Bengaluru has turned out to be the second most polluted city in the southern region of India during the summer of 2022. According to an analysis of summer air quality undertaken by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, the IT capital of the country has grabbed the second spot out of the 39 cities across
Punjab has amongst the highest use of fertilisers, pesticides and large machinery, including government support for chemical farming, making it difficult for to transition to organic and natural farming Chandigarh: When Ashok Kumar, 63, started doing organic farming on three acres of his farm in Sohangarh Rattewala village in Punjab's western Ferozepur district in 2012, the benefits of good health and a cleaner environment were foremost on his mind. Besides growing food for his family, he was also able to sell the surplus to customers who sought organic produce. By 2016, he had decided to grow chemical-free fruit, vegetables, grains and oilseeds on his entire 16 acres, but the scaling up did not yield expected returns. "I opened a shop in [nearby] Muktsar town in collaboration with six other organic farmers. We also took our produce to a weekend organic market in Jalandhar [three-and-a-half hours away by road], but despite putting in so much effort and money, we continued to make losses," he recalled. There just weren't enough customers, he told IndiaSpend. "We had to shut down the shop and I eventually reduced the area under organic farming back to three acres, for my own family's consumption. The rest of the land is now given on lease to another farmer, who uses chemical fertilisers and pesticides." Kumar's story is not reflective of all farmers who are trying to do chemical-free farming in Punjab, but many would relate to his predicament. Their passion for chemical-free, natural farming runs contrary to the longstanding farming culture of the state, our reporting found. The terms 'organic' and 'natural' farming are used interchangeably in India, with farmers using a mix of methods. In natural farming, if defined strictly, the focus is on the use of bio-inputs prepared from farm and local ecosystems, instead of purchasing these. Organic farming is defined more from a perspective of product certification and marketing (read more in our July 2022 explainer on natural farming). On the ground, these terms are used more fluidly. This is the second in our series on natural farming, and explores why it is hard for farmers in Punjab, the food bowl of India, to move to chemical-free farming, now being pushed by the Union government and through policy. "The whole [agricultural] ecosystem in Punjab is built around chemical farming, compared to other parts of India, because we were the frontrunner state during the green revolution. This model is supported both by the state and the market through research, extension services, machines, seeds and assured procurement of wheat and rice. So, it's much easier and remunerative to do chemical farming here," farmer Kamaljeet Hayer, who had partnered with Kumar in setting up the organic produce shop, told IndiaSpend. "Organic farming requires at least 10 times more effort than chemical farming because it's labour-intensive and the returns are modest." Among states outside of the northeast, the area under organic farming in Punjab is one of the lowest, official data show. Why Punjab needs to move away from chemicals in farming 'Green Revolution' is the name given to the period in the 1960s-70s when India imported new hybrid seed varieties to increase the production of wheat and rice, which could then be supplied at subsidised rates through the public distribution system (PDS). Punjab was chosen to be the first site to try new varieties because of higher water availability from its rivers and its fertile soil. The new seeds required adequate doses of chemical fertilisers and water to give the promised yields. The Indian government started subsidising the inputs, besides establishing the research and extension services to improve the new seeds and also take the practices to the people. The assured procurement for PDS further enthused farmers to participate. Today, after around 60 years of intensive agriculture, Punjab has grown economically, but stares at an agro-ecological crisis. There is excessive use of agro-chemicals causing environmental toxicity, high dependence on wheat-rice crop cycle impacting biodiversity and soil health, and costly machinery which made farming easier but also led to high indebtedness. Though average farm income in Punjab remains one of the highest in the country, per the National Statistical Organisation's Situation Assessment of Agricultural Households and Land and Livestock Holdings of Households in Rural India (SAS) 2019 survey, its growth has slowed at a higher rate than the national average since 2013-14, per government data. There is, however, no disruption yet in the way agriculture is practised, our reporting found. Punjab accounts for 4% of the country's cropped area but for 8% of all chemical pesticides used. A 2005 study by the Centre for Science and Environment, referenced by a Parliamentary standing committee on agriculture report in 2016, found residues of 6-13 pesticides in blood samples of Punjab villagers. Punjab also has one of the highest chemical fertiliser consumption rates in India at 213 kg per hectare, compared to the national average of 128 kg per hectare. Further, there is an imbalance in fertiliser use. Against the desirable ratio of 4:2:1 of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, Punjab's ratio is as high as 31:8:1, the committee report said. "Inadequate use of micronutrient fertilizers is aggravating trace element deficiencies in soils in many areas. The crops grown on these soils are, generally, deficient in micronutrients. These deficiencies are linked with malnutrition and health disorders in humans and animals," the report added. Excessive use of nitrogenous fertilisers in Punjab also lead to higher levels of nitrates in the state's groundwater, which has been linked to cancer and blue baby syndrome (when haemoglobin in the blood loses its capacity to carry oxygen, resulting in asphyxia and death), a 2009 Greenpeace study had said. Around 20% of all sampled wells in three districts of Punjab had nitrate levels above the safety limit recommended by the World Health Organization, the study had found. This nitrate pollution was clearly linked with the usage of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers as the study found higher nitrate levels in farms which had higher application of fertilisers. The 2018 draft Punjab State Farmers' Policy had proposed an annual reduction of 10% in use of agro chemicals. Problems with transitioning to chemical-free farming The area certified under organic farming in India rose from about 345,000 hectares in 2011-12 to 2.66 million hectares in 2020-21. The practice, however, is not easy. Major problems are a drop in crop yield, infestation of weeds and paucity of farm labour, agriculturalists told us. "Despite several benefits to health and environment, organic farmers face multiple challenges. A land used to chemical fertilisers for decades would require at least three years to recover its fertility," Umendra Dutt, executive director of Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM), a non-profit organisation based in Jaito, Faridkot district, campaigning for organic farming in Punjab, told IndiaSpend. "An organic farm would have a greater need for manual labour and the work is also very intensive. From treatment of seeds to preparation of green manure, optimum selection of crop pattern, regular monitoring, de-weeding, mulching, composting and careful harvesting are just some of the basic requirements for chemical-free farming. This [labour-intensive process] makes it difficult to find people who are willing to work in these fields." Further, big machinery doesn't suit organic farms because these usually grow mixed crops while most machines are designed for mono-cropped wheat and rice fields. There is also a chance of contamination. "I can't hire a combine harvester which has also harvested a crop from a chemical farm because grains from those farms can enter my fields. I have to maintain the purity of my seed," said Rahul Sharma, an IT engineer-turned farmer who grows organic produce on 11 acres in Kapurthala and Patiala districts. "This means I have to hire manual labour because smaller, handheld power-operated machines are either not available or don't enjoy the subsidies the big machines do." Babban, a farm worker, de-weeding and preparing the soil at an organic farm in Chandigarh, August 13, 2022. Sher Singh of Mirpur village in Jalandhar district finds it difficult to manage weeds on his six-acre farm, especially during the rainy season. "I use sprinklers for irrigating my vegetables because that helps control the weeds but when it rains, the infestation grows many folds. Someone practising chemical farming would just throw some herbicide and get done with it while I have to hire manual labour. Organic farming is not only a slower process but also costlier," he said. "This labour shortage can be met if the government allows workers under MGNREGA [the rural job guarantee programme] to assist on organic farms. We can pay the government a part of the daily wage of these workers." Of the total workers in Punjab, only 35% are engaged in agriculture while the national average is 54.6%. One reason for this is heavy use of machines in the state; Punjab is home to nearly 450,000 tractors, one tractor for every 9 hectares of cultivated land, compared with the national average of one per 62 hectares. Between 2000 and 2019, the number of harvester combines in Punjab nearly tripled to 800,000. The investment in big and costly machinery has, however, led to high indebtedness, per a 2014 study by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. Farm households in Punjab are among the most heavily indebted in India, per the SAS 2019 survey. Around 54% of farming households are indebted in the state, with average debt of Rs 2.03 lakh. Loans taken for farm inputs like agrochemicals and machinery formed 52% of the total debt incurred by farmers, the PAU study had found. For small farmers, the share went up to 68%, which reduced their borrowing capacity for other purposes like healthcare and social ceremonies. Why Punjab needs to move away from mono-cropping The 'Green Revolution' also oriented Punjab towards wheat-rice crop rotation through assured procurement at minimum support price (MSP). Rice is neither a staple of Punjab's diet nor suited to the agro climatic character of the region. India must shift rice growing east from Punjab and Haryana while encouraging wheat cultivation in the rice-growing regions of Punjab and Haryana, to help prevent an impending water crisis by 2030, IndiaSpend reported in June 2019. About 4,118 litres of water is required to grow one kilogram of rice in Punjab, compared to 2,169 litres in West Bengal, a natural habitat for the crop, estimates by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices show. In 1960-61, 4.8% of the total cropped area in the state was under rice. By 2019-20, the share of rice had increased nearly 10-fold to 40.1%, per Punjab Directorate of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare data, quoted in the Punjab Economic Survey 2020-21. The area under wheat went from 27.3% to 45% in the same period. Thus, between them, rice and wheat accounted for 85% of the cropped area in the state at last count. This shift towards mono cropping was brought about by assured procurement and price support, and came at the cost of maize, millets, barley, pulses and oilseeds, said the survey. "Overemphasis on wheat-rice rotation has made our ecosystem unstable not only in terms of groundwater depletion…Diseases and pests can spread easily through swathes of mono cropped fields with no biological controls. Mixed cropping can prevent that," Ramesh Arora, former professor of entomology at PAU, told IndiaSpend. "Farmers should rotate crops on their fields every two-three years to prevent pests and pathogens becoming habitual to the land. Also plant more trees which provide habitat to birds who are the most effective biological controls against pests. Pesticides should be our last line of defence but sadly it has become the first priority." Continuous cultivation without any crop rotation also depletes soil nutrients, resulting in weaker crops highly dependent on chemical fertilisers and pesticides. "Organic farmers know the importance of soil health and tend to rotate crops to maintain yields. They use natural methods of pest control and fertilise the soil regularly by growing green manure or nitrogen fixing crops," Seema Jolly, an organic farmer and coordinator of an organic market near Chandigarh, told IndiaSpend. The state government has been promoting crop diversification, asking farmers to grow crops other than rice but with little success. Even after spending Rs 274 crore on a crop diversification programme during 2014-19, the sown area of rice increased by 7.18% in Punjab at the cost of other crops, found an audit report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. This year, the Punjab government reportedly asked farmers to grow moong (green gram) as the third crop in the (summer) window between wheat harvesting and growing rice. The government promised to procure the produce at MSP if the moong crop is followed by Basmati or PR 126 variety of rice, both of which take less time to grow and require less water compared to long duration rice. The announcement led to the cultivated area under moong rising by 77% over the previous season. While the announcement was mainly seen as a move to increase farmers' income and to reduce the state's dependence on import of pulses, it will also reduce use of fertilisers in the subsequent rice crop. Moong fixes nitrogen in the soil, thus reducing the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilisers. However, the harvesting of the moong crop saw rampant use of weedicides. Jagmohan Singh in Patiala town, general secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda), one of the farm unions which participated in the 2020-21 farmers protests against the three farm bills, feels crop diversification can be the first step towards sustainable agriculture. "Currently, most agro chemicals are used on wheat and rice. Once the government starts promoting alternate crops, the use of chemicals will reduce automatically. The crops which are introduced as replacement, however, should fetch the same profit as these two crops," he told IndiaSpend. Organic farmers feel the state government needs to push for millets. "Millets would yield much greater benefits because they are known to be rich sources of nutrition, require less irrigation, grow without agro chemicals and leave no waste. Just shifting 10% of rice area to millets can bring a huge change," said Rahul Sharma, the IT engineer-turned farmer. "The produce can be provided to children under the mid-day meal scheme. So with one move, you can solve problems of malnutrition, groundwater depletion, food toxicity, and straw burning, besides conserving biodiversity." Government support required One of the issues farmers face when they shift to organic is drop in crop yield. "I suggest new farmers start with small plots. If they stop using chemical fertilisers at one go, there will be a big loss of yield which will dishearten them," said farmer Sher Singh. "After a few years of using green manure and bio-fertilisers, the soil regains its natural fertility and the production picks up while farmers get used to the new market." Dutt, the social activist, feels the farmers not only need hand-holding but also financial assistance. "Besides the assured price and procurement of alternate crops, farmers need a transition package. If governments made them go for chemical farming during the Green Revolution, it's their duty to get them out as well by supporting organic farmers." Organic (and natural) farmers should also get assistance, which chemical farms get in the form of indirect subsidy on fertilisers and farm machines or research and extension services, he said. The all-India fertiliser subsidy is expected to touch Rs 2.15 lakh crore this year, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on May 21, 2022. This would be a 64% increase over fertiliser subsidy expenditure in 2020-21. A transition package could also be linked to ecosystem services. "The government is currently supporting a system that's harmful for everyone. On the other hand, our organic farming uses less water and power, causes no chemical pollution, no straw burning, promotes biodiversity, provides more nutrition while also sequestering more carbon in the soil thus mitigating climate crisis. We should be rewarded for providing all these ecosystem services," said farmer Rahul Sharma. "Such incentives will also make organic food more affordable to poor and middle class families rather than being accessible only to the elite consumers." Food and trade policy expert Devinder Sharma feels Punjab needs to breed new crop varieties that respond well to organic inputs rather than agro chemicals. "If Punjab could be the seat of the green revolution, it can also be the seat of the evergreen revolution but this would require a policy shift and research," he told IndiaSpend. The existing infrastructure and marketing network needs to be reorientated towards organic, Sharma said, adding that the government can learn from Andhra Pradesh, where around 700,000 farmers have shifted to organic farming because of state government support, and research and extension services for them. [More in our next story on natural farming in Andhra Pradesh.] We requested a comment from the director of agriculture, Gurvinder Singh, on how the state is supporting organic farming. He asked us to contact Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Limited, the nodal government agency for organic farming in Punjab. Tarun Sen, a manager from Punjab Agro, said that they support farmers through training and awareness camps on organic farming. They also have a distribution channel for marketing of organic products. "Government of Punjab through Punjab Agri Export Corporation Limited (PAGREXCO) is implementing the Organic Program by providing institutional support to the organic farmers of the State," the general manager of PAGREXCO, a subsidiary of Punjab Agro, said in an email response. They also train farmers for "Organic Farm Management as per organic certification standards and facilitating third-party certification", as per the email. PAGREXCO also buys organic produce directly from its certified organic farmers at remunerative prices and markets the produce for the domestic and foreign market. They also help farmers in getting a "dedicated space allocated in government marketing yards/offices in cities for organic produce". PAGREXCO is running an 'Organic Hut' in Chandigarh, and that model will be replicated in other cities, the general manager wrote in the email. Market and consumers An organic market at Kaimbwala village near Chandigarh on August 13, 2022. In absence of substantial state support, farmers and concerned citizens have themselves tried to set up models of marketing and social support. They got together to organise weekly organic markets in which farmers brought their produce to central spots of major cities in Punjab for sale. This model worked well, but the pandemic and lockdown disrupted the whole set up. "I was taking my produce to a private school in Jalandhar where the organic market was held every Sunday. After the lockdown, however, the market did not pick up and we also suffered heavy losses because the produce was not sold," said Sher Singh. "Now, I am just left with the 15-20 customers who are regulars for the last 12 years." At the weekend organic farmers' market organised for two hours at a football academy in Kaimbwala village near Chandigarh, organisers were worried about the low footfall. "We are just getting around 25 customers which is not promising. Before Covid lockdown, we would have around 100-150 buyers. Maybe people have just turned to the online medium and are buying branded organic," said Seema Jolly, one of the coordinators of the market. "I think the government needs to step in and provide a space where the produce can be sold. We are trying to run this market since 2015 moving from one spot to another because there is no permanent place." After making losses in the shop he opened in collaboration with other organic farmers, Kamaljeet Hayer has now taken to farm tourism. He has rabbits, parrots, ducks and hens besides a herbal garden, fruit trees and rooms made with traditional architecture which attract people from cities, who want to experience rural life. "I have also stopped dealing in vegetables and started processing perishable items to increase their shelf lives. The produce, including dry ration, oil and pickles, now gets picked up from the farm thus saving me the money on transportation. The farm has become profitable this year but it's still not substantial and can't sustain my family," Hayer said. Rahul Sharma, who has built a steady customer base in and around Chandigarh, is keen on taking the business online. "Nobody has cracked the organic code yet. I am able to experiment because farming is not my main source of income. For an individual farmer to sell online, they need to set up a consistent production, processing and supply chain, get a GST number, approval from FSSAI, prepare packaging material and negotiate other procedural hurdles," he said. "Once that's done, they will find that shipping heavy packages like a 10 kg wheat flour pack does not make economic sense. Those who are able to do it either have deep pockets or bulk orders. I have no choice but to focus on items that can be sent in small packets like dalia." Ashok Kumar of Sohangarh Rattewala village is thinking of getting back to farming after buying farm equipment. "I had sold off all those machines because they were of no use in organic cultivation," he said. "Will slowly procure them again and get back to the land. There is nothing else I know besides farming. But not organic this time."
While we may not be around to watch our children enjoy or squander what we saved, nature’s wrath will prove to be more or less instant. While we all rush around buying life insurance and squirrelling away savings in fixed deposits to ensure a brighter future for our children, a nation’s wealth is being squandered away with impunity. Riverine wealth, the wealth of riverfronts and cityscapes, the wealth of pristine primaeval forests and mountains. And while we may not be around to watch our children enjoy or squander what we saved, nature’s wrath will prove to be more or less instant. While our forest dwellers stand negated as troublemaking Naxals in today’s India, as do protesting academics and people of intellect, from every city and mountain pour in stories of man-made natural disasters: floods in Varanasi after the recent tampering on the riverfront in the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, ditto in Pune with its own riverfront “beautification” and “re-development” project only half complete. While Ahmedabad is now settling into almost getting used to annual flooding due to its own precursor riverfront redevelopment project inaugurated in 2012, and along which we not so long ago watched the spectacle of India’s prime minister fete the president of China. Landslides in mountainous areas in Uttaranchal have shattered us all and taken lives with their frightening intensity this year – where the fragile and unstable Himalayan terrain lies already scarred by the ongoing heavy earthwork and tampering to broaden roads for every mofussil uncle-ji to be able to access the four Panch Kedar Dhams (that hitherto only stoic and godly renunciants and sages retreated to escape the very same uncle-ji’s ancestors and their ilk, obsessed with karma and amassing dhan in their state of Arishadvarga lust). We mango people watch in horror from the sidelines as various watchdog bodies contemplate allowing rampant mining in Assam’s Dehing Patkai forests and “development” of water aerodromes and townships in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. We watch as the Chhattisgarh government moves to allow rampant coal mining and forest-dweller displacement in the thick forests of Hasdeo Aranya. Among a few common threads that run through all these disasters, whether already unleashed or in the making, is a particular schema introduced in 1994 through the concept of the ‘environment impact assessment’, which was precisely to protect the nation’s natural wealth from the inevitable stupidity of human depredations and the cupidity of India’s political elites. Originally devised to bring the weight of environmental scientists and academics to evaluate every such proposal, expectedly mostly inane ones since such is endemic to India and visible ever since Independence, whatever the current dispensation, and have the power to stop or beneficially modify disasters in the making, as things stand today that watchdog too has been co-opted like most other watchdog Institutions. Quoting from the Centre for Science And Environment: “The Indian experience with Environmental Impact Assessment began over 20 years back. It started in 1976-77 when the Planning Commission asked the Department of Science and Technology to examine the river-valley projects from an environmental angle. This was subsequently extended to cover those projects, which required the approval of the Public Investment Board. Till 1994, environmental clearance from the Central Government was an administrative decision and lacked legislative support. On 27 January 1994, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MEF), Government of India, under the Environmental (Protection) Act 1986, promulgated an EIA notification making Environmental Clearance (EC) mandatory for expansion or modernisation of any activity or for setting up new projects listed in Schedule 1 of the notification. Since then there have been 12 amendments made in the EIA notification of 1994.” Each of the propositions that led to the disasters mentioned above has thus received its own stamp of approval in the form of an Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) clearance. And the wise Government of India has even moved to further dilute the process of such clearances, exempting many commercial activities from purview, allowing post facto clearances of existing transgressions, and removing the need for public consultations for even grossly polluting and scarring interventions into our nation’s land and water masses. Elaborate environmental impact assessment studies and resultant reports have been allegedly prepared; State Pollution Control Boards and forest departments have allegedly studied their accuracy and possible impact; district collectors have allegedly held public hearings; citizens and panchayats have allegedly been given a chance to voice their concerns and misgivings; the inimitable environment ministry has allegedly studied the ‘no objection certificates’ granted at state levels; multidisciplinary expert teams have allegedly prepared environmental appraisals, after alleged site visits and consultations with affected populations; and then constituted environmental appraisal committees of alleged experts who met to ponder and pontificate; allegedly arranging further public hearings to “ensure public participation in developmental decisions” – to finally (!) accord their approvals or rejections. That each of those tragedies received its own rubber-stamp of ministerial and expert approval is a known fact. But how one would love to now gather the experts of each of the EACs that approved the Varanasi, Ahmedabad and Pune riverfronts, or the Chhota Char Dham access roads, and confront them with the results of their allegedly intelligent and informed approvals. Like most things in New India, it would be a joke of epic proportions if it wasn’t a tragedy of even more gargantuan dimensions. While we are quick to rush to WhatsApp to crow with undisguised pride, with an added dollop of wild imagination, about India’s ancient prowess at social organisation, science, medicine and other pathbreaking achievements, it seems to escape the collective national consciousness that as other nations of the world (sometimes even through their leaders of much-vaunted Indian descent) are now ruing the past depredations of wanton ‘development’ of the post-industrialised world and devising protocols and curbs against global weather change, environmental degradation and other ills that have now come to haunt weather as well as habitats, flora and fauna worldwide and especially apparent now in the 21st century. Yes, of course, we clever Indians are so far elevated above such mere concerns and our natural environment immune to all that man may wreak upon it. Come, let us “develop”, “beautify”, “exploit” to our hearts content.
Last month, temperature levels crossed 40 degrees in Great Britain. This was accompanied with droughts preceded by massive forest fires across France, Greece, Spain, Greece and Portugal. In response to this, the UK’s Met Office declared a National Emergency in the country. Every year, summers have been arriving earlier and sustaining longer. Climate catastrophic events are being experienced by everyone. The visible impacts of climate change induced by anthropogenic activities have never been this direct before. Time to think and blame each other is long over. Now is when we act and mitigate the risk factors. As the world plans to cut down our carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, the need is to reduce the impacts for people for whom they are a daily reality. Heat waves in and around India This year saw troubling heat waves in and around India. Several cities in the country were swept by disastrous heat waves. The year 2022 recorded 280 heatwave days between March and May — the highest in the last 12 years, as per the Centre for Science and Environment report released earlier this month. Pakistan too saw extreme heat waves. Jacobabad, in Pakistan, was named the hottest city on the planet two months back and the people there are living on the searing edge of climate change. Apart from this, southern and eastern parts of China have seen unprecedented high temperatures in recent weeks Rise in temperature faster than predicted According to our estimations, the weather events occurring today were expected a decade or so later. Climate scientists are worried about the warp up speed of the events and their impacts. The frequent events are unprecedented. With the continuing rise in temperature, it will be impossible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees or even 2 degrees. Backing out from Shared responsibility It is only in recent times that the global north has started to see such direct and massive impacts of climate change. Several studies show that the global south has been in jeopardy as a result of the actions by the developed world. Reduced accountability on the part of certain nations is undoubtedly burdening others. Effects of Climate Change Almost the entire globe has been seeing an increase in hotter days and heat waves. The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as floods, cyclones and droughts have also increased in the past decade. They have not only claimed lives but also destroyed homes and resulted in massive income losses, more migrations and adverse health outcomes. The changes in weather patterns are also leading to a disturbance and decrease in food production, increasing food scarcity for the vulnerable. What can India do? Although India has not been a major contributor to the overall global emissions, we still have to make huge cuts in our carbon emissions. Before we do that, it is important that we pressure the developed countries to reduce their emissions and do their part. Rich countries were able to climb up the development ladder because they were able to industrialise quickly and help their population come out of poverty. In this process, they released most of the global emissions. In the COP26 meet, India has made promises to make significant cuts in its emissions but the country has a long way to go. One of the most important things is a shift to cleaner fuels. Three-fourth of the existing capacity is derived from highly polluting coal, oil and biomass. A shift to renewables means not only replacing existing capacity but also adding new renewable energy capacity. As compared to other countries, India’s per capita power consumption is quite low. For instance, the US’ consumption is 10 times more than India’s lowly 12,000 kWH per capita per year. This is bound to increase as we develop. Introduction of an in-country carbon credits system is also recommended. For the system to work, caps would have to be placed on carbon emission per institution. This system will allow excess emitters to buy carbon allowances from the ones who have carbon allowance left. It will encourage industries to decrease their carbon emissions. An eventual compulsory rating of products and services based on their impact on the environment is a good way forward. It should cover everything from homes and cars to delivery services. This green rating is similar to BEE star labels for electrical appliances and will let the users know how friendly the product or services they are using are. Hence, enabling them to make more informed decisions. Climate education is also pertinent. Educating the next generation about climate change will help them be better prepared for that. If people are taught from an early age about the importance of these measures, they will not resist in making undesirable but important changes that have to be made if we have to prevent disastrous damage from climate change. We will also need to add to curriculum “green skills”. These are skills that make people more ready for climate-friendly jobs such as training in renewable energy and skills in mitigation from extreme weather events. Developed countries, which have become prosperous while taking advantage of no caps on carbon emissions, have a responsibility to help countries such as India develop in a more climate-friendly way. This involves not only help with carbon credits, technology transfer and finances, but also a commitment to do more under the common but differentiated responsibilities approach.
सुनीता नारायण। हम जानते हैं कि जलवायु परिवर्तन हमारे अस्तित्व पर खतरा है। लेकिन, हम इससे लगातार इनकार कर रहे हैं कि हमें उत्सर्जन में कटौती करनी चाहिए और वह भी ऐसी दुनिया में जहां अब भी लाखों लोगों को विकास का अधिकार देने की जरूरत है। भारत में, पहले से ही हाशिये पर जी रहे गरीब तबके पर चरम मौसमी गतिविधियों का बहुत बुरा असर पड़ा है। वे जलवायु परिवर्तन के पहले पीड़ित हैं और हमें याद रखना चाहिए कि आबोहवा में ग्रीनहाउस गैस का जो पहाड़ है, उसमें इन गरीबों का कोई योगदान नहीं है। अतः जलवायु परिवर्तन के प्रभावों को कम करने की दिशा में आगे बढ़ते हुए हमें जलवायु न्याय की अनिवार्यता की पहचान करनी चाहिए। इसकी वजहें असुविधाजनक लेकिन बहुत आसान हैं। आबोहवा में कार्बन डाईऑक्साइड की मौजूदगी लम्बे समय तक रहती है, इसलिए पूर्व में हमने वायुमंडल में जितना भी कार्बन डाईऑक्साइड का उत्सर्जन किया है, वो अब भी मौजूद है, जो तापमान को बढ़ाएगा। इसके साथ ही, जिस तरह दुनिया की अर्थव्यवस्था चल रही है, कार्बन डाईऑक्साइड के उत्सर्जन में उसकी भी भूमिका है। जीवाश्म ईंधन (कोयला या गैस) ही अब भी विकास का पैमाना है। सबसे जरूरी बात यह कि लाखों लोग अब भी आर्थिक विकास यानी किफायती ऊर्जा का लाभ लेने का इंतजार कर रहे हैं। और यह ऐसे समय में है जब दुनिया में विकास की अपनी जरूरत पूरी करने के लिए ही कार्बन स्पेस (तापमान में बढ़ोतरी को 2 डिग्री सेल्सियस पर रखने के लिए जितना कार्बन उत्सर्जन किया जाना है) खत्म हो गया है। ऐसे में सवाल यह है कि नई उभरी हुई यह दुनिया क्या करेगी? उनकी वृद्धि और इसके लिए जीवाश्म ईंधन का इस्तेमाल, उस खतरे को और बढ़ाएगा, जो हमारा इंतजार कर रहा है। किस तरह इस वृद्धि की पुनः खोज की जा सकती है जिसमें कार्बन का उत्सर्जन कम, दीर्घकालिक और किफायती हो? दुनिया के उभरते मुल्कों को सक्रिय करने के लिए उन्हें गालियां देना और धमकाना पर्याप्त नहीं है। जलवायु परिवर्तन पर बातचीत में लम्बे समय तक दुनिया ने जलवायु समानता (क्लाइमेट इक्विटी) को कम करने या खत्म करने के लिए काफी काम किया है। साल 2015 का पेरिस समझौता, जिसे खूब सराहा गया, को ऐतिहासिक उत्सर्जन की अवधारणा से छूट दे दी गई; जलवायु न्याय को परिशिष्ट में भेज दिया गया। इतना ही नहीं, इसमें जलवायु परिवर्तन के चलते होने वाले नुकसान की ‘भरपाई’ का विचार भी हटा दिया गया। सबसे दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण तो यह है कि समझौते में जलवायु कार्रवाई को लेकर एक कमजोर और अर्थहीन रूपरेखा तैयार की गई, जो सिर्फ इस पर निर्भर होगी कि एक मुल्क क्या कर सकता है; न कि इस पर कि कार्बन उत्सर्जन में भागीदारी के अनुसार एक देश से कितनी कार्रवाई की उम्मीद की जाए। हमें आश्चर्य नहीं होना चाहिए कि राष्ट्रीय न्यूनीकरण भागीदारी जिसे संयुक्त राष्ट्र में नेशनली डिटरमाइंड कंट्रीब्यूशंस (एनडीसी) कहा जाता है, से दुनिया के तापमान में कम से कम 3 डिग्री सेल्सियस या उससे अधिक का इजाफा होगा। दुनिया को साल 2050 तक शुद्ध शून्य उत्सर्जन लक्ष्य हासिल कर लेने के खोखले वादों में वक्त जाया नहीं करना चाहिए। बल्कि इस पर विमर्श किया जाना चाहिए कि साल 2030 तक किस तरह उत्सर्जन में कमी लाई जाएगी। पहले से औद्योगीकृत देशों और नए-नए औद्योगीकृत हुए चीन ने मिलकर साल 2019 तक कार्बन स्पेस के 73 प्रतिशत हिस्से का इस्तेमाल कर लिया है। अगर उत्सर्जन कम करने के लक्ष्य की घोषणा हो भी जाए, तो साल 2030 तक कार्बन स्पेस के 70 प्रतिशत हिस्से पर इन देशों का कब्जा होगा। इसलिए भविष्य में की जाने वाली कार्रवाइयों में जलवायु समानता की सच्चाई को स्वीकार कर इसे आर्थिक वृद्धि में इस्तेमाल करना चाहिए। अगर हम ऐसा करते हैं तो अवसर खुलेंगे। अगर हम आज गरीब अर्थव्यवस्थाओं में निवेश करते हैं तो वे बिना प्रदूषण फैलाए विकसित हो सकती हैं। मसलन, दुनिया के गरीबों के लिए ऊर्जा की जरूरतों में निवेश। लाखों महिलाएं अब भी खाना पकाने के लिए बायोमास का इस्तेमाल करती हैं, जो उन्हें बीमार करता है क्योंकि ये स्टोव बड़े स्तर पर प्रदूषण फैलाते हैं। आगे का रास्ता यह होगा कि अब भी जीवाश्म ईंधन ऊर्जा व्यवस्था से दूर इस आबादी की घरेलू जरूरतों के लिए बायोमास की जगह स्वच्छ अक्षय ऊर्जा का इस्तेमाल किया जाए। लेकिन अक्षय ऊर्जा खर्चीली और इन लोगों के बजट के बाहर है। अतः दुनिया को ऊर्जा संक्रमण की जरूरत पर भाषणबाजी करने के बजाय संक्रमण प्रक्रिया के लिए खर्च करना चाहिए और आज खर्च करना चाहिए। यहीं से बाजार पर विमर्श और पेरिस समझौते के अनुच्छेद 6 को काम में लगाना चाहिए। मौजूदा प्रयास बाजार के उपकरण तैयार करने के लिए स्मार्ट व सस्ते तरीके की खोज करना है, जो विकासशील देशों से कार्बन खरीद पर खर्च को कम करेगा। पेचीदा, जटिल व सस्ता क्लीन डेवलपमेंट मकैनिजम (सीडीएम) के दोहराव की इजाजत नहीं मिलनी चाहिए। बल्कि इसकी जगह बाजार के उपकरण का इस्तेमाल परिवर्तनकारी कार्रवाइयों के लिए किया जाना चाहिए, ताकि उन परियोजनाओं को इस बाजार उपकरण के माध्यम से भुगतान किया जाए, जो कार्बन उत्सर्जन को भारी स्तर पर कम करेंगे। मसलन गरीब देशों के लिए लाखों मिनी-ग्रिड के जरिए स्वच्छ ऊर्जा का प्रावधान। इस तरीके से बाजार जन नीति व नेक इरादों पर केंद्रित होगा, न कि इसे कार्बन ऑफसेट के नाम पर नये घोटालों की तलाश करने के लिए छोड़ दिया जाएगा। और यहीं से प्रकृति आधारित समाधानों पर गहराई से विमर्श होना चाहिए। हमें सिर्फ पेड़ों के लिए वनों को याद नहीं करना चाहिए। इस मामले में तो अक्षरशः यही होना चाहिए। कार्बन उत्सर्जन कम करने के लिए गरीब देशों व समुदायों के पारिस्थितिक संस्थानों के इस्तेमाल का एक अवसर है, क्योंकि पेड़ और प्राकृतिक पारिस्थितिक तंत्र कार्बन डाईऑक्साइड को सोखते हैं। हालांकि, पेड़ों को सिर्फ कार्बन सोखने के माध्यम के रूप में नहीं, बल्कि गरीबों के लिए आजीविका के साधन और आर्थिक सेहत में सुधार के माध्यम के रूप में देखा जाना चाहिए। इसे ध्यान में रखते हुए वनों के लिए कार्बन ऑफसेट के नियमों को विचारपूर्वक विकसित किया जाना चाहिए। सच तो यह है कि हमने ग्रीनहाउस गैस के उत्सर्जन को कम से कम घटाने के लिए स्मार्ट तरीके खोजने में बेहद कीमती समय गंवा दिया और अब समय आ गया है कि इसे रोका जाए।
How Hindi film adaptations align with the Hindutva project The most famous line from the 1992 film A Few Good Men, “You can’t handle the truth,” is aimed at the average American who wants their country to be both secure and free but does not ever wonder about the inherent contradiction. In the climax, Colonel Nathan Jessup, played by a snarling Jack Nicholson, has been cornered in court over a cruel hazing practice that led to the death of a young marine. Defending this method of instilling discipline in marines, Jessup claims that the lawyer questioning him, played by Tom Cruise, cannot handle the reality that the young man’s death, “while tragic, probably saved lives.” Jessup alleges that, deep down, the average American knows that the price of their freedom is a functional military, whose undemocratic character become necessary to maintain power, but they are incapable of accepting this about themselves. Jessup is eventually jailed, leaving viewers with the impression that army leaders like him—who commit or defend such excesses—are a few bad eggs, set right by a few good men. This, as critics pointed out and human-rights organisations reported, is a blatant lie. Jessups are more the norm than the exception. In the Indian adaptation, Shaurya, Jessup’s counterpart, Brigadier Rudra Pratap Singh, played by Kay Kay Menon, also insists that the average Indian cannot handle the truth. Singh, whose unit is shown to have committed human-rights abuses in Kashmir, is revealed to be an Islamophobe who claims that “no Muslim can be trusted, because they are only faithful to their community, which is full of poison.” Therefore, someone—the brigadier himself—must take the responsibility of eliminating this threat to the country. The uncomfortable truth in one case is that an undemocratic military maintains American power. In comparison, the truth in India is that a bigoted military paints all Muslims as suspected anti-nationals in the name of national security. This bias has been borne out in Kashmir, despite every union government’s claim to the contrary. In Shaurya, Singh is punished for his excesses against Kashmiris, a fate that is yet to befall any senior officers of the real Indian Army. Akshat Jain works as an editor at the Centre for Science and Environment. He studied media and cultural studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
As countries reconcile their energy supply options with climate change, will they reinvent the fossil fuel-based system or reinvest in it? Our energy-guzzling world is on the cusp. It could find a way to leverage the current crisis of energy scarcity and rising prices to reinvent the fossil fuel-based system. Or, it could reinvest in the same carbon-intensive energy system, as people in the already rich countries get increasingly desperate for reliable and affordable power to light and heat their homes this coming winter season. It is an important moment in time; one which makes the actions to combat climate change even more contested and urgent. Let's be clear that at this moment, the developed countries — I point to them, because these countries have already burnt massive amounts of carbon dioxide for energy to build their economies — are faced with a real energy conundrum. They have already used up their share of carbon space; emissions from the burning of fossil fuels by these countries, first coal and then natural gas and oil, have brought the world to the edge of the precipice. They have said in their many pronouncements that they would move away from fossil fuels to cleaner renewable energy systems, that they would reinvent their energy systems. But the question is will they today, when the rubber has hit the road? It is a double-punch moment as well. On the one hand, these countries — from Europe to the United States — are battered because of a fast-heating planet; temperatures have gone through the roof; droughts and extreme weather events are hitting them as well. They know that climate change is a great equaliser and that as emissions stock up in the atmosphere, temperatures will increase and make for an untenable future. On the other hand, ordinary people across Europe are worried, not just because of climate change but because of the lack of energy to heat their homes this coming winter. In the UK, energy prices have spiralled — some say also because of the lack of regulatory control on the domestic gas production — and it is making for a tense polity. In the US, gas prices went up in summer, so much so that people travelled less and consumption of fuel dropped for one climate-friendly moment. But now that prices are down and it is business as usual, the question is if the Joe Biden administration will be able to meet its ambitious climate change goals for 2030. The fact is that this energy disruption has provided the much-needed vault to the beleaguered fossil fuel industry and has given it a new lease of life. Today, governments have changed their tune; they are asking this industry to dig more; to drill more; to supply more. Europe has baptised natural gas, a fossil fuel less polluting than coal but still a major emitter of carbon dioxide, as "clean". Norway and the UK have rebooted their oil and gas drilling; Germany and others in Europe are looking for new suppliers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from every distant shore and are building infrastructure to pipe and pump it. The US has passed a climate bill (the Inflation Reduction Act), which will invest in renewable energy but conditional on spending on oil and gas in Alaska, Gulf of Mexico and the opening up of millions of hectares of federal land for drilling. It is no doubt that this legislation is a momentous development — one that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. The US will, through this, do more than ever before to build a manufacturing base for renewable energy, particularly solar, and will incentivise its use and generously pay households to switch to electric vehicles or cleaner and more insulated houses to cut energy bills. Europe, even in this desperate scramble for gas, is working to ramp up its investment in renewable power. This spend on everything from nuclear to solar, wind and biomass power is also about its energy independence, as it cuts the umbilical cord with foreign energy suppliers. So, it is the worst of times. It could be the best of times, but there are some caveats. One, this renewed interest in fossil fuels must remain temporary and transient. Given the nature of economies, once the investment has been made in this new infrastructure for LNG terminals or the supply of fossil fuel has increased from new oil and gas discoveries, it will be difficult to wean off. Two, and this is linked to my first caveat, these countries should not be entitled to more use of fossil fuels in our world of shrunk carbon budgets. They need to reduce emissions drastically and leave whatever little carbon budget space that is remaining to poorer countries to use—this, in real terms, means not using fossil fuels but letting the continent of Africa or countries like India use the available cleaner fossil fuels to drive economies and reduce local air pollution. It is not just a moral imperative, but a prerequisite to a world which has a chance to keep the spiralling temperatures under check. This is what we need to keep in mind as countries reconcile their energy supply options with climate change. DTE The writer is the Director-General of CSE and editor of DownToEarth. Views expressed are personal
NEW DELHI: Counting the several steps readied to monitor the city’s day-to-day functioning in order to lessen air pollution, experts expect a less restrictive winter for Delhiites this year. However, extreme weather events or meteorological conditions, which are now the new normal, remain worrying factors. With the new Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in place to facilitate restrictions based on AQI forecasts and IITM’s decision support system (DSC) to forecast the air quality becoming functional in the next few days, and with better coordination expected between the governments of Punjab and Delhi on stubble burning, experts believe fewer air-related restrictions may be imposed in the city in winter this year. Air pollution in Delhi peaks around October end. On air emergency days with very high pollution, the authorities prohibit many activities, including construction and demolitions (C&D). According to a 2016 IIT-Kanpur study, C&D is the most consistent and third highest contributor to an area’s particle pollution load. The study had estimated that the emission load from C&D activities in Delhi is 5,167kg per day and 1,292kg per day with respect to PM10 and PM2.5, respectively. According to Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment, the air quality this winter will depend on how much pollution is controlled or prevented. “Delhi-NCR has a new plan this year, but it will require specific sectoral strategy and planning in advance,” she said. “The implementation, therefore, will define the effectiveness of the new policy which will further define this year’s winter. In any case, there are no quick fixes, so infrastructure work has to be scaled up as quickly as possible.” Last winter, the city saw seven severe air quality days in November, seven in December and one in January. The year earlier, November had nine severe days, while December and January saw four and six such days. “We expect winter this year to be less polluted because of the new GRAP. Also, the same party is in power in Punjab and Delhi, so coordination on stubble burning can be expected,” said Shambhavi Shukla, programme manager (air quality), CSE. “But climate change is an issue with factors like extreme meteorological conditions.” Experts believe that early Diwali (October 24) is also a positive sign for Delhi. “Normally the air quality deteriorates at Diwali with cracker pollutants mixing with the stubble burning smoke. This year, Diwali comes before the intense farm fire season,” explained Gufran Beig, founder project director, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, the Union earth science ministry’s forecasting body. “Also, we expect a timely withdrawal of the monsoon, which is a good thing because late withdrawal means poor air ventilation.” According to professor SN Tripathi of IIT Kanpur, who is also a member of the Commission for Air quality Management, the pollutant movement from stubble burning is crucial. “We need to work on accurate monitoring of stubble burning using satellites to determine the direction the fumes are moving,” said Tripathi. “Proper information on fume progression can help coordinate GRAP measures with block-level officials.”
Plans on setting up of vertical garden, taking leaf out of New Town book The dusty and dirty underbelly of the AJC Bose Road flyover in south Kolkata will have vertical gardens, similar to the gardens under the Metro corridor in New Town, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided. The garden will serve multiple purposes — add some green to a road that has very few trees along it and limited scope for new plantation, prevent gradual encroachment of the open space, help reduce the dust and add some visual appeal to an otherwise barren corridor. The vertical garden, KMC officials said, will first be set up on the stretch between Minto Park and the SSKM Hospital-end of the flyover. The piers and the deck of the flyover, which can be seen from the road below, will have plants hanging from them. The stretch under several other flyovers in Kolkata — including the Parama, Gariahat, Garden Reach, Taratala and the Park Street flyovers — are poorly maintained. A resident of Gariahat in south Kolkata said the entire stretch below the Gariahat flyover looks ugly. “The open space is being gradually encroached. Fast food stalls have mushroomed and the space is very poorly kept,” he said. “Scores of homeless people have set up home under the flyover. Their numbers have been steadily increasing and the stretch is becoming dirtier with time.” The stretch under the Park Street flyover does not have encroachments but grassless soil on one section makes the area dusty and ugly. Waste is often thrown into the open space. The stretch under the Taratala flyover is dusty, too. “We have decided to create vertical gardens under the AJC Bose Road flyover. We will create the garden on a small stretch initially and then scale it up. We want to start work on the section between Minto Park and the Maidan-end of the flyover,” said Debashis Kumar, mayoral council member in charge of the KMC’s parks and squares department. The KMC has begun discussions with the Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners (HRBC), custodian of the flyover, for its nod for gardening. “The HRBC also needs to be kept in the loop so that the cables supplying electricity to the lights on the flyover and the drainage pipes that channel rainwater from the flyover are not affected during the gardening work,” said a KMC official. “The vertical gardens will add foliage on a stretch that has very little green cover. The footpaths are so narrow on that stretch that there is hardly any scope for new plantation. The vertical gardens will absorb the dust and also enhance the beauty of the area,” said the official. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, an air quality specialist, said green plants are known to absorb dust. “The foliage can filter dust to some extent and also reduce the radiating heat from concrete surfaces in cities,” said Roychowdhury, executive director of New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment. Concrete absorbs and radiates heat raising the temperature of the immediate surroundings, she said. This effect is known as the heat island effect.
Twin towers demolition: प्रदूषण को थामने के लिए ट्विन टावर विध्वंस के दौरान की तैयारियों से हम सीख क्यों नहीं लेते. आज हम आपको गर्मियों के प्रदूषण के ताज़ा आंकड़े भी बताएंगे और ये भी बताएंगे कि विध्वंस के Twin Tower Episode से हम पर्यावरण के लिहाज़ से क्या सीख सकते हैं. सोमवार यानी 29 अगस्त 2022 को दिल्ली का औसत एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स 122 है, जबकि 28 अगस्त को नोएडा में ट्विन टावर ढहाए जाने के 5 घंटे बाद ही एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स 100 से नीचे आ गया था.दिल्ल-एनसीआर का औसत AQI 28 अगस्त को भी 150 के आसपास ही बना रहा. इस एक लाइन के छोटे से डाटा में बहुत बड़ा सबक छिपा है. हमने टनों के धूल के गुबार से निपटने के लिए की जो तैयारी की थी, वही तैयारी हमें हर रोज़ रखने की ज़रूरत है, क्योंकि दिल्ली-एनसीआर ही नहीं, अब देश के छोटे-छोटे शहरों में गर्मियों के मौसम में भी प्रदूषण का स्तर खतरनाक हो चुका है. छोटे शहरों में बढ़ता प्रदूषण आमतौर पर प्रदूषण की बात सर्दियों में की जाती है, जब धुंध और स्म़ॉग दिखती है. लेकिन आप शायद नहीं जानते कि भारत के छोटे बड़े हर शहर में प्रदूषण लगभग पूरे साल हमारी सांसे घोंट रहा है. सेंटर फॉर साइंस की ताजा रिसर्च के मुताबिक अब प्रदूषण के हॉट स्पॉट केवल दिल्ली और नोएडा नहीं हैं, राजस्थान का भिवाड़ी, हरियाणा का रोहतक और झज्जर तक दिल्ली जैसे ही खतरनाक वायु प्रदूषण की चपेट में हैं. तो फिर, ट्विन टावर विध्वंस के दौरान की तैयारियों से हम सीख क्यों नहीं लेते. आज हम आपको गर्मियों के प्रदूषण के ताज़ा आंकड़े भी बताएंगे और ये भी बताएंगे कि विध्वंस के Twin Tower Episode से हम पर्यावरण के लिहाज़ से क्या सीख सकते हैं. रविवार दोपहर ढाई बजे 9 सेकेंड में ट्विन टावर के ढह जाने के बाद इतनी ही देर तक धूल का एक गुब्बारा नज़र आया. फिर सब नीचे जमा हो गया लेकिन लोगों की सांसों में घुलने के लिए हवा में ठहरा नहीं क्योंकि बिल्डिंग गिरेंगी और धूल उड़ेगी और इसका अनुमान लगाते हुए वॉटर स्प्रिंक्लर लगे थे, एंटी स्मॉग गन तैनात थी, आसपास की इमारतें कपड़े से ढकी थीं, वक्त रहते सब एक्शन में आ गए थे. नोएडा अथॉरिटी ने शाम को एयर क्वालिटी का डाटा जारी किया जो 100 के नीचे था जबकि दिल्ली एनसीआर में 100 के नीचे एयर क्वालिटी होना तेज बारिश के दिन ही नसीब होता है. गर्मियों में भी प्रदूषण बना चुनौती CSE के ताजा डाटा के मुताबिक इस वर्ष भारत के कई शहरों में गर्मियों में भी वायु प्रदूषण युद्धस्तर पर रहा है जो आम तौर पर सर्दियों में खराब स्तर पर होता है. रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक दिल्ली गाजियाबाद और नोएडा ही नहीं, उत्तर भारत के छोटे शहरों में भी प्रदूषण से लोगों का दम घुट रहा है. इस रिपोर्ट के लिहाज से भारत का सबसे प्रदूषित शहर अब राजस्थान का भिवाड़ी है जहां गर्मियों के दौरान प्रदूषण का औसत 134 रहा इसके बाद हरियाणा के मानेसर की बारी आती है जो भारत का दूसरा सबसे प्रदूषित शहर है यहां गर्मियों के प्रदूषण का औसत 119 रहा. तीसरे नंबर पर मध्य प्रदेश का सिंगरौली जिला का है जहां प्रदूषण का स्तर 110 रहा इसके बाद हरियाणा के रोहतक और उत्तर प्रदेश के मुजफ्फरनगर का नंबर आता है. भारत के 20 सबसे प्रदूषित शहरों में 12 शहर दिल्ली एनसीआर के हैं. गर्मियों में भारत के सबसे कम प्रदूषित शहरों की बात की जाए तो मिजोरम का एजवाल और तमिलनाडु का गुम्मीडिपुंडी सबसे कम प्रदूषित है. हालांकि उत्तर भारत के कुछ शहर ऐसे भी हैं जहां पिछली गर्मियों के मुकाबले इस बार प्रदूषण में कमी दर्ज हुई है. पहले नंबर पर उत्तर प्रदेश का वाराणसी है जहां प्रदूषण के स्तर में 59% की कमी आई. इसके अलावा बल्लभगढ़, जालंधर, पाली, आगरा और श्रीनगर में प्रदूषण का स्तर कम हुआ है. प्रदूषण के यह आंकड़े 1 मार्च से 31 मई के बीच के हैं.इस दौरान के सेंट्रल पॉल्यूशन कंट्रोल बोर्ड का पीएम 2.5 डाटा को जमा कर उसका विश्लेषण किया गया है. सीपीसीबी के 356 स्टेशन से यह डाटा लिया गया. यह स्टेशन भारत के 26 राज्यों के 174 शहरों में मौजूद हैं.प्रदूषण के मामले में पूरे उत्तर भारत का हाल सबसे खराब है और दिल्ली एनसीआर गर्मियों के दौरान प्रदूषण का हॉटस्पॉट बना है. वजह है अंधाधुंध निर्माण, उद्योग और गाड़ियां, दिल्ली एनसीआर में कन्सट्रक्शन तो छोटे शहरों में इंडस्ट्री से हवा का हाल बुरा है. कहां रहा पॉल्यूशन का पीक? गर्मियों के मौसम में भी उत्तर भारत में पीएम 2.5 का स्तर 71 माइक्रोग्राम पर क्यूबिक मीटर रहा है. इसके बाद पूर्वी भारत का नंबर आता है जहां पीएम 2.5 का स्तर 69 ग्राम माइक्रोग्राम पर क्यूबिक मीटर रहा है. पश्चिमी भारत में यह स्तर 54 रहा है, मध्य भारत में 46 जबकि उत्तर पूर्वी भारत में 35 और दक्षिण के राज्यों में यह स्तर 31 रहा है. अगर बात इस बारे में करें कि 1 दिन में किस शहर में या किस इलाके में प्रदूषण पीक पर पहुंचता है तो उसमें बाजी बिहार ने मारी है. बिहार में गर्मियों में प्रदूषण का पीक यानी चरम 168 रहा है. उत्तर भारत में प्रदूषण का चरम स्तर 142 था पश्चिमी भारत में 106, मध्य भारत में 89, उत्तर पूर्व में 81 और दक्षिण भारत में यह स्तर 65 रहा है. उत्तर भारत में रोहतक में भी प्रदूषण का पीक काफी खराब रहा और यह 258 तक पहुंचा. इन आंकड़ों से यह साफ होता है कि अब छोटे शहरों में भी प्रदूषण के हॉटस्पॉट बनते जा रहे हैं. पिछले वर्ष की गर्मियों के मुकाबले इस वर्ष गर्मियों में हर रीजन में प्रदूषण में बढ़ोतरी हुई है. उत्तर भारत में पिछले वर्ष के मुकाबले सबसे ज्यादा बढ़ोतरी देखी गई जो 23% की है. उत्तर भारत में एनसीआर रीजन में ही सबसे ज्यादा प्रदूषण बड़ा पिछले वर्ष के मुकाबले दिल्ली एनसीआर रीजन के लोगों ने 25.8% ज्यादा प्रदूषण झेला. मध्य भारत में 15% की बढ़ोतरी दर्ज हुई, पश्चिमी भारत में 4 फीसदी, पूर्वी भारत में 1.8%, दक्षिण के राज्यों में प्रदूषण नहीं बढ़ा और नॉर्थ ईस्ट के रीजन में पिछले वर्ष के मुकाबले प्रदूषण के स्तर में कमी दर्ज हुई. सांस लेने लायक कैसे होगी हवा? सीएससी की रिसर्चर अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी के मुताबिक गर्मियों में प्रदूषण के बढ़ने की वजह गाड़ियां, इंडस्ट्री पावर प्लांट, वेस्ट बर्नींग और धूल का ज्यादा उड़ना है. इन समस्याओं से निजात पाने के लिए बड़े स्तर पर जमीन पर काम करना होगा, जंगलों को कटने से बचाना होगा. शहरों में तापमान कम करने के तरीकों पर काम करना होगा और फसलों में और जंगलों में लगने वाली आग पर काबू पाना होगा. विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन के मानकों के मुताबिक एयर क्वालिटी 50 से नीचे रहे तभी हवा को साफ मानना चाहिए. मिलीजुली कोशिशों से नोएडा ने एक दिन जो सफलता हासिल की है, उसे हर रोज़ पाया जा सकता है और हवा को सांस लेने लायक बनाया जा सकता है.हालांकि हर रोज़ पानी छिड़कने जैसे आपातकालीन उपाय की जगह दूर की सोच रखते हुए काम करने की ज़रूरत है.
नोएडा के ट्विन टावर के ढहते ही एक तरफ धूल का गुबार उठा, तो दूसरी तरफ जमींदोज होती इमारत देखने के लिए लोगों में उतना ही उत्साह था। पीछे रह गए तमाम सवाल और चिंताएं। चिंता इस बात की कि देशभर में तेजी से बनती हाईराइज इमारतों को, जिन्हें विकास का मीटर समझा जा रहा है, क्या ये इमारतें हमसे बहुत कुछ छीन तो नहीं रहीं? ये इमारतें जहां प्रदूषण और तापमान बढ़ा रही हैं, वहीं बिजली और पानी का बड़ा हिस्सा पी भी रही हैं। बदले में देश को रोज मिलता है लाखों टन मलबा। रियल एस्टेट सेक्टर में बूम आने के बाद करीब एक दशक से देशभर में ऐसी बहुत सारी इमारतें बनकर खड़ी हुई हैं और आगे भी होंगी। सोचकर देखिए, ये सभी इमारतें एक ही वक्त में एक साथ बूढ़ी भी होंगी। अभी इन्हें बनाने का दौर चल रहा है, तब मिटाने का सिलसिला भी एक साथ शुरू होगा। अभी ट्विन टावर से निकले 80 हजार टन मलबे में से 50 हजार टन को उसी के बेसमेंट में भर दिया गया है। 30 हजार टन मलबा अगले 3 महीने में नोएडा के सेक्टर-80 के ‘सी एंड डी वेस्ट रिसाइकलिंग प्लांट’ में रिसाइकल किया जाएगा, लेकिन सबसे बड़ा सवाल यह है कि जब हर तरफ इमारतें तोड़ी जा रही होंगी, तब उनसे निकलने वाला मलबा कहां जाएगा? 46 साल में ही गिरा दिया गया था पहला स्काईस्क्रेपर शिकागो में 1969 में एक गैर-लाभकारी संगठन की स्थापना हुई। जिसे काउंसिल ऑन टॉल बिल्डिंग्स एंड अर्बन हैबिटाट (CTBUH) नाम दिया गया। यह संगठन दुनिया भर में बन रहे स्काईस्क्रेपर, यानी गगनचुंबी इमारतों का लेखा-जोखा रखता है। दुनिया के किस हिस्से में कितने स्काईस्क्रेपर्स बन रहे हैं, उनकी ऊंचाई कितनी है और कहां-कितने टूट रहे हैं। इसी संगठन ने दुनिया भर की इमारतों की ऊंचाई दर्ज करने के लिए कायदे-कानून भी बनाए। CTBUH ने ही दुबई के 828 मीटर ऊंचे बुर्ज खलीफा को दुनिया की सबसे ऊंची इमारत घोषित किया है। बता दें कि दुनिया का पहला स्काईस्क्रेपर ‘होम इंश्योरेंस बिल्डिंग’ 46 साल के बाद गिरा दिया गया था। बीते 20 साल में सबसे ज्यादा स्काईस्क्रेपर तोड़े गए दुनिया भर में साल 2000 से 2019 के बीच सबसे ज्यादा बिल्डिंग्स जमींदोज की गईं, जो अपने समय में आसमान छू रही थीं। इनमें से करीब आधी इमारतें दूसरी बिल्डिंग्स को रास्ता देने या किसी और कंस्ट्रक्शन के लिए तोड़ी गईं। सिंगापुर में 234.7 मीटर के एक्सा टावर को ढहाने का काम चल रहा है, यह अब तक जमींदोज की गई दुनिया की सबसे ऊंची इमारत होगी। इसका निर्माण 1986 में हुआ था। मुंबई में हैं सबसे ज्यादा स्काईस्क्रेपर्स और हाईराइज बिल्डिंग्स हमारे देश में सबसे ज्यादा बहुमंजिला इमारतें मुंबई में हैं। मुंबई दुनिया के सबसे ज्यादा हाईराइज बिल्डिंग्स वाले शहरों में 7वें नंबर पर है। एम्पोरिस डॉट कॉम के मुताबिक मुंबई में करीब 200 स्काईस्क्रेपर्स और साढ़े 5 हजार हाईराइज बिल्डिंग हैं। दिल्ली NCR में भी 5 हजार से ज्यादा हाईराइज इमारतें बन चुकी हैं। कोलकाता, बेंगलुरू और पुणे जैसे शहरों में भी हाईराइज बिल्डिंग्स तेजी से बन रही हैं। इंडिया ब्रांड इक्विटी फाउंडेशन की एक रिपोर्ट के अनुसार इस साल भारत दुनिया का तीसरा सबसे बड़ा कंस्ट्रक्शन मार्केट बनने जा रहा है। 30 से 40 साल में ही जर्जर होने लगती हैं इमारतें हाईराइज अपार्टमेंट का चलन भले ही तेजी से बढ़ रहा है, लेकिन इनकी उम्र को लेकर भी सवाल बने हुए हैं। पहले जब लोग अपना खुद का घर बनाते थे, तो वह दो-तीन पीढ़ियों तक खड़ा रहता था। वहीं, हाईराइज बिल्डिंग्स की उम्र 70 से 80 साल तक बताई जाती है, लेकिन असल में ये 30 से 40 साल में ही जर्जर होने लगती हैं। एक्सपर्ट्स का कहना है कि बड़ी इमारतों को ज्यादा समय तक अच्छी हालत में बनाए रखने के लिए लगातार मरम्मत और देखरेख की जरूरत पड़ती है, लेकिन भारत जैसे देशों में यह आसान काम नहीं है। ऐसे में यह इमारतें सिर्फ उनके लिए ही नहीं, बल्कि पूरे देश के लिए बोझ बन सकती हैं। बिजली, पानी, लकड़ी का बड़ा हिस्सा खप रहा है इन इमारतों में 'सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट’ (CSE) की एक रिसर्च रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक इन बिल्डिंग्स को बनाने में ही देश का 40 फीसदी कार्बन उत्सर्जन होता है, 30 फीसदी सॉलिड वेस्ट निकलता है और करीब 20 फीसदी पानी की खपत होती है। देश की 40 फीसदी बिजली इन इमारतों में खप जाती है। सेंट्रल ग्राउंड वॉटर बोर्ड ने हरियाणा के जिन इलाकों को डार्क जोन घोषित कर दिया है, वहां भी हाईराइज इमारतों का निर्माण धड़ल्ले से जारी है। यह भी बता दें कि दुनिया की 25 फीसदी लकड़ी सिर्फ कंस्ट्रक्शन सेक्टर में खप रही है। नोएडा के ट्विन टावर को तोड़ने से करीब 80 हजार टन मलबा निकला है। पूरे देश में लगातार बिल्डिंग बनाई और तोड़ी जा रही हैं। इमारतों के बनाने और बिगाड़ने के इस फेर में लाखों टन मलबा पैदा होता है। इस मलबे को कंस्ट्रक्शन एंड डिमोलिशन वेस्ट कहते हैं। यही मलबा हमारे पर्यावरण और हमारी सेहत के लिए बड़ी मुसीबत बन जाता रहा है। पर्यावरण के लिए काम करने वाली संस्था CSE ने साल 2020 में इस मलबे पर एक रिपोर्ट पेश की। रिपोर्ट में ‘बिल्डिंग मैटीरियल प्रमोशन काउंसिल’ ने बताया कि भारत में इमारतों के बनने और उन्हें तोड़ने से हर साल करीब 1500 लाख टन मलबा निकलता है। लेकिन, इस मलबे को रिसाइकल करने की हमारी क्षमता महज 6,500 टन है। यानी सिर्फ एक फीसदी मलबा। बाकी 99 फीसदी मलबा लैंडफिल, खुले मैदान में जहां-तहां ठिकाने लगा दिया जाता है। फिर इस मलबे में मौजूद धूल, हवा और पानी में घुलकर प्रदूषण फैलाती है। यह तो सरकारी आंकड़े हैं, रिपोर्ट में दावा किया गया है कि पूरे देश में इससे 3 से 5 गुना तक ज्यादा मलबा निकलता है। दिल्ली में बना था कंस्ट्रक्शन वेस्ट को रिसाइकल करने वाला देश का पहला प्लांट इस समस्या से निपटने के लिए सरकार ने 2016 में ‘सी एंड डी वेस्ट मैनेजमेंट रूल’ लागू किया। इसके जरिए नियम बना दिया गया कि घर बनाते या तोड़ते समय जो मलबा निकलेगा, उसका निस्तारण करना जरूरी होगा। चाहे बिल्डर हो, आम आदमी हो या फिर कोई सरकारी विभाग, सबके लिए इस नियम को मानना अनिवार्य कर दिया गया। ऐसा इसलिए किया गया ताकि मलबे को रिसाइकल कर उसका फिर से इस्तेमाल हो सके और साथ ही उसकी वजह से हो रहा प्रदूषण भी रुके। नियम का पालन हो, इसके लिए देशभर में ‘सी एंड डी वेस्ट रिसाइकलिंग प्लांट’ भी बनाने थे। इस प्लांट में कंक्रीट के मलबे को बालू और बजरी में बदल दिया जाता है। 2017 तक देश के 53 शहरों में ऐसे प्लांट बनने थे, लेकिन 2020 तक सिर्फ 13 शहरों में ही प्लांट शुरू हो पाए। भारत का पहला ‘सी एंड डी वेस्ट रिसाइकलिंग प्लांट’ 2009 में दिल्ली के बुराड़ी में बना था। सुप्रीम कोर्ट की बिल्डिंग के नए हिस्से को बनाने में ऐसी 18 लाख ईंटों का इस्तेमाल किया गया है, जो बुराड़ी रिसाइकलिंग प्लांट में तैयार हुई हैं। बर्बाद हो रहे पानी के स्रोत, खत्म हो रही हरियाली अब जब मलबे को रिसाइकिल करने के लिए कोई प्लांट ही नहीं है, तो नियम का पालन होता भी कैसे। जिन शहरों में प्लांट चालू हो गए हैं, वहां के लोगों को भी प्लांट के बारे में नहीं पता है, न ही इसके नियमों के बारे में कोई जानकारी है। CSE ने अपनी रिपोर्ट में बताया कि कंक्रीट, ईंट और मेटल के मलबे से हरियाली और पानी के स्रोत बर्बाद हो रहे हैं। दिल्ली-NCR में तो चोरी-छुपे कंस्ट्रक्शन का मलबा अरावली की पहाड़ियों से लेकर दूसरे कचरे के साथ लैंडफिल में फेंकने की शिकायतें आती रही हैं। 20 साल में घरों को तोड़कर बिल्डिंग बनाने की रफ्तार बढ़ी भारत में बीते 2 दशक में रियल एस्टेट सेक्टर में बूम आया है। खासकर हाईराइज बिल्डिंग्स तेजी से बनाई जा रही हैं। इसके लिए दिल्ली, मुंबई से लेकर देश के हर हिस्से में इमारतें तोड़ी जा रही हैं। फिर भले ही उनकी हालत ठीक हो। पुराने घरों को तोड़कर उनकी जगह बहुमंजिला इमारतें बन रही हैं। पुरानी इमारतें तोड़ने और नई बनाने के सिलसिले में बेहिसाब मलबा भी निकल रहा है। कचरा कैसा भी हो, उसे इधर-उधर ठिकाने लगाया जाएगा, वहां मुसीबत आएगी ही। कुछ ऐसा ही हाल मुंबई का है। मुंबई में वेटलैंड में ही डंप हो रहा मलबा मुंबई के बाहरी हिस्से में एक डंपिंग ग्राउंड है। नाम है देवनार। 2008 में वहां आए दिन आग लगने लगी। जून 2019 में डाउन टु अर्थ में प्रकाशित एक रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक ऐसी घटनाएं देख हाई कोर्ट सख्त हो गया। कोर्ट ने देखा कि BMC वहां मलबे के निस्तारण के नियमों का पालन नहीं कर रही थी। हाई कोर्ट ने उस इलाके में नए कंस्ट्रक्शन पर रोक लगा दी। इसके बाद वसई और ठाणे के आसपास वेटलैंड में लोगों ने कंक्रीट का मलबा फेंकना शुरू कर दिया। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने कुछ शर्तों के साथ कंस्ट्रक्शन से बैन हटाया तो सरकार ने वेटलैंड वाले इलाकों में मलबा डंप करने के लिए एक तरह से कानूनी अनुमति दे दी। अब शहर में 10 डंपिंग साइट्स हैं और सारी की सारी वेटलैंड वाले इलाके में ही हैं। जिसका बुरा असर वहां पड़ रहा है। वेटलैंड भूगर्भ जलस्तर बनाए रखने, धरती की उवर्रता बनाए रखने में मदद करता है। कंक्रीट का मलबा फेंकने से वेटलैंड के साथ ही वहां का ईकोसिस्टम भी तबाह हो जाता है, जिसमें ढेरों जीवों व वनस्पतियों को पनाह मिलती है। पर्यावरण के साथ ही सेहत के लिए भी है घातक कंस्ट्रक्शन वेस्ट से निकलने वाले मलबे में कुछ घातक चीजें भी होती हैं। जो पानी और मिट्टी के जरिए पर्यावरण के साथ ही स्वास्थ्य को भी नुकसान पहुंचा सकती हैं। इसलिए इसकी रिसाइकिलिंग में की गई लापरवाही भारी पड़ सकती है। शीशा, एस्बेटस, पेंट और घुलनशील केमिकल, ग्लू, और टार जैसी तमाम चीजें इस मलबे में होती हैं। खाली ड्रम, शीशे वाला सामान, लैंप और लाइट बल्ब में मौजूद मर्करी, थिनर, सिलिका, क्रोमियम, कैडमियम के साथ ही कई ऐसी हैं, जिन्हें मलबे से अलग करना जरूरी होता है। इनके संपर्क में आने से त्वचा और सांस से जुड़ी परेशानियां, पैरालिसिस, एनीमिया, डरमेटाइटिस जैसी समस्याओं का सामना करना पड़ सकता है। इनमें सिलिका, आर्सेनिक, क्रोमियम सबसे घातक हैं। सिलिका के संपर्क में आने से लाइलाज रोगों के होने का खतरा रहता है। अकेले अमेरिका में ही 20 लाख से ज्यादा वर्कर काम के दौरान सिलिका की चपेट में आ चुके हैं। अनुमान है कि भारत में एक करोड़ से ज्यादा मजदूर सिलिका के संपर्क में आकर बीमार हैं। इनमें से हजारों मजदूर हर साल टीबी और कैंसर जैसी बीमारियों से जान गंवा देते हैं। ऊंची इमारतें हवा का बहाव रोक लेती हैं। इनसे तापमान और प्रदूषण भी बढ़ता है। जानते हैं कैसे… CSE में ‘सस्टेनेबल बिल्डिंग एंड हैबिटाट प्रोग्राम’के प्रोग्राम डायरेक्टर रजनीश सरीन ने बताया कि आमतौर पर हाईराइज बिल्डिंग को ज्यादा बेहतर माना जाता है। दूसरे विकल्पों पर ध्यान दिए बिना सबका फोकस इसी बात पर आकर ठहर गया है। जबकि, हाईराइज बिल्डिंग्स से पर्यावरण को काफी नुकसान पहुंचता है। हाईराइज बिल्डिंग्स में ‘एयर लॉक’ हो जाती है। हवा का बहाव थम सा जाता है। इससे प्रदूषण बढ़ाने वाले तत्व दूर नहीं जा पाते और प्रदूषण स्तर बढ़ता है। हवा थमने का असर तापमान पर भी पड़ता है और तापमान बढ़ता है। ऐसी स्थिति में लोग एयरकंडीशनर का सहारा लेने तो को मजबूर होते हैं या फिर उनकी तबीयत खराब होती है। हाईराइज इमारतों के साथ दूसरी सबसे बड़ी समस्या है कि ‘एयर लॉक’ की तरह ही इनके अंदर हीट भी लॉक हो जाती है। पहले जब लो राइज यानी एक-दो फ्लोर वाले मकान होते थे, तब रात में छत पर सोते समय ठंडक महसूस होती थी। ऐसा इसलिए होता था, क्योंकि रात में आसमान आसपास की गर्मी को सोख लेता था। आसमान एक तरह से ‘यूनिवर्सल हीट ऑब्जॉर्बर’ का काम करता है। अब 24-30 मंजिल की बिल्डिंग्स बन गई हैं। नीचे की मंजिलों और आसमान के बीच संपर्क कम हो गया है। ऐसे में नीचे के फ्लोर पर हीट लॉक हो जाती है। जिससे गर्मी बढ़ती है। तीसरी मुख्य बात यह है कि ऐसा माना जाता है कि हाईराइज बनाने से जगह की बचत होगी, लेकिन कई रिसर्च में यह बात साफतौर पर सामने आई है कि जैसे-जैसे बिल्डिंग की ऊंचाई बढ़ती है, वैसे-वैसे जगह की जरूरत भी बढ़ती जाती है। यह सोच गलत है कि हाईराइज से जगह की बचत होती है। चौथी समस्या ऊर्जा की खपत से जुड़ी है। ज्यादा बड़ी बिल्डिंग बनाने के लिए बड़ी मशीनों की जरूरत होती है। उन्हें चलाने के लिए उतनी ही ज्यादा बिजली की जरूरत पड़ती है। उतना ही ज्यादा कार्बन उत्सर्जन भी होता है। ऊपर की मंजिलों तक पानी पहुंचाने के लिए पंपिंग मशीनों को भी ज्यादा पावर चाहिए। लिफ्ट में भी बिजली की ज्यादा खपत होती है। इस तरह, हाईराइज में बिजली की खपत कई गुना बढ़ जाती है। जब एकसाथ बूढ़ी होंगी बहुत सी इमारतें... अभी दिल्ली-NCR, मुंबई से लेकर देश के हर बड़े शहर में बड़े पैमाने पर हाईराइज बिल्डिंग्स बनाई जा रही हैं। चिंता का विषय यह है कि एक ही समय में बनी बिल्डिंग्स एक साथ बूढ़ी होंगी, और तब जब उन्हें तोड़ने की बारी आएगी, तो एक बड़ी चुनौती देश के सामने खड़ी हो जाएगी। इस मलबे को कैसे और कौन निपटाएगा?
Catering directly to the consumers’ needs assures better marketability and incomes. This is what nearly 10,000 farmers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have realised over the past decade and are now steering a silent organic movement. It all began in 2009, when a group of consumers in Hyderabad, then part of unified Andhra Pradesh, established a cooperative society to source chemical-free produce directly from farmers. Operating under the guidance of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA), a Hyderabad-based research non-profit, the cooperative society over a period of time roped in a few farmers and began to sell the produce through a farmer-run retail store in Secunderabad and mobile retail vans that travelled to urban areas. Soon, more and more organic farmers joined the cooperative society and what had started off as a consumers’ initiative became a farmers’ group. In 2013, when the government floated the concept of farmer producer organisation (FPO) to aggregate collection of produce and create market links for better prices under the Companies Act of 2013, CSA and the cooperative society saw this as an opportunity. Establishing an FPO also helps gain financial support from the government. Thus, in 2014, all the farmers’ groups under the cooperative society registered themselves as organic FPOs, and the society at the helm as Sahaja Aharam Producer Company Limited, a unique “federation” of organic FPOs. That was the year when Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh. But Sahaja Aharam continued its operation as a federation with FPOs from both the states. Today, as many as 23 organic FPOS with over 9,000 farmers across 180 villages are part the federation. The groups are spread over the southern plateau and hills of Andhra Pradesh, as well as the north, central and southern parts of Telangana. The farmers grow paddy, cereals, oilseeds, pulses, fruits, vegetables and spices. To obtain membership, FPOs buy equity in the federation. A board of five directors coordinates operations at the federation level along with the heads of the FPOs and support from CSA. Market is key Since inception, Sahaja Aharam has realised that there is a growing market for organic produce that can help farmers earn more. So it provides marketing and retail support for certified organic produce. Some of its member-FPOs, though, market both conventional and organic produce. The federation also encourages and helps farmers to obtain organic certification and trains them on cultivation of specific crops; weed, pest and disease management; and preparation of organic and biological inputs. Some farmers are also trained in poultry and livestock farming. Venkat Reddy from Kallem village in Jangaon district, Telangana, who has converted 1.2 hectares (ha) of his 6.07 ha farm to organic, said, “There was an initial loss in paddy yield after the shift, but the cost has reduced from Rs 25,000 per 0.4 ha to Rs 15,000. Currently, I grow organic paddy for my own consumption. But after seeing other farmers get 10-15 per cent more income from this variety, I plan to bring in more area under it.” Regenerative or chemical-free cultivation has helped improve the local environmental conditions as well. Enabavi village in Telangana’s Hanamkoda district, which declared itself as the first organic village in the region in 2006 is now entirely free of pesticides, fertilisers and genetically modified crops. All 52 farmer families of the village have shifted 110 ha to regenerative agriculture by composting organic waste, using cow dung manure and pest-trapping crops and harvesting water. “This has led to a rise in soil fertility,” said GV Ramanjaneyulu, executive director of CSA. With more farmers trying to benefit from regenerative agriculture, the federation is focused on helping its members gain a better market share. For this, it plans production strategies with its FPOs. It apprises them of trends in organic produce, sales figures and rates from the previous years. “Unlike traditional FPOs, a lot of effort and business insight goes into production planning,” said Prasanna T P, chief executive of Sahaja Aharam. Further, to ensure quality, the federation tests 1 per cent of total produce for chemical pesticide residue. “Sahaja Aharam buys my produce at 10-15 per cent higher price than the market,” said Vekanna Reddy, a farmer from Mulang village, Siddipet district, Telangana. The federation buys cereals, millets, pulses, vegetables and oilseeds at 10 per cent higher prices, which can increase based on quality. For paddy, rates can go higher. The federation sells raw and processed products, which include food items, cosmetics and other non-food products. Some 45 per cent of the product range consists of organic fruits and vegetables. To set market prices, Sahaja Aharam follows two criteria. First, the farmers’ share in the price must either be 50 per cent over the cost of cultivation, 12-15 per cent above the local market or 50 per cent of the average price in the previous year, whichever is highest. For instance, it procures paddy crop from farmers at Rs 42 per kg and sells it for Rs 80 — cultivators earn more than half the retail price. Farmers are paid in two tranches, once during procurement and then after sale of products. Second, to remain competitive, prices fixed by the federation are merely 15-20 per cent higher than those for conventional produce, but lower in comparison to those of some other organic players, particularly for pulses, groundnut oil and spices. Some 15 per cent of the price funds the federation’s operations. For sales, the federation has expanded the retail stores. It now has two stores in Secunderabad and one each in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. Stores in Hyderabad and Secunderabad sell online as well. Their vans still operate in Hyderabad. Sahaja Aharam also sells unlabelled produce in bulk to 110 aggregators. Currently, 55 per cent of sales are to bulk aggregators, 43 per cent through retail stores and 2 per cent online. Turnover has increased multifold over the last few years, from Rs 90.3 lakh 2018-19 to some Rs 2.61 crore in 2021-22. Game-changer The federation’s efforts to increase farm incomes go beyond market access. “It has helped me re-learn sustainable farming techniques to increase yield. Earlier I used to earn Rs 29,600 per kg from paddy, now I earn Rs 33,000,” Krishan, a farmer from Jeedikal village in Jangaon district, who practices organic farming in his entire 2.8 ha, said. “I can save 50 per cent of cultivation costs, around Rs 10,000, by using organic inputs that I make,” he added. The federation encourages farmers to grow traditional and new crops, based on water requirement, pest resistance, yield and market preferences. It also enables knowledge exchange and peer learning. Further, it has introduced a mobile application called Pestoscope and set up surveillance centres in villages, and shares weather predictions from the India Meteorological Department and states. Sahaja Aharam also introduced an enterprise resource planning tool in 2018, developed by CSA, to manage production, finances, warehousing, sales and data analysis. To diversify incomes and provide more livelihood opportunities, the federation has set up “food hubs” at six districts in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for storage and processing. It is also diversifying its product range to include ready-to-eat and non-food products. The federation provides several lessons on hand-holding support, storage, processing and marketing, however, like other FPOs in the country, it faces challenges such as poor financial support and lack of skilled humanpower. Addressing these hurdles will help it grow better. (This is the second in a series of multiple reports that show how better market access to non-chemical produce is key to the success of regenerative agriculture) This was first published in the 16-31 August edition of Down To Earth
A federation of farmer-producer organisations has tapped into the growing organic market to help members raise incomes Catering directly to the consumers’ needs assures better marketability and incomes. This is what nearly 10,000 farmers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have realised over the past decade and are now steering a silent organic movement. It all began in 2009, when a group of consumers in Hyderabad, then part of unified Andhra Pradesh, established a cooperative society to source chemical-free produce directly from farmers. Operating under the guidance of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA), a Hyderabad-based research non-profit, the cooperative society over a period of time roped in a few farmers and began to sell the produce through a farmer-run retail store in Secunderabad and mobile retail vans that travelled to urban areas. Soon, more and more organic farmers joined the cooperative society and what had started off as a consumers’ initiative became a farmers’ group. In 2013, when the government floated the concept of farmer producer organisation (FPO) to aggregate collection of produce and create market links for better prices under the Companies Act of 2013, CSA and the cooperative society saw this as an opportunity. Establishing an FPO also helps gain financial support from the government. Thus, in 2014, all the farmers’ groups under the cooperative society registered themselves as organic FPOs, and the society at the helm as Sahaja Aharam Producer Company Limited, a unique “federation” of organic FPOs. That was the year when Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh. But Sahaja Aharam continued its operation as a federation with FPOs from both the states. Today, as many as 23 organic FPOS with over 9,000 farmers across 180 villages are part the federation. The groups are spread over the southern plateau and hills of Andhra Pradesh, as well as the north, central and southern parts of Telangana. The farmers grow paddy, cereals, oilseeds, pulses, fruits, vegetables and spices. To obtain membership, FPOs buy equity in the federation. A board of five directors coordinates operations at the federation level along with the heads of the FPOs and support from CSA. Market is key Since inception, Sahaja Aharam has realised that there is a growing market for organic produce that can help farmers earn more. So it provides marketing and retail support for certified organic produce. Some of its member-FPOs, though, market both conventional and organic produce. The federation also encourages and helps farmers to obtain organic certification and trains them on cultivation of specific crops; weed, pest and disease management; and preparation of organic and biological inputs. Some farmers are also trained in poultry and livestock farming. Venkat Reddy from Kallem village in Jangaon district, Telangana, who has converted 1.2 hectares (ha) of his 6.07 ha farm to organic, said, “There was an initial loss in paddy yield after the shift, but the cost has reduced from Rs 25,000 per 0.4 ha to Rs 15,000. Currently, I grow organic paddy for my own consumption. But after seeing other farmers get 10-15 per cent more income from this variety, I plan to bring in more area under it.” Regenerative or chemical-free cultivation has helped improve the local environmental conditions as well. Enabavi village in Telangana’s Hanamkoda district, which declared itself as the first organic village in the region in 2006 is now entirely free of pesticides, fertilisers and genetically modified crops. All 52 farmer families of the village have shifted 110 ha to regenerative agriculture by composting organic waste, using cow dung manure and pest-trapping crops and harvesting water. “This has led to a rise in soil fertility,” said GV Ramanjaneyulu, executive director of CSA. With more farmers trying to benefit from regenerative agriculture, the federation is focused on helping its members gain a better market share. For this, it plans production strategies with its FPOs. It apprises them of trends in organic produce, sales figures and rates from the previous years. “Unlike traditional FPOs, a lot of effort and business insight goes into production planning,” said Prasanna T P, chief executive of Sahaja Aharam. Further, to ensure quality, the federation tests 1 per cent of total produce for chemical pesticide residue. “Sahaja Aharam buys my produce at 10-15 per cent higher price than the market,” said Vekanna Reddy, a farmer from Mulang village, Siddipet district, Telangana. The federation buys cereals, millets, pulses, vegetables and oilseeds at 10 per cent higher prices, which can increase based on quality. For paddy, rates can go higher. The federation sells raw and processed products, which include food items, cosmetics and other non-food products. Some 45 per cent of the product range consists of organic fruits and vegetables. To set market prices, Sahaja Aharam follows two criteria. First, the farmers’ share in the price must either be 50 per cent over the cost of cultivation, 12-15 per cent above the local market or 50 per cent of the average price in the previous year, whichever is highest. For instance, it procures paddy crop from farmers at Rs 42 per kg and sells it for Rs 80 — cultivators earn more than half the retail price. Farmers are paid in two tranches, once during procurement and then after sale of products. Second, to remain competitive, prices fixed by the federation are merely 15-20 per cent higher than those for conventional produce, but lower in comparison to those of some other organic players, particularly for pulses, groundnut oil and spices. Some 15 per cent of the price funds the federation’s operations. For sales, the federation has expanded the retail stores. It now has two stores in Secunderabad and one each in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. Stores in Hyderabad and Secunderabad sell online as well. Their vans still operate in Hyderabad. Sahaja Aharam also sells unlabelled produce in bulk to 110 aggregators. Currently, 55 per cent of sales are to bulk aggregators, 43 per cent through retail stores and 2 per cent online. Turnover has increased multifold over the last few years, from Rs 90.3 lakh 2018-19 to some Rs 2.61 crore in 2021-22. Game-changer The federation’s efforts to increase farm incomes go beyond market access. “It has helped me re-learn sustainable farming techniques to increase yield. Earlier I used to earn Rs 29,600 per kg from paddy, now I earn Rs 33,000,” Krishan, a farmer from Jeedikal village in Jangaon district, who practices organic farming in his entire 2.8 ha, said. “I can save 50 per cent of cultivation costs, around Rs 10,000, by using organic inputs that I make,” he added. The federation encourages farmers to grow traditional and new crops, based on water requirement, pest resistance, yield and market preferences. It also enables knowledge exchange and peer learning. Further, it has introduced a mobile application called Pestoscope and set up surveillance centres in villages, and shares weather predictions from the India Meteorological Department and states. Sahaja Aharam also introduced an enterprise resource planning tool in 2018, developed by CSA, to manage production, finances, warehousing, sales and data analysis. To diversify incomes and provide more livelihood opportunities, the federation has set up “food hubs” at six districts in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for storage and processing. It is also diversifying its product range to include ready-to-eat and non-food products. The federation provides several lessons on hand-holding support, storage, processing and marketing, however, like other FPOs in the country, it faces challenges such as poor financial support and lack of skilled humanpower. Addressing these hurdles will help it grow better. Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/agriculture/organic-takeover-how-10-000-farmers-of-telangana-andhra-are-steering-a-silent-movement-84503
Mass gatherings, without adequate waste management infrastructure, can end up polluting water, land or the air, and have harmful impacts on human health and the area's ecology Haridwar: "My daughter and husband had an upset stomach and not even once did we find a toilet to use," said Annu Devi, a resident of Meerut who was one of the 40 million Kanwar pilgrims who came to Haridwar this year in July. "All of us have no other option than defecating in the open." With the 12-day long Kanwar Yatra (journey), when devotees of Lord Shiva from across the country, especially north India, take a trip to the Ganges, Haridwar becomes home to several million Kanwariyas, as the pilgrims on the journey are known. The number of pilgrims is higher on Mondays, the day considered the most pious by devotees of Shiva. The Kanwar Yatra took place this year from July 14 to July 26. Advertisement Because of a lack of infrastructure to handle the excess waste generated by the visitors, festivals such as these cause what is known as 'episodic pollution'. This usually happens because of mass gatherings that end up creating untreated waste, which pollutes the land, air or water, and impacts people's health, and the area's ecology. There is evidence of episodic pollution from mass gatherings like the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj and in Nashik in 2003, polluting river and land, and the excessive bursting of firecrackers during Diwali polluting air. Better planning, management and facilities in the city for waste disposal can help in coping with episodic pollution, say experts. 4,200 toilets for 3 million pilgrims The 2,525 km long Ganga rises in the western Himalayas in Uttarakhand, flowing southeast through the gangetic plains of north India into Bangladesh, emptying into the Bay of Bengal. Following the Amazon and the Congo, Ganga is the third largest river of the world, by discharge. Over 450 million people live in the Ganges River basin, and human waste is the cause of most of the pollution of the river. As of 2019, 122 million litres of sewage a day was produced from the district of Hardiwar, including Roorkee, and all sewage treatment plants were working at full capacity, as per a report by the G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment. During the Kanwar Yatra, with the river Ganga at its centre, people, mainly from the north Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, travel to Haridwar to bathe in the river. They also take the Ganga Jal, the river's water--considered holy--back home, filled in plastic containers, which come in all sizes from 250 ml to 5 litres. This happens through the Hindi month of Saawan which is believed to bring the monsoon, overlapping with July and August. Haridwar witnesses episodic pollution every year due to the Kanwar Yatra with the arrival of around 20-30 million pilgrims who stay in the city for at least 24 hours, said Vijay Verma, the director of Haridwar-based JP Health and Research Institute that researches on Ayurveda, allopathy and the environment. "Apart from 1,360 permanent (Nagar Nigam and Sulabh) toilets, we had installed 2,840 mobile toilets this year which came with two tankers each from the sewer department so that the waste could be sucked constantly," said Haridwar's District Magistrate, Vinay Shankar Pandey. Pandey put the number of pilgrims at 40 million or, an average of 3 million a day. That means 3 million pilgrims had just 4,200 toilets between them. As a result, all of the 10 pilgrims IndiaSpend spoke to said they had to defecate in the open as they were not able to find any toilet. "2019 recorded 3 crore (30 million) pilgrims during the Kanwar yatra in Haridwar who stayed in a very compact area of around 5 kilometres radius of the city," said Verma. "The entire area is used not just to be lived in but also defecation and urination around Ganga." The presence of chemicals and microorganisms in Ganga river water varied at different sampling sites. A study, published in the Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science in 2018, looked at samples from Har ki Pauri, Vishnu Ghat, Daksh Mandir, Pul Jatwara and the Bhimgoda Barra after the celebration of the Kanwar Mela in 2017. It concluded: "mass bathing and religious activities greatly influenced the water quality of River Ganga." This study adds that the pH of river water increases, likely due to the usage of detergents used by the pilgrims to bathe and wash clothes in the river as bathrooms are not usually accessible. There is a larger presence of faecal coliform or bacteria present in human excreta, in the water during the Kanwar Yatra, the study said. Verma has been observing the Kanwar Yatra in the city for over three decades. He says, "most of the visitors are between the ages of 20 and 35, who go all the way to Gomukh [source of the Bhagirathi, one of the main streams of the Ganga] resulting in its pollution as well." The Pathri power house [where the waste is filtered and treated] in Haridwar sees tons of waste in the river post the Kanwar Yatra which includes submerged plastic and religious waste. This not only harms aquatic animals but also impacts Rajaji National Park, home to many endangered birds, Verma said. Because of the waste, the Ph level of water fluctuates, and its temperature changes, which impacts aquatic life. Plastic containers of all sizes being sold at the ghat in Haridwar for pilgrims to carry back the water of the Ganga, July 20. Pollutants after mass gatherings include anti-inflammatory and common antibiotics, caffeine and antibacterial medicines. Once pharmaceutical residues enter water and soil, they also become incorporated into plants grown in these soils or waters. This has been reported in cabbage, cucumber, corn, carrot, lettuce and green onion in experimental studies. Amongst other pollutants, the overall concentration of polypropylene copolymer (PPCP), a plastic, also increased. This could be a result of mass bathing, urban waste, effluent from domestic sewage treatment plants and effluent treatment plants of the nearby industrial area, the researchers wrote. Episodic pollution worsens the situation. Take for instance, the Prayagraj Kumbh in 2019, which had over 122,000 eco-toilets, as per a paper by Delhi Technical University, published in April 2020. In 2019, the waste generated during the 55-day long Kumbh was about 18 times more than what the district produces daily. The existing sewage treatment capacity of the district at about 254 million litres per day was not able to treat even half of the generated waste at that time, the Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment had said. Overburdening an already inadequate waste management system One Monday morning, there was a knock at the door and when I went to open it, a group of four men insisted that I let them in so that they could use the toilet, says Anil Chauhan, a resident in the Paudi area of Haridwar. "I got scared at first, then let them in to avoid any sort of violence or ruckus." Due to a lack of public toilets, pilgrims either need to knock on doors or urinate and defecate in the open. And this in the backdrop of a sewage treatment system that is inadequate for even the city's regular population. Even on a usual day, without the influx of pilgrims, nearly 19% of the plastic waste generated in Haridwar is mismanaged, which means it is either leaked on land, water or burnt, as per a 2020 report from the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST). "Episodic pollution could be managed only by limiting the daily arrival of pilgrims in the city and ensuring a proper arrangement and management for the waste they leave behind," said Ravi Chopda, director of People's Science Institute, Dehradun.
Kochi: Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram —three main cities in the state— are among the eight in south India that showed an increasing trend in summer air pollution, says an analysis using data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The analysis of summer air quality was done as part of the air quality tracker initiative of the Urban Lab at the Delhi-based environmental think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Summer from March 1 to May 31 were used for the analysis, as rains had set in during June in several regions. Interestingly, rise in pollution levels in the state was amidst good summer rains during April-May. As the availability of real-time air quality data has improved in several regions with the expansion of air quality monitoring systems, it has become possible to assess regional differences and understand unique regional trends, the study said. In all three cities, the summer average and peak increased compared to the previous summer. Kozhikode saw a jump of 76% in the summer average and a 17% increase in peak. Kochi has the most divergent trend with a 55% increase in the summer average, but its peak increased by 145%. Other cities with an increasing trend are Madikeri, Bengaluru, Puducherry, Amravati and Chikkaballapur. Kollam and Kannur are among the five cities that showed a declining trend in air pollution. In sharp contrast, Hyderabad, with a summer average of 47 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³), and Bengaluru, with 40 µg/m³, showed the highest pollution in the south. The summer of 2022 was not only unusually hot, but also uncharacteristically high in particulate pollution, especially in north India. High PM 2.5 levels were observed across multiple cities and regions, and pollution was not confined to a few megacities or a specific region — it is a widespread national problem. “This analysis identifies the unique patterns of pollution across all regions and puts a spotlight on a large number of towns and cities that do not get policy attention. Summer particulate pollution spikes due to arid conditions, high heat and temperature, and more airborne dust particles that travel long distances compounding the problem from local sources,” says Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE.