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Cse In News

India must integrate renewable and coal-based power sectors for successful energy transition: CSE study

The study, Flex to Fix: Deciphering India's Coal Flexibilisation Challenge for RE Integration, said coal power flexibilisation could help create an additional 18-34 GW of renewable energy space and reduce power-sector emissions by 7.66-8.37 per cent, equivalent to 92-101 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. CSE released the report at a national dialogue on coal flexibilisation and reforms in thermal power purchase agreements (PPAs), attended by representatives of the Central Electricity Authority, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, GRID-India, BHEL, NTPC and Torrent Power, besides experts from think tanks, civil society and academia. CSE Director General Sunita Narain said India's power sector must work towards greater grid flexibility as renewable energy expands. "We are not talking about renewable vs coal here. We are talking about renewable and coal, and about how to integrate the two. The task is not to replace coal, but to displace it," she said. The study noted that India reached 50 per cent non-fossil-based installed power capacity in November 2025, five years ahead of its original 2030 target. However, rapid growth in renewable energy, particularly solar power, has altered the demandsupply balance and increased operational stress on conventional generation.

Scorching summers intensify caste barriers to water in India's Bundelkhand

Carrying three empty plastic buckets, she walked several hundred metres to the nearest handpump in her village in Jalaun district, part of the drought-prone Bundelkhand region of northern India. Temperatures in parts of the region were already climbing above 40°C, reports the BBC. Mamta said taps installed under a government drinking water scheme had remained dry for two years, leaving around 1,000 villagers dependent on a small number of handpumps. It took her hours to collect enough water for her family of 11 and their livestock. But the heat was not her only challenge. Mamta is from the Valmiki community, a Dalit group that was historically considered "untouchable" under India's caste system and continues to face discrimination. She said she waited for members of dominant castes to finish using the handpump before collecting water herself. "If they are standing there, we cannot fill water. We have to wait until they leave," she said. She also said some upper-caste residents poured water over the pump afterwards to "cleanse" it, adding that the practice had continued for decades. Bundelkhand Bundelkhand, a semi-arid region covering districts in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, is known for severe water scarcity. The region experienced several major droughts between 2002 and 2016. Its rocky plateau has limited capacity to retain groundwater, while unpredictable rainfall and rising temperatures have made water access increasingly uncertain despite government and community conservation efforts. A study examining more than a century of weather records found temperatures had increased across almost the entire region. In recent summers, temperatures in parts of Bundelkhand have approached 48°C. Residents and researchers say the worsening heat and water stress are intensifying long-standing caste divisions. As more families compete for increasingly scarce water, Dalits, who have historically faced restrictions in accessing water, are encountering such inequalities more frequently. "Conflict over water is not new," said Mitashi Singh of the Centre for Science and Environment. What is changing, she said, is how hotter summers are making water scarcer and aggravating existing tensions. Local officials reject allegations of water shortages and caste discrimination at public water sources. Dominant-caste residents interviewed by the BBC also denied discriminating against others, though they acknowledged growing pressure on water supplies. Ram Gopal Singh, in his 50s, pointed to several abandoned village wells, saying they had been dry for nearly 20 years. Other water sources had either dried up or become polluted, while unreliable tap connections had driven more families towards handpumps, he added. According to Singh, everyone tries to collect water during cooler morning hours, resulting in disputes over turns and the amount each family could collect. But he denied that caste is a factor in these disputes. Dalit residents, however, described a different situation. They said there is no formal queue at the handpumps and that families instead try to collect water at different times to avoid confrontations. Mamta said she usually goes very early in the morning or late in the afternoon because she fears being targeted. About 50km away in Shahjahanpur, Shiv said members of his community similarly avoid approaching a handpump while dominant-caste families are using it. "No matter how hot it is, even if we have to wait for hours for one bucket of drinking water, we wait because we do not have a choice." His mother, Parmi Devi, alleged that she was assaulted three years ago after an argument with a dominant-caste resident at a village handpump. Devi filed a police complaint, but no arrests have been made. The Dalit Dignity and Justice Centre, a non-profit in Uttar Pradesh, said police registered 113 cases under India's law against caste-based atrocities in the area in 2025. The organisation said most complaints it tracked during May and June involved water, though it has not published a detailed breakdown. District Magistrate Rajesh Kumar Pandey's office rejected the allegations, saying there is no instance of caste discrimination over water access. Efforts to address water shortages include the government's Jal Jeevan Mission, restoration of ponds and groundwater recharge initiatives. Traditional water bodies have also been revived, while women-led Jal Saheli groups monitor supplies and promote conservation. Researcher Mukul Sharma said increasing water supplies alone will not resolve the problem. Climate change, he said, is "not the origin of these injustices, but a threat multiplier." Unless caste inequalities over water access are addressed, he said, more water will not solve the problem.

India’s cities aren’t just fighting the rain. They’re fighting their own infrastructure

The Centre for Science and Environment has previously documented how Chennai's natural drainage network was damaged by encroachment and construction. Its analysis noted that Pallikaranai, once around 5,000 hectares, had shrunk to roughly 600 hectares around 2010-11. The consequences are predictable. When wetlands, lakes and channels disappear, the water does not disappear with them. It simply has fewer places to go. A 2026 study on Pallikaranai similarly found that rapid urbanisation, expansion of impervious surfaces and wetland encroachment have altered the marsh's hydrological functions and increased flood risks.

LATIKA M BOURKE: Coal will get a boost from geopolitical shocks, International Energy Agency head says

Sunita Narain from the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment said the energy shocks could not be divorced from the effects of climate change which she said were experienced daily in India. “We have two wars happening, we have a physical war which we’re talking about, the Iran war, the Ukraine war, but we also have a war with nature, which is happening and they’re both happening together,” she said. “And the revenge of the war with nature is playing with the complete disruption that we are seeing on the energy system.”

ऊर्जा परिवर्तन पर CSE की रिपोर्ट: पुराने पावर कॉन्ट्रैक्ट्स बन रहे हैं बड़ी रुकावट

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) की नई रिपोर्ट ने आगाह किया है कि भारत में पुराने थर्मल पावर कॉन्ट्रैक्ट्स रिन्यूएबल एनर्जी की ओर बढ़ने की राह में बाधा बन रहे हैं। इन लंबी अवधि के समझौतों के कारण, भले ही सौर ऊर्जा का इस्तेमाल बढ़ रहा है, उपभोक्ताओं को कोयला संयंत्रों के लिए फिक्स्ड कॉस्ट का भुगतान करना पड़ रहा है, जिससे वित्तीय नुकसान हो रहा है। यह रिपोर्ट ग्रिड की फ्लेक्सिबिलिटी (लचीलापन) को बेहतर बनाने के लिए कॉन्ट्रैक्ट सुधारों की तत्काल आवश्यकता पर जोर देती है। पुराने पावर परचेज एग्रीमेंट्स (PPAs) की कहानी सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) ने 25 अगस्त, 2026 को जारी अपनी रिपोर्ट में बताया है कि भारत के रिन्यूएबल एनर्जी की ओर बढ़ने की राह में पुराने पावर परचेज एग्रीमेंट्स (PPAs) बड़ी मुश्किलें पैदा कर रहे हैं। ये लंबी अवधि के कॉन्ट्रैक्ट, जो बिजली उत्पादकों और वितरण कंपनियों के बीच बिजली आपूर्ति की शर्तों को तय करते हैं, उस दौर में बनाए गए थे जब बिजली की भारी कमी हुआ करती थी। अब ये, सौर और पवन ऊर्जा की ओर बढ़ते मौजूदा रुझान के साथ तालमेल नहीं बिठा पा रहे हैं। कॉन्ट्रैक्ट्स की कड़ाई है मुख्य समस्या रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, इन कॉन्ट्रैक्ट्स की सबसे बड़ी समस्या इनकी कड़ाई है। पहले, थर्मल पावर प्लांट्स को 'बेसलोड' पावर प्रदान करने के लिए डिज़ाइन किया गया था, यानी वे लगातार एक निश्चित मांग को पूरा करने के लिए चलते थे। इसलिए, कॉन्ट्रैक्ट्स में यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए फिक्स्ड पेमेंट (निश्चित भुगतान) शामिल थे कि प्लांट्स अपनी लागत वसूल सकें। लेकिन, जैसे-जैसे सौर ऊर्जा की क्षमता बढ़ी है, ग्रिड को ऐसी पावर प्लांट्स की जरूरत है जो धूप के स्तर के आधार पर जल्दी से उत्पादन बढ़ा या घटा सकें। जब सौर ऊर्जा का उत्पादन अधिक होता है, तो कोयला संयंत्रों को अक्सर अपना उत्पादन कम करने के लिए कहा जाता है। कम घंटों तक चलने के बावजूद, इन प्लांट्स को पुराने कॉन्ट्रैक्ट शर्तों के तहत पूरा फिक्स्ड पेमेंट पाने का अधिकार है। वित्तीय बोझ और 'जनरेशन लॉक-इन' यह असंतुलन एक वित्तीय बोझ पैदा करता है। उपभोक्ताओं को अंततः उच्च कीमतों का भुगतान करना पड़ता है क्योंकि कोयला क्षमता की फिक्स्ड कॉस्ट अधिक बनी रहती है, भले ही उत्पन्न वास्तविक बिजली कम हो। CSE की रिपोर्ट ने आठ राज्यों के डेटा का विश्लेषण किया और पाया कि 6.1 गीगावाट (GW) पावर क्षमता ऐसे दीर्घकालिक कॉन्ट्रैक्ट्स से बंधी है जो 2040 और उसके बाद तक चलते हैं। यह 'जनरेशन लॉक-इन' (पीढ़ीगत बंधन) पावर सेक्टर की अधिक लचीली और संभावित रूप से सस्ती ऊर्जा स्रोतों को अपनाने की क्षमता को सीमित करता है। DISCOMs पर वित्तीय दबाव वितरण कंपनियां (DISCOMs), जो बिजली खरीदने और वितरित करने के लिए जिम्मेदार हैं, वित्तीय दबाव का सामना करना जारी रखती हैं। ये सख्त कॉन्ट्रैक्टुअल दायित्व उनकी वित्तीय लचीलेपन को सीमित करते हैं और उन्हें अपनी बिजली खरीद लागत को अनुकूलित करने से रोक सकते हैं। रिपोर्ट का सुझाव है कि चूंकि ये अधिकांश संपत्ति और वितरण कंपनियाँ सरकार के स्वामित्व वाली हैं, इसलिए कॉन्ट्रैक्ट्स के समाप्त होने का इंतजार करने या कानूनी लड़ाई पर भरोसा करने के बजाय इन समझौतों में बदलाव पर बातचीत करने का अवसर है। आगे क्या? CSE का अध्ययन मानक पावर परचेज एग्रीमेंट मॉडल को अपडेट करने की सिफारिश करता है ताकि विभिन्न ऊर्जा मांग चक्रों के दौरान परिचालन लचीलेपन और प्रदर्शन के लिए आवश्यकताओं को शामिल किया जा सके। यह राज्य-स्तरीय समीक्षाओं का भी आह्वान करता है ताकि यह सुनिश्चित किया जा सके कि खरीद पोर्टफोलियो एक आधुनिक, कम-कार्बन ऊर्जा प्रणाली के साथ संरेखित हों। निवेशकों और ऊर्जा हितधारकों के लिए, मुख्य निगरानी योग्य बिंदु संभावित नियामक परिवर्तन या राज्य-स्तरीय नीति अपडेट होंगे जो इन पुराने कॉन्ट्रैक्ट्स पर फिर से बातचीत को ट्रिगर कर सकते हैं। इस तरह के सुधार सिस्टम-व्यापी लागत को कम करने और पावर वितरण क्षेत्र के वित्तीय स्वास्थ्य में सुधार के लिए आवश्यक होंगे।

Odisha Urban Conclave: Experts Call For ‘Treat, Reuse And Recover’ Model For Wastewater

Policy and planning issues related to wastewater reuse also featured prominently during the discussions. Dr Nitin Bassi of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) shared perspectives on policies for treated wastewater reuse, while Subrata Chakraborty of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) highlighted planning challenges associated with safe and effective reuse. The Technical Symposium on Used Water Management, held as part of the Odisha Urban Conclave 2026 at Lok Seva Bhawan here on Sunday, called for a shift from the conventional “treat-and-dispose” approach to a “treat, reuse and recover” model for sustainable urban water management. Housing and Urban Development Minister Dr Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, who attended the symposium as the Chief Guest, stressed the need for safe, economical and sustainable management of treated wastewater and sludge. He said wastewater should increasingly be viewed as a resource rather than merely a waste stream. The Minister emphasised coordinated efforts among government agencies, technical institutions, practitioners and technology providers to address the growing challenges of wastewater management in rapidly urbanising areas. H&UD Department Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee called for moving beyond simply treating and disposing of wastewater and focusing on its planned and safe reuse. She urged technocrats and professionals to develop practical, sustainable and scalable solutions to promote the reuse of treated water. The symposium brought together government officials, engineers, policymakers, academics, technocrats and industry representatives to discuss wastewater treatment, reuse, sludge management, resource recovery and urban drainage. Dr V. K. Chaurasia of CPHEEO shared national perspectives on best practices, technologies and policy frameworks for used water management. Representing the Odisha government, Er Prasanta Kumar Mohapatra of the H&UD Department spoke about the State’s experience in implementing selected Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) projects and highlighted challenges in wastewater treatment infrastructure. Experts from leading institutions also discussed emerging technologies and solutions. Dr Guruprasad Talekar and his team from IIT Palakkad presented developments in STP/FSTP sludge management and biosolids standards, while Prof Bhaskar Jyoti Deka of IIT Roorkee spoke on innovative wastewater treatment processes aimed at reuse and resource recovery. Prof Rajesh Roshan Dash of IIT Bhubaneswar discussed emerging aerobic and anaerobic wastewater treatment technologies and their potential applications in urban areas. Policy and planning issues related to wastewater reuse also featured prominently during the discussions. Dr Nitin Bassi of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) shared perspectives on policies for treated wastewater reuse, while Subrata Chakraborty of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) highlighted planning challenges associated with safe and effective reuse.

पर्यावरण संरक्षण के प्रति विद्यार्थि यों में जा गरूकता विकसित करने में स्कूलों की अहम भूमि का : डीईओ हरजिंदर

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट के ग्रीन स्कूल प्रोग्राम के तहत जेम्स कैम्ब्रिज स्कूल, होशियारपुर में जिला शिक्षा अधिकारी (सेकेंडरी) हरजिंदर कौर के नेतृत्व में एक दिवसीय कार्यशाला का आयोजन किया गया। कार्यशाला का उद्देश्य स्कूलों में पर्यावरण अनुकूल गतिविधियों को बढ़ावा देना, अध्यापकों को पर्यावरण संरक्षण के प्रति जागरूक करना तथा विद्यालयों को पर्यावरणीय दृष्टि से अधिक टिकाऊ बनाने संबंधी जानकारी और व्यावहारिक समझ प्रदान करना था। कार्यशाला में जिला शिक्षा अधिकारी हरजिंदर कौर, उप जिला शिक्षा अधिकारी अमनदीप शर्मा, प्रिंसिपल शैलेंद्र ठाकुर, प्रिंसिपल तरलोचन सिंह, प्रिंसिपल रमनदीप कौर तथा जिला नोडल अधिकारी अमनप्रीत सहोता विशेष रूप से उपस्थित रहे। जिले के विभिन्न स्कूलों से लगभग एक हजार अध्यापकों ने इसमें भाग लिया। इस अवसर पर प्रीति शर्मा और आरती राणा ने रिसोर्स पर्सन तथा अमनप्रीत सहोता ने मंच संचालक की भूमिका निभाई।

India Ranks Second From Bottom in Environment Index

Meanwhile, Telangana has emerged as one of the worst‑performing states in the agriculture‑and‑land category of the State of India’s Environment 2026: In Figures report released earlier by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth. The report placed Goa, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Tripura and Odisha among the better‑performing states in the environment category. Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Punjab and West Bengal were among the weakest performers. The assessment considered forests and biodiversity, climate, waste management and water resources.

Odisha Urban Conclave 2026: Experts Call for ‘Treat, Reuse and Recover’ Wastewater Mod

Experts at the Odisha Urban Conclave 2026 have called for a major shift in the way cities manage wastewater, advocating a “treat, reuse and recover” approach instead of the conventional practice of treating and disposing of used water. The call was made during the Technical Symposium on Used Water Management held at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. The event brought together government officials, engineers, policymakers, academics, technocrats and industry representatives to discuss sustainable solutions for urban wastewater management. Wastewater should be treated as a resource Housing and Urban Development Minister Dr Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, who attended the symposium as chief guest, stressed the need for safe, economical and sustainable management of treated wastewater and sludge. He said wastewater should increasingly be viewed as a resource rather than merely a waste stream, particularly as rapid urbanisation puts greater pressure on existing water resources. The minister also emphasised greater coordination among government agencies, technical institutions, practitioners and technology providers to address the growing challenges of urban wastewater management. Focus on safe reuse of treated water H&UD Department Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee called for moving beyond simply treating wastewater and disposing of it. She stressed the importance of planned and safe reuse of treated water and urged technical experts and professionals to develop solutions that are practical, sustainable and scalable. The discussions focused on several aspects of used water management, including wastewater treatment, reuse, sludge management, resource recovery and urban drainage. Experts discuss new wastewater technologies Dr V.K. Chaurasia of the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO) shared national perspectives on best practices, technologies and policy frameworks for used water management. Er Prasanta Kumar Mohapatra of the Odisha H&UD Department outlined the state’s experience with selected Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) projects and highlighted challenges related to wastewater treatment infrastructure. Researchers from leading IITs also presented emerging technologies and solutions. Dr Guruprasad Talekar and his team from IIT Palakkad discussed STP/FSTP sludge management and biosolids standards, while Prof Bhaskar Jyoti Deka of IIT Roorkee spoke about innovative wastewater treatment processes focused on reuse and resource recovery. Prof Rajesh Roshan Dash of IIT Bhubaneswar discussed emerging aerobic and anaerobic wastewater treatment technologies and their potential applications in urban areas. Policy and planning emerge as key concerns The symposium also examined the policy challenges surrounding treated wastewater reuse. Dr Nitin Bassi of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) shared perspectives on policies supporting treated wastewater reuse, while Subrata Chakraborty of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) highlighted planning challenges involved in ensuring safe and effective reuse. Er Abinash Roul, Engineer-in-Chief of Odisha’s Water Resources Department, discussed innovative city drainage systems and the need for integrated urban water infrastructure. Industry showcases wastewater solutions The event concluded with an Industry Showcase featuring technologies designed to improve urban wastewater management. Solutions presented included low-footprint STPs, decentralised wastewater treatment systems, wastewater conveyance solutions, ETP and STP technologies, aerated wetlands, in-situ lake and nala remediation, and mechanised sewer and sludge management. The discussions highlighted the need for stronger policy support, technological innovation and closer collaboration between the government, academia and industry. The overall focus was on strengthening Odisha’s urban water security while moving towards a more sustainable and circular approach to water management.

Odisha emphasises sustainable reuse and resource recovery

The Technical Symposium on Used Water Management, organised as part of the Odisha Urban Conclave 2026, was held at the Lok Seva Bhawan here on Sunday. Senior government officials, engineers, policymakers, academicians, technocrats and industry representatives participated in the symposium and deliberated on sustainable, safe and economically viable approaches to wastewater treatment, reuse and resource recovery. Housing & Urban Development Minister Dr. Krushna Chandra Mahapatra emphasised the growing importance of effective used water management in the rapidly urbanising landscape. Addressing the gathering, the Minister stressed the need for safe and economical management of treated wastewater and sludge through sustainable technologies. He also called for greater focus on solutions that can transform wastewater from a waste stream into a valuable resource. Dr Mahapatra highlighted the importance of coordinated efforts among government agencies, technical institutions, practitioners and technology providers to address the challenges of urban wastewater management. The deliberations reflected Odisha’s commitment to innovative and sustainable approaches for water security, environmental protection and resource recovery. Usha Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department, emphasised the need to move beyond merely treating and disposing of wastewater towards planned and safe reuse of treated wastewater. She called upon technocrats and professionals to develop practical, sustainable and scalable solutions that can facilitate the effective reuse of treated water. She stressed the importance of stronger technological and institutional interventions to make treated wastewater an integral part of sustainable urban water management. The symposium brought together national perspectives, State-level experience and technological expertise. Dr. V. K. Chaurasia, CPHEEO, shared insights on national best practices, technologies, policy perspectives and the future vision for used water management. Er. Prasanta Kumar Mohapatra, H&UD Department, shared the state’s experience in used water management, including the implementation of selected Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) projects. He highlighted the practical challenges and lessons emerging from wastewater treatment infrastructure in Odisha. A key session focused on sludge management and resource recovery. Dr. Guruprasad Talekar and his team from IIT Palakkad presented advances in STP/FSTP sludge management, including state-of-the-art technologies and developments relating to bio-solids standards in India. The session highlighted the potential for recovering valuable resources from sludge while reducing the environmental impact of conventional disposal practices. Prof. Bhaskar Jyoti Deka, Department of Hydrology, IIT Roorkee, spoke on innovative wastewater treatment processes for reuse and resource recovery. His presentation highlighted emerging approaches to improve treatment efficiency and create opportunities for safe reuse of treated wastewater and recovery of resources. The technical sessions were further enriched by Prof. Rajesh Roshan Dash, IIT Bhubaneswar, who discussed emerging aerobic and anaerobic wastewater treatment processes and their potential applications in meeting the changing requirements of urban wastewater management. The policy and planning aspects of wastewater reuse were also discussed. Dr. Nitin Bassi, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), shared perspectives on policies for reuse of treated wastewater, while Shri Subrata Chakraborty, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), spoke on the planning challenges involved in safe and effective reuse of treated water. The symposium also covered urban drainage and integrated water infrastructure. Er. Abinash Roul, Engineer-in-Chief, Department of Water Resources, Government of Odisha, presented on innovative city drainage systems and their role in sustainable urban water management. The technical deliberations were followed by an Industry Showcase (Technology Pitch), featuring innovative solutions in low-footprint STP technologies, decentralised wastewater treatment, wastewater conveyance, ETP and STP technologies, aerated wetlands, in-situ lake and nala remediation, and mechanised sewer and sludge management. The symposium provided an important platform for bringing together policy, technology, research and implementation perspectives on used water management. The deliberations emphasised that the future of urban water management lies not only in effective wastewater treatment but also in its safe reuse and resource recovery. The overarching message from the symposium was the need to move from a “treat-and-dispose” approach to a “treat, reuse and recover” model, supported by appropriate policies, innovative technologies, robust planning and collaboration among government, academia, industry and the technocrat community. Such an approach can significantly strengthen Odisha’s urban water security, environmental sustainability and transition towards a circular water economy.

Mumbai bus drivers bristle at India’s tactics to electrify a century-old fleet

The transition has altered how drivers are employed, paid and treated. The wet-lease contract model replaces permanent BEST employees with short-term contractual workers lacking long-term job security, notes Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of the Centre for Science and Environment and a researcher of low-carbon mobility. This pushes drivers into a precarious “informal gig-worker category”, she tells Dialogue Earth.

The future belongs to Fifth Estate

We Indians take a salacious interest in non-standard behaviour because in our regimented, hierarchical society, difference looks like wilful deviance. So, from the moment when it became clear that the students’ agitation had tapped an unstoppable force and the ruling party was no longer an immovable object, pompous questions arose. Why aren’t the cockroaches forming an actual political party? Why do they want to remain a pressure group? Aren’t their intentions honourable? Received wisdom holds that legitimacy in representational democracy flows solely from electoral victory. Political actors outside of the electoral system are deemed to be useless, and up to no good—Naxals and cockroaches messing up a beautiful democracy. This democracy is portrayed as a neat system of checks and balances created by counterpoising its three main Estates—the Executive and the Legislature, which are descended from the royalty and nobility of pre-modern times, and the Judiciary, which has taken on one of the roles of the clergy. But the checks and balances have crumbled like termite-infested timber and part of the Fourth Estate, the press, has also fallen in a heap. The future belongs to the Fifth Estate, which consists of restless resistance groups in Brownian motion, drawn together by gravity—trade unions, farmers’ unions, advocacy collectives, lone warrior academics and creative artists, nonprofits, fact-checkers, peacemongers, whistleblowers and much-transferred honest administrators, social media publics, independent journalists and analysts who challenge State narratives with facts. Individually, each component looks like a minority. Together, they form a cohort. Fittingly, the word originally described a military unit. India’s Fifth Estate is buzzing. Seventeen years after it was enacted, the Right to Education Act could finally mean something for schoolchildren. Mafias which have toiled since the 1970s to reduce higher education to paid-for certification are threatened. To widen the scope of the question, was the grand edifice of Indian democracy ever for real? And does legitimacy flow only from multiparty politics? The Fifth Estate is always pooh-poohed as undignified and ineffectual, even an impediment. But it is to institutional politics what street theatre is to playing Shakespeare. It bypasses formalities and is more alive. It turned Jantar Mantar into a village square for public discussion—an echo of republicanism in ancient India, in the time of the Buddha. Its cascading effects are now influencing all of Indian politics. Looking back, so many of India’s great transformations—and transformative legislations—owe to cockroaches past. Environmental movements have changed how we think of the commons, and given it a central place in policymaking. Sunderlal Bahuguna and Chandi Prasad Bhatt’s Chipko movement led to a 15-year ban on felling trees in the Himalayas. Medha Patkar, Baba Amte and others who opposed big dams highlighted the crisis of mass displacement. The Supreme Court advocate M C Mehta sued the government repeatedly to contain industrial pollution. Anil Agarwal and Sunita Narain launched dedicated media for the environment. Together, such people have done more for public health—the eventual goal of environmental action—than the 20 environment ministers so far. Stories about tree-felling make banner headlines today because of their work. In 2005, a cluster of movements led to the Right to Information Act and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The Right to Food campaign secured the National Food Security Act in 2013. These movements featured stellar talent: Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey, H D Shourie, Jean Drèze, Jayati Ghosh, Prabhat Patnaik, Reetika Khera, Harsh Mander, Colin Gonsalves and many more. Also in 2005, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act flowed from the groundwork done since 1981 by the Lawyers Collective. Launched at a time when sexual violence was heavily underreported, pioneers Indira Jaising and Anand Grover fostered an enabling legal environment to support women at home and in the workplace. After decades of combat in court, homosexuality was decriminalised by the initiative of individuals like Navtej Singh Johar and NGOs like Naz Foundation. In 1993, manual scavenging became illegal largely due to the tireless efforts of one man: Bezwada Wilson. In 2006, following decades of campaigning by Adivasis and allied groups, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act recognised traditional community claims to forest resources. Six decades after independence, the colonial view of seeing forests as ownerless wildernesses fit for extractive commerce was challenged. Also in 2006, former Director General of the Border Security Force Prakash Singh, who had sued the Union of India in the Supreme Court, won a writ of mandamus outlining steps to professionalise the police and free it of political control. Had they been taken in the last two decades, the government would not have been able to unleash maximum violence on students in Jantar Mantar. The Supreme Court has now formed a committee to probe the excesses. If meaningful change results, it will again be thanks to the Fifth Estate—in this case, the disciplined students who took a savage beating without striking back. Despite the magnitude of their contributions, isn’t it strange that members of the Fifth Estate—who are too numerous to name here—have always been rhetorically dismissed as ‘jholawallahs’ and ‘andolanjeevis’? Is it because the other estates of democracy uncomfortably know that they have surrendered their functions to the Fifth Estate, out of crass indolence?

चार हिस्सों में बांटना होगा कचरा, क्या नए नियम बदल पाएंगे पुरानी व्यवस्था?

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) में सॉलिड वेस्ट मैनेजमेंट और सर्कुलर इकोनॉमी के रिसर्च एसोसिएट श्रोतिक बोस कहते हैं, “नए नियमों में ऐसे ज़्यादा प्रावधान नहीं हैं जो सीधे तौर पर वायु प्रदूषण या गर्मी के तनाव (हीट स्ट्रेस) से निपटते हों, जबकि कचरा जलाने, उत्सर्जन और हवा की गुणवत्ता के बीच साफ़ संबंध है।” भारत के पर्यावरण मंत्रालय ने इस साल जनवरी में सॉलिड वेस्ट मैनेजमेंट या ठोस कचरे के प्रबंधन के नए नियम (2026) जारी किए। यह नए नियम अब 2016 के नियमों की जगह लेकर नियमों के पालन की व्यवस्था को बेहतर बना सकते हैं। इन नए नियमों में कचरा पैदा करने वालों की ज़िम्मेदारियों की साफ़ रूपरेखा, ‘बल्क वेस्ट जनरेटर’ यानी बड़ी मात्रा में कचरा पैदा करने वालों की परिभाषा में बदलाव, और गीले और सूखे कचरे को अलग-अलग करने को बढ़ावा देने के लिए मिश्रित कचरे के लिए लैंडफिल के इस्तेमाल पर रकम को बढ़ाने जैसे प्रावधान शामिल हैं। यह नए नियम भले ही अच्छी नीयत से बनाए गए हों, लेकिन इस क्षेत्र के जानकारों ने इन्हें लागू करने में आने वाली उन कमियों के बारे में चेतावनी दी है, जो दशकों से भारत में ठोस कचरे के प्रबंधन के लिए समस्या बनी हुई हैं। इसका उदाहरण नई दिल्ली के विशाल लैंडफिल — भलस्वा, गाजीपुर और ओखला — हैं, जो कचरे को उसके स्रोत पर ही अलग-अलग न कर पाने की शहर की पुरानी नाकामी की निशानी हैं। कचरा पैदा करने के मामले में दिल्ली सभी भारतीय शहरों में सबसे आगे है, जहाँ हर व्यक्ति रोजाना लगभग 600 ग्राम कचरा पैदा करता है। केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड (सीपीसीबी) के अनुसार, इकट्ठा किए गए कचरे का लगभग 64% हिस्सा उपचारित किया जाता है, जबकि बाकी 36% यानी 4,241 टन कचरा रोज़ाना असुरक्षित रूप से लैंडफिल तक पहुँच जाता है। ये लैंडफिल पूरे साल वायु प्रदूषण के साथ-साथ गर्मियों में ग्रीन हाउस गैसों के उत्सर्जन और गर्मी के तनाव (हीट स्ट्रेस) का भी कारण बनते हैं। एक ‘सोर्स अपोर्शनमेंट स्टडी‘ के अनुसार, दिल्ली में पार्टिकुलेट मैटर (PM) उत्सर्जन में बायोमास और कचरा जलाना दूसरा सबसे बड़ा कारण है; यह PM10 में 23% और PM2.5 में 24% का योगदान देता है। जब जैविक कचरा जमा होता है और सड़ने के लिए छोड़ दिया जाता है, तो उससे मीथेन गैस निकलती है। बीस साल की अवधि में, मीथेन में कार्बन डाइऑक्साइड की तुलना में पर्यावरण को गर्म करने की क्षमता 80 गुना ज़्यादा होती है और यह ग्लोबल वार्मिंग के लिए दूसरा सबसे बड़ा कारण है। एक अन्य अध्ययन के अनुसार, गाजीपुर लैंडफिल के भीतर ज़्यादा तापमान वाले क्षेत्र बढ़ रहे हैं और सतह तक पहुँच रहे हैं, जो कि ठीक नहीं है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) में सॉलिड वेस्ट मैनेजमेंट और सर्कुलर इकोनॉमी के रिसर्च एसोसिएट श्रोतिक बोस कहते हैं, “नए नियमों में ऐसे ज़्यादा प्रावधान नहीं हैं जो सीधे तौर पर वायु प्रदूषण या गर्मी के तनाव (हीट स्ट्रेस) से निपटते हों, जबकि कचरा जलाने, उत्सर्जन और हवा की गुणवत्ता के बीच साफ़ संबंध है।”