original EV? Around the world, trams are coming back to cities as the most climate-friendly means of transport. It does not make sense to turn a living mode of transport into dead, heritage routes," she said. Debashis Bhattacharya, president, Calcutta Tram Users Association (CTUA), said the decision to kill trams would make us "regress 70-80 years. The reasons cited by the authorities to abolish trams were the same reasons cited by city authorities (including Bombay's) worldwide in 1946-1950 to abolish trams, he said, adding, "Now, all major cities have revived trams." Four routes earmarked as "heritage routes", which may survive this flux are the existing two routes - Tollygunge-Ballygunge and Gariahat-Esplanade - and two more: Shyambazar-Esplanade and Kidderpore-Esplanade. Transport officials said, however, that should they decide to revive a route at any point in the future, it would not require much work. "Just the bitumen layer would have to be peeled off. The tracks would not be uprooted," said a source. Tram-lovers, however, fear the worst: once gone, there's almost no chance of a route coming back, several of them felt, speaking from personal experience. "The city is moving towards a car-centric policy. The space vacated by trams will inevitably be used for parking cars. So, the abolition of trams will actually add to the congestion of the city," said Abhijit Saha, a researcher into the history of mobility in Kolkata. Saha's book 'Rajpathe Tram' has been well-received.

• Director General Office

Joshimath: A well-engineered calamity

The town of Joshimath, located at an altitude of 1,874 metres on the slopes of the Himalayas, is sinking. It is feared that not only this town but many settlements around could be in danger of being wiped out. People are being evacuated and governments are desperately looking for safe ground where they could be shifted temporarily. It is a human tragedy and is man-made. The fact is that the Himalayas are the world’s youngest mountain ranges. This means that the slopes are unstable, built on moraine — practically loose soil — and so, prone to landslides and erosion. Combined with this is the fact that this region is in a highly seismic zone — it is classified as the most earthquake-prone. Then there is the added factor of climate change, which is bringing more volatility because of unseasonal and extreme rain events. The bottom line is that this region is “different” — it is not the plains of India which are situated on alluvial soil; it is not the Indian peninsular region where there is hard rock; it is not even the slopes of the Alps, where mountains have aged. You will say this is kindergarten knowledge — why do I need to tell you this? But I do, because we have completely lost the ability to plan keeping in mind the ecological uniqueness of the region. We have built mindlessly in the name of development. This is not to say that this region should not see roads, infrastructure, water, sewage, or housing. Rather, it is about the appropriateness of planning — how these structures will be built, where and in what numbers — and about ensuring that these plans are implemented. Take, for instance, the hydropower plants. There is concern — of course, that is being furiously negated by dam engineers — that the 520-Mw Tapovan-Vishnugad project is part of the reason for the soil collapse. In 2021, to this very date almost, the same area saw massive flash floods and landslides, which wiped out the Rishiganga hydropower project, killing some 200 people. Each disaster has the same message: Learn to respect the mountains before you build tunnels, roads, and houses. The fact is that this region has the ability to generate clean power from its mighty rivers. The question is how many hydropower units should be built, and how the damage from these built projects can be minimised. This is where the faith of engineers is blind to the region’s fragility. Or you could argue that they believe that all of nature is there to be dominated and re-engineered. I saw this first-hand when, in 2013, I was member of the high-level government committee to discuss these projects in the same region where this latest disaster has struck. The engineers had come up with a grand plan for some 9,000 Mw from 70-odd hydroelectric projects. According to their estimate (told with proud confidence), they would modify up to 80 per cent of the mighty Ganga and its tributaries in these moraine slopes through diversion in tunnels and then concrete structures and turbines for generating power. They told the committee they had “planned” the projects so that the river would be left with some 10 per cent flow through the lean season. In this back-to-back project design, the river would be re-engineered to be a drain. This was their idea of development. The alternative I suggested, which of course was dismissed and relegated to a dissent note, was that the projects that had already been built should be redesigned by mimicking the river flow. This would mean that more energy would be generated when there was more water in the river and less during its lean times — at all times, the river would flow and not be re-trained, as was their plan. We even showed, with the data that was provided by officials, that this would not result in loss of revenue for the projects. But it would mean that any future project would only come up if the river had excess water flow. It would mean many under-construction or proposed projects, including the Tapovan-Vishnugad plant, would be cancelled. This, of course, was not convenient to the dam proponents and I wrote then (and am repeating) that the engineers from the prestigious IIT-Roorkee manipulated data to convince the committee that all was well. Over this last decade virtually all the 70-odd projects are now being built, disaster or no disaster. So the issue on the table has to be our inability to use the knowledge for ensuring development that is ecologically appropriate and socially inclusive. Why is it that all the institutions set up to design projects — and there are many located in this very region — are unable to provide this technical advice? Is it because their “science” has become so fossilised and arrogant that they cannot comprehend the “nature” of their business? Or is it because policymaking has become so obstinate and obdurate that it refuses to entertain positions that are not in conformity with its chosen view? In this echo chamber there will be more disasters — let’s at least accept this.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Delhi Air Pollution: दिल्ली में प्रदूषण का भी बदला ट्रेंड, साल 2022 में सर्दी रही साफ और गर्मी प्रदूषित

दिल्ली में बारिश का ही नहीं, प्रदूषण का ट्रेंड भी बदल रहा है। सर्दियों से ज्यादा प्रदूषण गर्मियों के माह में रहने लगा है। वर्ष 2022 की ही बात करें तो सालाना एक्यूआइ के स्तर में भले ज्यादा बदलाव नहीं हुआ, लेकिन सर्दियों और गर्मियों के महीनों की स्थिति में खासा बदलाव देखने को मिलता है। गौरतलब है कि दिल्ली मेें वर्षा भी जून, जूलाई में अधिक नहीं होती बल्कि अगस्त सितंबर में रिकार्ड बनाती है। इसी तरह इस साल सर्दी में भी नवंबर और दिसंबर सूखे रहे जबकि जनवरी में अच्छी बरसात हो गई। वर्षा के इस बदलते ट्रेंड का असर भी प्रदूषण पर साफ देखने को मिल रहा है। पड़ोसी राज्यों की धूल से बढ़ा प्रदूषण वायु गुणवत्ता प्रबंधन आयोग (सीएक्यूएम) के अनुसार 2022 के तीन महीने जनवरी, फरवरी और दिसंबर सबसे बेहतर गुजरे। तीनों महीनों में 2018 से अभी तक प्रदूषण का स्तर सबसे कम रहा है। वहीं जुलाई, अक्टूबर और नवंबर इस मामले में दूसरे पायदान पर रहे। दूसरी ओर शुष्क मौसम के कारण अप्रैल, मई और जून में धूल की समस्या काफी अधिक रही। पड़ोसी राज्यों की धूल से इन तीनों महीनों में प्रदूषण बढ़ गया। साल के औसत एक्यूआइ स्तर में 2021 की तुलना में कोई कमी नहीं आई। सीएक्यूएम के अनुसार 2022 का पीएम 2.5 का दैनिक औसत स्तर कोराेना काल के तकरीबन 98 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर दर्ज किया गया। सीएक्यूएम के अनुसार 2022 में सिर्फ 204 घंटे ही पीएम 2.5 का स्तर ''गंभीर'' श्रेणी में रहा। वहीं 2021 में 628 घंटे इस श्रेणी में रहा था। इस साल लोगों को 1096 घंटे ''अच्छी'' श्रेणी की हवा मिली। 2021 में यह महज 827 घंटे ही नसीब हुई थी। मालूम हो कि ''अच्छी'' श्रेणी की हवा उसे माना जाता है जब एक्यूआइ 200 के नीचे रहे। सीईईडब्ल्यू (काउंसिल आन एनवायरमेंट एंड वाटर) की प्रोग्राम लीड तनुश्री गांगुली ने कहा कि शुष्क मौसम की वजह से इस बार गर्मियां अधिक प्रदूषित रही। वहीं सर्दियों में मौसम ने दिल्ली का साथ दिया। इसलिए प्रदूषण का स्तर कम हुआ। ग्रेप के संशोधित वर्जन से भी इस बार प्रदूषण कम हुआ है। सीएसई (सेंटर फार साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट) की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता राय चौधरी ने कहा कि इस साल सर्दियों में हवाएं अच्छी चली हैं। ग्रेप को पूर्वानुमान के आधार पर लागू किया है। पराली के मामले भी काफी कम हुए हैं। दिवाली पहले ही आ गई थी। प्रदूषण कम करने के लिए निरंतर इन प्रयासों का होना जारी रहना चाहिए।

• Rural Water-Waste Management

Despite cultural, technical and other challenges, Kolhapur makes progress in adoption of biogas-linked toilets

25% of the toilets in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district are linked to biogas units that convert the waste to fuel while tackling faecal sludge on the spot. This is significant given that in general in India, there is a taboo attached to using human excreta to generate biogas, which is then used in cooking. Highly subsidised competing schemes for cooking fuel, fertilisers, and sanitation in India, along with low technical know-how, also contributes to its low adaptation. Since the time she got married, 35-year-old Rupali Choudhary has spent a significant amount of her time every day, cooking for the family. She would go to a forest near her village, three times a day, to collect firewood for cooking. In 2018, these trips reduced, freeing up some time, after a biogas plant was installed in her backyard. Cooking could now be done on the biogas-powered cookstove and was smoke-free, while also reducing dependence on firewood. The cookstove is powered by biogas from the biogas plant that is connected to the newly constructed toilet in her house. As many as 60 of the 100 families in her village Chaudharwadi in Kolhapur district of the western state of Maharashtra, have linked their toilets to biogas digesters where organic matter from the toilets generates biogas as it decomposes. This also means that Choudhary doesn’t have to go to the common public toilet every day for defaecation. “I spend more time in the fields now. The slurry from the plant makes good manure which we use in our two-acre sugarcane plantation. The expenditure on urea has come down as a result,” says Choudhary. “Biogas-linked toilets have been life-changing for our women who carry the burden of work when it comes to cooking and firewood collection and even risk safety when going out of home for defaecation,” said Gauri P. Mathapati, Agricultural Officer of Kolhapur. Around 25% of toilets in Kolhapur – 1,19, 780 out of 5,30,000 – are linked to biogas plants. The district has ranked first in the country several times and in Maharashtra since 1982 for achieving targets in the construction of biogas digestors. As many as 12 of the 1186 villages in Kolhapur have 100% coverage of biogas-linked toilets (BLTs). The initiative to link existing or new toilets to biogas plants was started by the district administration in Kolhapur when the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a national sanitation project, was launched in 2014. The government offers a subsidy of about 30% of the estimated expenditure, to incentivise people to set up biogas-linked toilets. But the initiative has had its challenges, primarily, one of behavioural change. “Toilets trigger a feeling of disgust in people. Mindset change to think of faecal matter as a resource was the biggest hurdle in the process. But a rigorous awareness programme helped,” said Vijay Patil, District Programme Manager (District Water and Sanitation Mission), Kolhapur. India was declared open defaecation-free in 2019. But there is still no sewerage network in rural India. Out of six lakh villages in India, only 1.36 lakhs have some arrangement for liquid waste management, mostly twin pits or a single pit that needs to be emptied every few years. And this has emerged as the biggest impediment to using toilets, according to a 2018 study in Bihar. Some villages transport the emptied-out faecal sludge to treatment plants in nearby urban areas but that is an expensive affair. “On-site management is crucial to deal with human excreta because that is the only way value can be created out of it. BLTs can be set up in any terrain and are especially good for water-logged areas,” said Sushmita Sengupta, Senior Programme Manager, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a New Delhi-based think-tank. Fuel from waste A typical biogas plant in India has cow dung as its main feedstock and consists of three parts – an inlet from where dung mixed with water is fed, a digester, and an outlet connected to a slurry collection tank. The human toilet is directly connected to the digester via a PVC pipeline and does not require manual handling. Biogas, comprising 55-65% methane, 35-44% carbon dioxide, and traces, is produced as the organic matter decomposes and is piped from the top of the digester to the cooking stove. The increased pressure from the gas forces out the slurry, the by-product of the process, into the slurry storage tank. The slurry, retained in the digester for 20-30 days, decomposes most pathogens and weed seeds, making nitrogen-rich manure. Biogas is derived from waste, unlike bioethanol or bio-diesel, so it does not involve competition with land and biodiversity for food products. Biogas plants that operate only on human excreta are not sustainable for household purposes as feedstock is too low to produce an adequate amount of gas. A mix of cow dung and human excreta are more efficient. “One kilogram of cow dung produces 40 litres of biogas while a kg of human excreta produces 70 litres of gas. So naturally, there is higher availability of cooking fuel per day (if a mix of cow dung and human excreta is used),” said R.P. Nilkanth, managing director of Shivsadan Sehkari Society, an agency that supplies prefabricated biogas plants in Kolhapur. A basic biogas unit of two cubic meters/day (2000 litres) capacity, which is enough for a family of five for its daily use, requires dung from 4-5 cattle and human excreta every day. “Over a month, a two cubic metre plant can produce 60 cubic metres of biogas equivalent to 26 kgs of LPG, 88 kg of charcoal or 210 kg of firewood. If a family uses one LPG cylinder a month and shifts to BLT, it will save Rs. 12,000 annually,” says a report Big Change is possible, a compendium of successful case studies on rural water supply and wastewater management, by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Image shows a schematic representation of a biogas toilet Illustrated schematic of a fixed-dome toilet-linked anaerobic digester (TLAD). Dark blue arrows depict the flow of feedstock and the light blue arrows, show the flow of biogas. The feedstocks from A) the toilet and B) the cow/animal dung and other organic waste inlet flows into the digester (F) after mixing with water. As the organic waste decomposes biogas builds up inside the digester and flows through a pipe (E) directly to the kitchen stove via a pressure gradient. The production of biogas increases the pressure inside the fixed dome structure (C) and forces the by-product of the process (a nutrient rich, and predominantly liquid product called slurry that can be used as a plant fertiliser) out and into the slurry storage area (D). Typically, the biogas dome (C) is all that can be seen above ground of the main digester, though in some cases both (F) and (C) are buried underground. Image source: Williams, N. B., Quilliam, R. S., Campbell, B., Ghatani, R., & Dickie, J. (2022). Taboos, toilets and biogas: Socio-technical pathways to acceptance of a sustainable household technology. Energy Research & Social Science, 86, 102448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2021.102448 Progress in Kolhapur Dhundawade village in the Gaganbawada block of Kolhapur has 60 families, all of whom had BLTs by 2021. “Gaganbawada gets the highest rainfall after Meghalaya. During monsoon, it became difficult to keep the firewood dry,” said Sarjarav Chaudhary, the Sarpanch of Dhundawade. The first BLT was installed in Dhundawade 15 years ago. “People saw the benefits. We needed 500 kgs of urea in one acre of paddy field earlier. With the use of slurry, only 150 kgs are needed now. Some people got LPG connections recently, but even they have given that up now as there is enough biogas to sustain the entire day’s cooking,” he said. Kolhapur has a shallow water table and experiences periodic flooding. “Having a deep pit for sewage collection would contaminate water here,” said Prakash S. Patil of Padali Khu village, where 250 of the 1700 households have BLTs. The leaching of faecal waste from pits and thus the risk of pathogens contaminating drinking water sources is common in areas with a high groundwater table or monsoon rains, says a 2019 study, When the pits fill up: (in)visible flows of waste in urban India by water and sanitation researchers C. S. Sharada Prasad and Isha Ray. ‘Taboo’ technology District Programme Manager Patil cited an instance when a committee of officials from outside Maharashtra came to check on the implementation of Nirmal Gram, a sanitation scheme, in Kolhapur in 2011. The officials refused to have tea made on a stove linked to BLT. “If that is the attitude of officials in the sanitation department, how can we expect unaware people to adopt this technology,” he said. Biogas technology received increased attention in India after the first oil crisis in the 1970s, when it was evident that commercial energy would remain outside the economic reach of the rural as well as the urban poor. The National Biogas Development Programme started in 1981 to give subsidies to encourage biogas plants, as a way to make energy more accessible and alleviate the impacts of the crisis. It is now called the New National Biogas and Organic Manure Programme. With a bovine population of 300 million, which is the source of feedstock for biogas plants, India has the potential of setting up more than 12 million biogas units. To date, five million plants have been installed in the country. For BLTs specifically, there is no official record of how many exist in India. In 2020-21, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy targetted setting up 8450 such biogas toilets, 14% of its annual target of 60,000 biogas plants. The government offers a subsidy of Rs. 14,350 for a two cubic metre biogas plant along with an additional Rs. 1,600 for connecting it to the toilet. The subsidy is about 30% of the estimated expenditure of Rs. 50,000. Yet, the uptake is not as expected. Dhirendra and Smita Soneji, engineering professors turned farmers, in Gujarat’s Narmada district, became village-level supervisors with Prayas, an NGO that installed biogas plants in Gujarat in 1986 and linked the biogas units to toilets. “But nobody used those toilets. They would store wood or farming tools in them but never used it for defaecation,” they said. A 2022 study conducted in Assam, by researchers from the state and the United Kingdom, deconstructs the reasons for reluctance to adopt BLTs into technical, socio-cultural and socio-technical. According to the study, the socio-cultural reasons are rooted in the caste system in India that divides society on the basis of occupations and the perception of purity and pollution. Study participants shared perceptions such as BLTs are against religious practice, it is a sin to cook food on a BLT, it is a crime to mix cow dung with human excreta, elderly people in the family won’t accept it, relatives won’t eat at their house. They will be excluded from their caste or village if people discover they are using BLT. The study found that a lack of knowledge and experience as to how a BLT works reinforce these beliefs. The socio-technical reasons mentioned in the study are that the food will smell of a toilet, the visualisation of food being cooked on toilet gas is abhorrent, maintaining BLTs is a dirty job, and eating food cooked on biogas is ritually and physically polluting. The participants, however, felt that anonymity about the fuel source might make people used to BLTs. “It is like farmers buying manure from sewage treatment plants to spread it in their fields but not wanting to handle the organic manure coming out of their biogas plant,” said Pradeep Acharya, former assistant professor at the Department of Biogas Research and Microbiology at Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad and presently a consultant on BLTs. Image shows people standing next to their house Beneficiaries who are correctly using BLTs say that there are sociocultural taboos associated with their use, and fear ostracism. Photo by Agricultural Officer, Zila Parishad, Kolhapur. Another reason for the low acceptability of BLTs is no perceived necessity. The services offered by BLT- cooking fuel, fertiliser and sanitation find competition in subsidised and fossil fuel-based LPG and chemical fertilisers and the Government’s Swachch Bharat Mission, which has BLTs as a component but focuses mainly on basic pit latrines. Capital cost, less know-how about maintenance of the biogas plant, and the government’s inability to reach the right beneficiaries have affected the success of biogas, says Prateek Shilpkar, assistant professor at the Department of Biogas and Microbiology at Gujarat Vidyapith. “Biogas is a perfect circular technology, but it should reach the needy people, those who still depend on firewood and do not have a toilet,” he said. A biogas plant requires regular maintenance- adequate water, daily feeding of dung, no use of acidic toilet cleaners, periodic cleaning and stirring, proper sunlight or hot water in winter when microbial action slows down- a task people find cumbersome. The lack of trained masons to repair the plant when it has fallen into disuse adds to the problem. Because of the rising prices of concrete, the capital cost of a two cubic metre biogas plant is above Rs 50,000. “They should give at least 50% subsidy so that people come forward. The cost of the toilet adds up too. Though the government gives a subsidy of Rs. 12,000 for the toilet, the entire cost of the set-up is more than 2-3 months’ income of most people,” said Uttam Nigade, a turn-key worker who has been installing biogas plants in Kolhapur since 1997.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Govt budgets for ‘green growth’ but experts call it inadequate to tackle air pollution

Focusing on ‘green growth’ through multi-pronged approach in different sectors, the budget may have sent an overall positive signal for environment and climate change but it lacks a clear direction to deal with the problem of air pollution despite proposing higher allocation for the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) that deals with the critical issue beyond Delhi-NCR. The provision for the air pollution abatement measures, in fact, presents a mixed picture. Different provisions including clean energy push in power and transport sectors will help reduce pollutants, but the absence of dedicated attention to crop residue management or crop diversification will not help in resolving the issue during the peak pollution period in north-west India. The lack of focus will shift the responsibility of crop residue management from Centre to states - a proposition that does not appear to be encouraging for the cause. The budget for the environment ministry at around Rs 3,079 crore saw an increase of over 24% compared to revised estimates (Rs 2,478 crore) of the current year, but it remains flat compared to the budget estimates of 2022-23. The ‘control of pollution’ segment, conceptualised to provide financial assistance to pollution control boards/committees funding to NCAP, has, however, seen a consistent increase - from Rs 406 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 600 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 756 crore in 2023-24, a jump of 26% over current year. The money will go to different states for strengthening their air pollution monitoring system and taking other related measures to keep a tab on various pollutants round the year. Considering that the focus of the air quality management has to be on implementation now, it is necessary to see the trend in sectoral spending that has a bearing on air quality. From that perspective there are some positives in the transport sector. Doubling of subsidy budget for FAME II scheme and customs duty cut on lithium-ion batteries, along with fund allocation for replacement of old government vehicles, are an opportunity for fleet transformation," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). “The increased funding for NCAP is welcome, but the lack of attention to crop residue management or crop diversification mean there is unlikely to be any substantial improvement in crop residue burning this winter,” said Bhargav Krishna, fellow at New Delhi-based think tank, Centre for Policy Research (CPR).

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Study flags unaccounted sources adding to Delhi’s pollution load

The real time apportionment study of Delhi’s pollution sources have thrown up a quandary for experts studying the data -- a significant chunk of the city’s pollution sources are unknown. These pollution sources are classified under the “other” category, and experts say unless these sources are recognised, they cannot be acted upon in the fight to bring down pollution. According to the R-AASMAN portal, which displays apportionment data in real time, the contribution of “others” as a source of Delhi’s pollution load peaked at 18% at 10 pm on Wednesday, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the total pollution load. IIT Kanpur professor Mukesh Sharma, who is leading Delhi’s real-time source apportionment project, said, “These are sources which are too small to map, or the model cannot place it into a defined category. He said observations so far showed that the percentage of the “others” category on Delhi’s pollution load was higher on days when pollution levels were relatively low. “On a day when the air quality is relatively clean, we are seeing these sources become more prominent. Otherwise, their contribution through the day can be 2-5%,” he said. Real-time data from the portal showed the 24-hour contribution of the ‘others’ category was 9% on Tuesday, 5% on Wednesday and 2% on Thursday. A similar finding has been recorded by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology’s (IITM) Decision Support System (DSS), which also uses the “others” category in its model for calculating the possible contribution of different sources of pollution. On a daily average, these “other” sources accounted for only around 1-2% of the pollution load, but their contribution of pollution sources from outside Delhi was around 32% on Thursday. VK Soni, scientist at IMD, who is part of the DSS, said while all major sources of pollution are already mapped, there is a greater need to map sources in the national capital region in particular. “So far, we are mapping the source contribution from 19 NCR districts, but pollution coming from beyond these districts is then going into the others category. That shows that even more sources can be tracked and mapped. Once a fresh emissions inventory is calculated, more sources can be logged into the system,” he said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said there are a whole range of industrial processes which could be releasing different types of pollution or gases into the air. “Some may form secondary aerosols and some processes may be difficult to classify directly. This still shows that we can expand our emissions inventory further moving ahead and each small source once tackled, can help improve air quality in a region,” she said.