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Year In Review: Diluting Environmental Norms May Derail India's Ambitious Climate Goals

In 2021, the government pushed renewables to meet its updated climate targets, but also came up with plans to clear forests and reduced scrutiny of polluting units that could cause further environmental damage In 2021, India committed to achieving net zero by 2070, but the dichotomy between the ambitious target and the steps taken on the ground is hard to miss. The government has not only diluted environmental laws that regulate erring units but also devised plans to divert forest land to non-forest users. During this period, India announced other policy measures such as the National Hydrogen Mission for clean energy and the global solar Green Grids initiative to transition away from coal. However, amid the renewed stress on ramping up climate action, the Indian government also amended the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980 to allow non-forest use of the land for "strategic" projects, stripped away the ecological protection of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and pushed palm oil cultivation in north east India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This happened in the backdrop of two major climate events: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6)--the first after 2013--which presented a grim forecast on how global warming has impacted and will impact us in the near future; and countries across the world met for the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) in November, where they adopted the Glasgow Climate Pact to control global temperature rise. As the year comes to a close, we take a look at India's major energy, climate and environment policies and actions this year. Renewed push to renewable energy Renewable energy has been one of the fastest-growing sectors in India in recent years as successive governments have prioritised it, we reported in August 2021. Primary among the reasons is the quest for energy security because most of the conventional energy sources in India are either imported or of poor quality. India had set a target of 175 gigawatt (GW) of renewable capacity by year 2022 and 450 GW by 2030, under the Paris Agreement in 2015. By October 2021, India had already surpassed 100 GW capacity, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). By October 2021, 39% of India's installed power capacity came from non-fossil sources as against a target of 40% by 2022. In India, solar tariffs have also fallen dramatically; this is because the government has been awarding large projects through reverse auctions (where buyers request for goods and services and sellers bid for the prices at which they are willing to sell), which has resulted in global investors setting up very large projects at very low tariffs. Many industrial and commercial establishments in India also find RE power, especially solar, cheaper than the cost of sourcing power from a distribution company (DISCOM), as we reported in August 2021. While India is aggressively pushing large-scale clean energy projects--mainly wind and solar--these are leading to conflicts as rights of communities are not recognised over common lands used for renewable projects. Experts suggest that conflicts could grow as India pushes more clean energy projects such as large solar parks. Such conflicts could be reduced if India pushes for rooftop solar energy. But the high cost of rooftop solar systems and the patchy implementation of its subsidy schemes are holding the sector back, we reported in July 2021. Further, at the COP26, India raised the renewable energy targets to 500 GW by 2030 from the earlier target for 450 GW. India, along with the United Kingdom, launched an ambitious renewables venture called Green Grids Initiative--One Sun One World One Grid, a global solar grid linking 140 countries. While energy experts agree with the initiative's premise and appreciate its scale, they question its feasibility, because of geopolitics and the cost of undersea cables, we reported in October 2021. In August 2021, the prime minister also announced the National Hydrogen Mission to support India's energy transition goals. Green hydrogen is produced using renewable energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The use of green hydrogen will help India decarbonise sectors such as shipping and transportation where it can be used as a fuel, as well as in manufacturing industries such as steel and chemicals where it can be used as a raw material. It could also replace fossil fuels in power generation and be used to store renewable energy but only if it is commercially viable and as economically competitive as traditionally used fossil-based grey hydrogen, we reported in September 2021. Transition from coal About 70% of India's energy demand is met by two fossil fuels--coal (44%) and oil (25%). However, at the COP26, India committed to achieving a net zero target by 2070, which means India will have to significantly reduce its coal and oil reliance over the next decades. But, at the same time, India also issued a series of notifications that give polluting units "a license to pollute", according to a briefing note by the Centre for Science and Environment. In April 2021, through a notification, the environment ministry extended the timelines to comply with emission norms for a majority of coal-based power plants in India from 2022 to 2025. This means that 72% of coal-based power plants will continue to pollute for another two-three years. Further, in June 2021, the Central Electricity Authority called for extending the deadline for plants to 2035 to adopt emission norms set in 2015. "Given the 2070 net zero target, India will have to phase out coal by 2035; so, if they plan to give concessions to thermal plants until 2035, when will they phase out," said Shripad Dharmadhikary, analyst at the research organisation Manthan Adhyayan Kendra. In April 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued a notification on 100% utilisation of ash generated by coal and lignite-based thermal power plants in an eco-friendly manner and introduced a fine for non-compliance. Over the last two decades, the environment ministry has been issuing similar notifications on the disposal and utilisation of fly ash, but over 50% of industries remain non-compliant, mostly dumping the ash in the open, in water bodies and in unlined and uncovered pits, we reported in August 2021. Environment laws diluted In October, the environment ministry proposed an amendment to the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980, permitting non-forest activities--cultivation, construction, mining--in private forest land and state or Union government-notified forest land, where the owner can be any private or public sector entity. The proposed amendment deviates from the mandate to preserve forest by making exemptions to several developmental projects, environmentalists say. Forests are one of the critical elements in the fight against climate change. Apart from sustaining terrestrial biodiversity and livelihoods, forests significantly absorb the carbon dioxide released into the air. The Forest Act is the apex law in India to prevent deforestation, by prohibiting tree felling and other non-forestry activities on forest land without the permission of the Union or state governments. In March 2021, the central government issued an amendment diluting the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) framework of 2006, by exempting all projects from public hearing whose environmental clearance had expired and therefore had to apply afresh. According to the notification, the prior environmental clearance for a project was granted for a maximum period of 10 years, and in some cases five years. The projects which failed to complete within the granted time period had to undergo all the processes afresh, including conducting public hearing. However, as per the new amendment, the earlier compulsion of conducting public hearing was done away with if minimum 50% of the project had been implemented. The 2006 notification has undergone a total of 15 alterations until February 2020. In July 2021, the environment ministry further issued new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for dealing with cases of industrial projects that are operating without prior environmental clearance under the Environment Impact Notification (EIA), 2006. But these provisions will not act as a deterrent against violations of environment norms, defeating the purpose of prior environmental clearances mandated by the EIA 2006, an IndiaSpend investigation found in August. On November 1, MoEF&CC issued a gazette notification seeking an amendment to India's Coastal Regulation (CRZ) Notification, 2019, to exempt oil and natural gas exploration and development activities from obtaining mandatory prior Andaman forests denotified, push to palm oil The government is planning to set up big commercial, tourism and shipping projects in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that would strip the protection that the ecologically and ethnically significant archipelago enjoys, we reported in April 2021. Earlier, in January, the MoEFCC amended the Island Coastal Regulation Zone Notification 2019, to move Great Nicobar from Group I of islands with a 200-metre buffer from the high-tide line to Group II with 100 metres' buffer. Andaman and Nicobar Islands comprise 836 islands with a total geographical area of about 8,249 square kilometres, 0.25% of the total geographical area of India. Of the 8,249 sq km, over 80% of the land (6,751 sq km) is recorded as forest land, which includes nine national parks, 96 wildlife sanctuaries and one biosphere reserve. Andaman and Nicobar Islands have seen a marginal rise in forest cover of 0.28% between 2011 and 2019, but have lost their moderately dense forests by 71%, or 1,732 sq km, a November 2021 Factchecker study found. In August 2021, the Union cabinet approved an outlay of Rs 11,040 crore for a proposal to expand palm oil production in India, towards its ultimate goal to have 1 million hectare of land under palm cultivation and becoming atmanirbhar, or 'self-sufficient', in oil. The scheme has identified India's northeast region and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as focus areas, which has raised concerns among environmentalists. Palm oil bears a significant threat to the water table of specific areas it is cultivated in, as seen in the major palm oil cultivating countries in southeast Asia. When it comes to air pollution, Northern India, again, saw a deterioration in air quality with the onset of winter. Our report shows that the number of air quality monitors in India per million people is much less compared to compatible countries.

61% of power pants to miss meeting their 2022 deadline on emission standards

NEW DELHI: Sixty-one percent of the coal-based power plants located near million-plus population cities, which have to meet their emission standards by December 2022, will miss their deadlines, shows an analysis of three different categories of power plants whose new targets to meet the green norms were set by the environment ministry early this year. The power plants which have to meet the December next year target are those which are located within 10 km radius of the National Capital Region (NCR) or cities having million-plus population. There are 79 coal-based power plants in this category (Category A) as per a categorisation list of a task force, constituted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The task force, disaggregating 596 coal thermal power plants from across the country, had on December 13 released the list, putting 68 power plants in Category B (compliance deadline of December, 2023) and 449 in Category C (compliance deadline of December, 2024). The power plants which are located within 10 km radius of critically polluted areas or non-attainment cities fall under category B while the rest others (75% of total) fall in category C. he analysis, done by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), shows that 48 of 79 power plants (61%) in Category A will miss their emission standards deadlines -- it means the non-compliant power plants will continue to emit pollutants more than their acceptable limits, polluting air in the million-plus population cities. The list provided by the ministry on categories A,B and C is a much delayed exercise. They have taken so much time to prepare the list. It did not deliberate how plants in Category A will meet the deadline of 2022. Of course, they can pay a penalty and continue operating, but it's environmentally dangerous. The whole exercise of the ministry and the CPCB is farce and the majority of plants in each category will miss the extended deadline," said Nivit Kumar Yadav, programme director, CSE. The CSE's analysis shows that 35% of the total coal power capacity belonging to all three categories is going to miss their respective deadlines. It noted that a majority of the coal thermal power capacity that is likely to meet the emission norms belongs to the central sector, followed by the private sector. The environment ministry had in 2015 set new emission norms and fixed a deadline to meet it. The deadlines were, however, extended twice in the past six years. Thermal power plants (TPPs) located in different regions will, however, have different deadlines with maximum three years being given to those in comparatively lesser polluting areas. The TPPs will have to install pollution control equipment such as flue gas desulphurization (FGD) units within the extended deadline to meet the new emission norms of sulphur dioxides.

Delhi’s air pollution levels in ‘severe’ zone for 3rd consecutive day

Weather and environment experts have said that a mix of factors may have led to the worsening of air quality, including lower-than-expected wind speed and a poor assessment of the impact of lifting restrictions ir pollution-related restrictions on construction and demolition activities in the National Capital Region (NCR) and the ban on entry of diesel and petrol trucks into Delhi were lifted by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Monday, citing an improvement in air quality and a good wind speed forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). However, the next day, Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) plunged into the “severe” category for the first time since December 2, and since then, it has remained “severe” with Delhi on Thursday logging the third consecutive day when the AQI was over 400. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI on Thursday was recorded at 423, up from Wednesday’s 407, and the highest since December 2 when the city logged an AQI of 429. IMD said on Thursday that the situation may not improve till Sunday, when light rain is likely to help improve air quality. Weather and environment experts have said that a mix of factors may have led to the worsening of air quality, including lower-than-expected wind speed and a poor assessment of the impact of lifting restrictions. Tanushree Ganguly, Programme Lead at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) said a minor improvement in air quality was seen between December 17 and 19, but the PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations began to increase from December 20, the day the restrictions were lifted. “The average PM2.5 levels have been in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ category since December 20. CEEW’s analysis of meteorological parameters suggests that the ventilation index has been on the lower side since December 20, preventing the dispersion of pollutants,” said Ganguly. “Proactive directions by the CAQM on using air quality and meteorology forecasts are indeed steps in the right direction, but there is a need to calibrate actions on the ground as per the source contributions forecasted by the models. Dust and waste burning continue to dominate locally. Therefore, resuming activities at large construction sites might not be ideal unless authorities ensure stringent implementation of dust suppression measures,” she added. Despite three consecutive “severe” days, no restrictions were reimposed by CAQM on Thursday, however an official, on condition of anonymity, said that situation was being “closely monitored”. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said forecasts should serve as the basis of removing or imposing restrictions, and it was now important to factor in the impact of each section in air pollution. “Severe air pollution happens when pollutants get trapped locally because of a combination of factors, which includes the lifting of restrictions and meteorological conditions. We need our forecasts to be even more reliable and guide action in the future,” she said. Gufran Beig, project director and founder at the System for Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (Safar), a central forecasting body, said the “mixing height” has been a key factor in the last three days, dropping down to 500 to 700 metres. Mixing height is an invisible boundary layer, which if low, can trap pollutants close to the surface. A mixing height of 1-1.5 kms is considered enough to allow dispersal of pollutants.

Editorial: Uneven burden

Focus on clean air measures cannot be limited to big cities Breathing has become injurious to health. Two recent studies have identified the double burden of air pollution in India in different ways. A study published in Nature by researchers at the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute found that cities along the Indo-Gangetic plain with a population of more than one million that do not meet the national ambient air quality standards consistently register the highest premature mortality because of diseases caused by air pollution. Furthermore, the study computed the economic burden of premature mortality in 31 non-attainment cities — metropolitan centres that have failed to meet air quality standards — and concluded that it was responsible for an estimated loss of $90 billion in 2017, accounting for about 3.4 per cent of India’s gross domestic product. Delhi tops the list followed by Mumbai, Hyderabad and Calcutta. Significantly, a disproportionate emphasis on the ill-effects of air pollution in bigger cities reveals only a part of the worrying tale. A new analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment, which coincides with the publication of the other study, found that while all of northern India experiences smog in winter, the otherwise cleaner, small towns witness episodes matching — or exceeding — the pollution levels reported in the Delhi-National Capital Region. It concluded that while Delhi’s average PM2.5 concentration during winter was nearly 4.5 times the national safety standard, towns such as Agra, Vrindavan and Firozabad fared much worse. The average urban concentration of particulate matter in Uttar Pradesh was eight per cent higher than that in NCR. Policy and public discourse have a tendency to perceive air pollution as a contagion that adversely affects big cities only. Policy action and public attention, therefore, ignore India’s smaller towns as well as its villages that suffer as much, if not more. Steps to alleviate poor air quality are, consequently, predominantly designed with urban agglomerations in mind. While the National Clean Air Programme focuses on initiatives in both cities and rural areas, the focus remains mostly on non-attainment cities. The scale of the crisis in India’s urban hinterlands is significant. Adding to the challenge is a decrepit healthcare infrastructure as well as an uneven template of development. Mitigatory intervention must encompass Tier-II cities and rural hamlets. Air pollution is a transboundary problem and policymakers must incorporate a regional outlook that would complement urban models for cleaning the air.

Delhi's air quality slips into 'severe' zone, likely to worsen further

NEW DELHI: After oscillating between "poor" and "very poor" for over two weeks, Delhi's air quality slipped into the "severe" category on Tuesday. The pollution monitoring agencies predict further drop in the next few days. According to Central Pollution Control Board, the air quality index (AQI), on a scale of 0 to 500, was 402 as against 332 a day earlier and 271 a day before that. Calm wind conditions and slight rise in humidity, among other meteorological reasons, led to accumulation of pollutants within Delhi, said Met officials. AQI slipped a day after Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) announced relaxations, allowing resumption of construction work and entry of the trucks in Delhi. Last time the national capital recorded a "severe" AQI was on December 2. "It's difficult to establish now if the accumulation of the pollutants have happened due to lifting the CAQM bans as the weather conditions have changed. We will have to observe the trend," said Anumita Roy Chawdhury, executive director at Centre for Science and Environment. According to SAFAR, the air quality is likely to worsen due to low wind speeds. The wind speed was almost nil by the evening and may remain low for the next few days, said Mahesh Palawat of Skymet.

NCR resolved 50% pollution-related complaints: CPCB

Among the NCR states, Delhi is faring best, having resolved nearly 63% (761) of the 1,214 complaints filed during this period. Nearly half of the pollution-related complaints made to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) or logged by its monitoring teams across the National Capital Region (NCR) between October 15 and December 19 are yet to be resolved, with data from the pollution watchdog showing that only 1,100 of the 2,207 complaints have been addressed so far. However, among the NCR states, Delhi is faring best, having resolved nearly 63% (761) of the 1,214 complaints filed during this period. In comparison, UP (134 of 370 complaints) and Haryana (184 of 509 complaints) have resolved 36% complaints, and Rajasthan (nine of 53 complaints) resolved only 17% complaints. A senior CPCB official, on the condition of anonymity, said most complaints were related to dust violations, construction and demolition waste and instances of open waste burning. “Data is collected each day from each agency and is being updated in real time. Agencies have been asked to ensure no complaints remain pending and are being asked to prioritise those complaints in particular which can be dealt with quickly,” the official said. CPCB data showed that in Delhi, most complaints (403) were recorded in areas under the jurisdiction of North Delhi Municipal Corporation but the civic body has addressed only 189 complaints (47%). South MCD received 359 complaints and resolved 232 (65%), whereas East MCD got 87 complaints, of which they have resolved 79 (91%). In comparison, other agencies with a high pendency rate include the Delhi government’s flood control department, which has only resolved four of its 17 complaints (24%), and the Delhi Police, which has addressed only 10 of its 24 complaints (42%). The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the Delhi Cantonment Board and the Delhi transport department have meanwhile resolved all the complaints received so far. Among agencies in NCR which failed to solve a single complaint are the Central Public Works Department (56 complaints), Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (40 complaints), Haryana Urban Development Authority (21 complaints) and the UP state pollution control board (56 complaints). Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said it is important to act swiftly on all such complaints during the winter to somewhat halt the spike in air pollution. “In winters, you cannot carry out infrastructure-based intervention and therefore strict enforcement is essential. The CPCB may also need to carry out a system audit and assign accountability to agencies failing to solve complaints,” she said.

2021 was 'historic' for Jal Shakti ministry, several long-standing issues resolved, says Shekhawat

One of the main achievements was the passage of a bill that seeks to set up an institutional mechanism for the safety of specified dam 2021 was "historic" for the Jal Shakti ministry as several landmark decisions were taken and many long-pending issues were resolved, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, noting that the focus next year would be to expedite the Jal Jeevan Mission to provide tap water connections to more rural households. Talking to <em>PTI</em> about how the year was for the Jal Shakti ministry, he said all responsibilities given to it were fulfilled.</p><p>"The year has truly been historic for the ministry. The long-standing issue of interlinkage of rivers was resolved. An agreement was also reached between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in this regard," he said.<div class="ad-320-1023 inart2_processed" id="in-article3-1" style="display: none;" data-google-query-id="CKPOnq6Y9_QCFcsecgodhqoNuA"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/1013527/dh_mobile_ap_display_1x1_s1_p2_0__container__" style="border: 0pt none; margin: auto; text-align: center;"></div></div></p><div id="outstream_ad" style="background-color: transparent; display: none;" data-google-query-id="COqA48CX9_QCFQmBSwUdv24GhQ" align="center"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/1013527/DH_Mobile_AP_Outstream_1x1_S1_0__container__" style="border: 0pt none;"></div></div><p>The governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh earlier this year signed an agreement&nbsp;to tackle a long-stalled multi-crore project to link the Ken and Betwa rivers and irrigate the water-deficient Bundelkhand region (spread across both states), as well as provide electricity.</p> <p>Shekhawat said 2021 was also significant for the Jal Shakti ministry as a law relating to dam safety was enacted.&nbsp;"The Machchhu dam collapsed in 1979 and in 1982, a report was given on the matter. Now after all these years, a dam safety bill was passed that is very significant," he said.</p><p>In the Winter Session, Parliament passed a bill that seeks to set up an institutional mechanism for the safety of specified dams in the country. The bill provides for surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of the specified dams for the prevention of dam failure-related disasters. It provides for an institutional mechanism to ensure safe functioning of the dams.</p><p>In December, the government also extended the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), launched in 2015, under which 90 per cent grant has been given to three National Projects including Renukaji (Himachal Pradesh) and Lakhwar (Uttarakhand).</p><p>The minister said the construction of Renukaji and Lakhwar dams would be critical for the national capital's water supply needs and would also lead to a "rebirth" of the river.</p><p>"Like in Ganga, it has been notified that all the dam holding stakeholders have to discharge a particular quantum of water in non-monsoon months. Similarly, we will make it mandatory that some amount of water has to flow into Yamuna too and when water will flow, and if effluent treatment plants are working, then fresh water and treated water both will improve Yamuna's water quality," he said.</p><p>Speaking about the vision for 2022, Shekhawat said the biggest target for the Jal Shakti ministry is to complete the ongoing projects in a time-bound manner. "Drinking water supply has to reach every household, that is our foremost aim," he said.</p> <p>According to government data, 86,778,991 households have been provided with tap water connections till now, while 833,704 connections have been provided to schools and 876,664 to anganwadis.</p><p>While 100 per cent households have been provided with tap water connections in Goa, Telangana, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Haryana, there are still five states, namely&nbsp;Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Rajasthan, where less than 25 per cent households have tap water connections.</p><p>This year, the ministry also started water quality surveillance using field test kits, under which five women from every village are trained in water quality surveillance using these kits to lead these activities in their village.</p><p>The year also marked the completion of several major projects on the Ganga main stem and tributaries such as the Yamuna.</p><p>Elaborating on the progress made under the National Mission for Clean Ganga in 2021, NMCG Director-General Rajiv Ranjan Mishra said 2021 witnessed a watershed moment for public participation with a tremendous response received in the government's various endeavours such as Ganga Quest, Ganga Utsav and Ganga Mashal Abhiyan.</p> "The success of Namami Gange is derived from its collaborative partnership. This year, we launched a capacity-building initiative with the Centre for Science and Environment for Making Ganga Basin Cities Water Sensitive. With TERI, we are launching the first of its kind Centre of Excellence on Water Reuse. Last but not the least, we launched the historic River Cities Alliance with NIUA which is a unique platform for river cities to embark upon the path of river centric planning and programs. We also launched the Urban River Management Plan for Kanpur," Mishra told <em>PTI</em>.</p><p>As far as challenges that lie ahead in 2022, Mishra said there is a need to ensure the sustainability of the initiatives undertaken in the mission, expand activities along tributaries, further strengthen the people river connect and work extensively for improving ecology and flow.</p><p>"It is a continuous process, and the task is not only to clean but also to keep it clean and rejuvenated. Another key challenge would be to record and manage the knowledge that has been created under the mission. All these would only be possible with collaborative partnerships, which has been the mainstay of Namami Gange mission," he added.</p>

दिल्ली : नए साल में सड़कों पर नहीं उतर सकेंगे 10 साल पुराने 2.64 लाख डीजल वाहन Read more: https://www.amarujala.com/delhi/10-year-old-2-64-lakh-diesel-vehicles-will-not-be-able-to-hit-the-roads-in-the-new-year

स्क्रैप होने से वाहनों को बचाने का विकल्प। इलेक्ट्रिक वाहनों में बदलने से कबाड़ बनने वाले वाहनों को मिलेगी नई जिंदगी। दिल्ली में डीजल वाहनों के डी रजिस्टर करने से 10 साल से अधिक पुराने 2.64 लाख से अधिक डीजल वाहन सड़कों पर नहीं उतर सकेंगे। सड़कों पर न उतरने से वाहनों के जाम से राहत के साथ साथ वायु प्रदूषण में भी काफी कमी आएगी। विशेषज्ञों का कहना है कि इससे दिल्ली की हवा की गुणवत्ता में सुधार के साथ साथ वाहनों के जाम की समस्या भी कम होगी। मियाद पूरी कर चुके डीजल वाहनों पर एक जनवरी, 2022 से कार्रवाई के साथ ही दिल्ली सरकार के परिवहन विभाग ने वाहन मालिकों को राहत देने के लिए कई विकल्प भी दिए हैं। इसके तहत पुराने वाहनों का दूसरे राज्यों में पंजीकरण के लिए अनापत्ति प्रमाण पत्र(एनओसी) सहित इलेक्ट्रिक वाहनों में पुराने वाहनों को परिवर्तित करने के विकल्प से भी वाहन मालिकों को बड़ी राहत मिलने की उम्मीद है। दिल्ली सरकार ने एनजीटी की ओर से जारी आदेश के बाद एक जनवरी से इसे सख्ती से लागू करने का निर्णय लिया है। इसके तहत वाहनों का पंजीकरण रद्द करने के बाद सड़कों पर वाहन नहीं उतारे जा सकेंगे। बावजूद इसके अगर नियमों की अनदेखी की जाती है तो इन वाहनों को जब्त कर स्क्रैप कर दिया जाएगा। बीएस-3 वाहनों से होता है 10 गुना अधिक प्रदूषण सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवॉयरमेंट(सीएसई)की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी के मुताबिक सरकार के इस कदम में दिल्ली में वाहनों से होने वाले प्रदूषण में काफी हद तक कमी आने की उम्मीद है। उन्होंने बताया कि बीएस-3 डीजल वाहनों से मौजूदा बीएस-6 वाहनों की तुलना में 10 गुना ्रेभी अधिक प्रदूषण होता है। इससे नाइट्रोजन ऑक्साईड सहित कई जहरीली गैस महीन धूलकणों का उत्सर्जन होता है। वाहनों के सड़कों से हटने से प्रदूषण स्तर में काफी सुधार होने की उम्मीद है। रेट्रो फिटमेंट के बाद दोबारा सड़कों पर उतर सकेंगे पुराने वाहन भी वाहनों के लिए इलेक्ट्रिक रेट्रो फिटमेंट का विकल्प दिया गया है। इसके तहत पुराने डीजल वाहनों में भी परिवर्तित करने के बाद वाहनों से होने वाला उत्सर्जन शून्य हो जाएगा। इसके लिए दिल्ली सरकार और एजेंसियों से बातचीत चल रही है ताकि ताकि 10 साल पुराने डीजल और 15 साल पुराने पेट्रोल वाहनों में इलेक्ट्रिक किट की रेट्रो फिटमेंट के बाद इन वाहनों को दोबारा सड़कों पर उतारा जा सके। इससे वाहन मालिकों की बचत होगी और वाहनों को स्क्रैप करने की बजाय दोबारा इस्तेमाल किया जा सकेगा। कैंसर होने का भी डीजल वाहनों से हैं खतरा डॉ. अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी ने कहा कि डीजल वाहनों से निकलने वाले धूलकण और धुआं, बेहद हानिकारक हैं। विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन(डब्ल्यूएचओ)ने भी माना है कि डीजल वाहनों से होने वाला प्रदूषण सेहत के लिहाज से खतरनाक है। इससे कैंसर पीड़ित होने की आशंका कई गुना बढ़ जाती है। यह तंबाकू उत्पादों से भी अधिक नुकसानदेह है और इससे फेफड़े का कैंसर होने का खतरा रहता है। कार के रेट्रो फिटमेंट पर चार लाख तक की हो सकती है लागत दिल्ली सरकार की ओर से इलेक्ट्रिक वाहनों को प्रोत्साहित किया जा रहा है। इसके लिए नई ईवी पॉलिसी के तहत वित्तीय प्रोत्साहन दिया जा रहा है ताकि वायु गुणवत्ता में सुधार हो सके। वाहनों के इलेक्ट्रिक रेट्रो फिटमेंट से पुराने डीजल और पेट्रोल वाहनों को दोबारा इस्तेमाल के बाद भी प्रदूषण में बढ़ोतरी नहीं होगी। पुराने वाहन मालिकों की चिंता है कि अगर उनके वाहन डी रजिस्टर होने के बाद स्क्रैप कर दिए जाएंगे तो इसके बदले महज 35 से 40े हजार रुपये मिलेंगे। अगर वाहनों की रेट्रो फिटमेंट करवाते हैं तो एक कार पर चार लाख तक से अधिक का खर्च होने का अनुमान है। इसमें बैटरी का खर्च सर्वाधिक होगा। सीएसई की मौसमी मोहंती के मुताबिक दोपहिया वाहन या ऑटो की रेट्रो फिटमेंट से कोई खास फायदा नहीं होगा, क्योंकि इसपर अपेक्षाकृत लागत अधिक है। टैक्सी मालिकों में रोष डीजल वाहनों के डी रजिस्ट्शन पर यूनियन के संजय सम्राट ने विरोध जताते हुए कहा कि कारोना काल में पहले ही वित्तीय तंगी से टैक्सी चालक जूझ रहे हैं। डीजल वाहनों को डी रजिस्टर करने से उनपर लाखों का अतिरिक्त बोझ बढ़ेगा जबकि कई टैक्सी संचालकों के लिए इस कारोबार में बने रहना भी मुश्किल हो रहा है। उन्होंने आरोप लगाया कि अब तक सीएनजी वाहनों को पर्यावरण के लिए अनुकूल माना जा रहा था। अचानक इलेक्ट्रिक वाहनों की तरफ रुख करने के पीछे कोई और मंशा नजर आ रही है। अचानक लागू होने वाले इस फैसले से टैक्सी परिचालकों में रोष है और इसपर विरोध जताएंगे। अंतरराज्यीय बसों पर भी शिकंजा कसना जरूरी दूसरे राज्यों से दिल्ली में रोजाना करीब तीन हजार बसें दिल्ली में आवागमन करती हैं। इनमें से अधिकतर डीजल बसें हैं, जिनमें रोजाना यात्रियों का आवागमन होता है। दिल्ली में पहले ही सड़कों पर डीटीसी और क्लस्टर की सीएनजी बसें हैं। मगर, दूसरे राज्यों से रोजाना दिल्ली में दाखिल होने वाले वाहनों से होने वाले प्रदूषण पर फिलहाल शिकंजा नहीं कसा गया है। हालांकि कश्मीरी गेट, सराय कालें खां और आनंद विहार, आईएसबीटी पर अब दूसरे राज्यों से भी कुछ सीएनजी बसें पहुंच रही हैं। इन वाहनों के प्रदूषण की जांच और सख्ती नहीं की गई तो सरकार की तमाम कोशिशों के बावजूद दिल्ली की वायु गुणवत्ता में सुधार की राह में मुश्किलें बनी रहेंगी। परिवहन विभाग के एक अधिकारी ने बताया कि दूसरे राज्यों से आने वाले वाहनों की निगरानी की जा रही है। प्रदूषण मानकों की अनदेखी करने वालों पर कार्रवाई भी शुरू कर दी गई है। इसके बाद कुछ सीएनजी बसें भी अब आईएसबीटी पर दिखने लगी हैं।

CERAWeek by IHS Markit 2022 to Convene Energy CEOs, Government Officials, and Business and Technology Leaders in Houston, March 7-11

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 40th annual gathering of CERAWeek by IHS Markit—the world’s preeminent energy conference—will convene the world’s energy industry leaders, experts, government officials and policymakers, as well as leaders from the technology, financial and industrial communities in-person, March 7-11 in Houston. 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. Chaired by Daniel Yergin, vice chairman of IHS Markit and author of The New Map: Energy, Climate and the Clash of Nations, the conference is returning to Houston after being hosted as an all-virtual event in 2021. “We are pleased to be returning to Houston in 2022 for the 40th annual CERAWeek by IHS Markit,” said Yergin. “Houston is the energy capital of the world and we are honored to have it as the home of CERAWeek these past several decades. At a time of profound change in the energy world, there is no more-fitting place for the critical dialogues that will take place at this year’s conference. “The inherent challenges of the energy transition—and the rapid transformation to the basis of the world’s $86 trillion economy that it entails—are as profound as they are vast,” Yergin added. “Recent energy crises and market volatility illustrate the importance of balance between reducing emissions and ensuring stable and reliable energy flows that the growing global economy needs. It is a challenge made more complex at a time of strained supply chains and heightened geopolitical tensions. Meeting the demands of the energy future will require new strategies, intelligent investment and plenty of innovation. These are among the important issues that the world’s energy leaders will address in Houston at CERAWeek 2022.” 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, Less 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): 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 Vicki Hollub – CEO, Occidental 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 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 Hon. Richard Glick – chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

CERAWeek by IHS Markit 2022 to Convene Energy CEOs, Government Officials, and Business and Technology Leaders in Houston, March 7-11

HOUSTON, December 22, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 40th annual gathering of CERAWeek by IHS Markit—the world’s preeminent energy conference—will convene the world’s energy industry leaders, experts, government officials and policymakers, as well as leaders from the technology, financial and industrial communities in-person, March 7-11 in Houston. 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. Chaired by Daniel Yergin, vice chairman of IHS Markit and author of The New Map: Energy, Climate and the Clash of Nations, the conference is returning to Houston after being hosted as an all-virtual event in 2021. "We are pleased to be returning to Houston in 2022 for the 40th annual CERAWeek by IHS Markit," said Yergin. "Houston is the energy capital of the world and we are honored to have it as the home of CERAWeek these past several decades. At a time of profound change in the energy world, there is no more-fitting place for the critical dialogues that will take place at this year’s conference. "The inherent challenges of the energy transition—and the rapid transformation to the basis of the world’s $86 trillion economy that it entails—are as profound as they are vast," Yergin added. "Recent energy crises and market volatility illustrate the importance of balance between reducing emissions and ensuring stable and reliable energy flows that the growing global economy needs. It is a challenge made more complex at a time of strained supply chains and heightened geopolitical tensions. Meeting the demands of the energy future will require new strategies, intelligent investment and plenty of innovation. These are among the important issues that the world’s energy leaders will address in Houston at CERAWeek 2022." 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, Less 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): 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 Vicki Hollub – CEO, Occidental 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 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 Hon. Richard Glick – chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Visit www.ceraweek.com for a complete list of speakers and the most up-to-date program information (subject to change). Registration Information CERAWeek by IHS Markit 2022 will be held March 7-11 at the Hilton Americas—Houston. Further information and delegate registration is available at www.ceraweek.com. Media Accreditation Media registration is now open. Members of the media interested in covering CERAWeek 2022 are required to apply for accreditation. Applications are subject to approval and can be submitted at the following link: https://ceraweek.com/about/press.html About IHS Markit (www.ihsmarkit.com) IHS Markit (NYSE: INFO) is a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions for the major industries and markets that drive economies worldwide. The company delivers next-generation information, analytics and solutions to customers in business, finance and government, improving their operational efficiency and providing deep insights that lead to well-informed, confident decisions. IHS Markit has more than 50,000 business and government customers, including 80 percent of the Fortune Global 500 and the world’s leading financial institutions. Headquartered in London, IHS Markit is committed to sustainable, profitable growth.

CERAWeek by IHS Markit 2022 to Convene Energy CEOs, Government Officials, and Business and Technology Leaders in Houston, March 7-11

40th annual installment of world’s preeminent energy conference will explore ‘Pace of Change: Energy, Climate and Innovation.’ Learn more at www.ceraweek.com The 40th annual gathering of CERAWeek by IHS Markit—the world’s preeminent energy conference—will convene the world’s energy industry leaders, experts, government officials and policymakers, as well as leaders from the technology, financial and industrial communities in-person, March 7-11 in Houston. 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. Chaired by Daniel Yergin, vice chairman of IHS Markit and author of The New Map: Energy, Climate and the Clash of Nations, the conference is returning to Houston after being hosted as an all-virtual event in 2021. “We are pleased to be returning to Houston in 2022 for the 40th annual CERAWeek by IHS Markit,” said Yergin. “Houston is the energy capital of the world and we are honored to have it as the home of CERAWeek these past several decades. At a time of profound change in the energy world, there is no more-fitting place for the critical dialogues that will take place at this year’s conference. “The inherent challenges of the energy transition—and the rapid transformation to the basis of the world’s $86 trillion economy that it entails—are as profound as they are vast,” Yergin added. “Recent energy crises and market volatility illustrate the importance of balance between reducing emissions and ensuring stable and reliable energy flows that the growing global economy needs. It is a challenge made more complex at a time of strained supply chains and heightened geopolitical tensions. Meeting the demands of the energy future will require new strategies, intelligent investment and plenty of innovation. These are among the important issues that the world’s energy leaders will address in Houston at CERAWeek 2022.” 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, Less 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): 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 Vicki Hollub – CEO, Occidental 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 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 Hon. Richard Glick – chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

Government Prohibits the Use of Streptomycin & Tetracycline on Crops

The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare published a draft order on the 'Prohibition of Streptomycin + Tetracycline in Agriculture' on December 17, 2021, which prohibits the import, manufacture, or formulation of Streptomycin and Tetracycline for use in agriculture beginning February 1, 2022. Major Concerns: The draft order comes emerging issues over antimicrobial resistance observed in various crops, particularly to streptomycin, which is used in the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Tetracycline antibiotics find application in the treatment of bacterial infections. The draft order will come into force on the date of its final publication in the official gazette. Streptomycin is a critically important antimicrobial while tetracycline belongs to the class of highly important antimicrobials, according to the World Health Organization. The order ensures a complete ban on the use of the two antibiotics in agriculture from January 1, 2024, onwards. It directed every state government to take all such steps necessary for executing the order in their state. The draft order is the fallout of the deliberations within the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC), where the registration committee (RC) in August 2021 had approved the recommendation for phasing out the use of streptomycin and tetracycline amid growing concerns over antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The phase-out was considered “according to the availability of alternatives”. Efforts Made by Centre for Science and Environment: In 2019, the Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment highlighted antibiotic misuse practices in India's crop sector. It demonstrated how Streptocycline (90:10 combinations of streptomycin and tetracycline) was being abused along the banks of the Yamuna in Delhi, Hisar (Haryana), and Fazilka (Punjab). It discovered that farmers in the area routinely and indiscriminately used high doses of streptomycin on crops, including those for which they had no approval. CSE recommended that these antibiotics not be used as pesticides and that they be used under expert supervision only after a bacterial disease in a crop has been diagnosed. It stated this while emphasizing the importance of using streptomycin in humans for "previously treated tuberculosis," as well as for treating multidrug-resistant TB and certain cases of TB meningitis. It went on to say that all other antibiotics should be phased out. Since then, CSE has been vocal about the issue on a variety of platforms. "We appreciate the government's efforts to limit the misuse of antibiotics, particularly those that are critical to human health, such as streptomycin." "This is a significant step forward in reducing the burden of AMR in the country," said Rajeshwari Sinha, CSE's programme manager, food safety team. In May 2020, the RC accepted the recommendation of a subcommittee that streptomycin and tetracycline be completely banned with an immediate effect on crops where alternatives are available. The RC formed the subcommittee to investigate the possibility of eliminating the use of antibiotics or antibacterial substances in agriculture if alternatives were available. The draft order, as informed by the notification, has been made public for the benefit of those who are likely to be affected. It will be considered after 45 days from the date that copies of the Gazette of India containing this order are made available to the public.

2021 was "historic" for Jal Shakti ministry, several long pending issues resolved: Minister

The year 2021 was "historic" for the Jal Shakti ministry as several landmark decisions were taken and many long pending issues were resolved, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, noting that the focus next year would be to expedite the Jal Jeevan Mission to provide tap water connections to more rural households.Talking to PTI about how the year was for the Jal Shakti ministry, he said all responsibilities given to it were fulfilled."The year has truly been historic for the ministry. The long pending issue of interlinkage of rivers was resolved. Agreement was also reached between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in this regard," he said.The governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh earlier this year signed an agreement that aims to tackle a long stalled multi-crore, controversial project to link the Ken and Betwa rivers and irrigate the water deficient Bundelkhand region (spread over both states) as well as provide electricity.Shekhwat said 2021 was also very significant for the Jal Shakti ministry because a law was enacted relating to dam safety."The Machchhu dam collapsed in 1979 and in 1982 a report was given on the matter. Now after all these years, a dam safety bill was passed which is very significant," he said.In the ongoing winter session, Parliament passed a bill that seeks to set up an institutional mechanism for the safety of specified dams in the country. The bill provides for surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of the specified dams for the prevention of dam failure-related disasters. It provides for an institutional mechanism to ensure a safe functioning of the dams.In December, the government also extended the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), launched in 2015 under which 90 per cent grant has been given to three National Projects including Renukaji (Himachal Pradesh) and Lakhwar (Uttarakhand).The minister said the construction of Renukaji and Lakhwar dams would be critical for the national capital"s water supply needs and would also lead to "rebirth" of the river."Like in Ganga, it has been notified that all the dam holding stakeholders have to discharge a particular quantum of water in non-monsoon months. Similarly, we will make it mandatory that some amount of water has to flow in Yamuna too and when water will flow and if effluent treatment plants are working then fresh water and treated water both will improve yamuna water quality," he said.Speaking about the vision for 2022, Shekhawat said the biggest target for the Jal Shakti ministry is to complete the ongoing projects in a time-bound manner."Drinking water supply has to reach every household, that is our foremost aim," he said.According to government data, 8,67,78,991 households have been provided with tap water connections till now while 8,33,704 connections have been provided to schools and 8,76,664 in anganwadis.While 100 per cent households have been provided with tap water connection in Goa, Telangana, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Haryana, there are still five states of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Rajasthan where less than 25 per cent households have tap water connections.This year, the ministry also started water quality surveillance using field test kits under which five women from every village are trained in water quality surveillance using these kits to lead these activities in their village.The year 2021 also marked completion of several major projects on the Ganga main stem and tributaries such as the Yamuna.Elaborating on the progress made under the National Mission for Clean Ganga in 2021, NMCG Director General Rajiv Ranjan Mishra said the year 2021 witnessed a watershed moment for public participation with tremendous response received in government"s various endeavors such as Ganga Quest, Ganga Utsav and Ganga Mashal Abhiyan."The success of Namami Gange is derived from its collaborative partnership. This year we launched a capacity building initiative with the Centre for Science and Environment for Making Ganga Basin Cities Water Sensitive. With TERI, we are launching the first of its kind Centre of Excellence on Water Reuse. Last but not the least, we launched the historic River Cities Alliance with NIUA which is a unique platform for river cities to embark upon the path of river centric planning and programs. We also launched the Urban River Management Plan for Kanpur," Mishra told PTI.As far as challenges that lie ahead in 2022, Mishra said there is a need to ensure the sustainability of the initiatives undertaken in the mission, expand activities along tributaries, further strengthen the people river connect and work extensively for improving ecology and flow."It is a continuous process, and the task is not only to clean but also to keep it clean and rejuvenated. Another key challenge would be record and manage the knowledge that has been created under the mission. All these would only be possible with collaborative partnerships which has been the mainstay of Namami Gange mission," he added. PTI UZM ZMN

Delhi's Environment Minister Calls For Joint Action Plan to Curb Pollution

Air pollution in the Indian capital of New Delhi is a recurring problem. Every year during the winter, the city's air quality worsens, leaving inhabitants prey to all manner of respiratory disorders. Delhi is not only fighting the latest strain of COVID-19, the so-called Omicron variant, it is also faced with the problem of air pollution at this time of the year. The pollution menace has become so serious that the Supreme Court of India decided to intervene in the matter recently. Sputnik contacted Delhi’s environment minister Gopal Rai to talk about the prevailing situation and find out what the city government is planning to do to control it. Sputnik: Despite government efforts, Delhi continues to face air pollution problems. Have the cause of pollution and solution for it have been figured out? What is being done to get rid of this problem? Gopal Rai: According to a report by Delhi-based think-tank, the Centre for Science and Environment, the city's (total) contribution to air pollution is only 31 percent and the remaining 69 percent comes from outside Delhi. The main reason air pollution is worsening in the capital city, especially during the winter, is because the stubble is being burnt, and firecrackers have been let off during Diwali. We have come up with a two-pronged strategy to curb the menace of pollution – one long-term and the other short-term. As regards the long-term strategy, in the past three to four years we have managed to convert around 1,500 factories that were operating on polluted fuel to Piped Natural Gas (PNG). Then our government is committed to providing electricity 24/7 - but we are ensuring that the generator sets which run on diesel are not used in commercial centres. We have also introduced an e-vehicle policy to ensure that pollution from vehicles can be controlled. All the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses are already running on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and from next month we will introduce electric buses also. In addition to this, we are working on increasing the capital's green belt. For this, we have adopted a tree transplantation policy by which we are not only planting new drives but also transplanting old trees to other places. The national average of the green belt is 20 percent of the area of the city or state but eventually Delhi will have a 22 percent green belt which is more than the national average. People play with fireworks during Diwali, the festival of lights, in Prayagraj, India, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019 - Sputnik International, 1920, 03.11.2021 As regards the short-term, we have come up with a winter action plan under which Delhi is the first to start a green war room. This works with several agencies in the capital, monitors the pollution and implements the plan. The Delhi government has also launched the Green Delhi App so that the people of Delhi can help to fight pollution. People can report any activity that is causing pollution and our agencies will take action against it. Several other campaigns such as Red Light On, Gaadi Off (Red light on, Vehicle Off), the anti-dust campaign, anti-open burning campaign have been launched to control the pollution from vehicles, construction activities and burning of coal or other things during the winter season. As far as stubble burning is concerned, last year with the help of the Pusa Institute of Technology we launched a bio-decomposer for the stubble, which is left after the harvest. It not only helped to decompose the stubble but also helped to increase the produce in the next harvest. It was so successful that this time more farmers have asked for bio-decomposer capsules. We even suggested that the federal government get other states to use bio-decomposers so that the stubble burning can be stopped and the after-effects of it can be controlled. Apart from all these plans, we have also asked the federal government to form a joint-action plan so that we can work with other states also to control the pollution because this menace can’t be fought alone. Sputnik: Despite curbing building, the air quality has not improved. Do you think construction activities and use of diesel vehicles are still contributing to pollution? Gopal Rai: The studies show that the main sources of pollution in Delhi are vehicles and construction activities. So, as far as construction activities are concerned, we earlier introduced 14-point norms but as conditions got worse we had to stop building work across the city. Now, as the situation has eased a bit, the Commission for Air Quality Management in Delhi NCR, and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has lifted the ban from construction activities. It allows work on the condition that the construction firms follow dust-control norms. Sputnik: The Delhi government will deregister 10-year-old diesel vehicles from 1 January 2022. Do you think this is a good way to curb the pollution? Gopal Rai: As I said earlier, there are many causes of pollution and we can only control it by curbing one source at a time. As far as the decision to deregister 10-year-old diesel vehicles, everyone knows that the old vehicles spread more pollution and this decision was handed down by the Supreme Court of India itself. So, the decision has been taken considering all the studies and analysis. Sputnik: What kind of support is being given by the federal government? Gopal Rai: It has been really unfortunate that, despite several requests, the Federal Minister of the Environment [Bhupender Yadav] didn’t call for a joint meeting of state environment ministers to coordinate a joint action plan. I have written to him three times but there has been no response from him. I think that the role of the federal government is crucial because we have to work in harmony as this is a common problem especially in the states adjoining Delhi. I can only say that the federal government should actively work on it so that we can control pollution faster and in a much more effective way. Sputnik: Pollution of the Yamuna river is also a big concern. Delhi state chief Arvind Kejriwal vowed that the river would be cleaned but no significant progress has been made to date. Don’t you think that the Delhi government has failed in keeping its promises? Gopal Rai: I don’t think the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government has failed in fulfilling the promise. Yes, there has been a delay in cleaning the Yamuna river but everybody is aware that because of COVID-19 several works were put to a halt.

Guwahati and Agartala Top’s the list of most Polluted Cities in North East Region

Northeast India known for its flora and fauna is soon going to struggle for fresh air, a new study by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the New Delhi-based think tank, says that the problem of air pollution is growing steadily in the states of India’s northeast, putting paid to the impression of pristine blue skies and clean air that people usually have about the region. “The current obsession with high pollution concentration in the Indo-Gangetic Plain and in overall northern India overshadows and sidelines the early signs of the crisis in our northeastern states in the national discourse on air pollution and public health. Weak and inadequate air quality monitoring and paucity of data do not allow proper assessment of the risk. But even the limited evidence shows several cities especially the state capitals — are already vulnerable to poor air quality and winter smog,” says Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE. Gaps in air quality data and lack of quality control of data make it difficult to construct reliable air quality trends for these cities, “The air quality in the region is worsening. But this has not drawn adequate public attention. In winter, air quality of cities like Guwahati can be almost as bad as what we see in the National Capital Region (NCR) and cities of Uttar Pradesh. Pollution is also high in smaller cities like Agartala and Kohima,” says Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager, Urban Lab, CSE. CSE has analysed the urban air quality status in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh. This is part of the air quality tracker initiative of the Urban Data Analytics Lab of CSE, which was initiated last winter. The objective of this new analysis is to understand the magnitude and trend in winter pollution in major cities of the region which have recently started real-time air quality monitoring. This is an assessment of annual and seasonal trends in PM2.5 concentration for the period January 1, 2019 to December 7, 2021. This analysis is based on the real-time data available from currently functioning air quality monitoring stations in the northeast. A huge volume of data points have been cleaned and data gaps have been addressed based on the USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) method. This analysis covers seven continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) spread across six cities in an equal number of states: two stations in Guwahati (Assam) and one station each in Shillong (Meghalaya), Agartala (Tripura), Kohima (Nagaland), Aizwal (Mizoram) and Naharlagun (Arunachal Pradesh). There is no real-time monitoring in Manipur and Sikkim, which is why the analysis is unable to cover these states. Even from the states covered, the data is limited. Guwahati and Shillong have data available for over two years. Real-time monitors in Agartala, Kohima and Aizwal became operational only near the end of 2020, which limits the possibility of doing long-term trend analysis for these cities. Naharlagun got its real-time monitor in March 2021. Due to excessive amount of missing data from this station, any meaningful analysis is not possible. Seasonal and annual pollution patterns in key cities of northeast India Data quality remains poor despite setting up automatic real-time air quality monitoring stations: The region has historically been low on monitoring due to hilly terrain and limited infrastructure. With the introduction of automated monitoring in the region under the CAAQMS (continuous ambient air quality monitoring system) programme of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), it was expected that air quality data generation would improve — but even this online system is plagued with data gaps. Data availability calculated as number of days with adequate data for commutation of a valid 24-hour average has been low in three of the six cities in the region. In the last six months (May to November 2021), data availability at Naharlagun station of Anurachal Pradesh has been just 26 per cent. Stations at Shillong in Meghalaya and Aizwal in Mizoram fare just marginally better with 33 per cent and 34 per cent data availability, respectively. Stations at Kohima in Nagaland, Agartala in Tripura and Guwahati in Assam meet the minimum 75 per cent data availability requirement. In contrast, the CAAQMS stations in Delhi-NCR have over 95 per cent data availability. Says Somvanshi: “It is not clear why these stations have such poor data availability but it probably has to do with poor electricity and internet connectivity in the region.” Guwahati has the most polluted air in northeastern India: Average PM2.5 levels in 2021 (up till November 30) has already surpassed the 2019 annual average in Guwahati. The city’s 2020 annual average was also higher than its 2019 average which indicates continuous worsening of air in the city. Shillong is the only other city in the region that has a station generating data for over two years, but due to poor data availability its annual averages cannot be considered credible. Nevertheless, the city’s average is considerably below the annual standard. Among other cities meeting the minimum data availability requirements, Agartala with a 2020 average of 45 microgramme per cubic metre (ug/m3) is the second most polluted city in the region. Kohima with a 2020 average of 35 ug/m3 is the third most polluted city in the region. Aizwal and Naharlagun do not meet the minimum data availability requirement, but the limited data available indicates that these two would most probably be meeting the annual standard. Guwahati has almost two months of very poor air quality days: This year, so far, the number of days with air quality in ‘very poor’ or ‘severe’ categories stands at 54 days in Guwahati city. This is comparable to cities of north India which are more polluted compared to those in the northeastern states. In other cities, ‘good’ and ‘satisfactory’ days dominate but ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ days have also begun to emerge. Agartala registered 10 ‘very poor’ days, while Kohima had two. There is a considerable number of days in these cities for which the AQI (air quality index) could not be calculated due to poor data availability. All three cities meet the 24-hour standard for about half of the days in 2021 so far. The AQI chart for Shillong, Aizwal and Naharlagun could not be made as these cities do not have enough data. High pollution episode common during winters despite low annual levels: Except Guwahati, rest of the cities in the states in northeast have low annual PM2.5 levels; but during winters, episodes of high pollution are common. Weekly PM2.5 levels can go as high as 189 ug/m3 in Guwahati (as recorded in the week ending on January 17, 2021). This winter, so far the highest weekly level has been reported from Agartala where it hit 91 ug/m3 (as recorded in the week ending on November 28, 2021). Last winter, it had gone up to 112 ug/m3 (as recorded in the week ending on January 10, 2021). Similarly, high pollution has been recorded in Aizwal and Kohima. Guwahati, Kohima and Naharlagun show elevated NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) levels in winter: There is a significant increase in amount of NO2 in the air of Kohima and Naharlagun during November compared to October and September, 2021. Kohima registered a 124 per cent jump in monthly NO2 levels, while Naharlagun registered a 67 per cent increase. In other cities including Shillong, Agartala and Guwahati, there seems to be a problem with the monitors as the data points are showing an almost flat line. This implies their NO2 monitors might not be working properly. Guwahati’s data for this year is reporting an almost flat line since May 2021. But in 2020, NO2 level in Guwahati had increased as the winter progressed — there was an 85 per cent jump in monthly NO2 levels between September and November. Aizwal has not reported NO2 data since May 2021. Daily NO2 peaks with traffic peaks: Only three cities have reliable NO2 data and all of them show a peaking of the hourly NO2 concentration at 6 PM which coincides with the evening rush hour in cities. Hourly NO2 in Guwahati and Agartala increases five-fold between 1 PM and 6 PM. The NO2 cycle is not as sharp in Naharlagun, but despite that, a 40 per cent increase is noted between 1 and 6 PM. All three cities have a morning NO2 peak which happens around 7-8 AM, but it is relatively smaller compared to the evening peak. In Guwahati, night-time NO2 is high indicating impact of night-time truck movement in the city. Diwali is a mega pollution event for Guwahati and Agartala: Pollution levels on Diwali night (8 PM to 8 AM) shot up by 1 to 3.6 times the average level recorded seven nights preceding Diwali. Guwahati had the greatest pollution build-up on Diwali night, with a 3.6-fold increase in night-time PM2.5 levels, while Kohima had no impact of Diwali on its air quality. Naharlagun had no data for Diwali night while Shillong and Aizwal registered very low PM2.5 levels with negligible impact of Diwali. In absolute concentration terms, Guwahati dominates the list of most polluted Diwali nights with a 225 ug/m3 PM2.5 level. Agartala with a Diwali night PM2.5 level of 192 ug/m3 enters the AQI categorisation of ‘very poor’ level. Spotlight on Guwahati Guwahati has comparatively better data sets that allow more insights into the pollution behaviour in the city. It has had a stable annual average of PM2.5 since the last three years, but it does not meet the annual standard for PM2.5. It needs to cut its pollution level by 33 per cent to meet the standard. Further, November pollution this year has been lesser compared to the last two Novembers. But the most polluted months for the city are December and January. Analysis of days as per the categorisation of the national AQI shows that the city is experiencing increasingly higher number of days with poor or worse air quality, and most of these days are concentrated during winter months. Number of days with good air quality has remained the same in the last two years. Cities of northeastern states need urgent attention and support under the National Clean Air Programme to implement locally appropriate clean air action and robust air quality monitoring network for proper risk assessment. This is urgently needed to cut pollution from growing motorisation and congestion, use of solid fuels and open burning, and dispersed industrial sources at the early stages to prevent worsening of the public health crisis in this ecologically vulnerable region.