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Two-day HT Environment Conclave commences today

The HT Environment Conclave, on Wednesday and Thursday, is being organised in the backdrop of investors increasingly giving significant importance to ESG as climate crisis looms large over businesses. The two-day Hindustan Times Environment Conclave will begin on Wednesday with environment minister Bhupender Yadav’s address spelling out government’s road map to sustainable development. The theme of this year’s Conclave is “environmental, social and governance”, also known as ESG. Yadav’s address will be followed by sessions on circular economy, energy transition, and net-zero emissions, among others, by environment and industry experts. The HT Environment Conclave, on Wednesday and Thursday, is being organised in the backdrop of investors increasingly giving significant importance to ESG as climate crisis looms large over businesses. The conclave also comes at a time when India is gradually recovering from the economic blow of the Covid-19 pandemic and preparing for a transition to a low-carbon economy this decade. At the Glasgow climate conference in November last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India’s non-fossil energy capacity will reach 500 GW by 2030, meeting 50% of the country’s energy requirements. He also announced that India will reduce its total projected carbon emissions by a billion tonnes by 2030, cut down the carbon intensity of the economy by 45% over 2005 levels by 2030, and achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. Net-zero means completely neutralizing the greenhouse gases produced by human activity by reducing and absorbing emissions. The conclave will attempt to capture the opportunities and challenges of this transition to a low-carbon economy. On Wednesday, Yadav’s keynote address will be followed by a session on ‘Circular Economy: How to effectively and efficiently work towards reducing wastage’ by Swati Singh Sambyal, waste management specialist at UN Habitat. Sambyal will stress on lifestyle changes that one could make to reduce consumption and wastage. Her session will be followed by a personal account of Arun Krishnamurthy, founder, Environmentalist Foundation of India, who will narrate his story of quitting a corporate job to save natural spaces in different parts of the country. Day 1 of the conclave will also feature sessions by industry leaders like Priya Agarwal Hebbar, director, Vedanta Resources, who will speak on ESG in industry; and Rajeev Kumar Jain, chief operating officer (refrigerant business), Gujarat Fluorochemicals, who will discuss carbon emissions in the developing world. A fireside chat with Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will kick-start Day 2 of the HT Environment Conclave on Thursday. It will be followed by a session by Nivit Yadav, programme director, industrial pollution unit, Centre for Science and Environment, who will explain how industries can reduce their carbon and environmental footprints. AK Saxena, senior fellow and senior director, electricity and fuels division, The Energy and Resources Institute, will describe how India can achieve its net-zero emissions goal by 2070. It will be followed by a joint session on sustainable infrastructure for industry by George Menezes, chief operating officer, Godrej Electricals and Electronics, and KS Venkatgiri, executive director, CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre. The last speaker, Pragya Kapoor, actor, producer, environmental activist and founder of Ek Saath — The Earth Foundation, will focus on the role of youth in environmental movements.

After endless construction, rain Delhi’s worst traffic nightmare

Traffic congestion in Delhi typically peaks during the monsoon months, with September being the worst with 56% more average commuting time than other months, said the report. Commuting in Delhi can be a harrowing experience -- especially if it rains. On August 21 last year, for instance, when the capital saw heavy rainfall of 139mm, commuters were forced to spend an additional 71% commuting time stuck in traffic snarls, according to a global traffic index report by TomTom released on February 10. Traffic congestion in Delhi typically peaks during the monsoon months, with September being the worst with 56% more average commuting time than other months, said the report. Roads in Delhi are not designed to handle more than 50mm of rain in a day, the Public Works Department said in a August 2021 report. The situation is unlikely to improve any time soon. Delhi continues with an outdated 1975 drainage master plan to manage its 426.55km of natural drainage lines and 3,311.54km of engineered stormwater drains. An enhanced drainage system remains stuck a decade after work started on it. The PWD is in the process of appointing a consultant who will survey the key basin areas to identify problem areas that will then be acted upon by authorities, an official said on condition of anonymity. The problem, however, is not limited to water logging and drainage. Unsustainably high vehicle density, poorly managed roads, and rampant encroachments add to the problem, experts said, and things will only worsen as congestion levels rise once again after pandemic restrictions are lifted. Delhi is the 11th most congested city in the world according to the TomTom Traffic Index that maps 404 cities in 58 countries. As life returns to normal and traffic increases, the city needs to immediately implement pending transportation policies, said Anuj Malhotra, a transportation expert and member of a home ministry expert panel on decongesting Delhi’s roads. “A parking policy was notified, but its provisions like parking management districts, need to be implemented on war footing. Similarly, the walking policy and walkability plans are yet to be enforced,” Malhotra said. “Additionally, more buses are required to increase the supply side requirements.” At present, Delhi has about 6,900 buses, the highest the city has ever had so far. Previously, bus fleet in Delhi was at its strongest with 6,342 vehicles in 2010 when the national Capital hosted the Commonwealth Games. A Delhi government spokesperson said at least 2,830 more buses will be added until mid-2023. Of the 2,830 buses, 2,130 will be pure electric buses and 700 will be CNG buses. This will also be the last set of CNG buses Delhi government will buy. After this, only e-buses will be procured, the spokesperson added. Delhi also needs to discourage the use of private vehicles to reduce congestion, experts said. Although roads remain limited, the appetite for new vehicles and parking space continues to grow. Till 31st January 2022, the government data shows, Delhi had some 13.4 million registered vehicles, which is more than the registered vehicles in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata taken together. The city transport department estimates that around 7.77 million of these are in use. Added to this is the huge number of vehicles from satellite cities of Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad using the capital’s roads everyday. Given the number of vehicles on the capital’s road, congestion is inevitable, said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment, an advocacy group, and a member of the team that drafted city’s parking policy that was notified in 2019. “Clearly, the obsessive focus on excessive road building and widening, while allowing unlimited free parking is eroding spaces for public transport, walking and cycling. This has not worked and needs immediate course correction,” Roy Chowdhury said. “We need to scale up integrated public transport services, walking and cycling along with taxation and parking measures to recover congestion and pollution costs from personal vehicles to restrain their usage.” Roy Chowdhury also advocates modification in city planning to bring in more people to live close to the transit lines to reduce dependence on personal vehicles. Two years after the Delhi Development Authority notified rules for a pedestrian-friendly makeover of Delhi’s streets, the policy remains on paper. The municipal corporations have also failed to enforce parking area management plans and dynamic parking rates despite the rules being notified on September 23, 2019, after direct intervention of the Supreme Court. While high vehicle density remains a key hurdle, yearlong housekeeping tasks of resurfacing roads, pothole repair and removal of encroachments have significant impact on vehicular flow, Delhi residents rue. Basic housekeeping in the capital has deteriorated, said Atul Goel, president of United RWAs Joint Action, a collective of residents’ associations. “Maintenance of arterial as well as inner colony roads lies in shambles. Forget about resurfacing, even basic patchwork and pothole repair work is lacking,” Goel said. “On the one hand, we are talking about mobility planning, and walkways, but we are unable to prevent encroachment on even existing pathways, forcing people to walk on roads, which hampers traffic flow and increases risks of accidents.” Authorities remove encroachments regularly, municipal officials said, but road repairs have been impacted due to a financial crisis faced by the municipal corporations. High congestion levels have made commuting in city unreliable, said Sewa Ram, professor of transport planning in the School of Planning and Architecture. “Even when people are travelling using Google maps (which display congestion levels), they are ending up taking longer than the expected time,” Ram said. “Delhi Traffic Police needs to identify the new emerging congestion hot spots and plan their strategy accordingly.” Segregating traffic moving to residential neighbourhoods and industrial areas in the city and interstate traffic to and from the cities in the national capital region will be key in reducing the congestion, he said. Authorities also need to reduce the time taken to clear out roads when buses and cars breakdown, he added. “Even the national highways and expressway have poor management when vehicles and buses break down and it leads to pile up of vehicles on the entire corridor.” Congestion management in the capital needs a holistic approach, with frequent updating of mobility plans and capacity management of arterial and other roads, said S Velmurugan, chief scientist at the Central Road Research Institute. He advocated the introduction of tough fiscal measures like congestion pricing in areas such as Connaught Place, and the walled city . The present rate of ₹20 per hour of parking is unjustified and should be raised, he said. The draft masterplan 2041 for Delhi advocates the use of congestion pricing. Road owning agencies should notify specific areas in the city as congestion pricing zones through the use of technology in the form of RFID tagging, it has suggested. Enforcing the new parking policy should be the first step before introducing congestion pricing, Malhotra said. “Parking management is the first tool,” he said. “At this stage, Delhi does not need additional roads, but optimum utilisation of the existing network. Even opening up colony gates and allowing traffic to pass through internal roads should be done.”

दो दिवसीय एचटी पर्यावरण कॉन्क्लेव आज से शुरू

दो दिवसीय हिंदुस्तान कॅरिअरमोशन्स पर्यावरण सम्मेलन बुधवार को पर्यावरण मंत्री भूपेंद्र यादव के संबोधन के साथ शुरू होगा जिसमें सतत विकास के लिए सरकार का रोड मैप होगा। इस वर्ष के कॉन्क्लेव का विषय “पर्यावरण, सामाजिक और शासन” है, जिसे ईएसजी के नाम से भी जाना जाता है। यादव के संबोधन के बाद पर्यावरण और उद्योग के विशेषज्ञों द्वारा सर्कुलर इकोनॉमी, एनर्जी ट्रांजिशन और नेट-जीरो एमिशन पर सत्र होंगे। बुधवार और गुरुवार को एचटी एनवायरनमेंट कॉन्क्लेव का आयोजन निवेशकों द्वारा ईएसजी को महत्वपूर्ण महत्व देने की पृष्ठभूमि में किया जा रहा है क्योंकि जलवायु संकट व्यवसायों पर भारी पड़ रहा है। कॉन्क्लेव ऐसे समय में भी आया है जब भारत धीरे-धीरे कोविड -19 महामारी के आर्थिक आघात से उबर रहा है और इस दशक में कम कार्बन वाली अर्थव्यवस्था में संक्रमण की तैयारी कर रहा है। पिछले साल नवंबर में ग्लासगो जलवायु सम्मेलन में, प्रधान मंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने घोषणा की कि भारत की गैर-जीवाश्म ऊर्जा क्षमता 2030 तक 500 गीगावॉट तक पहुंच जाएगी, जो देश की ऊर्जा आवश्यकताओं का 50% पूरा करेगी। उन्होंने यह भी घोषणा की कि भारत 2030 तक अपने कुल अनुमानित कार्बन उत्सर्जन में एक अरब टन की कमी करेगा, 2030 तक 2005 के स्तर से अर्थव्यवस्था की कार्बन तीव्रता में 45% की कटौती करेगा, और 2070 तक शुद्ध-शून्य उत्सर्जन प्राप्त करेगा। नेट-शून्य का मतलब पूरी तरह से है उत्सर्जन को कम और अवशोषित करके मानव गतिविधि द्वारा उत्पादित ग्रीनहाउस गैसों को निष्क्रिय करना। कॉन्क्लेव निम्न कार्बन अर्थव्यवस्था में इस संक्रमण के अवसरों और चुनौतियों को पकड़ने का प्रयास करेगा। बुधवार को, यादव के मुख्य भाषण के बाद संयुक्त राष्ट्र पर्यावास में अपशिष्ट प्रबंधन विशेषज्ञ स्वाति सिंह सम्ब्याल द्वारा ‘सर्कुलर इकोनॉमी: हाउ टू इफेक्टिव एंड एफिशिएंट वर्क टु रिड्यूसिंग वेस्टेज’ पर एक सत्र का आयोजन किया जाएगा। सम्ब्याल जीवनशैली में बदलाव पर जोर देंगे जो खपत और अपव्यय को कम करने के लिए किया जा सकता है। उनके सत्र के बाद पर्यावरणविद् फाउंडेशन ऑफ इंडिया के संस्थापक अरुण कृष्णमूर्ति का व्यक्तिगत लेखा-जोखा होगा, जो देश के विभिन्न हिस्सों में प्राकृतिक स्थानों को बचाने के लिए कॉर्पोरेट नौकरी छोड़ने की अपनी कहानी सुनाएगा। कॉन्क्लेव के पहले दिन में वेदांत रिसोर्सेज की निदेशक प्रिया अग्रवाल हेब्बार जैसे उद्योग जगत के नेताओं के सत्र भी होंगे, जो उद्योग में ईएसजी पर बोलेंगे; और राजीव कुमार जैन, चीफ ऑपरेटिंग ऑफिसर (रेफ्रिजरेंट बिजनेस), गुजरात फ्लोरोकेमिकल्स, जो विकासशील देशों में कार्बन उत्सर्जन पर चर्चा करेंगे। मध्य प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री शिवराज सिंह चौहान के साथ एक जोरदार बातचीत गुरुवार को एचटी पर्यावरण सम्मेलन के दूसरे दिन की शुरुआत करेगी। इसके बाद सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट के औद्योगिक प्रदूषण इकाई के कार्यक्रम निदेशक निवित यादव द्वारा एक सत्र का आयोजन किया जाएगा, जो यह बताएगा कि उद्योग अपने कार्बन और पर्यावरण के पदचिह्नों को कैसे कम कर सकते हैं। एके सक्सेना, वरिष्ठ साथी और वरिष्ठ निदेशक, बिजली और ईंधन विभाग, द एनर्जी एंड रिसोर्सेज इंस्टीट्यूट, बताएंगे कि भारत 2070 तक अपने शुद्ध-शून्य उत्सर्जन लक्ष्य को कैसे प्राप्त कर सकता है। इसके बाद गोदरेज इलेक्ट्रिकल्स एंड इलेक्ट्रॉनिक्स के मुख्य परिचालन अधिकारी जॉर्ज मेनेजेस और सीआईआई-सोहराबजी गोदरेज ग्रीन बिजनेस सेंटर के कार्यकारी निदेशक केएस वेंकटगिरी द्वारा उद्योग के लिए टिकाऊ बुनियादी ढांचे पर एक संयुक्त सत्र का आयोजन किया जाएगा। अंतिम वक्ता, प्रज्ञा कपूर, अभिनेता, निर्माता, पर्यावरण कार्यकर्ता और एक साथ – द अर्थ फाउंडेशन की संस्थापक, पर्यावरण आंदोलनों में युवाओं की भूमिका पर ध्यान केंद्रित करेंगी।

Sustainable lifestyles to be focus of India’s stand in climate talks

An environment ministry official said they met over 40 experts last week to discuss how the concept can be a major pillar of the climate debate The Union environment ministry has begun consultations with climate and energy experts on developing the concept of sustainable lifestyles based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow in November. Modi said the world is recognising that lifestyles have a big role in climate change and proposed a “One-Word Movement”. “This One-Word in the context of climate can become the basic foundation of One World. This is a word LIFE…L, I, F, E, ie, Lifestyle For Environment… This can become a mass movement of an environmentally conscious lifestyle. What is needed today is mindful and deliberate utilisation instead of mindless and destructive consumption.” An environment ministry official, who did not want to be named, said they met over 40 experts last week. “...some of [them] joined us virtually from other parts of the country on how the concept of sustainable lifestyles can be a major pillar of the climate debate. There were two internal meetings of the environment ministry on this. All of their inputs have been taken and a concept note will soon be prepared. More meetings may be necessary to ideate how this can be the cornerstone of our stands at climate negotiations.” He added they had experts from Vijanana Bharati (previously Swadeshi Science Movement), National Institute of Advanced Studies, Centre for Science and Environment, MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Council on Energy, Environment and Water, etc. “Once the concept is developed, we will share it with Niti Aayog also for further implementation. It is premature to say how the concept will be used in climate negotiations. We have had preliminary discussions for now.” Manjeev Singh Puri, distinguished fellow, The Energy and Resources Institute, said lifestyle adaptation has to now be at the heart of sustainable development so that sustainable patterns of both production and consumption, particularity among the most profligate, evolve. “India, with its strong links to nature and a lifestyle that values conserving and not profligacy, can lead in this global movement and give expression to Prime Minister Modi’s call...,” said Puri, who attended the environment ministry consultation chaired by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav. Modi reiterated the idea in his address to the World Economic Forum in January. He again referred to it at the World Sustainable Development Summit on February 16. India has urged developed countries to moderate their consumption patterns. The target of reducing emissions to net-zero by mid-century, proposed by some countries, will not be adequate in view of the fast-depleting global carbon space, India said in its statement at the G20 energy and climate joint ministerial meeting in July. India urged the group of 20 developed nations with per capita greenhouse gas emissions above the world average to reduce the levels by 2030. According to the World Resources Institute, India emits 7.1% of global emissions and has per capita emissions of about 2.47 Tco2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent), compared to the global average of 6.45 tco2/per capita. In comparison to top emitters, India’s per capita emissions are seven times lower than that of the US, 3.4 times lower than China’s, and three times lower compared to the EU.

After endless construction, rain Delhi’s worst traffic nightmare

Commuting in Delhi can be a harrowing experience — especially if it rains. On August 21 last year, for instance, when the capital saw heavy rainfall of 139mm, commuters were forced to spend an additional 71% commuting time stuck in traffic snarls, according to a global traffic index report by TomTom released on February 10. Traffic congestion in Delhi typically peaks during the monsoon months, with September being the worst with 56% more average commuting time than other months, said the report. Roads in Delhi are not designed to handle more than 50mm of rain in a day, the Public Works Department said in a August 2021 report. The situation is unlikely to improve any time soon. Delhi continues with an outdated 1975 drainage master plan to manage its 426.55km of natural drainage lines and 3,311.54km of engineered stormwater drains. An enhanced drainage system remains stuck a decade after work started on it. The PWD is in the process of appointing a consultant who will survey the key basin areas to identify problem areas that will then be acted upon by authorities, an official said on condition of anonymity. The problem, however, is not limited to water logging and drainage. Unsustainably high vehicle density, poorly managed roads, and rampant encroachments add to the problem, experts said, and things will only worsen as congestion levels rise once again after pandemic restrictions are lifted. Delhi is the 11th most congested city in the world according to the TomTom Traffic Index that maps 404 cities in 58 countries. As life returns to normal and traffic increases, the city needs to immediately implement pending transportation policies, said Anuj Malhotra, a transportation expert and member of a home ministry expert panel on decongesting Delhi’s roads. “A parking policy was notified, but its provisions like parking management districts, need to be implemented on war footing. Similarly, the walking policy and walkability plans are yet to be enforced,” Malhotra said. “Additionally, more buses are required to increase the supply side requirements.” At present, Delhi has about 6,900 buses, the highest the city has ever had so far. Previously, bus fleet in Delhi was at its strongest with 6,342 vehicles in 2010 when the national Capital hosted the Commonwealth Games. A Delhi government spokesperson said at least 2,830 more buses will be added until mid-2023. Of the 2,830 buses, 2,130 will be pure electric buses and 700 will be CNG buses. This will also be the last set of CNG buses Delhi government will buy. After this, only e-buses will be procured, the spokesperson added. Delhi also needs to discourage the use of private vehicles to reduce congestion, experts said. Although roads remain limited, the appetite for new vehicles and parking space continues to grow. Till 31st January 2022, the government data shows, Delhi had some 13.4 million registered vehicles, which is more than the registered vehicles in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata taken together. The city transport department estimates that around 7.77 million of these are in use. Added to this is the huge number of vehicles from satellite cities of Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad using the capital’s roads everyday. Given the number of vehicles on the capital’s road, congestion is inevitable, said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment, an advocacy group, and a member of the team that drafted city’s parking policy that was notified in 2019. “Clearly, the obsessive focus on excessive road building and widening, while allowing unlimited free parking is eroding spaces for public transport, walking and cycling. This has not worked and needs immediate course correction,” Roy Chowdhury said. “We need to scale up integrated public transport services, walking and cycling along with taxation and parking measures to recover congestion and pollution costs from personal vehicles to restrain their usage.” Roy Chowdhury also advocates modification in city planning to bring in more people to live close to the transit lines to reduce dependence on personal vehicles. Two years after the Delhi Development Authority notified rules for a pedestrian-friendly makeover of Delhi’s streets, the policy remains on paper. The municipal corporations have also failed to enforce parking area management plans and dynamic parking rates despite the rules being notified on September 23, 2019, after direct intervention of the Supreme Court. While high vehicle density remains a key hurdle, yearlong housekeeping tasks of resurfacing roads, pothole repair and removal of encroachments have significant impact on vehicular flow, Delhi residents rue. Basic housekeeping in the capital has deteriorated, said Atul Goel, president of United RWAs Joint Action, a collective of residents’ associations. “Maintenance of arterial as well as inner colony roads lies in shambles. Forget about resurfacing, even basic patchwork and pothole repair work is lacking,” Goel said. “On the one hand, we are talking about mobility planning, and walkways, but we are unable to prevent encroachment on even existing pathways, forcing people to walk on roads, which hampers traffic flow and increases risks of accidents.” Authorities remove encroachments regularly, municipal officials said, but road repairs have been impacted due to a financial crisis faced by the municipal corporations. High congestion levels have made commuting in city unreliable, said Sewa Ram, professor of transport planning in the School of Planning and Architecture. “Even when people are travelling using Google maps (which display congestion levels), they are ending up taking longer than the expected time,” Ram said. “Delhi Traffic Police needs to identify the new emerging congestion hot spots and plan their strategy accordingly.” Segregating traffic moving to residential neighbourhoods and industrial areas in the city and interstate traffic to and from the cities in the national capital region will be key in reducing the congestion, he said. Authorities also need to reduce the time taken to clear out roads when buses and cars breakdown, he added. “Even the national highways and expressway have poor management when vehicles and buses break down and it leads to pile up of vehicles on the entire corridor.” Congestion management in the capital needs a holistic approach, with frequent updating of mobility plans and capacity management of arterial and other roads, said S Velmurugan, chief scientist at the Central Road Research Institute. He advocated the introduction of tough fiscal measures like congestion pricing in areas such as Connaught Place, and the walled city . The present rate of ₹20 per hour of parking is unjustified and should be raised, he said. The draft masterplan 2041 for Delhi advocates the use of congestion pricing. Road owning agencies should notify specific areas in the city as congestion pricing zones through the use of technology in the form of RFID tagging, it has suggested. Enforcing the new parking policy should be the first step before introducing congestion pricing, Malhotra said. “Parking management is the first tool,” he said. “At this stage, Delhi does not need additional roads, but optimum utilisation of the existing network. Even opening up colony gates and allowing traffic to pass through internal roads should be done.”

Centre issues new emission norms for power generators to reduce air pollution

the Ministry for Environment has issued a draft notification for common emission norms for power generators which means that there will be one standard pollution norm for all types of power generators. Until now there were three different emission standards for Gasoline, Diesel and Dedicated CNG, LPG & Bi-fuels gensets. Also Read | Long-term exposure to air pollution likely to increase COVID-19 risk: Study Notably, hydrogen and green ammonia-powered generators have also been included in the notification issued by the Centre. This move will prove to be a boost to the Hydrogen fuel sector in India. Just recently, the Centre had released green hydrogen and green ammonia policy to boost the large-scale indigenous production of green hydrogen to reduce the import of fossil and crude oil. This move will also help India achieve its target of becoming a Carbon Neutral economy by 2070 as announced by PM Modi in Glasgow. According to the government, the emission coming from the DG genset is one of the major contributors to air pollution in major urban centres in India. Fresh regulation on emission is imperative, considering the availability of cleaner fuels ( BS-VI) and improved engine technology. On Dec 18, 2021, the NGT had directed the Uttar Pradesh pollution control board to take action to ensure the compliance of norms set to check air & noise pollution caused by diesel generators (DG). The case pertains to a petition filed against the Management of Windsor Park residents Welfare association (WPRWA) in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Another study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found that DG sets significantly contributed to air pollution in urban areas. The study reveals that DG consumes 60 to 70 per cent of the Liquid fuel consumption of the studied region. DG sets have been banned by the Central government under Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) also thrust upon retrofitting existing generators and replacing the DG sets to gas-operated generators.

The skies are blue again but the toxic haze is never too far

Environment experts list some must-dos for the government to be prepared better when air pollution spikes to dangerous levels later this year For Delhi, like most of north India, the middle of February is the time of change—winter is on its way out, trees are laden with a promise of spring and the air smells of fresh grass and blooming flowers. The sky sparkles a healthy blue, cleansed of the toxic pollutants that envelope the national capital and its neighbouring areas for almost three months, if not more. This is also the time that headline-dominating AQI, short for air quality index, takes a backseat but that doesn’t mean authorities lower the guard, say, environmentalists. They should instead step up anti-pollution efforts to prepare better when the toxic haze returns later in the year, experts say, as they list some must-dos for the government. The wishlist includes year-long on-ground action, better coordination between states, strengthening institutions for meeting targets, more teeth and financial muscle to executing agencies and technological upgrades. "We cannot address the deadly winter smog unless we make a consistent effort to meet the national ambient air quality standards across all regions of the country,” Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director in charge of research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), told Moneycontrol. Action on the ground Air pollution is a year-long problem in the northern Indo-Gangetic belt but it rises to dangerous levels in winter as temperature falls. A toxic haze of ultra-fine and hazardous particulate matter, which can cause respiratory problems, lung cancer, heart diseases and other ailments, turns the region into a “gas chamber”. Vehicular pollution, burning of biomass, including crop residue, industrial emissions, dust from construction sites and firecrackers all add to the toxic cocktail. Reports suggest pollution is also rearing its ugly head in the south, the Northeast and even Kashmir. Vehicular emissions were one of the major causes of air pollution, said Roychowdhury, as she called for giving public transport and electric vehicles a big push. “At least 80-90 percent of all motorised trips need to be on public transport, supported by walking and cycling infrastructure,” Roychowdhury said. “There also has to be a proper pricing of personal vehicle usage and massive electrification of the vehicle fleet.” The share of vehicular emission to overall pollution may differ with the location and the time of the year. In Delhi, a CSE study found that vehicles contributed to more than 50 percent of the city’s pollution between October 24 and November 8, 2021.

Centre issues new emission norms for power generators to reduce air pollution

As per the government, the emission coming from the DG Genset is one of the major contributors to air pollution in major urban centres in India. On Saturday (February 19), the Ministry for Environment has issued a draft notification for common emission norms for power generators which means that there will be one standard pollution norm for all types of power generators. Until now there were three different emission standards for Gasoline, Diesel and Dedicated CNG, LPG & Bi-fuels gensets. Notably, hydrogen and green ammonia-powered generators have also been included in the notification issued by the Centre. This move will prove to be a boost to the Hydrogen fuel sector in India. Just recently, the Centre had released green hydrogen and green ammonia policy to boost the large-scale indigenous production of green hydrogen to reduce the import of fossil and crude oil. This move will also help India achieve its target of becoming a Carbon Neutral economy by 2070 as announced by PM Modi in Glasgow. According to the government, the emission coming from the DG genset is one of the major contributors to air pollution in major urban centres in India. Fresh regulation on emission is imperative, considering the availability of cleaner fuels ( BS-VI) and improved engine technology. On Dec 18, 2021, the NGT had directed the Uttar Pradesh pollution control board to take action to ensure the compliance of norms set to check air & noise pollution caused by diesel generators (DG). The case pertains to a petition filed against the Management of Windsor Park residents Welfare association (WPRWA) in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Another study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found that DG sets significantly contributed to air pollution in urban areas. The study reveals that DG consumes 60 to 70 per cent of the Liquid fuel consumption of the studied region. DG sets have been banned by the Central government under Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) also thrust upon retrofitting existing generators and replacing the DG sets to gas-operated generators.

‘Missing’ forests

Need for accurate assessment of green cover Releasing the India State of Forest Report (ISFR-2021) last month, the union government had proudly declared that the country’s forest and tree cover had risen by 2,261 sq km (0.3 per cent) in two years. The report mentioned that 17 states/UTs had over 33 per cent of their geographical area under forest cover, even as Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav reaffirmed the government’s resolve to not only conserve forests quantitatively but also qualitatively enrich them. However, an analysis by noted environmentalist Sunita Narain, Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment (a not-for-profit public interest research and advocacy organisation), has shown that the real picture is far from rosy. Narain has noticed a glaring discrepancy between what is officially recorded as forest area (77.53 million hectares) and the actual forest cover (51.66 million hectares) that exists on that recorded area. According to her, 34 per cent of the area classified as forests — 25.87 million hectares — is conspicuous by its absence from the government’s assessment. She says the India State of Forest Report ‘does not explain what is happening to this huge tract of forest land — equal in size to the state of Uttar Pradesh.’ Undoubtedly, ISFR-2021 is an important document that is expected to guide policy-makers regarding decisions for the sustainable management of forest and tree resources in the country, but everything contained in it should not be treated or projected as the gospel truth by the government. The findings of independent researchers should also be taken into account so as to accurately assess the green cover and do course correction, wherever required. The forest survey should strike a balance between ground-truthing and the use of satellite imagery for data collection and interpretation. The Centrally sponsored National Mission for a Green India needs much better monitoring and implementation. It’s worrying that almost one-fifth of the funds released to states and UTs for carrying out afforestation activities under this mission have remained unutilised. There is no room for complacency when India’s priceless woodlands are at stake.

26 Million Hectares of Forests ‘Missing’ From Forest Survey Report, Analysis Says

The latest ‘State of Forest’ report said India’s forest and tree cover increased by 2,261 sq. km between 2019 and 2021. But a new independent analysis suggests that the report doesn’t account for almost 26 million hectares of forest land. This is the latest in a string of discrepancies that independent experts have pointed out in the government report. The Forest Survey of India (FSI) recently said, based on the latest edition of its ‘state of forest’ report, that India’s forest cover has increased. But independent experts had called out the FSI for considering plantations as forests as well, thus potentially inflating India’s forest cover. A new analysis by Sunita Narain, director-general of the Center for Science and Environment, New Delhi, provides an estimate of this inflation – almost 26 million hectares. This is roughly the area of Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state. The report used satellite data to estimate forest and tree cover in India. ‘Forest cover’ refers to forested areas of more than one hectare and a tree canopy density (fraction covered by the crowns of trees) of more than 10%. This definition included plantations and orchards as well, even though they are not ‘forests’. ‘Tree cover’ refers to trees outside forests, such as along roads. Per last year’s report, India’s total forest and tree cover (8.09 lakh sq. km) included tree cover of 0.95 lakh sq. km and forest cover of 7.13 lakh sq. km. The report also distinguishes between ‘forest cover’ and ‘recorded forest area’. ‘Recorded forest area’ refers to all areas classified officially as forests by the government. These include reserved forests (forests declared by state governments and where some activities, like grazing, are banned by default) and protected forests, which are reserved forests where activities like grazing are permitted by default. Unclassed forests’ are areas recorded as forests but not included in the reserved or protected forests category. They also come under recorded forest areas. According to the latest report, the recorded forest area in India is 775.3 lakh hectares. But the same report says only 516.6 lakh hectares of recorded forest area has forest cover, Narain wrote. This means 258.7 lakh hectares of forest – or ~26 million, about a third of the recorded forest area – is “missing”. “We have the assessment for only 66% of the recorded ‘forest’ area,” Narain wrote in her report. “The rest is unaccounted for.” She added that in Madhya Pradesh, the difference between recorded forest area and forest cover is close to 32%). In Jharkhand, it’s 50%, and around 75% in Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana. Twelve states are missing at least 30%. The report has apparently not accounted for these areas as scrubland either. “In fact, one can say that the forest cover is growing in spite of [the] government, not because of it,” Narain wrote. Dubious accounting has been a near-constant refrain with these forest survey reports of late. Experts have highlighted flawed methods that allow ‘plantations’ to be classified as ‘forested areas’. FSI data isn’t in the public domain, however, so researchers haven’t been able to independently verify the body’s claims.

A transformative change

The first-generation transition from highly polluting two-stroke technology to cleaner technology pathways needed committed industry leadership It was 1995. We could feel toxic air. But did not quite understand what it was all about. We explored deeper to understand the problem, particularly why our vehicles pollute so much. We were then just a year away from the first-ever emissions standards for vehicles to be implemented in 1996. There were doubts if the two-wheeler industry would be able to meet the mark. That was the time when I met Rahul Bajaj, the industry scion and the face of the 'Hamara Bajaj' revolution in the country. This was for a conversation for our book Slow Murder: the deadly story of vehicular pollution in India, which had catalysed our Right To Clean Air campaign. What I found most compelling about the conversation with Rahul Bajaj was his willingness for open discussion and dialogue. This was a challenging time for the two-wheeler industry. It was also a difficult conversation to conduct. Two-stroke engines — then powering nearly most of the country's two- and three-wheeled vehicles were known for the most inefficient combustion that allowed nearly 25 per cent of fuel to be emitted unburnt, causing 65 per cent of hydrocarbon emissions. The industry was facing two inflexible deadlines of 1996 and 2000 to meet the new norms to fix these gas bombs. We were concerned about the slow pace of technological progress in this segment. Not taking corrective and adequate technical measures and hard-selling smoke-belching ubiquitous two-stroke engines seemed like an environmental crime. Bajaj responded in his disarming style. But what Rahul Bajaj said, foreshadowed the unique transition pattern of the two-wheeler industry in the years to come. He remained candid about "we do produce polluting vehicles." But he added: Let me point out that the 1996 norms for two-wheelers are more stringent than the corresponding norms in European countries. The current Taiwanese norms are a little bit more stringent but it must be remembered that Taiwan had met these norms by extensive use of catalytic converters, whereas we have been able to achieve the 1996 norms through more complex technological solutions rather than the relatively simpler but expensive catalytic converters. The significance of his statement lies in the fact that these affordable, light and easy-to-drive vehicles, unique to poorer countries of Asia and Africa, did not have a reference benchmark for improvement in the developed world of the United States and Europe like cars had during that time. These were not the vehicles of concern in rich countries. India, therefore, had to lead and chart its own roadmap in those early years. Europe stepped up much later. We may still be demanding more, but the significant upgrades that followed over the last couple of decades, has virtually killed the two-stroke engines in the Indian market. 'Hamara Bajaj', along with the rest of the two-wheeler industry, has led and driven this transition that has reduced emissions significantly from this segment. Even in those early years, India had the most stringent carbon monoxide limits for this vehicle segment and the nitrogen oxide (NOx) limits that were regulated in combination with hydrocarbons, were beginning to get stricter. This triggered the corporate policy for phasing out of two-stroke powered two-wheelers from the production line and to move to four-stroke engines with catalytic converters along with optimisation of engine parameters and improvement in ignition systems. Stricter standards also protected Indian industry against imports as the imported vehicles also had to meet the existing emission regulations of the importing country. This had even blocked the import of the mighty Harley Davidson at that time as those bigger engines could not meet the Indian standard. Have come a long way As emissions regulations for two-wheelers evolved, the response of the entire two-wheeler industry was catalytic. There was considerable excitement in India when the vehicle industry leapfrogged to Bharat Stage VI (BSVI) emissions standards in 2020. But the public discourse was obsessed only with its impact on cars and heavy-duty vehicles. The deeper changes in the regulations for the two-wheelers that are more technology forcing have remained nearly unnoticed. For the first time in India, NOx and hydrocarbon emissions are being separately measured instead of the earlier practice of combined measurement. This ensures emissions of one pollutant does not increase at the expense of the other while improving emissions control systems. New models are required to meet tighter evaporative emissions limits and no flexibility is allowed for meeting tailpipe and evaporative emission limits. BSVI two-wheelers now have on board diagnostic (OBD) system. From April 2023 onwards, the OBD II will be capable of monitoring the key parameters that have a bearing on the emissions performance of the vehicles. These include catalytic converters, exhaust gas recycling, misfire detection, and oxygen sensor deterioration. This opens up the opportunity for more advanced technologies and electronics. The industry has already moved to testing vehicles for new norms on more improved Worldwide Harmonized Motorcycle Test Cycle (WMTC). In use performance requirements are also expected to come soon. These changes have led to a massive makeover to close loop electronic fuel injection (EFI) systems. The two-stroke engine is now a fossilised dinosaur. This makeover to BSVI also witnessed strong support from the Bajaj group that had proactively met the standard in 2017. Rajeev Bajaj, the current chief executive and son of Rahul Bajaj, had strongly opposed the auto industry's call for deferring the new emission norms to dispose off the old vehicle stock. A much bigger change is awaiting the two-wheeler industry now. At this crossroads, while the internal combustion engines will be pushed harder to meet more stringent benchmarks, the electrification of this segment to meet zero-emissions targets will quicken. Given the current market dynamics and the sharp drop in battery costs and improvement in price parity, NITI Ayog expects an ambitious electrification target for this segment — as much as 70 per cent, by 2030. In fact, the Government of India signed the Declaration on 100 per cent transition to zero emissions by 2030-2040 at the 26th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. India also makes a specific mention — "two-wheelers and three-wheelers constitute more than 70 per cent of global sales and more than 80 per cent in India. All governments should also support the transition of these light vehicles to zero-emission vehicles". The legacy of the leadership of Rahul Bajaj needs to instil confidence and commitment for the next generation change. Looking back, I recall his insistence on openness for industry dialogue. He had lamented then that, "the green movement thinks the factory people are all subjective and prejudiced ... there is a lack of communication between the two sides, which is unfortunate." This has to change now. The transformative change that awaits the industry, requires industry leadership and more participation and dialogue on policy levers and fiscal instruments to mobilise support and resources for more committed change for clean air and low carbon pathways. DTE

Metro Matters | Delhi’s pedestrianisation projects deserve another push

Ensuring walkability in a car-crazy city is no easy task. It requires a consolidated effort to ensure proper implementation, maintenance and scaling up of pedestrian projects In a car-crazy city such as Delhi, prioritising the needs of pedestrians is by no means an easy task. But the national capital surprised itself when it closed off streets to motorised traffic at Karol Bagh’s Ajmal Khan Road in May 2019 and Chandni Chowk in September 2021, and came up with regulations for “enhancing walkability” across the city.

No record of 25 mn hectares of forest: Sunita Narain

Says 'missing' forest is the real issue that India needs to focus on Warning Indian forests are “not in good shape”, noted environmentalist Sunita Narain today said the increase in forest cover was “not something to boast of or even noteworthy”. The “missing” forest is the real issue that the country needs to focus on, she said. “Otherwise our forests will be only ‘paper forests’ — forests only on paper and not real,” Narain, who is the Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said in an analysis on India’s “missing” forests. Picking holes in government’s assessments, Narain said the recently released Forest Survey Report made no mention of 25.87 million hectare of forests. “There is no record of whether they exist or what condition they are in. Between 2019 and 2021, India’s forest cover has grown by a mere 0.2 per cent. Most of this growth has been in open forests — on land outside recorded forest areas. The recorded forest area, as per the Indian State of Forest Report, 2021, is 77.53 million hectare. But the forest cover on this land is said to be 51.66 million hectare,” she said. Gaps in govt assessment There are states where over 30-50 per cent of the land classified as forests is “missing” from the government’s assessment Picking holes in the assessment, environmentalist Sunita Narain says the recently released Forest Survey Report has made no mention of 25.87 million hectare of forests

A Delhi ghost town shows how not to resettle slum dwellers

The death of four people after a building collapse in Delhi underscores how a slum resettlement scheme guzzled crores of rupees and gave rise to a concrete graveyard The silent buildings with more than 3,000 houses have missing staircases and damaged pillars. The covers of manholes in the area are missing and unkempt vegetation is spread across the area. On February 11, one of the three-storeyed buildings in Delhi’s Bawana collapsed, killing four people, including a nine-year-old grazing cattle in the area. Content copyright...

'Missing' Forests in India: Around 26 Million Hectare Forest Cover Not Accounted For in the Official Report

India's recorded forest cover stands at 77.53 million ha. The forest cover on these lands is estimated to be 51.66 million ha- as much as 34% of the area classified as forests (25.87 million ha) is missing in the assessment. A Down To Earth (DTE) analysis has revealed many holes in the forest cover estimations of the recently released The India State of Forest Report 2021 (ISFR 2021). As per DTE, "India is "missing" almost 26 million hectares of its forests," which is not accounted for in the report. As per the official definition, two kinds of forests exist in India- those inside the officially recorded forest area and those outside it. The ISFR 2021 estimated that the country's recorded forest area is 77.53 million ha. The forest cover on these lands is estimated to be 51.66 million ha, meaning "that as much as 34% of the area classified as forests — 25.87 million ha — is missing in the assessment! The India State of Forest Report 2021 does not explain what is happening to this huge tract of forest land — equal in size to the state of Uttar Pradesh." This land isn't even classified as "scrub"; the report just says that it is "recorded forest without forest cover." Among states and Union territories where the missing forest area lie, forested Madhya Pradesh accounts for 3 million ha, where "the difference between recorded forest area and forest cover is close to 32%." In Jharkhand, the difference is over 50%. As per DTE editor Sunita Narain, "The biggest takeaway from this report is that huge areas of forests that are under the control of the forest department are 'missing' and unaccounted for — possibly degraded to the point that they are not even classified as scrubs. In fact, one can say that the forest cover is growing in spite of government, not because of it." "This is the real story of forest loss in our country — and it should worry us enormously," she added. Narain further explains that one can argue that this forest cover was always 'missing', and it wasn't possible to assess what was 'inside' or 'outside' as forest boundaries were not digitised. "And that now that this has been done, the forest survey can tell us that 28 per cent of forest cover is on lands outside the forest department's control." The DTE analysis raises a question that the report hasn't answered. "What is the state of this massive land area under the control of the forest department, which does not even get classified as scrubs in the forest cover assessment?"

Natural option

IT'S HARD to fathom that just 2.7 per cent, or 3.8 million hectares (ha) of the country's net-sown area is under organic and natural farming despite despite two decades of government efforts to upscale the practices. The Union government passed its first policy on organic farming in 2005, and introduced the flagship Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) in 2015-16. Recently in December 2021, highlighting the ill-effects of chemical-based farming, Prime Minister Narendra Narendra Modi also appealed to make natural farming a mass movement in the country. Some of the prime reasons that hinder the shift is a lack of conviction among policymakers; limited consensus among the scientific community in favour of organic and natural farming; and the tendency to evaluate the non-chemical agricultural practices only on the basis of yield. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based nonprofit, has recently consolidated long-term evidence on holistic benefits of organic and natural farming by analysing the results of 89 scientific studies, conducted across the country over the last decade, and the findings of government's own All India Network Project on Organic Farming (AI-NPOF) going on in 16 states since 2004. CSE researchers analysed four key aspects: crop yield, cost of cultivation, income and livelihood, soil health and environment, and food quality. In the report, Evidence (2004-20) on Holistic Benefits of Organic and Natural Farming in India, they state that organic and natural farming are not only profitable and sustainable but also productive when compared with the chemical-dependent inorganic farming. ON YIELD Down To Earth Gold Icon This story is from the February 16, 2022 edition of Down To Earth. Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,000+ magazines and newspapers.