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केंद्र सरकार के प्रदूषण विरोधी अभियान के चार साल पूरे, जानिये किस शहर की हवा में कितना सुधार

नेशनल क्लीन एयर प्रोग्राम के डेटा के अनुसार राजधानी दिल्ली साल 2022 में सबसे प्रदूषित शहर बन गया था. वायु गुणवत्ता के मामले में दिल्ली का आज भी हाल सबसे बुरा है. साल 2019 के 10 जनवरी को देश में वायु प्रदूषण संकट से निपटने के लिए पर्यावरण वन और जलवायु परिवर्तन मंत्रालय ने नेशनल क्लीन एयर प्रोग्राम यानी राष्ट्रीय स्वच्छ वायु अभियान शुरू किया था. इस अभियान की शुरुआत हुए जनवरी, 2023 में 4 साल का वक्त बीत चुका है लेकिन इन चार सालों में कोई भी शहर अपना निर्धारित लक्ष्य पूरा नहीं कर पाई है. साल 2019 में इस अभियान के लॉन्च के वक्त डॉ. हर्षवर्धन ने कहा था, “इस योजना का उद्देश्य देश की हवा में बढ़ रहे प्रदूषण को नियंत्रित करना है. इसके अलावा इस योजना के तहत पूरे देश में वायु गुणवत्ता निगरानी नेटवर्क को बढ़ाना, देश और जागरूकता और क्षमता निर्माण गतिविधियों को मजबूत करना है." 122 शहरों के हवा की गुणवत्ता पर काम करने का टारगेट इस योजना के तहत केंद्र सरकार ने एक लक्ष्य निर्धारित किया जिसके तहत 122 शहरों के हवा को साफ करने का टारगेट रखा गया था. इन 122 शहरों की वायु गुणवत्ता को सुधारने के लिए चार सालों में 6897.06 करोड़ रुपये का फंड जारी किया जा चुका है. इनमें से राष्ट्रीय स्वच्छ वायु अभियान के तहत भी 82 शहरों को फंडिंग दी गई. 'द हिंदू' की एक रिपोर्ट के अनुसार इन करोड़ों रुपये की फंडिंग के बाद भी इन शहरों की हवा की क्वालिटी दिन-ब-दिन खराब होती जा रही है. इसमें कोई खास सुधार नहीं देखा गया. कितना मिला था टारगेट और कहां तक पहुंचे? राष्ट्रीय स्वच्छ वायु अभियान के तहत साल 2024 तक देशभर के 122 शहरों में सालाना PM2.5 और PM10 स्तर को 20 से 30 प्रतिशत कम करने का लक्ष्य तय गया था. हालांकि, साल 2022 के सितंबर तक सभी निर्धारित शहर इस लक्ष्य को पूरा नहीं कर पाएं. जिसके बाद सरकार की तरफ से इसे बढ़ाकर साल 2026 कर दिया गया. लेकिन समय बढ़ाने के साथ ही हवा को सुधारने का लक्ष्य भी 20 प्रतिशत से बढ़ाकर 40 प्रतिशत तक कर दिया गया और पहचाने गए शहरों की संख्या को भी बढ़ाकर 131 शहर कर दिया गया. कैसा रहा एनसीएपी का प्रदर्शन वायु प्रदूषण के नियमन के लिए पोर्टल PRANA पर दी गई जानकारी के अनुसार 131 टारगेट किए गए शहरों में से 95 शहरों में पीएम 10 लेवल में कमी देखी गई है. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट एनालिसिस, अर्बन लैब के अनुसार 6 सितंबर, 2022 को जारी NCAP पर एक रिपोर्ट में बताया गया कि, 'राष्ट्रीय स्वच्छ वायु कार्यक्रम के तहत टारगेट किए गए 131 शहरों और इसके दायरे से बाहर के शहरों के बीच समग्र PM2.5 प्रवृत्तियों में कोई अंतर नहीं पाया गया है.' किस शहर का है सबसे बुरा हाल नेशनल क्लीन एयर प्रोग्राम के डेटा के अनुसार राजधानी दिल्ली साल 2022 में सबसे प्रदूषित शहर बन गया था. वायु गुणवत्ता के मामले में राजधानी दिल्ली का हाल आज भी सबसे बुरा है. साल 2019 में जब इस योजना की शुरुआत की गई थी तब राजधानी दिल्ली हवा की गुणवत्ता के मामले में तीसरे स्थान पर था. लेकिन पिछले साल यह भारत के दूसरे सबसे प्रदूषित शहर के लिस्ट में शामिल हो गया. हालांकि, इससे ये नहीं कहा जा सकता कि दिल्ली की हवा के स्तर में सुधार नहीं हुआ है. राजधानी में सालाना PM2.5 स्तर में 7.4 फीसदी सुधार हुआ. डेटा के अनुसार 2019 से दिल्ली के हवा क्वालिटी की तुलना करें, तो इसमें 7 फीसदी से ज्यादा का सुधार हुआ है. प्रदूषित हवाओं वाले शहर के मामले में गाजियाबाद में 22.2 प्रतिशत का सुधार हुआ है. वहीं नोएडा में भी 29.8 फीसदी सुधार हुआ है. 2022 में टॉप 10 सबसे प्रदूषित शहरों की लिस्ट में अधिकतर शहर इंडो-गंगेटिक प्लेन से थे. बिहार के तीन शहर पटना, मुजफ्फरपुर और गया, अब PM2.5 स्तरों के आधार पर टॉप 10 सबसे प्रदूषित शहरों में शामिल हैं. वहीं, 10 में से 9 शहर जो 2019 में सबसे अधिक प्रदूषित थे. इन शहरों ने अपने PM2.5 और PM10 सांद्रता को कम किया है. हालांकि, इन शहरों में PM2.5 और PM10 का लेवल CPCB की वार्षिक औसत सुरक्षित सीमा से बहुत ज्यादा है. क्या है PM 2.5 और PM 10? सेंट्रल फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट के पर्यावरणविद विवेक चट्टोपाध्याय ने एबीपी न्यूज़ को बताया कि पीएम का मतलब होता है पार्टिकुलेट मैटर , जो हवा के अंदर मौजूद सूक्ष्म कणों को मापते हैं. 2.5 और 10 हवा में मौजूद कणों के आकार को दर्शाता है. यानि कि पार्टिकुलेट मैटर (PM) का आंकड़ा जितना कम होगा, हवा में मौजूद कण उतने ही छोटे होते हैं. पीएम 2.5 का स्तर धुएं से ज्यादा बढ़ता है यानि कि अगर हम कुछ चीजें वातावरण में जलते हैं. तो वो पीएम 2.5 का स्तर बढ़ता है. ये धुएं, धूल आदि के कणों को दर्शाता है यानि कि हवा में मौजूद कण 2.5 माइक्रोमीटर छोटे हैं. पीएम 10 का मतलब होता है कि हवा में मौजूद कण 10 माइक्रोमीटर से भी छोटे हैं, और जब पीएम 10, पीएम 2.5 का स्तर 100 से ऊपर पहुंचता है. तो ये खराब श्रेणी को दर्शाता है यानि हवा में धूल, मिट्टी, धुंध के कण ज्यादा मात्रा में मौजूद है. जो आसानी से सांस के जरिए आप के फेफड़ों तक पहुंच सकते हैं. विवेक चट्टोपाध्याय ने बताया कि पर्टिकुलर मैटर 2.5 और 10 जो की हवा में मौजूद कणों को मापने के लिए इस्तेमाल किए जाते हैं. वायु में पीएम 2.5 और 10 का स्तर बढ़ने के बाद सांस लेने में तकलीफ आंखों में जलन आदि की समस्या शुरू हो जाती है, सबसे ज्यादा समस्या उन लोगों को आती है जो सांस के मरीज और अस्थमा के मरीज है. इसके साथ ही लगातार खराब वायु में सांस लेने से लंग्स कैंसर की समस्या भी हो सकती है. गैर एनसीएपी शहरों की तुलना में कोई खास अंतर नहीं CSE की एक कहती है कि जिन शहरों को राष्ट्रीय स्वच्छ वायु अभियान के लिए चुना गया और उनके हवा के गुणवत्ता को कम करने के लिए करोड़ों रुपये खर्च किए गए उन शहरों और गैर एनसीएपी शहरों में कोई खास फर्क नहीं नजर आया है.

दुनिया में बढ़ती अमीरी-गरीबी की खाई

दुनियाभर में अमीरी और गरीबी के बीच खाई निरन्तर बढ़ती जा रही है। कोरोना काल में इसमें ज्यादा इजाफा देखा गया। इसी बढ़ती खाई को लेकर पूरी दुनिया में नई बहस छिड़ी है। गरीबी उन्मूलन के लि ए कार्यरत संस्था ऑक्सफैम इंटरनेशनल की वर्ल्ड इकोनॉमिक फोरम की बैठक से ठीक पहले आई रिपोर्ट ‘सर्वाइवल ऑफ द रिचेस्ट: द इंडिया स्टोरी’ में इसे लेकर कई चौंका चौं देने वाले खुलासे किए गए हैं। इस रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक भारत के 21 सबसे अमीर अरबपतियों के पास इस समय देश के 70 करोड़ लोगों से भी ज्यादा दौलत है और वर्ष 2021 में भारत की कुल संपत्ति में से 62 फीसदी हिस्से पर देश के केवल 5 प्रतिशत लोगों का ही कब्जा था जबकि भारत की निचले तबके की बहुत बड़ी आबादी का देश की केवल तीन फीसदी सम्पत्ति पर ही कब्जा रहा। इस रि पोर्ट के मुताबिक भारत में 2020 में अरबपतियों की संख्या 102 थी, जो 2022 में 166 पर पहुंच गई पिछले साल नवम्बर तक भारतीय अरबपतियों की सम्पत्ति में 121 फीसदी तक बढ़ोतरी देखी गई। कोरोना महामारी के दौर में भारत के अरबपतियों की दौलत में प्रतिदिन 3608 करोड़ रुपये बढ़े। ऑक्सफैम की इस रिपोर्ट के अनुसार भारत के 100 सबसे अमीर लोगों की सम्पत्ति 54.12 लाख करोड़ रुपये के पार जा चुकी है, जिससे 18 महीनों तक देश का पूरा बजट चलाया जा सकता है। संस्था ने सरकार को सलाह दी है कि यदि भारतीय अरबपतियों की कुल सम्पत्ति पर महज दो फीसदी टैक्स लगा दिया जाए तो उसी से आगामी तीन वर्षों तक कुपोषण के शिकार बच्चों की सभी जरूरतों को बहुत आसानी से पूरा किया जा सकता है। ऑक्सफैम की एक रिपोर्ट में पहले भी कहा जा चुका है कि अमीर लोग महामारी के समय में आरामदायक जिंदगी का आनंद ले रहे थे जबकि स्वास्थ्य कर्मचारी, दुकानों में काम करने वाले और विक्रेता जरूरी भुगतान करने में असमर्थ थे।ऑक्सफैम के मुख्य कार्यकारी अधिकारी अमिताभ बेहर के मुताबिक रिपोर्ट से स्पष्ट है कि अन्यायपूर्ण आर्थिक व्यवस्था से किस तरह सबसे बड़े आर्थिक संकट के दौ रान सबसे धनी लोगों ने बहुत अधिक सम्पत्ति अर्जित की जबकि करोड़ों लोग बेहद मुश्किल से गुजर-बसर कर रहे हैं। ऑक्सफैम की पिछले साल की रिपोर्ट में भी कहा गया था कि यदि कोरोना के कुबेरों से वसूली होती तो देश में आर्थिक असमानता को लेकर स्थिति इतनी खराब नहीं होती। इससे पूर्व ‘रिफ्यूजी इंटरनेशनल’ की एक रिपोर्ट में भी खुलासा हुआ था कि कोरोना महामारी ने दुनियाभर में 16 करोड़ से भी ज्यादा ऐसे लोगों के रहने का ठिकाना छीन लिया , जो भुखमरी, बेरोजगारी तथा आतंकवाद के कारण अपने घर या देश छोड़कर दूसरी जगहों पर बस गए थे। रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक कोरोना महामारी सामाजिक असमानताओं को और उभा र रही है। संयुक्त राष्ट्र और डेनवर वि श्वविद्यालय के एक अध्ययन में भी कहा जा चुका है कि महामारी के दीर्घकालिक परिणामों के चलते वर्ष 2030 तक 20.7 करोड़ और लोग बेहद गरीबी की ओर जा सकते हैं और यदि ऐसा हुआ तो दुनियाभर में बेहद गरीब लोगों की संख्या एक अरब को पार कर जाएगी। विश्व खाद्य कार्यक्रम के एक आकलन के अनुसार दुनियाभर में 82 करोड़ से भी ज्यादा लोग हर रात भूखे सोते हैं और बहुत जल्द 13 करोड़ और लोग भुखमरी तक पहुंच सकते हैं। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) की ‘स्टेट ऑफ इंडियाज एनवायरनमेंट इन फिगर्स 2020’ रिपोर्ट में कहा गया था कि कोरोना से वैश्विक गरी बी दर में 22 वर्षों में पहली बार बढ़ोतरी होगी और भारत की गरीब आबादी में 1.2 करोड़ लोग और जुड़ जाएंगे। विश्व के कई अन्य देशों के साथ भारत में भी बढ़ती आर्थिक असमानता बेहद चिंताजनक है क्योंकिक्यों बढ़ती विषमता का दुष्प्रभाव देश के विकास और समाज पर दिखाई देता है और इससे कई तरह की सामाजिक और राजनीतिक विसंगतियां भी पैदा होती हैं। करीब दो वर्ष पहले भी यह तथ्य सामने आया था कि भारत के केवल एक फीसदी सर्वाधिक अमीर लोगों के पास ही देश की कम आय वाली 70 फीसदी आबा दी की तुलना में चार गुना से ज्यादा और देश के अरबपतियों के पास देश के कुल बजट से भी ज्यादा सम्पत्ति है। विश्व आर्थिक पत्रिका ‘फोर्ब्स’ की अरबपतियों की सूची में सौ से भी ज्यादा भारतीय हैं जबकि तीन दशक पहले तक इस सूची में एक भी भारतीय नाम नहीं होता था। हालांकि देश में अरबपतियों की संख्या बढ़ना हर भारतीय के लिए गर्व की बात होनी चाहिए लेकिन गर्व भी तभी हो सकता है, जब इसी अनुपात में गरीबों की आर्थिक सेहत में भी सुधार हो। ऑक्सफैम की हालिया रिपोर्ट में मांग की गई है कि धनी लोगों पर उच्च सम्पत्ति कर लगाते हुए श्रमिकों के लिए मजबूत संरक्षण का प्रबंध किया जाए। दरअसल बड़े औद्योगिक घरानों पर टैक्स लगाकर सार्वजनिक सेवाओं के लिए आवश्यक संसाधन जुटाए जा सकते हैं। कुछ विशेषज्ञों का मत है कि देश के शीर्ष धनकुबेरों पर महज डेढ़ फीसदी सम्पत्ति कर लगाकर ही देश के कई करोड़ लोगों की गरीबी दूर की जा सकती है लेकिन किसी भी सरकार के लिए यह कार्य इतना सहज नहीं है। दरअसल यह जगजाहिर है कि बहुत से राजनीतिक फैसलों पर भी इन धन कुबेरों का ही नियंत्रण होता है। आर्थिक विषमता आर्थिक विकास दर की राह में बहुत बड़ी बाधा बनती है। दरअसल जब आम आदमी की जेब में पैसा होगा, उसकी क्रय शक्ति बढ़ेगी, आर्थिक विकास दर भी तभी बढ़ेगी। यदि ग्रामीण आबादी के अलावा निम्न वर्ग की आय नहीं बढ़ती तो मांग में तो कमी आएगी ही, इससे विकास दर भी प्रभावित होगी।

Air Pollution: भारत सभी के लिए स्वच्छ हवा कैसे सुनिश्चित कर सकता है?

अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी, कार्यकारी निदेशक, अनुसंधान और एडवोकेसी, सीएसई बता रही हैं कि भारत वायु प्रदूषण संकट का समाधान कैसे कर सकता है और सभी के लिए स्वच्छ हवा सुनिश्चित कैसे कर सकता है

Arunachal: AP senior civil service officers at LSBAA join NGGW celebration

The overall training program is going on under the direction of Director General NCGG, Bharat Lal. MUSSOORIE- As part of the ongoing training for the 22 Arunachal Pradesh senior civil servants at the National Center for Good Governance (NCGG) Mussoorie and as part of National Good Governance Week ( NGGW ) celebrations across the country, the officers would leave for New Delhi for exposure and field experiences at the various ministries and departments of Government of India. The overall training program is going on under the direction of Director General NCGG, Bharat Lal. According to an information relayed to officers by Course Coordinator and Associate Professor of NCGG Dr. B.S Bisht, the senior Arunachal Pradesh civil servants were provided one-week classroom training at NCGG, Mussoorie from 9th to 16th of this month. On 17th officers will get opportunities to interact with highly renowned speakers including Director General Centre for Science and Environment Sunita Narain, Advisor NITI Aayog Yugal Kishore Joshi, Dr. Balram Bhargava from AIIMS and many more. The officers would also be acclimatized and refreshed with various recent developmental topics including the benefits on recent development goals, overview of the national research policies, health governance in India and rejuvenation of priorities among others. The closing ceremony of the training programme is scheduled for 20th of this month. The overall programme is being coordinated by the NCGG, the information added.

Joshimath is not Greater Kailash

It is too late to save Joshimath, but other hill-towns are showing signs of breakage In 2021, I was driving through Uttarakhand to report on the avalanche and deluge triggered by a glacial burst. I was shocked at what I saw—rampant construction, mountains stripped of green cover, clouds of dust and soot rising from the sites of infra-projects every few kilometres. It took us 22 hours to reach the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydroelectric power project site, where hundreds of workers were trapped inside the tunnel. Another hydroelectric project site at Rishiganga had collapsed under the force of the floods. I stood with desperate families in the cover of darkness, as they waited for some news of their husbands, sons and brothers from inside the tunnel. This was February. But even three months later, in May, rescue teams had been able to recover only 83 bodies and “36 body parts”. Many others remained missing. Is the cost of human life really so paltry that we are staring at a catastrophe yet again in the hill state? Joshimath—one of the most revered pilgrimage towns of India—is sinking, and geologist S.P. Sati told me, “Nothing and no one can save it now. Aag lagne ke baad, kuan nahin khotde (You can’t go looking for water after the fire has already started).” The fragile Himalayas have been pushed beyond capacity despite environmentalists arguing against mega infrastructure projects like the one at Tapovan. Started in 2006, it was meant to be completed by 2013. A decade later, it remains incomplete. Worse, even warnings by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) have been ignored. A report by the NDMA that studied the impact of the Chamoli disaster of 2021 emphasised the need to find alternative sources of energy in “environmentally fragile” zones like Uttarakhand. Released as recently as the summer of 2022, it warned against large-scale hydroelectric plants that continue to be the policy of successive governments. It also called out the failure of infrastructure companies to put in place early warning systems at projects such as the Tapovan one. The NDMA also questioned the district disaster management plan for not being able to “cover the climate change-related risks and the impacts of developmental activities, infrastructure, environmental changes, houses/buildings and deforestation”. Obviously no one paid attention. Neither the loss of lives nor the wisdom of experts has been able to shift the callous casualness with which every calamity is moved on from. Even today experts are lamenting the one-size-fits-all growth model that is being force-fitted onto the Himalayas, again, across all governments. They are urging the government to scrap the Tapovan-Vishnugad project, asking why it was cleared at all. The idea of ‘Big is Beautiful’ is a flawed one when it comes to an already damaged ecosystem. As Sunita Narain, one of the country’s leading environmentalists, told me, “the Himalayas cannot be treated as if they are a parking lot in Greater Kailash,” referring to a tony neighborhood in Delhi that has been increasingly commercialised and built-up over the years. It is too late to save Joshimath. But other hill-towns are showing serious signs of breakage. From areas in and around Rishikesh to Uttarkashi, the walls are heaving under cracks. Despite a government order calling for an interim halt to all construction activity, there is work taking place on rail lines near Atali and road construction near Joshimath. It is as if we have a death wish when it comes to Uttarakhand. That, or a self-destruct button.

Time to look out for other Joshimaths

The tragedy of a town slowly sinking under its own weight tells many tales. There are stories of pain and loss, of people living each day in dread of losing their homes and those who have overnight turned into refugees in their own town. There’s also a larger and scarier question lurking in the events of land-subsidence unfolding at Garhwal’s Joshimath town – are there other Joshimaths-in-the-making across India’s troubled hillscapes? Indeed, many experts believe this bustling settlement on the slopes of the upper Alaknanda valleyrepresents a microcosm of much that’s going wrong across the Himalayas. Take the issue of unplanned, slapdash growth. For centuries, Joshimath was a small hamlet on the Tibet trade route and a gateway to Badrinath, with an ancient shrine and a monastery of its own. Growing up in the town in the 1960s, geologist Pradeep Pandey, who retired as regional director at the minerals directorate of India’s Department of Atomic Energy, remembers living in a house with a corrugated roof. “And ours was a government accommodation. There were hardly any concrete structures in the town back then,” says Pandey. Like many Himalayan towns, Joshimath has seen a huge construction boom in the past few decades, with multistorey buildings coming up on fragile slopes. “Joshimath sits on the debris of a landslide. A major flood in the Alaknanda in 1970 destabilised the slopes in the region. Thereafter, the town began to report incidents of land subsidence, indicating that it was reaching the threshold of its carrying capacity. This led to the M C Mishra committee being set up which submitted a report in 1976 recommending severe curbs on building activities. Instead, what followed was exponential growth with army and ITBP establishments coming up, private hotels mushrooming and people from surrounding villages settling there,” says geologist S P Sati of Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Uttarakhand University. While these buildings choked the natural drainage of the area, no system for the flow of waste was put in place, says Sati. To top it all, most houses have soak pits thathave pushed down loose material into the ground, increasing the risk of land sinking, adds Pandey. A construction boom with scant regulations, often under the pressure of burgeoning tourism, finds echo across the Himalayan region. “After the events in Joshimath we are getting numerous letters saying the same thing is happening in Shimla, in Nainital and elsewhere. Building bylaws need to be enforced,” says environmentalist Sunita Narain, director general of the Centre for Science and Environment. “In the Himalayas, there was always a tradition of building notso much with concrete. Now, people want to use concrete and that’s fine. Aspirations change. But shouldn’t these be done under regulations? Why aren’t institutions such as Roorkee University being asked to come up with the appropriate building solution for the Himalayas? We build without any consideration that we are dealing with an ecosystem that is different from Greater Kailash (a Delhi neighbourhood),” says Narain. Then there are big infrastructure and power projects. Three major construction projects were underway around Joshimath –NTPC’s Tapovan-Vishnugad hydroelectric project on the Dhauliganga River; the Helang-Marwari bypass of BRO that will reduce the distance to Badrinath by 30km and where conventional use of explosives was being done, and the Char Dham road-widening project. “Vibrations caused during tunnelling and road-making could have affected the glacial drift deposits on which the town is built, but this needs a thorough investigation to dispel doubts,” says Pandey. As many as 650 hydro projects are planned or underway in highaltitude locations across the Himalayan and Hindukush region, many close to glaciers or glacial lakes and seismically active zones. Several planned projects, such as the 315mhigh rock-filled Pancheshwar dam close to the Uttarakhand-Nepal border, the Dibang multipurpose project, to be the world’s tallest concrete gravity dam at 288m in Arunachal, and the 3,097MW Etalin hydroelectric project, also in Arunachal, have sparked concerns over damage to ecology and the threat of natural disasters. While hydel projects are important for meeting the country’s energy needs, there’s a feeling that the Himalayas are being milked. “We’ve always had a view that the mountains should be treated differently. Yet, in practice, we do things without the consideration that the Himalayas are the world’s youngest, most fragile mountain range. I have been on a committee in 2013 that examined the number of hydropower projects to be permitted in the Himalayas. The plan that theengineers presented was completely mindless: 9,000MW of power projects to come back-to-back, where the engineers themselves agreed that it would affect the flow of the river by 70% to 80%. Most of these projects were ultimately passed,” says Narain. And, there’s climate change looming large over the mountains. Of all Indian regions, the Himalayas are witnessing the fastest temperature rise and increased frequency of extreme weather events. Just two years ago, areas close to Joshimath – Reni village as well asthe Rishiganga and Tapovan-Vishnugad projects – were ravaged by flash floods triggered by a massive glacier fall, killing over 200 people. “Apart from all the other havoc it wreaked, the 2013 deluge also completely or partially damaged 24 hydel projects,” says Shekhar Pathak, historian and founder of the NGO, PAHAR. “Climate change is adding to our susceptibility. We need to build more resilience, not add to our fragility, to meet the challenge of extreme weather. ”

जोशीमठ तो बीमारी का लक्षण भर, लालच का रोग अब अरावली को लीलने पर तुला, खतरे में लाखों जिंदगियां

राजस्थान का मरुस्थल धीरे-धीरे दिल्ली-एनसीआर की ओर बढ़ रहा है और उसके रास्ते की सबसे बड़ी बाधा है अरावली। वह प्राकृतिक दीवार बनकर थार के मंसूबों को जमीन पर उतरने से रोक रही है। लेकिन आखिर कब तक? जोशीमठ में जो हो रहा है, उसकी तमाम वजहें होंगी लेकिन उनमें एक है इंसानी लालच जिसने पूरे हिमालय क्षेत्र की संवेदनशीलता को ताक पर रख दिया। वही लालच जिसने दुनिया की सबसे पुरानी पर्वत श्रृंखला अरावली को जैसे समतल करने का बीड़ा उठा रखा है। यह असंवेदनशीलता सरकारी रुख में भी दिखती है। अरावली को राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र से ही गायब कर दिया गया है। वैसे ही, जैसे भारतीय भूवैज्ञानिक सर्वेक्षण जो भारत का नक्शा तैयार करता है, उसमें हिमालय को नहीं दिखाता है। राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र के लिए क्षेत्रीय योजना 2041 के मसौदे जिसमें प्राकृतिक संरक्षण क्षेत्रों का विस्तृत विवरण दिया गया है, से अरावली पहाड़ियों और यमुना, गंगा, काली, हिंडन और सहबी तथा इनकी सभी सहायक नदियों, पशु अभयारण्यों को बाहर कर दिया गया है। इनमें हरियाणा की बड़खल, सूरज कुंड और दमदमा झील और राजस्थान की सिलीसेढ़ झील को भी शामिल नहीं किया गया है। इसके साथ ही इन संरक्षण क्षेत्रों में निर्माण पर लगी सीमा को भी हटा दिया है। इन क्षेत्रों में भूमि के 0.5 प्रतिशत पर ही निर्माण की इजाजत थी और यह शर्त मौजूदा 2021 योजना का अभिन्न अंग थी। इसका सीधा-सा मतलब यह है कि स्वामी रामदेव के पतंजलि समूह, एम3एम और आईआरईओ सहित गुरुग्राम, फरीदाबाद और मेवात में सक्रिय ताकतवर रियल एस्टेट लॉबी यहां बेरोकटोक वाणिज्यिक और आवासीय उद्देश्यों से निर्माण कर सकेंगी। इन समूहों पर आरोप है कि उन्होंने पंचायती भूमि (गैर मुमकिन पहाड़) और वन भूमि को औने-पौने दामों पर खरीद रखा है। जबकि 7 अप्रैल, 2022 को सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने आदेश दिया था कि इन क्षेत्रों में सभी पंचायती भूमि पंचायतों को वापस कर दी जाए। एम3एम समूह ने गुरुग्राम में ट्रंप टावर बनाया है जिसमें शुरुआती कीमत ही 8.5 करोड़ रुपये है। गुरुग्राम के एक्टिविस्ट चेतन अग्रवाल बताते हैं, 'एनसीआर में सक्रिय रियल एस्टेट लॉबी ने ऐसे लैंड बैंक बनाए हैं जिन पर वे प्राकृतिक संरक्षण क्षेत्रों में निर्माण पर 0.5 प्रतिशत के प्रतिबंध के कारण निर्माण नहीं कर सके। इनमें से कई रियल एस्टेट डेवलपरों ने वन और पंचायती दोनों तरह की जमीनों पर कब्जा कर रखा है। अब वे इन पर निर्माण कर सकेंगे क्योंकि क्षेत्रीय योजना 2041 ने प्राकृतिक संरक्षण क्षेत्र को सीमित कर दिया है और जोनिंग विनियमन को हटा दिया है।’ विडंबना है कि जिस पर्यावरण और वन मंत्रालय ने इन भूमि उपयोग परिवर्तनों का विरोध किया था और जिसका काम हमारे पर्यावरण को संरक्षित करना है, उसने इस पर स्वीकृति की मुहर लगा दी है और वे खुद ही इन बदलावों की जमीन तैयार कर रहा है। मंत्रालय ने 11 जुलाई, 2022 के अपने पत्र में अस्पष्ट भाषा की आड़ में बड़ी चालाकी से असली मंशा को छिपा लिया है। पत्र कहता है कि ‘यह विवरण (वनों का) सभी वैधानिक मान्यता प्राप्त वनों को कवर करता है चाहे वे वन संरक्षण अधिनियम की धारा 2 (1) के तहत आरक्षित, संरक्षित या किसी और रूप में घोषित हों। वन संरक्षण अधिनियम की धारा 2 में जिस 'वन भूमि' शब्द का इस्तेमाल किया गया है, उसमें न केवल वे वन शामिल होंगे जो शब्दकोशीय अर्थ में वन समझे जाते हैं बल्कि वे भी जो सरकारी रिकॉर्ड में वन के रूप में दर्ज हों, चाहे वह किसी के भी स्वामित्व में हो।' चेतन अग्रवाल इस पर आपत्ति जताते हुए सवाल करते हैं कि 'शब्दकोशीय अर्थ' से क्या मतलब है क्योंकि हरियाणा ने 1996 से शब्दकोष के अर्थ के अनुसार वन के रूप में तो एक एकड़ जमीन की भी पहचान नहीं की है। अरावली का एक बड़ा हिस्सा वन के रूप में अधिसूचित ही नहीं है और ऐसे में इस पूरे क्षेत्र का दोहन किया जा सकता है। इन सब गतिविधियों का एनसीआर समेत पूरे उत्तर भारत पर क्या प्रभाव पड़ेगा, इसका अंदाजा लगाया जा सकता है क्योंकि अभी ही एनसीआर समेत पूरा उत्तर भारत कड़ाके की ठंड से जूझ रहा है और धुंध-वायु प्रदूषण के कारण स्थिति और भी बदतर हो गई है। वन मंत्रालय यह भी बखूबी जानता होगा कि दिल्ली दुनिया की सबसे प्रदूषित राजधानी है। वहीं, सेंटर ऑफ साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट के एक हालिया अध्ययन में गाजियाबाद, नोएडा, दिल्ली, गुरुग्राम और फरीदाबाद उत्तर भारत के सबसे प्रदूषित शहर दिखाए गए हैं। उत्तर भारतीय शहरों के लिए अरावली ने एक प्राकृतिक सुरक्षा दीवार का काम किया है। उसके हरे-भरे जंगल उत्तर भारत के तमाम शहरों के लिए फेफड़े की तरह रहे हैं। यह अरावली ही है जिसने एनसीआर को अपने शिकंजे में लेने के लिए बढ़ते चले आ रहे थार रेगिस्तान को रोक रखा है। भारतीय वन्यजीव संस्थान के वैज्ञानिक बिलाल हबीब ने बताया कि कैसे उत्तरी राज्यों में वन क्षेत्र बहुत ही तेजी से घट रहा है। उन्होंने कहा, `हरियाणा और पंजाब में वन क्षेत्र इनके कुल भौगोलिक क्षेत्र के तीन प्रतिशत के स्तर तक पहुंच गया है। दिल्ली में वन क्षेत्र जरूर 13 प्रतिशत है, लेकिन यहां भी तेजी से गिरावट हो रही है।’ वन्यजीव संस्थान ने हाल ही में अरावली में प्रमुख वन्यजीव प्रजातियों के संदर्भ में एक रिपोर्ट तैयार की है। इसमें कहा गया है कि यदि इसी दर से गिरावट का यह सिलसिला जारी रहा और अरावली ने अपना वानस्पतिक आवरण खो दिया तो इस क्षेत्र में पौधे प्रतिरोधक क्षमता खो देंगे और बढ़ती धूल उनके अस्तित्व के लिए भी खतरा बन जाएगी। बिलाल ने कहा, 'हरियाणा में हमारे अध्ययन में, हमने 15 से 20 क्षेत्रों की पहचान की जो वन्यजीवों के लिए महत्वपूर्ण थे। जैविक विविधता को संरक्षित करने के लिए इन पर ध्यान देने की आवश्यकता है।' दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय में भूविज्ञान के सहायक प्रोफेसर शशांक शेखर मानते हैं कि अरावली को संरक्षित रखने का इससे भी बड़ा कारण है। यह अरावली ही है जो हमारी भूजल प्रणालियों के लिए एक प्राकृतिक जल पुनर्भरण क्षेत्र है। एनसीआर में पानी के मुद्दों पर व्यापक तौर पर काम करने वाले पर्यावरण भौतिक विज्ञानी प्रोफेसर विक्रम सोनी ने प्रयोगों के माध्यम से दिखाया है कि कैसे रिज (अरावली का हिस्सा) खनिज पानी के लिए एक प्राकृतिक भूमिगत जलाशय के रूप में काम करता है। सोनी ने कहा, 'यह मिनरल वाटर करोड़ों रुपये का है और अगर सरकार ने अरावली में फार्म हाउस बनाने की इजाजत नहीं दी होती, तो इससे पानी के एक बड़े भंडार तक पहुंचने में मदद मिलती जिससे एनसीआर का जल संकट हल हो जाता।' एनसीआर में हवा और पानी को पहले ही इतना नुकसान हो चुका है। अरावली जंगल हैं और वन संरक्षण अधिनियम 1980 के तहत उसे नष्ट नहीं किया जा सकता।' उन्होंने कहा, 'पहले ही इस सरकार ने हमारे हिमालय को नष्ट कर दिया है। अब वे उस अरावली को नष्ट करने पर तुले हुए हैं जो धीरे-धीरे बंजर हो रही हैं, उसकी वनस्पति खत्म हो रही है।

Important Organic Farming-Related Policies and Programmes in India

Organic farming is a type of farming that is done without the use of chemicals. In organic farming, agricultural activities such as the cultivation of plants and rearing of animals are done in a natural way and by using only biological materials. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations described organic farming or organic agriculture as “a system that relies on ecosystem management rather than external agricultural inputs. It is a system that begins to consider potential environmental and social impacts by eliminating the use of synthetic inputs, such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, veterinary drugs, genetically modified seeds, and breeds, preservatives, additives, and irradiation.” Benefits of Organic Farming on Health and Environment Higher antioxidant content- The product of organic farming is organic foods that are rich in antioxidant content and free from chemicals that lower the positive impact of antioxidants in food products. Doesn’t pollute water- Commercial farming that heavily uses chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides is one of the main contributors to water pollution. On the other hand, water runoff from organic farms are free from such chemical compounds. Therefore, it doesn’t pollute a nearby river or stream. Taste Better- Although organic food products don’t have a long shelf life, it is fortified with nutrients and tastes purer and better than conventionally grown products. Reduces the use of harmful pesticides- Organic farming doesn’t allow harmful chemicals and pesticides to be used on the crop. Organic farmers aim to control pests and ensure soil health with natural methods such as regularly feeding the soil organic compost, rotating crops, and covering crops. Food is free from harmful chemicals- Genetically modified food products that are grown using chemicals have been linked with several diseases and disorders such as compromised immune system, digestive dysfunction, ADHD, constant headaches, and cancer. Organic food is free from harmful chemicals and even improves our immune system. Current State of Organic Farming in India In “State of Organic and Natural Farming in India: Challenges and Possibilities,” a research paper published by the Centre for Science and Environment, as per the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare “2.78 million hectares was covered under organic farming in India as of March 2020. This is about 2% of the 140.1 million hectare net sown area in the country.” Sikkim is the only “100% organic” state Sikkim started its journey to become completely organic in 2003. At first, the Sikkim Organic Board reduced the subsidy of chemical fertilizers and then completely banned them in 2014. Sikkim was formally declared a 100% organic state in 2016 after its entire agricultural area was converted to certified organic in 2015. Sikkim’s transition to becoming 100% organic was relatively easy because its per-hectare fertilization consumption was the lowest in the entire country. However, Sikkim’s transition has not been very smooth for farmers who lack proper training in organic agricultural practices and are now grappling with low yields, post-harvest losses, and a fragmented supply chain.

Southasia Climate Events Tracker

Mapping the impact of the climate crisis across Southasia Southasia is one of the most vulnerable regions to the effects of the climate crisis. It is estimated that up to 700 million people – almost half of Southasia’s population – have been affected by at least one climate-related disaster in the past decade. In this periodically updated tracker, we show a bird’s-eye view of extreme climate events across Southasia as the region grapples with the effects of the climate crisis. June – October 2022 Floods – Pakistan • Following the heatwave in Pakistan and India from March to May, Pakistan received 190% more rain than the 30-year average from June to August. Sindh and Balochistan saw 784% and 496% increase in average rainfall in August, respectively. • As of 20 October, 1725 deaths and 12,867 injuries have been reported. More than 33 million people have been affected. • According to estimates from a government-led Post-Disaster Needs Assessment, more than 2 million houses and over 1 million livestock have been destroyed. June – September 2022 Rain – India • During the monsoon season in India from June to September, over 2400 deaths were reported due to extreme weather events, which the Centre for Science and Environment classifies as including heavy rain, lightning and storms, floods, landslides, heatwaves and cold waves, snowfall, cloudbursts and cyclones. • 8 million hectares of crops and over 400,000 houses were damaged. 1 – 14 June, 2022 Wildfires – Afghanistan • Following a drought beginning in June 2021 that continued into 2022, wildfires were reported in the Nuristan and Kunar Provinces. • As of June 2, approximately 68 hectares of land is reported to have been burned. 1 July, 2022 Sea swell and flooding – Maldives • Over 20 islands in the Maldives were affected by sea swells that damaged houses and displaced families. 8 July, 2022 Cloudburst – India • 16 deaths were reported after a cloudburst and flash floods near the Amarnath holy cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir. 28 July, 2022 Lightning – India • 49 people in Uttar Pradesh were killed by lightning in a week. August 2022 Floods – Afghanistan • Floods in Afghanistan throughout the month of August killed 182 people. • 250 people were injured, and more than 3000 houses were impacted. 1-3 August, 2022 Floods – Sri Lanka • Deaths were reported after heavy rainfall caused floods in the Central Province. • More than 15,000 people across 10 districts affected by 8 August. 17 August, 2022 Rain – Myanmar • Yangon received the highest single-day rainfall in 50 years, resulting in widespread flooding. • Kyaukphyu, a town in Rakhine state, experienced 502 millimetres of rainfall, the highest in 58 years. 17 August, 2022 Floods and landslides – Tibet • 26 deaths were reported after a landslide and flooding in the Amdo region. 22 August, 2022 Drought – Tibet • An orange alert was issued for drought after heatwaves in eastern Tibet. Flooding – India • Over 30 deaths were reported in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Odisha after flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains. 9 September, 2022 Floods and landslides – Nepal and India • 5 deaths were reported in Nepal’s district of Darchula after flooding and landslides. 42 houses and 2 bridges were destroyed. • Cloudburst and flooding was also reported in Uttarakhand, India. 17 September, 2022 Landslides – Nepal • 22 deaths were reported in Achham district after landslides triggered by heavy rain. At least 5 severe landslides were reported. Rain – India • 25 deaths were reported in Uttar Pradesh after heavy rains. Lucknow received 160 mm of rain in 24 hours. 5 October, 2022 Floods – India • 8 people were killed after flash floods in the Mal River in West Bengal, where a large crowd had gathered during Durga Puja. 10-23 October, 2022 Floods and landslides – Nepal • At least 49 deaths were reported in Nepal after monsoon rains. Most casualties were reported from the Karnali province. 24 October, 2022 Cyclone – Bangladesh and India • Cyclone Sitrang killed up to 35 people in Bangladesh. • Heavy rain and flooding was reported across Bangladesh. Red alerts for heavy rain were issued for Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam. • The government of Bangladesh stated that about 10,000 homes were damaged, and 15,000 acres of crops as well as 1000 shrimp farms were destroyed. Falling trees destroyed power lines, leaving 8 million homes without electricity. 5-6 November, 2022 Sea swells and flooding – Maldives • On November 5, swell waves caused flooding in Male city. • A white alert went into effect from Kaafu to Thaa atolls warning of heavy rain and thunderstorms. 6 November, 2022 Heavy rain and landslides – Afghanistan • After heavy rainfall, a landslide occurred in Maimay district, northern Afghanistan. • At least 3 people died and one person was injured. • Rescue operations were hampered due to heavy rain and snowfall in northern Badhakshan, which blocked a number of roads. 11-20 November, 2022 Heavy rain, floods, and high wind – India and Sri Lanka • A red alert was issued in parts of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu due to heavy rain caused by a low pressure area and then a depression forming in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Sri Lanka • 4230 cubic feet of excess water were discharged from Vaigai Dam in Theni • Between November 1 and 13, Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry recorded 310.77 millimetres of water, about 16 percent more than normal for this time period • Over 45,826 hectares of paddy was submerged in Tamil Nadu, with 52,751 people being accommodated in relief camps • In Sri Lanka, ten people died and 13 were injured while over 2000 people were affected by heavy rain, flooding and high winds • Fishermen received advisories warning of heavy rain and strong wind from 17 November onwards. 9 December, 2022 Cyclone – India and Sri Lanka • Cyclone Mandous killed five people in Tamil Nadu and damaged 151 houses. In Sri Lanka, three people were killed and 25 injured, and 6608 shelters were damaged (as of 12 December 2022). • Heavy rain was forecast in parts of Chennai with schools and colleges shut. Weather alerts were issued for parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. • In Sri Lanka, fishermen and coastal communities received a heavy weather advisory for coastal areas from Mannar to Pottuvil. • Sri Lanka shut down schools as the country experienced transboundary air pollution from India thanks to the cyclone. • Over 1000 livestock were reported dead in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka, potentially due to lower temperatures caused by the cyclone. 25 December, 2022 Cold wave and fog – India • A cold wave was declared in Chandigarh where the temperature fell to 2.8 degrees Celsius. Temperatures dipped in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi • Dense fog impacted visibility – which dropped to 500 metres at Delhi’s Safdarjung airport and just 50 metres in Bathinda, Chandigarh and Churu • Numerous trains were delayed or cancelled, and there was an increase in accidents due to low visibility. Heavy rain, wind, and lightning – Sri Lanka, India • A depression from the Bay of Bengal moved over Sri Lanka, entering via the east coast. • Sri Lanka’s meteorological department warned of showers or thundershowers, bringing more than 150 millimetres of rain in the Eastern, Uva, Central, Sabaragamuwa, Western, Southern and Northwestern provinces, and in Polonnaruwa district • 1511 people were affected particularly in Matale, Kandy and Ampara districts. Two people lost their lives while three were injured and 66 homes were damaged. • Moderate rainfall occurred in Tamil Nadu, south Kerala and Lakshadweep islands from Sunday to Tuesday. 11 July, 2021 Heavy rain and floods – Pakistan • Rain-related incidents beginning on 11 July cause structural damage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northern Pakistan. • Over 20 people killed as buildings collapse, flash floods and landslides. 19 July – 23 September, 2021 Floods – Pakistan • Rain-induced floods kill 21 people, injure 18, destroy houses, and damages crops in Balochistan. • Up to 70 mm of rain falls on Karachi, raising the total death toll from flooding during Pakistan’s monsoon season to 187. 23 July, 2021 Floods and landslides – India • Monsoon rains cause landslides and floods. Maharashtra State hit by heaviest rain in four decades. • Death toll over 200. 25 – 28 July, 2021 Floods and landslides – Myanmar • Flooding in four states in Myanmar displaces thousands. As many as 48,500 people affected. August, 2021 Drought – Afghanistan • The entire country is experiencing moderate to severe drought. August, 2021 Drought – India • Nagaland experiences 24% rain deficit between 1 June and 19 August. 5 September, 2021 Flash floods – Nepal • Up to 105mm of rain in under 3 hours in Kathmandu. • In the previous four weeks, over 60 people died from flood or landslide-related causes. 18 – 20 October, 2021 Floods and landslides – Nepal • Caused by delayed monsoons throughout Nepal. • As of October 20, over 150 people declared death in India and Nepal.

Joshimath’s story dates back decades. That’s why media must dig deep

Reporting on an event isn’t enough. What about the context and background and warnings that preceded it? A small town in Uttarakhand has made it to the front pages of newspapers, and as the top story in many television news shows. Joshimath, a town of a little under 17,000 people in Chamoli district, is already well-known to trekkers, those wanting to explore the Himalayas, and Hindu pilgrims. But today, its claim to fame is that it is sinking. It is also in danger of becoming an adjective – a descriptor of what happens when we ignore concepts of sustainability as we pursue so-called “development”. Predictably, when the cracks in Joshimath’s buildings could no longer be ignored, the government moved on a “war footing”, as did the media. We watched videos and saw visuals of distressed residents pointing to huge cracks in their homes, read about a hotel tilting onto another, and listened to experts who said they knew this crisis was imminent. Yet, the roots of the current crisis – of a town literally sinking – have probably not yet sunk in, either to the lay media-consuming public with an increasingly diminishing attention span, or to the people who pushed through plans to build power plants and blast the fragile mountains for roads, despite adequate warnings from experts. There is a message here for the media – a message it continues to ignore. Even if you report on a disaster, integrate the perspectives that explain the reasons for it. It’s not difficult to do this. And if it’s done, chances are that more people will understand why many of the projects being pursued in the ecologically fragile environment of the Himalayas spell disaster. Of course, as always, there are exceptions. Newspapers and digital platforms have carried excellent explainers that an interested reader can plough through (see here and here). But useful as this is, it is not enough. The facts tracing this disaster to earlier policies are clear. They need to be repeated, they need to be integrated in the reporting. Few can explain more simply than Dehradun-based veteran environmentalist Ravi Chopra, who headed the high-powered committee looking at the environmental impact of the Char Dham project in Uttarakhand. He resigned last February because their recommendations were ignored. Read his interview in Down to Earth and his op-ed in Hindustan Times that say all that needs to be said. Another article in Down to Earth also reminds us that what’s happening in Joshimath today could happen in a number of other towns in Uttarakhand, including the popular tourist resort of Nainital, before too long. The reasons are the same: unsustainable development that pays no heed to the carrying capacity of the natural environment. The new year has begun with another environment-related story on the front pages, one that gives all of us a sinking feeling. In 2021, of the 50 most polluted cities in the world, 35 were in India. The situation today is likely to be no different, perhaps even worse. Not just Delhi, but in dozens of other small and big cities in this country, residents are choking from poisonous air. You don’t need a viral infection to get lung congestion these days. You only need to breathe the air. According to the World Health Organisation, 90 percent of the world’s population breathes air that is worse than acceptable limits. But within that, it is people in low- and middle-income countries like India that suffer the most. In any case, India has diluted WHO standards for air quality although revising them is being discussed. At present, what is considered “good” air quality here in India is actually “moderate” or even “poor” air quality according to WHO standards. Like the Joshimath story, the reports we read do not adequately explain the current air pollution crisis in India. Even as the air quality index climbs higher in city after city, there are some reports explaining the possible reasons: vehicular pollution, construction dust, industrial pollution, etc. The factors contributing to air pollution, such as vehicular pollution, have been known for decades. Most readers today would not be aware that in the 1990s, one man fought determinedly for a change in the fuel used in public transport in Delhi. That was Anil Agarwal, who set up the Centre for Science and Environment. The air pollution levels in Delhi at that time were nowhere as bad as they are today. Yet, Agarwal, who suffered from chronic asthma and later succumbed to cancer, campaigned through CSE for a change in fuel used in public transport in Delhi from petrol and diesel to CNG. Several other cities implemented this in later years. The 2010 CSE report, Slow Murder: The deadly story of vehicular pollution in India, is worth revisiting even today. But despite campaigns by CSE and other environmental groups about the polluted air in our cities, there is little to no outrage about the many projects being implemented that do nothing to address the problem. Instead, more roads are being built to accommodate a greater volume of vehicular traffic using fossil fuels, there is little to no compulsion on the building industry to implement dust alleviating strategies, and the system to keep a check on levels of pollutants emitted by industries and thermal power stations in the vicinity of cities remains impaired despite decades of debate about it. Every year during the winter months, we see photographs showing us what we can see when we look out of our windows. Yet those with the power to take hard decisions – such as suspending all construction activity during the worst days, or restricting vehicular movement – choose to ignore what stares them in the face and invades their nostrils as much as those of ordinary citizens. Could this be because there is no public outrage? Unlike in Joshimath, where the buildings with cracks face demolition, and the anxious and angry owners of these structures are out on the streets protesting, India’s urban residents seem to have accepted a slow death from poisonous air with apparent equanimity. One reason for such a passive response can be attributed to the class factor. The people most affected by the poisonous air quality are the homeless and those who are compelled to do outdoor physical labour – basically the poorest in our cities whose voices are rarely heard. The better-off have windows they can close, with air-conditioning in their cars and homes that allows them to insulate themselves. Possibly, this is one reason why the problem of air pollution has rarely moved the powerful, nor led to drastic changes in the way we view urban development. For instance, as Shoaib Daniyal points out in this article, bus commuters who are the majority in any city rarely get their voices heard over private car owners. In this gloomy scenario, here’s a suggestion for the media. What if in all the 35 cities on the top of that list of polluted Indian cities, local newspapers, radio stations and TV channels ran a daily count of not just the poor air quality, but of the number of people hospitalised and dying from respiratory infections? In the last three years of the pandemic, many media outlets did this, tabulating daily the number of people afflicted, hospitalised, or dead due to Covid. Surely, such a proactive step by the media would play a significant part in building up public opinion that could then put pressure on decision-makers to act. That’s another item for my wish list for 2023.

'Sinking' Joshimath: Who Is Responsible For This Human Suffering?

The Uttarakhand government will probe if power firm NTPC is responsible for the sinking of land in Joshimath. Eight institutes will investigate the cause of subsidence in the Himalayan town and carrying capacity of all hilly areas will be checked. The key decisions were made at a Cabinet meet to assess the situation in the "sinking" town. This as the people affected by the land subsidence in the key Himalayan town struggle to cope with their daily lives. Who is responsible for this human suffering?

Joshimath: A well-engineered calamity

The sinking of the Himalayan town shows we have completely lost the ability to plan while keeping in mind the ecological uniqueness of fragile areas The town of Joshimath, at 1,874 metres high 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 looking desperately for safe ground where they could be shifted temporarily. All this, as I write, is happening in the bitter cold of the mountains. It is a human tragedy and it 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 highly seismic — 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 to keep 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 how many — and about ensuring that these plans are implemented. Take, for instance, the hydropower plants. There is a 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. 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 that 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 for development. The alternative that 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 a 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. DTE

Time ripe for a green economy

Why do you patrol the forest near your village every day for the past 30 years? Why does it matter so much? - I ask a group of women, who look at me with amazement for posing the question. I am in Kodalpali, a village in Nayagarh district of Odisha, and can see dense, verdant forests for miles. The village is remote and would be classified as poor on economic criteria. It has rudimentary toilets, no piped water supply and the only school has been closed because of a bizarre policy of "rationisation", which means that its less than 25 students now have to trek over 3 kilometres to the next village for education. But in this village, and the neighbouring ones, women have been zealously protecting their forests for the past three decades. Every day, without fail, a group of four women takes the responsibility to walk and to ensure that nobody fells trees. They fight with intruders; they confiscate their axes and bicycles. They tell me, without batting an eyelid, that they demand a fine before returning the confiscated goods. The wealth of the forests, as far as the eye can see, tells you that their protection is indeed working. In this tribal district, there are as many as 217 villages protecting an almost contiguous forest block of 60,000 ha. In 60 of these villages, it is primarily women who form the forest protection committees and take turns to patrol. Over the years, with the help of Vasundhara — an amazing and committed non-profit working on tribal rights — they have formed a federation of village protection committees at the block and district levels. Here the executives — mostly women — meet every month to sort out inter-village conflicts and other issues. The octogenarian Shashi Pradhan, or Shashi mausi, as she is known, is the original tree-patrolling party. She tells me that the forests are key to their survival, plain and simple. They provide for all their needs — from firewood to building material to tubers and medicinal plants. Her younger colleague, Kuntala Nayak, jumps in to say that even during the two horrendous years of COVID-19, they did not need any outside help, and nobody in the village fell ill. "It is our source of life and so we protect it," they say. Their forest usage rules apply to all — fuelwood is to be collected only on Sundays; green trees are not be felled; no grazing during the monsoon; and collection of minor forest produce, like bamboo, kendu (or tendu leaves used in beedi manufacture), is to be done only by the village households, not by outsiders. This grand experiment has now entered a new phase. In November 2021, after years of struggle, 24 villages have been granted community forest rights. This is a provision of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, under which villages can get the right to patches of government forests that they were traditionally using, for exclusive use of resources and protection. As per the data of the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, community rights have been granted over some 4.5 million ha of forestland, which would be an impressive 8 per cent of land under the forest cover in government control, except for one crucial catch. The ministry counts in this all community rights, including rights granted to use of waterbodies or minor forest produce and not only forestland rights. In the current case, the title is for management of forestland, and has been granted jointly to two villages — Kodalpali and Sinduria. The title letter demarcates roughly 300 hectares for management. The villages now have the right to collect, process, use and sell minor forest produce. This also includes the right to value addition, storage and transportation of products within and outside village boundaries. This is a clear game changer. It would mean that these villages can now move to the next stage of protection, where the green wealth could form the basis of green jobs and a green economy.

Air Pollution: How Effective Has National Clean Air Programme Been In Improving Air Quality?

The National Clean Air Programme set a national level target of 40 per cent reduction in particulate matter concentration by 2025-26 from 2017 National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched by the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) as a “time-bound, national level strategy” to tackle the air pollution crisis in the country in a comprehensive manner. At the launch, the then Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan had said, “Overall objective of the NCAP is comprehensive mitigation actions for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution besides augmenting the air quality monitoring network across the country and strengthening the awareness and capacity building activities.” The tentative national level target of 20 per cent to 30 per cent reduction of PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by 2024 was proposed under the NCAP, taking 2017 as the base year for the comparison of concentration. To begin with, city specific action plans were formulated for 102 non-attainment cities, which exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for 5 consecutive years. Gradually, the number of cities identified for implementing mitigation actions under NCAP was increased to 131. It includes 123 Non-Attainment Cities (NAC) and 42 Million Plus Population Cities/Urban Agglomerations. 34 cities are common in both categories. In 2022, the NCAP target was revised to a 40 per cent reduction in particulate matter concentration in cities and the deadline was extended till 2025-26. Action Plans under NCAP: Preparation of national level plan includes convergence of schemes/programmes of different Ministries/Departments Preparation of State Action Plans in 24 states Preparation of City level action plans in 131 cities The Performance Of NCAP: Improvement In Air Quality Based on the information available on PRANA (Portal for Regulation of Air Pollution in Non-attainment Cities), out of 131 identified cities, a decrease in PM10 concentration has been observed in 95 cities during 2021-22 as compared to levels during financial year (FY) 2017-18. As per the Urban Lab, Centre for Science and Environment Analysis on NCAP, released on September 6, 2022, There is barely any difference in overall PM2.5 trends between the group of cities under the National Clean Air programme (NCAP) and those outside its ambit. Both reflect similar mixed trends in air quality in different climatic zones requiring substantial reduction to meet the national ambient air quality standards for particulate matter. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director, of Research and Advocacy, CSE said, Today it is actually a misnomer to differentiate between NCAP cities and non-NCAP cities. When we analyse data for all cities for which air quality data is available, in fact we don’t have data for many cities in India today. We find that there is very little difference in pollution levels between NCAP and non-NCAP cities which actually brings out the fact that air pollution is really a national crisis and we need to take a much wider view of this problem. What we have also found is that, if you compare the NCAP and non-NCAP cities then the levels that they have, nearly both of them, especially Northern India requires a reduction target of about 50 per cent or more to be able to meet air quality standards. On the fourth anniversary of the NCAP, Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent research organisation released a report titled “Tracing the hazy air 2023: Progress report on NCAP”. It found: Air quality has improved in 49 out of 131 cities in FY 21-22, compared to the previous year While cities like Allahabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, Srinagar and Moradabad have shown improvements in PM10 concentrations of more than 50 µg/m3 others like Vasai-Virar, Durgapur, Byrnihat and Kala Amb showed deterioration of air quality by similar concentrations (50 µg/m3). Only 38 of the 131 cities – that were given annual pollution reduction targets under MoUs signed between State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs), Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and CPCB or MoEF&CC- managed to meet the targets for FY21-22 Only 37 out of 131 cities have completed the source apportionment studies which were supposed to be completed in 2020 Professor Gufran Beig, Founder Director, SAFAR and Chair Professor, NIAS, IISc lauded the NCAP as it is one of the rare programmes where air quality is given due importance. But he opines that the target shouldn’t be the same for all cities. He explained, In a city like Pune, where air quality index (AQI) is already ‘satisfactory’, reducing pollution by 25-30 per cent will bring it down to ‘good’. But, in Delhi, AQI crosses 300 and even 500. Even if you bring down AQI by 30 per cent, it will be a health hazard. By the end of 2024, if we meet the target, we will be celebrating the success of NCAP but in highly polluted cities like Delhi, Calcutta and sometimes even Patna and Kanpur, we would have moved from ‘very poor’ to ‘poor’. Maybe one or two very severe days might get reduced but there won’t be much to celebrate per se. Professor Beig believes that mitigation targets should be based on the location and the presentation of the pollution you are dealing with. He added, During the COVID-19 lockdown, all sources of pollution were shut but still there was pollution. And that is the level of pollution to which your body gets immune and susceptible. That is what we call baseline which differs from city to city. We cannot go below that. Tanushree Ganguly, Programme Lead, Air Quality at Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a not-for-profit policy research institution, is of the view that, NCAP is a well-crafted programme not just in terms of actions or institutional arrangements which are needed to implement it, but also in the way it is being monitored and evaluated at a state, district and city levels. When asked about little to no visible change in the air quality, Ms Ganguly said, Air pollution or air quality is a trait which cannot have immediate short-term impacts. It is something which will see incremental impacts. But immediate interventions can take place. This includes, Garbage burning comes to a stop and construction sites, industrial sites and power plants are compliant. Ensuring compliance across sources of pollution is critical but we also need to understand that you cannot see overnight air quality benefits. Ms Ganguly agrees that we have not really seen drastic benefits in terms of improvement across cities but there is action going on around the cities. She added, When NCAP was launched in 2019, there were close to 130 continuous air quality monitoring stations. Today, across the country, we have over 400 continuous air quality monitoring stations which mean, there is also a focus on improving the availability of data on air pollution levels in the country. While we are not really seeing drastic improvements in air quality, there is action happening on the ground and there is a need to amplify messaging around these actions which may have localised benefits. The Performance Of NCAP: Funds Released vs Utilised Sharing the positives and negatives of the NCAP, Ms Chowdhury lauded the financial support that the programme has provided to the cities that too on a performance basis. She said, It is through NCAP that for the first time funds were allotted for clean air mitigation via Centre. Funding has also come under the 15th Finance Commission. Importantly, the funding has become performance linked which means, now for the cities to access central assistance, they will have to ensure and prove that they have been able to improve the air quality. As per the information given by the Ministry of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in Lok Sabha on December 12, 2022, under NCAP Rs 474.19 crores have been provided during 2019-20 to 2020-22 for taking up activities for improving the air quality in non-attainment cities and Rs 596.6 crore have been earmarked for 2022-23. Additionally, Rs. 1,951.25 crores have been allocated for 2023-2024 to 2025-26. Further, 15th Finance Commission (XV-FC) has provided a special grant of Rs 6,425 crore for FY 2020-21 and 2021-22 to 42 million plus cities/urban agglomerations. Rs. 2,290 crore has been earmarked for 2022-23 and Rs. 7,623 crores have been allocated for 2023-2024 to 2025-26. There is no clear and latest data available on the utilization of funds on PRANA. However, answering a question in the Lok Sabha on August 1, 2022, Mr Choubey said that Rs. 472.06 crores have been released between 2019 and 2022. Of this, Rs. 227.61 crores have been utilised as on June 2022, which essentially means 51.78% remains unutilised. According to the CSE analysis, even though the NCAP programme has targets for both PM2.5 and PM10 reduction by 2024, due to inadequate PM2.5 monitoring, Central Pollution Control Board considers only PM10 for the first air quality performance assessment for fund disbursement. This makes dust control the primary focus of clean air action diverting attention and resources from combustion sources including industry, vehicles and waste burning. Ms Chowdhury said, The benchmark of measuring that performance has to improve. Currently, PM10 levels, largely consisting of dust, are considered as a yardstick. As a result of that, actions and funds get diverted to mitigating road dust, including road sweeping. Though road dust is a contributor, more harmful pollutants coming from combustion sources like industry, vehicles and waste burning get neglected. I believe PM2.5, which is a smaller particle and more harmful, should become the basis of the performance and then we will begin to see changes.

Delhi is India’s most polluted city: Study

Four years after the start of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Delhi ranks as the most polluted out of the 131 non-attainment cities, with an annual PM2.5 concentration of 99.7 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3), an analysis carried out by the environmental organisation Climate Trends released on Tuesday showed. Under NCAP, which began on January 10, 2019, the 131 non-attainment cities -- cities not meeting the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for the period of 2011-15 -- are supposed to reduce their pollution levels from the 2017 baseline by 25-30%, with the Centre in September 2022 setting a target of 40% reduction by 2026. However, Delhi appears to be lagging behind the deadline, recording only a 7% reduction in its PM2.5 levels compared to the 2019 levels, the analysis, based on Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, showed. The annual national safe limit for PM2.5 is 40µg/m3. On the list of most polluted cities, Faridabad ranks second with an annual PM2.5 concentration of 95.6µg/m3, followed by Ghaziabad (91.25µg/m3), as per the analysis. But while NCR cities rank poorly in the analysis, they have done much better than Delhi to reduce their PM2.5 levels, with Ghaziabad recording a reduction by 22.2% between 2019 and 2023, while Noida has improved by 29.8% in the same period. However, if PM10 is considered, Ghaziabad ranks the most polluted of the 131 non-attainment cities, recording an annual average of 217.5µg/m3, followed by Faridabad (215.3µg/m3) and Delhi (213.2µg/m3). If PM10 improvement was analysed, Ghaziabad improved its annual levels between 2019 and 2022 by 10.2%. Delhi, however, logging an improvement of just 1.8%. The annual national safe limit for PM10 is 60µg/m3. Aarti Khosla, director of Climate Trends, said while cities across the country are showing gradual improvement, the top four cities with the highest PM2.5 concentration are Delhi and NCR cities. “The top nine cities are also from across the Indo-Gangetic plains, which is a problem region as a whole. Coastal cities like Mumbai are equally affected by air pollution, the analysis reveals. While the CPCB has already issued stricter reduction targets for the non-attainment cities, we are just a year away from 2024, the original target for NCAP, and many cities, including Delhi, are still far from reaching their reduction targets,” she said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said while NCR cities have been showing a gradual improvement over the last few years, these cities still require continued improvement to reach the annual safe limit. “For Delhi, another 60% reduction in PM2.5 levels is needed to meet the safe standards. Similarly, for other NCR towns, PM2.5 level has to come down by 50-55%. While meeting the NCAP targets is important, the long-term goal is to meet these national standards,” she said, stating smaller NCR towns also have greater scope of improvement. “We will have to study action on the ground for each NCR city to ascertain why Ghaziabad or Noida have recorded greater improvements than Delhi, but if NCR is considered an air-shed and similar sources are tackled all across the region, all NCR cities will benefit,” she said. In another analysis released on Tuesday, which was carried out by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an environmental research organisation, Delhi featured amongst the list of 48 out of 131 non-attainment cities which were lagging behind targets set by the Centre. CREA’s analysis comparison showed while Delhi’s PM10 levels between the financial year 2021-22 should have gone below 164µg/m3, the current annual PM10 levels, based on the financial year 2021-22, is 196µg/m3. “This shows that Delhi is well behind its targets year-on-year and accordingly, is unlikely to meet the 2026 long-term target. We have analysed financial year data, as the Centre has now linked the financial year’s performance with the release of funds,” said Sunil Dahiya, analyst at CREA.