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US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to Address CERAWeek by IHS Markit in Houston, March 7-11

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm will address delegates at the 40th annual CERAWeek by IHS Markit, to be held in-person March 7-11 in Houston. Secretary Granholm will join the world’s energy industry leaders, experts, government officials and policymakers, as well as leaders from the technology, financial and industrial communities addressing this year’s conference. She delivered her inaugural energy address as U.S. Secretary of Energy last year at CERAWeek by IHS Markit 2021. “We are pleased to once again welcome Secretary Granholm among the distinguished speakers at CERAWeek 2022,” said Daniel Yergin, conference chair and vice chairman of IHS Markit. “Her leadership role and perspective at the forefront of U.S. energy policy, and on the forces shaping the energy future will be an important contribution to the critical discussions taking place at this year’s conference and will be especially timely.” CERAWeek 2022: Pace of Change: Energy, Climate and Innovation will examine the challenges and opportunities of reducing emissions while supplying the needs of a growing global economy in the era of energy transition. The conference is returning to Houston for its 40th annual gathering after being hosted as an all-virtual event in 2021. Produced by IHS Markit (NYSE: INFO), a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions, the CERAWeek 2022 conference program will explore key themes related to More Energy, Lower Emissions; Geopolitics and Energy Markets; Workforce of the Future; Competitive Landscape and the Energy Transition; Supply Chains; and Financing the Energy Future. The conference will also feature the CERAWeek Innovation Agora, serving as the center of technology and innovation programming at the event. Featuring a community of thought leaders, technologists, start-ups, investors, academics, energy companies and government officials, the Innovation Agora will showcase transformational technology platforms in the energy space ranging from digitalization, AI, analytics and connectivity, robotics, blockchain, additive manufacturing, mobility and decarbonization. Newly added for 2022 will be dedicated “Agora Hubs” focused on hydrogen and carbon management. CERAWeek 2022 speakers will include (partial list): Vicki Hollub – CEO, Occidental Amin Nasser – president and CEO, Saudi Aramco Bernard Looney – CEO, bp Patti Poppe – CEO, PG&E Corporation Pedro Pizarro – president and CEO, Edison International Ben van Beurden – CEO, Royal Dutch Shell Patrick Pouyanné – chairman of the board and CEO, TotalEnergies Jim Fitterling – chairman and CEO, Dow H.E. Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo – secretary general, OPEC Ignacio Galán – chairman and CEO, Iberdrola, S.A. Shrikant Madhav Vaidya – chairman, IndianOil Maria Pope – president and CEO, Portland General Electric Ryan Lance – chairman and CEO, ConocoPhillips H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber – minister of industry and advanced technology; special envoy for climate change and chairman of Masdar, United Arab Emirates; Group CEO, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Dr. Fatih Birol – executive director, International Energy Agency Josu Jon Imaz – CEO, Repsol Jill Evanko – CEO and president, Chart Industries Hon. Richard Glick – chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Miranda Ballentine – CEO, Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA) Ernie Thrasher – CEO and chief marketing officer, Xcoal Energy and Resources Øyvind Eriksen – president and CEO, Aker ASA Peter Terwiesch – president, process automation and member of group executive committee, ABB Jean-Pascal Tricoire – chairman and CEO, Schneider Electric RJ Scaringe – CEO, Rivian Barbara Burger – vice president, innovation, Chevron; president, Chevron Technology Ventures Carri Lockhard – executive vice president, technology, digital and innovation, Equinor Christian Bruch – president and CEO, Siemens Energy Sunita Narain – director general, Center for Science and Environment Amos Hochstein – senior advisor for energy security, U.S. Department of State Dan Brouillette – president, Sempra Infrastructure Emma Delaney – executive vice president, customers and products, bp Daniel Poneman – president and CEO, Centrus Energy Scott Sheffield – CEO, Pioneer Natural Resources Hon. Sonya Savage – minister of energy, Alberta, Canada Mark Little – president and CEO, Suncor Felipe Bayón – CEO, Ecopetrol S.A. Dawn Summers – member of the executive board and COO, region EMEA, Wintershall Dea AG Mark Nelson – executive vice president, downstream and chemicals, Chevron

Director General Office

US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to Address CERAWeek by IHS Markit in Houston, March 7-11

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm will address delegates at the 40th annual CERAWeek by IHS Markit, to be held in-person March 7-11 in Houston. Secretary Granholm will join the world’s energy industry leaders, experts, government officials and policymakers, as well as leaders from the technology, financial and industrial communities addressing this year’s conference. She delivered her inaugural energy address as U.S. Secretary of Energy last year at CERAWeek by IHS Markit 2021. “We are pleased to once again welcome Secretary Granholm among the distinguished speakers at CERAWeek 2022,” said Daniel Yergin, conference chair and vice chairman of IHS Markit. “Her leadership role and perspective at the forefront of U.S. energy policy, and on the forces shaping the energy future will be an important contribution to the critical discussions taking place at this year’s conference and will be especially timely.” CERAWeek 2022: Pace of Change: Energy, Climate and Innovation will examine the challenges and opportunities of reducing emissions while supplying the needs of a growing global economy in the era of energy transition. The conference is returning to Houston for its 40th annual gathering after being hosted as an all-virtual event in 2021. Produced by IHS Markit (NYSE: INFO), a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions, the CERAWeek 2022 conference program will explore key themes related to More Energy, Lower Emissions; Geopolitics and Energy Markets; Workforce of the Future; Competitive Landscape and the Energy Transition; Supply Chains; and Financing the Energy Future. The conference will also feature the CERAWeek Innovation Agora, serving as the center of technology and innovation programming at the event. Featuring a community of thought leaders, technologists, start-ups, investors, academics, energy companies and government officials, the Innovation Agora will showcase transformational technology platforms in the energy space ranging from digitalization, AI, analytics and connectivity, robotics, blockchain, additive manufacturing, mobility and decarbonization. Newly added for 2022 will be dedicated “Agora Hubs” focused on hydrogen and carbon management. CERAWeek 2022 speakers will include (partial list): Vicki Hollub – CEO, Occidental Amin Nasser – president and CEO, Saudi Aramco Bernard Looney – CEO, bp Patti Poppe – CEO, PG&E Corporation Pedro Pizarro – president and CEO, Edison International Ben van Beurden – CEO, Royal Dutch Shell Patrick Pouyanné – chairman of the board and CEO, TotalEnergies Jim Fitterling – chairman and CEO, Dow H.E. Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo – secretary general, OPEC Ignacio Galán – chairman and CEO, Iberdrola, S.A. Shrikant Madhav Vaidya – chairman, IndianOil Maria Pope – president and CEO, Portland General Electric Ryan Lance – chairman and CEO, ConocoPhillips H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber – minister of industry and advanced technology; special envoy for climate change and chairman of Masdar, United Arab Emirates; Group CEO, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Dr. Fatih Birol – executive director, International Energy Agency Josu Jon Imaz – CEO, Repsol Jill Evanko – CEO and president, Chart Industries Hon. Richard Glick – chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Miranda Ballentine – CEO, Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA) Ernie Thrasher – CEO and chief marketing officer, Xcoal Energy and Resources Øyvind Eriksen – president and CEO, Aker ASA Peter Terwiesch – president, process automation and member of group executive committee, ABB Jean-Pascal Tricoire – chairman and CEO, Schneider Electric RJ Scaringe – CEO, Rivian Barbara Burger – vice president, innovation, Chevron; president, Chevron Technology Ventures Carri Lockhard – executive vice president, technology, digital and innovation, Equinor Christian Bruch – president and CEO, Siemens Energy Sunita Narain – director general, Center for Science and Environment Amos Hochstein – senior advisor for energy security, U.S. Department of State Dan Brouillette – president, Sempra Infrastructure Emma Delaney – executive vice president, customers and products, bp Daniel Poneman – president and CEO, Centrus Energy Scott Sheffield – CEO, Pioneer Natural Resources Hon. Sonya Savage – minister of energy, Alberta, Canada Mark Little – president and CEO, Suncor Felipe Bayón – CEO, Ecopetrol S.A. Dawn Summers – member of the executive board and COO, region EMEA, Wintershall Dea AG Mark Nelson – executive vice president, downstream and chemicals, Chevron

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Kochi’s air quality turned worse last year, says CSE study

Thirvananthapuram: It seems there is no end is sight for Kochi’s pollution crisis. The air quality in Kerala’s commercial hub has been on a downward slide, according to a recent study. The air quality in the city was worse last year compared to 2020, as the number of good air quality index (AQI) days was lesser, a study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) shows. Analysis of days as per AQI categorisation showed that Kochi city has not been able to sustain the air quality gains of 2020, said the air pollution analysis of the southern state. The number of days when the AQI was worse than satisfactory was eight in 2021 — up by four days compared to 2020, it said. “But 2019 had witnessed 50 days above the satisfactory category. Most significant reduction is noted among good’ AQI days which are down by 43,” the CSE analysis said. Within the city, Vyttila has the worst air with its December average adding up to 56 ug/m3. Udyogamandal has the least polluted air with a 33 ug/m3 monthly average for December, the study, released in New Delhi added. The objective of this new analysis is to understand the trend and magnitude of pollution in different regions that have real time air quality monitoring systems, a CSE release said. The analysis covers 63 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) spread across 39 cities in five states and one Union territory, it added.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Hyderabad logged 98 bad air days last year, finds Centre for Science and Environment

HYDERABAD: The city saw bad air for 98 days during the winter of 2021, according to a study by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). CSE’s analysis of pollution data showed a rising trend in the annual particulate matter (PM) 2.5 level in 2021 after a significant drop in 2020, which had more pandemic-related lockdown phases. Hyderabad’s 2021’s annual average of PM 2.5 stood at 41 ug/m3, making it third highest compared to other cities in south India after Visakhapatnam’s annual average of 44 ug/m3. However, Hyderabad holds a dubious distinction of standing first for having most number of days with bad air in the south while Vizag follows closely with 86 days. The total number of days recording air quality index (AQI) levels worse than satisfactory in Hyderabad was a mere 60 days back in 2020. Congratulations! You have successfully cast your vote “Bad air days begin to build up around December-end in the cities of south Indian states and tend to increase till March-end. Hyderabad and cities in Andhra Pradesh show a more pronounced impact of winter pollution compared to other cities of the region,” the CSE report said. On the bright side, the AQI during those 98 days in Hyderabad was ‘moderately-polluted’ and there wasn’t a day designated as ‘poor’, ‘very poor’ or ‘severe’. On the other hand, AQI of Vizag was ‘poor’ for 16 days and a day of ‘very poor’. This winter so far, the highest weekly PM 2.5 level in Hyderabad stood at 81 ug/m3, which is third-worst after Hubbali, Visakhapatnam and Rajamahendravaram. Hyderabad logged 98 bad air days last year, finds Centre for Science and Environment TNN | Jan 22, 2022, 03.56 AM IST Hyderabad logged 98 bad air days last year, finds Centre for Science and Environment HYDERABAD: The city saw bad air for 98 days during the winter of 2021, according to a study by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). CSE’s analysis of pollution data showed a rising trend in the annual particulate matter (PM) 2.5 level in 2021 after a significant drop in 2020, which had more pandemic-related lockdown phases. Hyderabad’s 2021’s annual average of PM 2.5 stood at 41 ug/m3, making it third highest compared to other cities in south India after Visakhapatnam’s annual average of 44 ug/m3. However, Hyderabad holds a dubious distinction of standing first for having most number of days with bad air in the south while Vizag follows closely with 86 days. The total number of days recording air quality index (AQI) levels worse than satisfactory in Hyderabad was a mere 60 days back in 2020. Congratulations! You have successfully cast your vote “Bad air days begin to build up around December-end in the cities of south Indian states and tend to increase till March-end. Hyderabad and cities in Andhra Pradesh show a more pronounced impact of winter pollution compared to other cities of the region,” the CSE report said. On the bright side, the AQI during those 98 days in Hyderabad was ‘moderately-polluted’ and there wasn’t a day designated as ‘poor’, ‘very poor’ or ‘severe’. On the other hand, AQI of Vizag was ‘poor’ for 16 days and a day of ‘very poor’. This winter so far, the highest weekly PM 2.5 level in Hyderabad stood at 81 ug/m3, which is third-worst after Hubbali, Visakhapatnam and Rajamahendravaram. The worst in Hyderabad were weeks ending on December 26, 2021, and January 3, 2021. In Hyderabad, Sanathnagar had the worst air with its December average PM 2.5 levels hitting 83 ug/m3, while the Hyderabad Central University area stood second at 57 ug/m3 monthly average for December.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Bengaluru city retains air quality of 2020 lockdown: Centre for Science and Environment data

For Bengaluru, the number of 'good' AQI days in 2021 stood at 208 -- just marginally lower than the 214 days recorded in 2020. BENGALURU: An analysis of winter air pollution holds good news for Bengaluru: the city has been able to hold on to most of the air quality gains made during the lockdown in 2020. The analysis, as per Air Quality Index (AQI) categorisation, indicated that in South India, Chennai and Kochi have shown a similar trend. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, released the analysis on Friday. For Bengaluru, the number of 'good' AQI days in 2021 stood at 208 -- just marginally lower than the 214 days recorded in 2020. Interestingly, within the city, Bapuji Nagar, mostly a residential zone, was the worst-hit with its December average recording 76 ug/m3. Peenya, despite being the industrial hub, had the least polluted air with a 36 ug/m3 monthly average for December 2021. Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager, Urban Data Analytics Lab at CSE, observed that the cause of emission due to vehicular traffic and garbage burning domestically in areas like Bapuji Nagar, contributed to air pollution, whereas better regulation and monitoring in Peenya helped check pollution. "In fact, the AQI is worse in BTM Layout and Jayanagar than in industrial hubs," he remarked. The analysis covers ten continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) in Bengaluru, of which data was not available for the second half of 2021 (June to December) from two stations -- City Railway Station and Sanegurava Halli. In Karnataka, one station each in Bagalkot, Bidar, Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapur, Chikkamagaluru, Davanagere, Gadag, Hassan, Hubballi, Kalaburagi, Kolar, Koppal, Madikeri, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Raichur, Ramanagara, Shivamogga, Udupi, Vijayapura and Yadgir have also been covered. Gadag and Kalaburagi reported bad air days, in fact, the AQI in these cities can cross into 'very poor' category, but due to the massive amount of missing data, it is unclear how long these bad air episodes actually last, the report clarified. During the worst weekly pollution episode in winter, Gadag registered a weekly average of 192 ug/m3 (almost five times its annual average) and Kalaburagi clocked 104 in mid-December. As for the seasonal increase in NO2 concens, Kalaburagi registered a 5.8 times jump in monthly NO2 levels, Hubballi was 3.3 times more compared to the months of November, October and September. There is a significant increase in the amount of surface ozone (O3) in the air as Kalaburagi (93 µg/m3) and Udupi (81 µg/m3), figured in the report. "There is a need for urgent action across all sectors to control pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants, waste burning, construction, and solid fuel use in households in all the states to meet clean air standards throughout the year," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Number of good 'AQI' days dipped in Kerala's Kochi, says CSE study

The air quality in Keralas commercial hub Kochi was worse last year compared to 2020 as the number of good AQI air quality index days was lesser, according to a recent study. Analysis of days as per AQI categorisation showed that Kochi city has not been able to sustain the air quality gains of 2020, said the air pollution analysis of the southern state, released by the Centre for Science and Environment CSE. The air quality in Kerala's commercial hub Kochi was worse last year compared to 2020 as the number of good ''AQI (air quality index) days'' was lesser, according to a recent study. Analysis of days as per AQI categorization showed that Kochi city has not been able to sustain the air quality gains of 2020, said the air pollution analysis of southern state, released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The number of days when the AQI was worse than satisfactory was eight in 2021 -- up by four days compared to 2020, it said. ''But 2019 had witnessed 50 days above the satisfactory category. Most significant reduction is noted among 'good' AQI days which are down by 43,'' the CSE analysis said. Within the city, Vyttila has the worst air with its December average adding up to 56 ug/m3. Udyogamandal has the least polluted air with a 33 ug/m3 monthly average for December, the study, released in New Delhi the other day, added. The objective of this new analysis is to understand the trend and magnitude of pollution in different regions that have real-time air quality monitoring systems, a CSE release said. The analysis covers 63 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) spread across 39 cities in five states and one Union territory, it added. )

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Center for Science and Environment Data –

BENGALURU: An analysis of winter air pollution holds good news for Bangalore: The city was able to retain most of the air quality gains during the 2020 lockdown. The analysis, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) classification, indicates that a similar trend has been observed in South India, Chennai and Kochi. The Center for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, released the analysis on Friday. For Bangalore, the number of ‘good’ AQI days in 2021 stands at 208 – slightly less than the 214 days recorded in 2020. Interestingly, within the city, Bapuji Nagar, mostly a residential area, was hit the hardest by the December average recording of 76 ug / m3. Peenya, despite being an industrial center, had the least polluted air in December 2021 with a monthly average of 36 ug / m3. Avikal Sombangshi, program manager at the Urban Data Analytics Lab at CSE, observed that emissions contributed to air pollution due to internal vehicle traffic and burning of garbage in areas like Bapuji Nagar, where better control and monitoring of pneumonia helped control pollution. “In fact, BTM layout and AQI in Jayanagar are worse than in industrial centers,” he said. The analysis covers ten continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) in Bangalore, including City Railway Station and Sanegurava Holly – two stations from which data was not available in the second half of 2021 (June to December). There are Karnataka, Bagalkot, Bidar, Chamrajanagar, Chikkaballapur, Chikkamagaluru, Davanagere, Gadag, Hasan, Hubballi, Kalaburagi, Kolar, Koppal, Madikeri, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Raichur, Ramnagara and one Bijoy. Has been covered. Gadag and Kalaburagi reported bad wind days, in fact, the AQI of these cities may go to the ‘very bad’ category, but due to the large amount of missing data, it is not clear how long these bad weather episodes actually lasted, the report said. During the worst weekly pollution season of the winter, Gadag registered a weekly average of 192 ug / m3 (about five times its annual average) and by mid-December, Kalaburagi recorded 104 clocks. Due to the seasonal increase in NO2 concentration, Calaburagi monthly NO2 levels increased 5.8 times, while Hubble was 3.3 times higher than in November, October and September. Significant increases in surface ozone (O3) levels in the air, such as Kalaburagi (93 µg / m3) and Udupi (81 µg / m3), are reported in the report. “Emergency measures are needed across all sectors to control pollution from vehicles, industries, power plants, waste incineration, construction and use of solid fuels in households,” said Anumita Roychowdhury. , Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, CSE.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Number Of Good 'AQI' Days Dipped In Kerala's Kochi, Says CSE Study

Analysis of days as per AQI categorisation showed that Kochi city has not been able to sustain the air quality gains of 2020. The air quality in Kerala's commercial hub Kochi was worse last year compared to 2020 as the number of good "AQI (air quality index) days" was lesser, according to a recent study. Analysis of days as per AQI categorisation showed that Kochi city has not been able to sustain the air quality gains of 2020, said the air pollution analysis of southern state, released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The number of days when the AQI was worse than satisfactory was eight in 2021 -- up by four days compared to 2020, it said. "But 2019 had witnessed 50 days above the satisfactory category. Most significant reduction is noted among ‘good’ AQI days which are down by 43," the CSE analysis said. Within the city, Vyttila has the worst air with its December average adding up to 56 ug/m3. Udyogamandal has the least polluted air with a 33 ug/m3 monthly average for December, the study, released in New Delhi the other day, added. The objective of this new analysis is to understand the trend and magnitude of pollution in different regions that have real time air quality monitoring systems, a CSE release said. The analysis covers 63 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) spread across 39 cities in five states and one Union territory, it added.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Kochi’s air quality turned worse last year, says CSE study

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Good 'Air Quality' days in Kerala's Kochi declined: studytext_fields

Thiruvananthapuram: Kochi, Kerala's commercial capital, has witnessed https://english.madhyamam.com/kerala/good-air-quality-days-in-keralas-kochi-declined-study-916084

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Centre for Science and Environment data- The New Indian Express

BENGALURU: An analysis of winter air pollution has good news for Bangalore: the city has been able to retain most of the air quality improvements achieved during lockdown in 2020. The analysis, based on Air Quality Index categorization (AQI), indicated that in southern India, Chennai and Kochi have shown a similar trend. The Center for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, published the analysis on Friday. For Bangalore, the number of ‘good’ AQI days in 2021 was 208, only marginally lower than the 214 days recorded in 2020. Interestingly, within the city, Bapuji Nagar, mainly a residential area, was the hardest hit with its December average record 76 ug/m3. Peenya, despite being the industrial center, had the least polluted air with a monthly average of 36 ug/m3 for December 2021. Avikal Somvanshi, Program Manager, Urban Data Analysis Laboratory at CSE, noted that the cause of emissions due to vehicular traffic and burning of garbage nationally in areas such as Bapuji Nagar contributed to air pollution, while a Better regulation and monitoring at Peenya helped control contamination. “In fact, the AQI is worse in BTM Layout and Jayanagar than in the industrial centers,” he said. The analysis covers ten Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (CAAQMS) stations in Bangalore, of which no data was available for the second half of 2021 (June to December) from two stations: City Railway Station and Sanegurava Halli. In Karnataka, a station was covered in Bagalkot, Bidar, Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapur, Chikkamagaluru, Davanagere, Gadag, Hassan, Hubballi, Kalaburagi, Kolar, Koppal, Madikeri, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Raichur, Ramanagara, Shivamoggai, Udupi and Udupi. . Gadag and Kalaburagi reported days of poor air quality, in fact the AQI in these cities may fall into the “very poor” category, but due to the large amount of missing data it is unclear how long these episodes of poor air quality actually last. air quality, the report clarified. . During the worst weekly pollution episode in winter, Gadag recorded a weekly average of 192 ug/m3 (nearly five times its annual average) and Kalaburagi recorded 104 in mid-December. Regarding the seasonal increase in NO2 concentration, Kalaburagi recorded a 5.8-fold increase in monthly NO2 levels, Hubballi was 3.3-fold compared to the months of November, October and September. There is a significant increase in the amount of surface ozone (O3) in the air as Kalaburagi (93 µg/m3) and Udupi (81 µg/m3) were listed in the report. “There is a need for urgent action across sectors to control pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants, waste burning, construction, and the use of solid fuels in homes in all states to meet clean air standards throughout the year,” said Anumita Roychowdhury. , Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, CSE.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Kochi's air quality turned worse last year, says CSE study

Thirvananthapuram: It seems there is no end is sight for Kochi's pollution crisis. The air quality i... Read more at: https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/01/22/kochi-air-quality-cse-study-2021.html

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

2020 ರ ಲಾಕ್ ಡೌನ್ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದ ವಾಯು ಗುಣಮಟ್ಟ ಉಳಿಸಿಕೊಂಡ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು!

ಚಳಿಗಾಲದ ವಾಯು ಮಾಲಿನ್ಯ ವಿಶ್ಲೇಷಣೆ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನವರಿಗೆ ಸಿಹಿ ಸುದ್ದಿ ನೀಡಿದೆ. ನಗರ 2020 ರ ಲಾಕ್ ಡೌನ್ ಅವಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಧಾರಣೆ ಕಂಡಿದ್ದ ವಾಯುಗುಣಮಟ್ಟವನ್ನು ಉಳಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವಲ್ಲಿ ಯಶಸ್ವಿಯಾಗಿದೆ. ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು: ಚಳಿಗಾಲದ ವಾಯು ಮಾಲಿನ್ಯ ವಿಶ್ಲೇಷಣೆ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನವರಿಗೆ ಸಿಹಿ ಸುದ್ದಿ ನೀಡಿದೆ. ನಗರ 2020 ರ ಲಾಕ್ ಡೌನ್ ಅವಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಧಾರಣೆ ಕಂಡಿದ್ದ ವಾಯುಗುಣಮಟ್ಟವನ್ನು ಉಳಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವಲ್ಲಿ ಯಶಸ್ವಿಯಾಗಿದೆ. ವಾಯುಗುಣಮಟ್ಟ ಸೂಚ್ಯಂಕ (ಎಕ್ಯುಐ) ವರ್ಗೀಕರಣದ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಚೆನ್ನೈ ಹಾಗೂ ಕೊಚಿ ಇಂಥಹದ್ದೇ ಟ್ರೆಂಡ್ ನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿದೆ. ಈ ಅಂಕಿ-ಅಂಶಗಳನ್ನು ನವದೆಹಲಿಯ ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ ಮತ್ತು ಪರಿಸರ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ ಮಾಡಿದೆ. 2021 ರಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಗೆ ಉತ್ತಮ ಎಕ್ಯುಐ 208 ರಲ್ಲಿದ್ದು ಇದು 2020 ರಲ್ಲಿ 214 ದಿನಗಳ ಕಾಲ ದಾಖಲಾಗಿದ್ದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಕಡಿಮೆ ಇದೆ. ಅಚ್ಚರಿಯೆಂದರೆ ನಗರದ ಒಳಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಅತಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಜನಸಂದಣಿ ಹೊಂದಿರುವ ಬಾಪೂಜಿನಗರ ಡಿಸೆಂಬರ್ ನ ಸರಾಸರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಕಳಪೆ ಅಂದರೆ 76 ug/m3 ವಾಯುಗುಣಮಟ್ಟವನ್ನು ದಾಖಲಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದೆ. ಪೀಣ್ಯ, ಕೈಗಾರಿಕಾ ಪ್ರದೇಶವಾಗಿದ್ದರೂ ಡಿಸೆಂಬರ್ 2021 ರಲ್ಲಿ ಸರಾಸರಿ 36 ug/m3 ನ್ನು ದಾಖಲ್ಪಿಸಿದ್ದು, ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಕಡಿಮೆ ಪ್ರಮಾಣದಲ್ಲಿ ವಾಯುಮಾಲಿನ್ಯ ಹೊಂದಿದೆ. ಸಿಎಸ್ಇಯ ನಗರ ಡೇಟಾ ಅನಾಲಿಟಿಕ್ಸ್ ಲ್ಯಾಬ್ ನ ಪ್ರೋಗ್ರಾಮ್ ಮ್ಯಾನೇಜರ್ ಆಗಿರುವ ಅವಿಕಲ್ ಸೋಮವಂಶಿ ಈ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾತನಾಡಿದ್ದು, ವಾಹನಗಳ ದಟ್ಟಣೆಯಿಂದ ಉಂಟಾಗುವ ಎಮಿಷನ್ ನ ಕಾರಣ ಹಾಗೂ ಬಾಪೂಜಿನಗರಗಳಂತಹ ಪ್ರದೇಶಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ತ್ಯಾಜ್ಯ ಸುಡುವುದರಿಂದ ವಾಯುಮಾಲಿನ್ಯ ಹೆಚ್ಚಳವಾಗಿದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಪೀಣ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಉತ್ತಮ ನಿಯಂತ್ರಣಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ನಿಗಾ ವಹಿಸುವುದರಿಂದ ವಾಯುಮಾಲಿನ್ಯ ನಿಯಂತ್ರಣದಲ್ಲಿದೆ, ವಾಸ್ತವದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೈಗಾರಿಕಾ ಪ್ರದೇಶಗಳಿಗಿಂತಲೂ ಬಿಟಿಎಂ ಲೇಔಟ್ ಹಾಗೂ ಜಯನಗರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಎಕ್ಯುಐ ಕೆಟ್ಟದಾಗಿದೆ" ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

CSE releases air pollution analysis of states in south India

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have the worst air in the region Cities in south India are some of the cleanest in the country when it comes to breathable air, but they still suffer from some influence of winter inversion and, resultantly, elevated pollution levels. The levels increase despite the geographical advantages and favorable meteorology due to the region’s proximity to the sea and improved ventilation – finds a new 2019-2021 analysis of winter air quality in India’s south, done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). In 2020, the annual average levels of PM2.5 had a downward tilt in this region, but in 2021, they have risen in most cities, finds the CSE analysis. “However, unlike states in other regions of the country, the air quality gains are not completely lost. In most cities, the levels of 2021 are still lower than in 2019. This signals towards early preventive action to prevent further worsening in the coming years. This requires urgent scaling up of across all sectors to arrest the trend in this region,” says Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE. “Even though real time air quality monitoring has begun to expand in these states to provide more up-to-date information on air quality, there are serious concerns around missing data and gaps that makes proper risk assessment difficult. In some stations of Karnataka, Hyderabad and Tamil Nadu, data availability is so low that the trend cannot be assessed. Quality control of data is necessary,” says Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager, Urban Data Analytics Lab at CSE. This is evident from the new analysis of real time pollution data as part of the air quality tracker initiative of the Urban Data Analytics Lab of CSE. The objective of this new analysis is to understand the trend and magnitude of pollution in different regions that have real time air quality monitoring systems. This is an assessment of annual and seasonal trends in PM2.5 concentration for the period January 1, 2019 to January 9, 2022. This analysis is based on the real time data available from the current working air quality monitoring stations. A huge volume of data points have been cleaned and data gaps have been addressed based on USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) methods for this analysis. The analysis covers 63 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) spread across 39 cities in five states and one Union territory: Andhra Pradesh: one station each in Amravati, Tirupati, Vijaywada, Rajamahendravaram and Visakhapatnam Kerela: three stations in Kochi, two in Thiruvananthapuram, and one each in Kollam, Kannur, Kozhikode and Thrissur Karnataka: 10 stations in Bengaluru and one station each in Bagalkot, Bidar, Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapur, Chikkamagaluru, Davanagere, Gadag, Hassan, Hubballi, Kalaburagi, Kolar, Koppal, Madikeri, Mangalore, Mysuru, Raichur, Ramnagara, Shivamogga, Udupi, Vijaypura and Yadgir Tamil Nadu: eight stations in Chennai, and one station each in Coimbatore, Gummidipoondi, and Thoothukudi Telangana: six stations in Hyderabad Puducherry: one station Even though there are multiple real time monitors in a few cities of these states, many could not be considered for long term analysis due to data gaps and lack of quality data. Moreover, in several cases, the real time monitors have been set up recently and therefore, long term data is not available — several cities of the southern region have got their real time monitors in November 2020. Chennai got four out of eight monitors in January 2021. Vijaywada station stopped reporting PM2.5 data after October 2019, and Sanegurava Halli station in Bengaluru stopped reporting PM2.5 data in early 2019. The key findings: Challenge of data gaps and data quality despite automation in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka — situation relatively better in Andhra Pradesh, Telengana and Kerela: Review of data availability from the automated monitoring stations in the region under CAAQMS shows major data gaps. Data availability calculated as number of days with adequate PM2.5 data for computation of a valid 24 hour-average has been low in 19 of the 39 cities in the region. For the second half of the year 2021 (June to December), data availability at Vijaywada station of Andhra Pradesh, City Railway Station and Sanegurava Halli stations of Bengaluru, Thoothukudi station of Tamil Nadu, and Udupi station of Karnataka has been zero per cent. Coimbatore station of Tamil Nadu, and Kalaburagi and Bidar stations of Karnataka have just 27 per cent, 39 per cent, and 7 per cent data availability, respectively. Velachery and Manali Village stations of Chennai also reported data only for 27 per cent and 36 per cent of days, respectively. Among Bengaluru stations, Silk Board has only 61 per cent data while Peenya and Jayanagar are with 64 per cent and 68 per cent, respectively. Gummidipoondi station of Tamil Nadu and Central University of Hyderabad are data poor as well, with 49 per cent and 55 per cent data availability, respectively. Only 12 out of 21 stations of Karnataka outside Bengaluru meet the minimum requirement of 75 per cent. It is not clear why these stations have such poor data availability — this requires additional assessment which is not within the scope of this study. In contrast most stations of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala perform better as they have data availability of more than 75 per cent: the only station below par is at Plammoodu in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Many cities show a rising trend in annual PM2.5 levels after an initial drop during 2020: Among all the regions, cities of south India have shown least of a rebound and a rising trend once again in 2021 after a significant drop due to the pandemic lockdowns of 2020. But there is still a rebound and it should be seen as a warning signal. Twenty-two cities have adequate data for both 2020 and 2021 for annual average computation — 16 of these cities show an increase in their annual PM2.5 averages, while six show further improvement. Kochi has registered doubling of its annual PM2.5 average between 2020 and 2021. Cities that show improvement are Chennai, Kalaburagi, Chikkaballapur, Vijaypura, Chikkmangaluru and Kozhikode. The industrial town of Gummidipoondi near Chennai in Tamil Nadu had the most polluted air in the region with 2021 average at 46 ug/m3. This is followed by Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad with 2021 annual average of PM2.5 at 44 ug/m3 and 41 ug/m3, respectively. In contrast, all other cities in the southern region have met the annual standard. Cities of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have the worst air among the southern states: Hyderabad with 98 days of bad air (AQI of moderately polluted or worse) is the city with most unhealthy days in the southern states. It is closely followed by Andhra cities — Visakhapatnam with 86 days, Rajamahendravaram with 68 days, and Amravati with 66 days of bad air. Smaller industrial towns of Karnataka namely Gadag and Kalaburagi also report significant bad air days; in fact, the AQI in these cities can cross into very poor category, but due to massive amount of missing data it is unclear how long these bad air episodes actually last. Gummidipoondi has the most bad air days in Tamil Nadu, and Kollam shows the same results in Kerela. Bad air days begin to build up around the end of December in the cities of south Indian states and tend to increase till end of March. Hyderabad and cities in Andhra Pradesh show more pronounced impact of winter pollution compared to other cities of the region. High weekly pollution episode during winter can be more than double the annual concentration in several cities: During the worst weekly pollution episode in winter, the PM2.5 concentration can increase significantly higher than the annual PM2.5 average – about two times higher in several cities. Worst episodes are noted in the industrial towns of Karnataka, where Gadag registered a shocking weekly average of 192 ug/m3 (almost five times its annual average). Similarly, Kalaburgi recorded a weekly average of 104 in mid-December. Among non-industrial cities, during the high pollution episodes, weekly PM2.5 levels can go as high as 100 ug/m3 as recorded in Amravati in December 2021. This winter so far the highest weekly level was recorded as 95 ug/m3 in Hubbali, 89 ug/m3 in Visakhapatnam, 86 ug/m3 in Rajamahendravaram, and 81 ug/m3 in Hyderabad. Changing ratio of PM2.5:PM10 during different seasons of 2021 – PM2.5 share increases during winter making air more toxic: The PM2.5/PM10 ratio is a useful indicator to understand the impact of coarse dust vs tinier dust from combustion sources on air quality. Higher share of smaller particles in total particle concentration makes the air more toxic. The indicative ratio for all cities shows there is a seasonal variation. The share of smaller PM2.5 is higher than the coarser PM10 in monsoon and winter. The long-term variation of the PM2.5/PM10 ratio was analysed from weekly data average for two different seasons: monsoon (June-October) and winter (November-January). The PM2.5/PM10 ratio in all the cities of the southern states has an increasing slope in winters, compared to monsoon — except Thrissur and Kollam in Kerela, which are showing high percentage of PM2.5/PM10 ratio in monsoon compared to winter. Mostly, the concentration of PM2.5/PM10 ratio is higher during the winter months (November to January) hovering between 50 to 70 per cent. This is indicative and there can be variations across years. However, this trend is broadly consistent with what has been noted in other regions of the country. In Andhra Pradesh, Tirupati is showing a high percentage of PM2.5/PM10 ratio — 72 per cent in winters. It is followed by Chikkaballapur in Karnataka with 65 per cent and Kochi in Kerala with 62 per cent. Overall, in the southern India region, the concentration of PM2.5/PM10 ratio is higher during winters (November to January). Multi-pollutant crisis during winters – along with particulate nitrogen oxide (NO2) — increases during winter: There is a significant increase in the amount of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in air of all cities of southern states during December compared to the previous months of November, October and September in most cities of south India. Coimbatore with 52 µg/m3 monthly NO2 average for December, is the highest in the region. It is followed by Kalaburagi (51 µg/m3), Kollam (40 µg/m3), and Visakhapatnam (38 µg/m3). As for the seasonal increase in NO2 concentrations, smaller cities lead the list. Kalaburagi registered 5.8 times jump in monthly NO2 level; Thoothukudi registered a 4 times increase; Kozhikode had a 3.8 times rise, Hubballi was 3.3 times, and Thiruvananthapuram registered a 2.2 times increase. Surface ozone increases during winter, making air more toxic: There is a significant increase in amount of surface ozone (O3) in the air in all cities during December, compared to the previous months of November, October and September. Rajamahendravaram with a 106 µg/m3 monthly O3 average for December is the highest in the region, which means ozone exceeded the standard in the city on almost every day of December. It is followed by Kalaburagi (93 µg/m3), Udipi (81 µg/m3), and Amravati (70 µg/m3). The problem is especially acute among smaller cities. It is also interesting to note that surface ozone has been relatively lower this winter compared to the previous winter for almost all the cities. Pollution profile of individual cities: Hyderabad: Analysis of days as per AQI categorisation shows that Hyderabad city’s air quality is declining. Number of days recording AQI level worse than satisfactory has increased to 98 in 2021 from 60 days in 2020 and 86 in 2019. Sanathnagar has the worst air in the city, with its December average hitting 83 ug/m3. This is followed by Central University at 57 ug/m3 monthly average for December. Bengaluru: Analysis of days as per AQI categorisation shows that Bengaluru has been able to hold on to most of air quality gains made during 2020. The number of days with the AQI worse than satisfactory (or meeting the standard) was nine in 2021; this is more than the three days in 2020 and much less than 22 days in 2019. Number of ‘good’ AQI days in 2021 stood at 208, which is just marginally lower from 214 good AQI days recorded in 2020. It is an improvement of over 30 per cent from 2019. Within the city, Bapuji Nagar was the worst hit with its December average recording 76 ug/m3. Pennya had the least polluted air with a 36 ug/m3 monthly average for December. Chennai: Analysis of days as per AQI categorisation shows that the Chennai has been able to hold on to most of its air quality gains of 2020. Number of days when the AQI was worse than satisfactory was six in 2021, same as in 2020. But 2019 had witnessed 50 days. Within the city, Manali Village has the worst air with its December average adding up to 56 ug/m3, closely followed by Arumbakam with 54 ug/m3. Velachery has the least polluted air with 19 ug/m3 monthly average for December. Kochi: Analysis of days as per AQI categorisation shows that Kochi city has not been able to sustain the air quality gains of 2020. Number of days when the AQI was worse than satisfactory was eight in 2021 — up by four days compared to 2020. But 2019 had witnessed 50 days above the satisfactory category. Most significant reduction is noted among ‘good’ AQI days which are down by 43. Within the city, Vyttila has the worst air with its December average adding up to 56 ug/m3. Udyogamandal has the least polluted air with a 33 ug/m3 monthly average for December. Visakhapatnam: Analysis of days as per AQI categorisation shows that Visakhapatnam has not been able to sustain the air quality gains of 2020. Number of days when the AQI was worse than satisfactory has risen to 86 in 2021, in contrast to 69 in 2020 and 73 in 2019. Though the number of days with very poor AQI has come down, but this overall increase in bad air days is alarming. The next steps Says the CSE analysis: “States in southern India have a unique locational advantage, with the sea and well-ventilated atmosphere and a more moderate climate that prevents pollution build-up during winter like it happens in north India. But this region is at the risk of losing the air quality gains of pandemic, though it has not yet reached the pre-pandemic levels. The doubling of pollution during winter also indicates high local pollution and exposure that normally is not well captured in the annual average trends. This indicates the need for urgent action across all sectors to control pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants, waste burning, construction, and solid fuel use in households in all the states to meet the clean air standards throughout the year.”

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Bangalore retains air quality during lockdown of 2020

The New Indian Express BANGALORE: Winter air pollution analysis has given Bengaluruans some good news. The city has been successful in maintaining improved air quality during the 2020 lockdown. According to the Air Quality Index (AQI) classification, South India and Kochi have similar trends. The figures were released by the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi. The best AQI for Bengaluru in 2021 is 208, which is slightly less than the 214 days recorded in 2020. Unsurprisingly, Bapujinagar, one of the most crowded areas in the city, recorded a poor average of 76 ug / m3 in December. Although it is an industrial area, it recorded an average of 36 ug / m3 in December 2021, with very little air pollution. Avikal Somawansi, Program Manager of CSE's Urban Data Analytics Lab, spoke about the emission caused by vehicle congestion and the increase in air pollution caused by waste burning in areas such as Bapujinagar. But with better controls and monitoring in the peninsula, air pollution is under control.

Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Data gaps threaten state’s fight against air pollution

Hubballi: An analysis of winter air pollution in South India, conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE, New Delhi), has revealed that Karnataka shows major data gaps from the automated air-quality monitoring stations in the region under Continous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) program of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The analysis, covering 63 CAAQMS spread across the 39 cities in five southern states, has observed challenge of data gaps and data quality despite automation in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The situation relatively better in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala. “Among Bengaluru stations, Silk Board has only 61% while Peenya and Jayanagar with 64% and 68%. Only 12 out of 21 stations of Karnataka outside Bengaluru meet the minimum requirement of 75%. It’s not clear why these stations have such poor data availability, this requires additional assessment,” the analysis stressed. Analysis has also stated that data availability calculated as number of days with adequate PM2.5 data for computation of a valid 24hr-average has been low in 19 of 39 cities of 5 states. “For the second half of the year 2021, data availability at city railway station and Sanegurava Halli stations of Bengaluru and Udupi has been zero percent. Kalaburagi and Bidar have registered just 39% and 7% data availability respectively. Gadag and Kalaburagi also report significant bad air days, in fact air quality index (AQI) in these cities can cross into very poor AQI category but due to massive amount of missing data it is unclear how long these bad air episodes actually last.” ‘Officials not concerned’ Commenting on the analysis, former IFS officer and environmentalist Dr A N Yellappa Reddy lamented that air quality monitoring stations are left with no proper maintenance and are installed just for name sake. “Even if the data is available, it is not accurate as many of them are under construction for 2-3 years at tall buildings from where pollution will be circulated in surround areas. This is happening as there is no seriousness among officials of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). Most of KSPCB officials are engaged only in income generating activities” he said.