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Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Air pollution: Kejriwal, Mann seek Centre’s help, promise solution by Nov 2023

Delhi’s pollution levels remained in the ‘Severe+’ category on Friday morning, with an hourly Air Quality Index (AQI) of 453 at 7 am, for the second consecutive day The alarming rise in pollution levels in the National Capital Territory of Delhi has drawn sharp criticism from several concerned stakeholders, but chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann on Friday said at a joint press conference that only Delhi and Punjab are not responsible for the problem. Instead, pinning the blame on ‘multiple factors’, they appealed to the central government to pitch in to fix the problem affecting people across north India. “Air pollution has turned severe in Delhi. People are finding it difficult to breathe. It is not a Delhi specific problem, but of the entire north India. Only Delhi and Punjab governments are not responsible for it. Several local and regional factors are also behind the problem because air is not confined to one state,” Kejriwal said. Both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders took responsibility for stubble burning in Punjab, one of the major factors behind the choking air pollution in Delhi, and said that the AAP government under Mann got only six months this year to fix the issue, so much could not be done. However, they set a deadline of November 2023 to find solutions for the problem. Delhi’s pollution levels remained in the ‘Severe+’ category on Friday morning, with an hourly Air Quality Index (AQI) of 453 at 7 am, for the second consecutive day. As a result, the Central Pollution Control Board called for a series of restrictions under Stage IV of the graded response action plan (Grap), such as ban on the entry of diesel trucks and use of older private diesel vehicles. “This is not the time to point fingers or indulge in blame game. Politics on this issue will not bring any solution to the problem. It does not help the people. People need solutions,” Kejriwal said, appealing to the Centre to come forward and “save the entire north India”. Defending AAP’s new government in Punjab, Kejriwal said, “We got only six months. Six months are very less. The initial months went into improving law and order, etc. We will find a solution in the next one year. We will explore multiple options, including crop diversification.” Mann seconded Kejriwal and said, “We and our government take responsibility for stubble burning in Punjab. We got only six months. Six months is a very short time. We were successful in some spheres.” “We accept that stubble burning is happening in Punjab, but farmers are not responsible for it. They will stop burning stubble if they get a solution,” Kejriwal said. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has warned that the situation may worsen in the coming days as farm fires rage in Punjab. “We will take several measures along with the people. Farmers do not want to burn stubble. They have a very short window between two crops (harvesting paddy and sowing wheat). We encouraged many panchayats against burning stubble. By next November, we will solve this problem. We will also explore crop diversification in the area where stubble is burnt. We have started work on this front, sit with farmers and fix the problem,” Mann said. The Punjab CM said that paddy is grown on 7.5 million acres in Punjab and around 4.5 million acres of such areas stubble burning is prevalent. “For crop diversification, MSP (support to the farmers) is required. We plan to use crops that are less water intensive. Farmers also want crop diversification provided it brings them profit,” Mann said. Pitching a ‘zero tolerance policy’ approach to fix the problem, Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director for research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said, “We all know what the solutions are – absorbing biomass at industries and power plants, crop diversification, which is a long-term measure, etc. The government is already supporting these solutions and we need to quickly implement them on a massive scale. It is time to examine what’s working and what’s not. The solutions must be a combination of multiple measures and factors. Since the problem involves many states, there has to be large-scale coordination so that each and every farmer can be reached to contain stubble burning.”

Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

सिंगल यूज प्लास्टिक पर लगा प्रतिबंध फेल क्यों हो रहा है?

भारत में तीन महीने पहले सिंगल यूज प्लास्टिक (एसयूपी) के इस्तेमाल पर प्रतिबंध लगा दिया गया था ताकि प्लास्टिक कचरे और बढ़ते प्रदूषण पर लगाम लग सके लेकिन देश भर में अभी भी प्लास्टिक का इस्तेमाल धड़ल्ले से हो रहा है. ये प्रतिबंध एसयूपी से बनी 21 चीजों पर लगाए गए थे जिनमें प्लेट्स, बर्तन, स्ट्रॉ, पैकेजिंग फिल्म और सिगरेट के पैकेट शामिल हैं. हर जगह मौजूद माइक्रोप्लास्टिक के बढ़ते खतरे डीडब्ल्यू से बातचीत में पर्यावरण आधारित एनजीओ टॉक्सिक्स लिंक के डायरेक्टर रवि अग्रवाल कहते हैं, "हालांकि ये प्रतिबंध केंद्र सरकार की ओर से जारी किए गए हैं, लेकिन इन्हें लागू कराने की जिम्मेदारी राज्य सरकारों और उनके प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड्स की होती है. राज्य समुचित कार्रवाई नहीं कर रहे हैं. ऐसा लगता है कि प्रतिबंधों को पूरी तरह से लागू कराने के लिए राज्यों के पास कोई प्रभावी रणनीति नहीं है.” भारत ने प्रतिबंध तो लागू कर दिए हैं लेकिन एसयूपी को रोकने के लिए कोई एडवाइजरी नहीं जारी की है और न ही कोई जुर्माना लगाया गया है. इसीलिए एसयूपी के उत्पाद प्रतिबंधों के बावजूद देश भर में मिल रहे हैं. भारत हर साल करीब 14 मिलियन टन प्लास्टिक का इस्तेमाल करता है. केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड के चेयरमैन तन्मय कुमार ने हाल ही में एक बातचीत में इस बात पर जोर डाला कि प्रतिबंध के बावजूद, एसयूपी से बनी वस्तुओं, खासकर थैलों का उपयोग छोटे दुकानदारों द्वारा बहुतायत से हो रहा है. जर्मन वैज्ञानिकों ने ढूंढ निकाला प्लास्टिक को विघटित करने वाला एंजाइम ‘सस्ते विकल्पों' की जरूरत पिछले साल एक सरकारी समिति ने एसयूपी से बनी चीजों को उनकी उपयोगिता और उनके पर्यावरणीय प्रभाव के सूचकांक के आधार पर चिह्नित किया जिन्हें प्रतिबंधित किया जाना था. इस तरह के प्लास्टिक, भारत में निकलने वाले कुल प्लास्टिक कचरे का महज 2-3 फीसद ही है. प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने स्पष्ट किया था कि उनकी सरकार अपने दूसरे कार्यकाल में प्लास्टिक को खत्म करने की दिशा में सक्रियतापूर्वक कार्य करेगी. लेकिन विशेषज्ञों ने चेतावनी दी है कि यह कोई आसान काम नहीं है क्योंकि भारत में हर रोज करीब 26 हजार टन कचरा निकलता है, जिसमें से करीब दस हजार टन कचरा इकट्ठा ही नहीं किया जा पाता. टॉक्सिक्स लिंक से जुड़े अग्रवाल इस बात पर जोर देते हैं कि एसयूपी के विकल्पों की जरूरत है. वो कहते हैं, "इन प्रतिबंधित वस्तुओं की मांग को पूरा करने के लिए सस्ते विकल्पों की उपलब्धता बहुत बड़ी चुनौती है जिन पर नजर रखने की जरूरत है.” चिंतन एनवॉयरनमेंटल रिसर्च एंड एक्शन ग्रुप की संस्थापक और निदेशक भारती चतुर्वेदी कहती हैं कि इसके लिए पर्याप्त मात्रा में निवेश भी नहीं हुआ है. डीडब्ल्यू से बातचीत में वो कहती हैं, "इस बदलाव के लिए प्रोत्साहन की जरूरत है...निर्माताओं को अनिश्चित शर्तों के बारे में बताना होगा. प्लास्टिक उद्योग के समर्थन से बन रहे प्लस्टिक को सुनामी की तरह जमकर मथने की जरूरत है.” हर रोज इस्तेमाल होने वाला प्लास्टिक छोड़ रहा पानी में अरबों सूक्ष्म कण छोटी और मझोली इकाइयां सबसे ज्यादा प्रभावित होंगे भारत में प्रति व्यक्ति प्लास्टिक की खपत 11 किलो ग्राम प्रति वर्ष है और यह दुनिया में अभी भी सबसे सबसे कम है. दुनिया भर में प्रति वर्ष प्रति व्यक्ति प्लास्टिक की खपत 28 किलो है. सरकारी आंकड़ों के मुताबिक, साल 2020-21 में भारत में करीब 35 लाख टन प्लास्टिक का उत्पादन हुआ. ये आंकड़े देश के सभी 28 राज्यों और 8 केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों के दिए आंकड़ों के आधार पर जुटाए गए थे. भारत में सबसे ज्यादा प्लास्टिक का उत्पादन महाराष्ट्र में 13 फीसद और उसके बाद तमिलनाडु और पंजाब 12 फीसद प्लास्टिक का उत्पादन करते हैं. दूसरी ओर, भारत में प्लास्टिक को रीसाक्लिंग करने की क्षमता महज 15.6 लाख टन प्रति वर्ष है जो कि प्लास्टिक उत्पादन की तुलना में आधी है. भारत में एक संगठित प्लास्टिक कचरा प्रबंधन तंत्र का अभाव है जिसकी वजह से ये इधर-उधर बिखरा मिलता है. प्लास्टिक्स को लोग नदियों, समुद्र और गड्ढों में फेंक देते हैं जिसकी वजह से वन्यजीवों के जीवन के लिए नुकसानदायक होता हैं. इसके अलावा, प्रतिबंध का सबसे ज्यादा प्रभाव समाज और अर्थव्यवस्था के सबसे कमजोर तबके पर पड़ता है, खासकर प्लास्टिक उद्योग की छोटी और मध्यम औद्योगिक इकाइयों पर. इसका मतलब, सिर्फ प्रतिबंध के जरिए बड़ी संख्या में नौकरियों के जाने की भी अनदेखी की जा रही है. केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड के एक वरिष्ठ अधिकारी ने डीडब्ल्यू को बताया, "ट्रैक रिकॉर्ड को देखते हुए, हमने प्रतिबंधों को कड़ाई से लागू करने के लिए निर्देशित किया है. इसके तहत सड़क किनारे दुकानदारों, सब्जी विक्रेताओं और स्थानीय बाजारों के साथ-साथ सीमाओं पर भी निगरानी रखी जा रही है और प्लास्टिक से संबंधित उद्योगों की भी जांच की जा रही है.” प्रतिबंध लागू करने का राजनीतिक विरोध एसयूपी पर प्रतिबंधों को सफल बनाने के लिए, औद्योगिक जगत के जानकार सरकार से आह्वान कर रहे हैं कि आर्थिक और पर्यावरणीय लाभ-लागत विश्लेषण के साथ-साथ इसके सामाजिक और आर्थिक प्रभावों को ध्यान में रखते हुए एक योजना तैयार की जाए. आल इंडिया प्लास्टिक मैन्युफैक्चरर्स एसोसिएशन (AIPMA) के महानिदेशक दीपक बलानी कहते हैं, "हम लोग एक स्वच्छ भारत चाहते हैं और बदलाव के लिए तैयार भी हैं. लेकिन हम समस्या की जड़ पर ध्यान क्यों नहीं दे रहे हैं- मतलब प्लास्टिक कचरा. हमें कचरे को अलग-अलग करने के तरीके में सुधार की जरूरत है....और कचरों को रीसाइक्लिंग करने संबंधी आधारभूत ढांचे को बढ़ाने की जरूरत है.” AIPMA प्लास्टिक उद्योग का प्रतिनिधित्व करने वाली सबसे बड़ी व्यावसायिक संस्थाओं में से एक है. संस्था ने सरकार से अपील की है कि कोविड महामारी से विनिर्माण इकाइयों को हुए आर्थिक नुकसान के मद्देनजर एसयूपी उत्पादों को चरणबद्ध तरीके से खत्म करने की समय सीमा एक साल यानी 2023 तक के लिए बढ़ा दी जाए. लेकिन प्रतिबंध को सफल बनाने में सभी संबंधित पक्षों को साथ आना होगा. मसलन, कच्चे माल का उत्पादन करने वाले, प्लास्टिक बनाने वाले, उपभोक्ता वस्तुओं का निर्माण करने वाले बड़े उद्योग और सरकारी तंत्र को भी. कचरे के ढेर से पेट्रोल, डीजल बनाता जाम्बिया सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट के प्रोग्राम डायरेक्टर अतिन बिस्वास डीडब्ल्यू से बातचीत में कहते हैं, "कई चुनौतियां हैं. कुछ राज्यों में राजनीतिक प्रतिरोध है और प्रतिबंधों को लागू करने के लिए सरकारी स्तर पर कोई ऐसी योजना भी नहीं है.” इंटरनेशनल फोरम फॉर एनवायरनमेंट, सस्टेनेबिलिटी एंड टेक्नोलॉजी के सीईओ चंद्रा भूषण इस बात पर आशंका जताती हैं कि सिर्फ प्रतिबंधों की घोषणा से एसयूपी को खत्म नहीं किया जा सकता है. वो कहती हैं, "अच्छे परिणाम के लिए सस्ते विकल्पों के प्रसार के साथ-साथ कचरा प्रबंधन में सुधार की भी जरूरत है.”

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Pollution in Delhi-NCR: दिल्ली-एनसीआर की हवा में 'जहर', SC से लेकर NHRC तक गंभीर; लगाई गईं ये कड़ी पाबंदियां

नई दिल्ली, आनलाइन डेस्क। दिल्ली-NCR की हवा फिर खराब हो गई है। राष्ट्रीय राजधानी का वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक (AQI) गंभीर स्तर तक पहुंच गया है. हवा की गुणवत्ता के तेजी से बिगड़ने की शुरुआत पिछले हफ्ते हुई. जहरीली होती हवा को कंट्रोल को करने के लिए सरकार कदम उठा रही है। आमतौर पर दिल्ली-एनसीआर की हवा बिगड़ने के लिए पराली को जिम्मेदार बताया जा रहा है। वायु की गुणवत्ता गंभीर श्रेणी यानी रेड जोन में पहुंचते ही वायु गुणवत्ता प्रबंधन आयोग (सीएक्यूएम) ने तत्काल प्रभाव से दिल्ली-एनसीआर में ग्रेडेड रिस्पांस एक्शन प्लान (ग्रेप) का चौथा चरण लागू कर दिया। दिल्ली में स्वास्थ्य आपातकाल की स्थिति पैदा हो गई है। अब ग्रेप के पहले, दूसरे और तीसरे चरण के प्रविधान को लेकर भी सख्ती बरती जाएगी। सीएक्यूएम ने बुजुर्गों, बच्चों और सांस के मरीजों को अनावश्यक रूप से बाहर नहीं निकलने की सलाह दी है। सीएक्यूएम की बैठक में सामने आया कि अभी अगले दो-तीन दिन वायु की गुणवत्ता गंभीर या बहुत गंभीर श्रेणी में रह सकती है। ऐसे में लोगों के मन में प्रश्न उठता है कि आखिर दिल्ली-एनसीआर में प्रदूषण क्यो? प्रदूषण के लिए क्या उपाय किए जा रहे? दिल्ली-एनसीआर में प्रदूषण के लिए जिम्मेदार कौन? इसका स्वास्थ्य पर क्या असर पड़ रहा है? प्रदूषण से बचने का क्या है उपाय? आइए जानते हैं इन सभी प्रश्नों का जवाब... दिल्ली में ये प्रतिबंध होंगे लागू आवश्यक वस्तुओं को ले जाने वाले या आवश्यक सेवाएं प्रदान करने वाले ट्रकों और सभी सीएनजी, इलेक्ट्रिक ट्रकों को छोड़कर दिल्ली में ट्रकों की एंट्री बंद हो जाएगी। दिल्ली में पंजीकृत डीजल चालित मध्यम माल वाहन (एमजीवी) और भारी माल वाहन (एचजीवी) के दिल्ली में संचालन पर प्रतिबंध लग जाएगा। हालांकि, यहां भी आवश्यक वस्तुओं को ले जाने और आवश्यक सेवाएं प्रदान करने वालों को छूट मिलेगी आवश्यक व आपातकालीन सेवाओं के लिए उपयोग होने वाले बीएस-6 वाहनों को छोड़ दिल्ली-एनसीआर में चारपहिया डीजल एलएमवीएस के चलने पर प्रतिबंध लग जाएगा। दिल्ली-एनसीआर में राजमार्गों, फ्लाईओवर, पाइपलाइन जैसी सरकारी परियोजनाओं में निर्माण कार्य पर रोक लग जाएगी केंद्र व राज्य सरकारें अपने 50 फीसदी कर्मियों को घर से काम करने की अनुमति दे सकती हैं। एनसीआर में उन उद्योगों को बंद करने का आदेश दिया, जो स्वच्छ ईंधन से नहीं चल रहे। राज्य सरकार स्कूलों को बंद करने, गैर-आपातकालीन व्यावसायिक गतिविधियों को बंद करने को लेकर निर्णय ले सकती है। वाहनों के लिए आड-इवन योजना पर भी सरकार निर्णय ले सकती है। दिल्ली सरकार का बड़ा फैसला केजरीवाल ने एलान किया कि कल से दिल्ली में प्राइमरी स्कूल बंद रहेंगे। कक्षा पांच से ऊपर की सभी कक्षाओं के लिए बाहरी गतिविधियों को भी बंद कर रहे हैं। केजरीवाल ने कहा कि ऑड-ईवन पर विचार कर रहे हैं। जरूरत पड़ने पर इसे लागू किया जाएगा। गोपाल राय ने कहा कि दिल्ली सरकार के 50 फीसदी कर्मचारी वर्क फ्रॉम होम रहेंगे। दिल्ली में डीजल गाड़ियों पर प्रतिबंध रहेगा। केवल सीएनजी ट्रकों को इजाजत रहेगी। दिल्ली में केवल BS-6 गाड़ियों को एंट्री मिलेगी। दिल्ली के RWA के गार्डों को इलेक्ट्रिक हीटर दिल्ली सरकार प्रोवाइड करवाएगी। दिल्ली के मार्केट खुलने के और बंद होने के समय में भी बदलाव किया जाएगा। कैसे रखें खुद का ख्याल ऐसे हालात में भीड़भाड़ वाली जगहों और सड़कों पर पैदल चलने से बचें। अगर आपके साथ में बच्चा है तो उसे गोद लेकर चलें ताकि जमीन के जिस स्तर तक गाड़ियों का धुआं मौजूद है उसके असर से बच्चे को बचाया जा सके। अगर बाहर एक्सरसाइज करते हैं तो अलर्ट रहें। एक्सरसाइज करते समय यह भी चेक करें कि कहीं वो जगह सबसे ज्यादा प्रभावित क्षेत्रों में तो नहीं आती। इसके लिए AQI का स्तर देख सकते हैं। ऐसे दिनों में वाहनों का कम से कम इस्तेमाल करें क्योंकि हवा को दूषित करने में इनका बड़ा और अहम रोल है. सीएसई की रिपोर्ट में भी इसका जिक्र किया गया है। कचरे को न जलाएं क्योंकि इसका धुआं सीधे तौर पर आपकी सेहत को भी नुकसान पहुंचाता है और पर्यावरण को भी। पांच वजह जिसने हवा में बढ़ाया ‘जहर’ सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एंनवॉयर्नमेंट (CSE) की रिपोर्ट कहती है, दिल्ली की हवा बिगड़ने के लिए वाहनों से निकला धुआं सबसे ज्यादा जिम्मेदार है। यह रिपोर्ट ऐसे समय आई है जब दिल्ली-एनसीआर की हवा अपने बुरे स्तर तक पहुंच गई है। 21 अक्टूबर से 26 अक्टूबर के बीच हुई एनालिसिस कहती है, कार और दूसरे वाहनों के लिए दिल्ली PM 2.5 का आंकड़ा 51 प्रतिशत तक बढ़ गया। पंजाब और हरियाणा समेत पड़ोसी राज्यों में जलाई जाने वाली पराली का असर दिल्ली-एनसीआर की दूषित होती हवा में दिखाई दे रहा है। दिल्ली-एनसीआर के हालात 1 से 15 नवंबर के बीच तेजी से बिगड़ते हैं क्योंकि इस दौरान पराली को जलाने के मामले सबसे ज्यादा सामने आते हैं। सिस्टम ऑफ एयर क्वालिटी एंड वेदर फॉरकास्टिंग एंड रिसर्च (SAFAR) की रिपोर्ट कहती है, इसके कारण दूषित हवा में मौजूद नुकसान पहुंचाने वाले बारीक कणों (PM 2.5) का दायरा बढ़ता है। पराली के कारण बुधवार को पीएम 2.5 का आंकड़ा 38 प्रतिशत और गुरुवार को 32 प्रतिशत रहा। हवा बिगड़ने की तीसरी वजह है, कंस्ट्रक्शन और भवनों को तोड़ने से जुड़ी गतिविधियां. यहां से निकलने वाले धूल के बारीक कण हवा की गुणवत्ता को बिगाड़ रहे हैं। इसके अलावा हॉट मिक्स प्लांट्स और क्रशर्स हवा को दूषित करने का काम कर रहे हैं। मौसम का असर भी हालात को बिगाड़ रहा है। विशेषज्ञों का कहना है कि, तेज हवाओं के न चलने से स्मोक अपनी जगह पर टिकी हुई है। हवा चलने पर हालात में सुधार होता है, लेकिन ऐसा न होने पर वर्तमान में जो हालात हैं उसका असर लम्बे समय तक दिख सकता है। रिपोर्ट कहती है, पटाखे सर्दी की शुरुआत में दिल्ली में हवा की गुणवत्ता को बिगाड़ने का काम करते हैं, लेकिन इस साल दिल्ली में पटाखों पर बैन रहा है, इसलिए पिछले सालों की तुलना में दूषित हवा से इनका कनेक्शन बड़ा मुद्दा नहीं बना है। दिल्ली-NCR में प्रदूषण पर 10 नवंबर को सुप्रीम कोर्ट में सुनवाई दिल्ली-एनसीआर में प्रदूषण के मामले पर सुप्रीम कोर्ट से कदम उठाने की मांग की गई है। वकील ने कहा कि जीवन के अधिकार के तहत सुप्रीम कोर्ट को मामले पर गौर करना चाहिए। सुप्रीम कोर्ट प्रदूषण मामले पर 10 नवंबर को सुनवाई करेगा।

Climate Change and Green Economy

South Asia desperate for positives from COP27

Thirteen years ago, the UN's climate conference saw developed countries commit $100 billion per year by 2020. That figure has not been met and it is South Asia that has paid the price, say climate activists. South Asia is very much on the frontlines when it comes to climate change and COP27 — the UN's annual conference dedicated to the environmental crisis — is taking place at a critical juncture as the region deals with increasingly frequent and intense weather events. By the end of the current decade, South Asian nations will incur costs of about $160 billion (€163 billion) per year because of climate change, according to the World Bank. The financial institution also estimates that in the next three decades the region will experience at least 40 million climate migrants. A 2021 study by environmental group German Watch focusing on the first two decades of the century revealed that 3 of the 10 countries in the long-term climate risk index are from South Asia — namely Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal. India and Afghanistan fall in the next 10. The impact is worsening in India, which in 2021 alone suffered 19 climate shocks, while Asia suffered 174 in total. Catastrophic deluges in Pakistan this year have affected some 33 million people, while massive floods displaced and destroyed the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh and India's northeast. "Floods were devastating in Pakistan, and I think an estimated $16 billion are needed for the reconstruction," Thomas Michael Kerr, lead climate specialist South Asia at the World Bank Group, told DW. "I would like to contrast it to the terrible Hurricane Ian. Florida also had a devastating impact, but you don't see the impact of that magnitude on the people versus people in Pakistan." The 'new climate normal' South Asians are living under intensifying heat waves, cyclones, droughts and floods. The scale and frequency of these events are testing the limits of governments, businesses, and citizens to adapt to the new normal. The World Bank says that the changing climate could sharply diminish living conditions for up to 800 million people in a region that already has some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable populations. "It is gutting. It upsets me deeply. Floods submerged much of the country and millions of people had nowhere to go," Aliza Ayaz, a young Pakistani climate activist and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, told DW. "I wish I could do more. I wish I could be on the ground. Such devastating times for people are the only times I wish I was in the highest place of position and influence, so I could dispose of help and money to emergency causes to save lives and rehabilitate homes." Like Ayaz, climate activists and experts are eyeing this year's UN climate conference, COP27, to find more sustainable solutions for the affected people. There is particular concern surrounding the pledges from the the 2015 Paris Agreement. "There was a dilution of climate justice in the Paris Agreement itself through the expectation that the emissions reduction burden must be borne equally by all countries, rich or poor," Avantika Goswami, a policy researcher from the India-based Center for Science and Environment, told DW. "This inequity will worsen as poor and vulnerable countries suffer disproportionately from a crisis that they have not caused and are also not receiving adequate financial compensation to recover and rebuild," she added. Financing climate resilience The global climate finance target, set at COP15 by developed nations, is supposed to be $100 billion a year from 2020 onward. So far, the pledge has not been fully met. The British international NGO Oxfam estimates $21-$24.5 billion as the "true value" of climate finance provided in 2020, against a reported figure of $68.3 billion in public finance that developed countries said was provided — alongside mobilized private finance bringing the total to $83.3 billion. COP27 will focus on scaling-up adaptation solutions while mobilizing and strengthening access to financing for adaptation. "Money that goes for mitigation, generally goes for renewable projects, like solar or wind energy projects," Saleemul Huq, director of the Dhaka-based climate education institute ICCCAD, told DW. "Those energy projects generate an income. So, these projects can be funded with loans. That is why the developed countries are more interested in mitigation projects. On the other hand, adaptation money should be given as grants, because it will help a flood-affected destitute person in Bangladesh or Pakistan." Policy researcher Goswami believes the COP15 goal of $100 billion per year was "an arbitrary figure that grossly underestimated the needs of the developing world for mitigation and adaptation." "Discussions at COP27 must advance towards a new figure for climate finance from 2025 onward that accurately captures these needs," she continued. "Developed countries must also answer for the gap in finance so far, and how the current goal will be met till 2025." Kerr from the World Bank also said that because of revenue generation opportunities, the private sector is more interested in mitigation projects. "We have to come up with new ways to finance climate resilience across South Asia," Kerr said. With an eye on COP27, Kerr hopes "we can bring people together to think about what else we can do to bring more finance for resilience in these countries." Loss and damage In recent years, more vulnerable countries have been talking about creating another fund called Loss and Damage. They say that countries at risk are suffering huge losses from natural disasters caused by man-made climate change. Beyond adaptation or mitigation, rehabilitation of affected people also requires large sums of money. "The floods in Pakistan were 50% more severe because of human-induced climate change," Huq from ICCCAD said. "This is a new demand to the rich countries to provide additional funds from mitigation and adaptation to help the victims who are suffering from loss and damage now. Adaptation and mitigation have failed for them. They are suffering. They need help now, and for that we need a fund." Loss and Damage is not yet a standing agenda item in the COP27. It is a provisional agenda. At the beginning of the upcoming conference — which will be held for two weeks from November 6 — it has to be adopted by all the parties. The pressure and expectations for that from the climate vulnerable and developing countries have mounted. "Even one country can object and stop it from being adopted. If that happens that will be a big fight, and the COP will be declared a failure even before it has started," Huq, who is also the chair of the experts of climate vulnerable forum, said. "We now have evidence that extreme events are happening because of human-induced climate change," he added. "The IPCC sixth amendment report has clearly mentioned that it is attributable to the carbon emissions because of human actions. COP27 is the first COP in this new era, and it has to deal with this problem."

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Vehicles contributed half of PM 2.5 pollution from local sources in Delhi around Diwali: CSE report

Report uses decision support system (DSS) of Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology(IITM), which has provided the information on potential emission sources Vehicular emission contributed half of PM 2.5 pollution from local sources in Delhi during the Diwali week between October 21 and October 26, according to the latest assessment by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). It said that when pollution concentrations from all sources -- local, NCR and beyond -- are added, Delhi's vehicles account for nearly 17 per cent of total PM2.5 concentration. But, according to CSE's indicative data, vehicles' daily share of pollution varied between 49.3 per cent and 53 per cent during the week of Diwali. "The vehicular contribution was followed by household pollution (residential) at 13 per cent, industries at 11 per cent, construction at 7 per cent, waste burning and the energy sector at 5 per cent each, and road dust and other sources at 4 per cent each. This observation is consistent with the trends evaluated during the previous winter in Delhi," principal programme manager at CSE's Clean Air and Sustainable Mobility unit Vivek Chattopadhyay said. The CSE report indicated all combustion sources, including vehicles, peripheral industries, the energy sector, waste burning and residential cooking, have a higher share than the dust sources that include construction and road dust. The report has used the decision support system (DSS) of Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology(IITM), which has provided the information on potential emission sources in Delhi. "With high traffic on pre-Diwali days, average speed plummeted to 27 km per hour against the design standard of 60 km per hour or regulated speed of 40 km per hour. On some stretches this reduced to 17 km per hour. Nitrogen dioxide coming largely from vehicles correlates well with traffic peaks and congestion though dispersion helped to dilute it in the afternoons, the CSE assessment stated. The organisation said that despite vehicles becoming the top polluter, action on transport remains "the weakest". It further stated that public transport augmentation and integration is needed, along with electrification of fleet, walking and cycling infrastructure, low emissions zones and vehicle restraint measures such as parking caps and pricing.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Delhi air pollution: Biggest culprit this year, and possible solutions

The CSE analysis found that Delhi’s local sources caused around 32.9 per cent of the pollution in the city from October 21 to 26. Here are the causes and culprits it found. What kept Delhi’s air polluted from October 21 to 26, the week that the city recorded the first ‘very poor’ air day of the season? The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based organisation that focuses on environment-related research and advocacy, analysed data to indicate that much of the air pollution over the week from within the city was caused by vehicular emissions. What were CSE’s findings? CSE’s analysis of data from October 21 to 26 found that of the local sources of pollution, vehicular emissions may have contributed around 51 per cent to the PM2.5 levels in Delhi. Local sources refer to the sources within the city. Among these, local sources, the next largest contribution was 13 per cent from residential sources, and 11 per cent from industries. Construction activities contributed around 7 per cent to PM2.5, followed by 5 per cent each from the burning of waste and the energy sector. Road dust contributed around 4 per cent to PM2.5 levels. What kept Delhi’s air polluted from October 21 to 26, the week that the city recorded the first ‘very poor’ air day of the season? The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based organisation that focuses on environment-related research and advocacy, analysed data to indicate that much of the air pollution over the week from within the city was caused by vehicular emissions. What were CSE’s findings? CSE’s analysis of data from October 21 to 26 found that of the local sources of pollution, vehicular emissions may have contributed around 51 per cent to the PM2.5 levels in Delhi. Local sources refer to the sources within the city. Among these, local sources, the next largest contribution was 13 per cent from residential sources, and 11 per cent from industries. Construction activities contributed around 7 per cent to PM2.5, followed by 5 per cent each from the burning of waste and the energy sector. Road dust contributed around 4 per cent to PM2.5 levels.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Delhi minister's solution to air pollution is 'work from home'

In other measures to reduce air pollution, Delhi Environment minister Gopal Rai urged people not to burn wood or coal, especially in the mornings. As Delhi's air quality becomes "severe", Environment minister Gopal Rai has a possible solution to the pollution problem -- work from home. He appealed to people to work from home and avoid using private vehicles because half of the pollution was caused by vehicular emissions. "I appeal to people, if possible work from home and avoid taking out private vehicles. Fifty per cent of the pollution is from vehicles," Rai said. "If you are going to office, try to share vehicles; if you can, work from home, so vehicles can be taken out only in emergencies." He also asked people not to burst firecrackers. The AAP minister also blamed the Centre for not supporting the Punjab government's plan to provide a cash incentive to them for not burning the crop residue. "Stubble burning in Punjab is happening due to Centre as they didn't support Punjab govt, farmers to stop it," Rai said. "The BJP is blaming farmers for burning stubble because of their protests.... They now want FIRs to be filed against them. They should stop abusing farmers, stop seeking revenge from them." Quoting a study by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Rai said that 69 per cent of the air pollution in Delhi comes from neighbouring states. "The air pollution problem cannot be resolved through politics," he said. "The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has come up with a plan, which will have to be implemented in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana too -- in Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Gurugram and Bahadurgarh." In other measures to reduce air pollution, Rai urged people not to burn wood or coal, especially in the mornings. He appealed to housing associations to provide their security guards with electric heaters so that they do not have to light bonfires.

Down To Earth

India Has Witnessed a Climate Change-Induced Natural Disaster Almost Every Day So Far in 2022: New CSE Report

Climate change has never been fair. While the battle remains a global effort, the disproportional manner in which climate disaster tramples on the weakest makes it an achingly cruel opponent. For example, despite exhibiting one of the lowest per-capita emissions in the world, India stands to be one of the worst affected. The cataclysmic cogs of climate events have already begun turning, with a new report mourning that India has witnessed a natural disaster almost every day of 2022 so far. The report, released in collaboration between the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth magazine, assesses that out of the 273 days between January 1 and September 30, some form of extreme weather event shrouded some part of India in tragedy for 242 of them — or 88% of the time. Additionally, the sheer range of the disaster types seems eyebrow-raising. India simultaneously recorded one of the wettest Januaries and one of the driest Marches in over 120 years. In addition, eastern and northeastern India recorded abnormally cold day and night-time temperatures in February, which can be devastating for crop growth due to frost development. This, too, can be attributed to climate change, which is making these kinds of record-breaking events occur more frequently than they should. “What the country has witnessed so far in 2022 is the new abnormal in a warming world. There is a clear spike in frequency and intensity of extreme events that we are seeing,” said CSE director general Sunita Narain. Death and destruction toll higher than ever The repercussions of the warming trend remain painfully real. According to the report, these climate change-induced natural disasters killed almost 3,000 people and 70,000 livestock, and destroyed around 4.1 lakh houses just this year alone. They also affected 18 lakh hectares of crop area — about 1% of the total cropped area in the nation. For an agrarian country, this could spell significant social and economic consequences. Assam Floods. (IANS) Assam Floods (IANS) The worst-hit regions include India’s central and northwestern parts, which recorded almost 200 days of extreme weather events and grieved the highest death toll than any other region, with 887 lives lost. Next in line is the northeastern region, with 783 deaths. Northeast India was continuously ravaged by extremely heavy rains and floods throughout the southwest monsoon season. Assam, which was submerged for months, reported the highest number of damaged houses and animal deaths than any other state in the nation. Further, the report adds that extreme weather events brought Madhya Pradesh to its knees every second day. But surprisingly, the state did not suffer from any crop damage. Experts assert this to “gaps in loss and damage reporting” — a recurring phenomenon that could significantly inflate these numbers if adequately accounted for. A similar trend is observed when we compare lives lost to heatwaves as well. Experts reckon that the 45 lives that succumbed to heatwaves would be much larger if adjusted for its long-term effects. A silver lining Ferocious winds uprooted trees in several districts of West Bengal (TOI, BCCL, Kolkata) Ferocious winds uprooted trees in several districts of West Bengal (TOI, BCCL, Kolkata) In between all this muck, there is some good news. Despite cyclones tearing down large swaths of areas in the country, the direct fatalities caused by these disasters remained low at just 2. Experts posit that this is primarily due to effective and early forecasting and warning systems, which allowed for better mitigation measures to be put in place. “This is because of the amazing work done by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on cyclone forecasting so that there is adequate warning to governments. It is also because state governments — particularly those in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal — have improved their systems of disaster management,” Narain explained. **

Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

Why is India's Single-Use Plastic Ban Failing?

Three months after India imposed a ban on single use plastics (SUPs) to tackle plastic waste and worsening pollution, plastics are still in rampant circulation across the country. The ban includes almost 21 SUP items such as plates, cups, cutlery, straws, packaging films and cigarette packets. "Though the central government has issued the ban, the implementation lies with the respective state governments and their state pollution control boards," Ravi Agarwal, director of environmental NGO Toxics Link, told DW. "The state's actions are not up to the mark; there seems to be lack of effective implementation strategy from the states to enforce the ban fully," he added. But India, which uses about 14 million tons of plastic annually, has not issued any advisory to stop the use of SUPs, and no penalties have been imposed following the ban. SUP products continue to be available as usual. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) chairman Tanmay Kumar highlighted in a recent communication that despite the ban, the use of SUP items, specifically thin carry-bags, also continues unabated in the low-end section of the economy. 'Cheap alternatives' needed Last year, a government committee identified the SUP items to be banned based on an index of their low utility and high environmental impact. The share of plastic used for these banned SUPs is less than 2-3% of the total plastic waste generated in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear that his government would be actively working towards a crackdown on plastic in its second term in power. But experts warned it would not be an easy task given that close to 26,000 tons of plastic waste is generated across India every day, of which more than 10,000 tons stay uncollected. Agarwal from Toxics Link stressed that alternatives to SUPs are needed. "Availability of cheap alternatives to cater the demand of these banned products are critical challenges which need to be looked into," he said. Bharati Chaturvedi, founder and director of Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, pointed out that investments have not been adequately made to make the transition. "There have to be incentives for this shift…Manufacturers have to be told on no uncertain terms. At times the all-pervasive plastics, backed by the might of the plastics industry, really needs a tsunami to shake it up,” Chaturvedi told DW. SMEs to be hit hardest India's per capita consumption of plastic at 11 kilograms per year is still among the lowest in the world (global average is 28 kilograms per year). In 2020-21, India generated nearly 3.5 million tons of plastic, according to government figures provided by the country's 28 states and 8 union territories. Maharashtra state forms 13% of this, followed by Tamil Nadu and Punjab at 12% each, respectively. Meanwhile, India's recycling capacity at 1.56 million tons per year is only half of the total of plastics generated. India lacks an organized plastic waste management system, resulting in widespread littering. Plastics end up in rivers, oceans and landfills, threatening the lives of wildlife species. What's more, the ban as it stands impacts the most vulnerable segments, especially the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of the plastic industry, and potential job losses are also being overlooked. "Going by track record, we have directed strict enforcement of the ban, with a focus on street vendors, vegetable markets and local markets, along with checks at borders and inspection of concerned industries," a senior Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) official told DW. Political resistance to implement ban For the ban on SUPs to be successful, industry experts are calling on the government to carry out a thorough economic and environmental cost-benefit analysis, as well as chalk out a plan to take into account social and economic impacts. "We want a clean India and are ready to transition. But why not focus on the root of the problem — plastic waste. We need to improve waste segregation… and amp up our recycling infrastructure," said Deepak Ballani, director-general of the All India Plastic Manufacturers Association (AIPMA). The AIPMA, one of the largest trade bodies representing the plastics industry, has requested the government to push the deadline for phasing out SUP products by a period of one year to 2023 due to economic distress faced by manufacturing units because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But all stakeholders involved — producers of raw materials, plastic manufacturers, giant fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, and government entities — have their parts to play to make the ban a success. "There are challenges. There is political resistance in some states, and also there is no planned effort by state authorities to implement the ban," Atin Biswas, program director at Centre for Science and Environment, told DW. Chandra Bhushan, the CEO of International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology, doubts India's ban alone would be sufficient to eliminate SUPs. "There needs to be marketing of affordable alternatives as well as improvements in waste management to achieve results," she said.

Down To Earth

A climate change-induced natural disaster has struck India every day of 2022 so far, new CSE report shows

Climate change has never been fair. While the battle remains a global effort, the disproportional manner in which climate disaster tramples on the weakest makes it an achingly cruel opponent. For example, despite exhibiting one of the lowest per-capita emissions in the world, India stands to be one of the worst affected. The cataclysmic cogs of climate events have already begun turning, with a new report mourning that India has witnessed a natural disaster almost every day of 2022 so far. The report, released in collaboration between the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth magazine, assesses that out of the 273 days between January 1 and September 30, some form of extreme weather event shrouded some part of India in tragedy for 242 of them — or 88% of the time. Additionally, the sheer range of the disaster types seems eyebrow-raising. India simultaneously recorded one of the wettest Januaries and one of the driest Marches in over 120 years. In addition, eastern and northeastern India recorded abnormally cold day and night-time temperatures in February, which can be devastating for crop growth due to frost development. This too can be attributed to climate change, which is making these kinds of record-breaking events occur more frequently than they should. “What the country has witnessed so far in 2022 is the new abnormal in a warming world. There is a clear spike in frequency and intensity of extreme events that we are seeing,” said CSE director general Sunita Narain. Death and destruction toll higher than ever The repercussions of the warming trend remain painfully real. According to the report, these climate change-induced natural disasters killed almost 3,000 people and 70,000 livestock, and destroyed around 4.1 lakh houses just this year alone. They also affected 18 lakh hectares of crop area — about 1% of the total cropped area in the nation. For an agrarian country, this could spell significant social and economic consequences. The worst-hit regions include India’s central and northwestern parts, which recorded almost 200 days of extreme weather events and grieved the highest death toll than any other region, with 887 lives lost. Next in line is the northeastern region with 783 deaths. Northeast India was continuously ravaged by extremely heavy rains and floods throughout the southwest monsoon season. Assam, which was submerged for months, reported the highest number of damaged houses and animal deaths than any other state in the nation. Further, the report adds that extreme weather events brought Madhya Pradesh to its knees every second day. But surprisingly, the state did not suffer from any crop damage. Experts assert this to “gaps in loss and damage reporting” — a recurring phenomenon that could significantly inflate these numbers if adequately accounted for. A similar trend is observed when we compare lives lost to heatwaves as well. Experts reckon that the 45 lives that succumbed to heatwaves would be much larger if adjusted for its long-term effects. A silver lining In between all this muck, there is some good news. Despite cyclones tearing down large swaths of areas in the country, the direct fatalities caused by these disasters remained low at just 2. Experts posit that this is primarily due to effective and early forecasting and warning systems, which allowed for better mitigation measures to be put in place. “This is because of the amazing work done by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on cyclone forecasting so that there is adequate warning to governments. It is also because state governments — particularly those in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal — have improved their systems of disaster management,” Narain explained.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Work From Home Or Use Shared Transport To Reduce Vehicular Emissions: Rai Appeals To Delhiites

Citing a study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment, Rai said local sources account for 31 per cent of the air pollution in Delhi, 54.5 per cent comes from other areas in the National Capital Region and the rest is due to biomass burning. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday appealed to city residents to preferably work from home or use shared transport to reduce vehicular emissions, a major contributor to air pollution in the national capital. He also said that vehicular emissions account for 51 per cent of the air pollution generated locally. "If possible, please share a ride to work or work from home. This is how we can reduce the share of vehicular emissions in Delhi's air pollution," he said during a press conference here. Rai asked people to refrain from using coal or firewood for heating purposes and to provide electric heaters to security staff to avoid open burning during winters. "We have to reduce our share of pollution. We have to do everything we can. We cannot sit idle waiting for others to act," the minister said. He said people should avoid bursting firecrackers. "Emission from even one firecracker can cause great harm in such unfavourable meteorological conditions," he said. Rai also asked people to take pictures if they find anyone violating the ban on construction work and upload them on "Green Delhi" application for necessary action. With pollution levels worsening, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had on Saturday directed authorities to impose a ban on construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR, except in essential projects, and other curbs under stage three of the Graded Response Action plan (GRAP). GRAP, first implemented in 2017, is a set of anti-air pollution measures followed in the national capital and its vicinity according to the severity of the situation. The Delhi government had on Tuesday issued a notice to stop work at the BJP headquarters here and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on private firm Larsen & Toubro Ltd for violating the ban on construction and demolition work. Rai said the Delhi government will run a special drive at the 13 pollution hotspots in Delhi, including Narela, Anand Vihar, Mundka, Dwarka, Punjabi Bagh, among others. "Fire tenders will be deployed at these places to sprinkle water," he said. Citing a study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment, Rai said local sources account for 31 per cent of the air pollution in Delhi, 54.5 per cent comes from other areas in the National Capital Region and the rest is due to biomass burning. "The air pollution problem cannot be resolved through politics. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has come up with Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which will have to be implemented in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana too -- in Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Gurugram and Bahadurgarh. "We have been following GRAP and have accordingly banned construction work, barring some essential projects, in Delhi. We need the support of the governments in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. They need to become active," he said.

Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

Why is India's single-use plastic ban failing?

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Delhi has turned into a gas chamber, says environment minister: Why is the Capital gasping for breath again?

Delhi’s Air Quality Index over the past few days has been in the very poor to severe category, with even Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav expressing concern over it. But what has led to a sudden increase in pollution levels? Is stubble burning alone to blame? Choking… That’s the feeling most people in Delhi must be experiencing as the air quality has deteriorated to dangerous levels. The air quality in Delhi today was in the ‘very poor’ category with an Air Quality Index standing of 364 at 8 am. On Wednesday (2 November), Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 376 (the ‘very poor’ category), improving from Tuesday’s AQI of 424 (‘severe’ category) — which was the worst since 26 December 2021 when it was 459. The air pollution in the national capital prompted the Arvind Kejriwal government to urge people to work from home to reduce vehicular pollution. Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai also suggested the use of carpooling in an attempt to reduce vehicular pollution — considered to be one of the major factors turning Delhi’s air unbreathable. The minister added the Delhi government will run a special drive at the 13 pollution hotspots in Delhi, including Narela, Anand Vihar, Mundka, Dwarka and Punjabi Bagh. “Fire tenders will be deployed at these places to sprinkle water,” he said. The worsening air quality also prompted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) asking the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the national capital to shut schools till the situation improved. NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo wrote to the chief secretary and strongly recommended considering appropriate action. He urged the Delhi government to consider shutting schools in the interest of the children until air quality in the national capital improved. What has led to Delhi turning into a gas chamber? We examine the reasons. Rise in stubble burning While there are several factors to blame for the deteriorating air quality in Delhi, at present, most fingers are pointing to stubble burning in neighbouring areas of Punjab and Haryana. On Wednesday, the day when Delhi’s AQI stood at 376 in the ‘very poor’ category, Punjab recorded a whopping 3,634 farm fires on a single day, the season’s highest single day figure so far. According to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), the fire count increased from 1,842 recorded on Tuesday. Delhi has turned into a gas chamber says environment minister Why is the Capital gasping for breath again Graphic: Pranay Bhardwaj IARI data shows that Punjab has recorded 21,480 paddy residue burning events from 15 September onwards. This is around 19 per cent more than the figure of 18,066 recorded till 2 November last year, but lower than the figure of 37,756 recorded till 2 November 2020, and 22,720 recorded till 2 November 2019. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav also highlighted that it was the rise in Punjab’s stubble burning incidents that was causing Delhi to gasp for air. On Twitter, the minister blamed the party for turning the capital into a “gas chamber” and accused it of a “scam” Data provided by the SAFAR forecasting system has shown that the contribution of stubble burning to PM2.5 levels in Delhi on Wednesday was 12 per cent. The Decision Support System, a tool developed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), meanwhile said the contribution of farm fires peaked at around 10 per cent on Wednesday, with an average contribution of around 7.5 per cent. Urban Emissions, a platform to analyse air pollution across the country, also estimated the contribution of stubble burning or open fires to Delhi’s PM 2.5 to be 12.5 per cent on Wednesday. It forecasts this to rise to 27 per cent by Thursday. Unfavourable weather Besides the rise in stubble burning, the weather gods and science are also at play. A key aspect that contributes to increased pollution in winters in Delhi is thermal inversion — when cool air remains closer to the surface trapped under a layer of warm air. This thermal inversion acts as a lid and keeps smoke and other pollutants from rising into the atmosphere and dispersing. This, obviously, negatively impacts air quality. Additionally, meteorologically, the pre-winter conditions mean colder, heavier air descends, bringing in the smoke from farm fires in Punjab and Haryana that have travelled through high-level transport winds. The haze in Delhi then stops sunlight from penetrating, limiting the vertical headroom for pollutants even from local emissions to be dispersed in the blanket of haze closer to the ground. Cars, cars everywhere Delhi’s vehicular density, which has increased by approximately 21 times in the past three decades, is another reason for Delhi’s poor air levels. The latest assessment by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) showed that over half of PM 2.5 pollution from local sources in Delhi during the Diwali week (21-26 October) was owing to vehicular emissions. According to CSE's indicative data, vehicles' daily share of pollution varied between 49.3 per cent and 53 per cent during the week of Diwali. Principal programme manager at CSE's Clean Air and Sustainable Mobility unit Vivek Chattopadhyay said, “The vehicular contribution was followed by household pollution (residential) at 13 per cent, industries at 11 per cent, construction at seven per cent, waste burning and the energy sector at five per cent each, and road dust and other sources at four per cent each. This observation is consistent with the trends evaluated during the previous winter in Delhi.” While politicians continue to battle it out, Delhiites will have to grapple with the poor air, with a SAFAR advisory suggesting sensitive groups avoid overexertion and outdoor physical activities.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Delhi-NCR breathes poison. Here's how you are slowly dying

Seven-year-old Pankaj gasps for breath while he heads for his school. Little Suman is made to mask up even though she feels choked by it. She has had an intense bout of asthma recently. Ritesh, who will turn 26 in January, continues to suffer from a sore throat, burning sensation in the nose and watering eyes. Debashish, a 40-something executive, has been suffering from nasal energy and wheezing of late and can't concentrate on his work. This is just the tip of the iceberg and these cases can't be taken in isolation. They are all linked to the deteriorating air quality in Delhi-NCR that has assumed monstrous toxicity levels. Apart from sore throat, wheezing, asthma and burning in the eyes, more and more people are complaining about chest infections and pneumonia. Several people have reportedly also been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of hospitals. Respiratory distress and other pollution-related problems in kids are growing by 70%, according to some reports. And as the Air Quality Index peaks to an all-time high, health experts are warning of a "medical emergency". "People are affected by short-term and long-term impacts of pollution. You are immediately affected when the lungs are exposed to this air," Dr Arvind Kumar, chairman of the Institute of Chest Surgery at Medanta Hospital, reportedly told ANI. "As the smoke goes inside the chest, it causes immediate acute inflammation in the windpipe and lungs, followed by these toxic chemicals getting absorbed from the lungs and reaching the blood," he pointed out. READ | Delhi Gas Chamber Season 6 just dropped. Are you ready? "Those with medical conditions are at high risk. Respiratory and cardiac problems, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and so on are the short-term impacts. However, those hit may suffer from metabolic diseases and cancer in the long run," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi. Some experts say prolonged exposure to air pollution affects the brains of kids and causes hyper-irritability in them. The toxins cause neuro-inflammation. Some warn of constrained growth of organs and impaired brain development. The elderly may also suffer stroke if they continue to inhale the foul air for a long time. Researchers have found many cases of heart attacks in the recent past related to air pollution. It has been established that dirty air can cause blockage in arteries and veins. A recent survey carried out by LocalCircles revealed that a whopping 70% of people have one or more family members, or themselves, who are facing the impact of poor air quality in Delhi-NCR. "The elderly at home are most impacted along with those who have a medical condition, and of course, school-going kids," Sachin Taparia, the founder of the community social media platform, said. An alarming research by WHO in 2018 said that pregnant women are vulnerable to polluted air. Exposure to it can cause premature birth. Air pollution also impacts neurodevelopment and cognitive ability and can trigger asthma and childhood cancer. Another risk is having a baby with a low birth weight and weak immunity. Exposure to high levels of air pollution puts a child at greater risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular ailments, later in life, experts say. A study pointed out that the risk of dementia increases by 3% for every one microgram per cubic metre (ug/m3) increase of fine particulate matter. Air pollution from fine particulate matter caused 6.4 million premature deaths and 93 billion days lived with illness in 2019, according to Global Burden of Disease study. The global cost of health damage associated with exposure to air pollution is $8.1 trillion, equivalent to 6.1% of global GDP, it added. Even as anti-smog guns are pressed into service and the Delhi government's Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is implemented, there's no relief from the toxic air as the 'silent killer' continues to prowl.

Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

Why is India's single-use plastic ban failing?

Despite a ban already in place, India is struggling to find an alternative to single-use plastics and establish an effective waste management system Three months after India imposed a ban on single use plastics (SUPs) to tackle plastic waste and worsening pollution, plastics are still in rampant circulation across the country. The ban includes almost 21 SUP items such as plates, cups, cutlery, straws, packaging films and cigarette packets. "Though the central government has issued the ban, the implementation lies with the respective state governments and their state pollution control boards," Ravi Agarwal, director of environmental NGO Toxics Link, told DW. "The state's actions are not up to the mark; there seems to be a lack of effective implementation strategy from the states to enforce the ban fully," he added. But India, which uses about 14 million tons of plastic annually, has not issued any advisory to stop the use of SUPs, and no penalties have been imposed following the ban. SUP products continue to be available as usual. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) chairman Tanmay Kumar highlighted in a recent communication that despite the ban, the use of SUP items, specifically thin carry-bags, also continues unabated in the low-end section of the economy. 'Cheap alternatives' needed ADVERTISEMENT dt-ad Last year, a government committee identified the SUP items to be banned based on an index of their low utility and high environmental impact. The share of plastic used for these banned SUPs is less than 2-3% of the total plastic waste generated in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear that his government would be actively working towards a crackdown on plastic in its second term in power. But experts warned it would not be an easy task given that close to 26,000 tons of plastic waste is generated across India every day, of which more than 10,000 tons stay uncollected. ADVERTISEMENT dt-ad Agarwal from Toxics Link stressed that alternatives to SUPs are needed. "Availability of cheap alternatives to cater the demand of these banned products are critical challenges which need to be looked into," he said. Bharati Chaturvedi, founder and director of Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, pointed out that investments have not been adequately made to make the transition. "There have to be incentives for this shift…Manufacturers have to be told on no uncertain terms. At times the all-pervasive plastics, backed by the might of the plastics industry, really needs a tsunami to shake it up,” Chaturvedi told DW. SMEs to be hit hardest India's per capita consumption of plastic at 11 kilograms per year is still among the lowest in the world (global average is 28 kilograms per year). In 2020-21, India generated nearly 3.5 million tons of plastic, according to government figures provided by the country's 28 states and 8 union territories. Maharashtra state forms 13% of this, followed by Tamil Nadu and Punjab at 12% each, respectively. Meanwhile, India's recycling capacity at 1.56 million tons per year is only half of the total of plastics generated. India lacks an organized plastic waste management system, resulting in widespread littering. Plastics end up in rivers, oceans and landfills, threatening the lives of wildlife species. What's more, the ban as it stands impacts the most vulnerable segments, especially the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of the plastic industry, and potential job losses are also being overlooked. "Going by track record, we have directed strict enforcement of the ban, with a focus on street vendors, vegetable markets and local markets, along with checks at borders and inspection of concerned industries," a senior Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) official told DW. Political resistance to implement ban For the ban on SUPs to be successful, industry experts are calling on the government to carry out a thorough economic and environmental cost-benefit analysis, as well as chalk out a plan to take into account social and economic impacts. "We want a clean India and are ready to transition. But why not focus on the root of the problem — plastic waste. We need to improve waste segregation… and amp up our recycling infrastructure," said Deepak Ballani, director-general of the All India Plastic Manufacturers Association (AIPMA). The AIPMA, one of the largest trade bodies representing the plastics industry, has requested the government to push the deadline for phasing out SUP products by a period of one year to 2023 due to economic distress faced by manufacturing units because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But all stakeholders involved — producers of raw materials, plastic manufacturers, giant fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, and government entities — have their parts to play to make the ban a success. "There are challenges. There is political resistance in some states, and also there is no planned effort by state authorities to implement the ban," Atin Biswas, program director at Centre for Science and Environment, told DW. Chandra Bhushan, the CEO of International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology, doubts India's ban alone would be sufficient to eliminate SUPs. "There needs to be marketing of affordable alternatives as well as improvements in waste management to achieve results," she said.

Down To Earth

After Assam, Karnataka saw extreme weather events

India recorded an extreme weather event on almost 90% of the days in the first nine months of this year, with Himachal Pradesh logging the highest number of human deaths, according to a report released by the Centre for Science and Environment. Karnataka, which experienced extreme weather events on 82 days during the first nine months, accounted for more than 50% of the crop area (9.96 lakh hectares) affected in the country, the report said. With 47,703 fully or partially damaged houses, the state stands second after Assam. It also shares second place with Himachal Pradesh, in witnessing extreme weather events on 9 days in May, after Assam which had witnessed 20 worst days. In August too, it saw the second-highest number of bad weather days with 22. The number of deaths of people (117) and animals (1,664) is also higher in the state compared to its southern counterparts. South Karnataka saw the wettest May in 121 years. The report, 'Extreme Weather Report 2022', released by CSE, sourced its data on extreme events from two key government sources - IMD and the Disaster Management Division of the Union home ministry. In addition, it scanned reports to track the pre-monsoon period when official data is inadequate. Despite India recording its seventh-wettest January (39.6mm) since 1901, Karnataka is one among four states that faced recorded deficit rainfall. Incidentally, this March was the warmest ever that India had recorded and the third driest in 121 years