• Down To Earth

Rising water spread, coastal erosion: CSE’s environment report on India paints grim picture

TWENTY-FIVE glacial lakes and water bodies in India, China and Nepal have recorded over 40 per cent rise in their water spread areas since 2009, posing a grave threat to five Indian States and two Union territories, a new report stated. According to the report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the seven States and Union Territories which are under threat are Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. However, it is not just the rise in water spread that is concerning. The data published in the report ‘State of India’s Environment 2022: In Figures’ tell a worrying tale. It said that over a third of India’s coastline witnessed some degree of erosion between 1990 and 2018. West Bengal is the worst hit with over 60 per cent of its shoreline under erosion. An increase in the frequency of cyclones and rise in the sea level, and anthropogenic activities such as the construction of harbours, beach mining and building of dams are some of the reasons for coastal erosion, it said. Citing Government data, the report said three out of every four river-monitoring stations in India have recorded alarming levels of heavy toxic metals -- lead, iron, nickel, cadmium, arsenic, chromium and copper. In one-fourth of the monitoring stations, spread across 117 rivers and tributaries, high levels of two or more toxic metals have been reported. Of the 33 monitoring stations in the Ganga river, contaminant levels in 10 are high. The report said 45 to 64 per cent of India’s forest cover is likely to become climate hotspots by 2030. By 2050, almost the entire forest cover of the country is likely to become a climate hotspot.

• Director General Office

Nod to environmentalist Sunita Narain at Queen’s Jubilee Party

Delhi-based environmentalist Sunita Narain got a special mention by Britain’s Prince William in his tribute to Queen Elizabeth II during celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee in London marking 70 years of the 96-year-old monarch’s reign. In his speech during a grand Jubilee Party at the Palace on a 360-degree stage outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday night, William focussed his message on the environment as he spoke adoringly of his grandmother. He described the concert venue, which witnessed performances by leading artists such as the group Queen and Sir Elton John, as an IMAX screen. “As I watch those extraordinary images, it does make me think of all the monumental and pioneering work of so many visionary environmentalists that have gone before,” said William. “I think of Rachel Carson from America, Wangari Maathai from Kenya, Sunita Narain from India and so many others. While no one’s grandmother thanks them for talking about their age, my own grandmother has been alive for nearly a century. In that time, mankind has benefited from unimaginable technological developments and scientific breakthroughs,” he said. William’s address was followed by his father, Prince Charles, who paid tribute to his mother’s “lifetime of selfless service” and opened in his usual way of addressing her as “mummy”. “Your family now spans four generations. You are our Head of State. And you are also our mother,” said Charles, her son and heir to the throne. “Your Majesty, you have been with us in our difficult times. And you bring us together to celebrate moments of pride, joy and happiness. Maybe this year, it really is coming home. You have met us and talked with us. You laugh and cry with us and, most importantly, you have been there for us, for these 70 years. You pledged to serve your whole life – you continue to deliver,” he said. The Queen did not attend Saturday’s concert, but participated in a pre-recorded comic sketch with Paddington Bear to open the concert. In it, she is seen sharing a chaotic English cream tea at Buckingham Palace with the world-famous fictional bear gulping down tea straight from the teapot and accidentally spraying cream at the royal footman. The cartoon character then reveals that he always carries an emergency stash of his favourite treat, a marmalade sandwich, and offers it to the Queen. Smiling and laughing, the Queen opens her own handbag to show her own sandwich, saying: “I keep mine in here”. The star-studded concert saw 22,000 people fill The Mall leading up to the palace to enjoy performances from an array of music artists, as well as appearances from the stars of stage and screen, and the sporting world. There were songs from Sir Elton John, George Ezra, Craig David, Duran Duran, Alicia Keys and Eurovision runner-up Sam Ryder, while Sir Rod Stewart’s performance of ‘Sweet Caroline’ had all the royals swaying in their seats. There was also a run through of British and Commonwealth sporting achievements by actor and rapper Doc Brown and the show was closed by Diana Ross, with her first live performance in the UK in 15 years. The final day of the Jubilee celebrations on Sunday will end with a huge pageant near Buckingham Palace. The Platinum Jubilee Pageant – a carnival procession up The Mall featuring giant puppets and celebrities – will depict key moments from the Queen’s seven decades on the throne. It includes a Bollywood-themed Wedding Party segment, created by South Asian arts group Nutkhut. It will include a six-meter-high four-tiered cake inspired from the royal wedding of the Queen with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1947, with each tier representing the Silver, Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilees of the monarch’s reign. The Wedding Party will be performed in an elaborate style by 250 performers of all ages, from London, Birmingham, Leicester, Manchester, Southampton and Newcastle. Nutkhut says the spirit of the Commonwealth will flow through its specially-designed Platinum Jubilee sari, a key feature of the performance and composed of sustainable organic fabric. Thousands of street parties are also being held across the UK in what is being called the Big Jubilee Lunch. (PTI)

• Environment Education

3 schools in Himachal Pradesh get 'green' tag http://www.millenniumpost.in/nation/3-schools-in-himachal-pradesh-get-green-tag-480973

shimla: Three schools from Himachal Pradesh won laurels for their "green" efforts on the World Environment Day. The Centre for Science and Environment's (CSE) Green Schools Programme (GSP) gave away the 2021-22 Chief Minister's Rolling Trophies here on Sunday to the Shivalik Valley Public School, Solan; Government Senior Secondary School, Nainidhar (Sirmaur); and Government High School, Dugha. With schools in Solan consistently practising environment-friendly measures over the last three years, the district was adjudged the best in the state. The awards are given every year by CSE in association with Himachal Pradesh Council for Science Technology and Environment – the two have been working together for almost a decade for furthering environment education in the state. CSE's Green Schools Programme is an innovative initiative that encourages schools and their students and teachers to audit environmental practices within their campuses, and strive to improve on them. Himachal Pradesh's participation in the programme since 2012 has increased significantly: from 44 schools in 2012 to 699 today. In 2019-20, Himachal Pradesh witnessed an impressive jump in the GSP audit performance. In terms of registrations, 557 schools registered for the GSP Audit 2019 -- a 65 per cent increase when compared to 2018 (367 schools). Of the total 557 registrations, 156 schools completed and submitted the Audit in 2019. Of these, 15 schools were rated 'green' in the Audit, up from four in 2018. Like every year, this year also GSP workshops were organised and 110 teachers participated in it. The GSP-CM's Rolling Trophy was instituted in 2017 to recognise schools who participated in the GSP Audit, with the aim of encouraging students to become environmental managers.

• Industrial Pollution

New boiler technology enables use of all agricultural residue

Biomass-based electricity is gaining attention of regulators and policy makers, as the country moves towards power generation that is not carbon-intensive. A new biomass-based boiler technology introduced this year claims to accommodates all kinds of agricultural residue as fuel and can be greener and may also help reduce the burden of stubble burning. Around 2.6 percent of the country’s electricity demand is met by biomass, according to the Union power ministry. The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) announced central finance assistance for projects utilising biomass like bagasse, agro-based industrial residue, crop residues, wood produced through energy plantations, weeds as well as wood waste produced in industrial operations for power generation. The move was aimed at enhancing biomass combustion in a controlled environment for energy production. Use of biomass as fuel for steam boilers at electricity generation units is also increasing to produce cleaner power. But the existing conventional boilers are designed only for specific types of agro residue such as paddy husk, paddy straw, mustard, among others to be fired for its lifetime and thus restricted the biomass contribution in energy generation. A vibrating grate boiler technology developed in Denmark and recently launched in India can be a solution for firing any kind of biomass. A team of researchers from the industrial pollution department of the Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment visited a power plant of Sukhbir Agro Energy Limited (SAEL) in Kurushektra to study the operation and efficacy of this new boiler installed in 2022. This boiler had a capacity of 75 tonnes per hour and generated 15 megawatts of electricity. SAEL has a power purchase agreement with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited for supplying agro residue-based energy, mainly focused on reducing air pollution due to stubble burning. SPS Bakshi, the head of the plant, said: “The new Denmark-based technology allows the plant to fire a wide range of fuels with less fuel preparation and handling, and mainly avoid the energy-intensive process of briquetting and pelletisation that adds to the power generation cost.” This combustion technology is advantageous because of the vibrating grate. The grate of a steam boiler supports the solid fuel in the furnace. It is so designed that it can also allow air to admit air in the solid fuel for combustion. Vibrating grate is different from the more common stationary, travelling and reciprocating grates since it accommodates biomass of every density. The moisture content of the fuel, however, has to be 15-20 percent. Since the vibrating grate supports firing agro residue of any size, it saves energy consumed for processing biomass for energy generation, the boiler operator informed the team from CSE. Instead of converting biomass into pellets or briquettes, the agro residue is converted into bales right after procurement from the farmers. Before it is conveyed to the combustion system, it is subjected to a bale string cutter and dosing screw to cut the string tying the bales and mixing the bales to reduce its size respectively. The size of the bale is reduced for achieving complete combustion of the biomass fed into the boiler. Then, the bales are sent to a vibrating grate for combustion. Here, the combustion happens as a series of events. For the first 250 seconds, a set of fuel is fired, and then it is moved to the next combustion stage by vibration. After the first set of biomass is moved to the next grate, fresh biomass enters the firing system for combustion. After complete combustion, the burnt biomass in the form of ash is let out for disposal. The biomass-based boiler is as efficient as a coal-based boiler, the operator said. The average steam to fuel ratio of this biomass-fired boiler is 4-4.5 and the efficiency is also achieved up to 85 percent, which is equivalent to coal-based thermal power generation. This system doesn’t require any major structural change to accommodate any kind of agro-residue, making it a better choice for reducing the burden of stubble. The flexibility of using any form of biomass also reduces the cost of transporting the fuel from a longer distance. This in turn saves energy and emissions due to transportation as well.

• Down To Earth

India failing to meet sustainable development goals

India's SDG preparedness ranking continues to decline, and its rank in the global Sustainable Development Report, 2022 released recently, slipped for the third consecutive year. Narendra Modi government has just completed 8 years in power that PM Narendra Modi has referred to as the years of great achievements. While inaugurating the iconic week (June 6-11) celebrations of the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Corporate affairs on June 6, he even said, “A large part of the world expects India to solve problems. This is possible because in the last 8 years we have trusted the wisdom of the common Indian.” However, the SDG data shows his claims are misleading, and India actually lost 8 precious years and went out of track in achieving SDG targets even in the next 8 year by 2030. India’s SDG preparedness ranking continues to decline, and its rank in the global Sustainable Development Report, 2022 released recently, slipped for the third consecutive year. Country’s preparedness in achieving the UN mandated SDGs by 2030 has worsened over the years in comparison with other countries. The UN report finds that India faces major challenges in 11 and significant challenges in 3 out of the 17 SDG goals. Challenges remains in one of the goals while only in two goal SDGs have somewhat been achieved. The country scored only 60.3 which is even below the regional average 65.9 for East and South Asia. The country ranked 121 out of 163 countries, a fall of one rank from 120th of 2021, and 4 ranks from 117th in 2020. Statistical performance index of India is only 70.4, and missing data in SDG index is about 1 per cent. The report was published by a group of independent experts at the Sustainable Development Solution Network (SDSN). Even in respect of the two SDG targets SDG-12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG-13 (Climate Action) for which the report has portrayed somewhat better picture, other reports does not support it. Take example of SDG-13, about which the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report which is based on the Centre’s own NITI Aayog’s index on SDG, says that India’s performance on climate action has slipped from 2019-20. In 2020, the country’s overall national score on SDG-13 was 54 (out of 100) – a significant dip from 60 in 2019. Significant challenges remains in SDG-1 (No Poverty), SDG-7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG-10 (Reduced Inequalities). While the report finds SDG-1 and SDG-7 moderately improving, there information is unavailable regarding inequalities, which has been worsening after the pandemic and is mentioned in several other reports. Major challenges remain in SDG-2 (Zero Hunger), SDG-3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG-5 (Gender Equality), SDG-6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG-8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG-9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG-11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG-14 Life Below Water), SDG-15 (Life on Land), SDG-16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and SDG-17 Partnerships for the Goals). Poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 a day is moderately improving and it stands at 5.9 per cent but at $3.20 it is 35.7 per cent which remains a major challenge. Prevalence of undernourishment (15.5 per cent), Prevalence of stunting in children under 5 years of age (34.7 per cent), Prevalence of wasting in children under 5 years of age (17.3 per cent) are also indicating the challenge ahead and the years we have lost in successfully tackling the situation. Major challenges also remain in maternal mortality rate per 100,000 live births which is still at 145, neonatal mortality rate per 1000 live births at 20.3, Incidence of tuberculosis (per 100,000 population) 188, Age-standardized death rate attributable to household air pollution and ambient air pollution (per 100,000 population) 184, Births attended by skilled health personnel (%) 81.4 , and Subjective well-being (average ladder score, worst 0-10 best) 3.6. Gender Equality goal also remains a major challenge with Ratio of female-to-male mean years of education received (%) 62.1, Ratio of female-to-male labor force participation rate (%) 26.8, and Seats held by women in national parliament (%) 14.4. Even in clean water and sanitation goals, major challenges remains regarding Population using at least basic sanitation services (%) 71.3 and Anthropogenic wastewater that receives treatment (%) 2.2. As for decent work and economic growth, major challenged are Adjusted GDP growth (%) -3.6 (2020) and Fundamental labor rights are effectively guaranteed (worst 0-1 best) 0.5. Performance of the Centre is also very bad regarding industry, innovation and infrastructure, that is covered under SDG9. Major challenges remains in Population using the internet (%) 43 and Expenditure on research and development (% of GDP) 0.7. As per the report, Indian cities are not even sustainable and major challenges remains in the areas like Proportion of urban population living in slums (%) 34.8, Annual mean concentration of particulate matter of less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) (µg/m³) 90.6, and Access to improved water source, piped (% of urban population) 65.9. (IPA Service)

• Down To Earth

Rising water spread, coastal erosion: Centre for Science and Environment’s environment report on India paints grim picture

Twenty-five glacial lakes and water bodies in India, China and Nepal have recorded over 40 per cent rise in their water spread areas since 2009, posing a grave threat to five Indian states and two Union territories, a new report stated. According to the report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the seven states and Union Territories which are under threat are Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. However, it is not just the rise in water spread that is concerning. The data published in the report ‘State of India’s Environment 2022: In Figures’ tell a worrying tale. It said that over a third of India’s coastline witnessed some degree of erosion between 1990 and 2018. West Bengal is the worst hit with over 60 per cent of its shoreline under erosion. An increase in the frequency of cyclones and rise in the sea level, and anthropogenic activities such as the construction of harbours, beach mining and building of dams are some of the reasons for coastal erosion, it said. Citing government data, the report said three out of every four river-monitoring stations in India have recorded alarming levels of heavy toxic metals — lead, iron, nickel, cadmium, arsenic, chromium and copper. In one-fourth of the monitoring stations, spread across 117 rivers and tributaries, high levels of two or more toxic metals have been reported. Of the 33 monitoring stations in the Ganga river, contaminant levels in 10 are high. The report said 45 to 64 per cent of India’s forest cover is likely to become climate hotspots by 2030. By 2050, almost the entire forest cover of the country is likely to become a climate hotspot. “The severity, in terms of damage due to climate change, is set to increase in 2085,” the CSE report stated. A climate hotspot refers to an area that is likely to face severe impacts of climate change. The report revealed that India recycled 12 per cent and burnt 20 per cent of the 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste it generated in 2019-20. There is no information on the remaining 68 per cent of plastic waste, which most likely would have ended up in dumpsites and landfills, it stated.

• Down To Earth

Climate Change: फेंके गए खाने से भी होता है जलवायु परिवर्तन, अभी नहीं संभले तो बहुत देर हो जाएगी!

जलवायु परिवर्तन के बहुत से उदाहरण हमें दिखाई दे रहे हैं. लगातार कार्बन उत्सर्जन से ये समस्या एक विकराल रूप धारण किए हुए है. पर इसके और भी बहुत से कारण हैं. कभी आपने सोचा भी नहीं होगा कि जिस खाने को आप फेंक देते हैं, असल में वह भी क्लाइमेट चेंज का कारण हो सकता है. संयुक्त राष्ट पर्यावरण कार्यक्रम की एक रिपोर्ट में ये खुलासा हुआ है कि साल 2019 में 93 करोड़ टन भोजन को कचरे में फेंक दिया गया. <strong>उत्पादन से भी हो रहा क्लाइमेट चेंज</strong></p> खाने की बर्बादी भी क्लाइमेट चेंज का एक कारण है, लेकिन भोजन उत्पादन भी ग्रीन हाउस गैसों के उत्सर्जन में अहम भूमिका निभाता है. समय के साथ जनसंख्या वृद्धि और भोजन की पूर्ति की मांग बढ़ी है. लोगों के खाने का चक्र हर साल 21 से 37 प्रतिशत तक ग्रीन हाउस गैस उत्सर्जन के लिए जिम्मेदार है. यानी, खाने का चक्र भी धरती को गर्म करने में एक अहम भूमिका निभा रहा है. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की 2022 की एक रिपोर्ट में इस बात का जिक्र किया गया है कि ग्लोबल फूड सिस्टम से होने वाला उत्सर्जन ही धरती को 1.5 डिग्री से अधिक तक गर्म करने के लिए काफी है. इस फूड सिस्टम में फसलों के उत्पादन से लेकर, परिवहन तक शामिल है. दुनिया भर के 780 करोड़ लोगों के खाने की व्यवस्था हर साल 21 से 37 प्रतिशत तक ग्रीन हाउस उत्सर्जन कर रही है. असल में खेत और चारागाहों के लिए रास्ता बनाने के लिए पेड़ काटे जाते हैं. खेतों में ज्यादातर डीजल का उपयोग हो रहा है. खाद और केमिकल भी जमकर चल रहे हैं. इन्हीं सबसे ग्रीन हाउस गैस निकलती है.

• Down To Earth

Delhi News: क्या आप जानते हैं फेंका हुआ खाना भी होता है क्लाइमेट चेंज की वजह? पढ़ें चौंकाने वाली रिपोर्ट

क्लाइमेट चेंज के लिए सिर्फ ओद्योगिकरण ही जिम्मेदार नहीं है.दरअसल फेंका गया खाना भी जलवायु परिवर्तन की वजह बन रहा है. इस बात का एक रिपोर्ट में खुलासा हुआ है. दिल्ली: अक्सर जब लोगों के घर में खाना बचता है या प्लेट में ज्यादा खाना हो जाता है तो लोग उसे फेंक देते है, लेकिन क्या आपको पता है आपका फेंका हुआ खाना भी क्लाइमेट चेंज (Climate Change) का एक बड़ा कारण है. दुनिया भर में आज के दौर में मौसम में हो रहे परिवर्तन, जलवायु परिवर्तन पर वैज्ञानिक शोध कर रहे हैं. इसके पीछे तमाम कारण भी निकल कर सामने आ रहे है जिनमे कार्बन उत्सर्जन परिवर्तन का सबसे बड़ा कारण माना जाता है, लेकिन शायद ही आपने कभी सोचा होगा कि आपके फेंके हुए खाने से भी कार्बन उत्सर्जन होता है और वो भी क्लाइमेट चेंज की एक वजह है. बता दे सयुक्त राष्ट पर्यावरण के एक कार्यक्रम कि रिपोर्ट में यह बात सामने आई कि साल 2019 में दुनिया भर में 93 करोड़ टन भोजन को फेंका गया था.वहीं इस रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक यह हालत सिर्फ विकसित देशों की ही नही बल्कि विकासशील देशों की भी है. क्या कहते है विशेषज्ञ क्लाइमेट चेंज पर रिसर्च कर रहे दिल्ली यूनिवर्सिटी के डीन डॉ डब्लू बी पांडे बताते है कि खाना फेंकने की समस्या दुनिया भर में है. लोगों को पता भी नहीं है कि वो किस तरह वातावरण को नुकसान पहुंचा रहे हैं. अक्सर लोग क्लाइमेट चेंज के लिए इंडस्ट्री, फैक्ट्री वगैरह को वजह मानते हैं, लेकिन क्लाइमेट चेंज के पीछे असल जिम्मेदारी सबकी है, क्योंकि घरों, रेस्टोरेंट, में से जो खाना फेंका जाता है उससे लगभग 8 से 10 फीसदी ग्रीन हाउस गैस निकलती है. वहीं दुनिया भर में खाद्य प्रणाली से भी एक तिहाई ग्रीन हाउस गैस उत्सर्जन होता है,इसलिए अगर दुनिया में खाद्य उत्पादन और उसके इस्तेमाल उपभोग की व्यवस्था को सही नहीं किया गया तो, इससे खाद्य उत्पादन से निकलने वाला ग्रीन हाउस गैस भी एक बड़ी समस्या का रूप ले लेगी और धीरे धीरे 2050 तक इसमें 30 से 40 फीसदी की वृद्धि हो सकती है. खाना फेंकना और उत्पादन भी है वजह बता दे क्लाइमेट चेंज के पीछे कि एक वजह जहां खाने की बर्बादी करना है वहीं भोजन के उत्पादन से भी ग्रीन हाउस गैसों का उत्सर्जन हो रहा है, दरअसल वक्त के साथ जनसंख्या बढ़ रही है ऐसे खाने की मांग भी हर साल बढ़ती जा रही है जिस वजह से ग्रीन हाउस गैस उत्सर्जन भी बढ़ गया है जिसकी वजह से धरती गर्म हो रही है, इस मामले में सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की एक रिपोर्ट जो साल 2022 के लिए आई है उसमे बताया गया है कि खाने के उत्पादन से धरती 1.5 डिग्री गर्म हो रही है, जिसमे फसल के उत्पादन से लेकर उसका पकाना सब शामिल है.

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जहरीली होती नदियां, बढ़ता पानी, 5 राज्यों के लिए खतरे की घंटी:पर्यावरण रिपोर्ट

भारत की नदियों में जल प्रसार में बढ़ोतरी से पांच राज्य और दो केंद्र शासित प्रदेश खतरे में हैं. जहां एक तरफ देश और दुनिया विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस (World Environment Day) मना रहे थे वहीं पर्यावरण को लेकर एक चौंकाने वाली रिपोर्ट सामने आई है. इस रिपोर्ट में भारत के लिए खतरे की घंटी बज रही है. भारत की नदियों में जल प्रसार में बढ़ोतरी से पांच राज्य और दो केंद्र शासित प्रदेश खतरे में हैं. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, भारत, चीन और नेपाल में 25 हिमनद झीलों और जलाशयों के जल प्रसार क्षेत्रों में 2009 के बाद से 40 फीसदी से ज्यादा की बढ़ोतरी दर्ज की गई है. जिसकी वजह से भारत के पांच भारतीय राज्यों और दो केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों के लिए गंभीर खतरा पैदा हो गया है. 'स्टेट ऑफ इंडियाज एनवायरनमेंट 2022: इन फिगर्स' नाम की रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि जल प्रसार बढ़ने से असम, अरुणाचल प्रदेश, सिक्किम, बिहार, हिमाचल प्रदेश तथा जम्मू-कश्मीर और लद्दाख के लिए मुश्किलें खड़ी हो सकती हैं. हालांकि, यह सिर्फ जल प्रसार में बढ़ोतरी का मामला नहीं है. रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि साल 1990 और 2018 के बीच भारत के एक तिहाई से अधिक तटरेखा में कुछ हद तक कटाव देखा गया है. पश्चिम बंगाल सबसे बुरी तरह प्रभावित है, जिसकी 60 प्रतिशत से अधिक तटरेखा भूमि के कटाव होने से प्रभावित है. रिपोर्ट में बताई गई ये वजह रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि चक्रवात की घटनाओं में और समुद्र के जलस्तर में बढ़ोतरी के अलावा मानवजनित गतिविधियां, जैसे कि- बंदरगाहों का निर्माण, समुद्र तट पर खनन और बांधों का निर्माण तटीय कटाव के कुछ कारण हैं. रिपोर्ट में सरकारी आंकड़ों का हवाला देते हुए बताया गया है कि भारत में हर चार नदी-निगरानी केंद्रों में से तीन में भारी जहरीले धातुओं - सीसा, लोहा, निकेल, कैडमियम, आर्सेनिक, क्रोमियम और तांबे के खतरनाक स्तर दर्ज किए गए हैं. CSE की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, 117 नदियों और सहायक नदियों में फैले एक-चौथाई निगरानी स्टेशन में, दो या उससे अधिक जहरीले धातुओं के उच्च स्तर की खबर मिली है. गंगा नदी के 33 निगरानी केंद्रों में से 10 में प्रदूषण का स्तर अधिक है. वन क्षेत्र भी खतरे में रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि भारत के वन क्षेत्र का 45 से 64 फीसदी 2030 तक जलवायु हॉटस्पॉट बनने की संभावना है. साल 2050 तक, देश का लगभग पूरा वन क्षेत्र जलवायु हॉटस्पॉट बनने की संभावना है. 117 नदियों और सहायक नदियों में फैले एक-चौथाई निगरानी स्टेशनों में, दो या अधिक जहरीली धातुओं के उच्च स्तर की सूचना मिली है। गंगा नदी के 33 निगरानी स्टेशनों में से 10 में प्रदूषण का स्तर अधिक है. जलवायु हॉटस्पॉट एक ऐसे क्षेत्र को कहा जाता है जो जलवायु परिवर्तन के गंभीर प्रभावों का सामना कर सकता है. रिपोर्ट से पता चला है कि भारत ने 2019-20 में पैदा हुए 35 लाख टन प्लास्टिक कचरे में से 12 प्रतिशत का रिसाइकिल किया और 20 फीसदी को जला दिया. इसमें कहा गया है कि बाकी 68 फीसदी प्लास्टिक कचरे के बारे में कोई जानकारी नहीं है, जो संभवतः डंपसाइट्स और लैंडफिल साइट में खप गया होगा.

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CSE Report: बिगड़े मौसम ने ली 1700 की जान, बिजली गिरने, चक्रवात, बाढ़ और भूस्खलन सबसे बड़ी वजहें

विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस पर सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) द्वारा जारी रिपोर्ट ‘भारत के पर्यावरण की स्थिति 2022’ में यह आंकड़े सामने रखे गए। साथ ही इस रिपोर्ट के अनुसार इस साल देश में प्राकृतिक आपदा को बढ़ाने वाले हालात भी पर्यावरण को नुकसान से बढ़ रहे हैं। मौसम बिगड़ने की वजह से 2021 में देश के 1,700 नागरिक मारे गए। इनमें सबसे ज्यादा 350 महाराष्ट्र के थे तो 223 ओडिशा और 191 मध्य प्रदेश के। सबसे ज्यादा मौतें बिजली गिरने, चक्रवात, भीषण गर्मी, बाढ़ और भूस्खलन से हुईं। विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस पर सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) द्वारा जारी रिपोर्ट ‘भारत के पर्यावरण की स्थिति 2022’ में यह आंकड़े सामने रखे गए। साथ ही इस रिपोर्ट के अनुसार इस साल देश में प्राकृतिक आपदा को बढ़ाने वाले हालात भी पर्यावरण को नुकसान से बढ़ रहे हैं। बढ़ रहीं गर्मी की भीषणता 2012 से 2021 के दशक में भारत ने तापमान में सर्वाधिक वृद्धि देखी। 15 में से 11 सबसे गर्म वर्ष बीते डेढ़ दशक में दर्ज हुए। 2022 मे भी मार्च महीना सबसे गर्म साबित हुए। इस वजह से राजस्थान, मध्य प्रदेश, हिमाचल प्रदेश, गुजरात और हरियाणा के लोगों को देश के 54 प्रतिशत लू से प्रभावित दिन सहने पड़े। प्राकृतिक आपदाओं से खर्च में कुछ कमी रिपोर्ट के अनुसार भारत सरकार के प्राकृतिक आपदाओं से जुड़े खर्च में 30 प्रतिशत कमी आई है। 2021 के मुकाबले 2022 में 6 राज्यों व यूटी में यह कमी 50 प्रतिशत है तो 5 में 70 प्रतिशत तक। जल क्षेत्र बढ़ा...7 राज्यों के लिए खतरा भारत, चीन और नेपाल के बीच 25 ग्लेशियर झीलें व जलाशय हैं, जिनमें से अधिकतर का जल क्षेत्र गर्मी के साथ बढ़ रहा है। अकेले नेपाल में 2009 से इनका जल क्षेत्र 40 प्रतिशत बढ़ा है। इससे भारत के सात राज्यों व केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों (यूटी) बिहार, हिमाचल प्रदेश, असम, जम्मू कश्मीर, लद्दाख, अरुणाचल प्रदेश और सिक्किम में अचानक बाढ़ के खतरे पैदा हुए हैं। गंगा में प्रदूषण सुरक्षित स्तर से अधिक नदियों में प्रदूषण पर निगरानी रख रहे 4 में से 3 निगरानी केंद्रों के अनुसार इनमें लेड, निकल, कैडमियम, आयरन, आर्सेनिक, क्रोमियम और कॉपर आदि सुरक्षित स्तर से अधिक मिल रहे हैं। हर चौथे केंद्र को 117 नदियों और उनकी सहायक में दो या दो से ज्यादा जहरीले तत्व मिले हैं। सबसे पवित्र कही जाने वाली गंगा के 33 में से 10 निगरानी केंद्रों ने पानी में प्रदूषण सुरक्षित स्तर के पार बताया है। 12 फीसदी रीसाइकल...68 फीसदी कचरा कहां जा रहा, पता नहीं देश में 12 प्रतिशत प्लास्टिक रीसाइकल हो रहा है, तो 20 प्रतिशत जलाया जा रहा है। 2019-20 में देश में 35 लाख टन प्लास्टिक का कचरा निकला था। 68 प्रतिशत प्लास्टिक का क्या हो रहा है, कोई खबर नहीं है। अनुमान हैं कि इनसे कचरे व मलबे के ढेर बन रहे हैं तो इन्हें जमीन में भी गाड़ा जा रहा है। इससे मिट्टी में प्रदूषण बढ़ रहा है। 33 फीसदी में बढ़ा कटाव 1990 से 2018 के बीच भारत के करीब 33 प्रतिशत तट में कटाव देखने को मिला। पश्चिम बंगाल में सबसे ज्यादा 60 प्रतिशत तटों पर कटाव हुआ है। इसकी वजह मैंग्रोव जंगलों को काटा जाना, बंदरगाह निर्माण व आवागमन गतिविधियां बढ़ना, तटों के निकट बांध व अन्य निर्माण, समुद्र के पानी का स्तर बढ़ना, तटों पर खनन हैं। जंगल: जलवायु परिवर्तन से हरियाली घटेगी, सूखेंगे पानी के स्रोत भारत के 65 प्रतिशत जंगलों में 2030 तक जलवायु परिवर्तन का असर नजर आने लगेगा। यहां हरियाली कम होना, आग लगना, पानी के स्रोत सूखना प्रमुख नुकसान होंगे। 2050 तक देश के लगभाग सभी जंगल 'क्लाइमेट हॉटस्पॉट' बन चुके होंगे, यानी यहां जलवायु परिवर्तन का नुकसान होगा।

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75% of river monitoring stations report heavy metal pollution: Centre for Science and Environment

Heavy toxic metals such as lead, iron, nickel, cadmium, arsenic, chromium and copper were present at alarming levels, according to the NGO Three out of every four river monitoring stations in India posted alarming levels of heavy toxic metals such as lead, iron, nickel, cadmium, arsenic, chromium and copper. In about a fourth of the monitoring stations, which are spread across 117 rivers and tributaries, high levels of two or more toxic metals were reported. Of the 33 monitoring stations in Ganga, 10 had high levels of contaminants. The river, which is the focus of the Centre’s Namami Gange mission, has high levels of lead, iron, nickel, cadmium and arsenic, according to the State of Environment Report 2022 from the environmental NGO, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The report is an annual compendium of environment-development data and is derived from public sources. India has 764 river quality monitoring stations across 28 states. Of these, the Central Water Commission tested water samples from 688 stations for heavy metals between August 2018 and December 2020. Of the 588 water quality stations monitored for pollution, total coliform and biochemical oxygen demand were high in 239 and 88 stations across 21 States - an indicator of poor wastewater treatment from industry, agriculture and domestic households. India dumps 72% of its sewage waste without treatment. Ten States do not treat their sewage at all, as per the Central Pollution Control Board. Coastline erosion Over a third of India’s coastline that is spread across 6,907 km saw some degree of erosion between 1990 and 2018. West Bengal is the worst hit with over 60% of its shoreline under erosion. The reasons for coastal erosion include increase in frequency of cyclones and sea level rise and anthropogenic activities such as construction of harbours, beach mining and building of dams. ADVT ADVT While the global average of the Ocean Health Index, a measure that looks at how sustainably humans. are exploiting ocean resources, has improved between 2012 and 2021, India’s score in the index has declined over the same period, the CSE report underlines. India’s total forest cover has registered a little over a 0.5% increase between 2017 and 2021 though most of the increase has taken place in the open forest category, which includes commercial plantations. This has happened at the cost of moderately dense forest, which is normally the area closest to human habitations. At the same time, very dense forests, which absorb maximum carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, occupy just 3% of total forest cover. India has a forest cover of 77.53 million hectares. But recorded forests—the area under the forest department— with forest cover are only 51.66 million. This gap of 25.87 million hectares —a size bigger than Uttar Pradesh— remains unaccounted, the organisation noted.

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75% Of River Monitoring Stations Recorded Heavy Metal Pollution: Report

According to the report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the seven states and Union Territories which are under threat are Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Twenty-five glacial lakes and water bodies in India, China and Nepal have recorded over 40 per cent rise in their water spread areas since 2009, posing a grave threat to five Indian states and two Union territories, a new report stated. According to the report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the seven states and Union Territories which are under threat are Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. However, it is not just the rise in water spread that is concerning. The data published in the report 'State of India's Environment 2022: In Figures' tell a worrying tale. It said that over a third of India's coastline witnessed some degree of erosion between 1990 and 2018. West Bengal is the worst hit with over 60 per cent of its shoreline under erosion. An increase in the frequency of cyclones and rise in the sea level, and anthropogenic activities such as the construction of harbours, beach mining and building of dams are some of the reasons for coastal erosion, it said. Citing government data, the report said three out of every four river-monitoring stations in India have recorded alarming levels of heavy toxic metals -- lead, iron, nickel, cadmium, arsenic, chromium and copper. In one-fourth of the monitoring stations, spread across 117 rivers and tributaries, high levels of two or more toxic metals have been reported. Of the 33 monitoring stations in the Ganga river, contaminant levels in 10 are high. The report said 45 to 64 per cent of India's forest cover is likely to become climate hotspots by 2030. By 2050, almost the entire forest cover of the country is likely to become a climate hotspot. "The severity, in terms of damage due to climate change, is set to increase in 2085," the CSE report stated. A climate hotspot refers to an area that is likely to face severe impacts of climate change. Promoted Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com The report revealed that India recycled 12 per cent and burnt 20 per cent of the 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste it generated in 2019-20. There is no information on the remaining 68 per cent of plastic waste, which most likely would have ended up in dumpsites and landfills, it stated.

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Shimla: 3 schools awarded for 'green' efforts

The Centre for Science and Environment’s (CSE) Green Schools Programme (GSP) gave away the 2021-22 Chief Minister’s Rolling Trophies to Shivalik Valley Public School, Solan, Government Senior Secondary School, Nainidhar (Sirmaur) and Government High School, Dugha on the occasion of World Environment Day here today. These three schools have been awarded for their “green” efforts. Besides, district Solan was adjudged the best in the state as most of the schools in the district have been consistently practising environment-friendly measures over the last three years. The awards are given every year by the CSE in association with Himachal Pradesh Council for Science Technology and Environment (HIMCOSTE) – the two have been working together for almost a decade for furthering environment education in the state. CSE’s Green Schools Programme is an innovative initiative that encourages schools and their students and teachers to audit the environmental practices within their campuses and strive to improve on them. Himachal Pradesh’s participation in the programme since 2012 has increased significantly, from 44 schools in 2012 to 699 today. In 2019-20, the state witnessed an impressive jump in the GSP audit performance. In terms of registrations, 557 schools registered for the GSP Audit 2019 — a 65 per cent increase when compared to 2018 (367 schools). Of the total 557 registrations, 156 schools completed and submitted the audit in 2019. Of these, 15 schools were rated ‘green’ in the audit, up from four in 2018.

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PM Modi calls for 'one earth, many efforts' to make environment better

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Lifestyle for the Environment Movement', a global initiative, and asserted that its vision is to live a lifestyle that is in tune with our planet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laun­ched the ‘Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Mov­ement’, a global initiative, and asserted its vision is to live a lifestyle that is in tune with our planet and does not harm it. Those who live such a lifestyle are called “pro-planet people,” he said in a video address, and added that "Mission LiFE' borrows from the past, operates in the present and focuses on the future. Giving the slogan of "one earth, many efforts", he said India is ready to lend its support to actions to make environment better and improve global wellness. With the launch coinciding with World Environment Day, Modi said our planet's challenges are well-known, and the need of the hour is human-centric, collective efforts and robust actions that further sustainable development. He added: “Our commitment to reach 40 per cent of installed electric capacity from non-fossil fuel-based sources has been achieved, nine years ahead of schedule. We have achieved 10 per cent ethanol blending in petrol, five months ahead of the November 2022 target. This is a major accomplishment given that blending was hardly 1.5 per cent in 2013-14 and 5 per cent in 2019-20.” Union Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Giriraj Singh said the country has adopted a five-point agenda, which includes meeting its 50 per cent of its energy demand every year, which is 500 Gw, from renewable resources by 2030. CSE report Twenty-five glacial lakes and water bodies in India, China, and Nepal have recorded over 40 per cent rise in water spread areas since 2009, posing a threat to five Indian states and two UTs, a new report stated. According to the report by the Centre for Science and Environment, over a third of India’s coastline saw some degree of erosion between 1990 and 2018. West Bengal is the worst hit with over 60 per cent of its shoreline under erosion.

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World Environment Day: 68% of India’s plastic waste unaccounted for

Only 12 per cent of plastic waste generated in 2019-20 was recycled and 20 per cent was burnt, says CSE study Climate change is for real and incremental efforts won’t work. It is time for some transformation action, said Down To Earth editor Sunita Narain as she released the 7th edition of the “State of India’s Environment 2022: In Figures”, as a precursor to June 5 – World Environment Day. The World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 every year. The day is marked to call for action by governments, private organisations, civil society as well as individuals to protect the environment. “Data is about measurement and the better we measure, the better we will get at management — this is what we know and this is why we put together this dataset each year,” said Narain while inaugurating the book online from Stockholm where she has gone to attend the Stockholm climate change conference. Data helps us make sense of the changes we see in our world; it helps us understand what needs to be done, she added. “Most of the data that the report carries is based on official government statistics that are available in the public domain. We simply analyse it and present it with a researcher’s rigour and a journalist’s insight,” said Richard Mahapatra, managing editor of Down To Earth. Also read: Is plastic pollution our Waterloo moment? Look around, there’s more On solid waste management, the report says that in 2019-20, India generated 3.5 million tonne of plastic waste. Only 12 per cent of this was recycled, and 20 per cent was burnt, according to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The remaining 68 per cent remains unaccounted for, which means it is in the environment (land and water) or in dumpsites. Our hazardous waste generation went up by 5 per cent between 2019-20 and 2020-21, while our e-waste generation increased by 32 per cent between 2018-19 and 2019-20. Emphasising the need to cut down air pollution, the report says reducing air pollution to meet the World Health Organization’s standards would add 2.2 years to global life expectancy. In India, the life expectancy will go up by 5.9 years if the country meets the WHO levels of PM2.5. And, we aren’t eating healthy food anymore. More than 1.7 million Indians die due to diseases attributable to unhealthy diet. The diet of an Indian, on an average, lacks in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains, the report says.

• Environment Education

रीन स्कूल कार्यक्रम में हिमाचल के तीन स्कूल सम्मानित, सोलन जिला का सर्वश्रेष्ठ प्रदर्शन

हिमाचल प्रदेश के तीन स्कूलों को अपने परिसरों को पर्यावरण के अनुकूल बनाने के लिए ग्रीन स्कूल पुरस्कारों से नवाजा गया है। पर्यावरण के क्षेत्र में कार्य करने वाली सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट (सीएसई) के ग्रीन स्कूल प्रोग्राम (जीएसपी) के तहत स्कूलों की पर्यावरण व्यवस्था के आधार पर अलग-अलग वर्ग में तीन स्कूलों को सम्मानित किया गया। विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस के उपलक्ष्य पर रविवार को शिमला के गेयटी थियेटर में अतिरिक्त मुख्य सचिव पर्यावरण विज्ञान व प्रौद्योगिकी विभाग प्रबोध सक्सेना ने ये पुरस्कार प्रदान किए। पिछले तीन सालों से लगातार पर्यावरण के अनुकूल माहौल बनाए रखने के लिए सोलन को राज्य का सर्वश्रेष्ठ जिला घोषित किया गया। पर्यावरण के तय मानकों पर सोलन जिला के स्कूलों ने सर्वश्रेष्ठ प्रदर्शन किया है। शिवालिक वैली पब्लिक स्कूल सोलन, राजकीय वरिष्ठ माध्यमिक विद्यालय नैनीधार (सिरमौर) और सरकारी हाई स्कूल डुघा (हमीरपुर) को 2021-22 की मुख्यमंत्री रॉलिंग ट्राफियां प्रदान की गईं। ये अवार्ड हर साल सीएसई और हिमाचल प्रदेश विज्ञान प्रौद्योगिकी और पर्यावरण परिषद (हिमकॉस्ट) के सहयोग से दिए जाते हैं। दोनों मिलकर राज्य में पर्यावरण-शिक्षा को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए लगभग एक दशक से साथ काम कर रहे हैं। ग्रीन स्कूल कार्यक्रम का उददेश्य सभी को पर्यावरण के महत्व को समझाना है। सीएसई का ग्रीन स्कूल प्रोग्राम (जीएसपी) एक ऐसी पहल है, जो स्कूलों, उनके स्टूडेंट्स और शिक्षकों को स्कूल-परिसरों के अंदर पर्यावरण के अनुकूल माहौल बनाने और उसे बचाए रखने के लिए प्रोत्साहित करता है। सीएसई की इस पहल में हिमाचल प्रदेश की भागीदारी 2012 से लगातार बढ़ती गई है। वर्ष 2012 में इसमें 44 स्कूल शामिल थे, जिनकी संख्या आज 699 है। 2019-20 में हिमाचल प्रदेश ने जीएसपी के ऑडिट प्रदर्शन में महत्वपूर्ण बढ़त दर्ज की थी। जहां तक पंजीकरण का सवाल है, जीएसपी ऑडिट-2019 में 557 स्कूलों ने पंजीकरण कराया था, जो 2018 के 367 स्कूलों की तुलना में 65 फीसदी ज्यादा था। कुल 557 पंजीकरणों में से, 156 स्कूलों ने 2019 में ऑडिट पूरा किया और प्रस्तुत किया। इनमें से, 15 स्कूलों को ऑडिट में ‘ग्रीन’ का दर्जा दिया गया था, जो 2018 में केवल चार स्कूलों को मिला था। हर साल की तरह, इस साल भी जीएसपी कार्यशालाएं आयोजित की गईं, जिनमें 110 टीचरों ने भाग लिया। उल्लेखनीय है कि जीएसपी-सीएम रॉलिंग ट्रॉफी की स्थापना 2017 में की गई थी जिसका उद्देश्य उन स्कूलों का सम्मान करना था, जिन्होेंने स्टूडेंट्स को पर्यावरण-प्रबंधक बनाकर उसकी बेहतरी के लिए चेतना जगाने के लिए जीएसपी-ऑडिट में भागीदारी की थी। तब से 14 स्कूल और दो जिलों (सोलन को लगातार दो सालों तक ट्रॉफी मिली) ने जीएसपी-एचपी मुख्यमंत्री ट्रॉफी हासिल की हैै। 2018-19 में खुद मुख्यमंत्री जयराम ठाकुर ने मंडी में हुए कार्यक्रम में जीतने वाले स्कूलों को ट्रॉफी दी थी। 2019-20 में चार स्कूलों को प्रमाणपत्र दिया गया था और सोलन को एक बार फिर सर्वश्रेष्ठ जिले का पुरस्कार मिला था। 2021-22 के लिए तीन स्कूलों और एक जिले को रॉलिंग ट्रॉफी अवार्ड के लिए चुना गया था। हिन्दुस्थान समाचार/उज्जवल/सुनील