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We, The People, Found 73 Constitutional Wrongs, Sir! https://www.livelaw.in/columns/73rd-republic-day-73-constitutional-wrongs-190397

The people of India are celebrating the 73rd Republic Day of India, today, the day on which, 72 years ago, we the people of India, gave unto ourselves.. 66.Article 48A imposes an obligation to protect and improve environment and safeguarding forests. The State of India's Environment Report 2021 released by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in June 2021 with comprehensive data on subjects such as Forest, Climate Change, Habitat, Water, Air Pollution, Rural Development, Biodiversity, and Industry has stated that India ranked 117 out of 180. In achieving 17 SDGs (sustainable development goals) India slipped to 117 in 2021 from 115 in 2020. Challenges such as hunger, low food security, achieving gender equality, fostering innovation are the reasons why India's rank slipped in 2021. India ranks below four South Asian nations such as Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

देश के कई महानगरों से बेहतर है गार्डन सिटी की हवा

बेंगलूरु. एक ओर जहां देश के कई महानगर वायु गुणवत्ता को सुधारने पर एड़ी-चोटी का जोर लगाने के बावजूद कोई खास सफलता नहीं पा रहे हैं वहीं हाल ही वायु प्रदूषण के एक अध्ययन ने बेंगलूरु के लिए अच्छी खबर दी है। गार्डन सिटी वर्ष 2020 में हुए लॉकडाउन के दौरान वायु गुणवत्ता के जिस स्तर पर पहुंची थी, उसे लगभग बरकरार रखा गया है। विज्ञान और पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई), नई दिल्ली की ओर से जारी विश्लेषण में कहा गया है कि बेंगलूरु के लिए वर्ष 2021 में वायु गुणवत्ता की दृष्टि से अच्छे दिनों की संख्या 208 थी। आंकड़े बताते हैं कि 2020 में लॉकडाउन के दौरान यह संख्या 214 दिनों की तुलना में मामूली रूप से कम है। सबसे प्रदूषित और सबसे साफ-सुथरे इलाके दिलचस्प बात यह है कि शहर के भीतर आवासीय इलाका बापूजी नगर प्रदूषण की दृष्टि से सबसे ज्यादा प्रभावित था। यहां दिसंबर माह की औसत रिकॉर्डिंग 76 यूजी/एम3 पाई गई जबकि औद्योगिक केंद्र होने के बावजूद पीन्या दिसंबर 2021 के लिए 36 यूजी/एम3 मासिक औसत के साथ सबसे कम प्रदूषित हवा वाला क्षेत्र रहा। कचरा जलाने से उत्सर्जन के कारण वायु प्रदूषण सीएसई में अर्बन डेटा एनालिटिक्स लैब के प्रोग्राम मैनेजर अविकल सोमवंशी के अनुसार बापूजी नगर जैसे क्षेत्रों में वाहनों के यातायात और घरेलू कचरा जलाने से उत्सर्जन के कारण वायु प्रदूषण बढ़ जाता है, जबकि पीन्या में बेहतर विनियमन और निगरानी ने प्रदूषण कम करने में मदद की। वे कहते हैं कि वास्तव में, औद्योगिक केंद्रों की तुलना में बीटीएम-लेआउट और जयनगर में एक्यूआई बदतर है। विश्लेषण में बेंगलूरु के दस निरंतर परिवेशी वायु गुणवत्ता निगरानी स्टेशन (सीएएक्यूएमएस) शामिल हैं, जिनमें से दो स्टेशनों - सिटी रेलवे स्टेशन और सेनेगुरवाहल्ली से 2021 (जून से दिसंबर) की दूसरी छमाही के लिए डेटा उपलब्ध नहीं था। कर्नाटक के अन्य जिलों में बागलकोट, बीदर, चामराजनगर, चिक्कबल्लापुर, चिकमगलूरु, दावणगेरे, गदग, हासन, हुब्बल्ली, कलबुरगी, कोलार, कोप्पल, मडिकेरी, मेंगलूरु, मैसूरु, रायचूर, रामनगर, शिवमोग्गा, उडुपी, विजयपुरा और यादगीर में एक-एक स्टेशन भी इसमें शामिल किया गया। गदग और कलबुरगी में भारी वायु प्रदूषण गदग और कलबुरगी में भारी वायु प्रदूषण पाया गया। रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि इन शहरों में एक्यूआई बहुत खराब श्रेणी को पार कर सकता है लेकिन यहां पर्याप्त डेटा उपलब्ध नहीं है। सर्दियों में सबसे खराब साप्ताहिक प्रदूषण के दौरान गदग ने साप्ताहिक औसत 192 यूजी/एम3 दर्ज किया जो इसके वार्षिक औसत का लगभग पांच गुना है। वहीं दिसंबर के मध्य में कलबुरगी ने 104 यूजी/एम3 दर्ज किया। वहीं एनओ2 कॉन्सेंस में कलबुर्गी ने मासिक एनओ2 स्तरों में 5.8 गुना उछाल दर्ज किया। वहीं हुब्बल्ली ने नवंबर, अक्टूबर और सितंबर के महीनों की तुलना में 3.3 गुना अधिक बढ़ोतरी दर्ज की। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार हवा में सतही ओजोन (ओ3) की मात्रा में उल्लेखनीय वृद्धि हुई है। कलबुर्गी में 93 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर और उडुपी में 81 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घनमीटर। तत्काल कार्रवाई जरूरी सीएसई के अनुसंधान कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी के अनुसार साल भर स्वच्छ वायु मानकों को पूरा करने के लिए सभी राज्यों में घरों में वाहनों, उद्योग, बिजली संयंत्रों, अपशिष्ट जलाने, निर्माण और ठोस ईंधन के उपयोग से होने वाले प्रदूषण को नियंत्रित करने के लिए सभी क्षेत्रों में तत्काल कार्रवाई की आवश्यकता है।

मुंबईतील हवेची गुणवत्ता खराब, धुके आणि धूळ वातावरणात असल्याने दृश्यमानता कमी झाली

मुंबईतील हवा आज सगळ्यात खराब असल्याचं समोर आलं असून येथे Air Quality Index 267 वर गेल्याची नोंद झाली आहे. मालाड येथील 'Air Quality Coordinates' 436 म्हणजेच 'Acute pollution' या श्रेणीत होता. भांडुप येथे 336, माझगाव येथे 372, वरळी येथे 319, वांद्रे कुर्ला संकुल येथे 307, चेंबूर 347, अंधेरी 340 असा हवा गुणवत्ता निर्देशांक नोंदवला असून या ठिकाणांवरील हवा अतिवाईट श्रेणीत आहे. तर कुलाबा अथे हवा गुणवत्ता निर्देशांक 221 म्हणजेच वाईट श्रेणीत आहे. मुंबई समुद्र किनाऱ्यावर धोक्याची चादर पाहायला मिळत आहे. येथे वातावरणात दृश्यमानता कमी असल्याने कमी दिसत आहे. समुद्रात मोठ्या प्रमाणावर धुके आणि धूळ वातावरणात असल्याने दृश्यमानता कमी झाली आहे तसेच आकाशात धुरकट दिसून येते. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट द्वारे क्षेत्रीय वायु प्रदूषणाच्या पातळीवर एका विश्लेषणद्वारे निष्कर्ष काढण्यात आले आहे की समुद्रच्या जवळीकने राजधानी मुंबईत वाढत्या वायु प्रदूषण थांवण्यात मदत केलेली नाही. या विश्लेषणात 1 जानेवारी 2019 ते 9 जानेवारी 2022 च्या काळासाठी PM2.5 एकाग्रतेत वार्षिक आणि मोसमी रुझान आकलन होते. या दरम्यान मुंबईत खराब दिवसांची संख्या दुप्पट झाली आहे जेव्हाकि चांगल्या दिवसांत 20 टक्क्यांची कमी आली आहे. सीएसई विश्लेषण संकेत देत आहे की मुंबईत खराब वायु गुणवत्ता असलेल्या दिवसांची संख्या वाढत आहे. शहरात पूर्व मध्य मुंबईत कुर्ला येथे केवळ 55 टक्के डेटा होता तर उत्तरी मुंबईत मलाड येथे 68 टक्के होता.

Induction of e-bus in DTC: Remedy or political stunt

The DTC and Delhi Integrated Multi-modal Transit System (DIMTS) jointly own about 6,900 buses in the city responsible for providing inland transport to the commuters. These and other forms of transport are often blamed for the seemingly uncontrollable air pollution that has been dogging not only the capital but large chunks of north and central India for years. In what he called the first step towards combatting air pollution caused by vehicular traffic, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal flagged off the first e-bus inducted into the DTC fleet on January 17, 2022, from Indraprastha Bus Depot. Induction of e-bus seems the right step considering the environmental degradation Delhi has undergone over the years. However, integrating just one bus in a fossil fuel-run jungle will be as ineffective as cutting a tree with a penknife. The government, however, is pushing to get over 1500 e-buses under the ‘Centre’s Grand Challenge’ scheme. Under the scheme, Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a state-run joint venture of Public Sector Units (PSUs), will provide 3,472 e-buses to nine metropolitan cities viz Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Surat and Pune. Delhi has made an ambitious pitch for acquiring 1,500 buses under the scheme and the government hopes to get at least 1,000 buses. While the move of inducting e-buses in the Delhi fleet sounds has been welcomed by some environmentalists, the question still remains whether it would be enough to solve the perpetual problem of air pollution? Delhi has been the centre of attention for its air pollution for nearly two decades, earning the dubious title of the world’s most polluted capital city. It was only during the strict and strenuous lockdown in 2020 that Delhi’s air quality meter had touched green. The problem of air pollution is so rampant in the city that the Supreme Court had to establish Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in 2021. The commission took some drastic measures to bring the menace under control. Schools were shut, along with construction and industrial processes for a significant amount of time. The Delhi government quite easily uses stubble burning in the neighbouring states as a shield to protect itself from the prying eyes of the Supreme Court as well as the public. However, the main factors for the capital’s air pollution remain urban construction activities, industrial emissions and vehicular pollution. Arvind Kejriwal flagged the e-bus on January 17, 2022 (Photo: Twitter) Delhi government acknowledging one of the prime urban factors behind air pollution is focused to make amendments and helping to rectify the problem has taking steps to rectify one of its urban factors, vehicular pollutions. As per Statista, a German company specialising in market and consumer data, there were about 33,300 buses running in Delhi for 2022, among which the DTC owns approximately 6,900 buses while the rest are privately owned by organisations. With so many buses, the impact of induction of e-buses, even if Delhi got its desired 1500, would be meagre. “Certainly, one bus cannot make the difference. It has to be about a fleet, and Delhi in any case has a target to expand its bus fleet to meet its basic public transport requirement. Therefore, augmentation of buses to the desired number and then targeted electrification, that is what is needed right now. Delhi can certainly set a very high level of ambition given the fact that Delhi has notified its electric vehicle policy its targeting for 25 pc electrification by 2024,” Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, Centre for Science and Environment tells Media India Group. Roychowdhury believes that Delhi needs to set a plan before proceeding further with its goal of electrification. “A much larger electric vehicle fleet is required in all segments, including buses. This procedure is just coming, but clearly what we have to plan for, target for and require is a much-upscaled plan for targeted electrification of the fleet. So, Delhi is in the process of purchasing new electric buses. Hence, the bus procurement needs to be designed for rapid electrification,” she says. The Delhi government also needs to focus not only on the buses under DTC but also Delhi Integrated Multi-modal Transit System (DIMTS). Both the fleets need to be updated and electrified in order to make an impact. “Delhi has a hybrid system; it has DTC and it has DIMTS. So together whatever bus procurement policy Delhi has to adopt today it has to be linked to electrification. In fact, its new fleet can be fully electrified or majorly electrified and that targe can be easily set. In any case, Delhi’s EV policy is talking about 25pc total electrification by 2024,” observes Roychowdhury. It’s not just about buses says Roychowdhury. “Delhi has notified its electrification policy. But it is not just about buses, while buses need to be done, Delhi will also have to take action to electrify all the vehicular segments to meet its set target. So, the entire upcoming fleet needs to be electrified. For that, milestones are required to be set by the authorities,” she adds. “The number for electrification depends and it is not the final number. We are in 2022 already and they have set a daunting target of achieving 25 pc electrification by 2024 or within two years. They certainly need to make efforts to meet the target and then keep ramping it up. Delhi government has also started doing the needful, they have recently come up with a policy also for the targeted electrification for the delivery fleet and fleet aggregators. They are setting up a charging station network and incentives are also being designed to promote it. All the pieces that we have in the policy, they have started the implementation but now the whole question is how soon can they implement all of it,” asks Roychowdhury. Indeed, many policies that have seemed glorious or great on paper have fallen through due to poor implementation. The governments, both central and state, need to be focused and to work in close coordination to achieve this target and go beyond it. But achieving close coordination is often a tall order for governments that are more about politics than policy.

Budget can follow ‘ande ka funda’ path to tap the potential in beekeeping, horticulture, and aquaculture

Sunday ho ya Monday, roz khao ande…”— This popular jingle from the 1980s was probably one of the best nutritional advice given on national television. Part of the pro-egg campaign led by the <a data-ga-onclick="Inarticle articleshow link click#Small Biz#href" href="/topic/national-egg-coordination-committee" target="_blank">National Egg Coordination Committee</a>, the ad was run on television for years and helped in significantly increasing the per capita consumption of eggs in India. “There are over 1.3 billion people in the country with such a low per capita consumption of honey. A much smaller country like Germany has a per capita consumption of 2 kg per year. It is really important for the government to promote the consumption of honey and educate the people about its nutritional value,” he says, pointing out the scope of growth in honey. <br> “There are over 1.3 billion people in the country with such a low per capita consumption of honey. A much smaller country like Germany has a per capita consumption of 2 kg per year. It is really important for the government to promote the consumption of honey and educate the people about its nutritional value,” he says, pointing out the scope of growth in honey. <br> <br>What Mishra is looking for now is the same amount of promotion in other sectors, especially honey, in the budget. He says India’s per capita consumption of honey is around 50 gms per year. This number ranges from 250 to 300 gms globally. One of the biggest challenges in the sector is beekeeping, not getting stable earnings or a stable pricing structure. They mostly depend on other factors, such as crop cycles and foreign export demands. “They need the right flowering season to support bee migration. It also requires a lot of labour. At the same time, beekeepers and farmers need the right market linkage to sell their products,” Mishra explains. <br> <br>As for exports, the last two years have definitely been good for honey export and beekeepers got good rates, but the segment completely depends on the international market. “The US banned Chinese honey, which led to an increase in demand for Indian honey. This is very cyclic. There is no stable pricing structure. If there is no stability, why will anyone get into bee farming,” he says. <br> <br>One of the other important challenges in the sector is the issue of adulteration. A recent report by the Centre for Science and Environment found that honey from 10 leading brands were adulterated with sugar syrup. Mishra, however, rubbishes these allegations, saying that these issues need to be addressed in a very calibrated approach. The report said the brands failed the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) test, a mandatory requirement for exports. Mishra points out that there are hardly any labs in northern India that can do all the required tests. “This calls for some budgetary allocation to improve the domain’s labs across regions. Each state should have at least two to three labs equipped to do all kinds of testing, which will not only help beekeepers but will also help the whole industry ensure quality and keep costs down. When I'm exporting a product, I have to send my samples to Germany for testing, which is an enormous cost in one sample,” he says. <br> <br>Small-time beekeepers cannot afford to do such testing. These farmers have 200 to 500 bee boxes to test, and they need access to labs to test. Otherwise, they depend on another company in the market to do the testing. The government should provide subsidised testing as bee-testing can be very expensive, he adds. <br> <br> <strong>Blue economy’s blues</strong> <br>Among the other niche sectors with great potential is aquaculture. The government has not been oblivious to the sector and has come up with programmes such as the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (<a data-ga-onclick="Inarticle articleshow link click#Small Biz#href" href="/topic/pmmsy" target="_blank">PMMSY</a>) to address gaps in fish quality and production as well as Blue Revolution and Blue Revolution 2.0. <br> <br>Rajamanohar Somasundaram, Founder &amp; CEO, <a data-ga-onclick="Inarticle articleshow link click#Small Biz#href" href="/topic/aquaconnect" target="_blank">Aquaconnect</a>, a leading aqua farmers’ network, hails these initiatives and credits these for having helped double seafood exports and promoted technology-driven farming across the industry. However, the sector certainly requires more effort. He explains that 95% of shrimp farmed in India are exported, contributing 70% of seafood exports’ value. The fish produced from land goes for domestic consumption. <br> <br>“At present, India’s seafood exports are highly dependent on a single species. Any shocks in the import markets lead to sudden price crash. It has a heavy bearing on the farmers. Also, we are yet to realise the export potential of aquaculture produce,” he says, highlighting that India needs to diversify within aquaculture. <br> A balanced approach in the seafood export portfolio can open more opportunities and promote the domestic market. But to do this, Somasundaram points out, it is necessary to have integrated aqua parks, quality checks and better access to finance &amp; insurance. Traditional farming practises are still prevalent in the segment, and this leads to disease outbreaks, high production costs and sudden losses, he says. “To accelerate the Blue Revolution, it is essential to promote digital solutions across the value chain — right from pre-production to post-harvest — to bring predictability, efficiency, and traceability. We believe that with wider promotion of technology-driven farming on the production front, farmers will be able to overcome risks, improve productivity, and realise higher profit margins.” <br> <br>The CEO of Aquaconnect highlights the importance of the adoption of technology. It is essential to incentivise farmers with better subsidies to adopt data-driven farming, farm monitoring &amp; automation tools. Subsidies in insurance premiums are also required to encourage farmers to increase production. Unlike agriculture farmers, fish and shrimp farmers are not provided with any premium subsidy. “Government support on premium will help farmers mitigate production risks. It will further help to increase the working capital limit for aquaculture farmers,” he adds. <br> <br> <strong>Need for fruitful efforts</strong> <br>Horticulture is another important sector that could do with some help in the budget. India saw a significant rise in agri exports last year and so has its contribution to the country’s <a data-ga-onclick="Inarticle articleshow link click#Small Biz#href" target="_blank" href="/definition/gross-domestic-product">GDP</a>. But some persisting issues hold the segment back.

Locals should manage biodiversity to avoid man-animal conflict: Expert

Prof Madhav Gadgil, renowned ecologist and head of the Western Ghats Ecology expert panel says locals close to national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests should have the right to either demand payment for tolerating animals or cull them and use the meat and by-products In 2021, Anusaya Shamrao Mogarkar was attacked by a tiger while she was cutting grass near her home in Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. The 57-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries even as the villagers chased the animal away. In West Bengal, an elephant roaming the streets and creating panic among locals trampled to death an elderly farmer on March 21, 2021. A hyena attacked a man walking on a dirt road near Pune on September 8, 2021. From the apple orchards of Himachal Pradesh to the coconut groves of Goa and Karnataka, farmers are struggling with monkey attacks. In Kerala, the farmers are having a tough time dealing with wild pigs. So why is the human-animal conflict on the rise? “This conflict has been precipitated by concentration of unlimited powers in the hands of the anti-people Forest Departments enjoying strong support of the equally anti-people urban nature conservationists,” said Prof Madhav Gadgil, renowned ecologist and head of the Western Ghats Ecology expert panel. “The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 in the hands of the Forest Department is a very defective, counter-productive management tool. It entails grave abuse of human rights to life and livelihood and is not constitutionally valid,” Gadgil said while speaking on ‘Pitting people against nature’ at a webinar organised by the Pazhassiraja Memorial Library, Mananthavady as part of the 4th EK Madhavan Memorial Lecture recently. “Wild pigs regularly trespass on farmers’ properties and rob them of their produce. Yet the WLPA criminalises farmers resisting it and forces our protein-starved people to burn the corpse when they could happily eat the meat,” he said. Advertisement Animal populations will inevitably increase unless controlled by predation, disease, limitation of resources like food or accidental deaths as in floods and landslides. Gadgil said with 50 years of strict protection, the population of wild animals skyrocketed and are spilling out of protected areas. He says the animals have also lost all fear of people. “A friend and former chief wildlife warden HS Pabla of Madhya Pradesh once told me that losses of crops and property destroyed by wild animals run into thousands of crores. This is a rough and ready estimate as all of the forest and wildlife data details are shrouded in a cloak of obfuscation. The only available information comes from reports of unreliable surveys in some protected areas. But a substantial number of wild animals engaged in conflicts with people live outside the protected areas,” said Gadgil. ‘Wildlife act pits humans against animals’ A recent study, conducted by Centre for Science and Environment, said Odisha can see the highest-ever human casualties due to human-elephant conflict (HEC) in 2021-2022 than the years before. “At least 97 people have been killed in HEC from March 2021 to January 18, 2022. There have been 96 injuries. There are still two months to go before 2021-2022 gets over,” it cautions. What did the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WLPA), 1972 achieve? Gadgil said it extended the forest department’s stranglehold from forested areas to the entire country, firmly pitting people against nature. “It subjugated common people throughout India. One of the targets was the Chipko activists and Van Panchayats (village forest council),” he said. It was the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) under ornithologist Salim Ali’s leadership that took the lead in framing the WLPA. Being India’s premier natural history organisation since 1883, it was dominated by British merchants, civil and police officers and tea and coffee planters till 1972. “Some of the British tea and coffee planters were enthusiastic hunters and naturalists. They wrote brilliant accounts of Indian natural history in the journal of BNHS. EP Gee, a tea planter of Assam, was one of them. He endorsed the forest department’s confiscatory role and formulated WLPA with strong support from Salim Ali,” said Gadgil. Hunting is in human genes In the defence of hunting, Gadgil said, it is in human DNA. “The human gut consists mainly of the small intestine, responsible for breakdown of proteins and absorption of nutrients, while the gut of apes primarily consists of the colon, indicating a vegetarian diet. Human teeth have a thin enamel coating indicating that historically they have always maintained a meat-heavy diet. Given the choice, most humans today continue to consume substantial amounts of sea-food, birds or mammals,” he said. In olden times, humans (including Indians) have hunted and consumed meat of all species of birds and mammals on a large scale. Gadgil pointed to the prehistoric paintings on Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh that depict scenes of hunting with spears and bow and arrow of a range of animals. India is a pluralistic country with a diversity of cultures and ways of making livelihoods associated with a variety of food habits and food taboos. “Our ancestors, as depicted in Bhimbetka, consumed every kind of meat. Today, some groups of Indians eat not only sheep and goat and chicken but also dogs and monkeys, parakeets and fruit bats and much more. No group has a right to impose its own food preferences on all other citizens of the country,” he said. The British conquered India, which was an ocean of trees. Gadgil said the Bharatpur wetland was the Bharatpur Maharaja’s hunting preserve. The king’s guest Lord Linlithgow, a British viceroy, boasted of shooting 4,273 birds on a single day on November 12, 1938, a feat commemorated with a stone plaque nearby. Looking beyond hegemony of forest department Gadgil says Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of a republic of self-reliant villages was set aside by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who thought only of catching up with the West. He says, Nehru launched India on a path of development at all costs, which in practice meant development at the cost of the weak and poor, not putting the last first, but putting the last down. The Forest Policy of 1952 reaffirmed hegemony of the forest department. “The West Coast Paper Mills was supplied bamboo at ₹ 1.50/tonne, while the market rate was ₹1,500/tonne. Bamboo is rapidly exhausted through unregulated use by paper mills. The mill polluted air and water with impunity. This was ‘crony capitalism’ at full play. Squeeze nature and the poor to fatter the rich,” said Gadgil. Gadgil said it is high time we stopped pitting people against nature. “The people with their traditions of taking good care of nature are rising to protect their environment. The Bishnois of Rajasthan called out Bollywood actor Salman Khan for hunting Chinkaras (black buck) and are doggedly pursuing a case that has been dragging on for years. The state is not playing its proper role in protecting wildlife in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. We must work with people at grass-roots to take charge of conserving biodiversity including wild birds and mammals, through positive incentives,” he said. Australian sheep ranch owners shoot kangaroos as they see them as competitors to sheep. The government asks them for bids as to how much they expect to be paid in return for permitting a certain number of kangaroos to exist in their ranks, decides on acceptable bids and then pays based on a transparent system of verification. “This is an excellent model for decentralised decision-making. Let local self-government institutions make bids and be paid according to their conservation services,” said Gadgil, who had submitted the landmark Western Ghats Ecology expert panel’s report to the central government on August 31, 2011, designating the entire Western Ghat region as an Ecologically Sensitive Area. “Let people decide on a decentralised fashion. If wild animals come out of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests, people of those local bodies should have the right to either demand payment for tolerating them or cull these animals and use by-products as they wish,” he added. Biodiversity, according to Gadgil, should not be managed by a forest department-dominated mechanism, but through a democratically constituted system. “Biodiversity management committees in each LSG should be made up of members selected entirely by local citizens. Their constituency should in turn elect members to the district-level biodiversity management committee from that to the state level and finally to the national biodiversity authority. This system should develop a rational pro-people mechanism for management of all biodiversity, including the animals currently listed under the wildlife schedule,” said Gadgil.

दिल्ली स्ट्रीटस्क्रैपिंग प्रोजेक्ट (Delhi Streetscraping Project) क्या है?

इस परियोजना के तहत, देश की राजधानी में सड़कों को यूरोपीय मानकों, यानी 30 मीटर या उससे अधिक के लिए पुनर्विकास किया जाएगा। साथ ही, यह परियोजना पैदल चलने वालों के लिए सड़कों को सुरक्षित बनाएगी। यह परियोजना पारगमन वाहनों, साइकिल चालकों और पैदल चलने वालों के लिए सड़कों को संतुलित बनाएगी। इस परियोजना को हाइब्रिड वार्षिकी मोड में लागू किया जाना है। इसे दिल्ली के लोक कल्याण विभाग द्वारा लागू किया जाना है। सरकार इस परियोजना को लागू करने वाली एजेंसियों को परियोजना लागत का 60% भुगतान करेगी। शेष राशि का भुगतान तीस द्वि-वार्षिक किश्तों में हाइब्रिड वार्षिक मोड में किया जायेगा। साथ ही इन सड़कों के रखरखाव का जिम्मा यही एजेंसियां ​​संभालेंगी। योजना क्या है? दिल्ली के लोक कल्याण विभाग ने 9 सलाहकार नियुक्त किए हैं। ये सलाहकार सरकार को सड़कों के निर्माण पर सलाह देंगे। साथ ही, सलाहकार डेटा का विश्लेषण करेंगे, ट्रैफिक पैटर्न का अध्ययन करेंगे और समाधान तैयार करेंगे। साथ ही, वे यह सुनिश्चित करेंगे कि सड़कें टिकाऊ हों। यह परियोजना क्यों शुरू की गई है? Centre for Science and Environment के अनुसार, राष्ट्रीय राजधानी में सबसे अधिक घातक दुर्घटनाएँ होती हैं। दिल्ली में एक दिन में औसतन 5 मौतें सड़क हादसों में होती हैं। इसका मुख्य कारण पूरे शहर में सड़क की अनियमित चौड़ाई है। साथ ही, कुछ स्थानों पर सड़क के किनारे के अतिरिक्त स्थानों का उपयोग ठीक से नहीं किया जाता है। महत्व राजधानी की हर सड़क अनोखी और अलग है। यह परियोजना पैदल चलने वालों के लिए भी उपयुक्त जगह प्रदान करेगी। इस परियोजना के तहत दिल्ली की सभी सड़कों पर साइकिल के लिए विशेष लेन होगी। साथ ही इस परियोजना में शौचालय, वाटर कूलर, ग्रीन स्पेस, रेन वाटर हार्वेस्टिंग सिस्टम, लाइब्रेरी, स्ट्रीट फर्नीचर, ई-रिक्शा और लास्ट माइल कनेक्टिविटी के लिए जगह आवंटित की जाएगी।

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.

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

HOUSTON, January 24, 2022--(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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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. )