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What Indore, The Cleanest City Of India For 5 Years In A Row, Did Right And How Other Cities Can Go Zero Waste Too?

Not only has Indore continued to retain its position as the cleanest city in the country, but every year it also manages to move ahead and make city more sustainable, green and eco-friendly with unique initiatives New Delhi: Indore, the largest city in Madhya Pradesh and central India’s business and education hub, has set a record of winning the title of the cleanest city in India every year since 2017. Not only has the city continued to retain its position, but every year Indore also manages to better its own performance and make the city more sustainable, green, and eco-friendly with unique initiatives. After making the whole city Open Defecation Free (ODF) and landfill-free, for the last few years, Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has been making the city cleaner by focusing on waste management at the source. IMC tells NDTV that its main goal is to make recycling, reusing, and disposing of waste faster and in a more organised way. At present, the cleanest city in the country practices six-bin waste segregation at source for the household and commercial levels, which include bins for dry waste, wet waste, plastic waste, e-waste, domestic sanitary waste, and domestic hazardous waste. The IMC, however, credits the people of Indore and their commitment and cooperation for being able to achieve a spectacular waste management mechanism, Asad Warsi, Centre’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan adviser for Indore Municipal Corporation explains, On average, the per day waste generation by the city includes 530 tonnes of wet waste, 460 tonnes of dry waste, 14 tonnes of plastic waste, 2.5 tonnes of e-waste, 11 tonnes of sanitary waste, and 3.5 tonnes of hazardous waste. To deal with each kind of waste in the city, we have created a separate system. The city has also been working on strategies to eliminate waste generation at the source itself and has been able to establish four wards as zero-waste wards. In 2016, the IMC started collecting only segregated waste every day from households. When the waste segregation began, over 80 per cent of the residents would not segregate waste. We had to plead with them as to why this is essential for the environment. However, if people repeatedly gave unsegregated trash, we eventually started fining those households, Mr Warsi said. In 2017-18, the IMC collected Rs 27 crore in the form of user fees for waste collection, he added. Now, 6 years and 5 titles later, people are happy to segregate their waste at source. He further says that the waste collected by the municipal corporation is transported in vehicles and the processing of 100 per cent of the waste collected is done on the same day. Presently Indore is among the six cities in the country to hold a Five-star rating in the Garbage Free Cities Rating, which was one of the four important components of Swachh Survekshan. The IMC has also established several wet waste processing plants to process its wet waste. Indore is undertaking an initiative to convert waste into energy with an aim to deal with wet waste and at the same time reduce the city’s dependence on fossil fuel which causes air pollution. The Waste-to-Energy plant installed by IMC converts wet waste into 95 per cent pure biogas called Methane which is further converted into CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). We also have undertaken an initiative of garden waste management under which about 59 tonnes of bulk garden and horticultural waste is being processed every day. IMC also uses Mobile Composting Units for making compost from waste. We have also been encouraging people to practice home composting. Currently, more than 50,000 households in the city are composting their kitchen waste at home. When it comes to solid waste management, Mr Warsi explains, IMC follows a unique system of garbage collection, all the households that come under IMC area have been given two large bags for them to store plastic waste separately. When one bag is filled, people send a message to the agency appointed for recycling the plastic waste in the city. The agency sends its personnel to the household to buy the plastic from them at a minimum price of Rs. 1.5 per kilogram up to Rs. 5 per kg depending upon the quality of the plastic. Thus, not only is IMC saving on transportation and handling of plastic waste with this process, but it is also helping people gain out of their scrapped plastic products. Moreover, plastic waste from the city is successfully collected and is being sent to the plastic waste treatment facility where it is converted into diesel. The treatment plant is able to process 8 tonnes of plastic every day and give 3500 litres of diesel on a daily basis. We also have a treatment facility where the plastic waste is being converted into cement bricks. Non-recyclable waste is sent to this plant and the M.P. Rural Road Development Corporation uses in the construction of road and sidewalks. These steps ensure a hundred percent waste management on the same day and we simply have no need for a landfill anymore. In 2019, IMC decided to make Indore ‘a no landfill city’ and therefore removed 15 lakh tonnes of legacy waste in a mere six months’ time and reclaimed 100 acres of land which is now worth Rs. 400 Crores. Along with all this, Indore has also been given the tag of India’s first “water plus” city, which is a certificate provided to a city for maintaining cleanliness in rivers and drains under its administration. According to the guidelines of Swachh Bharat Mission, a city can be declared as Water Plus only after all wastewater released from households, and commercial establishments is treated to a satisfactory level before releasing the treated wastewater into the environment. Richa Singh, Landfill expert from Centre for Science and Environment tells NDTV how Indore could manage the mammoth task of streamlining the waste management in the city. Most of the cities are presently struggling to even achieve two-way segregation, which is to separate your waste in two categories – wet and dry. But having said that, there have been many success stories in our country like Indore, Bhopal, Ambikapur, Karad in Maharashtra. They have done so well in waste segregation. Indore is the city that is segregating waste in six categories – wet, dry, plastic, hazardous, sanitary and e-waste and it is not that they did it in one day, it is a process that will take time, but willingness is very important. Indore started with two-way segregation with an extensive awareness campaign by the local bodies and they achieved this in just three years. She further says that the city was able to motivate the citizens to adopt the practice of waste segregation and treat all their 95 per cent of waste and this way they are making sure that only 5 to 10 per cent of the reject, or which is not recycled only that waste goes to the scientifically designed dumping ground. So, you are reducing the burden also you are earning revenue with the help of this. The same thing is being done in Ambikapur and other cities as well and these are the good examples that need to be replicated, she adds. Ms Singh asserts that we need to understand that dumpsite remediation is the mandate by the government and the authorities are in constant pressure to do so. She said, Having said that it is very very important for the urban local bodies to have an action plan to manage their fresh waste. For example, in Indore they are treating 550 tonnes of wet waste in a bio CNG plant – now imagine what is the cost of CNG in Delhi, it can become a self-sustaining option for the city. 550 tones every day Indore is generating 17,000 kg of bio CNG, so if we go by that statistics imagine how much change a city like Delhi can bring. Swati Singh Sambyal, Waste Management Specialist at the UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) says that the achievements by Indore are a result of its political and administrative will. Indore has definitely resolved the majority of its solid waste challenge and it continues to do so. If we look at the finances, its model is highly cost-intensive. Indore has made an investment of Rs 180 crore into waste management practices and spent Rs 155 crore on its operations in 2017-2018, many cities do not get that much of money for solid waste management and sanitation. However, Indore also has a collection of user fees, and high penalty charges, and makes revenue from the sale of compost and dry waste, which makes it a win-win situation. Also, at this point, the city is known for its cleanliness and the governments have no problem in further enhancing it and ensuring the title of the cleanest city of India remains intact, for politically the will emerges from that angle. Mr Warsi says that the success of Indore’s waste management model shows that this is not only doable but the only way forward to protect the planet from the ever-rising plastic waste problem.

Single-use plastic ban: The straw that broke the plastic pack

The government's sweeping ban on single-use plastic is of massive significance as the concern for preserving the planet heightens. However, its implementation and execution are challenging, finds Ratna Bhushan. For example, the beverage cartons market is estimated at six billion small packs ranging from 75 ml to 250 ml - that’s a lot of plastic straws to replace. “I was on a flight last week, and a leading airline was serving all food trays with single-use plastic spoons and forks. So much for the plastic ban,” says a top official of a foods and beverages company. Ironically, the brand is also among the ones which has announced ‘significant’ investments on eliminating single-use plastic (items that are used one time and discarded).<br><br>India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has banned the use of all single-use plastic from being manufactured, imported, stocked, distributed or sold, starting July 1, 2022. Ideally, spoons, plates, glasses, trays, earbuds, balloon sticks, candy and ice-cream sticks, carry bags that are

Explained: What Is Natural Farming?

The government is pushing natural farming across India, without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Bengaluru: Nearly 3.8 million hectares, or 2.7% of the total area under farming in India, is farmed organically or through natural methods, which means using natural processes and inputs to improve the health of soil, crop yield and quality, a move away from commonly used chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The objective of natural farming, said the government's 2021 Economic Survey, is elimination of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, the indiscriminate use of which pollutes the environment, and to promote "good agronomic practices", which means using science and technology to manage crops. In the 2022 budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that "chemical-free natural farming will be promoted throughout the country, with a focus on farmers' lands in 5-km wide corridors along river Ganga, at the first stage". Advertisement This move towards chemical-free farming is juxtaposed against a large workforce (43%) employed in agriculture and related jobs, a sector that contributes to just 18.8% of India's gross domestic product. Increased farmer indebtedness due to costly agricultural inputs like chemical fertilisers, pesticides, seeds, the increasing cost of cultivation, climate change, and low farm produce prices, have aggravated India's farm crisis, even as the government has said that farmer income will double by 2022. But experts are divided on whether a complete transition to natural and organic farming would work in India's favour, especially if it is pushed top down, and follows a rigid definition of what natural farming entails. Supporters of natural farming believe that it will reduce farm input costs, improve soil health and water efficiency and lead to an increase in farm produce prices. Though natural farming might be able to reduce costs and mean that farmers use methods that suit the agro-ecology of a region, say experts, there are concerns that yields from natural farming could be lower, especially in nutrient-deficient soil in many parts of the country. While we need a forward-looking sustainable model in agriculture and not a revivalistic model that talks about farming practices centuries ago, existing [government] schemes are getting politicised, said G.V. Ramanjaneyulu, executive director of the Secunderabad-based nonprofit, the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture. "The focus should be on reducing agro-chemicals, water use and energy utilisation." In a multi-part series, IndiaSpend will explore the different facets of natural farming, its implementation in India, and the possibility of success. In this first part, we explain what natural farming is, and where it is being practised in India. What is natural farming? India became food secure by using high yielding varieties of seeds, fertilisers to nourish the soil and pesticides to keep crop damage at bay. But this was accompanied with environmental damage through overuse of fertilisers, and impacted human and ecological health. Due to the impact of the Green Revolution, "heightened further" by the pandemic, "there is an urgent need to scale up alternative approaches" of farming, wrote economist Mihir Shah, in a January 2022 report in the journal Ecology, Economy and Society. In December 2021, during a conclave on natural farming, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the need for working on alternative methods of farming, while acknowledging the importance of chemicals and fertilisers in the Green Revolution. "We have to take our agriculture out of the lab of chemistry and connect it to the lab of nature," he said. This refers to agroecology, which guides public policies towards sustainable agriculture and food systems, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). While there is no specific set of practices that are classified as agroecological, it includes those methods that maintain and enhance natural processes related to soil, water and climate in agricultural production, reduce the use of purchased inputs, like fossil fuels and agrochemicals, and create resilient agroecosystems, noted a 2019 High Level Panel of Experts for Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) of the FAO. These methods focus on promoting crop diversification, restoring and rebuilding natural cycles in the soil, and reducing water demand, among others. Natural farming and organic farming, both come under agroecological practices and are terms used interchangeably in India. In natural farming the focus is on the use of bio inputs prepared from farm and local ecosystems instead of purchasing those from outside. "Organic farming is defined now more from a perspective of product certification. Except for such certification, organic and natural farming in India are largely similar," said Sridhar Radhakrishnan, activist and independent agriculture researcher based in Thiruvananthapuram. What binds organic and natural farming proponents "is the thrust on the absence of application of chemical fertilisers or chemical pesticides during cultivation", said R. Ramakumar, an economist at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). In organic farming, farmers might use "external agricultural inputs" such as rock phosphate, biopesticides and biofertilisers, he added. "But [some] natural farming proponents argue that even these external applications are not required, as the farm itself can generate much of the inputs required," he said, adding that, "therefore, they call it Zero-Budget Natural Farming." Zero-Budget Natural Farming is one of the many methods of natural farming, popularised by agriculturist Subash Palekar (later known as Subash Palekar Natural Farming). According to the approach, a concoction of natural inputs like cow urine and dung, jaggery, lime, neem among others are used to improve soil health, nutrients and reduce input costs, among other benefits. In July 2022, the government announced that it would constitute a committee to "promote zero-budget based farming, to change crop pattern keeping in mind the changing needs of the country, and to make MSP [Minimum Support Price] more effective and transparent…". On natural farming the committee will make suggestions for programmes for value chain development, strategies to introduce natural farming curriculum in universities and suggest farmer-friendly alternative certification systems for natural farm produce. Is natural farming better than 'conventional' farming? Various state governments have supported organic farming as an alternative farming option in the last few decades. But there are debates worldwide on the impact on crop yield by transitioning to agroecological farming methods and discarding conventional practices that use chemical inputs, especially where soils are nutrient-deficient. If biofertilisers, rhizobium and acetobacter can fix soil health to an extent, there is no need for heavy chemical use, said Ramanjaneyulu. This would also help the government cut spending on fertiliser subsidies, which cost Rs 1.4 lakh crore ($18.7 billion) in 2021-22 and are estimated to cost Rs 1.1 lakh crore ($14.7 billion) in 2022-23, which could rise to Rs 2.5 lakh crore due to higher import prices. But compared to 'conventional farming', according to a 2019 ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management report, "organic products are usually 3-4 times more expensive due to higher labour cost, certification costs, handling costs and comparatively lower yields". The jury is still out on which method or which combination of methods would be the best for crop yields. There are knowledge gaps on comparing relative yields and performance of different agroecological practices, according to the HLPE report. "..out of the 504 times that yield results were recorded during 2014–19, 41% of the times yields were highest with organic approach, followed by 33% with integrated and 26% with inorganic approach," said the February 2022 CSE report that analysed the All India Network Project on Organic Farming (AI-NPOF) of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research and other scientific studies. It reported evidence of highest net returns and best soil health under the organic approach in study centres. "There is scientific evidence on the benefits of natural farming, but the government has to take the initiative to formally collate like it did under AI-NPOF," said Vineet Kumar, deputy programme manager of Sustainable Food Systems at CSE. On the other hand, the 2019 NAAS report highlighted that studies initiated by the Indian Council of Agriculture Research-Indian Institute of Farming System Research "clearly indicated that yield levels were drastically reduced in rice-wheat cropping system by 59% in wheat and 32% in basmati rice" when tenets of zero-budget natural farming were followed. It further showed a three-year natural farming experiment that showed "a yield decline" in crops tested which "established that food security will be seriously challenged along with farmers' income, if ZBNF [Zero Budget Natural Farming] is adopted". There is concern that yields will fall with natural farming because 59% of soils in India are deficient in nitrogen, 49% are low in phosphorus and 48% are low in potassium, said Ramakumar. "Organic or ZBNF methods do not replenish enough nutrients in the soils as much as the plants uptake them every season." Organic and natural farming can be scaled up only to a level, because of several reasons. These include a lack of a national action plan to promote organic and natural farming, dependence on expensive certification for organic produce, which smaller farmers cannot afford, inadequate funding, target-driven and timeline-based policies for natural farming, among others. Why painting all other farming methods with one brush isn't right When proponents of organic/natural farming use the term 'conventional farming', they use it to denote all cases of misuse or overuse of chemicals in agriculture, none of which are sanctioned by agricultural scientists. "..condemning the technology that ushered in Green Revolution for the negative impacts on the environment and health is neither fair nor justified. It was the injudicious, indiscriminate and excessive use of agro-chemicals which is to be blamed," said a 2019 National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) report on Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF). Some say scientific conventional farming can be considered closer to natural farming than most think. Scientific farming involves the use of both organic manures as well as chemical fertilisers, but only where required, after a soil test and in prescribed quantities, which scientists call balanced nutrient management, said Ramakumar. "Similarly, they prescribe 'integrated pest management', where you use natural means to control pests and diseases and use pesticides only as a last option. I would like to consider this as 'conventional farming'." Government schemes for natural farming Source: Centre for Science and Environment The Union government's 2005 policy on organic farming was "not successful in bringing necessary attention towards organic farming", noted a 2020 CSE report. Since then, the government has had several initiatives and sub-missions under ​​the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), which began in 2014-15, the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), which began in 2015, and the Mission Organic Value Chain Development in North East Region (MOVCDNER), which started in 2015. A scheme to promote chemical-free organic farming in clusters of land, PKVY provides financial assistance of Rs 50,000 per hectare for three years for creating farming clusters, capacity building, incentive for inputs, value addition like processing, packaging and marketing of organic produce. In 2020-21, Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddati (BPKP), a subscheme under PKVY, was launched to promote natural farming including Zero-Budget Natural Farming. Nearly 410,000 hectares has been covered in eight states with a total fund of Rs 49.8 crore. The 2022 allocation for PKVY is not clear and as of 2022-23 it has been rationalised under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, a Union government scheme to develop agriculture and allied sectors. Have other countries adopted natural farming? There have been various agroecological initiatives in different parts of the world. In November 2021, 45 governments, led by the UK, pledged urgent action and investment to protect nature and shift to more sustainable ways of farming at the 26th Conference of Parties, the climate change conference in Glasgow, according to a UK government press release. It said that the commitments would help leverage over $4 billion of public sector investment into agricultural innovation to improve soil health, helping make these techniques and resources affordable and accessible to farmers. In May 2020, the EU announced the Farm to Fork Strategy, as a part of the European Green Deal to "make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly". As part of the strategy, the European Commission announced a 50% reduction in the use and risk of chemical pesticides, and in the use of more hazardous pesticides by 2030. But as countries are promising to transition to sustainable agriculture, Sri Lanka's experience of transitioning to the first organic farming nation failed. The country's government, which fell after weeks of massive protests and an ongoing economic crisis, had announced, in April 2021, that only organic farming would be allowed across the country. It proceeded to ban imports of chemical inputs, impacting millions of farmers. Following farmer protests, the ban was revoked in November 2021. "The chemical fertiliser ban, combined with bad weather, led to falling crop yields and contributed to inflation hitting a 47-month high of 8.3% in October with food inflation at 11.7%," said a November 24, 2021 Reuters report. The way ahead Experts believe that there are far too many debates on methods of natural and conventional farming, rather than the impact and design of the schemes being implemented. For instance, Subash Palekar's method for Zero-Budget Natural Farming is considered too rigid, and has created a dichotomy about farm practices that were organic or natural, said Radhakrishnan, the independent agricultural researcher. "Although this is not a criticism of ZBNF, in some ways the government prioritises ZBNF over other agroecological farming practices." In addition, "there are a lot of concerns about BPKP and PKVY", the government programmes, said Kumar of CSE. "Usually, these schemes are implemented by the state agriculture department who may not have adequate training on this." There is a need to invest more resources, including trained agriculture staff, and funds for science and technology and research, to better understand organic and natural farming practices, experts say. "A modern agricultural scientist may not even be able to explain why a concoction sprayed by a farmer increased yield in natural farming, while the scientist may understand how chemicals work," said Kavitha Kuruganti, a social activist with the Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA). There is a need for the government to support alternative farming methods rather than only supporting farming that uses chemicals, she added. The 2022 Union budget announced that states will be encouraged to "revise syllabi of agricultural universities to meet the needs of natural, zero-budget and organic farming, modern-day agriculture, value addition and management". The government needs to invest in processing and packaging of products, and ensure that products are procured in sufficient quantities to ensure remunerative prices for farmers. Due to gaps, for example, in PKVY, "..in the absence of direct linkages with processors, retailers and exporters, farmers are dependent on middlemen to market their produce", said the 2020 CSE report. The agroecological methods need to be based on local contexts in various states and regions and use bio-inputs based on local ecosystems. Andhra Pradesh (AP community-managed natural farming) has established a ZBNF system to suit its requirements, while other states like Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka and Kerala have also initiated it. Karnataka initiated implementation of ZBNF on a pilot basis in 2,000 ha in each of the 10 agro-climatic zones of the state. Ramakumar reiterated that India needs to trust its agricultural scientists. "Only by practising scientific agriculture can we attain the goals of raising farm incomes, raising yields and reducing chemical use in agriculture. And this science has to be promoted in the public sector and not through private corporates."

Living In The Shadows Of Asia’s Largest Garbage Mountain, The Ghazipur Landfill

What’s life around Ghazipur landfill? Team Banega Swasth India spoke with some of the people living near the landfill to understand the hardships they go through every single day Imagine living in the backdrop of A big mountain of garbage as tall as the iconic Qutub Minar, which is 73 metres high. Visualise that the roads adjoining your residence is covered with all kinds of garbage, dirty water, leaching out from the landfill. It is filth all around you, covering every nook and cranny of your surroundings. The stench is omnipresent, no matter whether you are indoors or outdoors. This nightmarish existence is the reality of people living near the Ghazipur Landfill site near the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border. Team Banega Swasth India visited the location of the Ghazipur landfill that was commissioned in 1984 and its life span expired 20 years ago in 2002. But the landfill continues to be the dumping ground of most of the national capital’s waste. According to the latest reports submitted to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry and the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi’s waste dumping in three of its landfill sites at Bhalswa, Ghazipur and Okhla, increased by 15 per cent in a year. Shaikh Abjaa Hussain has been living in one of the villages near Ghazipur for the last few years. Shaikh Abjaa Hussain works in Murga Mandi (Wholesale Market For Chicken and Eggs) in Ghazipur but time and again he finds himself heading to the dumping ground. Explaining his dependence on the dumping ground he said, “We are poor people, we have no option but to look at ways of earning some extra money. And this dumping ground is our best bet. Further explaining how the dumping ground is key to his survival, he added, When asked, if the numerous health hazards posed by the garbage dump doesn’t concern him, he laughs it off and concludes, Everything in life is risky, you can lose your life even while travelling on the road. To earn extra money, we risk our lives by going to this dump yard. For us, it is like earning extra money and for money sake only, we risk our lives time and again. Moving further along the cramped lanes of the village, we witness the difficult lives of its inhabitants. While we struggled to negotiate our way through the garbage all around us, the locals brave these living conditions on a daily basis. A few miles into the village, we were stopped by a 45-year-old man, who is fondly known as Dilip Uncle, he explained the landfill and the threat it poses and how there is no way out of the crisis in the near future. Dilip who has been living in the area for the past 25 years said, In the starting, I used to live, sleep in the dump yard. I have seen it becoming bigger and bigger over the years. I used to work in MCD before, I was in charge of planting trees, maintaining parks in the areas near the landfill. Over the past 25 years, I have seen those parks and trees get engulfed by the dump yard as it expanded slowly. The Waste-To-Energy plant has now come in the picture, it is now slowly managing that waste and converting it into electricity. But the problem is that the waste here just keeps on increasing. Dilip also highlighted another big problem and said, You may have noticed that the villages, areas around Ghazipur have black liquid on the roads. It looks like roads are covered with dirty water, but that is actually the water waste that is coming from the landfill. The dirty water that Dilip is referring to is called Leachate. It is basically a liquid that forms when landfill waste breaks down and water filters through that waste and along the way picks up toxins. Rain falling on the top of the landfill is the greatest contributor to leachate. As the liquid seeps through the landfill and collects decomposed waste components, chemical reactions take place and produce a toxic leachate “cocktail”. Over the years, these toxins percolate through the soil and groundwater, and become environmental hazards with long term implications. Talking about the diseases and the health risks Dilip has faced over the years, he added, There is some or the other form of smoke every now and then coming out of Ghazipur landfill. When it comes out, it is so bad that it makes us breathless, even when we are away from the landfill and sitting at our house. The smoke sometimes also causes fire at the landfill and if there is wind then fire travels and time and again have destroyed our home. We have lost our home, money, our everything in this fire, many times. Moreover, on a day-to-day basis, if there is no fire, then we face breathlessness, skin diseases, dehydration, vomit to name a few. But, even after all the challenges, we depend on the landfill. Fires at landfills are natural. Many global studies, experts have said that landfills are one of the primary sources of methane emissions. Down To Earth, a fortnightly magazine that was started by environmentalist Anil Agarwal, with a commitment to make people aware of the challenges that the environment is facing states, “When municipal solid waste is deposited in a landfill, it undergoes an aerobic (with oxygen) decomposition stage where little methane is generated. Then, typically within less than a year, anaerobic conditions are established and methane-producing bacteria begin to decompose the waste and generate methane. Methane has the property of self-igniting at temperatures of 60-70 degrees Celsius, which can easily be reached at landfill sites during summer. Highly combustible waste like plastic is dumped in abundance at the site. Hence, the presence of methane even in small quantities can trigger a raging inferno. This is what is happening at Ghazipur.” We also met, 23-years old Salma, who used to work at the landfill in her childhood days and is now a member of a Delhi-based NGO called Gulmeher Green that creates alternate livelihood opportunities for women waste-pickers of Ghazipur. Recalling her journey, she said, I had worked in the dumpyard for 6 years. I never liked that work, but money was an issue and with no other option, I had to work there. I remember crying and asking my parents not to send me to that dump yard. There was pollution, I used to fall ill every now and then. When I got married and had my first daughter, I decided to take a break as I had to be with my child. Even then, when we couldn’t survive on my husband’s monthly salary, I used to go and hunt for things in the landfill. Then NGO Gulmeher came into my life, it educated me about the landfill and its dangers. They told me that I can work with them from 9 to 5 and take care of my child as well, so instead of going to the landfill, I started working with them and since then, I haven’t visited the landfill site. We asked Salma, if there are alternative options in terms of work then why do people still rely on going to the landfill and risk their life. She smiled and replied, There are not many opportunities for everyone living here. Some people who cannot make ends meet simply go to the landfill. They don’t care if their life is at risk, all they want is money. Secondly, a lot of the older population also resides here and as they have no employment opportunities, simply to survive they go and find things in the landfill which they can sell and earn their day-to-day income. If you go to the landfill, on good days you might end up finding junk worth Rs 500. 23-years old Salma used to work at the landfill in her childhood days, she explained to us how people of the village still rely on the landfill to make their ends meet These are just few of the voices of people living in Ghazipur. Back in September 2017, after days of non-stop rain, mounds of loose garbage came hurtling down from the then 50-metre dump, sweeping cars and motorbikes and took lives of two people and half a dozen others were injured. That time, the landfill grabbed international headlines as well, prompting the authorities to temporarily ban the dumping of garbage and prohibit the entry of ragpickers at the landfill. But in the absence of alternatives, the dumping of waste continued and the garbage mountain went on to reach a height of 65 metres in 2019, just eight metres short of the Qutab Minar. Notably, the maximum permissible height of a landfill is only 20 metres, according to Central Pollution Control Board. Also Read: Heroes Of Swachh India: Story Of A Delhi NGO ‘Gulmeher’ That Has Transformed The Lives Of Women From Ghazipur Landfill Area Studies conducted across the world, including by the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and WHO (World Health Organization) have time and again pointed towards the health hazards landfills like Ghazipur pose to people. A WHO report titled ‘Waste and Human Health: Evidence and Needs’ stated that improper waste management and illegal waste shipments in the landfill result in soil, water and air pollution. It also adds that living in the vicinity of a dump yard can be a health risk for residents because they may be exposed to pollutants through different pathways: the inhalation of substances emitted by the site, contact with water or polluted soil, directly or through the consumption of products, or through contaminated water. UNEP reiterated that open and unsanitary landfills contribute to contamination of drinking water and can cause infection and transmit diseases. The dispersal of debris pollutes ecosystems and dangerous substances from electronic waste or industrial garbage puts a strain on the health of urban dwellers and the environment. Some steps have been taken by the municipal corporation such as bio-mining. It is a mechanical process to sieve and separate heavy components such as soil and stones from lighter ones such as plastic and paper, thereby reducing the height of the landfill. Waste-to-energy plant has also been set at the location that helps treat waste and convert it into electricity. Member of Parliament from East Delhi constituency, Gautam Gambhir, said in a social media post, “The landfill height has been decreased by 40 feet in one year and it is the effort of steps being taken by the authority to manage waste effectively from the dump site.” But, environmentalists feel a lot more needs to be done on ground. Atin Biswas, Programme Director – Municipal Solid Waste from Centre for Science and Environment states, We would have drowned under our waste if we didn’t have an efficient workforce of 2 million (an unofficial figure) ragpickers or kabadiwalas. But unfortunately, we have not been able to give them any status. I think, India needs a holistic and inclusive approach to deal with the crisis. We need to learn from states like Kerala, who have been managing their waste at source. In the city of Thiruvananthapuram, more than 20,000 houses are doing composting, which means they are reducing the waste at source and the municipality is free from the burden of managing so much waste. If you speak in numbers, nearly 200 tonnes of waste every day is saved for 365 days a year in that city – Imagine so much money and resources that they are saving just by following this simple rule – Reduce. Swati Singh, an independent waste management expert added, 90% of India’s cities dump garbage in landfill sites which don’t meet sanitary standards and at this rate by 2047, India will be generating 250-260 million tonnes of waste per year and with this pace of garbage generation without segregation and scientific mechanism to dispose of waste and recycling is unsustainable in the long run, India will need landfill the size of Mumbai, Hyderabad, Greater Noida combined by 2047. In January, 2018, Urban Ministry under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan announced ‘Protocol for Star Rating of Garbage-Free Cities’ in order to fulfill India’s biggest dream of being a clean nation by October 2, 2019. Later, in 2021, second phase of Garbage Free cities was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was tagged as Swachh Bharat 2.0 with a goal of making all cities garbage-free and ensure grey and black water management. According to the Ministry to achieve the status of Garbage Free cities, at any point of time in the day, no garbage or litter should be found in any public, commercial or residential locations (including storm drains and water bodies). Garbage should be in litter bins or transfer stations only and 100 per cent of waste generated should be scientifically managed, all legacy waste should be remediated. Additionally, there must be a steady reduction in the waste generated by the city and visible beautification of the city, only then the city can achieve a clean and garbage free status. But for now growing mountains of garbage in most of the cities in India, indicate that proper waste management is still a distant dream. Bigger cities like Delhi are still relying on landfills to dump all kinds of waste. Waste segregation at source and household levels is still not a reality for most and as a result the three landfills in the city continue to grow bigger and bigger, with each passing day. Solid Waste Management rules that came into effect in 2016 also state that cities should not be solely dependent on the landfills, instead, recycle and reuse should be the options that they should go ahead with. The rules also clearly mention that if the landfills site have reached their saturation point then fresh waste dumping should be immediately banned. However, that’s not the case with Ghazipur or any of the landfills in the country. Ghazipur reached its saturation point in 2002 but it still is getting waste from across the city. Environmental experts suggest that national capital should start segregating its waste for starters on an urgent basis and then focus on a concrete waste management plan that will help with resource recovery instead of simply relying on landfilling the waste.

बिजली कटौती का एक-एक मिनट प्रदूषण की लड़ाई के लिए एक झटका

दुनिया के सबसे प्रदूषित शहरी क्षेत्र में, हर मिनट बिजली कटौती वायु गुणवत्ता में सुधार के वर्षों के प्रयासों के लिए एक झटका है। इसलिए, यह चौंकाने वाला है कि आउटेज को खत्म करने के लिए एक नीतिगत समाधान ने दिल्ली के पड़ोस को इतने लंबे समय तक छोड़ दिया और गुरुग्राम, नोएडा, फरीदाबाद और गाजियाबाद जैसे शहरों को धुएं के झुंड में छोड़ दिया कि हजारों डीजल जेनसेट हवा में पावर बैकअप बेल्च के रूप में उपयोग किए जाते हैं। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट के अनुसार, 250 केवीए का एक मानक डीजल जेनसेट प्रति दिन औसतन तीन घंटे चलने से पार्टिकुलेट मैटर, नाइट्रोजन के ऑक्साइड और कार्बन मोनोऑक्साइड - 0.183 किलोग्राम पीएम 10, 3.08 किलोग्राम NOx और 1.5 किलोग्राम CO उत्सर्जित करता है। ये सीधे वायुमंडल में छोड़े जाते हैं, जिस हवा में हम सांस लेते हैं उसे दूषित कर देते हैं। दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वायु प्रदूषण साल भर की समस्या है। स्विस फर्म आईक्यूएयर की इस साल वायु गुणवत्ता पर एक रिपोर्ट में दिल्ली, नोएडा, गाजियाबाद, गुरुग्राम और फरीदाबाद सहित 12 एनसीआर शहर दुनिया के 25 सबसे प्रदूषित स्थानों में शामिल हैं।

उत्तर प्रदेश सरकार की ग्राम पंचायतों को 'क्लाइमेट स्मार्ट' बनाने की योजना कितनी सही?

जलवायु परिवर्तन और उसके दुष्प्रभावों से निपटने के लिए उत्तर प्रदेश सरकार ग्राम पंचायतों को क्लाइमेट स्मार्ट गांव बनाएगी. इसके लिए पंयाचत प्रतिनिधियों को प्राकृतिक आपदाओं और संभावित आशंकाओं को लेकर जागरूक किया जा रहा है. उत्तर प्रदेश सरकार जलवायु परिवर्तन से निपटने के लिए एक महत्वाकांक्षी योजना पर काम कर रही है. इसके तहत राज्य की 27 ग्राम पंचायतों को नेट जीरो यानी क्लाइमेट स्मार्ट बनाने पर अक्टूबर से पायलट प्रोजेक्ट शुरू किया जाएगा. नेट जीरो का मतलब इंसानी गतिविधियों से होने वाले ग्रीन हाउस गैसों के उत्सर्जन को शून्य पर लाना है. अगले पांच सालों में हर जिले के एक-एक विकास खंड को इस योजना के दायरे में लाया जाएगा. प्रदेश सरकार ने पांच जून को विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस के मौके पर संयुक्त राष्ट्र के वार्षिक जलवायु परिवर्तन अधिवेशन, कॉन्फ्रेंस ऑफ पार्टीज के तर्ज पर कॉन्फ्रेंस ऑफ पंचायत कॉप यूपी-2022 (कॉपयूपी2022) की शुरुआत की. इसके तहत राज्य की कुल 58,194 ग्राम पंचायतों को चरणबद्ध तरीके से क्लाइमेट स्मार्ट बनाना है. क्लाइमेट स्मार्ट पंचायत की योजना दो पहलुओं पर टिकी है, पहला है क्लाइमेट अडाप्शन (जलवायु शमन) और दूसरा है क्लाइमेंट मिटिगेशन जिसे जलवायु अनुकूलन भी कहते हैं. जलवायु अनुकूलन में पंचायतें खुद को बाढ़, सूखा, बढ़ते तापमान आदि प्राकृतिक आपदाओं, जलवायु संबंधी खतरों और दुर्घटनाओं से निपटने के लिए तैयार करेंगी. इसके लिए जरूरी क्षमता का निर्माण किया जाएगा. वहीं जलवायु शमन के जरिए कार्बन जीरो पर काम किया जाएगा जिसमें कार्बन उत्सर्जन में कमी लाने की कोशिश की जाएगी. अधिकारियों की मानें तो इसके तहत पंचायत को ज्यादा से ज्यादा वृक्षारोपण, सरकारी अभियान के साथ ही निजी तौर पर लोगों को पेड़, बागवानी और कृषि वानिकी के लिए प्रोत्साहित किया जाएगा. रासायनिक उर्वरक और कीटनाशक खेती की जगह गाय और गोबर आधारित जैविक-प्राकृतिक खेती को बढ़ावा दिया जाएगा. किसानों को जलवायु अनूकुल बीज और तकनीकी दी जाएगी. ग्राम पंचायत में जल का संरक्षण, दो अमृत सरोवर और उसके आसपास 75 वृक्ष, जिन्हें सुरक्षित रखने की भी व्यवस्था करनी होगी. गांव में बिजली की जगह सोलर स्ट्रीट लाइट, किसान के लिए सोलर पंप, मौसम की निगरानी संबंधी सूचनाओं को बढ़ावा दिया जाएगा. मुख्य फोकस पेड़ लगाने और जल संरक्षित के साथ सॉलिड वेस्ट मैनेजमंट पर रहेगा. ‘प्राकृतिक आपदाओं से गांव ज्यादा प्रभावित इसलिए क्लाइमेंट स्मार्ट गांव की जरूरत” लखनऊ में आयोजित प्रोग्राम में आए एक अधिकारी ने नाम नहीं बताने की शर्त पर बताया कि ग्लासगो जलवायु परिवर्तन सम्मेलन के बाद हर मंत्रालय-विभाग को अपनी कार्य योजना बनाने के लिए कहा गया था. सरकार के मुताबिक योजनाएं तैयार हो चुकी हैं. योजनाओं को जमीन पर उतारने के लिए पर्यावरण, वन एवं जलवायु परिवर्तन विभाग को नोडल विभाग बनाया गया है, बाकी विभाग उनका साथ देंगे. पर्यावरण, वन एवं जलवायु परिवर्तन विभाग के सचिव आशीष तिवारी ने कहा, “क्लाइमेंट स्मार्ट गांव बनाने के दो वर्टिकल होते हैं, एक नेट जीरो, दूसरा जलवायु अनुकूलन. जलवायु अनुकूलन लंबे वक्त का काम है. अब जैसे हमारी कृषि उत्पादकता घट रही है तो आप ऐसे क्लाइमेंट रिजिलिएंट (जलवायु के अनुकूल) किस्में लेकर आएंगे, गेहूं का ऐसा बीज देना होगा, जिससे बढ़ती गर्मी में भी उत्पादकता कम न हो. इसके अलावा किसान को माइक्रो एग्रो क्लाइमेंटिक जोन के लेवल पर जलवायु और मौसम की जानकारी हो. इस बार बारिश कैसी होगी, 15 दिन में मानसून कैसा होगा. ताकि उसकी फसल का नुकसान न हो.” राज्य के पर्यावरण एवं जलवायु परिवर्तन विभाग के मुताबिक उनके क्लाइमेंट स्मार्ट गांव में नेट जीरो क्लाइमेंट मिटिगेशन सिर्फ एक भाग है, जबकि उनका पूरा जोर जलवायु अनुकूलन पर है. पर्यावरण और जलवायु परिवर्तन विभाग के सचिव ने हमसे कहा, “हम लोगों ने जिन संवेदशनशील 27 जिलों से 27 ग्राम पंचायतों को चुना है, उन गांवों की पायलट योजना तैयार कर रहे हैं जो अक्टूबर तक बन जाएगी. इस पर पर्यावरण विभाग और एक एजेंसी (वसुधा फाउंडेशन) मिलकर काम कर रहे हैं. पहले चरण का काम एक साल में पूरा करेंगे. एक बार ये पंचायतें सक्रिय हो जाएंगी तो दूसरों को प्रेरणा मिलेगी. अगले पांच वर्षों में हम प्रत्येक 75 जिलों के एक एक विकास खंड को क्लाइमेंट स्मार्ट विकास खंड बनाएंगे. इस संबंध में विभाग मुख्यमंत्री योगी आदित्यनाथ के सामने प्रजेटेंशन दे चुका है.” क्लाइमेंट स्मार्ट गांव बनाने के लिए कहां से आएग बजट? लेकिन बड़ा सवाल ये है कि इसके लिए बजट कहां से आएगा. इस पर सचिव आशीष तिवारी ने बताया, “बजट तीन तरीकों से अर्जित किया जाएगा. पहला होगा कनवर्जन ऑफ गांव गवर्नमेंट स्कीम (मनेरगा, नेडा, कृषि की पानी बचाने वाली योजना है, प्राकृतिक खेती की योजना) तो उन योजनाओं को हम ग्राम पंचायत विकास कार्यक्रम (जीपीडीपी) में शामिल करेंगे. इसके बाद अगर कहीं आर्थिक मुश्किल आती है तो सरकार ने पीपीपी (प्राइवेंट पंचायत पार्टनरशिप) के तहत कंपनी सामाजिक दायित्व (सीएसआर) के तहत प्राइवेट सेक्टर गांव के विकास में मदद करेगा. यहां तक कि इसके लिए 27 ग्राम पंचायतों के लिए बहुत सारी कंपनियों ने एमओयू हो गए हैं या हो रहे हैं. आर्थिक संसाधन जुटाने का तीसरा तरीका है ग्लोबल फंड, जिसमें विश्व बैंक, ग्रीन एनवायरन्मेंट फंड, और कुछ सामाजिक सरोकार के तहत गांव में पैसा लगाएंगे तो फंड की कमी नहीं होने देंगे.” कृषि वानिकी, वृक्षारोपण पर जोर कॉन्फ्रेंस ऑफ पंचायत (कॉपयूपी 2022) को आयोजित करने वाले मेजबान विभाग पर्यावरण, वन एवं जलवायु परिवर्तन उत्तर प्रदेश के अपर मुख्य सचिव मनोज सिंह ने कहा था, “यूपी में 70 फीसदी ऐसे खेत हैं, जहां कोई पेड़ नहीं हैं. हमारा उद्देश्य किसानों को भी पेड़ लगाने के लिए प्रेरित करना है. एग्रो फॉरस्ट्री बढ़ेगी तो किसान की आमदनी बढ़ेगी, आक्सीजन मिलेगी, कार्बन डाई आक्साइड कम होगी और क्लाइमेट की समस्या का हल होगा.” उन्होंने आगे कहा, “जब तक गांव के लोग जागरूक नहीं होंगे, ग्राम पंचायत स्तर पर काम नहीं होगा, तब तक योजना सफल नहीं हो पाएगी. हमारे गांव कार्बन न्यूट्रल विलेज बन सकते हैं. कृषि वानिकी को प्रोत्सासन दे सकते हैं.” संयुक्त राष्ट्र की संस्था इंटरगवर्नमेंटल पैनल ऑन क्लाइमेट चेंज (आईपीसीसी) की हालिया रिपोर्ट मुताबिक कृषि, वानिकी और अन्य भूमि उपयोग (एएफओएलयू) क्षेत्र का कुल ग्रीनहाउस गैस में 13-21% योगदान है. 2010 और 2019 के बीच उत्सर्जन, “नीति निर्माताओं और निवेशकों से लेकर जमीन के मालिक और प्रबंधकों तक, सभी हितधारकों द्वारा संयुक्त, तीव्र और निरंतर प्रयास” द्वारा ग्रीन हाउस गैस उत्सर्जन को कम करने के लिए काफी अवसर प्रदान करता है. आईपीसीसी के अनुसार, एएफओएलयू 2050 तक 1.5 या 2 डिग्री सेल्सियस तक वैश्विक तापमान रोकने में 20% से 30% का योगदान कर सकता है. बनारस हिंदू विश्वविद्यालय (बीएचयू) और भारतीय कृषि अनुसंधान परिषद (आईसीएआर) संस्थानों के वैज्ञानिकों ने जलवायु परिवर्तन की रफ्तार कम करने की क्षमता परखने के लिए कर्नाटक, राजस्थान, महाराष्ट्र, उत्तर प्रदेश, उत्तराखंड और बिहार में गांवों की समीक्षा की. यहां के गावों में आईसीएआर के नेशनल इनोवेशन इन क्लाइमेट रेजिलिएंट एग्रीकल्चर (एनआईसीआरए) परियोजना के तहत काम किया गया था. कार्बन सकारात्मक, नेट जोरी, कार्बन स्मार्ट गांव भारत के लिए नए शब्द हैं. कार्बन सकारात्मकता या तटस्थता के उदाहरणों में जम्मू-कश्मीर का पाली विलेज, केरल का मीनांगडी, मणिपुर का फायेंग और कर्नाटक के दुर्गादा नागनहल्ली गांव का जिक्र किया जाता है. इसके अलावा मध्य प्रदेश, बिहार, झारखंड, तमिलनाडु में राज्य सरकारों ने 2018 और 2019 में कुछ-कुछ गांवों में जलवायु स्मार्ट गांव के संबंध में पायलट प्रोजेक्ट शुरू किए थे. जलवायु अनुकूलन और स्थानीय लोग सबसे महत्वपूर्ण भूमि आधारित क्लाइमेंट मिटिगेशन की विशेषज्ञ इंदु मूर्ति के मुताबिक पंचायत के स्तर से देखें तो उत्सर्जन कम करके कार्बन सिंक करने के मुद्दे पर ज्यादा चर्चा का कोई मतलब नहीं रह जाता है क्योंकि एक तो वहां उत्सर्जन कम है दूसरा वहां ये काम बहुत छोटे स्तर पर होगा. तो पेड़ लगाताकर और एग्रो फॉरेस्ट्री (कृषि वानिकी) के जरिए कर सकते हैं. उन्होंने हमसे कहा, “यहां (गांव स्तर पर) पर जलवायु शमन से ज्यादा अहम जलवायु अनुकूलन है. अगर वो जलवायु के अनुकूल बीज और तकनीकी की बात करते हैं, जो सूखे, बाढ़ का सामना कर सकें. बाढ़ प्रबंधन के उपाय पर काम करते हैं तो ये अच्छी बात हैं क्योंकि सिर्फ जलवायु शमन से फायदा नहीं है.” दूसरे राज्यों में चल रहे ऐसे प्रयोगों और पायलट प्रोजेक्ट के बारे में पूछने पर इंदू मूर्ति कहती हैं, “मैं केरल की मीनांगडी पंयाचत गई हूं. वहां कार्बन न्यूट्रल बनाने के लिए कचरे के प्रबंधन और वनीकरण पर अच्छा काम हुआ है और हो रहा है. जैसा यूपी का प्लान है वैसा कुछ तमिलनाडु और केरल में भी चल रहा है. अरुणाचल प्रदेश में भी क्लाइमेंट अनुकूल पर चर्चा सुनाई दी, लेकिन जमीन पर कहीं कुछ वैसा नजर नहीं आया है.“ स्थानीय लोगों के महत्व को समझाते हुए पर्यावरण और जलवायु पर शोध का काम करने वाली संस्था सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट में प्रोगाम मैनेजर (जलवायु परिवर्तन) अवंतिका गोस्वामी हमसे बताती हैं, “जलवायु परिवर्तन को देखते हुए ऐसे सारे उपाय जरुरी हैं. ग्राम पंचायत स्तर पर प्रयास हो रहे हैं, ये अच्छी बात है. हालांकि इस दौरान हमें ध्यान रखना होगा जो कुछ प्रयास हों वो स्थानीय लोगों की सहूलियत के हिसाब से हों, उनकी सेहत और आजीविका को ध्यान में रखकर हों. ऐसा न हो कि इस तरह के निर्माण किए जाएं, प्रोजेक्ट चलाए जाएं जिससे लोगों की आजीविका जाए या पलायन की नौबत आए.”

पंजाब के नौ स्कूलों को मिला 'ग्रीन' टैग

पंजाब के नौ स्कूलों को 'ग्रीन' टैग मिला है। राज्य के लगभग 74 स्कूलों ने सबमिशन की सूचना दी थी। लुधियाना ने 34 सबमिशन के साथ सर्वश्रेष्ठ जिला पुरस्कार जीता और 6 स्कूलों को 'ग्रीन' रेटिंग दी गई। जबकि उत्तर प्रदेश के ललितपुर, कर्नाटक के बेंगलुरु, तेलंगाना के हैदराबाद और तमिलनाडु के कोयंबटूर के स्कूलों ने 2021-22 के वार्षिक ग्रीन स्कूल अवार्ड्स में शीर्ष सम्मान हासिल किया। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) द्वारा पुरस्कार स्कूलों द्वारा अपने परिसर में स्वयं आयोजित वार्षिक पर्यावरण लेखा परीक्षा के परिणामों के आधार पर दिए जाते हैं।देश भर के 550 स्कूलों में सम्मान के लिए होड़; इनमें से 15 को शीर्ष पुरस्कार मिले, और 110 को 'ग्रीन' के रूप में टैग किया गया। ऑडिट करने वाले प्रत्येक स्कूल का मूल्यांकन सीएसई के ग्रीन स्कूल प्रोग्राम (जीएसपी) द्वारा अपशिष्ट प्रबंधन, ऊर्जा दक्षता और वायु प्रदूषण नियंत्रण पहल के क्षेत्रों में संसाधन खपत प्रथाओं पर किया गया था।सीएसई की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण ने कहा, "सीएसई का हरित विद्यालय कार्यक्रम महत्वपूर्ण है क्योंकि कुछ मायनों में, हम जो छोटे कदम उठाते हैं, हम दिखा रहे हैं कि हम वह परिवर्तन हो सकते हैं जिसमें हम विश्वास करते हैं। ऑडिट में भाग लेने वाले प्रत्येक स्कूल दूसरे के लिए प्रेरणा है।" सीएसई की पर्यावरण शिक्षा कार्यक्रम प्रबंधक तुशिता रावत ने कहा, "जीएसपी स्कूलों को संसाधन दक्षता पर रेट करता है और उन लोगों को सम्मानित करता है जो परिसर में सकारात्मक और मापने योग्य पर्यावरणीय परिवर्तन प्रदर्शित करते हैं, जैसे स्रोत पर कचरे को अलग करना, अशुद्ध ईंधन और अक्षम प्रकाश व्यवस्था को अपनाना और अपनाना नवीकरणीय, आदि।"

Solid Waste Management In India: The Challenge Of Growing Mountains Of Garbage – Landfills

By 2050, India will need 88 square kilometres of land for waste disposal, said a joint report by Assocham and accounting firm PwC New Delhi: In the national capital Delhi, around 13 km away from the India Gate, there stands a 65 metres (213 feet) tall mountain, a mountain of garbage in the Ghazipur area. The height of the waste accumulated at the Ghazipur landfill is just eight metres short of the iconic Qutub Minar, which is 73 metres high. The landfill site, commissioned in 1984 and overflowing since 2002, exceeded its capacity two decades ago but garbage continues to get dumped here. This is not the story of Ghazipur alone. There are two more such landfills in Delhi and in other cities as well. Interestingly, these sites – Ghazipur, Okhla, and Bhalswa – are actually dumpsites and not sanitary landfills. What is the difference? Well, a sanitary landfill or a scientifically developed landfill is designed to take in only residual solid waste and inert waste. Elaborating on the same, Subhasish Parida, Programme Manager, Centre for Science and Environment said, A scientific landfill needs to have a gas collection system because some organic materials may also come to the landfill along with inert material which has the potential to generate methane gas. There has to be a system to collect and treat leachate (water that has percolated through a solid and leached out some of the constituents). The municipal corporation has to monitor ground water, surface water, and ambient air, ensuring the landfill is not causing any kind of pollution. Why Open Dumping Of Waste Is A Health Hazard A dump site is essentially a piece of land utilised by a local body for the disposal of solid waste without following the principles of sanitary land filling. Talking specifically about Delhi, Richa Singh, Landfill expert from the Centre for Science and Environment said, These landfills are just a piece of land used for dumping waste as a result there is no barrier layer at the bottom, no facility to treat the hazardous liquid that is generated because of the waste and also gases which are emitted from the landfill. During this entire process of dumping the waste, there is a lot of leachate that is produced, along with a lot of gasses such as H2S gas (Hydrogen Sulfide or sewer gas), which is carcinogenic in nature, and the methane gas, which has huge global warming potential. Ideally, there has to be a system to collect leachate and flare the methane gas into the air so that the landfill does not catch fire. However, that does not seem to be the case with landfills in Delhi at least. Further elaborating on the impact of dumpsites being used as a landfill, Ms Singh added, The people who are living in the close proximity of 5 km, they are exposed to a lot of different types of contamination. As we, all know that the ground water is the actual source of drinking water, now even if you do not use that water for drinking purposes then people living near the vicinity use it for bathing and cleaning their utensils. As a result, they are exposed to developing many acute and chronic diseases. Are Sanitary Landfills A Good Option To Manage Waste? Sourabh Manuja, a Delhi-based waste management specialist believes that scientific landfills are not bad. He says, Scientific landfills just occupy useful spaces and are examples of a linear economy concept. Scientific landfills are capsulated buckets that contain waste, we capture landfill gas and utilise it, collect leachate and treat it and of course, when it gets filled up these have to be scientifically closed, capped and monitored. In long run, these are way more expensive than processing of waste. Also Read: PM Modi Shares Inspiring ‘Waste-To-Wealth’ Stories From Aizawl, Puducherry Experts’ Take On Waste Management In India The problem of waste in India is huge. With the increasing population, the amount of waste generated every day is bound to increase. Increasing the number of landfills and throwing waste there is not a solution as landfills can take in a limited amount of waste. Unless, we want a situation like Delhi where Ghazipur landfill often catches fire, acting as a health hazard for the people living in the vicinity and an environmental hazard as well. So, what is the solution? Waste segregation at source. Poor segregation at source due to either lack of interest of people and corporations and/or lack of resources acts as a hurdle in waste management. Explaining how it can help in waste management, Mr Manuja said, Generators should segregate waste at the source; collect and take dry waste to material recovery facilities, where these get sorted and sold out. Wet waste enters into processing facility to generate biogas or compost. The outputs are sold out to market, to recover a portion of the operational costs. Only processing rejects and inerts get disposed into scientifically built and operated cells (landfills). Remember, you can’t operate a processing facility without linking the rejects appropriately. Swati Sambyal, Independent Waste and Circular Economy Expert resonated with Mr Manuja’s views and emphasise on the waste segregation at source, which is mandated by law under SWM Rules 2016. Ms Sambyal also stressed upon reducing the waste at source and taking care of one’s waste like composting wet waste at source. Many cities are also resorting to waste-to-energy plants – waste management facility that burns waste to produce electricity. Currently, 11 waste-to-energy plants are operational in India. But, to function well, these plants require segregated waste and even then, they don’t produce enough energy. Chitra Mukherjee, Consultant, Waste and Sustainable Livelihood believes that it is time we should move from installing WTE plants and creating landfills to focus on decentralised management that is local management of waste. Ms Mukherjee said, Whether it is the household, colony, market, or office – the waste they are producing should be managed at the source by them and we should not be thinking of outdated technologies. We should rely on our waste pickers for waste segregation, and opt for options like recycling and reusing.

Annual green schools awards: Nine Punjab schools bag 'green' tag

BATHINDA: As many as nine schools in Punjab have received the 'green' tag. Around 74 schools from the state had reported submissions. Ludhiana bagged the best district award with 34 submissions and 6 schools rated ‘green’. While schools from Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh, Bengaluru in Karnataka, Hyderabad in Telangana and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu bagged the top honours at the 2021-22 Annual Green Schools Awards. The awards are given by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) based on results of an annual environmental audit conducted by the schools themselves within their premises. 550 schools from across the country vied for the honours; 15 of these received the top awards, and 110 were tagged as ‘green’. Each school which undertook the audit, was assessed by CSE’s Green Schools Programme (GSP) on its resource consumption practices in the areas of waste management, energy efficiency and air pollution control initiatives. CSE director general Sunita Narain said, “CSE’s green school programme is important because in some ways, in the small steps we take, we are showing that we can be the change that we believe in. Each one of the schools that participated in the audit is an inspiration to the other.” Tushita Rawat, programme manager, environment education, CSE, said, “GSP rates schools on resource efficiency and felicitates those who demonstrate positive and measurable environmental changes in the campus, such as segregating waste at source, phasing out unclean fuels and inefficient lighting and adopting renewables, etc.”

CSE awards India’s ‘greenest’ schools for 2021-22

15 colleges from throughout India win prime awards on the Science and Atmosphere Middle’s Annual Inexperienced Faculties Awards on-line ceremony The awards are primarily based on the outcomes of a complete and rigorous Audit performed by the faculties with the assistance of CSE on useful resource administration and environmentally pleasant practices. 343 public colleges, 43 state-sponsored colleges and 164 personal colleges participated within the audit. 110 out of 550 colleges collaborating within the inspection equipment have the ‘inexperienced’ label – Ludhiana in Punjab has the utmost variety of colleges with this label: 6 Punjab evaluated the state with the perfect efficiency – from right here the best variety of colleges accomplished their inspections and submitted their stories; Acquired 9 ‘inexperienced’ tags New Delhi, 24 July 2022: Faculties in Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh, Bengaluru in Karnataka, Hyderabad in Telangana and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu acquired the best rankings on the 2021-22 Annual Inexperienced Faculties Awards introduced right here yesterday. The awards are given by the Middle for Science and the Atmosphere (CSE) primarily based on the outcomes of the annual environmental inspection of colleges’ personal buildings. 550 colleges from across the nation competed for the consideration; Of those, 15 acquired prime awards and 110 have been labeled ‘inexperienced’. Every college enterprise the audit was evaluated by CSE’s Inexperienced Faculties Program (GSP) on its useful resource consumption practices within the areas of waste administration, power effectivity and air air pollution management initiatives. Talking on the on-line awards ceremony, CSE government director Sunita Narain stated: “CSE’s Inexperienced Faculty Program is vital as a result of in some methods, we present that we might be the change we imagine in by the small steps we take. Faculties collaborating within the audit encourage one another.” Mentioned Tushita Rawat, CSE, Environmental Schooling program supervisor: “GSP charges colleges on useful resource effectivity and congratulates those that have demonstrated constructive and measurable environmental modifications on campus, similar to separating waste at supply; phasing out of polluted fuels and inefficient lighting; adopting renewable energies, and so on.” 2021-22 Awards Finest Situation: Punjab acquired the perfect state award with 74 report submissions, 9 of which have been rated ‘inexperienced’. Ludhiana acquired the perfect district award with 34 purposes and 6 colleges rated ‘inexperienced’. Changemakers: Faculties monitoring and bettering useful resource consumption. Lake Montfort Faculty, Bengaluru City, Karnataka Kendriya Vidyalaya No 2, Uppal Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Telangana Kendriya Vidyalaya Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh PSGR Krishnammal Nursery and Main Faculty, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Inexperienced Faculties in a Row: Faculties have been rated inexperienced 5 years in a row. Bal Bharati Public Faculty Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh Bal Bharati Public Faculty, IMT Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana East Level Faculty, East Delhi, Delhi Motilal Nehru Sports activities Faculty, Rai, Sonipat, Haryana Salwan Public Faculty, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh Edmund Faculty, Jaipur, Rajasthan Pinnacle Faculty, South Delhi, Delhi Episode Toppers: Faculties performing exceptionally in sure departments. Climate: Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1, Roorkee, Haridwar, Uttarakhand

Coimbatore school bagged change maker award by CSE

She added that this has been possible only because of the extreme hard work and passion of the Managing Trustee G. Rangasamy and Chairperson Dr. R. Nandini, children, their parents, teachers, non – teaching staff of our Institute. CHENNAI: A private school in Coimbatore bagged the annual green school awards 2021-2022 by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Saturday. The award is given based on results of an annual environmental audit conducted by the school within their premises. A total of 15 schools across the country India won top honours in the online ceremony. PSGR Krishnammal Nursery and Primary School in Coimbatore has been awarded Change maker 2021 – 2022. The school has been doing the green school program audit since 2014. They have registered online on air, water and energy. “We also organise awareness weekday celebrations, assembly theme based on climate change, climate action, pollution, rise for E-wastes too. We involve children to motivate good practice for their future as the whole school approaches. Additionally, waste free campus where we follow healthy eating and don’t waste food methods. Our campus is free from plastics, non-bio waste materials sent for recycling since 2010,” said Dhanam Sivalingam, Principal. She added that this has been possible only because of the extreme hard work and passion of the Managing Trustee G. Rangasamy and Chairperson Dr. R. Nandini, children, their parents, teachers, non – teaching staff of our Institute. As many as 550 schools in India vied for the honours, of which 15 schools received the top awards, and 110 were tagged as green. Each school which undertook the audit was assessed by CSE’s Green Schools Programme (GSP) on its resource consumption practices in the areas of waste management, energy efficiency and air pollution control initiatives. Tushita Rawat, programme manager, Environment Education, CSE said, “GSP rates schools on resource efficiency and felicitates the ones who demonstrate positive and measurable environmental changes in the campus, such as segregating waste at source, phasing out unclean fuels and inefficient lighting, adopting renewables, and etc.”

CSE awards India’s ‘green’ schools for 2021-22

15 schools across India win top honors at Center for Science and Environment’s annual Green School Awards online ceremony The awards are based on the results of a detailed and rigorous audit that the school itself conducts with the help of CSE on its own resource management and eco-friendly practices. 343 government schools, 43 government aided schools and 164 private schools participated in the audit Out of 550 schools that participated in the audit, 110 schools received the ‘Green’ tag – Ludhiana in Punjab has the highest number of schools with this tag: 6 Punjab selected the state with the best performance – maximum schools from here completed their audits and submitted their reports; 9 got ‘green’ tag New Delhi, July 24, 2022: Schools in Uttar Pradesh’s Lalitpur, Karnataka’s Bengaluru, Telangana’s Hyderabad and Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore bagged the top honors at the 2021-22 Annual Green School Awards announced here yesterday. The awards by the Center for Science and Environment (CSE) are given on the basis of the results of the annual environmental audit conducted by the schools themselves on their premises. 550 schools across the country compete for honor; Of these, 15 received top prizes, and 110 were tagged as ‘green’. Each of the schools audited was assessed by CSE’s Green School Program (GSP) on resource consumption practices in the areas of waste management, energy efficiency and air pollution control initiatives. Speaking at the online awards ceremony, CSE Director General Sunita Narain said: “CSE’s Green Schools program is important because in some ways, with the small steps we take, we are showing that we can be the change we believe in. The schools that participate in every single audit are an inspiration to the other.” Tushita Rawat, Program Manager, Environmental Education, CSE, said: “GSP rates schools on resource efficiency and honors those that demonstrate positive and measurable environmental change on campus, such as segregating waste at source ; eliminating unclean fuels and inefficient lighting; adopting renewable energy, etc.” 2021-22 Awards Best State: Punjab won the Best State award with 74 report submissions – 9 of them got a ‘Green’ rating. Ludhiana won the Best District Award with 34 submissions and 6 schools were rated ‘Green’. Changemakers: Schools that have monitored and improved their resource consumption. Lake Montfort School, Bangalore Urban, Karnataka Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2, Uppal Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Telangana Kendriya Vidyalaya Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh PSGR Krishnammal Nursery and Primary School, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Green in a row schools: The schools have given green rating for five consecutive years. Bal Bharti Public School Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh Bal Bharti Public School, IMT Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana East Point School, East Delhi, Delhi Motilal Nehru School of Sports, Rai, Sonepat, Haryana Salwan Public School, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh Edmonds School, Jaipur, Rajasthan The Pinnacle School, South Delhi, Delhi Section Toppers: Schools that have performed exceptionally well in specific sections. Air: Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 1, Roorkee, Haridwar, Uttarakhand energy: Montfort School, North West Delhi, Delhi waste: Queens Valley School, South West Delhi, Delhi Best New Entrant: The school which has participated in the audit for the first time and has shown great potential. Little Flowers Public Senior Secondary School, New Delhi

CSE awards India’s ‘greenest’ faculties for 2021-22

15 faculties from throughout India win high honours at Centre for Science and Surroundings’s Annual Inexperienced Faculties Awards on-line ceremony Awards are primarily based on the outcomes of an exhaustive and rigorous Audit that the colleges themselves conduct with CSE’s assistance on their useful resource administration and environment-friendly practices 343 authorities faculties, 43 authorities aided faculties and 164 non-public faculties participated within the Audit 110 faculties out of the 550 that participated within the Audit bag the ‘inexperienced’ tag – Ludhiana in Punjab has the utmost variety of faculties with this tag: 6 Punjab adjudged the state with the very best efficiency – most variety of faculties from right here accomplished their audits and submitted their studies; 9 obtained the ‘inexperienced’ tag New Delhi, July 24, 2022: Faculties from Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh, Bengaluru in Karnataka, Hyderabad in Telangana and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu bagged the highest honours on the 2021-22 Annual Inexperienced Faculties Awards, introduced right here yesterday. The awards are given by Centre for Science and Surroundings (CSE) primarily based on outcomes of an annual environmental audit carried out by the colleges themselves inside their premises. 550 faculties from throughout the nation vied for the honours; 15 of those obtained the highest awards, and 110 have been tagged as ‘inexperienced’. Every college which undertook the audit, was assessed by CSE’s Inexperienced Faculties Programme (GSP) on its useful resource consumption practices within the areas of waste administration, vitality effectivity and air air pollution management initiatives. Talking on the on-line awards operate, CSE director basic Sunita Narain stated: “CSE’s Inexperienced College Programme is essential as a result of in some methods, within the small steps we take, we’re exhibiting that we might be the change that we imagine in. Every one of many faculties that participated within the audit is an inspiration to the opposite.” Stated Tushita Rawat, programme supervisor, Surroundings Schooling, CSE: “GSP charges faculties on useful resource effectivity and felicitates those who display constructive and measurable environmental modifications within the campus, reminiscent of segregating waste at supply; phasing out unclean fuels and inefficient lighting; adopting renewables, and so forth.” The 2021-22 Awards Finest State: Punjab bagged the award for the very best state with 74 report submissions — 9 of them rated ‘inexperienced’. Ludhiana bagged the very best district award with 34 submissions and 6 faculties rated ‘inexperienced’. Changemakers: Faculties which have monitored their useful resource consumption and improved them. Lake Montfort College, Bengaluru City, Karnataka Kendriya Vidyalaya No 2, Uppal Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Telangana Kendriya Vidyalaya Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh PSGR Krishnammal Nursery and Main College, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Inexperienced in a Row Faculties: Faculties rated inexperienced for 5 consecutive years. Bal Bharati Public College Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh Bal Bharati Public College, IMT Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana East Level College, East Delhi, Delhi Motilal Nehru College of Sports activities, Rai, Sonipat, Haryana Salwan Public College, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh Edmund’s College, Jaipur, Rajasthan The Pinnacle College, South Delhi, Delhi Part Toppers: Faculties which have carried out exceptionally in particular sections. Air: Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1, Roorkee, Haridwar, Uttarakhand Power: Montfort College, North West Delhi, Delhi Waste: Queen’s Valley College, South West Delhi, Delhi Finest New Entrant: College that has participated within the audit for the primary time and has proven nice potential. Little Flowers Public Sr Sec College, New Delhi To see the whole checklist of award winners, click on right here: https://www.cseindia.org/gsp-award/2022/2022-index-gsp-awc.html

CAQM’s new policy to lead Delhi’s fight against pollution, provide clear targets

A comparison of what was till now the most comprehensive efforts, however, suggests that long-term approaches have hitherto led to little gains, but experts and officials who worked on the new plan believe it could lead to better outcomes, especially since forecasting is now a crucial aspect and pasts data and insights are being incorporated. The comprehensive policy for air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR), announced by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) recently, is now the latest blueprint for a long-term solution to the annual bad air crisis that grips the region every winter, with officials and experts describing it as an upgrade to the previous efforts.

Delhi Air Pollution: कम बारिश के बावजूद फायदे में दिल्ली, 5 सालों में जुलाई में सबसे कम एयर पॉल्यूशन

Delhi Air Pollution: सीपीसीबी के अनुसार दिल्ली में इस साल जुलाई में पांच दिन एक्यूआई 'मध्यम' श्रेणी में रहा. दूसरी तरफ इस महीने में अभी तक एक भी 'खराब या बहुत खराब' श्रेणी में एक्यूआई नहीं पहुंचा है. दिल्ली (Delhi) में वायु प्रदूषण (Air Pollution) को लेकर आम लोग से लेकर सरकार तक परेशान रहती है. इस बीच एक राहत की ख़बर सामने आई है. केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड (Central Pollution Control Board) के आंकड़ों के मुताबिक 2016 के बाद इस साल जुलाई के महीने दिल्ली में हवा सबसे साफ है. सीपीसीबी के अनुसार जुलाई 2022 में अब तक 16 दिन वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक (Air Quality Index) 'संतोषजनक' श्रेणी में रहे हैं. इससे पहले जुलाई 2021 में 11 और जुलाई 2020 में 15 दिन एक्यूआई 'संतोषजनक' श्रेणी में दर्ज हुए थे. वहीं इस साल जुलाई में पांच दिन एक्यूआई 'मध्यम' श्रेणी में रहा. दूसरी तरफ इस महीने में अभी तक एक भी 'खराब या बहुत खराब' श्रेणी में एक्यूआई नहीं पहुंचा है. विशेषज्ञों का कहना है कि दिल्ली के अलग-अलग हिस्सों में नियमित अंतराल पर हुई हल्की बारिश की वजह से वायु प्रदूषण में बढ़ोतरी नहीं हुई है. हालांकि, दिल्ली की वायु गुणवत्ता आम तौर पर मानसून के दौरान साफ ​​रहती है, लेकिन इस साल जुलाई के महीने में पिछले 5 सालों की तुलना में सबसे बेहतर रहा है. सीपीसीबी के आंकड़ों के अनुसार पिछले रविवार को इस महीने का सबसे कम एक्यूआई मध्यम श्रेणी में 61 दर्ज हुआ था. वहीं गुरुवार को दिल्ली का ओवरऑल एक्यूआई 70 रिकॉर्ड किया गया. इसके अलावा दिल्ली के बेस स्टेशन सफदरजंग में जुलाई में अब तक 221.7 मिमी बारिश दर्ज की गई है. हालांकि, कुछ स्टेशनों पर रुक-रुक कर बारिश रिकॉर्ड की, जिससे प्रदूषण में कमी आई है. दिल्ली के कुछ हिस्सों में जुलाई में दो बार भारी बारिश हुई. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी का कहना है कि इस साल भीषण गर्मी की वजह से वायु प्रदूषण में धूल की मात्रा ज्यादा थी. इस बीच जुलाई में हुई बारिश ने हवा को साफ कर दिया है. सीपीसीबी की वायु प्रयोगशाला के पूर्व प्रमुख दीपांकर साहा ने बताया कि मौसम विज्ञान परिवेशी वायु गुणवत्ता को बनाए रखने में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाता है. वायुमंडल की सीमा परत जितनी ऊंची होती है, प्रदूषकों का वर्टिकल फैलाव उतना ही अधिक होता है, जबकि हवा की गति अधिक होने से हॉरिजॉन्टल फैलाव अधिक होता है. रुक-रुक कर होने वाली बारिश ऊपरी मिट्टी को गीला रखती है, धूल के गठन को नियंत्रित करती है और हरी घास विकसित करने में मदद करती है. ऐसे में बारिश के अलावा कुछ दूसरे मौसम संबंधी कारकों ने इस जुलाई में हवा की गुणवत्ता को साफ रखने में मदद की है. आपको बता दें कि एक्यूआई को शून्य और 50 के बीच 'अच्छा', 51 और 100 के बीच 'संतोषजनक', 101 और 200 के बीच 'मध्यम', 201 और 300 के बीच 'खराब', 301 और 400 के बीच 'बहुत खराब' और 401 और 500 के बीच 'गंभीर' श्रेणी में माना जाता है.