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Shoppers scramble as unexpected crisis causes grocery items to soar in price — here's what's happening

What's happening? News 18 reported on rising vegetable prices on January 1, assigning blame to recent cold snaps and to previous heat waves in Bengaluru. The region has experienced plummeting temperatures this winter with little rainfall. It comes about a year after the area saw record-breaking heat. Along with annual flooding, this extreme weather pattern has led to low food supplies and higher prices. Why are rising vegetable prices concerning? Rising grocery prices can be an indicator of a country's overall economy. In January, India's inflation rate rose to 1.33%, up from 0.71% in November, per Business Standard. Grocery price spikes also reflect broader problems in the supply chain. Extreme weather plays an important role. While India's rainy season has always produced floods, widespread devastation is a more recent trend. As extreme weather events worsen due to rising temperatures caused by human-caused pollution, consumers worldwide are likely to see higher vegetable prices. Camino's hemp-derived gummies naturally support balance and recovery without disrupting your routine, so you can enjoy reliable, consistent dosing without guesswork or habit-forming ingredients. Flavors like sparkling pear for social events and tropical-burst for recovery deliver a sophisticated, elevated taste experience — and orchard peach for balance offers everyday support for managing stress while staying clear-headed and elevated. India is a major produce exporter and is the world's top producer of fruit. Primary vegetable exports include onions and tomatoes, common grocery items that have recently risen in price in the country. Among India's top trade partners are the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. What's being done about rising vegetable prices due to extreme weather? Farmers can use certain techniques to protect their fields and crops from extreme weather, such as flooding. Planting in raised beds and using drainage ditches can help avoid waterlogging. But wider action needs to be taken to ensure food supplies are protected. India saw nearly 3,000 deaths due to extreme weather in 2024, according to a Centre for Science and Environment report shared by PreventionWeb, and 80,000 homes were destroyed. The country has also seen an 85% increase in rainfall since 2012, per the World Bank Group. The nation is responding with a plethora of policies to build climate resiliency, including the use of new technology, from flood forecasting models to early warning systems.

Gian Jyoti Global School, Mohali awarded the National Green School Award

The school was awarded the National Green School Award for its outstanding contribution towards environmental protection and sustainable development. The award was presented during a national-level ceremony organised by the Government of India at Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The award was received by Principal Gian Jyot. This recognition is conferred under the Environment Education Programme of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and is jointly implemented by the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology, Chandigarh, and the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi. JS Bedi, Chairman, Gian Jyoti Group, said students are introduced to environmental protection, recycling, water and energy conservation and eco-friendly practices from an early age.

Calls for seawater to quench Namibia’s thirst

Meanwhile, the ‘2025 Africa State of the Environment Report’, launched in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last September by the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, says Africa could have the highest rate of displacement due to the impacts of climate change. Experts are urging the government to adopt seawater desalination technology to bolster national water security and mitigate climate-induced migration and resource conflicts. AgriConsult animal scientist and rangeland specialist Axel Rothauge says Namibia has a long coastal line where seawater can be desalinated and used for agricultural purposes. This would reduce the need for farmers to migrate from one area to another in search of grazing and water. Rothauge says part of the Namibian Desert can be turned into an agricultural area using desalinated seawater. “This is possible technically and economically. This should be a priority,” he says. Rothauge says some countries have already ventured into water desalination, such as Israel, Chile and Australia. “We can learn and copy from these countries,” he says. Rothauge says desalinating seawater can be done at a farm level, because big desalination plants are expensive. Namibia should consider different types of desalination technology suitable for small-scale for individual farmers or farmers’ cooperatives. “We need start-up funds to inform ourselves of the available technology in the world, but this is not done in southern Africa. We need to do it here,” he suggests. Meanwhile, the ‘2025 Africa State of the Environment Report’, launched in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last September by the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, says Africa could have the highest rate of displacement due to the impacts of climate change. It says between 2012 and 2025, nearly 222 million people in Africa were affected by weather, climate and water-related disasters, and that by 2050, up to 5% of the continent’s population of around two billion people could be on the move due to the negative impacts of climate change. Ahmed Bugra, the Africa Union Commission’s senior legal adviser on climate and human mobility says there is a link between the impacts of climate change, conflicts and migration. He says people are forced to leave their homes in search of water, grazing areas and other natural resources, as well as jobs. “There is a connection between climate change and conflicts. This is not just an environmental problem, but also an economic and social problem,” Bugra says. In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

How prepared is India to protect both its economy and its people from disasters caused by natural hazards?

Introduction In 2025, India experienced extreme weather events on 99% of the days from January to September, resulting in over 4,000 deaths, with heavy rains, floods and landslides accounting for the majority of these fatalities ( Down to Earth, 2025 ). The recent floods in Punjab have affected nearly 20 lakh people with more than 3 lakh individuals displaced from their homes. The latest cloudburst incident in Uttarakhand , which triggered landslides and floods, has been reported to have caused significant damage to the infrastructure and agriculture of the region, with losses reaching millions. Hazards, especially natural ones, are the major drivers of disasters, resulting in human displacement and economic losses. Not all hazards and corresponding disasters are the same. Hazards such as Cyclones can be forecasted and prepared for, while others, such as drought, develop slowly and their disastrous nature is often revealed much later than their onset, and usually too late to mitigate against. Other hazards, such as earthquakes, strike with little to no warning, and the only way to mitigate against them is to learn from the impacts of past events. According to Global Assessment Report ( GAR ) on Disaster Risk Reduction 2025, in the last 25 years, over 10,000 natural hazards and disasters have been recorded globally, costing trillions of dollars to the global economy and affecting nearly half the world’s population. The disastrous Yangtze River Flood in China in 1931, the Great Bhola Cyclone in Bangladesh in 1970, the Bhuj Earthquake in India in 2001, and the recent Wildfires in the USA have made a significant mark in history for the damage they caused. India, with a landmass of over 3.2 million km², has nearly two-thirds of its states and union territories prone to disasters, as a significant portion of the country’s land and coastline is highly vulnerable ( NDMA AR2021-22 ). Although India has recently risen to become the fourth-largest economy in the world, its per capita GDP remains below 3,000 USD, making the country particularly vulnerable to the severe economic impacts of natural hazards. Another side of disasters is large-scale human displacement, often forcing vulnerable populations into cycles of poverty and migration. Post-2008, India has emerged as one of the top countries globally in terms of internal displacement caused by natural hazards as per the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre ( IDMC ). This raises an urgent question: how prepared is India to protect both its economy and its people from disasters caused by natural hazards? What does the data on loss and damage say? We analysed the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) data for India (Figure 1). According to EM-DAT, between 2000 and 2024, India reported nearly 400 disasters caused by natural hazards, resulting in an estimated total damage of over USD 162 billion, which affected millions and led to permanent or temporary displacement (EM-DAT). Floods are the most frequent and destructive disaster in India and occur every year. They have affected more than 370 million people, caused over 35,000 deaths, and resulted in damages exceeding 100 billion USD. The floods of 2014 and 2020 were the costliest, each causing damage exceeding 30 billion USD (EM-DAT). Storms, mostly reported in the Bay of Bengal, are the second most frequent hazards in India. They occurred in all years except 2004, affecting over 73 million people. Although common, storms caused only about half the economic damage of floods and resulted in fewer deaths, mainly due to better forecasting and preventive measures taken by the government . Moreover, over the last six years, there has been a 400% increase in lightning incidents associated with storms. Extreme temperatures, though less economically devastating, have had a high mortality rate of over 40 percent compared with the number of people affected. Droughts, on the other hand, have impacted the most to over 680 million yet have caused relatively fewer deaths and lower direct economic damage (EM-DAT). Figure 1: Overview of hazards and corresponding disaster trends in India from 2000 to 2024 (Source: EM-DAT). The disaster risks are further intensifying due to climate change. Rising sea levels, frequent high-intensity storms, extreme temperatures, and erratic rainfall patterns are increasing both the intensity and frequency of natural hazards in India, causing more destruction. A study by Picciariello, A., et al. (2021) stated that climate change could reduce India’s GDP by 2.6% if the increase in the global temperature remains below 2°C, while any increase of up to 4°C can decline the economy by up to 13.4% by the year 2100. Lower-income and marginalized communities are disproportionately at the forefront of the disaster, with many engaged in agriculture or odd jobs, directly impacting their daily lives, forcing them to migrate and causing a significant impact on their livelihoods. Disaster Displacement According to IDMC , between 2008 and 2024, floods and storms were the two major drivers of displacement in India, displacing over 45 million and 15 million people, respectively. The EM-DAT records reveal a different pattern when comparing damages to displacement. While the cost of damages due to floods and storms has steadily increased, the number of people displaced has fluctuated over the years. The cost of damage increased primarily due to rapid urban growth and economic development, as concentrated assets in cities mean that even moderate floods can cause substantial financial losses. Urbanisation plays a dual role: it amplifies damages due to the presence of more “damageable” infrastructure, and on the other hand, it also reduces the displacement by enabling relatively resilient housing, faster disaster response, and better services, although informal settlements remain highly vulnerable (Hussainzad, E. A., & Gou, Z..,2024) . Furthermore, 50% of India’s public infrastructure remains unprepared for disaster management, stemming from unplanned urbanisation, a changing climate, and development in high-risk zones. Assurances through insurance and innovative financing With rising damages, financial protection becomes essential, as only 5% of damages in India are covered by insurance for natural hazards, compared to 40% in the USA . Disaster risk insurance now plays a crucial role in mitigating disaster risks by safeguarding assets and livelihoods in a changing climate. India’s National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), established under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, which acts as a supplement to the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), financially supports relief, response, and rehabilitation of the damages due to natural hazards. However, since this is a post-disaster fund rather than an insurance, it can take a significant amount of time to reach beneficiaries, which can impact timely recovery. Considering the imminent rise in frequency and intensity of natural hazards and the corresponding potential for disaster and damage, financing disaster-related insurance can become a key to a faster recovery. According to the report “Leading the Path to Insurance for All” published by the Insurance Brokers Association of India (IBAI), only one in two and two in five are covered for life insurance and health insurance, respectively. Therefore, considering the scale on which people in India take up life and health insurance, the willingness to invest in insurance against disaster damage looks doubtful. Nevertheless, there are several cases where insurance solutions have played a crucial role in recovery in other parts of the world, which can also be implemented in India. The community-based flood management and insurance in Bangladesh was initiated to protect vulnerable populations by linking it with microfinance initiatives to enhance its accessibility. In the Caribbean, a similar insurance scheme that pools the finances and shares risks across regions can prevent any single community from bearing the entire burden of a disaster, especially for low-income households. At the same time, insurance can encourage damage reduction by linking insurance premiums to risk mitigation measures, such as elevated housing or adhering to rules for flood-risk zones. Parametric Insurance, which provides pre-specified payouts in case of an extreme event in a short duration of time, without much administrative hassle. Nagaland , which has initiated such insurance, can serve as a good model for other Indian states to introduce similar insurance. Another example is the National Flood Insurance Program ( NFIP ) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), USA. NFIP is a partnership between the federal government, private insurance companies, lending institutions, and state and local officials, which is designed to provide affordable insurance to the communities and businesses in flood-prone areas. It not only offers direct coverage but also incentivises communities to adopt floodplain management regulations in exchange for access to insurance. While NFIP has faced challenges such as underpricing risk and mounting debts after large disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Harvey, it has nonetheless provided a critical financial safety net to millions of households. From rapidly urbanising areas to the increasing cost of damages, safeguards for critical infrastructure to reduce economic losses for public infrastructure also require innovative financing mechanisms to alleviate the burden on governments. Instruments like Catastrophic Bonds, a type of debt instrument, can be used to transfer catastrophic risks to capital markets. This can enable the government to receive prompt payouts in the event of extreme events, thereby reducing the burden on the exchequer to release funds. Final thoughts In the technologically advanced 21st century, some nations have advanced resources, such as Early Warning Systems (EWS), weather forecasting tools, and robust financial mechanisms, that play a crucial role in forecasting and assessing hazards. However, in an era of exacerbating disaster risk, predicting hazards is only the first step; translating predictions into timely action that saves lives, reduces displacement, limits economic losses, and boosts post-disaster recovery remains the true challenge. For India, the path forward requires a decisive shift from ex-post financing to ex-ante financing, which integrates risk reduction into planning, budgeting, and development. This means strengthening early warning systems, building and updating robust disaster action plans at state and district levels, and investing in public awareness and community mobilisation to ensure that alerts translate into effective local responses. Resilience also depends on reducing the structural drivers of vulnerability. Investing in flood-control infrastructure, improving river-basin management, preventing settlements in high-risk floodplains, and expanding and maintaining urban drainage systems can help mitigate the impact of recurring floods. At the same time, policies must strengthen agricultural resilience by promoting the adoption of flood-resistant crops and encouraging community-based water management practices. To protect vulnerable populations, social protection measures, such as the broader rollout of disaster-risk insurance, crop insurance, and emergency food distribution systems, are crucial for fast recovery and in mitigating the long-term socio-economic consequences. Although India does not have a dedicated national insurance framework for disasters caused by natural hazards, the government already has several insurance initiatives in place. These include: (1) the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package, introduced in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which provided comprehensive personal accident insurance for healthcare workers; (2) the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, launched in 2016 and now the world’s largest technology-enabled crop insurance programme by number of insured farmers, offering protection against crop losses, including those due to disasters caused by natural hazards; and (3) low-cost insurance programmes such as the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, which offers personal accident coverage, and (4) the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Bima Yojana, which provides life insurance in similar situations. The National Disaster Management Agency is putting extensive efforts to integrate these schemes, streamline disaster-related payouts, and create a consistent, forward-looking system to insure against the impacts of natural hazards. Despite this, there is still no statutory or executive mandate requiring comparable coverage for people affected by floods, earthquakes, or other catastrophes, leaving large segments of the population without protection. At the same time, India has begun to see the gradual emergence of parametric insurance as a complementary tool for disaster risk financing. Unlike traditional indemnity-based products, parametric covers offer swift, predefined payouts triggered by measurable parameters, such as wind speed, precipitation, or earthquake magnitude, thereby reducing delays and administrative burdens associated with claims. Globally, parametric insurance models have been successful in enhancing financial resilience. Some prominent examples include the Coastal Zone Management Trust , Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) , Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC) , and the Australia Parametric Cyclone Cover . As these models mature, they hold the potential to supplement existing government schemes and expand the financial resilience of communities affected by natural catastrophes. Although several case studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of parametric insurance in limited regions of India (e.g., Nagaland ), scaling these models nationwide remains challenging due to diverse climatic patterns, disaster risks, and varying levels of market readiness. A pragmatic way forward could be to develop a hybrid insurance framework that integrates the extensive outreach and administrative capacity of existing Pradhan Mantri schemes with index-based parametric products tailored to specific risks. This way, the speed and transparency of parametric triggers could be combined with the scale and subsidy mechanism of government programs, allowing wider adoption of insurance against disasters caused by natural hazards. Another promising approach is to leverage India’s extensive network of microfinance institutions and Self Help Groups (SHGs). India has one of the world’s largest grassroot coverage of SHGs, with over 12 million such groups and more than 500 million Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) bank accounts. Notably, over 66.76% of PMJDY account holders have accident insurance and 31% with life insurance indicating relatively high penetration of low-cost social security insurance. However, despite this wide outreach and strong community presence of SHGs, there is almost no systematic insurance coverage for disasters caused by natural hazards losses. By designing simple and affordable disaster risk insurance products which can be delivered through SHGs by linking enrollment and premium collection via PMJDY accounts of the members. This can create a community based insurance model which can increase the penetration of the disaster risk insurance, significantly reduce risk, enhance trust, improve affordability, and over the time build a culture of risk protection that encourages households to insure themselves for other insurance products. Formulating and implementing policies or financial schemes can be a significant challenge in India due to complex socio-economic and political dynamics. These factors present both challenges and opportunities as the country navigates its current stage of development. One path leads to a future of a growing number of disasters, where millions are forced from their homes each year, and development gains are repeatedly wiped out. The other path demands bold action: to integrate disaster risk reduction and financial protection into the National Level Programme, thereby intertwining them with the very fabric of national development. Choosing the latter is not optional – it is the only way to secure a future where resilience becomes the foundation of prosperity.

DG sets top polluters in Gurgaon, HSPCB lacks compliance data

Gurgaon: Diesel generator (DG) sets have emerged as the single largest local pollution source in the city, but Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) admitted it doesn't even have data on how many of these machines are fitted with mandatory emission-control devices. Under directions of Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), only those DG sets that are equipped with retrofitted emission-control devices (RECDs) or dual-fuel kits are allowed to operate in NCR. North Gurgaon alone has 1,676 DG sets, while south Gurgaon has 2,241, according to a 2023 HSPCB survey. According to Central Pollution Control Board data, the organised sector in NCR adds about 1.2 lakh DG sets every year, while another 30,000 to 40,000 are bought annually by the unorganised sector. Under current norms, DG sets between 19 kW and 125 kW must operate on dual fuel, while those from 125 kW to 800 kW require both dual-fuel systems and emission-control devices. Units above 800 kW must install either system but are restricted to two hours of operation during GRAP. Fifteen-year-old DG sets are no longer permitted in NCR.HSPCB officials said a large number of generators in the city are rented, second-hand or unregistered, making ownership and compliance difficult to track. In the absence of a central registry, routine verification of emission-control installations was nearly impossible. "Many DG sets are mobile or hired temporarily for construction sites, events, or commercial establishments. Without proper registration details, identifying and inspecting each unit becomes a challenge," an HSPCB official said. To plug the gap, the board plans to deploy a flying squad. "It will inspect and carry out surveys on DG sets," HSPCB regional officer Akansha Tanwar said. The exercise will map operating generators and check whether they are fitted with approved emission-control devices. New generators are also subject to tighter manufacturing standards. For instance, particulate emission limits for DG sets up to 19 kW were reduced from 0.3 g/kW-hr to 0.03 g/kW-hr. Experts said reducing dependence on DG sets ultimately hinges on fixing grid reliability. Executive director (research and advocacy) at Centre for Science and Environment Anumita Roy Chowdhury said, "Unless power supply stabilises and infrastructure improves, housing societies, commercial buildings and industries will continue falling back on diesel generators, locking NCR into a cycle of avoidable pollution." CAQM ordered on June 28, 2023, that retrofitting be completed by Sept 30, 2023 failing which diesel generators would not be permitted to operate anywhere in NCR, including for essential services. DG sets above 19 kilowatts are allowed to run only if fitted with emission-control devices or dual-fuel systems, a rule that applies even when GRAP is not in force. "By far, major residential, commercial and industrial pockets in NCR have access to PNG infrastructure and supply. Even where dedicated supply is not feasible, gas availability through cascades and cylinders is a convenient option," CAQM said in its order. Certified agencies are currently available for RECDs in the 125–500 kW range, with certification for 500–800 kW expected to follow. CAQM also acknowledged industry concerns over cost, noting that for smaller DG sets, retrofitting expenses can be nearly equal to the price of a new machine. Despite this, DG sets remain widely used in Gurgaon due to frequent localised power outages. In many townships and condominiums, generators kick in when sanctioned load falls short of actual demand, leading to breakdowns and routine reliance on backup power. Studies show the scale of emissions in NCR is massive. DG sets together release 24,000-46,000 tonnes of PM10, 24,600–41,600 tonnes of PM2.5, and 13,700-23,100 tonnes of black carbon every year, apart from nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide running into millions of tonnes annually.

साफ हवा के लिए बजट में पिछले साल से भी कम फंड, एक्सपर्ट ने दी बड़ी चेतावनी

दिल्ली-एनसीआर के वायु प्रदूषण को इस बार आम बजट में पर्याप्त तवज्जो नहीं मिली है। पर्यावरण विशेषज्ञों का कहना है कि वायु प्रदूषण जैसे गंभीर संकट पर कोई ठोस और अलग प्रावधान नजर नहीं आता। इसे सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य के मोर्चे पर बड़ी चूक माना जा रहा है और इसी वजह से चिंता बढ़ी है। क्या कहते हैं एक्सपर्ट्स? सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट (CSE) की एग्जीक्यूटिव डायरेक्टर अनुमिता रायचौधरी ने कहा कि बजट आवंटन में कमी से सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य संकट की चिंताएं और बढ़ेंगी। एनसीएपी 2.0 का दायरा बढ़ने की उम्मीद है, लेकिन बजट में वृद्धि न होने और 16वें वित्त आयोग से अतिरिक्त अनुदान की अनिश्चितता से योजनाओं पर असर पड़ सकता है। उनका कहना है कि इस बजट में ज्यादा फोकस इंडस्ट्रियों और एनर्जी सेक्टर पर दिखा है।

Delhi used only 14% of NCAP funds to fight air pollution since 2019, lags far behind NCR cities

Delhi has utilised only 14% of the funds so far — Rs 14.1 crore of Rs 99.77 crore — released under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) since 2019 even as the neighbouring cities in the National Capital Region (NCR), such as Ghaziabad and Meerut, have spent more than 80% of their funds. This city wise data was provided by Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Monday. The disclosure came a day after the Union Budget was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with an allocation of Rs 1,091 crore under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s “Control of Pollution” scheme for 2026-27. Notably, the budget allocation under one scheme does not represent the entirety of pollution-related funding in Delhi-NCR, which is spread across multiple programmes and institutions. What is NCAP? Launched in January 2019, the NCAP is the Centre’s framework for improving air quality in 130 cities. It sets city-specific targets for reducing particulate matter pollution, with an overall goal of achieving up to a 40% reduction in PM10 levels, or meeting national standards, by 2025-26. The programme is not implemented through a single funding source. Funds have been released based on performance, with large cities or the million-plus cities such as Delhi receiving grants through the Finance Commission, and smaller cities funded directly by the Environment Ministry. The programme also relies on coordination across multiple ministries, with a nationwide action plan linked to schemes run by departments handling transport, energy, urban development, industry and agriculture. According to Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, Centre for Science and Environment, “A convergence approach is needed… This means clearly identifying and augmenting financial allocations across multiple ministries.”

PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya wins Sterling School award

PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2, Mangalore has brought pride to Karnataka by receiving the prestigious Sterling School award from the Centre for Science and Environment under its Green Schools Programme. The recognition followed a comprehensive Green School Audit. The Vidyalaya has been rated as a Green School for five consecutive years, reflecting its consistent efforts toward environmental conservation and sustainable campus practices. Only two schools from Karnataka received this distinction for the academic year 2025-26. At the national level, only two Kendriya Vidyalayas were honoured, the other being Kendriya Vidyalaya, Narela, West Delhi. The organisation appreciated the leadership of Principal Jaswinderlal, the efforts of Green School Coordinator Sujatha U Nair, and the active participation of the Green Team in initiatives such as waste management, composting, rainwater harvesting, and energy conservation. The award was presented by Sunita Narain, Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment, at a ceremony in New Delhi. The recognition strengthens the school’s commitment to sustainable practices and environmental responsibility.

India's cities need mobility reform, not just infrastructure spending

The Union Budget has placed cities at the centre of India’s growth strategy, with a sharp push to public capital expenditure, including infrastructure spending of ₹12.2 trillion, the announcement of seven new high-speed rail corridors, a continued expansion of Metro networks, a proposal to create “city economic regions”, and an incentive for municipal corporations to approach the bond market. Together, these signal an ambition to unlock the economic potential of India’s rapidly urbanising population. Yet this ambition will remain unrealised unless urban mobility systems begin to deliver outcomes, not just assets. The Economic Survey 2025-26 mentions that transportation is the “bloodstream, spine and muscles” of a city, enabling the flow of people, goods, and ideas. When this system weakens, congestion, pollution, and falling productivity follow. The Survey further quantifies this cost starkly. A study by the Centre for Science and Environment estimates that even an unskilled worker in Delhi can lose up to ₹19,600 annually due to congestion. For skilled workers, the losses rise to nearly ₹26,000 a year. Another study by the Institute for Social and Economic Change estimated that Bengaluru alone lost about 700,000 productive hours in 2018. A report by Uber-Boston Consulting Group put the annual congestion cost of India’s four largest metros at $22 billion. The TomTom Traffic Index 2025 highlights how serious the problem has become. Bengaluru now ranks as the second-most congested city in the world, and Kolkata and Pune also rank among the slowest. India, overall, ranks fifth globally and second in Asia on congestion. However, the core problem is not insufficient spending. India has expanded mass rapid transit significantly over the past decade. As of 2025, over 1,036 km of Metro and regional rapid-transit systems were operational in 24 cities, with more under construction. But rail systems alone cannot solve urban mobility when cities remain overly dependent on private vehicles. The roads are also being used more as storage for cars than as corridors for moving people. Buses, the most flexible and cost-effective form of mass transport, remain inadequate. While the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs recommends 40-60 buses per 100,000 people, India’s cities together have only about 47,650 buses, nearly 61 per cent of which are concentrated in just nine mega cities. Weak first- and last-mile connectivity further reduces the usefulness of Metro and rail investment. Achieving real change will require a broader shift towards people-centric planning, with viable alternatives to private vehicles becoming the default choice. This means expanding and digitising bus fleets, making walking and cycling safe and attractive, integrating shared mobility for last-mile access, and implementing transit-oriented development around stations to shorten trip lengths. Technology-led traffic management and demand-based parking policies must also play a role. Urban mobility has become a central problem to economic growth. Without fixing how people move within cities, the Budget’s growth ambitions risk stalling at the signal.

Regenerating Water Bodies to Build Resilient Cities in India

[59] Centre for Science and Environment, Back from the Brink, Centre for Science and Environment, (2024) Water insecurity is becoming a chronic urban challenge, manifesting as inequitable access to potable water, contamination, erratic rainfall patterns, recurrent floods and droughts, and worsening salinity. The projection that 68 percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050[1] has further added to the challenge, as infrastructural and spatial planning often fall behind the rapid scale of urbanisation.[2] Globally, rapid urban transformations are provoking anxiety about water resources in cities. An analysis of 12 megacities[a] found that their current water demand outstrips supply by 5.27 billion m3/year, which could grow considerably by 2035.[5] In India, the urban population is projected to cross 675 million by 2035, with over 70 million new residents expected in cities by 2045.[6] This growth is further weakening the already stressed basic services infrastructure, including water. Water infrastructure in Indian cities, especially piped water networks, sewage systems, and stormwater drains, is often outdated, fragmented, or non-existent in informal settlements. These gaps are compounded by the commodification of water resources and dependence on tankers and private borewells; bottled water services fill the vacuum created by inadequate public provisioning. Also, rural landscapes provide critical ecosystem services to cities, including the water that must be sourced from distant, predominantly rural catchments. As urban centres expand their water footprints into these regions, it becomes essential to manage rural–urban interdependencies with care, ensuring that urban development does not undermine the ecological integrity of rural areas or compromise local water availability. While the government has launched schemes to expand supply, such as the Jal Jeevan Mission,[7] the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT),[8] and Smart Cities Mission, demand-side management, ecosystem-based approaches, and localised water conservation remain in the margins. In this scenario, urban water bodies, including lakes, ponds, tanks, wetlands, and stepwells, offer a powerful but underutilised solution. These blue infrastructures are natural recharge zones, flood buffers, microclimate regulators, and cultural spaces that have been historically central to Indian urban hydrology. India’s first-of-its-kind 2023 Waterbody Census counted over 2.4 million water bodies, of which only 2.9 percent are in urban areas, highlighting the resource scarcity in cities that do not otherwise have access to perennial river systems.[9] Yet, decades of neglect, pollution, and land use changes have degraded them.[10] Many water bodies have been encroached upon, converted into dumping grounds, or turned into cesspools. Others have been ‘revived’ through cosmetic beautification, often destroying their ecological and hydrological functions. These issues intersect with the larger discourse on the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental.[11] Scholars have often characterised sustainability as having three essential dimensions of economy, society, and the environment, or the “triple bottom line”.[12] Drawing from the conceptual lineage of economic trilemmas, such as Dani Rodrik’s globalisation trilemma,[13] which argues that deep economic integration, national sovereignty, and democratic politics cannot all coexist; environmental governance scholars like Arun Agrawal,[14] Jesse Ribot,[15] and Anne Larson[16] have identified that ecological sustainability, democratic decentralisation, and equity or social justice are often mutually incompatible under current governance regimes, especially in the Global South. Many lake rejuvenation projects in India[b] result in partial or superficial solutions such as fenced parks, jogging tracks, or desilting, while ignoring deeper structural issues like catchment protection, upstream waste control, or inclusive governance. This approach raises a critical question: can urban water body rejuvenation balance ecological sustainability, economic development, and distributive justice, or is it an irreconcilable trilemma? This paper argues that the current paradigm of water body management in India is fragmented and proposes a shift towards regenerative urbanism, where water bodies are treated not as static amenities or real estate assets, but as living, multifunctional ecosystems embedded in urban metabolism and community life.

India Treats Only 28% of Its 112 Billion Litres of Daily Wastewater: Economic Survey

India generates 112 billion litres of wastewater daily, the world’s third-largest producer, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26. And, only 28 percent is treatment, while a mere 8 percent is recycled for reuse. The Center for Science and Environment projects wastewater generation will increase 75 to 80 percent by 2050, reaching 130,000 million litres daily, 3.5 times the existing treatment capacity. The urban areas account for two-thirds of India’s wastewater generation, according to the Economic Survey. And less than 27 percent of households are connected to underground sewerage systems. This limits collection and reuse potential. The Economic Survey cited the Council on Energy, Environment and Water assessment of 503 cities, which found 82 percent either do not reuse treated water or lack functioning infrastructure.

जिले के 11 स्कूलों को राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर मिला ग्रीन स्कूल अवॉर्ड, पर्यावरण संरक्षण की रेटिंग से हुआ चयन

जिले के 11 स्कूलों को राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर "ग्रीन स्कूल’ के रूप में अवार्ड मिला है, जो फाजिल्का निवासियों के लिए गर्व की बात है। जिला शिक्षा अधिकारी (सेकेंडरी) अजय शर्मा और जिला शिक्षा अधिकारी (प्राइमरी) सतीश कुमार ने सम्मानित हुए सभी स्कूलों को इस उपलब्धि के लिए बधाई दी है। उन्होंने कहा कि स्कूल का हर एक शिक्षक और विद्यार्थी इस सम्मान का हकदार है, जिन्होंने स्कूलों में पर्यावरण संरक्षण के प्रति अपना बहुमूल्य योगदान दिया है। शिक्षा के क्षेत्र में तो विद्यार्थी झंडे गाड़ ही रहे हैं, बल्कि अन्य कार्यक्रमों में भी कड़ी मेहनत कर नाम चमका रहे हैं। स्टेट स्तर से कुलबीर सिंह बाठ (संयुक्त निदेशक, साइंस एवं पर्यावरण आउटरीच प्रोग्राम) और मंदाकिनी द्वारा स्कूलों के प्रदर्शन को निखारने में अहम भूमिका रही। एनवायरनमेंट एजुकेशन प्रोग्राम के जिला समन्वयक विजय पाल ने बताया कि भारत सरकार के पर्यावरण, वन और जलवायु परिवर्तन मंत्रालय के संस्थान सीएसई नई दिल्ली और पंजाब स्टेट काउंसिल फॉर साइंस एंड टेक्नोलॉजी चंडीगढ़ के दिशा-निर्देशों के अनुसार पंजाब के स्कूलों का ग्रीन स्कूल प्रोग्राम के तहत ऑडिट किया जाता है। स्कूलों के छह विभिन्न घटकों की जांच की जाती है जिनमें भूमि, पानी, कचरा, भोजन, ऊर्जा और वायु शामिल हैं। इन सभी विवरणों को भारत सरकार के पोर्टल पर नियमों के अनुसार अपलोड किया जाता है, जिसकी समीक्षा सीएसई नई दिल्ली द्वारा की जाती है। पूरे भारत में पंजाब के 237 स्कूल चुने गए, जिनमें से 218 सरकारी स्कूल हैं। पंजाब राज्य तीसरी बार राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर विजेता बना है। इंडिया हैबिटेट सेंटर, नई दिल्ली में महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण और संयुक्त निदेशक कुलबीर सिंह बाठ द्वारा फाजिल्का के 11 स्कूलों को सम्मानित किया। सम्मानित होने वाले स्कूलों में सरकारी हाई स्कूल बनवाला हनवंता, सरकारी हाई स्कूल हीरां वाली, सरकारी हाई स्कूल मलूकपुर, सरकारी हाई स्कूल चुवाड़ियां वाली, सरकारी हाई स्कूल कटैहड़ा, सरकारी सीनियर सेकेंडरी स्कूल कीड़ियां वाली, सरकारी प्राइमरी स्कूल बहादुर खेड़ा, सरकारी सीनियर सेकेंडरी स्कूल बलेल के हसल, सरकारी सीनियर सेकेंडरी स्कूल कबूल शाह खुब्बण, सरकारी सीनियर सेकेंडरी स्कूल खुब्बण और सरकारी सीनियर सेकेंडरी स्कूल सीतो गुन्नो शामिल हैं। समारोह में सरकारी हाई स्कूल कटैहड़ा से गीतू चगती, सरकारी हाई स्कूल मलूकपुर से मनमोहन और सरकारी प्राइमरी स्कूल बहादुर खेड़ा से सुनील कुमार ने यह सम्मान प्राप्त किया। अवार्ड के लिए आवेदन करने से पहले सरकारी बांडीवाला स्कूल की मुख्य अध्यापिका पूनम, शिक्षक नरेश कुमार, अंकित सेठी और शिवम विखोना आदि द्वारा जिला स्तर पर ओरिएंटेशन प्रोग्राम आयोजित किया गया था, जिसमें अवार्ड के मानदंडों के बारे में विस्तार से बताया गया था। इस अवसर पर भारती फाउंडेशन से प्रदीप, दविंदर और मंगा सिंह (एजुकेटर मेंटर) का विशेष सहयोग रहा।

Devbhoomi: Beyond a Slogan, a Living Responsibility

The Landslide Atlas of India 2023 places both Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh among the country’s most landslide-prone states, while the State of India’s Environment Report 2024 highlights rising glacial lakes and rapid glacier retreat in the western Himalayas. An argument once shared between friends from Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh over who truly deserves the title of Devbhoomi may sound casual, even familiar. Yet, beneath that debate lies a much deeper question — one rooted not in rivalry, but in history, memory, and responsibility. Much like the age-old assertion, “Who is more Indian than us?”, the claim to Devbhoomi is not about superiority, but about continuity — about a civilisation shaped long before modern political boundaries were drawn. Ancient texts place nature, not structures, at the centre of sanctity. In the Mahabharata’s Shanti Parva, Bhishma tells Yudhishthira that lands through which sacred rivers flow are the most holy. Devbhoomi, therefore, is defined by rivers, mountains, forests, and balance — not by administrative boundaries or tourism statistics. It is not a label bestowed by governments but a condition sustained by protection. Yet governance today treats Devbhoomi as a branding exercise. Religious symbolism is amplified, while environmental safeguards are weakened. Across Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, unregulated tourism, aggressive construction, and infrastructure expansion in fragile zones continue without adequate ecological scrutiny. The result is predictable and already visible. Dehradun’s recent air quality index nearing 300 is not an anomaly; it is a warning. For mountain communities, environmental decline is lived daily — in drying springs, unstable slopes, recurring landslides, and increasingly erratic monsoons. If Devbhoomi is sacred, why are those who live closest to it paying the highest price for development decisions made elsewhere? Scientific assessments leave little room for denial. Studies by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and the World Bank describe the Himalayas as a “Himalayan Grey Zone,” warming faster than the global average. Black carbon from diesel emissions and stubble burning is accelerating snowmelt in regions such as Mussoorie and Shimla. The Landslide Atlas of India 2023 places both Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh among the country’s most landslide-prone states, while the State of India’s Environment Report 2024 highlights rising glacial lakes and rapid glacier retreat in the western Himalayas. Despite this, policy responses remain cosmetic. Environmental impact assessments are diluted, carrying-capacity studies are ignored, and disaster management remains reactive rather than preventive. Devbhoomi is celebrated in speeches and posters, but compromised in planning files. Pride without responsibility is hollow. If governments invoke Devbhoomi as cultural identity, they must also accept its ecological cost. Protecting rivers, regulating construction, enforcing tourism limits, and planning for climate resilience are not ideological choices — they are governance necessities. Devbhoomi cannot survive as a slogan. Essence without existence has no meaning. A land allowed to choke under pollution and destabilise under concrete cannot be preserved by symbolism alone. Devbhoomi must be recognised as a living ecological system, demanding science-based, accountable policy. Its protection cannot be confined by state borders or political convenience. If Devbhoomi is to endure beyond rhetoric, environmental protection must move from sentiment to statute. Anything less is not reverence — it is neglect.

Urban local bodies used over ₹7,000 crore to fight road dust, Lok Sabha told

HT had reported on July 20, 2024 that road dust mitigation has been the primary focus of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which was launched in 2019 as the first such effort to set clean air targets for 131 polluted cities and to reduce particulate pollution nationally, with much lower funding for combustion sources that emit pollutants, a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) assessment had found. Urban local bodies have used ₹7,094.39 crores to control road dust, the union environment ministry told the Lok Sabha on Monday.Out of 130 cities, 48 million-plus cities/ urban agglomerations are funded under the XVth Finance Commission Million-Plus City Challenge Fund as an air quality performance grant, and the remaining 82 cities are funded under the Control of Pollution Scheme of MoEFCC. “Till date, ₹13,852.22 crore has been released to 130 cities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) as critical gap funding to implement air pollution mitigation measures. Funds under NCAP are released to each cities for implementing the City Action Plan, which includes measures to control road dust as one of the components. Accordingly, information submitted by respective ULBs have been reported on the PRANA portal, ₹7,094.39 crore has been utilized for measures for control of road dust,” union minister of state Kirti Vardhan Singh said in a written response. He was responding to questions by Shiv Sena MPs Eknath Shinde and Ravindra Waikar on three issues: the detailed data on the funds sanctioned and disbursed for controlling road dust pollution, whether there has been a percentage reduction in road dust levels after the implementation of mechanised sweeping and water-sprinkling measures and if so, the details thereof, and the details of the innovative technologies or materials introduced to prevent dust resuspension on busy roads and construction-heavy areas, particularly in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Pune districts, among others. Findings of source apportionment studies conducted in cities under NCAP have revealed road dust is the major contributor and accounts for 20-60% of PM10 concentrations, the response said. City action plans implemented under NCAP address road dust control, construction and demolition activities, open waste burning, vehicular pollution and industrial pollution. The focused actions by 130 cities under NCAP have shown positive results with 103 cities showing reduction in PM10 concentration in 2024-25 with respect to 2017-18, 64 cities have shown reduction in PM10 levels by more than 20% with respect to base year 2017-18 and 25 of these cities have achieved a reduction of more than 40%. A total of 22 cities have met NAAQS and have PM10 concentrations less than 60 µg/m3, the response said. HT had reported on July 20, 2024 that road dust mitigation has been the primary focus of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which was launched in 2019 as the first such effort to set clean air targets for 131 polluted cities and to reduce particulate pollution nationally, with much lower funding for combustion sources that emit pollutants, a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) assessment had found.

स्टालवार्ट्स वर्ल्ड स्कूल को मिला " ग्रीन स्कूल अवार्ड

अमृतसर| अमृतसर के स्टालवार्ट्स वर्ल्ड स्कूल ने शिक्षा के साथ-साथ पर्यावरण संरक्षण के क्षेत्र में राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर अपनी धाक जमाई है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट द्वारा नई दिल्ली के इंडियन हैबिटेट सेंटर में आयोजित एक...

A world remade by rivalry: Each country must chart its own future

The old world is dying, the new world struggles to be born, and now is the time for monsters.” This quote by Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci is frequently repeated in the political-policy world today. It is not off the mark. January 2026 has brought more turmoil and disruption to the existing world order. Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF), Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered some home truths: That this is a rupture of the old; that the rule-based global order is gone, and it is not coming back. Let’s get this clear: It is now an established strongman’s world, in which each country must work out its own economic future, its alliances, and its own road to prosperity. The subtext is even more crucial — the scramble for supremacy between China and the United States will add to new tensions over territory, as we see in Venezuela and Greenland, and over technology, for instance, electric vehicles and renewable energy versus the combustion engine and oil, gas and coal. In this intense rivalry between nations, global cooperation — so needed for addressing existential challenges like climate change — is the loser. Let’s also be clear that this is no longer about the energy transition needed to combat climate change. It is about control over supply chains of raw materials, from rare-earths to coal and oil, and over processing capacity and technology. The divide between petro-states and electro-states is real, and the contest is brutal. Climate change is a collateral damage. The ultimate irony is why the Arctic (and Greenland) matters in today’s geopolitics. Because of climate change, this refrigerator of the world is melting, and ships can cross faster across continents over the “head” of the Earth. These routes are strategic as they provide Russia and China an advantage in reaching the Western Hemisphere. Receding ice will also expose the region’s oil and mineral wealth for exploitation. What is being lost is that this world’s refrigerator plays a crucial role in regulating the weather systems. But in this mercantile world order, all this seems to not matter anymore. It is all about making money, even out of global loss and devastation. Then there is the question of mineral extraction for the new-age green-tech world, and what this will mean for the search for territory and the environment. Till recently, it was widely considered that the world was approaching peak demand for minerals such as coal, iron-ore and bauxite. But with the drive towards electrification, green technology and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, it is now estimated that global demand for copper will double over the next decade or so. Countries with the largest copper reserves, Peru, Chile and the Democratic Republic of Congo, are therefore in the spotlight. China processes and refines roughly 50 per cent of global copper. With demand surging, more mines will open, often in dense forests and biodiversity-rich areas and there will be the need for copper smelters — facilities that require high investment to control pollution. The same is true for rare-earths, from lithium to graphite. China not only has a massive head start in securing these supply chains but is also the leader in green technology. Other countries are now in a tizzy to catch up—to find new mines and agreements. What this means for our future is already showing up in today’s skirmishes. In my mind, there are two overarching questions that will play out in our very real world. One, as countries rework global trade for on-shoring — make at home to secure supply chains and revive industrialisation — will richer countries, which once preferred off-shoring because of high environment and labour costs, now accept those costs domestically? Or will they rework standards for all and drive-up production costs across the world? The European Union’s Mercosur partnership with South America is being resisted by its farmers because of food-safety standards. Similarly, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is being pushed through, even though it will add to costs of decarbonisation on emerging world’s industry. The second question is what this great chasm—geopolitical rivalry combined with inward-looking economic policies — will mean for the growth of green technology, which is critical for climate change mitigation. At the WEF, the contrast was stark. On one side was the US-led fossil fuel push, and on the other, China’s vice-premier was urging countries to collaborate on “green infrastructure, green energy, green minerals and green finance”. Countries are caught between domestic and imported energy supplies, and between competing alliances they must trust for their future supply chains. Also, there is the question of what countries will manufacture domestically and if they can hold on to their industries in the face of Chinese competition. Last year, China had a record-breaking trade surplus of $1.2 trillion. It can produce and supply virtually everything at cheaper rates than most countries can. What does this mean for every country’s plan to increase domestic manufacturing and economic growth? A new world is coming. We need answers to ensure it is better for both people and the planet. The author is at the Centre for Science and Environment. sunita@cseindia.org, X: @sunitanar