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Delhi PM 2.5 pollution in winters has dipped 20 pc compared to pre-pandemic period: Report

The assessment captured seven successive winters and pre-winter trends, starting from January 1, 2015 in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The average PM2.5 pollution in Delhi in the winter season has declined by about 20 per cent as compared to the pre-pandemic period, according to a new report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Thursday. The assessment captured seven successive winters and pre-winter trends, starting from January 1, 2015 in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). It is based on real time data available from the 81 operational air quality monitoring stations in the region. The PM2.5 concentration for winter (October 1 to February 28) used to hover around 180-190 microgram per cubic metre before the pandemic. It has come down to 150-160 microgram per cubic metre since then, the report said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at the CSE, said the objective of the report is to understand the trend and ”the starting line of the onset of the winter pollution season or pre-winter levels in this region”. The seasonal average is still over 150 per cent above the 24-hour standard (60 microgram per cubic metre) and almost four times the annual standard (40 microgram per cubic metre) despite the improvement, the green thinktank noted. It said peak pollution showed a similar trend as the seasonal average. ”Peak pollution (worst 24-hour average) used to cross 800 microgram per cubic metre at individual stations pre-pandemic. It has been hovering in the 700-800 microgram per cubic metre range during the last three winters,” the report said. The CSE, however, said the peak pollution numbers did not project the actual level as the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had capped it at 1,000 microgram per cubic metre in 2016-17, greatly compromising the assessment of peak pollution level. Researchers said the winter of 2021-22 was less polluted as compared to 2020-21 for most NCR cities. Ghaziabad registered a 30 per cent improvement, the highest among all major cities, but its PM2.5 level was still about 2.5 times the 24-hour standard, they said. ”Greater Noida (28 per cent), Noida (23 per cent) and Faridabad (16 per cent) also registered improvement in excess of Delhi (12 per cent),” the report said. Gurugram, with 11 per cent improvement, was the worst performer among the core NCR cities. In absolute concentration terms, Faridabad, with an average of 159 microgram per cubic metre, was the most polluted city of the NCR last winter. The report also highlighted that a different station in Delhi recorded peak pollution every winter over the last years. ”Shadipur, DTU, CRRI Mathura Road, JLN Stadium, Alipur, ITO and Rohini have occupied the worst peak pollution title in the last seven winters. These are spread across the city with no clear pattern. This indicates that the winter pollution is regional in nature and short-term peak build-up can happen anywhere based on local meteorology and pollution sources,” the report read.

Can Delhi breathe easy this Diwali?

Delhi, the world’s most polluted city, is seeing a slight decline in pollution this year compared to pollution numbers pre-pandemic, a new study has found. The study probed pollution levels across seven consecutive pre-winters and winters and found a tiny dip in PM 2.5 concentration in Delhi’s air. The report, released by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), an India-based green think tank says PM 2.5 concentration levels, which used to hover around 180-190 microgram per cubic metre between October to February pre-pandemic, have come down to 150-160 microgram per cubic metre since then.

Concentrated stubble burning around Diwali may compound problem: CSE

Though Diwali this year will be observed during the “warmer part of the early winter”, concentrated stubble burning in Delhi’s neighbouring states may compound the problem, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Thursday. The air quality in Delhi-NCR starts worsening in October due to unfavourable meteorological factors such as low temperatures and wind speed, which do not allow dispersion of pollutants. A cocktail of emissions from firecrackers and stubble burning in neighbouring states further deplete the air quality. The CSE said Diwali this year is being observed early in the season “which means the warmer and windier conditions will help dilute the pollution that is staple of Diwali night celebrations”. Unlike previous two years, the smoke from the farm stubble fires has not overwhelmed the air quality of the region yet and rains in early October have also kept the air relatively clean so far. However, a prolonged spell of rains in early October has delayed paddy harvesting in parts of Punjab and Haryana that could lead to a spike in stubble burning incidents as farmers would be in a race against time to prepare their fields for the next crop. Remaining Time -1:07 Unibots.in “Previous years’ data shows that Diwali night can add 300-600 microgram per cubic metre of PM2.5 to Delhi’s air if the business-as-usual scenario continues,” it said. Emissions from firecrackers and farm fires last year had pushed the capital’s 24-hour average air quality index for the day after Diwali to 462, the highest in five years. “PM2.5 concentration on Diwali night (8pm to 8am) last year stood at 747 microgram per cubic metre, 22 per cent higher than that on the 2020 Diwali night,” the CSE said. The levels on 2021 Diwali night were 4.5 times the average night-time levels recorded in the week preceding Diwali. “It is noted that hourly concentrations can go beyond 1,000 microgram per cubic metre. In the 2021 Diwali, 26 of the 38 operational (air quality) monitoring stations hit the 1,000 microgram per cubic metre mark. In 2020, 23 out of 38 stations had hit the 1,000 microgram per cubic metre mark, while in 2019 the number stood at 22 stations,” the green think tank said. PTI GVS TDS TDS

Delhi PM2.5 pollution in winters has dipped 20 pc compared to pre-pandemic period: CSE

The average PM2.5 pollution in Delhi in the winter season has declined by about 20 per cent as compared to the pre-pandemic period, according to a new report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Thursday. It also said Diwali this year is being observed early in the season ''which means the warmer and windier conditions will help dilute the pollution that is staple of Diwali night celebrations''. However, concentrated stubble burning due to prolonged rains (in September end and October) may compound the problem. The assessment captured seven successive winters and pre-winter trends, starting from January 1, 2015 in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). It is based on real time data available from the 81 operational air quality monitoring stations in the region. The PM2.5 concentration for winter (October 1 to February 28) used to hover around 180-190 microgram per cubic metre before the pandemic. It has come down to 150-160 microgram per cubic metre since then, the report said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at the CSE, said the objective of the report is to understand the trend and ''the starting line of the onset of the winter pollution season or pre-winter levels in this region''. The seasonal average is still over 150 per cent above the 24-hour standard (60 microgram per cubic metre) and almost four times the annual standard (40 microgram per cubic metre) despite the improvement, the green thinktank noted. It said peak pollution showed a similar trend as the seasonal average. ''Peak pollution (worst 24-hour average) used to cross 800 microgram per cubic metre at individual stations pre-pandemic. It has been hovering in the 700-800 microgram per cubic metre range during the last three winters,'' the report said. The CSE, however, said the peak pollution numbers did not project the actual level as the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had capped it at 1,000 microgram per cubic metre in 2016-17, greatly compromising the assessment of peak pollution level. Researchers said the winter of 2021-22 was less polluted as compared to 2020-21 for most NCR cities. Ghaziabad registered a 30 per cent improvement, the highest among all major cities, but its PM2.5 level was still about 2.5 times the 24-hour standard, they said. ''Greater Noida (28 per cent), Noida (23 per cent) and Faridabad (16 per cent) also registered improvement in excess of Delhi (12 per cent),'' the report said. Gurugram, with 11 per cent improvement, was the worst performer among the core NCR cities. In absolute concentration terms, Faridabad, with an average of 159 microgram per cubic metre, was the most polluted city of the NCR last winter. Unlike previous two years, the smoke from the farm stubble fires has not overwhelmed the air quality of the region yet and rains in early October have also kept the air relatively clean so far. Also, previous years' data shows that Diwali night can add 300-600 microgram per cubic metre of PM2.5 to Delhi's air if the business-as-usual scenario continues. PTI GVS RCJ

Concentrated stubble burning around Diwali may compound problem: CSE

Though Diwali this year will be observed during the "warmer part of the early winter", concentrated stubble burning in Delhi's neighbouring states may compound the problem, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Thursday. The air quality in Delhi-NCR starts worsening in October due to unfavourable meteorological factors such as low temperatures and wind speed, which do not allow dispersion of pollutants. A cocktail of emissions from firecrackers and stubble burning in neighbouring states further deplete the air quality.

Concentrated stubble burning around Diwali may compound problem CSE

Though Diwali this year will be observed during the "warmer part of the early winter", concentrated stubble burning in Delhi's neighbouring states may compound the problem, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Thursday. The air quality in Delhi-NCR starts worsening in October due to unfavourable meteorological factors such as low temperatures and wind speed, which do not allow dispersion of pollutants. A cocktail of emissions from firecrackers and stubble burning in neighbouring states further deplete the air quality. The CSE said Diwali this year is being observed early in the season "which means the warmer and windier conditions will help dilute the pollution that is staple of Diwali night celebrations". Unlike previous two years, the smoke from the farm stubble fires has not overwhelmed the air quality of the region yet and rains in early October have also kept the air relatively clean so far. However, a prolonged spell of rains in early October has delayed paddy harvesting in parts of Punjab and Haryana that could lead to a spike in stubble burning incidents as farmers would be in a race against time to prepare their fields for the next crop. "Previous years' data shows that Diwali night can add 300-600 microgram per cubic metre of PM2.5 to Delhi's air if the business-as-usual scenario continues," it said. Emissions from firecrackers and farm fires last year had pushed the capital's 24-hour average air quality index for the day after Diwali to 462, the highest in five years. "PM2.5 concentration on Diwali night (8pm to 8am) last year stood at 747 microgram per cubic metre, 22 per cent higher than that on the 2020 Diwali night," the CSE said. The levels on 2021 Diwali night were 4.5 times the average night-time levels recorded in the week preceding Diwali. "It is noted that hourly concentrations can go beyond 1,000 microgram per cubic metre. In the 2021 Diwali, 26 of the 38 operational (air quality) monitoring stations hit the 1,000 microgram per cubic metre mark. In 2020, 23 out of 38 stations had hit the 1,000 microgram per cubic metre mark, while in 2019 the number stood at 22 stations," the green think tank said. PTI GVS TDS TDS

Delhi PM2.5 pollution in winters has dipped 20 pc compared to pre-pandemic period: Report

The average PM2.5 pollution in Delhi in the winter season has declined by about 20 per cent as compared to the pre-pandemic period, according to a new report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Thursday. The assessment captured seven successive winters and pre-winter trends, starting from January 1, 2015 in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). It is based on real time data available from the 81 operational air quality monitoring stations in the region. The PM2.5 concentration for winter (October 1 to February 28) used to hover around 180-190 microgram per cubic metre before the pandemic. It has come down to 150-160 microgram per cubic metre since then, the report said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at the CSE, said the objective of the report is to understand the trend and “the starting line of the onset of the winter pollution season or pre-winter levels in this region”. The seasonal average is still over 150 per cent above the 24-hour standard (60 microgram per cubic metre) and almost four times the annual standard (40 microgram per cubic metre) despite the improvement, the green thinktank noted. It said peak pollution showed a similar trend as the seasonal average. “Peak pollution (worst 24-hour average) used to cross 800 microgram per cubic metre at individual stations pre-pandemic. It has been hovering in the 700-800 microgram per cubic metre range during the last three winters,” the report said.

In Delhi, 5million end-of-life vehicles deregistered in 10 months

In a crackdown on vehicles nearing the end of their shelf life, the Delhi government has deregistered more than 5.3 million vehicles between 2018 and 2022, of which a little over 5 million vehicles were delisted in 2022 alone, transport department officials said. Deregistration immobilises vehicles from a legal standpoint, and ensures that they cannot be lawfully used. “Deregistered vehicles cannot be sold and the insurance of such vehicles cannot be purchased. Using such vehicles becomes illegal and they can be impounded,” said an official. Any registered diesel vehicle more than 10 years old, and petrol and CNG vehicles over 15 years old, cannot operate in the national capital region (NCR), according to various orders issued by the National Green Tribunal (2015) and the Supreme Court (2018). The government calls such vehicles “end of Iife” vehicles and driving them in Delhi is illegal, with the aim that old vehicles with dated emission standards do not ply in the Capital.

Extended Producer Responsibility: Why The Rules Do Little To Eliminate Plastic Pollution

Being the fifth highest generator of plastic waste in the world, India needs to be tougher on big brands if we are to reduce our plastic footprint, experts say. Mumbai: India wants its biggest plastic polluters to clean up their mess but new rules introduced in February 2022 have done little to reduce plastic pollution. Only a proportion of producers, importers and brand owners have registered on a centralised portal that would track their plastic collection and recycling targets. While these targets are set by the government, they are based on the self-declared volume of plastic manufactured or imported by those brands. Further, achievement of these targets will be certified by recyclers, which might leave room for corruption. Companies also have the option of purchasing credits if they fail to meet their targets, which might lead to lax implementation. In effect, experts say, the rules will do little to end hazardous plastic waste. In February 2022, years after conceptualising Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic through the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, India notified guidelines for the policy. Based on the 'polluter pays' principle, the guidelines lay down responsibilities of all stakeholders engaged in the plastic industry and fines for violations. The guidelines cover producers, importers and brand owners (online platforms, supermarkets, retail chains) or PIBOs of plastic as well as plastic waste processors. Among the categories of plastic to be collected and recycled under EPR are rigid packaging, flexible packaging of single layer or multilayer plastic sheets such as plastic sachets or pouches, multilayer plastic packaging and carry bags made of compostable plastic. India is the fifth highest generator of plastic waste in the world. It banned certain single-use plastic products from July 1, but that ban has largely been unsuccessful, our reporting from Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru showed. In the second part of this series on controlling plastic pollution, we explore why India's EPR rules fall short. IndiaSpend reached out to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Union environment ministry with queries on the lacunae in the EPR rules, steps taken to improve registrations and the status of EPR implementation so far. We will update the story when they respond. Plastic pollution abounds Every packet of chips, shampoo sachet or chocolate wrapper you discard is made up of a type of plastic that may not be recyclable. Estimates say 43% of manufactured plastic in India is used for packaging purposes, and is mostly single-use plastic. However, packaging plastic was not included in the list of products India banned in July 2022 and the onus was put on companies to recycle it under EPR. The estimated market size of India's plastic industry stands at Rs 7.1 lakh crore ($96 billion) as of 2021-22 and it employs more than 4 million people, according to the Plastic Industry Status Report 2021, by PlastIndia Foundation, a body of the major associations, organisations, and institutions connected with plastics. In 2021-22, India's plastic demand was 20.89 million tonnes which is projected to exceed 22 million tonnes by 2023, the report said, adding that the plastic industry claims to recycle more than 60% of plastic waste generated after a product is consumed and its packaging discarded. Accurate data on plastic waste generation, collection and disposal are elusive, as several regional pollution boards do not file this information, IndiaSpend had reported on April 2, 2019. Plastics are categorised into seven categories and not all products are recyclable. For instance, while plastic bottles, which fall into the PET category, are recyclable, plastic bags of chips, shampoo sachets and chocolate wrappers are not. These packets, sachets or wrappers are very likely made of multilayer plastic (MLP) or plastic that consists of one layer of plastic and another layer of a different material, such as aluminium foil. MLP is very hard to recycle at scale which means it can only be disposed of using methods such as incineration, which leads to carbon emissions or, by using it in road construction or cement kilns. MLPs are also extremely hard to collect and even if a ragpicker collects them, they fetch very little value. Every year, groups of volunteers conduct brand audits in various countries as part of the 'Break Free From Plastic' movement. A brand audit involves counting and documenting the brands found on plastic waste to identify the companies responsible for plastic pollution. In 2021, more than 1,000 volunteers in 19 states across India conducted a brand audit involving 149,985 pieces of plastic, of which 70% were labelled with names of consumer brands. The top three international companies polluting India with plastic, according to this report, are Unilever, Pepsico and Coca Cola. The top three Indian brands found in plastic waste were Parle, ITC Limited and Britannia. IndiaSpend reached out to all of them with queries on their EPR registration, total volume of plastic used, their EPR targets, percentage of MLP in total packaging and whether they have invested in research on alternatives. In response, ITC Limited shared that it has gone past plastic neutrality (recycling as much plastic as it manufactured) in 2021-22. It collected and sustainably managed more than 54,000 tons of plastic waste across 35 states and Union Territories in India. "ITC will endeavour to ensure that 100% of its packaging is reusable, recyclable, compostable or biodegradable over the next decade," a company spokesperson said over email, adding that the company has developed sustainable packaging solutions to substitute single-use plastics. In response to our queries, Pepsico stated that it aims to design 100% of its packaging to be recyclable, compostable or biodegradable by 2025, increase recycled content in its plastics packaging to 50% by 2030, reduce 50% of virgin plastic per serving across its food and beverage portfolio by 2030 and invest to increase recycling rates in key markets by 2025. "We have an EPR registration from CPCB, basis our action plan submitted to the regulatory authority, and we are on track to achieving our targets, like we have for the past few years," stated a Pepsico spokesperson in an email response. "For the past two years, we have been achieving 100% equivalent of MLP collection and sustainable disposal in partnership with waste management partners across states. PepsiCo India has also been filing the annual returns as required under the Plastic Waste Management Rules. We are not using any of the single use items mentioned by the Government of India in the banned list, in our portfolio," he added further. This story will be updated when the other companies respond. While India does not have data on MLPs as a percentage of total plastic waste, the brand audit report said, based on its findings, "multi-layered plastics made up 35% of all plastic waste, and 40% of all branded plastic waste". You produce, you recycle The EPR rules have mandated category-wise annual EPR targets for PIBOs starting last year (2021-22) and they are then supposed to use this recycled plastic into packaging from 2024-25 onwards. CPCB is authorised to levy environmental penalties on PIBOs who do not achieve their EPR targets and the violator will still have to meet their EPR goal the next year. The rules require PIBOs to provide an action plan containing their EPR target including average weight of plastic manufactured/imported/purchased. "The rules mandated an action plan to be submitted by each of the brand owners by early 2017. There has been no update on this ever since and we are still oblivious to the amount and type of plastic waste we are generating and managing each year," stated the Centre for Science and Environment's Plastic Recycling Decoded report released in 2021. The report had listed unwillingness of the brands to publicly disclose their plastic usage and wide-spread collusion between the industry, recyclers and prescribed authorities as possible reasons behind this. In a notification in July 2022, even the obligation on PIBOs to submit an action plan was removed, but they still have to disclose the volume of plastic they manufacture and their EPR targets. For example, if a producer is producing 100 metric tonnes of plastic in a given year, they have to disclose the same and if the target is to collect and dispose 25% of this in the first year, then their EPR target stands at 25 metric tonnes. Few PIBO registrations Forget the next steps, brands have lagged on the very first one--that is, registration. Under the new rules, PIBOs and plastic waste processors are not allowed to carry on any business without registration on the CPCB's EPR portal. There are 4,953 registered units engaged with plastic in 30 States/Union territories in India, the CPCB's report from 2019-20 shows. This includes 3,715 plastic manufacturers or producers, 896 recyclers, 47 manufacturers of compostable plastic and 295 manufacturing MLPs. "In India, we don't even have an inventory of PIBOs. How will you check EPR compliance when you have a numerator [number of PIBOs registered] but no denominator [total number of PIBOs]?" asked Atin Biswas, Program Director (municipal solid waste) at CSE. The CPCB report pegs the number of unregistered plastic manufacturing/recycling units at 823 in nine states/UTs. The CPCB does not have public data on importers or brand owners in India. IndiaSpend reached out to the CPCB and the Union environment ministry regarding the total number of PIBOs in India. We will update the story when they respond. So far, the CPCB's online portal for registration of PIBOs has registered 662 brand owners, nine producers and 559 importers of categorised plastics, as of data from the portal's homepage on October 11, 2022. The live dashboard on the portal says 772 brand owners, 822 producers, 1163 importers and 1,128 plastic waste processors have registered so far. We have asked CPCB why the numbers vary and will update the story when we receive a response. Despite the EPR notification coming in as far back as 2018, why have all PIBOs not registered for EPR, especially when the rules prohibit them from doing any business without this mandatory registration? One reason, at least for small recycling units, could be the tedious process, as the rules have placed the burden of compliance specifically on them, explained Hiten Bheda, ex-President of the All India Plastic Manufacturers Association (AIPMA) and chairman of its environment committee. "When it comes to recyclers, there are around 70 clusters comprising mostly informal units around India. Unfortunately, their efforts to formalise through registration are hampered by demand for back-dated fees, penalties and interest charges. The cost of complying with these amounts to lakhs which is beyond their financial capacity even before they can register themselves," said Bheda. "These historical charges will have to be waived and you will have to do hand holding of small recyclers in order to get them to register." Multi-layered problem Even if all PIBOs and waste processors undertake registration as mandated by CPCB, disclose their obligations and recycle a certain quantity of plastic, will India's EPR rules actually reduce plastic waste that is ending up in landfills and oceans? Will the plastic be disposed of in an environmentally-conscious way? In 2018, the government amended the original Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 which had called for phasing out the manufacture and use of non-recyclable multilayered plastic in two years' time. In the amendment, the phrase "non-recyclable multi-layered plastic" was substituted with "multi-layered plastic which is non-recyclable or non-energy recoverable or with no alternate use". "This gave producers a loophole to claim that packaging material, if not recycled, can be put to some other use [such as waste to energy]," noted the CSE's Managing Plastic Waste report released in 2020. As incineration of plastic leads to carbon emissions, use of plastic in converting waste to energy, waste to oil or in cement kilns should not be a substitute for recycling and these options should only be considered when recycling is not possible, experts have pointed out. There are also concerns of scope of corruption in the new regime. "As part of EPR rules, every brand has to collect a recycling certificate from its recycling partner. The government has no way of finding out if that volume of plastic was actually recycled…Also, since EPR plan is purely based on voluntary disclosure, the government also cannot check how much plastic has been released into the market by these companies," said Biswas, the programme director at CSE. The rules have empowered pollution control boards to undertake periodic audits and inspections to check compliance of PIBOs and waste processors, but without an inventory of the total number of PIBOs, there are questions of what fraction of total plastic waste the EPR targets represent. It is only now, through the disclosures on the portal, that the authorities are hoping to gauge the plastic packaging material introduced in the market by PIBOs. The CPCB is also expected to carry out a compositional survey of collected mixed municipal waste to determine the share of plastic waste, as well as of the different categories of plastic packaging material on a half-yearly basis, as per the EPR guidelines. IndiaSpend reached out to the CPCB and the Union environment ministry regarding the survey. This story will be updated when they respond. "Behaviour of using plastic is supply-driven," pointed out Swati Sheshadri, team lead at the Centre for Financial Accountability, a Delhi-based research organisation which tracks the role of financial institutions. "We were not used to buying sachets or pouches some decades ago, it is the companies which started selling products in that form. The concept of purity was pushed by the industry. Plastic is a supply-driven industry, not a demand-driven one," she said of India's larger plastic problem over the decades. Sheshadri believes that self-regulation will not work for large corporations and that they should be asked to invest in research for alternatives to plastic packaging. This CSE report had gone a step further and demanded that since the only stakeholders benefiting from MLPs are the brand owners and producers, they should be asked to pay extra taxes on its production and on its use. Recycling in the informal sector Notably, plastics are recycled at least five to eight times in India and almost all types of plastics are channelised and pre-processed by the informal sector before being passed to the formal sector to make finished plastic products. Considering the contribution of the informal sector, the Break Free From Plastic-India report had noted that "there is a real danger that EPR will channel materials away from the informal sector and into a new, private sector, destroying the livelihoods of millions". The India report was authored by Lubna Anantakrishnan of Kashtakari Panchayat, a Pune-based NGO that supports waste pickers, their families and their collectives. Another NGO Swachh, a Pune-based co-operative society owned by waste pickers which is also part of BFFP network, under an EPR model collected over 1,800 metric tonnes of multi-layered plastics and diverted them away from landfills and cement plants with support from ITC Limited, a private business conglomerate that has many businesses, including consumer goods and packaging, and in association with the Pune Municipal Corporation. This initiative has contributed to a direct increase in income for waste pickers and emissions reduction of over 1,030 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, Swachh claims. "Despite the efficiency and resilience of informal waste pickers and the recycling sector, non-recyclable plastics will continue to pose a serious environmental threat unless producers commit to eliminating them," the Break Free From Plastic-India report had noted. "The current plastic packaging and delivery system only appears cheaper to companies because they have been able to externalise a major part of the life cycle costs of their products. It is time for these companies to internalise the true cost of their production and invest in sustainable systems."

Science-Wise: How Late Monsoon Retreat is Linked To Delhi’s Perennial Winter Smog

Every year just as the monsoon begins to retreat from Delhi, the national capital starts bracing up for a slow and steady rise in the air pollution levels. The daily PM2.5 and PM10 (particulate matter) breach their standard values and both go on an ascending trajectory, signalling the start of one of the most challenging time of the year – the smoggy winter. This year too, the pollution levels have begun to spike over the national capital soon after the monsoon marked its retreat from Delhi on September 28. Though, the first build-up was washed away by one of the heaviest spell of rains over the region from October 7-13 and pushed the start of bad air days further ahead, it was not until October 17 that Delhi’s air quality dipped to ‘poor’ levels yet again. Just as the four-month season draws to a close, an anti-cyclone forms which changes the wind direction and they now travel from the land back to the sea. There are clear skies, with no clouds or rain, and calmer winds, which further slows down the dispersion of pollutants and triggers a build-up in the air. So, the end of monsoon invariably signals the start of high pollution levels over Delhi. But over the years, even this is happening later than usual. Despite the monsoon arriving well on time, it is taking much longer to withdraw from parts of North-west India — September 28 in 2020 to October 6 in 2021. This year too, it did not begin its retreat well from Delhi until September 28 due to heavy rains at far-end of the season. Most Severe Daily PM2.5 Levels in Winter While October rains ensure the residents breathe well for most part of the month, it makes the situation worse for the winter days ahead. The harvesting process is delayed across north-west India, and when the rains finally end, and the monsoon withdraws, it leaves farmers racing against time to finish harvesting, and what follows is a sudden increase in the farm fires. For instance, the share of stubble burning which remained well under 2-3% (negligible) till Tuesday spikes suddenly post October 20. Over the last few years, the contribution of stubble burning in Delhi’s toxic air peaks towards October-end and November first week, and can go up to nearly 40% on the worst days. This is also the time when the region enters into a festive spree with Diwali celebrations and burning of firecrackers despite the ban imposed by the Court. Why is Winter Air Worse? When the temperatures begin to fall, they make the air cool and heavy and it begins to sink – lies much closer to the ground. Not only the overall wind speed drops, it also traps the pollutants and tends to hold them much longer, without dispersing them. Since it is dense, the air pollutants will also tend to circulate near the surface eventually turning the land-locked Delhi with its ever-increasing industrial and vehicular pollution into a gas chamber. But even if the emissions remain the same as they were in summers, and smoke intrusion from neighbouring states is negligible, the air quality will still begin to deteriorate primarily due to change in meteorological conditions. This year too, even though the contribution of stubble burning was less than 2%, the Air Quality Index (AQI) continued to hover over 250-300 (poor), even crossing the 300-mark (very poor) in certain places in Delhi. The early morning and late evening foggy conditions ensure that the visibility reduced, and mixed with the stagnant pollutants, turning into what is referred to as smog. According to an analysis led by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) early this year, the NCR cities experienced the most severe daily (24-hour average) PM2.5 levels with Ghaziabad being the worst hit during the winter of 2021. Delhi, Noida, Faridabad, Greater Noida, and Gurugram were among the worst peak polluted cities (24-hour average). In fact, Delhi-NCR was the most polluted sub-region with its worst days being almost five times the average.

How effective are anti-smog guns in Delhi? Here’s what experts have to say

This winter, Delhi will have more anti-smog guns than in previous years. While only large construction sites of 20,000 sqm or more needed them last year, they have now been mandated by the Delhi government at smaller construction sites of 5,000 sqm or more. Vehicle-mounted ‘anti-smog guns’ have begun their rounds of the city, spraying water in a fine mist, in what is an effort to get suspended dust to settle as air quality begins to take a turn for the worse. This winter, Delhi will have more anti-smog guns than in previous years. While only large construction sites of 20,000 sqm or more needed them last year, they have now been mandated by the Delhi government at smaller construction sites of 5,000 sqm or more. The number of anti-smog guns that are required to be placed varies according to the size of the site, with a maximum of four being required at sites of 20,000 sqm or more. The Public Works Department is also rolling out more vehicle-mounted anti-smog guns this year than it did last year. There are 120 anti-smog guns on hire that are running on roads between 8 am and 8 pm, and 30 more will be added by the end of the week, said a PWD official. The vehicles that are being used to mount the anti-smog guns are either CNG or BS-VI engines, the official added. Additionally, they are being placed atop 10 buildings of around 7-10 storeys. “Last year, we had fewer numbers, only 10 or 12 (vehicle-mounted ones), and those on buildings were smaller last year,” the official said. But how effective are these devices in mitigating air pollution? Experts say that there has been no thorough scientific analysis so far to determine what impact they have, and there could be some brief effect at best. In winter, conditions are dry and with repeated action on the top soil, it gets lifted, explained Dipankar Saha, former head of the CPCB’s air laboratory. Due to low humidity, this dust is unable to settle. Advertisement “If the anti-smog gun is used along the roadside, the particulate matter may settle. It may reduce particulate pollution, but it is not a permanent solution. In emergency situations, where there is a fire or construction and demolition dust, this can be applied so that the situation is not aggravated in nearby areas. For the entire city, it is not possible. Water itself is an important resource,” Saha said. There has been no study so far, but the effectiveness needs to be monitored scientifically — to see if it is effective or if it’s an eyewash, Saha said. Sachchida Nand Tripathi, professor at IIT Kanpur, said he was not aware of any study or data to support or refute the effects of anti-smog guns. “We know that in China, they tried artificial rain to control haze. But that works at scale. Rain droplets remove pollutants, water has that ability which is called wet scavenging. That is the idea that is being pursued. Whatever comes beneath the droplets, the droplets will carry the particles and gases. But how many guns can you employ? You’re firing at a small place, and the overall volume is small, so it’s almost inconsequential whether you look at removal or other effects,” he said. “The best is to act at the source (of pollution),” Tripathi added. In November 2019, the Supreme Court asked the CPCB to ascertain the efficacy of anti-smog guns and submit a report in 10 days. A Supreme Court order from January 2020 then mandates the use of anti-smog guns at large construction sites, road construction stretches and dust-prone traffic corridors. According to the CPCB’s guidelines on anti-smog guns, water throw distance ranges from 30 metres to 100 metres depending on the device. Anti-smog guns can also be rotated. Treated waste water is not to be used in the anti-smog gun. The guns that are “customised for urban areas” use 40 to 250 litres of water per minute depending on the device, according to the guidelines. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment, also said she was unaware of any evaluation that has been done to examine how effective the anti-smog guns are. “We can understand if it’s being used at construction sites to douse the dust, but spraying in ambient conditions (the truck-mounted ones), we haven’t really looked at it,” she said. On the other effects that water sprinkling may have, Professor Tripathi said, “Humidification may make the particles bigger… they will grow, that is a possibility. That can lead to larger drops, but I don’t know that since we don’t have enough information.”

Water-sensitive Urban Design And Planning Mooted For City

Thiruvananthapuram: Water sensitive urban design and planning (WSUDP), a concept that brings together water supply, management of stormwater, waste water and ground water and urban planning, will be devised for the city by January 2023. It is one of the urban reforms which has to be implemented in urban areas in the state to avail special assistance for capital investment from the Centre for 2022-23. Along with Thiruvananthapuram, WSUDP is being envisaged for Kochi and Kozhikode too. Integrated aquifer management plan has also been proposed along with WSUDP under the component ‘sponge cities’. As per the plan, the state plans to achieve these milestones for the cities by January 2023. According to a document prepared by the Centre for Science and Environment and the ministry of housing and urban affairs, WSUDP integrates the urban water cycle, water supply, wastewater, storm-water and groundwater management with spatial and urban design. This approach contributes to sustainability and livability, particularly when considered part of an overall urban strategy. WSUDP has been identified as a means to control flows and filter storm water to remove pollutants. It offers the potential to reduce costs, infrastructure sizing and occupied land area associated with conventional drainage approaches whilst treating runoff closer to its source. It incorporates protection of water bodies, stormwater management, recycling waste water, integrating policies and regulations with WSUDP, the document notes. The draft master plan 2040 for Trivandrum prepared by the department of town and country planning has proposed adoption of sponge city concept in the city as part of addressing urban flooding. Sponge city concept, which uses natural ways to soak up storm water and slow down water flow, was successfully used by China in urban flood risk management. The operational guidelines of AMRUT scheme mentions aquifer management plan which focuses on maintaining positive groundwater balance in urban aquifer systems. Aquifer mapping has to be conducted with technical support from central groundwater board (CGWB)/ state groundwater board/ other agencies to identify recharge and discharge zones and integrate aquifer management into urban planning.

Are Late Monsoons Going To Be The New Normal For India?

Several studies have said that with climate change, erratic weather patterns like untimely rains and longer heatwaves are likely to increase in frequency. Delhi over the last weekend received heavy rainfall, with a similar spell of rains happening two weeks before that. The heavy rains were recorded as high as 87.2 mm at Lodhi Road on October 8 and 9. Delhi has received 121.7 mm of rain in the first 10 days of October, almost three times more than it did in August, with the city receiving 41.6 mm of rainfall. The rain was unusual for the region for the time of the year with the northwestern parts of India, including the national capital, receiving 396% of surplus rains in the first ten days of October. By the first week of October, India had received surplus rain of 6% across the country. In 2021, September saw the second-highest rainfall that has been recorded between 1994-2021, the highest being in 2019. In 2021 southwest monsoons were normal, the period of rainfall has been erratic. BOOM spoke to climate experts on the changing rainfall seasons and their connection with climate change. Are rainfall patterns changing? While a study conducted at Brown University that south Asia's monsoon will be affected by the increase in greenhouse gases like CO2. A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had said that while events like heavy rains are expected to happen once in 20 years, the phenomenon may become as frequent as once every five years by the end of this century. "About 86 million people are likely to get exposed to floods by 2030, about two-and-a-half times more than in 1970s," a report in the Centre for Science and Environment said. Delhi witnessed untimely rain twice in the last month after multiple "weather systems" were seen active over northwest India at the same time like the western disturbances and low-pressure area. These weather systems are usually active during the peak monsoon which is from June to September. BOOM spoke to environmentalist Himanshu Thakkar who said that while climate science was not advanced to confirm if a certain event is linked to climate change, it is known scientifically that climate change will bring about changes in rainfall, winds and heatwave patterns. "Science has been telling us this kind o change is likely to happen, this has been happening. Such events are not new and they will happen more," Thakkar said. He emphasised the need to have effective policies to minimise the losses caused by heavy rains. "We need to make our system resilient and the best way is to protect the natural infrastructure," he said. He said that disasters like avalanches, high floods and landslides are all happening because of climate change. "But we need to adapt to climate change," he said. According to a report by the World Bank, South Asia is expected to see hotter summers, longer monsoons and increased droughts as global temperatures increase. "The region's extreme vulnerability has long been apparent. More than half of all South Asians, or 750 million people in eight countries have been affected by one or more climate-related disasters in the last two decades," the report says. Thakkar said that to accommodate for the changing weather patterns, our definition of the monsoon duration also needs to change. "Central Water Commission needs to do flood forecasting beyond monsoon also," he added. Climate scientists Professor Raghu Murtugudde explained that the late monsoon in India was because of a combination of La Nina coupled with local conditions. What is La Nina? Under normal conditions, winds on the Pacific ocean move towards the west along the equator to take warm water from South America to Asia. For India, La Nina means good rainfall during the monsoon season. "La Nina sets up a pattern of pressure. From the Bay of Bengal side, we have winds going into the pressure and they are forced to go up north. So we had heavy rains from Delhi to UP and Bihar. On the west, we had very heavy rain in Mumbai recently." India is in the third year of La Nina which is why India had 7% more rainfall this monsoon season as compared to the normal. With sea surface temperatures increasing, episodes of La Ninas will also increase, he said. "Next year it is unlikely to be La Nina and it will be very unusual if that happens," he said. El Nino and La Nina are cyclical in patterns. El Nino warms the sea surface temperature in certain parts of the pacific ocean stopping southeast trade winds from flowing over India and reducing rainfall. "What will happen is that in the next 10 years instead of getting three La Ninas we will get six," Murtugudde said. Can we minimise losses caused by changing weather? Murtugudde said the trend of changing rainfall patterns will persist, while the experts need to monitor the situation for 10 to 15 years to see if the patterns have shifted permanently and if there is a need for new definitions. "While we do that we need to improve our forecast systems to reduce crop damage," he said, adding that excess rain can be stored and utilised to make up for the rainfall deficit. Similarly, Thakkar suggested the usage of techniques that help farmers increase the soil's water retention capacity like the use of organic fertilisers. "Once the monsoon is over, Indian farmers depend on groundwater for irrigation and the water table which is also depleting due to overuse," Thakkar said. "The excess rain in late monsoons can be stored and utilised to replenish the depleting groundwater," he added.

दिल्ली: पटाखा बैन हो या न हो, धुंध और धुंध के लिए तैयार रहें

2017 से दिल्ली में पटाखों पर प्रतिबंध लगा दिया गया है, लेकिन इससे खरीदार या विक्रेता नहीं रुके हैं। अब दिवाली से एक हफ्ते पहले कहानी दोहराई जा रही है और ऑनलाइन पटाखों की खरीद के लिए उपलब्ध होने की खबरें आ रही हैं। कई वेबसाइटें राजधानी में घरों में स्पार्कल्स, स्काईशॉट्स और अनार जैसी आतिशबाजी की डिलीवरी का आश्वासन दे रही हैं। तमिलनाडु के पायरोटेक्निक हब शिवकाशी के एक डीलर ने कहा, 'हम उन्हें दिल्ली भेज सकते हैं, लेकिन न्यूनतम ऑर्डर 3000 रुपये का होना चाहिए। दिल्ली सरकार ने वायु प्रदूषण पर अंकुश लगाने के लिए 1 जनवरी 2023 तक पटाखों की ऑनलाइन बिक्री सहित खरीद, फोड़ने, भंडारण और बिक्री पर पूर्ण प्रतिबंध लगाने का आदेश दिया है। डिफेंस कॉलोनी निवासी राजीव सूरी ने पटाखों की बिक्री को लेकर दिल्ली पुलिस, उपराज्यपाल कार्यालय, दिल्ली प्रदूषण नियंत्रण समिति, केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड और वायु गुणवत्ता निगरानी आयोग में शिकायत दर्ज कराई है. सूरी ने कहा, 'एक शख्स ने फेसबुक ग्रुप पर अलग-अलग पटाखों की कीमत पोस्ट की और 30 फीसदी छूट और होम डिलीवरी का वादा किया। प्रतिबंध सिर्फ कागजों पर है। पर्दे के पीछे पटाखों की बिक्री हो रही है। उन्हें डर था कि इस दिवाली फिर से प्रतिबंध का व्यापक रूप से उल्लंघन किया जाएगा। सोमवार को, TOI ने पुरानी दिल्ली का दौरा किया और पाया कि प्रतिबंध के बावजूद, ग्राहक आतिशबाजी के बारे में पूछताछ कर रहे थे। हालांकि, जामा मस्जिद और सदर बाजार के पास की अधिकांश लोकप्रिय पटाखा दुकानें बंद रहीं। बड़े, प्रदूषण फैलाने वाले आतिशबाज़ी बनाने वाले उपकरणों की बिक्री करने वाली सामान्य दुकानों के बजाय, रंगीन माचिस, कैप क्रैकर्स, पॉपपर्स और टॉय गन बेचने वाले विक्रेता थे। जामा मस्जिद के पीछे बाजार पैवलन में एक सदी से अधिक पुरानी आतिशबाजी की दुकान अब दो सप्ताह के लिए बंद कर दी गई है, इसका रंगीन साइनबोर्ड सफेद चादर से ढका हुआ है। हॉकर आज दुकान के बाहर बच्चों के लिए छोटे पटाखे और खिलौने बेचते हैं। एक ग्राहक ने खिलौना बंदूक की कोशिश की। उसने टोपियों का एक रोल लोड किया और 'पुट' की आवाज सुनने के लिए ट्रिगर खींच लिया। लेकिन दुकानदार ने दोबारा कोशिश करने से मना कर दिया। मुझे "अनावश्यक ध्यान" नहीं चाहिए, हॉकर ने ग्राहक से कहा। जाहिर है, जनता के बीच पटाखों की भारी मांग है। जामा मस्जिद के पास विक्रेता अनामुल हक ने कहा, "हमारे पास इस साल बच्चों के लिए छोटे पॉपर्स के केवल पांच आइटम हैं, लेकिन यहां रुकने वाले लगभग हर ग्राहक ने असली पटाखे मांगे हैं, जो प्रतिबंधित हैं।" जानकारों का कहना है कि पटाखों पर प्रतिबंध तभी सफल हो सकता है जब इसे जनता का समर्थन मिले। यही कारण है कि अधिकारियों को समाज में व्यवहार परिवर्तन लाने के लिए काम करना चाहिए, वे कहते हैं। अध्ययनों के अनुसार, प्रमुख पटाखा प्रदूषक PM2.5 कण और सल्फर डाइऑक्साइड, नाइट्रोजन के ऑक्साइड, कार्बन मोनोऑक्साइड और टोल्यूनि हैं। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की कार्यकारी निदेशक (अनुसंधान और वकालत) अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी ने टीओआई को बताया, "बच्चों, बुजुर्गों और बीमार आबादी के साथ-साथ पर्यावरण और खाद्य श्रृंखला पर जहरीले रसायनों के प्रभाव के बारे में तथ्य है। एक मजबूत एंटी-क्रैकर भावना बनाने के लिए इस्तेमाल किया जाना चाहिए। अन्यथा, हम सभी अंततः प्रभावित होंगे।"

Delhi: Why extreme weather events hit harder than they should

NEW DELHI: If the people on the city roads thought the monsoon was just too much this year, they probably weren’t wrong. Weather data shows the season saw some extremes, including a late withdrawal of the monsoon and unseasonal rains in October. With few natural sponges to soak up the excess water and with “incompetent urban infrastructure”, the extreme weather events hurt more than they should have. India Meteorological Department data shows Delhi experienced at least three extreme weather events after the onset of the rainy season and till October. These may have lasted only two-three days but bought enough rain to take the average seasonal precipitation to a surplus. According to data, the Safdarjung observatory, which is Delhi's base weather station, recorded 116.6mm of rainfall in just eight hours at the arrival of monsoon on June 30, the maximum on a June day in at least 14 years. Later, the city suffered 72mm of precipitation on September 23 and 128.2mm between October 8 to 10. Experts actually say that such events are “not so extreme”, but incompetent infrastructure rendered them “extreme”. Said Rajnish Sareen, programme director (sustainable buildings and habitat), Centre for Science and Environment: “There is a need for the city to have sponges, meaning spaces where water can go, or in other words, waterbodies. Besides, the drainage, both natural and man-made, needs to be fixed. Since there is a lack of proper open spaces, sponges, etc, even normal weather events become extreme.” Sareen said that the main problem was the uneven distribution of green spaces in the city. “There are a few agencies working in this direction, to fix this problem. However, it is likely to take a lot of time. Largely, all weather extremes, such as heavy rainfall, takes a toll on the urban infrastructure, so the hardware matters,” he explained. In a 2019 study on open spaces in the capital, a group of experts asserted that to avoid the repercussions of extreme events, a city must have at least 12 sq metre per capita of open space. In Delhi, this is highly uneven, ranging from 49.16 sqm in some south Delhi areas to 0.1 sqm in parts of central Delhi. Experts also noted that while Delhi had, over the years, recognised air pollution as a disaster and developed countermeasures like Graded Response Action Plan and early warning system, it hadn’t made arrangements for extreme weather events. Dr Sewa Ram, professor, School of Planning and Architecture, observed that extreme weather events have increased as a direct impact of climate change. “So, you get unforecast heavy rain, sharp temperature changes, etc. But there is no mechanism to address this, especially when such conditions impact the traffic flow and cause congestion,” said Ram. “Delhi now prepares for winter air pollution, but there are no plans to tackle emergencies arising from extreme weather. The government needs to come out with a white paper on calamity management with steps like closing down schools, making appropriate traffic arrangements, etc.”