Cse In News

Environment Education

PM SHRI KV No. 2 Mangaluru Wins CSE ‘Sterling School’ Award

PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2, Mangaluru has been awarded the ‘Sterling School’ title by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) under its Green Schools Programme, following a comprehensive Green School Audit. The school has been rated a Green School for five consecutive years, reflecting sustained efforts in environmental conservation and adoption of sustainable practices on campus. For the academic year 2025–26, only two schools from Karnataka received the Sterling School recognition. At the national level, only two Kendriya Vidyalayas were conferred the award, the other being Kendriya Vidyalaya, Narela, West Delhi. CSE cited the school’s initiatives in waste management, composting, rainwater harvesting, energy conservation and cleanliness drives as key factors behind the recognition. The organisation also acknowledged the role of the school leadership, including Principal Jaswinderlal, Green School Coordinator Sujatha U. Nair, and the student-led Green Team in implementing the programme. The award was presented by CSE Director General Sunita Narain at a ceremony held at the Stein Auditorium in New Delhi on January 30. The Green Schools Programme evaluates schools on parameters such as air, energy, food, water, waste and sanitation, with the audit aimed at encouraging environmentally responsible practices among educational institutions. Officials said the recognition would further strengthen the school’s commitment to sustainability and environmental awareness among students.

Environment Education

National Green Honors: Punjab and Hoshiarpur Lead at CSE Awards

unjab has clinched the "Best State" award for the third consecutive year under the Green School Programme (GSP), an initiative by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The state accounted for over 84% of the total submissions in audit registrations and report submissions across 28 states and union territories. According to the GSP Audit 2025–26 results, 6,264 schools from Punjab submitted audit reports, with 237 institutions earning the prestigious 'green' rating. Nationwide, 433 schools were honoured as the country's "greenest", meaning Punjab alone accounts for over 54% of the top-rated schools in India. Hoshiarpur also maintained its dominance, retaining the "Best District" title for the second year in a row with 947 report submissions. CSE Director General Sunita Narain praised the initiative and said that the programme allows students to measure and benchmark their environmental footprint to make a visible difference. Tushita Rawat, programme manager at CSE, noted a growing trend among schools toward lower resource use and the adoption of conservation measures. The audit revealed that 86% of submissions came from government schools, highlighting their leadership in sustainability. Key practices recognised included the use of non-polluting transport, energy-efficient lighting, and rainwater harvesting. Satya Bharti School in Tungaheri, Ludhiana, was specifically recognised as a "Changemaker" in the primary category.

Environment Education

Punjab notches top position under the Green Schools Programme for the Third Consecutive Year

Punjab has once again emerged as a national leader in school-level environmental sustainability, winning the prestigious ‘Best State’ and ‘Best District’ awards at the Green Schools Awards 2026. The awards were presented by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Dr. K.S. Bath, Joint Director, PSCST received the Best State and Best District Awards under GSP from Ms. Sunita Narain, DG, Centre for Science & Environment at New Delhi. These accolades mark the third consecutive year that Punjab has received top honors, reflecting the state’s sustained commitment to promoting environmental awareness and sustainable practices in schools. Pertinently Punjab secured the ‘Best State’ and ‘Best District’ awards for the third year in a row. A total of 13,258 schools from Punjab registered under the Green Schools Programme, out of which 6,264 schools successfully completed the green audit process. Punjab accounted for an impressive 84.57% of the total 7,407 schools audited nation-wide, demonstrating the state’s exceptional participation and performance. Of the 433 schools across India awarded the prestigious Green School status, 237 schools are from Punjab, including 208 government schools and 10 private schools. • Notably, 185 Green Schools are located in rural areas, while 33 are from urban areas, highlighting the programs deep grassroots reach. Hoshiarpur district emerged as the top-performing district in the country, with a record 947 schools completing green audits, the highest number achieved by any district nationwide. The remarkable progress has been driven by the proactive efforts of PSCST, which has significantly expanded the Green Schools movement in Punjab. The number of Green Schools in the state has grown from 70 in 2023–24, to 196 in 2024–25 and further to 237 in 2025–26. The Green Schools Programme empowers students and schools to assess and improve resource management across six key environmental domains—air, energy, food, land, water, and waste—thereby nurturing environmentally responsible citizens from a young age. Punjab’s continued success under the Green Schools Programme sets a benchmark for other states and reinforces its position as a frontrunner in integrating sustainability into education.

Environment Education

Punjab notches top position under the Green Schools Programme for the Third Consecutive Year

Environment Education

Motilal नेहरू स्कूल ऑफ स्पोर्ट्स, राई को लगातार ग्रीन प्रैक्टिस के लिए अवॉर्ड मिला

मोतीलाल नेहरू स्कूल ऑफ़ स्पोर्ट्स (MNSS), राई को लगातार 10 सालों तक ग्रीन प्रैक्टिस बनाए रखने के लिए प्रतिष्ठित 'स्टर्लिंग ग्रीन स्कूल अवार्ड' से सम्मानित किया गया है।यह अवार्ड स्कूल के सस्टेनेबल वॉटर मैनेजमेंट प्रैक्टिस और इको-फ्रेंडली पहलों को पहचान देने के लिए दिया गया, जिसमें STP प्लांट के ज़रिए पानी की रीसाइक्लिंग, सोलर एनर्जी का इस्तेमाल, बारिश के पानी को इकट्ठा करना, बड़े पैमाने पर पेड़ लगाना, कचरे की रीसाइक्लिंग और स्कूल मेस में तैयार ताज़ा, पौष्टिक खाना परोसना शामिल है। यह अवार्ड जानी-मानी पर्यावरणविद् और सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की डायरेक्टर जनरल सुनीता नारायण ने दिया। जाने-माने कंजर्वेशन बायोलॉजिस्ट डॉ. ब्रॉविन कुमार गेस्ट ऑफ़ ऑनर थे। स्कूल की तरफ से प्रिंसिपल और डायरेक्टर पीके धीमान, इको क्लब इंचार्ज दिनेश कुमारी, अंजना पाहवा, साथ ही इको क्लब के तीन छात्र मौजूद थे।नारायण ने स्कूल द्वारा की गई सराहनीय पर्यावरणीय पहलों की तारीफ़ की और उम्मीद जताई कि आने वाले सालों में भी यह सस्टेनेबल डेवलपमेंट की दिशा में सार्थक योगदान देता रहेगा।इस कार्यक्रम में देश भर से लगभग 20,000 स्कूलों ने हिस्सा लिया था, जिनमें से सिर्फ़ पाँच को यह अवार्ड दिया गया।

Environment Education

Punjab notches top position under the Green Schools Programme for the Third Consecutive Year

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

To cut traffic load, targeted ‘congestion pricing’ mooted

The survey quoted a report of Centre for Science and Environment on Delhi’s congestion troubles that said an unskilled worker stands to lose between ₹7,200 ..

Industrial Pollution

Union Budget 2026-27: Environmentalists Urge GST Relief On Recyclable Waste For India’s Greener Economy

As the government readies the Union Budget 2026, environmentalists have sought a reduction in Goods and Services Tax (GST) on recyclable waste, terming it as a critical step to boost India’s green economy. In a recent letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, CSE Director-General Sunita Narain highlighted that currently, India’s tax regime treats recycled materials in the same manner as virgin ones, thus penalising the very sectors that can drive the country’s transition to a circular economy. “India is moving towards a greener economy transformation through government policy across sectors like energy, industry, waste, transport and agriculture. We believe that GST and fiscal structures could play a major role in accelerating this transition towards a greener economy,” she said. In its latest assessment, New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) found that the current GST structure on recyclable waste has resulted in a double loss. Not only has it driven a large share of transactions into informal channels, but also simultaneously weakened recycling, resource security and industrial competitiveness. However, by reducing GST on recyclable waste to 5 per cent or zero, along with fully integrating informal supply chains, could turn the current loss into a net fiscal gain of over Rs 90,000 crore. “In our analysis, we examined 12 major waste and recycling sectors, including metal scrap, plastic waste, e-waste, battery waste, paper, glass, tyres and end-of-life vehicles. In each sector, the opportunity for reuse is enormous,” said programme director, industrial pollution, CSE. Additionally, experts argued this will strengthen micro, small and medium enterprises, improve livelihoods for millions of informal workers, and reduce dependence on virgin material imports. In another report, the CSE team found that reusing waste such as slag, fly ash or municipal waste in case of cement, and steel scrap in case of iron and steel also offers a vital opportunity for waste reduction and decarbonisation. “However, the current regime of GST at 18 per cent for recycled and low carbon materials is a huge disincentive,” said programme manager, industrial pollution, CSE. For example, in the cement sector, India currently produces different types of cement which have varying CO₂ emissions, with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) being the most emission-intensive cement, while others have lower emission intensity as they use waste as raw material in their production processes. But as GST does not differentiate between different cement types based on emission intensity, there is no incentive for industries and consumers to move towards green production and consumption, he explained. In its letter to the FM, the CSE DG emphasised that this reform in GST regime would acknowledge that “waste is a resource”. “By ‘relaxing the tax’, we can level the playing field for green enterprises, secure our resource future, and protect millions of our most vulnerable workers,” she wrote.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Economic Survey: Congestion pricing, parking reforms key to decongesting cities; prioritise people over vehicles

“There are several varying estimates of the loss in productivity across cities resulting from traffic congestion. A Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report on Delhi’s congestion troubles states that an unskilled worker stands to lose between ₹7,200 - ₹19,600 per year due to congestion. Similarly, skilled and highly skilled workers can lose as much as ₹8,300 - ₹23,800 and ₹9,000 - ₹25,900 a year, respectively,” it noted. Targeted congestion pricing in dense business districts, combined with demand-based parking management, can reduce traffic congestion, improve travel speeds, and lower emissions, as demonstrated by global examples, the Economic Survey 2025-2026 released on January 29 said, highlighting measures adopted by cities such as Singapore and London to address urban congestion. “Manage demand where geometry is most binding: Targeted congestion pricing in dense business districts, combined with demand-based parking management, can reduce traffic, raise speeds, and cut emissions, as seen internationally,” it said. It noted that recent reforms, such as the Chennai Metropolitan Area Parking Policy (2025), whereby private vehicle use is disincentivised, treats parking as valuable real estate, and prioritises walking, cycling, and public transport, show that such demand-management tools are feasible complements to transit investment. The survey highlighted the steps taken by the authorities in Singapore and London to tackle congestion. Singapore Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) is a dynamic, electronic, congestion-pricing system that automatically charges vehicles when they pass under a toll gantry during peak periods. It is specifically designed to manage and reduce traffic congestion, and decades of data from Singapore show that it works very effectively, the survey stated. The London Congestion Charge is a cordon-based, area licensing system where vehicles pay a daily fee to enter, leave, or move within a designated central London zone, it added. The survey also suggested scaling up city bus fleets, accelerating e-bus adoption, and mainstreaming last-mile and shared mobility as other elements that could be used to curtail congestion in cities. Loss in productivity due to traffic congestion across cities The Economic Survey noted that there are several estimates of the loss in productivity from traffic congestion across cities. The Economic Survey also highlighted the loss of productivity due to mobility issues. It said that resolving the challenge requires prioritising modes with the greatest carrying capacity, across short and long distances. “There are several varying estimates of the loss in productivity across cities resulting from traffic congestion. A Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report on Delhi’s congestion troubles states that an unskilled worker stands to lose between ₹7,200 - ₹19,600 per year due to congestion. Similarly, skilled and highly skilled workers can lose as much as ₹8,300 - ₹23,800 and ₹9,000 - ₹25,900 a year, respectively,” it noted. A working paper by the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC)17 estimated the loss of productive hours due to the late arrivals caused by traffic congestion would be around 7.07 lakh hours in 2018 for Bengaluru city, translating to a monetary cost of around ₹11.7 billion. A 2018 report by Uber–BCG estimated that costs associated with traffic congestion in the four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata were $22 billion per year, it ntoed. According to the TomTom Traffic Index 2024, commuters in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and New Delhi lost 117 hours, 103 hours, and 76 hours, respectively, per year due to rush-hour traffic in their respective city centres. Despite the variation in estimates, it is evident that the costs of mobility issues are high and on the rise, it noted.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Despite Rapid Transport, Gaps In Mass Transit Services Persist: Economic Survey

Stating that there are several varying estimates of the loss in productivity across cities resulting from traffic congestion, the survey highlighted that despite the variation in estimates, it is evident that the costs of mobility issues are high and on the rise. "A Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report on Delhi's congestion troubles states that an unskilled worker stands to lose between Rs 7,200 and Rs 19,600 per year due to congestion. Similarly, skilled and highly skilled workers can lose as much as Rs 8,300 to Rs 23,800 and Rs 9,000 to Rs 25,900 a year, respectively," the report said. The economic survey 2025-26 shows that gaps in mass transit services persist across India despite the adoption of the rapid transport system. "Despite these measures, gaps in mass transit services persist. City-level indicators reveal a capacity shortfall in buses. MoHUA recommends 40-60 buses per one lakh people. Yet, many cities have far fewer. Nationally, only about 47,650 buses serve its urban residents. Nearly 61% of these are concentrated in just nine megacities. Due to the layout of urban roads, low bus availability combined with high private vehicle use reduces person throughput per lane kilometre, leading to congestion and longer door-to-door travel times," the survey, tabled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, noted. Mass Rapid Transit System India has expanded its mass rapid transit over the last decade, notes the survey, as 1,036 km of Metro/RRTS are operational across around 24 cities till 2025, with further corridors under construction. The first Delhi–Ghaziabad–Meerut Namo Bharat RRTS corridor has 55 km in operation and is progressing towards full commissioning of around 82 km through phased openings and multimodal integration at hubs such as Anand Vihar. "These systems are being delivered under the Metro Rail Policy (2017), which requires Comprehensive Mobility Plans, UMTA arrangements, viability thresholds and the National Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Policy (2017), which encourages compact, mixed-use growth, multimodal integration and value-capture financing around stations," the survey said. Highlighting PM e-Bus Sewa, the report said the government has launched the service to strengthen city bus operations with 10,000 e-buses on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, backed by Rs 20,000 crore central assistance and a Payment Security Mechanism (PSM) to assure operator cash flows. Mobility The survey further disclosed that traffic congestion in Indian cities results in a loss in productivity, with a study suggesting that unskilled workers in Delhi stand to lose between Rs 7,200 and Rs 19,600 per year due to congestion. "A working paper by the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) estimated the loss of productive hours due to the late arrivals caused by traffic congestion would be around 7.07 lakh hours in 2018 for Bengaluru, translating to a monetary cost of around Rs 11.7 billion," it noted. Stating that there are several varying estimates of the loss in productivity across cities resulting from traffic congestion, the survey highlighted that despite the variation in estimates, it is evident that the costs of mobility issues are high and on the rise. "A Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report on Delhi's congestion troubles states that an unskilled worker stands to lose between Rs 7,200 and Rs 19,600 per year due to congestion. Similarly, skilled and highly skilled workers can lose as much as Rs 8,300 to Rs 23,800 and Rs 9,000 to Rs 25,900 a year, respectively," the report said. According to the TomTom Traffic Index 2024, commuters in Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi lost 117 hours, 103 hours, and 76 hours, respectively, per year due to rush-hour traffic in their respective city centres, the survey highlighted. Population Scale not Translated into Urban Productivity The report further said India's urban population has expanded rapidly, with large metropolitan regions such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad now among the world's largest urban agglomerations by population. "However, population scale has not translated proportionately into urban productivity, liveability or global economic influence," it added. International evidence suggests that urbanisation delivers growth dividends when cities are able to internalise agglomeration economies through efficient labour markets, infrastructure networks and institutional coordination. "In India, urban infrastructure investment in domains such as transport, housing, water, sanitation, or governance capacity has lagged behind the economic importance of cities. This has led to high population density manifesting as congestion, informalisation and infrastructure stress, diluting potential productivity gains," it said. Trends in Urbanisation Stating that India's urbanisation pattern is strongly shaped by its largest cities, the economic survey notes, "Over 70% of the urban population resided in Class I cities (those with more than one lakh people) in 2011, and the country's 52 metropolitan cities (more than 10 lakh population) alone accounted for 42.3% of all urban residents. Higher population growth rates in these large agglomerations have driven rapid metropolitan expansion, highlighting India's distinctly top-heavy urban system." Urban Development Relies on Planning Approaches The survey said India's urban development will increasingly rely on planning approaches that recognise the growing scale and diversity of metropolitan regions. "Strengthening spatial monitoring systems, adopting harmonised classification tools and integrating core–periphery analyses can support data-driven decision-making. As peri-urban belts emerge as important nodes of residential, industrial, and logistics activity, planning frameworks will benefit from a broader metropolitan and regional perspective, especially in areas where economic and mobility linkages extend beyond statutory boundaries," the report added. Contradiction in Urban Policy and Expected Outcomes There is an inherent contradiction in urban policy and expected outcomes in India. "Cities are expected to deliver growth, productivity, and jobs, yet policy is designed to restrain density, fragment authority, and ration urban land. Indian urban policy often reverses this logic. The result is not chaotic cities, but rather cities that fail to achieve the expected outcomes due to interconnections and integration," it said. The survey added that metro rail, flyovers and expressways are built without parallel land-use reform, housing supply, or skill clustering. Transport systems are asked to compensate for planning failures rather than enable density. The result is capital-intensive infrastructure with suboptimal economic returns. It said metro systems move people, but they do not always raise productivity because jobs, housing and transport remain misaligned. Cities Contribute Disproportionately to Growth The economic survey said cities contribute disproportionately to economic growth despite their limited economic independence. "World Bank estimates that by 2036, India's towns and cities will be home to 600 million people, or 40% of the population, up from 31% in 2011, with urban areas contributing almost 70% to GDP," it added. Urban Cleanliness and Waste Management Stating that cleanliness and waste management in cities are critical aspects in India's urbanisation journey, the survey said, "They have direct implications for public health, environmental sustainability, labour productivity and the overall quality of urban life." Over the past decade, the Centre has undertaken large sanitation and waste management programmes under the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban (SBM–U), complemented by investments under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and AMRUT 2.0. "These measures have yielded visible gains in sanitation outcomes, with the most notable being the elimination of open defecation across all cities," the report said. However, according to the survey, many cities continue to struggle to move beyond basic compliance despite these measures. Civic Order Without a Social Contract While shortcomings in urban experience are often attributed primarily to institutional capacity, the quality of everyday life is also shaped by the implicit social contract between citizens and urban institutions. "The lived experience of Indian cities reflects not only gaps in infrastructure, but also the credibility of rules, the predictability of services and the trust that underpins everyday cooperation. The difference between global and Indian cities is therefore less about engineering alone and more about whether institutions make cooperation rational and worthwhile," it stated. The New City: Creative, Liveable, and Interconnected According to the survey, while fixing the aforementioned challenges, similar emphasis must be placed on the 'liveability' of cities. The existing 'Ease of Living Index' by MoHUA incorporates ease of living by measuring quality of life across the parameters of education, health, housing, water and sanitation, waste management, mobility, safety, and recreation. "In 2025, the top 10 cities with Ease of Living are Pune, Navi Mumbai, Greater Mumbai, Tirupati, Chandigarh, Thane, Raipur, Indore, Vijaywada, and Bhopal. Notably, the cities on this list are largely newer or Tier-II urban centres that have not yet been subjected to the intense population pressures experienced by Bengaluru, Delhi or Mumbai over the past two decades. They remain ahead of the curve: urbanising, but not yet overwhelmed," the survey said. Indian cities will not become more liveable by fixing footpaths alone, it said. "Liveability emerges when cities are designed around people's time, choices and creativity, not just around infrastructure delivery. Globally, the most liveable cities are not necessarily the richest or newest; they are the ones that organise urban life to reduce friction, enable expression, and reward everyday participation," the survey stated. Need to Reduce Project System Mismatch The survey says efforts must be made to reduce the project system mismatch to build integrated systems. "Road expansion must be paired with effective parking management, pedestrian infrastructure and prioritisation of public transport. Flyovers should give way to network-level traffic management and junction redesign. Additionally, drainage upgrades must be planned at the city scale, linked to natural water flows and land use patterns," it highlighted. It further said this requires aligning planning, finance, and execution under a single urban or metropolitan authority, with clear incentives for coordination across sectors. "Shifting the focus from asset delivery to system performance is essential if infrastructure investment is to translate into meaningful and sustained improvements in urban outcomes," it added.

DTE - Web

Improper Disposal Of Hazardous Waste And Its Impact On Human Health: In Special Reference To India

Kiran Pandey, & Kiran Pandey. (2024, December 17). India’s e-waste surges by 73% in 5 years. Down to Earth. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/waste/indias-e-waste-surges-by-73-in-5-years Abstract India is a developing country which is moving ahead on the path of development with its diversity. One of the biggest challenges facing this rapidly growing Indian economy is the production of hazardous waste materials. Processing hazardous waste materials has become the biggest problem for all developed and developing countries. Because it not only affects environment but is also causing serious damage to the human health. Due to which natural The effect of continuous use of these substances is also clearly visible on human health. The objective of this study is to comprehend the impact of hazardous waste on human health and to deal with problems associated with it. The results revealed that hazardous waste, when incorrectly treated, processed and disposed of, has a significant impact on public health and the environment. The most severe consequences of insufficient waste management are air pollution, water supply depletion, and the spread of human diseases. Cities become untidy and dirty, have a negative impact on people's health, harm flora and fauna, and hinder the economy of countries. Some of the prevention such as hazardous waste handling, dilution, a tube-well structure using well-logging methods and other forms of geophysical monitoring designed specifically for the contaminated area, as well as the different treatment systems, could also be advised.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

To Tackle Air Pollution, Leverage The Role Of Youth-Led Innovations

According to estimates by the Centre for Science and Environment, India requires thousands of additional monitors across PM, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone to generate actionable data & hyperlocal interventions at city and sub-city levels. North India once again finds itself on the brink of an air pollution emergency that has become both predictable and persistent. Despite years of action plans, graded response measures and repeated judicial scrutiny, governance capacity to mitigate pollution remains limited, leaving millions exposed to hazardous air year after year. According to IQAir’s 2024 World Air Quality Report, India recorded an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 50.6 µg/m³, more than ten times the World Health Organization’s guideline. India ranked as the fifth most polluted country globally in 2024, and studies estimate that nearly 15 per cent of all deaths in 2023 were linked to air pollution exposure. It is urgent for the government to move beyond episodic response and adopt a robust, long-term strategy to aggressively target emission reductions across key polluting sectors - agriculture, industry, thermal power plants, construction, and transportation - while steadily reducing India's dependence on fossil fuels. Such a strategy must harness the role of key stakeholders in addressing the crisis. With over 65 per cent of India's population under the age of 35, and young Indians driving nearly half of the country's start-up activity alongside a growing share of applied research emerging from universities and incubators, this cohort represents a critical, yet underleveraged, implementation asset. India today hosts the world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem, with universities and technical institutions increasingly generating early-stage clean-tech and air-quality monitoring innovations, capacities that can directly augment the state's response. Through their technical expertise, sector-specific knowledge and ability to design deployable, cost-effective solutions, these actors can help address two of the most persistent challenges governments face: the lack of scalable, affordable technological interventions and the absence of dense, reliable, large-scale air pollution monitoring systems. One of the most persistent challenges facing North India during winter is the disposal of agricultural residue. In 2024, Punjab alone generated nearly 19.52 million tonnes of paddy straw, with large volumes still being burnt despite in-situ management targets. Government data indicate that stubble burning contributed an average of 10.6 per cent to Delhi's PM2.5 levels in 2024, peaking at over 35 per cent on certain days. A recent study by iForest highlighted that more than 90 per cent of large farm fires in Punjab and Haryana are now going undetected by official monitoring systems, as farmers shift stubble-burning activities to late afternoons to evade satellite surveillance and enforcement. In the absence of a viable, sustainable solution, stubble-burning will be difficult to contain, adding to the complexity of combating air pollution in the region even further. Youth-led innovations can complement the government’s efforts by developing promising market-based solutions to address this crisis. For instance, RY Energies, a start-up founded by Delhi University graduates, supplies high-quality biomass fuel produced from paddy residue to industrial users throughout the year, offering farmers an economically viable alternative to crop-burning. With targeted government support, such as assured biomass procurement, buy-back guarantees, and innovation-linked subsidies, such youth-led solutions could be rapidly integrated into mainstream mitigation strategies. Beyond agriculture, India’s air pollution crisis is closely tied to its fossil fuel-dependent growth model. Coal continues to account for nearly 70 per cent of electricity generation, projected to rise sharply over the next five years. This dependence constrains India’s ability to decouple growth from emissions, even as renewable energy capacity expands. Here too, young innovators are developing technologies that improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions at source. IIT-incubated start-ups such as Wankel Energy Systems are designing systems that recover wasted industrial heat and steam, convert them into usable energy, and reduce fuel consumption across process industries, addressing annual energy losses estimated at ₹66,000 crore. Such solutions not only cut emissions but also improve industrial competitiveness- aligning environmental goals with economic incentives. Yet, without structured pathways for adoption, many of these technologies struggle to move beyond pilot stages. However, the biggest constraint facing India's air pollution response is inadequate monitoring capacity that create blind spots in identifying pollution hotspots and weaken the effectiveness of policy interventions. Currently, only around 12 per cent of India’s 4,041 census cities have continuous air quality monitoring stations, leaving nearly half the population outside reliable surveillance systems. According to estimates by the Centre for Science and Environment, India requires thousands of additional monitors across PM, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone to generate actionable data & hyperlocal interventions at city and sub-city levels. Youth-led research and innovation can help bridge this gap by developing low-cost sensors, mobile monitoring systems, and data platforms that can dramatically expand coverage at a fraction of the cost of conventional stations. Students from Anurag University in Hyderabad have developed CanSat, a 150-gram miniature satellite equipped with sensors to track ammonia, ozone, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, temperature and humidity, transmitting real-time data to a ground station. Low-cost portable PM sensors that can be mounted on buses have been successfully tested by the students of Shiv Nadar University to map local pollution levels. Yet, many such innovations fail to translate into formal monitoring systems. Promising prototypes often disappear after initial demonstrations due to the absence of institutional support and procurement pathways. Integrating youth-led monitoring technologies into national programmes such as the National Clean Air Programme, Smart Cities Mission, and state pollution control frameworks could significantly strengthen India's air quality governance while reducing costs. Beyond technology, engaging youth in air pollution mitigation also requires long-term investment in education and research. Early exposure to environmental science, data analysis, and problem-solving can cultivate a generation that contributes directly to governance outcomes. School-and college-level innovation schemes have already demonstrated how young Indians can design solutions that address health impacts, improve awareness, and protect vulnerable populations. India’s net-zero commitment for 2070 will not be achieved through regulation alone. It will depend on the country’s ability to expand its technological, monitoring, and implementation capacity at scale. In India’s battle for clean air, the role of youth in forging effective and lasting solutions to improve air quality across the country has never been more critical. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of ETV Bharat)

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Why Air Pollution In The Northeast Needs Urgent Attention

In 2021, the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had also analysed air pollution in India and cautioned about the rising pollution in the Northeast. “Signs of worsening air quality in this region has not drawn adequate public attention. Winter air quality in Guwahati can be almost as bad as what we see in NCR and UP cities. Smaller cities like Agartala and Kohima have begun to experience high pollution days,” CSE found. Winter air pollution in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) caught the country’s attention as early as October. Just last week, the government revoked stage III of the graded action plan – targeted interventions at different levels of pollution. The Northeast faces a similar crisis, but with far less public attention. States such as Assam and Tripura now have poor air quality for a large part of the year, and within the larger NE region, some cities have air quality indices as bad as their NCR counterparts. Cities such as Guwahati and Silchar have not been able to reduce their PM 10 concentrations and the city of Byrnihat, an industrial town on the border of Assam and Meghalaya, ranks as one of the most polluted places in the world. Experts warn that air quality is a problem beyond the non-attainment cities targeted under India’s National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and that India needs to look at airsheds instead of cities. While meteorological factors such as temperature and geographical factors such as hills and river banks help reveal the problem of polluted air, sources that contribute to this pollution year-round must be identified and addressed. IndiaSpend wrote to the Union environment ministry, Central Pollution Control Board and the chief ministers of each state in the Northeast with detailed questions on what steps are being taken to control air pollution. We will update this story when we receive a response. The hidden hotspot India’s Northeast has been bestowed with some of the most dense forests in India and the hill states generally enjoy good air quality. In fact, the region is also home to Gangtok, the Indian city with the cleanest air in 2024. But over the years, air quality in the larger Northeast region has become a cause for concern. Air quality is categorised between good and severe based on ambient concentrations of pollutants and their likely health impacts. India measures pollutants such as particulate matter PM 10, PM 2.5, NO2, SO2 and others to determine an air quality index for a given place at a given time. Particulate matter measuring less than 10 micrometre in diameter has the ability to penetrate deep into the respiratory system, as we explained in October 2023. Among these particles, those with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometre, known as PM 2.5, pose the most significant health risk. PM 2.5 particles are capable of infiltrating the lungs and occasionally entering the bloodstream, resulting in serious health consequences. India measures its air quality as per the National Ambient Air Quality Standards or NAAQS which are more lax than the standards recommended by the World Health Organisation. Overall in India, PM 10 concentrations almost doubled from 1994-08 levels to 2009-19 levels due to various factors such as increased industrial and commercial activities, urbanisation, and changes in land use patterns. The Northeast is no exception. For instance, a satellite-based assessment of air quality by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found that in 2024, except in the monsoon months, every district in Tripura and Meghalaya exceeded the NAAQS for PM 2.5. Even in Nagaland, 11 of 12 districts exceeded the standards. Along with Delhi and Punjab, the analysis pointed to Assam and Tripura (six of eight districts) as having high PM 2.5 levels even during the monsoon, “showing that meteorological relief alone is insufficient to overcome their substantial baseline emissions”. Among India’s 50 most polluted districts, Assam contributed 11 – one-third of its total districts – while Delhi saw all its 11 districts in the list. Tripura had three, and Meghalaya and Nagaland had one each. “We are still calling pollution in Northeast an ‘emerging concern’ but largely because monitoring in most places started only a few years ago,” said Manoj Kumar, analyst at CREA. “When monitoring began, we realised that many of these places show very high pollution levels, for example, Byrnihat.” He stressed that meteorological factors, such as low temperatures in winter, only reveal the problem but air pollution is always there due to local emissions – and these sources of emissions should be addressed. Sharad Gokhale, professor of environmental engineering at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati who has studied air quality for years and has also led studies on air pollution for NCAP, said that the government is taking various steps to improve air quality in the Northeast but the number of monitoring stations is still inadequate. “The expansion of the monitoring network in the Northeast has begun recently with just three CAAQMS in Guwahati, one each in Silchar and Nagaon,” Gokhale said. “Many cities still have manual monitoring and so, real-time assessment is not possible. In Byrnihat, CAAQMS became operational only last year. Hotspots and rural areas in Assam still need monitoring stations and other states of NE have just one station per state.” Monitored, measured, ignored The evidence has been there for a while. While underlining that Northeast India has good air quality in general, researchers from the Central Pollution Control Board and IIT Delhi found that in Guwahati, “Since 2014, PM 10 levels have consistently been elevated. In 2019, the recorded PM 10 value reached an unprecedented 205.4 µg/m3, nearly double the concentration observed in 2013.” The authors pointed to industrial emissions, biofuel burning, vehicular emissions and dust uplifts from the alluvial plains along the river banks as local sources of particulate matter. “The topographical characteristics of the Brahmaputra River Valley exacerbates the entrapment of the emissions,” they stated in a 2024 paper. In 2021, the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had also analysed air pollution in India and cautioned about the rising pollution in the Northeast. “Signs of worsening air quality in this region has not drawn adequate public attention. Winter air quality in Guwahati can be almost as bad as what we see in NCR and UP cities. Smaller cities like Agartala and Kohima have begun to experience high pollution days,” CSE found. An analysis by iForest had found that the average PM 2.5 concentration in Guwahati in 2023 was 53% higher than the prescribed NAAQS and PM 10 was 100% higher than permissible standards. Gokhale shed light on some sources of emissions in the region. “I have seen year-round deterioration of air quality in several cities of the Northeast. Some emerging cities have air quality as bad as Delhi at times. Guwahati in particular is seeing rapid infrastructure development. Construction dust, road dust, vehicular emissions, small factories, hills cutting, commercial cooking in open-air eateries and open waste burning are the primary sources of air pollution,” said Gokhale. India launched a National Clean Air Programme in 2019 with an aim to improve air quality in 131 cities (non-attainment cities and Million Plus Cities) in 24 states by engaging all stakeholders. It targets a reduction in PM 10 levels up to 40% or achievement of national ambient air quality standards (60 µg/m3) by 2025-26 from the levels of 2019-20. Cities such as Guwahati, Dimapur, Kohima, Agartala, Shillong, Byrnihat are part of the 131 cities covered under NCAP and receive grants from the Union government to improve air quality. In December, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on X that PM 10 levels in Guwahati reduced from 119 µg/m3 to 103 µg/m3 in 2024-25, and attributed the improvement to targeted intervention in solid waste management, vehicle emission control and promotion of electric mobility. On the other hand, the Union environment ministry told the Lok Sabha in December 2025 that by 2024-25, Guwahati had reduced its PM 10 concentrations by only 2.9% as compared to 2017-18 levels. The city of Nalbari in Assam had reduced it by only 2.3% and concentrations had worsened in Silchar by 10%. On the upside, Kohima and Byrnihat reduced PM 10 concentrations by 44% in this period and even then, Byrnihat remains one of the most polluted cities in the world. After IQAir tagged Byrnihat the most polluted city in the world in 2024, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma had issued a statement in 2025 that as per data generated from four manual ambient air quality monitoring stations of the state pollution control board, Byrnihat’s average PM 2.5 concentration was 50.1 µg/m3 during 2024 and not 128.2 µg/m3 as claimed by the Swiss firm. Kumar of CREA stated that the source apportionment study – which determines sources of air pollution in a region – for Byrnihat is still not publicly available. As for the other cities covered under NCAP, only 90 of 130 cities have completed source apportionment studies so far. Calling for data availability, regional coordination and multi-stakeholder cooperation on the grave matter of air pollution, he said, “In a recent report, we analysed air quality across 4,041 towns and cities in India. Around 1,787 exceeded NAAQS. However, only 67 cities – about 4% – are covered under NCAP. This shows the need to shift from a city-based approach to a regional or airshed-based approach. Pollution is transboundary. Without regional coordination, cleaner air is not possible,” Manoj Kumar said.

Industrial Pollution

Experts Call for Push on Storage, Grids, and Climate Adaptation Ahead of Budget 2026

Think tanks such as Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) called for rationalising GST on recyclable waste and recycled boost produce to boost circular economy, stating that current GST structure on recyclable waste has resulted in a double loss, driving a large share of transactions into informal channels while simultaneously weakening recycling, resource security, and industrial competitiveness. Energy and climate experts are urging the government for deeper investments in energy storage, grid modernisation, and climate adaptation, ahead of the Union Budget 2026 session on Sunday. The experts point out that the gaps in these areas could slow the country’s clean energy transition. India recently crossed a milestone of 50% of installed renewable energy capacity. Experts point out that the next step should be achieving 500GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 by addressing gaps, and scaling storage nationwide by managing variability, reducing losses, and improving efficiency. Saurabh Kumar, Vice President, The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) said, “Budget allocations need to focus on Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in order to integrate storage with renewable energy to ensure a reliable power supply and grid stability. There is also a need to support digitisation of electricity equipment and technological innovation for system flexibility and balancing the grid.” Focus on upstreaming manufacturing and supply chain Upstreaming solar manufacturing and supply chain should also be priorities, according to experts. “The success of India’s solar module manufacturing programme shows what’s possible with clear and consistent policy support. The next step is to focus on upstream parts of the supply chain — from solar cells and wafers to battery energy storage and modern grid infrastructure like high-voltage transmission — if India wants to secure its clean energy supply chain,” said Duttatreya Das, Energy Analyst-Asia at Ember. “The scale of capital required rises sharply, and PLI alone won’t be enough. What’s really needed are incentives that reduce the heavy upfront investment burden, such as capital subsidies or accelerated depreciation, to unlock investments,” Das added. Experts have also called stronger budgetary backing for energy storage and the National Critical Minerals Mission. The import of key minerals like cobalt oxide, copper (ores and oxides), graphite (natural and synthetic), lithium (oxides and carbonate), and nickel (oxides and sulphates) rose from 1.5 million tonnes in FY2023–24 to 2.7 million tonnes in FY2024–25, an increase of nearly 80%, underscoring India’s growing exposure to global supply risks. “For India’s clean energy transition, critical minerals are no longer a secondary consideration, they are a strategic necessity. Budget 2026 can play a defining role in positioning India as a credible, resilient player in global critical mineral supply chains,” said Saloni Sachdeva Michael, Energy Specialist at IEEFA. “Strategic spending on processing, recovery, and recycling infrastructure, targeted incentives, and international partnerships will be key for diversifying the supply chain, unlocking domestic value addition, and enhancing long-term competitiveness in an increasingly volatile global landscape.” Need to scale adaptation finance Beyond mitigation, adaptation finance also emerged as a pressing concern amid rising climate risks. Santosh Singh, Managing Director and Partner, Climate and Energy at Intellecap said, “Given the volatility in global climate finance and the wider geopolitical uncertainties, India can no longer rely on external flows to safeguard its large and vulnerable population. As the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events continue to rise, this year’s budget must place dedicated emphasis on rapidly scaling adaptation finance. Low income and climate-exposed communities urgently need financial support and access to effective adaptation tools to cope with escalating risks.” Think tanks such as Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) called for rationalising GST on recyclable waste and recycled boost produce to boost circular economy, stating that current GST structure on recyclable waste has resulted in a double loss, driving a large share of transactions into informal channels while simultaneously weakening recycling, resource security, and industrial competitiveness.

Down To Earth

Weather forecast becomes 50 per cent faster, 30 per cent accurate: IMD

Meanwhile, according to a report published by Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhibased Climate think tank, extreme weather events in India, including heat and cold waves, lightning and storms, heavy rain, floods and landslides, claimed 4,064 lives, affected 9.47 million hectares of crops, destroyed 99,533 houses, and killed approximately 58,982 animals in the first nine months of 2025. New Delhi, 30 Jan (UNI) As India increasingly experiences climate extremes, from flash floods in some regions to intense cold waves, dry spells, and reduced snowfall in the mountains, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday said that weather forecasting has become faster and more accurate with the use of automation. “Automation has reduced forecast preparation time by 50% and improved accuracy by 30%,” the IMD said in a press statement. The achievement was dedicated to the Multi-Hazard Early Warning Decision Support System (MHEW-DSS) developed under the Mission Mausam, officially launched by the then Vice President, Jagdeep Dhankar, on 15 January 2024. Operational since August 2023, the facility enables faster dissemination of information to diverse communities and stakeholders through quick alerts sent via mobile applications, instant messaging services, WhatsApp, and web-based geographical information system (GIS) portals. The weather department noted that this early warning system has shifted the service delivery from a generic forecast to a location-specific and impact-based forecast, bringing a paradigm shift in preparedness, planning, and disaster management. Not only did the weather-based advisories result in saving lives, but also livelihoods, the Department claimed. Meanwhile, according to a report published by Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhibased Climate think tank, extreme weather events in India, including heat and cold waves, lightning and storms, heavy rain, floods and landslides, claimed 4,064 lives, affected 9.47 million hectares of crops, destroyed 99,533 houses, and killed approximately 58,982 animals in the first nine months of 2025

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility