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Delhi Second-Most Polluted North Indian City. First Is…

Ghaziabad was the most polluted city among 60 north Indian cities last winter, followed by Delhi, according to a latest air quality analysis. According to the “All India Winter Air Quality Analysis” carried out by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), particulate pollution spiked and stayed elevated with varying intensity across all regions during the winter of 2021-22 (from October 15 to February 28). The analysis contains a detailed assessment of all the regions — north, south, east, west, central and northeast. It said the most polluted city in the northern region was Ghaziabad with a particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) average of 178 microgram per cubic metre (μg/m3), followed by Delhi that had a winter average of 170 ug/m3. The next seven spots are all occupied by neighbouring NCR cities — Faridabad, Manesar, Baghpat, Noida, Gurugram, Meerut and Hapur, it said. The CSE, however, observed that the north Indian cities have, on an average, recorded 11 per cent lower PM2.5 level last winter, but the improvement in the sub-region of Delhi-NCR was just about eight per cent. “Delhi-NCR also saw a marginal increase in the average peak 24-hour pollution. The peak pollution rose significantly from the baseline among the cities in the south (24 per cent) and central Indian cities (7 per cent), despite the overall fall in the winter average,” it said. In the northern region, Srinagar was found to be the cleanest city with Palwal in Haryana, Bathinda in Punjab and Alwar in Rajasthan among the cities with a relatively lower winter average. In the eastern region, the most polluted city was Siwan in Bihar while in the west, it was Ankleshwar in Gujarat. In the central region, Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh was the most polluted city while in south, Kalaburgi in Karnataka and Hyderabad in Telangana were found to be the most polluted cities. The most polluted city in the northeastern region was Guwahati in Assam with a winter average PM2.5 of 81 ug/m3. The analysis was done for the 2021-22 winter air quality tracker initiative of the CSE’s Urban Data Analytics Lab. “Clearly, the winter pollution challenge is not limited to mega cities or to one specific region. It is now a widespread national problem that requires urgent and deliberate action at a national scale. “This requires quicker reforms and action in key sectors of pollution — vehicles, industry, power plants and waste management — to bend the annual air pollution curve and daily spikes,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE. She said while the regions are battling to meet the national ambient air quality standards, winter conditions are aggravating the problem further. “Even though the pandemic conditions have arrested the overall trend in most regions, there is still a mixed trend. Despite having a relatively lower annual average pollution levels, the peak pollution during winter can spike. This indicates the influence of cool and calm winter conditions and also the regional influence,” Ms Roychowdhury said. Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager, Urban Data Analytics Lab, CSE, said as the availability of real-time air quality data has improved in several regions with the expansion of air quality monitoring systems, it has become possible to assess the regional differences and the unique regional trends. This air quality tracker initiative has helped benchmark the winter air quality for peer-to-peer comparison within each region and inter-regional differences, the CSE said. The analysis is based on publicly available granular real-time data (15-minute averages) from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) official online portal, Central Control Room for Air Quality Management. The data is captured from 326 official stations under the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) spread across 161 cities in 26 states and Union territories, it said.

Winter Pollution Levels in Most Parts of India Headed North, Small Towns Too Turning Toxic: CSE

mog episodes showed a record spike in several regions across the country this winter, said the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its latest all-India winter air quality analysis, raising alarm over the deepening air pollution crisis. Though the air quality was 12 per cent cleaner this winter compared to the previous year based on an average of 136 cities that had valid daily PM2.5 concentration data, the peak pollution levels were “alarmingly high”, especially in the northern and eastern plains, the report highlighted. In terms of peak 24-hour PM 2.5 levels, north Indian cities showed the highest daily pollution, surpassing even the 2020-21 magnitude. In the northern region, Delhi-NCR remained the most-polluted sub-region with its worst days being almost five times worse than average. Delhi, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, and Manesar found their place among the top 10 most polluted cities, with Ghaziabad as the worst performer. Smaller cities turning into pollution hotspots Siwan in Bihar topped the list of most-polluted cities in India this winter with a seasonal average of 187 ug/m3. As many as 13 cities of Bihar featured in the top 25 cities with the highest pollution levels in winter. Delhi-NCR had 11 cities in the list, and Hisar in Haryana was the only city in the top 25 outside the sub-regions of Bihar and NCR. Advertisement “It is important to note that megacities are not the most polluted in any of the regions — it is the smaller and upcoming cities that are becoming pollution hotspots. This is even more evident in the winter peak daily pollution data,” said Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager, Urban Data Analytics Lab, CSE, highlighting that apart from the respective clean air action plans, cities will have to scale up their efforts to control pollution from all sources across the urban and rural landscape. The analysis is based on the real-time (every 15 minutes) data recorded by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) from 326 official stations spread across 161 cities in 26 states and union territories for the winter period starting October 15, 2021, to February 28, 2022. Ghaziabad, Delhi show worst air quality in the north Out of the total 60 cities analysed in the northern states including Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, Ghaziabad was the worst-polluted, followed by Delhi. The next eight spots were all occupied by neighbouring NCR cities: Faridabad, Manesar, Bagpat, Noida, Gurugram, Meerut, and Hapur. Hisar was the most polluted city in the north outside of NCR. PROMOTED CONTENT By 2-Year MBA | India's Top University 2-Year MBA | India's Top University Apply Now Shiv Nadar University Are you looking for admissions at top UK universities in Sep 2022? Are you looking for admissions at top UK universities in Sep 2022? Apply Now leverageedu.com Air quality worsens over Bihar: Siwan is most-polluted In terms of the regional winter average of PM2.5, the eastern plains, mainly Bihar, fared as bad as Delhi-NCR. However, the spikes were relatively milder. Within the east, the Bihar sub-region remained the most polluted, with six towns from the state featuring in the top 10 most-polluted cities this winter. Out of the total 28 monitoring stations spread across cities in Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha, Siwan in Bihar emerged as the most-polluted, along with Durgapur in West Bengal. Patna and Kolkata were other cities that fared poorly in air quality. The people of Brajrajnagar in Odisha and Siliguri in West Bengal took a sigh of relief with both cities recording the lowest winter average in the region. “Clearly, the winter pollution challenge is not limited to one specific region; it is now a widespread national problem that requires urgent and deliberate action at a nationwide scale. Even though the pandemic conditions have arrested the overall trend in most regions, there is still a mixed trend,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE. “There is a need for quicker reforms and action in key sectors of pollution – vehicles, industry, power plants and waste management – to bend the annual air pollution curve and daily spikes.” Advertisement Cleaner air in southern India According to the CSE, the southern region recorded the lowest regional PM2.5 average this winter but it also registered an almost 24 per cent increase in regional average peak pollution compared to the previous winter. The region includes 35 cities spread across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Industrial towns, Gummidipoondi in Tamil Nadu and Gadag in Karnataka, also appeared in the worst 10 cities for peak pollution (24-hr value). The most polluted cities in the region were Kalaburagi and Hyderabad. Western region Out of the total 15 cities spread across Gujarat and Maharashtra, Ankleshwar was found to be most-polluted, followed by Vapi and Kalyan. Aurangabad and Nandesari recorded the lowest winter average in the region, along with Chandrapur and Solapur. Central region The region included 17 cities spread across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The most-polluted city in the region was Singrauli followed by Katni, Jabalpur, and Bhopal. North-eastern region Out of the total six cities in the Northeast, Guwahati was found to be the most polluted in the region, followed by Agartala. Aizawl and Shillong recorded the lowest winter average in the region mostly because of geographical location and topography. Advertisement According to the CSE, the widely divergent trends in pollution levels across regions is strongly influenced by local geo-climatic conditions, meteorology and the intensity of pollution, but the overall emerging trend points towards a national air quality crisis.

Bihar, Delhi-NCR en tête des graphiques de pollution, crise majeure de la qualité de l’air: CSE

La pollution particulaire a augmenté et est restée élevée avec une intensité variable dans toutes les régions au cours de l’hiver 2021-22 (du 15 octobre au 28 février), la moyenne hivernale des PM2,5 de la région orientale étant plus de trois fois supérieure à la moyenne des villes du sud de l’Inde. et 22 % plus polluées que les villes du nord de l’Inde. Cette observation alarmante a été trouvée dans une analyse détaillée de la qualité de l’air hivernal dans toute l’Inde réalisée par le Centre pour la science et l’environnement (CSE) et publiée mercredi. Même si les moyennes régionales globales des niveaux de PM2,5 étaient inférieures à celles de l’hiver précédent dans la plupart des régions, les épisodes de smog hivernal ont enregistré de fortes pointes dans plusieurs régions. Le pic de pollution était alarmant et synchrone, malgré de grandes distances à l’intérieur des régions – en particulier dans les plaines du nord et de l’est, selon l’analyse. L’analyse a été effectuée pour l’initiative de suivi de la qualité de l’air en hiver 2021-22 du laboratoire d’analyse de données urbaines du CSE. “De toute évidence, le défi de la pollution hivernale ne se limite pas aux mégapoles ou à une région spécifique ; c’est maintenant un problème national répandu qui nécessite une action urgente et délibérée à l’échelle nationale. Cela nécessite des réformes et une action plus rapides dans les secteurs clés de la pollution – véhicules, industrie, centrales électriques et gestion des déchets pour faire fléchir la courbe annuelle de la pollution de l’air et les pics quotidiens “, a déclaré le directeur exécutif, Recherche et plaidoyer du CSE, dit Anumita Roychowdhury. “Comme la disponibilité des données en temps réel sur la qualité de l’air s’est améliorée dans plusieurs régions grâce à l’expansion des systèmes de surveillance de la qualité de l’air, il est devenu possible d’évaluer les différences régionales et les tendances régionales uniques. Cela peut aider à éclairer l’action régionale sur la qualité de l’air”, a déclaré le responsable du programme du CSE, Urban Data Analytics Lab, Avikal Somvanshi. Cette initiative de suivi de la qualité de l’air a aidé à évaluer la qualité de l’air en hiver pour la comparaison entre pairs dans chaque région et les différences interrégionales. L’analyse est basée sur des données granulaires en temps réel accessibles au public (moyennes sur 15 minutes) du portail en ligne officiel du Central Pollution Control Board Central Control Room for Air Quality Management. Les données sont capturées à partir de 326 stations officielles dans le cadre du système de surveillance continue de la qualité de l’air ambiant (CAAQMS) réparties dans 161 villes de 26 États et territoires de l’Union. Selon l’analyse, le profil régional de la pollution hivernale a montré que la région orientale est aussi polluée que Delhi-NCR. La moyenne hivernale de PM2,5 dans les plaines orientales qui comprennent également les 19 villes et villages nouvellement surveillés du Bihar, était la même que celle de Delhi-NCR. Six villes du Bihar figurent dans le top 10 des villes les plus polluées cet hiver, avec Siwan et Munger en tête. Dans les plaines du nord, Ghaziabad, Delhi, Faridabad et Manesar sont troisième, cinquième, septième et dixième de la liste. Même si la moyenne saisonnière dans les petites villes du Bihar rivalise avec les mégapoles de la RCN, leur pic de pollution pendant les épisodes de smog est comparativement plus doux, a-t-il déclaré. Les villes de la RCN ont connu les niveaux de PM2,5 quotidiens les plus sévères (moyenne sur 24 heures), Ghaziabad étant la plus touchée. Delhi, Noida, Faridabad, Greater Noida et Gurugram sont parmi les pires qui ont connu un pic de pollution (moyenne sur 24 heures) cet hiver. La moyenne hivernale de PM2,5 de la région orientale est plus de trois fois supérieure à la moyenne des villes du sud de l’Inde et 22 % plus polluée que les villes du nord de l’Inde. A l’est, la sous-région du Bihar est la plus polluée. Du point de vue du niveau maximal de PM2,5 sur 24 heures, les villes du nord de l’Inde ont enregistré en moyenne les niveaux de pollution quotidiens les plus élevés. Dans le nord, Delhi-NCR reste la sous-région la plus polluée, ses pires jours étant près de cinq fois supérieurs à la moyenne. Somvanshi a déclaré: “Il est important de noter que les mégapoles ne sont les plus polluées d’aucune des régions – ce sont les villes plus petites et à venir qui deviennent des points chauds de pollution. Cela est encore plus évident dans les données de pollution quotidienne de pointe hivernale. “

Ghaziabad et Delhi sont les villes les plus polluées du nord de l’Inde en hiver: CSE

ns l’Haryana, Bathinda dans le Pendjab et Alwar dans le Rajasthan parmi les villes avec une moyenne hivernale relativement inférieure. Dans la région orientale, la ville la plus polluée était Siwan au Bihar tandis qu’à l’ouest, c’était Ankleshwar au Gujarat. Dans la région centrale, Singrauli au Madhya Pradesh était la ville la plus polluée tandis qu’au sud, Kalaburgi au Karnataka et Hyderabad au Telangana étaient les villes les plus polluées. La ville la plus polluée de la région du nord-est était Guwahati dans l’Assam avec une moyenne hivernale de PM2,5 de 81 ug/m3. L’analyse a été effectuée pour l’initiative de suivi de la qualité de l’air en hiver 2021-22 du Laboratoire d’analyse des données urbaines du CSE. ”De toute évidence, le défi de la pollution hivernale ne se limite pas aux mégapoles ou à une région spécifique. Il s’agit désormais d’un problème national répandu qui nécessite une action urgente et délibérée à l’échelle nationale. “Cela nécessite des réformes et des actions plus rapides dans les secteurs clés de la pollution – véhicules, industrie, centrales électriques et gestion des déchets – pour faire fléchir la courbe annuelle de la pollution atmosphérique et les pics quotidiens”, a déclaré Anumita Roychowdhury, directrice exécutive, recherche et plaidoyer, CST. Elle a déclaré que tandis que les régions se battent pour respecter les normes nationales de qualité de l’air ambiant, les conditions hivernales aggravent encore le problème. ” Même si les conditions pandémiques ont arrêté la tendance générale dans la plupart des régions, il y a toujours une tendance mitigée. Malgré des niveaux de pollution moyens annuels relativement plus faibles, le pic de pollution en hiver peut atteindre des sommets. Cela indique l’influence des conditions hivernales fraîches et calmes ainsi que l’influence régionale”, a déclaré Roychowdhury. Avikal Somvanshi, responsable de programme, Urban Data Analytics Lab, CSE, a déclaré que la disponibilité des données en temps réel sur la qualité de l’air s’est améliorée dans plusieurs régions avec l’expansion des systèmes de surveillance de la qualité de l’air, il est devenu possible d’évaluer les différences régionales et l’unique tendances régionales. Cette initiative de suivi de la qualité de l’air a permis de comparer la qualité de l’air en hiver pour une comparaison entre pairs dans chaque région et les différences interrégionales, a déclaré le CSE. L’analyse est basée sur des données granulaires en temps réel accessibles au public (moyennes sur 15 minutes) du portail en ligne officiel du Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Central Control Room for Air Quality Management. Les données sont capturées à partir de 326 stations officielles dans le cadre du système de surveillance continue de la qualité de l’air ambiant (CAAQMS) réparties dans 161 villes de 26 États et territoires de l’Union, a-t-il déclaré. (Cette histoire n’a pas été éditée par l’équipe de Devdiscourse et est générée automatiquement à partir d’un flux syndiqué.) .

Ghaziabad et Delhi sont les villes les plus polluées du nord de l’Inde en hiver: CSE

Ghaziabad était la ville la plus polluée parmi 60 villes du nord de l’Inde l’hiver dernier, suivie de Delhi, selon une dernière analyse de la qualité de l’air. Selon l’analyse de la qualité de l’air en hiver de toute l’Inde réalisée par le Centre pour la science et l’environnement (CSE), la pollution particulaire a augmenté et est restée élevée avec une intensité variable dans toutes les régions au cours de l’hiver 2021-22 (du 15 octobre au 28 février). L’analyse contient une évaluation détaillée de toutes les régions — nord, sud, est, ouest, centre et nord-est. Il a indiqué que la ville la plus polluée de la région nord était Ghaziabad avec une moyenne de particules 2,5 (PM2,5) de 178 microgrammes par mètre cube (μg/m3), suivie de Delhi qui avait une moyenne hivernale de 170 ug/m3. Les sept places suivantes sont toutes occupées par des villes voisines de la RCN – Faridabad, Manesar, Baghpat, Noida, Gurugram, Meerut et Hapur, a-t-il précisé. Le CSE, cependant, a observé que les villes du nord de l’Inde ont, en moyenne, enregistré un niveau de PM2,5 inférieur de 11 % l’hiver dernier, mais l’amélioration dans la sous-région de Delhi-RCN n’était que d’environ 8 %. ”Delhi-NCR a également vu une augmentation marginale du pic moyen de pollution sur 24 heures. Le pic de pollution a augmenté de manière significative par rapport au niveau de référence entre les villes du sud (24%) et les villes du centre de l’Inde (7%), malgré la baisse globale de la moyenne hivernale », a-t-il déclaré. Dans la région nord, Srinagar s’est avérée être la ville la plus propre avec Palwal dans l’Haryana, Bathinda dans le Pendjab et Alwar dans le Rajasthan parmi les villes avec une moyenne hivernale relativement inférieure. Dans la région orientale, la ville la plus polluée était Siwan au Bihar tandis qu’à l’ouest, c’était Ankleshwar au Gujarat. Dans la région centrale, Singrauli au Madhya Pradesh était la ville la plus polluée tandis qu’au sud, Kalaburgi au Karnataka et Hyderabad au Telangana étaient les villes les plus polluées. La ville la plus polluée de la région du nord-est était Guwahati dans l’Assam avec une moyenne hivernale de PM2,5 de 81 ug/m3. L’analyse a été effectuée pour l’initiative de suivi de la qualité de l’air en hiver 2021-22 du Laboratoire d’analyse des données urbaines du CSE. ”De toute évidence, le défi de la pollution hivernale ne se limite pas aux mégapoles ou à une région spécifique. Il s’agit désormais d’un problème national répandu qui nécessite une action urgente et délibérée à l’échelle nationale. “Cela nécessite des réformes et des actions plus rapides dans les secteurs clés de la pollution – véhicules, industrie, centrales électriques et gestion des déchets – pour faire fléchir la courbe annuelle de la pollution atmosphérique et les pics quotidiens”, a déclaré Anumita Roychowdhury, directrice exécutive, recherche et plaidoyer, CST. Elle a déclaré que tandis que les régions se battent pour respecter les normes nationales de qualité de l’air ambiant, les conditions hivernales aggravent encore le problème. ” Même si les conditions pandémiques ont arrêté la tendance générale dans la plupart des régions, il y a toujours une tendance mitigée. Malgré des niveaux de pollution moyens annuels relativement plus faibles, le pic de pollution en hiver peut atteindre des sommets. Cela indique l’influence des conditions hivernales fraîches et calmes ainsi que l’influence régionale”, a déclaré Roychowdhury. Avikal Somvanshi, responsable de programme, Urban Data Analytics Lab, CSE, a déclaré que la disponibilité des données en temps réel sur la qualité de l’air s’est améliorée dans plusieurs régions avec l’expansion des systèmes de surveillance de la qualité de l’air, il est devenu possible d’évaluer les différences régionales et l’unique tendances régionales. Cette initiative de suivi de la qualité de l’air a permis de comparer la qualité de l’air en hiver pour une comparaison entre pairs dans chaque région et les différences interrégionales, a déclaré le CSE. L’analyse est basée sur des données granulaires en temps réel accessibles au public (moyennes sur 15 minutes) du portail en ligne officiel du Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Central Control Room for Air Quality Management. Les données sont capturées à partir de 326 stations officielles dans le cadre du système de surveillance continue de la qualité de l’air ambiant (CAAQMS) réparties dans 161 villes de 26 États et territoires de l’Union, a-t-il déclaré. (Cette histoire n’a pas été éditée par l’équipe de Devdiscourse et est générée automatiquement à partir d’un flux syndiqué.)

Gurugram: Steps kicked off to eliminate single-use plastic by July 1

GURUGRAM: A detailed action plan to eliminate single-use plastics (SUPs) in the city and strictly implement the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, will be mapped by officials with the Gurugram administration, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) on Tuesday. HSPCB chairman P Raghavendra Rao this month, on March 2, directed all 22 Haryana districts to take steps to eliminate single-use plastics by July 1. On Tuesday, all authorities responsible for managing plastic waste in Gurugram will submit their action taken reports to the deputy commissioner; the mapping of the city-wide plan will follow. According to officials, single-use plastic products produced and designed to be thrown away after being used only once are convenient to use. However, their damage during production and distribution and litter are threats to the environment and human health. The plastic items that face prohibition include earbuds, flags, candy and ice-cream sticks, decorative thermocol, PVC banners less than 100 microns thick, cups, cutlery, etc. According to the Centre for Science and Environment, plastic packaging contributes to nearly 60% of the plastic waste generated. Explaining the move, officials said that the SUPs contaminate soil and water, chokes waterways and leads to natural disasters. They block sewage systems, provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and release toxic chemicals and emissions when burned. “Our teams have been spreading awareness about the ill effects of single-use plastics. We will submit our action taken report with the deputy commissioner for further course of action,” said Kuldeep Singh, regional officer (North), HSPCB, Gurgaon.

Municipal workers burn dry leaves along Ballygunge road despite ban since 2016

On Monday morning, residents in the area woke up to a pungent smell Many residents of Ballygunge Circular Road woke up on Monday to a strong smell caused by burning of fallen leaves by waste collectors of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) along the thoroughfare. The National Green Tribunal had in 2016 banned open burning of waste. The tribunal had said a fine of Rs 5,000 would be imposed for burning waste in the open and a fine of Rs 25,000 for bulk burning of waste in the open. The KMC’s Solid Waste Management Rules (published in 2020), too, has provisions for imposition of fines for burning waste in the open. Despite the tribunal’s order and the KMC rules, waste collectors of the civic body and others are often seen burning waste in the open. The practice is more rampant during winter and spring, when trees shed leaves. Debabrata Majumdar, mayoral council member in charge of the KMC’s solid waste management department, said he would probe reports of open burning of leaves. “We have never received any complaint of open waste burning from this area. We have clearly told our waste collectors to not burn waste in the open. This is usually done by local people. I will try to find out what happened there,” he said. In December, The Telegraph reported that a mound of dry leaves and other solid waste were put on fire on the Maidan. Waste collectors are prone to burning a part of the waste to save on trips to compactor stations. Ashes produced by the burning fly around and pollute the air. On Monday morning, Ballygunge Circular Road residents were surprised to smell something burning. As they looked out, the residents discovered that fallen leaves had been set on fire. “It happens in winter, too, but the fumes usually do not enter our houses as the windows are shut. Since now we keep the windows open, the acrid fumes hit us,” said a resident of an apartment on Ballygunge Circular Road. “I woke up choking the other night,” said Amit Das, a guard at a housing complex on Ballygunge Circular Road. When asked why he didn’t stop those who were burning leaves, Das said: “They do not listen to us. It is extra work for them to pick the leaves up and throw them into a vat. Setting them on fire is far easier.” A municipal worker who was found burning leaves said: “Itna patte kaise uthaye (How can I pick up so many leaves).” Sources said several burning piles were spotted on Ballygunge Circular Road and at Ballygunge Phanri on Sunday night. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, an air quality management expert, said uncontrolled burning of open waste leads to uncontrolled emissions. “There is a sudden and significant rise in local pollution. This can be stopped if the KMC creates enough composting infrastructure,” she said.

For a cleaner India: Food safety authority tightens proposals for recycled plastic packaging after pushback

The Food Safety and Standards Authority India (FSSAI) has issued new, stricter standards to govern the use of recycled plastic for food packaging after facing pushback from a group of concerned scientific experts. Content copyrighted, please see the details at.. https://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2022/03/14/india-fssai-tightens-proposals-for-recycled-plastic-

Webinar on climate change

The first webinar of 'Chintha Sarani', a seminar series being conducted by the Academic Committee of Alumni Association Bishop Moore College, Mavelikara, was held recently. It was inaugurated by Sheela Thomas, chairman and managing director, Kerala Rubber. A talk on 'Climate crisis and Glasgow summit- COP 26' was addressed by Avanthika Goswami, deputy programme manager on climate change, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi. Alumni Association president K.G. Mukundan presided.

Odisha’s poverty reduction rate below national average, finds CSE

Even as the State government boasts of achieving a faster poverty reduction in last two decades, Odisha has been placed among bottom six states where the poverty reduction rate is below the national a BHUBANESWAR: A latest study by Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has belied the claims by the State government of poverty reduction in Odisha. Even as the State government boasts of achieving a faster poverty reduction in last two decades, Odisha has been placed among bottom six states where the poverty reduction rate is below the national average. CSE’s State of India’s Environment Report, 2022 released recently revealed the State has scored 41 out of 100 with respect to poverty eradication to be ranked 19th among 21 states. In fact, nine states have scored below the national average of 60 and the six poor performers with a score less than 50 included Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Odisha’s position has dropped significantly since 2018 when it had scored 59. The score was 47 in 2019. The State scored 42 in zero hunger, 45 in quality education, 46 in gender equality, 48 in decent work and economic growth, 46 in industry, innovation and infrastructure and 67 in good health and well-being. “Odisha has slipped by 18 points between 2018 and 2020 on its goal to end poverty. The State has also been featured in the list of worst performers as far as ending hunger and malnutrition is concerned,” said a CSE official quoting the SDG India Index 2020-21. As per the public interest research and advocacy organisation, the State is now behind its neighbours including West Bengal (59), Andhra Pradesh (81) and Telangana (68). Odisha’s rank dropped primarily because of major challenges in 11 SDGs including poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, gender equality, and economic growth. It also performed poorly in dealing with quality education, industry and infrastructure. The State has, however, fared well in climate action (ranked one) and life on land (ranked third). The score has been calculated on six major indicators including percentage of population living below poverty line, head count ratio as per multi-dimensional poverty index, households with any usual member covered by health scheme or health insurance, persons provided employment under MGNREGS, population receiving social protection benefits and households living in kutcha houses. Executive Director (research and advocacy) of CSE Anumita Roychowdhury said most of the targets are quite realistic, and though the pandemic can be blamed for some of the missed deadlines, others could have been achieved. “We must introspect on why we fail to achieve targets that are necessary to secure a sustainable future,” she said. The Economic Survey Report 2020-21 indicated that the State reduced poverty by 24.6 pc since 2004-05. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had claimed poverty has come down from 63 pc to 29 pc in recent years. Last year, he had announced to reduce it by 10 pc more in the next five years.

Analysing the state of India’s environment

At an event, which has over 60 journalists participating from across India, Mr Bhupender Yadav, Indian Union minister of environment, forests and climate change, released Down To Earth’s Annual State of India’s Environment Report 2022. Speaking at an annual conclave of journalists organised by Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) called the Anil Agarwal Dialogue last week, Mr Yadav said, “Reducing consumption and forming a self-restrained society is the only way that we can live with nature harmoniously.” The SoE 2022 report, published every year by Down To Earth, is a comprehensive documentation of the year’s major developments and happenings in a wide range of subjects and issues — ranging from climate change, waste management, and the pandemic to air and water pollution, industrial contamination and food. The report has a comprehensive set of infographics and statistical analysis of how India’s states are faring in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mr Yadav highlighted three extremely critical issues that confronts the nation today — climate change, desertification, and the sustainability-affordability linkage, according to a CSE press release. He said: “We can change people’s lives by linking affordability with sustainability. We have to link traditional knowledge with scientific temperament; we sometimes are so proud of traditional knowledge that we forget logic. But we have to think of logic and affordability along with tradition to make it work.” Answering questions addressed to him by the assembled journalists, he stressed on the fact that his ministry is keen to have an “open debate on environment”. He said: “Our goals are the same: how to ensure a good life for everybody. We should learn from each other.” Referring to India’s efforts to achieve net zero by 2070, the minister pointed out that since emissions from the energy sector were the highest, the government was putting more emphasis on it. He said: “By 2030, we plan to have 500 GW from renewable energy. Railways will be electrified by 2030 — that will reduce 80 billion tonnes of emissions. We also plan to employ LED bulbs at a large scale, which can reduce 40 billion tonnes of emissions. We are also focussing on hydrogen. If we can make hydrogen sustainable and affordable, we can bring big changes in the world.” Talking of global climate negotiations and India’s position, he said that environmental negotiations “is not about give and take — it is about saving humanity. The developed nations must take historic responsibility and consider what their ancestors have done in the past.” The 2022 report states that India is behind on at least 17 key government targets that have a deadline in 2022 and the slow progress made so far means that the deadlines are unlikely to be met. CSE director general Sunita Narain said, “In the last two years, the world has seen disruption at a scale not seen before. Both COVID-19 and climate change are the result of our ‘dystopian’ relationship with nature — call this the revenge of nature…COVID-19 happened because humans had broken the barrier between wild habitats and the way humanity produced its food. Climate change was the result of emissions needed for economic growth.” “Both are also linked and are being exacerbated because of our mismanagement of health systems and the environment…India needs to act in its own self-interest. Our climate change strategy has to be based on the principle of co-benefits — we will do something for climate change because it is good for the world, but also because it is good for us… We need a low-carbon strategy for every sector; we must also ask the developed world to pay for and give us the high-cost options so that we can leapfrog,” she added. After a pandemic-induced hiatus of almost two years, the Dialogue brought together journalists and environmental experts from all over India, as pointed out in the CSE press release. It focussed on the twin challenges of the pandemic and climate change. It had sessions on viruses in our environment; the COVID-19 pandemic and what lessons it offers us for the future; climate change and extreme weather events; how should India chart its energy roadmap to meet its climate commitments; the latest IPCC report on adaptation; climate change and urbanisation; electric mobility; the state of India’s forests; the agriculture-biodiversity-livelihood-nutrition connections; biodiversity and the Great Extinction; amendments to the Biodiversity Act; and the human impacts of climate change (as witnessed in the large-scale migration across the world).

All air pollution hotspots in NCR districts to be converted to green spots: CM Khattar

Gurugram: Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Monday that all air pollution hotspots in the national capital region (NCR) districts of Haryana will be converted to “green spots” to fight air pollution Gurugram: Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Monday that all air pollution hotspots in the national capital region (NCR) districts of Haryana will be converted to “green spots” to fight air pollution. In Gurugram, the state pollution control board has identified 18 areas as hotspots for vehicular air emission and traffic congestion. “After Delhi, these are the most polluted areas. We have taken several initiatives to monitor air quality in the NCR districts, one of which is installing 21 of the state’s 29 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations here. We are also working to reduce crop burning incidents in Haryana. We have identified pollution hotspots in all these districts, and plan to convert them into green spots,” said Khattar. The chief minister made the announcement while speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day Dialogue Towards Clean Air initiative organised in Gurugram by the Commission for Air Quality Management and Union environment ministry. The event was inaugurated by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav. Khattar said that some of the measures the government plans to take to convert air pollution hotspots into “green spots” are plantation, road topping, regulation of industrial emissions, control of vehicular pollution, and management of construction and demolition waste and solid waste. According to government officials, of the 22 districts in Haryana, 14--more than 60% of the state--are situated in the NCR. The chief minister also said the government has already put out a policy mandating the installation of online emission monitoring devices in all red category industries in the NCR districts to control industrial pollution. These devices are connected to the servers of the Central Pollution Control Board and Haryana State Pollution Control Board where officials track emission data every day. Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav said to address the issue of pollution in the NCR, authorities must focus on city-specific plans. “The Aravalli range protects the NCR and there is a need to work towards protecting its ecosystem. We also have to work towards dust management by promoting plantation while making micro action plans. We have to increase green areas in schools and urban areas,” said Yadav. Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager for sustainable cities, Centre for Science and Environment, said, “Plantation activities to increase greenery in urban spaces, or dust control measures, can definitely help reduce PM10 levels, but what we are dealing with is finer particles like PM2.5, and other pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide. These come from combustion and vehicular emissions, and are critical because they cause the most damage to health. To control this, there needs to be a concrete plan to control emissions from combustion sources and increase public transport. Bringing down PM10 levels is good, but to benefit public health, PM2.5 levels need to controlled.”

Molecules, Electrons, and Moonshots: Opening Day at CERAWeek

CERAWeek is back, live and in full force for its 40th anniversary this week. As usual, the conference started with an impressive lineup of heads of state and multinational corporations. Kicking off this year was the Hon. John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. Setting the stage, Kerry noted that while we have made progress in getting 12 of the top 20 carbon emitter countries to sign net zero goals, we still have a long way to go. He pointed out that the effects of 1.2 degrees are impacting us now, with 5 million people per year facing extreme heat and the potential for 100M or more climate refugees in the future if we don't start seeing meaningful change. He cited huge investments that are already underway - over a trillion dollars in new energy development and $50B in startups in areas, such as carbon capture and hydrogen. Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman, IHS Markit and Hon. John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate The Dual Challenge Kerry noted the key goals we need to think about up front: "abundant energy, clean energy and access to energy." This is a significant problem in practice, especially for developing nations, as noted by another CERAWeek speaker, Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in India, who stated some stark facts: One-third of the world's households still use dirty fuel for essentials such as cooking. She also claimed that "the world has run out of carbon space and used most of its 2030 carbon budget already. Meanwhile, 70% of this carbon budget is being claimed by 30% of world population." However, she said, "the other 70% of world population has the right to grow, the right to energy. We can't tell 70% of world's people go disappear, that we ran out of cake and the party is over." This challenge was echoed by several presentations that followed. Tengku Muhammad Taufik, President & Group Chief Executive Officer, PETRONAS noted that "emerging economies need reliable, safe, clean energy to grow." Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer, TotalEnergies, stated that it is imperative to "get people out of poverty in a sustainable way." Near Term Approaches With the gauntlet thrown down, there are numerous areas that companies can address in the near term. Darren Woods, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Exxon Mobil Corporation noted that often people focus on oil and gas as a challenge, whereas the real challenge is emissions associated with combustion of oil and gas. He noted that Exxon "runs some of the most efficient refineries." He pointed out as well that given we still need to make the refined products, as demand doesn't go away, it is better to run them through refineries that are the most efficient. He also noted that Exxon is focused on projects that both increase production and reduce emissions. That said, he ceded that more technology is still needed. That is why Exxon introduced low carbon business - to eventually enable new technologies at scale. Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman, IHS Markit noted Exxon's "preference is to work with molecules versus electrons." Electrifying Opportunities The role of electrification and the grid is another hot topic at CERAWEEK. John Hess, Chief Executive Officer, Hess Corporation noted that our goals need to focus not just on how to decarbonize fuel, but also on how to make the electric grid more stable. Kerry cut to the chase on the US: "We need to address our non-existent grid. We can drive a rover around Mars but can't send an electron from California to New York." Narain emphasized the need to have decentralized grid options in developing markets. For example, the ability to support mini grids in more remote villages. Beyond the grid, the important role of electrification in the process industry was also called out. Woods noted that in the Permian Basin, their efforts on sustainability start with "electrifying our operations. Changing the equipment out. Putting in more electrification." The Road to Successful Action The good news is that the economics are also starting to tip in favor of renewable energy. From the latest IHS Markit Top 10 Cleantech Trends for 2022: "Renewables are already the cheapest source of new power generation in most markets across the world. Cost declines due to technology evolutions and rapid policy advancements have triggered new investments, leading to further capacity additions and price drops." In practical situations, we saw this sentiment as well from CERAWeek speakers. Pouyanné noted that renewables "can be profitable" and that "when you have a good business you will find bankers." Jose W. Fernandez, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, United States Department of State, also raised the point that there does not have to be an either/or decision between clean energy and creating jobs. He noted that by 2030 there will be four times more jobs (25 million) created, as opposed to those lost, as we all try to keep up with the energy transition. With this will come a need to retrain and invest in the workforce. Meanwhile, the Hon. Iván Duque Márquez, President, Republic of Colombia, noted that creating the right environment is critical. He stated that "if you build it, they will come," noting that the right government incentives, transparency and certainty are critical to the process. The reforms he put in place in Colombia have expanded projects dramatically, and significantly boosted the percentage of nonconventional energy from 0.2% to 20% in Colombia, earning him recognition as "the energy innovation president." With all the discussions, despite the enormous task ahead, there is hope. Kerry noted that "we have done these levels of breakthroughs with space travel and with vaccines," so we can do it here and continue to make significant progress. Personally, I look forward to hearing more about this in the days ahead at CERAWeek.

A sustainable tomorrow: By women, for everyone

Today everyone is getting a first-hand experience of climate change repercussions and its impact on Mother Earth. While the world has been plunged into a pernicious pandemic, scientists and researchers continue to raise the alarm that climate change is one of the greatest threats to the global population in recorded history. As per World Meteorological Organization, if the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are to be achieved by the 2030 target, the risks posed by human-induced climate change must be understood and addressed. Nations continue their ongoing conversations on ways to salvage the environment amidst the fast-paced climate change. The question arises – ‘What’s the next step?’ Countries are finally calibrating their policies and aligning with the larger goals for a sustainable future. Ireland in 2021 for example, signed its Climate Action Act into law, making it legally binding and providing a frame of reference for achieving international and EU climate targets. This law intends to demonstrate a path to net-zero emissions by 2050 and a 51% contraction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. According to the UN Environment Program's Emission Gap Report, India is one of the major countries to be on track to accomplish its goals set out in The Paris Climate Agreement. India’s agenda is to reduce the volume of carbon emissions emitted for every unit of GDP — by around 35% by 2030. Climate change is an inconclusive phenomenon that affects the entire globe, its ramifications affect certain people and places more than others. According to the World Bank, women are more likely than men to succumb during and in the upshots of disasters, and women’s socio-economic marginalization proliferates their vulnerability after a natural calamity. The UN research elucidates that 80% of people displaced by climate change are women. Perhaps more than any other global challenge, climate change emphasizes both our interdependency and the urgency for cross-sector association and the full participation of women. Women in developing countries are usually the first to react to managing natural resources. To find sustainable solutions, it is crucial to understand the important contributions of women as caregivers, stakeholders, decision-makers, and educators across all sectors and societies. Rachel Kyte, Sunita Narain, to name a couple, are already working towards advocating climate change and devising deep-rooted solutions in their respective capacities. Amidst all of these ongoing climate change conversations, Covid-19 also shed light on the dynamism women can have in leadership roles. Data also shows that Covid-19 mortalities were much lower in countries and states with female leaders. This brings forth a very important question – Should women lead the battle to tackle climatic concerns? To a certain extent, the environmental movement, as we are aware of today, was pioneered by women. Rachel Carson’s influential bestseller, “Silent Spring”, motivated a generation of foundation action for the earth, finally leading to the founding of Earth Day. As per records available with the Goldman Environmental Prize, or the ‘Nobel Prize’ for the environment, approximately 60% of more than 200 prize winners are women. Gender equality is becoming a key discussion at climate change conferences and summits like Programme of Action on Gender, The Paris Agreement, Gender Action Plan, etc. On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2022, the United Nations came up with a theme of “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” which is aligned with the predominant theme for the upcoming 66th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66): “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes”. It is human nature to want to do something when we hit rock bottom—especially one as complex as climate change. Although the most effective steps we can take to combat climate disasters must happen at the grassroots level, it’s time to make this process more inclusive and uplift women’s role in the process. We have the power to effect change as a citizen, a consumer, and an employee or employers and every effort by each one of us counts.

Chasing the mirage

Much of the discourse around tackling climate change is directed towards convenient solutions that may not even exist As I write this, the world is busy with its usual shenanigans. On the one hand, the omicron wave is ebbing but we still cannot breathe; nobody is clear what new variant will emerge next and how soon. On the other hand, big nations are on to their usual war games — flexing their muscles and showing off military might. And amid all these, the news on weather disasters have been pushed to small columns in the last pages. This is despite the fact that 2021 was the year of climate change impacts. It was the hottest on record; it was the year when tropical cyclones got more unpredictable, more intense and devastating. We also know that next year will be worse. We in India find that our lifeline — the monsoon — is becoming so erratic and so extreme that we do not know if we should rejoice or cry at its arrival. The extreme weather events are becoming so frequent that there is no way people can cope — it is breaking their backs. Down To Earth in this past year has reported on these frequent weather disasters and has found that farmers are losing not one but all of their crops; households are faced with financial ruin brought on by multiple crises rolled into one — the loss of livelihood, health and assets. This is a cycle of devastation that is spiraling out of control. And fast. In a way, 2021 held the mirror up to our misdeeds — our inability to work with nature. I know it is human nature — we are all the same — to look for convenient answers. We avoid the hard changes. But what this continued and systemic disruption should teach us is that "disruption" has to be the way ahead. The only question is if we are willing to embrace it; find the road ahead that will work for all; or keep our heads buried in the sand of meaningless drivel thinking that it will pass off as a solution. Too much time has been "wasted" discussing the need for Net Zero emissions, when it is clear that countries do not even have plans to achieve this. It is based on the premise that some disruptive technologies will emerge that will sequester our emissions and make them go away. Now that the veil has been lifted, another so-called easy answer is being peddled — nature-based solutions, it is called. What it means is that the world will be able to grow enough forests so that its muck can be soaked up. The inconvenient question that nobody wants to talk about is where will these forests be grown? On whose lands? And indeed, even if planting trees is important for the environment and livelihoods of communities who live on these forest lands, will it be even half the answer to the galloping emissions from fossil fuels that are filling up the atmosphere, tipping the scales of nature against us? Then there is another buzzword in the climate corridors — market instrument. It will allow us to use finance to buy our way out of this mess. But once again, we do not want to bite the bullet — it is too inconvenient; too disruptive. We do not want to speak about how markets are the problem and that to be a part of the solution they must work under public policy. Instead of funding high-cost options that will take us to a more secure future, we are working to find the cheapest solution. This is the same strategy that my city uses to handle toxic air pollution. The only effort is to derail action — either by diluting and distracting from the real issue or by blaming somebody else. So, now in Delhi, we are only obsessed with handling dust; construction sites are shut down when pollution goes up. This when we know that dust per se is not a pollutant, but it becomes toxic when coated with combustion particles. So, action should be focused on shutting down the use of coal in the city and its vicinity and on shifting to cleaner fuels; action should be focused on alternatives to vehicles so that we can move people and not cars. But these are inconvenient; difficult to accept, particularly for the middle-class environmentalists who call for "tough" steps on combating air pollution. So, the burden of change has been shifted to dust or to farmers or to somebody who cannot shout out against the loss of their "lifestyle". We have squandered away time finding answers that did not exist, implementing strategies that do not work, or simply burying our heads in the sand. If we do not mend our ways now, let us be clear, nature will keep reminding us that tomorrow will be worse than yesterday. DTE The writer is the Director-General of CSE and editor of DownToEarth. Views expressed are personal http://www.millenniumpost.in/opinion/chasing-the-mirage-470541

WEBINAR CONDUCTED BY BHUPAL NOBLES’ SANSTHAN ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Udaipur : The department had organized an international level webinar on the theme “Women: Champions In/of the Climate Change.” This webinar was organized on the International Women’s Day2022, by Professor Naresh Bahadur Singh President B.N.U. and Sh. Parbat Singh Rathore Registrar B.N.U. The resource person for the webinar was Mr. Anagh, project head, Bring Back Green Mentor, Green Army International Kerela. Dr. J Pavitha assist.professor Bharat institute of higher education and research Chennai, Tamilnadu. Dr. Sriranjini faculty of management SJBCMS, Mysore university. Dr. Devvrat Sharma associate professor, department of English, SPNKS Govt.P.G. college Dausa, university of Rajasthan Jaipur. Dr. Kamal Singh Rathore, associate professor, faculty of Pharmacy B.N.U. The program started with an opening remark delivered by Dr. Jayshree Singh Assosiate professor, depart.of English B.N.U and convenor as well as organizer of the webinar, followed by welcome address from her. Mr. Anagh introduced the aim and concept of the Green Army International which work towards accelerating opportunities and to help strengthen the climate innovation landscape for women entrepreneurs. Dr. Sriranjini in her presentation put forward the role of women in the conservation of environment.eg. Chipko Movement of India 1970s. She even threw a light on women as resource managers in rural side. How world’s women are the key to sustainable development, peace and security. They are chief resource managers for their families as well as play critical roles in relation to their natural environment. She spoke on the feminist radical ecosystem, which included multiple roles of women, lack of subsistence, system and health, criticism and place of women on a political scale. Discussed how we can improve efficiency of women through Incentives, credit and input access, gender specific knowledge and empowerment effect. She reminded us of the female environmentalists like Gauri Devi, Medha Patkar, Sunita Narain, Maneka Gandhi, Vandana Shiva and so on. The session ended with a round of discussion and vote of thanks by Dr. Jayshree Singh with her beautiful words as I quote her, “today’s webinar was not on women liberators, but on champions to protect and work for climate change by securing opportunity and equality, dignity of labour.