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Cse In News

#POLLUTION देश की प्रख्यात पर्यावरणविद सुनीता नारायण ने कहा-पर्यावरण के संकट को बढ़ा रहा कोयले का इस्तेमाल…

बिकास के शर्मा। (अलवर, राजस्थान से लौटकर) यदि हम जलवायु परिवर्तन के खतरों को कम करना चाहते हैं तो हमें ग्रीन हाउस गैस उत्सर्जन को बढाने वाले सस्ते ईंधन कोयला के इस्तेमाल को पूरी तरह से बंद करना होगा। देश में सभी थर्मल पॉवर प्लांट्स में कोयले का इस्तेमाल जारी है और इसके बदले में अन्य वैकल्पिक ईंधन को अपनाने से लागत में वृद्धि जरूर होगी। किन्तु अब यही एकमात्र रास्ता बचा है जो हमें न सिर्फ स्थानीय गंभीर प्रदूषण बल्कि बढ़ते तापमान के प्रकोप से निदान दिला सकता है। उक्त बातें राजस्थान के निमली स्थित अनिल अग्रवाल एनवायरमेंट ट्रेनिंग इंस्टीट्यूट में मंथन-5 नामक दो दिवसीय संम्मेलन के दौरान सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवॉयरमेंट (सीएसई) की महानिदेशक एवं देश की प्रख्यात पर्यावरणविद सुनीता नारायण ने कहीं। सुश्री नारायण की मानें तो ग्लासगो में आयोजित जलवायु परिवर्तन के सबसे बड़े वैश्विक सम्मेलन कांफ्रेंस ऑफ पार्टीज (कोप- 26) के नतीजे भारत के लिए सुखद नहीं रहे। देश के अलग-अलग हिस्सों में समस्याओं से जूझ रहे लोगों के लिए जलवायु परिवर्तन एक नई गुत्थी बनकर सामने आ रहा है। उन्होंने कहा कि अब कोई संदेह नहीं बचा है कि जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण ही दक्षिण से लेकर उत्तर तक असमय बाढ़ और भारी वर्षा की तबाही हो रही है जो लाखों लोगों की जिंदगियों को बर्बाद कर रहा है। कहा कि कार्बन डाइ ऑक्साइड और मीथेन जैसी ग्रीन हाउस गैसें ग्लोबल वार्मिंग को बढाती हैं और वह जलवायु परिवर्तन को घातक व तीव्र भी बना रही हैं। इसकी रोकथाम के लिए कोप-26 में फंड और तकनीकी मिलने की आस थी जो कि अब टूट चुकी है, ऐसे में मुसीबत और बढ़ सकती है। मानदंडों का पालन नहीं कर रहे ऊर्जा सयंत्र सीएसई के एक अध्ययन के मुताबिक कोयला आधारित ऊर्जा सयंत्रों को चाहिए कि वे वर्ष 2022 तक निर्धारित समय सीमा तक पर्यावरणीय मानदंडों को पूरा करने की दिशा में कदम उठाएं। जबकि असली सूरत यह है कि थर्मल पॉवर प्लांट्स पर्यावरणीय मानकों का पालन नहीं कर रहे हैं। इसका मतलब है कि थर्मल पावर प्लांट न सिर्फ प्रदूषण फैलाने में हिस्सेदारी कर रहे हैं बल्कि वातावरण को गर्म करने वाली ग्रीन हाउस गैसों का उत्सर्जन भी कर रहे हैं। सीएसई महानिदेशक ने कहा कि हमें धीरे-धीरे ही सही कोयले पर अपनी निर्भरता को कम करने के साथ-साथ वैकल्पिक ऊर्जा स्रोतों जैसे कि पवन ऊर्जा, सोलर ऊर्जा, गैस आदि के बारे में विचार करने की आवश्यकता है। इसके अलावा हमें यह सुनिश्चित करने की जरूरत है कि कोयला आधारित ताप विद्युत सयंत्र यथासंभव स्वच्छ हों। तभी हम स्वच्छ हवा और जलवायु परिवर्तन की दोहरी चुनौतियों का सामना कर सकते हैं। स्वच्छ कोयला आधारित बिजली स्टेशनों के साथ कुल अनुबंधों के प्रतिशत के मामले में, हिमाचल प्रदेश 65 प्रतिशत के साथ सूची में सबसे ऊपर है, वहीं पश्चिम बंगाल में एक प्रतिशत प्लांट्स ही स्वच्छता नियमों का पालन कर रहे हैं। पर्यावरणविद ने कहा कि मानदंडों के कार्यान्वयन में किसी भी देरी का मतलब सरकार और इस क्षेत्र से प्रदूषण को कम करने के सुप्रीम कोर्ट के प्रयासों का मजाक होगा। इसलिए, बिजली स्टेशनों को अनुपालन की दिशा में आगे बढ़ाने के लिए कठोर कार्रवाई की आवश्यकता है। फ्लाई ऐश में 70 प्रतिशत की वृद्धि कोयला आधारित बिजली सयंत्र संचालित इलाकों में पारा का 80 प्रतिशत, सल्फर डाइ ऑक्साइड का 45 प्रतिशत और अन्य उद्योगों से 30 प्रतिशत नाइट्रोजन ऑक्साइड उत्सर्जन होता है। इनमें इस्तेमाल होने वाला जल भारत की कुल घरेलू जल आवश्यकता के आधे के समतुल्य है। सयंत्रों द्वारा उत्पन्न फ्लाई ऐश एक बड़ी चुनौती है क्यों कि वर्ष 2009-10 और 2018-19 के बीच इसके उत्पादन में 70 प्रतिशत की वृद्धि पर्यावरण के लिए नई चुनौती बनी हुई है। ऊर्जा सयंत्र वाले इलाके कुल ग्रीनहाउस गैस उत्सर्जन का एक तिहाई हिस्सा भी लेते हैं। सीएसई का अनुमान है कि ‘फर्स्ट-रन’ अवधारणा, यदि लागू की जाती है, तो इसका महत्वपूर्ण प्रभाव हो सकता है। ‘फर्स्ट-रन’ का मतलब यह होगा कि भारत में खपत होने वाली ऊर्जा का एक तिहाई हिस्सा केवल स्वच्छ बिजली स्टेशनों से प्राप्त किया जा सकता है । महाराष्ट्र में स्वच्छता बरतते हुए बिजली निर्माण करने वाले बिजली सयंत्रों की कुल क्षमता 6 हजार मेगावॉट है।

Leh’s solar waste management gets mention in NITI Aayog, CSE report

Srinagar: The Leh union territory of Ladakh has found mention in a joint report of the NITI Aayog and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) for its solar-powered waste management system. Waste-wise Cities: Best practices in municipal solid waste management – a comprehensive knowledge repository of how Indian cities are managing their solid waste – was recently released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairperson Rajiv Kumar, CEO Amitabh Kant, and Special Secretary K Rajeswara Rao, along with Director General, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, Sunita Narain. The new report is the result of a country-wide study and survey jointly conducted by NITI Aayog and CSE. The repository is the result of five months of extensive on-ground collective research initiated in July 2021. The entire gamut of municipal solid waste management has been seen from a cross-section of 10 different aspects that explains a sustainable value chain. These thematic aspects range from source segregation, material recovery, and technological innovations to the management of different kinds of wastes and systems such as biodegradables, plastics, e-waste, C&D waste, and landfills. Video Player is loading. VDO.AI Bengaluru (Karnataka) has emerged as a leader in managing waste using Information Communications Technology solutions, and so has Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, while Delhi and Gurugram have been upheld for their management of construction and demolition waste. CSE and NITI Aayog would be jointly hosting workshops across the country to disseminate the learning from these best cases to other cities. A huge number of tourists arrive in the Ladakh region every year and the numbers are only growing causing an increase in the problems of solid waste, especially plastic. “In places like Ladakh where the terrain is difficult and the region remains isolated for the most of the year due to extreme climatic conditions, disposable plastic is quite a misfit for this region,” say activists. The piling garbage in Ladakh is also encouraging the growth of the stray dog population, posing a big threat to the snow leopards. Authorities in Ladakh are putting in their best efforts for solid waste management. Several activists have been demanding that plastic needs to be banned in eco-sensitive zones like Ladakh. The usage of solar power for waste management has been successfully conducted in Leh which has won accolades at various national and international platforms.

Govt. should accept pollution mostly due to internal reasons’

Bidhuri demands a Singapore-like transport system to be implemented in Capital The BJP on Saturday said the time has come for the Delhi Government to accept that the reasons behind most of the pollution in the Capital were internal. Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri referred to Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) director general Sunita Narain to the effect that a Singapore-like transport system should be implemented in Delhi which would in effect make it difficult for people to keep personal vehicles. “Till the time public transport is not accessible to the public, the people of Delhi will continue to be forced to travel in personal vehicles. In such conditions, it is impossible to control pollution,” Mr. Bidhuri said. “The Kejriwal Government often talks about making Delhi like Singapore, but the CSE should explain to the Delhi Government that unless public transport improves, the public has no option but to travel in their own vehicles. Not a single bus was added to the DTC fleet in Delhi for seven years,” he said. Mr. Bidhuri said all buses being operated by the Delhi Government had completed their lifespan and utilising them further meant playing with the lives of the people. The Centre, he added, had announced a subsidy for electric buses to Delhi in 2017 but neither did it take advantage of this scheme, it continuously put obstacles in the expansion of the Delhi Metro. “Permanent and effective measures are needed to reduce pollution. Only then Singapore model can be discussed,” the leader said.

Centre for Science and Environment and Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar train colleges on green campus auditing

AMRITSAR: Faculty members from as many as 150 colleges were trained in a workshop organized jointly by Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar (GNDU) and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi here today. This workshop titled “Advancing Green Educational Campuses – A Regional Experience Sharing” was organized to sensitize colleges to mobilize action for a green campus. Directors of Internal Quality Assurance Cell of universities and colleges were invited and attended the workshop. A green campus is a place that consumes fewer natural resources and generates less waste. This requires a range of measures for energy conservation, water conservation, waste management, reducing air pollution and improving overall health and well-being of the campus habitants. “Guru Nanak Dev University has conducted a tree plantation drive, established a 1.48 MWp solar rooftop power plant, won the second cleanest campus award given by Ministry of Human Resource Development in 2018 and 2019, treats it wastewater in-situ treatment and ensures its reuse in the University Botanical Garden among many other initiatives.” – Dr. Sarbjot Singh Behl, Nodal Person RUSA, GNDU highlighted in his inaugural address at the workshop. Similarly, many campuses have taken such green initiatives. CSE has mapped these initiatives taken by selected campuses who are also a part of CSE’s Forum of Green Campuses and published a preliminary assessment in a report titled “Green Campus Movement”. This report was launched at the workshop and it is aimed to guide and motivate other campuses to implement sustainability action on ground and enable cross learning. Following the launch, Dr Adarshpal Vig, Chairman, Punjab Pollution Control Board, in his keynote address, stressed upon the need for environmental sensitivity among educators as well as campus inhabitants. “Mandatory requirements such as environmental impact assessment and evaluative criteria by National Accreditation and Assessment Council must not be the drivers for universities to take action on sustainability, instead should be the way life.” About 20 officers from Punjab Pollution Control Board participated in the event. Commencing technical session, Mr. Raj Kumar Ratra, Senior Environmental Engineer from Punjab Pollution Control Board also elaborated the NAAC requisites that need regulatory action. Mitashi Singh, Deputy Programme Manager, Sustainable Buildings and Habitat Programme, CSE outlined the Key Indicator 7.1 and its five categories as given in the NAAC manual for universities to prepare self-study reports. Dr. Ritu Raj Kaur in her session on GNDU Emission Inventory presented the several efforts made by the university in its aim to become a zero-carbon campus. Mr. Rajneesh Sareen, Programme Director for Sustainable Buildings and Habitat Programme (SBHP) at CSE, concluded the technical sessions for the workshop with discussions on how to conduct environment and energy audits. Participants actively brought their questions on preparation of NAAC reports which were resolved by the CSE representatives.

Delhi’s AQI this week: Did government efforts help, or was it all thanks to better weather patterns?

The AQI oscillated between ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ – an improvement from the previous week’s ‘severe’. A week has passed since Delhi’s air pollution peaked to an extent that the Supreme Court had to intervene and reprimand the centre and the AAP government over the worsening situation. “When hearings on the issue started, there was a certain AQI. If as many efforts as you are claiming have been made, then why is pollution increasing?” Chief Justice of India NV Ramana had asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta. “That is the simple question a layman will ask. So many arguments by lawyers and so many government claims. But why is pollution increasing?” Since then, both the centre and the Delhi governments were expected to step up efforts to tackle the issue. Flying squads were constituted to inspect air pollution norms, educational institutions were closed, and an “enforcement task force” was put in place. But did it make a difference? Newslaundry analysed Delhi’s air quality between December 5 and December 10, during which Delhi’s AQI oscillated between “poor” and “very poor” – an improvement from the previous week, where Delhi’s AQI was “severe”. Steps undertaken to reign in toxic AQI An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”; 51-100 “satisfactory”; 101-200 “moderate”; 201-300 “poor”; 301-400 “very poor”; and 401-500 “severe”. On December 6, for instance, the AQI in Delhi stayed at 322, or “very poor”, according to data from 30 monitoring stations. It gradually improved to “poor” over the next few days. This was aided in part by favourable wind speeds dispersing pollutants in the capital. For example, the local wind speed increased to 16 kmph on December 7 and moderate wind speed over the next four days improved ventilation, according to data from SAFAR, an air quality forecast agency under the ministry of earth sciences. Notably, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, or DMRC, pitched in to combat air pollution at the sites where it is constructing infrastructure for the metro rails by using 14 “anti smog” guns. These guns periodically emit fine mist up to 70-100 metres to check dust from construction work. According to Economic Times, one gun is “considered adequate” to cover an area of 20,000 square metres. Over the past week, the centre’s “flying squads”, constituted by the Commission for Air Quality Management, or CAQM, also inspected 576 sites, identifying 111 units for “immediate closure”. These units included 28 industrial sites, 42 construction and demolition sites, and 41 sites that used diesel generator sets. Thirty of these sites were in Delhi, 23 in Haryana, 43 in Uttar Pradesh, and 15 in Rajasthan – all under the national capital region. There was also a significant improvement in implementing checks on polluting vehicles in the previous week, as indicated by this report in the Hindu. Interestingly, as compared to last week, when the Kejriwal government took out full-page ads with its “popularity slogan” of “Red Light On, Gaadi Off” in the Delhi editions of Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Hindustan and Amar Ujala, this week no ads were seen. The need for joint effort While an improvement in the AQI sounds good on paper, Nivit Kumar Yadav, programme director (industrial pollution) at Delhi’s Centre for Science and Environment, pointed out the improvement stemmed from a weather pattern. In the coming weeks, he added, the strong wind speeds and rain will contribute to the further refinement in air quality. Yadav described it as an effort to “show off” to the Supreme Court. “Despite Delhi's air commission calling a ban on construction, Central Vista construction was going on in full swing,” he told Newslaundry. “The government or the central pollution board should detect the major source of pollution. In a report by the Centre for Science and Environment, which identified the major hotspots in Delhi-NCR, we found that coal is a major source of pollution.” He added that industries in the capital are still dependent on dirty fuel, instead of switching from coal to cleaner gas. “Everyone is talking about thermal power plants. But tell me, how many are talking about small-scale industries using small boilers that are dependent on coal as a fuel?” he asked. “There is no pressure from the pollution control board to push them to switch to gas, so who is going to monitor them?” He added: “Efforts have to be practical. These things are being done to show the apex court they are doing something. Unfortunately, what's happening in Delhi is politics.” There are approximately 3,500 brick kilns per sector in Delhi-NCR, Yadav said, and only a few have been permitted to operate in accordance with the National Green Tribunal’s order, issued in February this year. The order mandates that only a limited number of brick kilns using zig-zag technology be operated in the national capital between March and June. In cases of severe conditions, they will be banned from running. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel had said: "Those brick kilns which switch over to PNG will be entitled to operate even beyond months of March to June and even beyond the limited number mentioned, subject to compliance with the law.” “However, currently, all the brick kilns are operating,” Yadav said. “There are more than 50 sectors around Delhi using coal as a fuel. The state pollution control board is not even obeying what NGT has asked them to do.” It should also be noted that other much-touted schemes, such as the installation of smog towers, might not have had much impact. In October, for instance, the AAP government said a smog tower can clean upto 80 percent of polluted air. But two months later, the reduction in pollution was only 34-43 percent, the Hindu reported, according to six readings between November 30 and December 1. Another smog tower is located in Delhi’s Anand Vihar, but the AQI at 4 pm on December 10 was 385, well into the “very poor” category. In fact, except for December 7 and 8, the AQI remained “very poor” in Anand Vihar. Yadav stressed upon the need for a joint effort by Delhi and its adjoining areas to help bend the pollution curve. “In Faridabad’s Naharpark area, all roads are broken. There is soil everywhere, water is spraying Delhi's roads,” he said. “You are not going to improve the air quality. If Delhi's air quality has to improve, the same has to happen in Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Palwal, Gurgaon, Jhajjar, and Panipat.”

दिल्ली और उसके आसपास कोयले के इस्तेमाल को रोकना जरूरी : सुनीता नारायण

नई दिल्ली/पुष्पेंद्र मिश्र। दिल्ली और उसके आसपास कोयले के इस्तेमाल को रोकना जरूरी है। लेकिन उद्योग क्षेत्र सस्ता होने के कारण कोयले के इस्तेमाल पर जोर दे रहा है। क्योंकि उसका विकल्प गैस उन्हें पर लीटर के हिसाब से काफी महंगा पड़ता है। अगर राजधानी के आसपास कोयले के इस्तेमाल पर रोक नहीं लगेगी तो हमें साफ हवा नहीं मिलेगी। इसके अलावा अगर लोग सार्वजनिक परिवहनों का इस्तेमाल करें तो प्रति वर्ष होने वाली वायु प्रदूषण की इस स्थिति से बचने में काफी हद तक सफलता मिलेगी। देश में अतिवृष्टि, सूखा, बाढ़, समुद्री तूफानों का कारण है जलवायु परिवर्तन यह बात सीएसई की महानिदेशक पर्यावरणविद् सुनीता नारायण ने जलवायु परिवर्तन पर सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट द्वारा नीमली राजस्थान में एएईटीआई कैंपस में आयोजित किए गए दो दिवसीय मंथन-5 कार्यक्रम वीडियो कांफ्रेंसिंग के जरिए कही। पिछले कुछ वर्षों में जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण भारत में कई तरह के दुष्प्रभाव सामने आये हैं। इस वर्ष हुई रिकॉर्ड तोड़ वर्षा, सूखा, बाढ़, समुद्री तूफानों के लगातार आने और टिड्डियों के हमले से किसानों की दो-दो फसलें खत्म हुई हैं। ये सभी मुसीबतें जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण हो रही हैं। जिसका खामियाजा पूरे विश्व को भुगतना पड़ रहा है। भारत में गरीब मजबूर और किसानों पर इसका सीधा प्रभाव पड़ रहा है। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने प्रदूषण नियंत्रण पर लिया संज्ञान, पाबंदियों में छूट तय करने की दी इजाजत कार्बन और मीथेन उत्सर्जन रोकने के लिए भारत को कई क्षेत्रों में काम करने की जरूरत ग्लासगो में आयोजित हुए सीओपी26 पर उन्होंने कहा कि भारत ने 2030 तक इसमें 1 बिलियन टन उत्सर्जन कम करने की बात कही है जो अच्छी बात है। लेकिन इसके लिए भारत को औद्योगिक क्षेत्र, कृषि समेत हर क्षेत्र पर काम करना होगा। जोकि अभी भी बहुत बड़ा सवाल है। हालांकि ग्लासगो सम्मेलन से कुछ ऐसा नहीं निकला जिसकी उम्मीद की जा रही थी। सम्मेलन में जलवायु विशेषज्ञ अवंतिका गोस्वामी ने कहा कि ग्रीन हाउस गैसों के बढ़ते उत्सर्जन के कारण धरती के सतही तापमान में बीता दशक सबसे गर्म रहा है। हम पिछले 1 लाख 25 हजार सालों में सबसे गर्म जलवायु में हैं। कार्बन उत्सर्जन पर नियंत्रण नहीं हुआ तो ये दशक अब तक गुजरे दशकों में सबसे गर्म होने वाला है। अब होने वाले हर अतिरिक्त 0.5 डिग्री तापमान वृद्धि से धरती और गर्म होती जाएगी। जिससे यहां सूखा और अतिवृष्टि की समस्या प्रबल हो जाएगी। उन्होंने कहा कि वातावरण में कार्बन डाइआक्साइड की मौजूद सांद्रता 414 पार्ट्स प्रति मिलियन तक पहुंच गई है। जोकि चिंता का विषय है। जबकि इसका सामान्य स्तर 350 पार्ट्स प्रति मिलियन तक रखा गया था। कार्यक्रम में डाउन टू अर्थ के प्रबंध निदेशक रिचर्ड महापात्रा कहा देश की गर्म होती जलवायु, पिघलते ग्लेशियर, जीका और टिड्डियों के आक्रमण पर विस्तृत रिपोर्ट प्रस्तुत की। उन्होंने गांवों और जिला स्तर पर जलवायु परिवर्तन से निपटने वाली योजनाओं पर काम करने को समय की जरूरत बताया। इस अवसर पर विवेक मिश्रा, किरण पांडेय और रजित सेनगुप्ता ने जलवायु परिवर्तन को समझने के तकनीकि पहलुओं की जानकारी दी। मंथन 5 के दो दिवसीय कार्यक्रम का आयोजन सीएसई के वरिष्ठ निदेशक सुपर्णों बनर्जी के निर्देशन में किया गया।

जलवायु परिवर्तन की मार से बचने को स्थानीय रणनीति वाली योजनाओं की जरूरत : सुनीता नारायण

राजस्थान (नीमली)/ नई दिल्ली [संजीव गुप्ता]। हमने दक्षिणी-पश्चिमी मानसून के दौरान चरम वर्षा वाली घटनाओं को तो महसूस किया ही है, पिछले दो महीनों में दक्षिण भारत के कुछ राज्यों में बगैर मानसून लगातार हो रही वर्षा ने भी साबित कर दिया है कि अब जलवायु परिवर्तन का असर घातक होने लगा है। चिंताजनक यह है कि स्थानीय स्तर पर घट रही इन मारक घटनाओं को रोकने के लिए कोई ठोस नीति और कारगर उपाय अभी तक नहीं हैं। यह चिंता शुक्रवार को राजस्थान में नीमली स्थित अनिल अग्रवाल एनवायरमेंट ट्रेनिंग इंस्टीट्यूट (एएईटीआइ) में सेंटर फार साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट (सीएसई) की ओर से आयोजित दो दिवसीय सम्मेलन मंथन-5 के दूसरे और अंतिम दिन सीएसई की महानिदेशक और पर्यावरणविद सुनीता नारायण ने जताई। उन्होंने कहा कि हाल ही में ग्लासगो में संपन्न कान्फ्रेंस आफ पार्टीज (कोप 26) से बहुत आशा या उम्मीद नहीं निकल पाई। उन्होंने कहा कि भारत और अन्य विकासशील देशों ने दुनिया के सामने जलवायु परिवर्तन के असर को कम करने के लिए फंड और तकनीक की मांग की, लेकिन विकसित देशों ने पहले की तरह ही इसे अनसुना कर दिया है। यह रवैया गरीब देशों के लिए बेहद घातक है, क्योंकि जलवायु परिवर्तन के सबसे आसान शिकार वही हैं। उन्होंने कहा कि जलवायु परिवर्तन की समस्या देश के विभिन्न हिस्सों में अलग-अलग तरीके से व्यवहार कर रही है। इससे निपटने के लिए जरूरी है कि क्षेत्रवार तरीके से जलवायु परिवर्तन की रोकथाम की कार्ययोजनाओं को तैयार करें और उन्हें लागू करें। बाढ़, सूखा, तूफान और बारिश की फ्रीक्वेंसी के लिंक भी ढूंढने होंगे। उन्होंने कहा कि अब यह बात बिल्कुल नहीं रही कि जलवायु परिवर्तन होगा। बल्कि यह स्वीकार करना चाहिए कि जलवायु परिवर्तन हो रहा है और यह असली संकट बन चुका है। दुनिया भर में कार्बन उत्सर्जन को लेकर रणनीतियां बनाई जा रही हैं लेकिन भारत में अब भी सस्ता और प्रदूषण फैलाने वाला ईंधन इस्तेमाल किया जा रहा है। हमें यह याद रखना होगा कि कोयले के इस्तेमाल को घटाए बिना हम न तो जलवायु परिवर्तन और न ही वायु प्रदूषण जैसी समस्याओं का समाधान करने में सक्षम हो पाएंगे। स्वच्छ और ईंधन सभी की पहुंच में लाना होगा। उन्होंने कहा कि देश में आबादी के अनुपात में वाहनों की बढ़ती संख्या जिस तरह से सड़कों का घेराव कर रही है और लोगों को पैदल चलने से हतोत्साहित कर रही है, यह एक असल चुनौती है। वाहनों की संख्या किस तरह से घटाई जा सके, हमें इसके बारे में बहुत ही प्रभावी तरीके से सोचना होगा। यह एक कठोर कदम हो सकता है लेकिन हमारे और भविष्य के लिए काफी फायदे वाला साबित हो सकता है। सम्मेलन को सीएसई की एनवायरमेंटल रिसोर्स यूनिट की कार्यक्रम निदेशक किरण पांडेय और डाउन टू अर्थ के सहायक संपादक रजित सेनगुप्ता ने भी संबोधित किया। उन्होंने अपने वक्तव्य में जलवायु परिवर्तन से जुड़ी घटनाओं के आंकड़ों की तस्वीर पेश की। दिल्ली की समस्या लचर परिवहन और पार्किंग सुनीता नारायण ने कहा कि दिल्ली के वायु प्रदूषण की जड़ लचर सार्वजनिक परिवहन व्यवस्था है। पिछले करीब 15 साल में बमुश्किल 600 नई बसें आई हैं। आज तक भी वहां लगभग 50 प्रतिशत ठोस कचरे का प्रबंधन नहीं हो पा रहा है। पार्किंग अपर्याप्त है और लोगों को निजी वाहनों के प्रति हतोत्साहित करने की दिशा में पार्किंग शुल्क भी नहीं बढ़ाए जा रहे जबकि वायु गुणवत्ता प्रबंधन आयोग भी इसकी वकालत कर चुका है।

मशहूर पर्यावरणविद् सुनीता नारायण ने कहा, प्रदूषण की परवाह किसे है? बताया क्यों नहीं मिल रही लोगों को राहत

दिल्ली में सर्दियां शुरू हो चुकी हैं। हल्की हल्की ठंड में लोग प्रदूषण की दम घुट देने वाली लहर से भी बहुत परेशान हैं। लेकिन शायद लोगों को इसकी परवाह कम ही है कि पर्यावरण का स्तर कितना कम होना चाहिए। लोग अपनी रोजमर्रा की जिंदगी में प्रदूषण से परेशान तो है लेकिन इस परेशानी कि वह परवाह नहीं करते। प्रख्यात पर्यावरणविद सुनीता नारायण कहती हैं, दिल्ली में प्रदूषण का स्तर कितना कम होना चाहिए हवा की गति धीमी होने पर ठंडी हवाओं के जमने से प्रदुषण का स्तर बढ़ जाता है तो उसे जल्दी से जल्दी ठीक किया जा सके। सुनीता नारायण कहती है हर साल इसी तरह प्रदूषण का दौर आता है और चला जाता है हम भी इस दौर से गुजरने के बाद इसकी पीड़ा भूल जाते हैं। अगर हम इसी तरह से अपनी पीड़ा बोलते रहे और लापरवाह बने रहे तो वह दिन दूर नहीं जब हम स्वच्छ हवा पाने का अधिकार खो देंगे। प्रदूषण का आरोप प्रत्यारोप तो हम टीवी और समाचार पत्रों के जरिये एक दूसरे पर लगाते हैं। ये आरोप-प्रत्यारोप अखबारों की सुर्खियां तो बनते हैं लेकिन इससे प्रदूषण से राहत नहीं मिल सकती। रदूषण से लड़ने के क्रम में हमें तीन बातों का ध्यान रखना होगा पहला पिछले कई सालों से नवंबर का महीना इतना ज्यादा प्रदूषण वाला क्यों बना हुआ है? और इसके लिए किसकी जिम्मेदारी बनती है? सुनीता नारायण कहती है कि दरअसल हम इस बात से अनभिज्ञ हैं दूसरा जैकी वायु प्रदूषण से निपटने के लिए अब तक क्या कोशिशें की गई है और क्या की जा रही है? और हम इसमें सफल क्यों नहीं हो रहे हैं? तीसरा ऐसा प्रयास किया जाए कि हम प्रदूषण वाली हवा में सांस लेने से खुद को कैसे बचा सकें? प्रदूषण के कारणों को समझने के लिए किसी रॉकेट साइंस की आवश्यकता नहीं है प्रदूषण स्थानीय रूप से उत्पन्न होता है, पड़ोसी राज्यों से आता है इसके लिए यह कारक दोनों सम्मिलित रूप से जिम्मेदार हैं। और इसे आसानी से समझा जा सकता है।

Ad-hoc actions by government fail to curb Delhi’s air pollution

Poor planning & worse implementation worsens Delhi's woes A pollution board commissioned by the Supreme Court has shut down 100 industrial units across Delhi-NCR in order to curb record high air pollution levels. Analysts say it is a stop gap arrangement with limited benefits and the city desperately needs a comprehensive and long-term solution to this growing menace. Citing many violations of the pollution norms by a multitude of commercial units across the National Capital Region, last week the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), set up by the Supreme Court, suspended operations of over a hundred factories in Delhi and neighbouring regions during the weekend. It said that industrial and construction units were the main contributors to the pollution. The decision to close the units came after a task force commissioned by CAQM, constituting 40 flying squads, conducted ground-level incognito checks at industrial units, construction and demolition sites, and other air pollution hotspots. On obtaining an alarming report from the task force another decision was taken by the commission to suspend the operations for the industrial units which have been running their operations on fuels other than PNG or other cleaner fuels till December 12, 2021. However, the decision failed to impress activists who say that while these measures may curb air pollution that has been nearing record highs all through autumn and winter this year, long-term measures are needed for the issue. Vivek Chattopadhyay, senior programme manager, Clean Air Programme, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi feels shutting down industrial units is a very short-term strategy. “The government must augment these industries by ensuring that they connect to the pre-existing pipelines for fuels and other cleaner alternatives as these units will have to be opened sometime in the later stages and just shutting them down and waiting for the nightmare of the pollution to be over every year is not the answer to the problem,” Chattopadhyay tells Media India Group. Besides better regulation by the government, checking air pollution also needs proactive participation by ordinary citizens, says Chattopadhyay. He outlines several micro-level initiatives needed to limit pollution. “We now have to get into micro-level planning. Areas which are heavily polluting or areas which are hotspots, where are the connections, in which units have the things not changed, more concentration is needed because the government has made broad level policies, but the implementation and enforcement remains the challenge. That is the reason why this crisis happens every year,” says Chattopadhyay. As construction is also a major contributor to air pollution, Chattopadhyay appreciates the move by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to install smoke guns at their project sites. But, installing machines is not the solution, he says. “If loose dust is not taken care of then how many smog guns will you install? The primary focus should be on management. If the site is huge for instance, then installing only one (smog) gun will not help. First, you must place a proper system for dust management then if there are any dust particles suspended then the smog guns will come in handy,” Chattopadhyay adds. Another major challenge in curbing air pollution is the mounting level of garbage in the NCR as well as in other metros of the country. As garbage disposal, for now, is limited to dumping all sorts of garbage at landfills, it leads to a significant amount of pollution. This is because, for now, burning the garbage seems to be the only trick under government’s hat. “It’s a legacy problem because for past so many years it was not managed so it has accumulated, so now they have to segregate and reduce it. At the same time, source-wise segregation initiatives also haven’t been put in place. If the waste is collected and mixed, then segregating it is a tedious job. There must be some education or some incentivisation or some kind of penalties against mixing garbage. They also need to then put in place a supply chain system to have the waste sorted out and recycled properly so generation of new waste will be reduced. Otherwise, again the landfill problem will remain,” says Chattopadhyay. To rid the city of the garbage menace, systematic management and clarity in steps involved is needed. “Proper scientific disposal and recycled reused facilities is the solution to the problem, not landfilling and waste-to-energy,” says Chattopadhyay. Despite numerous attempts, Gopal Rai, Minister of Environment, Forest & Wildlife, Development and General Administration in Government of Delhi, was not available for comments.

https://english.lokmat.com/national/40-delhi-malls-using-gensets-to-be-shut-down/

<p>The V3S mall in east Delhi's Nirman Vihar is one of the very first names revealed, a source told .</p><div id="inArticle1" class="inarticleAd" style="margin:0px auto; width:300px; height:250px; text-align:center;"><div id="div-gpt-ad-1636978810195-0" data-google-query-id="CIWl2ZXK4PQCFUzZcwEdtLAB9A" style=""><div id="google_ads_iframe_/45238043/English_Generic_Article_Mobile_Desktop_300x250_1_0__container__" style="border: 0pt none; display: inline-block; width: 300px; height: 250px;"><iframe style="border: 0px none; vertical-align: bottom;" src="https://a7383606e67c5f09389d98b4dbf9fedd.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html" id="google_ads_iframe_/45238043/English_Generic_Article_Mobile_Desktop_300x250_1_0" title="3rd party ad content" name="" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" data-is-safeframe="true" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" role="region" aria-label="Advertisement" tabindex="0" data-google-container-id="1" data-load-complete="true" width="300" height="250" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div><script type="text/javascript">googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1636978810195-0'); });</script></div><p>"Only malls using diesel generator sets (DGS) for power have been closed," a CAQM official said.</p><p>This move came after the Supreme Court on Friday allowed the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR &amp; Adjoining Areas to take a decision on relaxing ban on construction activities and restrictions on industrial activities, after examining representation of various bodies.</p><p>Since 2015 onwards, with the onset of winter, Delhi's air quality starts deteriorating and goes on to settle in the "very poor" and "hazardous" category. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 to 100 "satisfactory", 101 to 200 "moderate", 201 to 300 "poor", 301 to 400 "very poor", and 401 to 500 is considered "severe".</p><div id="inArticle2" class="inarticleAd" style="margin:0px auto; width:300px; height:250px; text-align:center;"><div id="div-gpt-ad-1636978839832-0" data-google-query-id="CPSPxpXK4PQCFXHTcwEdsDMEHA" style=""><div id="google_ads_iframe_/45238043/English_Generic_Article_Mobile_Desktop_300x250_2_0__container__" style="border: 0pt none; display: inline-block; width: 300px; height: 250px;"><iframe style="border: 0px none; vertical-align: bottom;" src="https://a7383606e67c5f09389d98b4dbf9fedd.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html" id="google_ads_iframe_/45238043/English_Generic_Article_Mobile_Desktop_300x250_2_0" title="3rd party ad content" name="" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" data-is-safeframe="true" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" role="region" aria-label="Advertisement" tabindex="0" data-google-container-id="2" data-load-complete="true" width="300" height="250" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div><script type="text/javascript">googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1636978839832-0'); });</script></div><p>According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), vehicular pollution comprises more than half of all sources, followed by household pollution between 12.5 and 13.5 per cent. Industry contributes 9.9-13.7 per cent of the pollutants, construction 6.7-7.9 per cent, waste burning 4.6-4.9 per cent, and road dust 3.6-4.1 per cent.</p><p>According to a compiled Action Taken Report (ATR) prepared by the Department of Environment &amp; Forest, from November 17 to December 6, a total of 4,245 sites using diesel generator sets were inspected, of which 48 were found using the sets, 18 were shut down, and a fine of 5.4 lakh was imposed on them for not adhering to the anti-dust pollution guidelines.</p>

Is there a way to handle the stubble better? Better alternatives, lesser burning and a more sustainable destiny

Well, it is not easy for anyone during the winters around Delhi, to ignore the smog. Noticing the same is easier, as it becomes difficult to breathe in toxic air. We, Indians, wait for it to appear every year like a festival or a season to visit us. This does not happen all of a sudden and is a chaos built of ground action by multiple factors like spiraling-in western disturbances, air pollution through bursting crackers, burning crop residue (parali) etc. in tandem. Consequently, Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) touches beyond 400, becoming worse than ever, posing a severe category threat to anyone who takes in the toxic air. An analysis made by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has stated city’s vehicular emissions to contribute significantly in NCR’s PM 2.5 levels under domestic reasons. However, paddy burning from the neighboring states and nearly 500 million tonnes burnt in the entire country every year, still remains a major reason for the capital’s air soaked in poison. If we are to believe the data from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) aided System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR-India), farm fires in the region reached its peak. On a certain day in November, there were 5,430 instances of willful fires which is higher than even the last year’s peak i.e., 4,500. Stubble Burning: The best of all ways? One can never consider a farmer to hurt the very surroundings he/she works in unless he/she is ignorant, which can definitely not be a reason now because of regressive awareness measures. Or they willingly turn negligent and insensitive towards the environmental issues. Farmers are supposed to prepare their lands for upcoming crop in November, which is generally wheat, after harvesting rice in late October. Due to lesser time gap to prepare the lands to yield another staple crop and pressured availability of mechanistic harvesters, burning is ostensibly the most economical, easy and fast method to achieve the above. This high cost and time involved with the straw management in paddy fields, provide enough room for unsustainable methods to creep in. India’s traditional dependence on Biomass and a way out: This country has a history of deriving its energy needs from biomass like wood, gobar dung cakes, straws etc. Can that benefit be appreciated now? As per an Energy expert: “Biomass has a good scope considering India has a target of net-zero emissions by 2070.” While the traditional stoves could yield some calorific value when provided with these abundantly unused inputs, the modern compact biomass power plants achieve the same though in a controlled environment. Here the steam turbines are run to offer power in return but with utmost care and this becomes one of its limitations for greater adoption. The storage and operation is difficult because of the inputs’ high silica content and alkaline nature that without check, may culminate in incomplete combustion and thereby, damage the equipment. Alongside providing the energy security, this spurs local employment and the real trickle-down effect of technology within grassroots but the sector is battling with its own challenges. These include the high running costs, incessant feed requirement, inadequate investment and promotion that it loses to solar and wind which have become comparatively cheaper to produce.

Pune: Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film Festival To Be Telecast Online From December 14th

The 15th edition of Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film Festival (KVIFF) will be telecast online and global from 14th to 17th December 2021. Festival Theme is ‘Nutritious Food, Flourishing Nature, Healthy Society’. Knowledge Partners are ‘BAIF’, ‘Down To Earth’ and ‘Go Wild’. Indian scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate, ecofeminist Dr Vandana Shiva (Dehradun) will inaugurate the festival and deliver an inaugural speech related to the theme. Atul Kirloskar will welcome the audience. Madhav Chandrachud (Chairman), Dr. Gurudas Nulkar (Curator) will also speak on the occasion. Dr. Shubhalaxmi Reddy (Green Teacher) and Sharada Subramanian (Eco Journalist) will be honored during inaugural day. The honor will consist of Trophy, Citation and Shawl. An Indian environmentalist, political activist, a major proponent of the Green concept of sustainable development, writer and director general of Centre for Science and Environment, Sunita Narain (Delhi) will conclude the festival with her innovative speech. Prof. Reuven Yosef (Israel) will be felicitated with (Vasundhara Sanman) during closing ceremony of the festival. The honor will consist of ‘Puneri Pagadi’, ‘Uparana’, Trophy and Citation. Arti Kirloskar (Convener), Gauri Kirloskar and Virendra Chitrav (Festival Director) will present their thoughts during the festival. Down To Earth (Film Making Organisation) will be felicitated with Vasundhara Mitra honor on the 2nd day of the festival. The honor will consist of ‘Puneri Pagadi’, ‘Uparana’, Trophy and Citation. Indian Institute of Millet Research’ (IIMR) (Organisation) will be felicitated with Vasundhara Mitra honor on the 3rd day of the festival. The honor will consist of ‘Puneri Pagadi’, ‘Uparana’, Trophy and Citation. Festival Highlights Receiving overwhelming response for festival registration from India and overseas also. Delegates have registered their names from 18 destinations such as Sydney, Sharjah, France, Kenya, Kuwait, Nepal, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, Rome, Washington, London, Switzerland, California, US, UK, USA, UAE. From India delegates have registered from 15 states such as Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu, Kolkata, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu, Delhi, Kerala. Kirloskar Vasundhara created 70 films which covers the topic Nutritious food, Nature, Health of Society, Human Wildlife Conflict, Climate Smart Farming, Green Fishing, Aquaponics, Multilayer Farming, Ocean Biodiversity, Devrai and Forest Ecosystem, Waste Management, Indoor Pollution, Fermented Food, Urban Farming, Sustainable Farming, Giraffe Conservation, Rainwater Conservation, Permaculture Principles, Zoonotic Diseases, Bird Migration, Green Building, Traditional Farming, Modern Farming Techniques, Renewable Fuel. International Experts / Directors participated : Dan Alluf (Israel), Alex Tiongco (Philippines), Tushar Kulkarni (Uganda), Krishna McKenzie (UK), Dr. Beth Purse (UK), Prof. Reuven Yosef (Israel), Dr. Joanna Potaka (Australia), Ernesto Cabello (Peru), Rob Gould (UK), Rachel Robertson (US), Romaine Lancaster (UK), Alex Gabbay (Germany) Lucy Fyson (UK), ChristineKinyanjui (Kenya), Barney Snow(UK), Janet Boston(UK). Dia Mirza, Vani Murthy, Dr. B. Dayakar Rao, Dr. Sujeet Ranjan, Dr. Sudipto Roy,Dr. Deepak Apte, Dr. Abi T. Vanak, Isaac Kihimkar, Rekha Diwekar, Dr. Mohan Gupte, Dr. Rajashree Joshi,Dr. Aparna Watve, Anand Shinde , Swapnil Kumbhojkar, Arnab Pratim Dutta, Dr Mandar Datar, Dr. Nina Sengupta, Amruta Hazra, Digambar & Asha Ugaonkar, Arti Kulkarni, Dr. Vilas Tonapi, Neeraj Mahar, Tanya Kane, Surabhi Ganguly, Ajinkya Hange, Krishna Prasad, AjitVartak, Vaishali Gadgil, Santhosh Krishnan, A Riverbank Studios, Anand Kulkarni,Rajendra Kondapalli, Giripremi, Hemant Bele, Suresh Elamon, Design Jatra, Gurmeet Sapal. 1. Dr. Vandana Shiva opening Speech, 2. NAHARI : Tribal Cusine Corner, 3. Future Food : Peru, 4. Kaliru, 5. Dungo, 6. Walkthrough : Devrai, 7. Garbage Matters, 8. Walkthrough : Navdanya, 9. Fermented Food, 10. Electric Vehicles at Jhalana, 11. Workshop : Urban Farm, 12. Multilayer Farming, 13. Mud House Construction, 14. Permaculture Principles, 15. Aquaponics, 16. Walkthrough : Kruger National Park, South Africa, 17. Ocean Biodiversity, 18. Workshop : Sustainable Lifestyle, 19. Walkthrough : Varanashi Organic Farm 20. Sunita Narain closing Speech It will be a four days festival (14th to 17th Dec.) with a daily 4.30 hours schedule : Daily telecast between 11 am to 3.30 pm (IST) Daily repeat telecast 6 pm to 10.30 pm (IST) The festival is free however entry by registration only.

Delhi pollution: Capital tops other states in action, says CAQM affidavit

Delhi conducted the most inspections and prosecutions to control pollution levels, according to an affidavit the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) submitted before the Supreme Court Of the four states in the National Capital Region (NCR), Delhi conducted the most inspections and prosecutions to control pollution levels, according to an affidavit the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) submitted before the Supreme Court on Friday. The affidavit showed that between November 26 and December 7, agencies in Delhi deployed 82 teams and inspected 3,404 industrial units to check pollution norm violations. In the same period, Haryana deployed 28 teams and inspected 1,003 units and Uttar Pradesh deployed 35 teams and inspected 1,775 units. Rajasthan meanwhile formed eight teams and conducted 257 inspections of units. Among the NCR states, the affidavit showed, all 1,636 industries in Delhi that had pipeline facilities were operating on PNG, while Haryana had 626 out of 630 units running on clean fuels and UP had 1,057 out of 1,161 industries using PNG. In Rajasthan, only 58 out of 198 industrial units run on clean fuels. “We have been taking the implementation of pollution control measures very seriously. Apart from conducting our own inspections and drives, we are also conducting daily reviews with other agencies in the city to ensure that there is no laxity in action. All the directions issued by the CAQM is also being implemented thoroughly,” said a senior official of Delhi’s environment department. As pollution in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) reached hazardous levels in November, the Supreme Court directed the CAQM and state governments to act and reduce the levels of bad air. After the apex court’s order, the CAQM on November 16 issued a detailed set of directions for Delhi and NCR states to cut pollution levels, including the closure of schools and educational institutions, banning construction activities, stopping the entry of trucks carrying non-essential items into Delhi and regulating industrial activities. Despite the curbs, November this year ended up being the most polluted since 2015—when the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) started recording the air quality index (AQI). November this year recorded 11 severe days, breaking the previous record of 10 such days recorded in November, 2016. S Narayanan, member secretary, Haryana Pollution Control Board said, “Our teams are doing a lot and are closing down industries and other units that are not complying with the pollution norms, but unlike Delhi, Haryana does not have concentrated pockets and PNG gas pipelines have not reached all areas. The infrastructure is yet to be set up in most parts. Satellite towns like Gurugram and Faridabad are faring well, but parts of Sonipat, Panipat, many industrial clusters do not have proper infrastructure.” Officials from the UP and Rajasthan pollution control boards did not respond to requests for comment. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment said that Delhi and NCR have need to be treated as “a single unit” when pollution control measures are implemented. “You cannot focus all your action in Delhi and hope to see results. By now we have all realised that Delhi’s pollution is not Delhi’s problem alone, it is the problem of the air shed that it shares with its neighbouring states. NCR states will also need to pick up action so that results can be seen,” Roychowdhury said.

Burning issue: how enzymes could end India’s problem with stubble

Bans failed to stop farmers torching fields each year but a new spray that turns stalks into fertiliser helps the soil and the air Every autumn, Anil Kalyan, from Kutail village in India’s northern state of Haryana, would join tens of thousands of other paddy farmers to set fire to the leftover stalks after the rice harvest to clear the field for planting wheat. But this year, Kalyan opted for change. He signed his land up for a trial being held in Haryana and neighbouring Punjab as an alternative to the environmentally hazardous stubble burning that is commonplace across India and a major cause of Delhi’s notorious smog. His 16 hectares (40 acres) were instead serviced by a tractor spraying an enzyme, which decomposes the stubble into useful fertiliser in just under a month. This [new solution] will benefit us a lot. It will reduce our cost, increase our yield severalfold and reduce pollution Anil Kalyan, farmer “We used to burn the stubble. We had no other solution for it. Burning caused quite a lot of problems – one was pollution, the second was the death of soil-friendly microbes, and the yield also reduced a lot. The costs incurred increased a lot every time we ploughed the field,” he says. “This [new solution] will benefit us a lot. It will reduce our cost, increase our yield severalfold, and reduce pollution to a great extent.” The crop-residue management programme, the largest ever project to eliminate stubble burning in India, hopes to end the scorching of more than 2.3m hectares (9,000 sq miles) of paddy fields annually. The scheme was conceived and led by nurture.farm, a digital platform for sustainable agriculture that was launched 18 months ago. More than 700 spraying machines were deployed across 170,000 hectares in 23 districts. More than 25,000 farmers took part in the experiment. Findings from the trial, published on Wednesday, found more than 1m tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions had been prevented. The enzyme, developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, increases organic carbon in the soil and maintains overall soil health. Satellite pictures from the European Space Agency were used by nurture.farm to locate burning fields. A farmer silhouetted against smoke rising from a burning field A farmer burning straw stubble at Butana in Haryana state, near Delhi. More than 70,000 of these fires were detected in India by satellites this year. Photograph: Money Sharma/AFP/Getty Advertisement Stubble burning occurs globally, but particularly in India, the world’s largest rice exporter. The fires diminish nutrients in the soil as well as adding to air pollution. During the crop-burning season, the practice can account for up to 45% of Delhi’s pollution, according to government meteorologists. Dhruv Sawhney, chief operating officer at nurture.farm, says more than 70,000 farm fires were detected by satellite imagery in this year’s stubble-burning season in India. He says: “Stubble burning has now become a perennial issue because of a mismatch of policy and agricultural practices and, crucially, the lack of options available to farmers.” A farmer burns straw stubble in a field near Sultanpur Lodhi, Punjab Delhi’s smog blamed on crop fires – but farmers say they have little choice Read more He wants to give farmers carbon credits for good agricultural practices, to sustain and scale up the project. The firm is launching a “sustainably grown rice” label so people can buy rice from the fields where burning no longer happens. “We’re also considering generating more carbon credits through introducing additional sustainable practices such as alternative wetting and drying [of rice paddies], which will save water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Sawhney. The programme will expand next year to cover about 800,000 hectares of land, roughly 40% of the area usually burned. Previous bans on stubble burning and threats of fines have done little to dissuade farmers, who see it as the only viable option to clear fields in the short period between two crops. Faced with farmers’ protests, the government decriminalised stubble burning in November. Advertisement “If just by penalising farmers, stubble burning could be stopped, we should have been able to end it by now. We have evidence that in areas where alternatives are implemented, fire incidents have come down,” says Anumita Roychowdhury, head of the clean air programme at India’s Centre for Science and Environment, in the Hindu. “Penalty without access to solutions does not work,” Roychowdhury says.

40 Delhi malls using gensets to be shut down

Following the Commission for Air Quality Management's order, the Delhi government will shut down about 40 malls that are using diesel generator sets for power backup to curb capital's air pollution Following the Commission for Air Quality Management's (CAQM) order, the Delhi government will shut down about 40 malls that are using diesel generator sets for power backup to curb national capital's air pollution. The V3S mall in east Delhi's Nirman Vihar is one of the very first names revealed, a source told IANS. "Only malls using diesel generator sets (DGS) for power have been closed," a CAQM official said. This move came after the Supreme Court on Friday allowed the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR & Adjoining Areas to take a decision on relaxing ban on construction activities and restrictions on industrial activities, after examining representation of various bodies. Since 2015 onwards, with the onset of winter, Delhi's air quality starts deteriorating and goes on to settle in the "very poor" and "hazardous" category. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 to 100 "satisfactory", 101 to 200 "moderate", 201 to 300 "poor", 301 to 400 "very poor", and 401 to 500 is considered "severe". According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), vehicular pollution comprises more than half of all sources, followed by household pollution between 12.5 and 13.5 per cent. Industry contributes 9.9-13.7 per cent of the pollutants, construction 6.7-7.9 per cent, waste burning 4.6-4.9 per cent, and road dust 3.6-4.1 per cent. According to a compiled Action Taken Report (ATR) prepared by the Department of Environment & Forest, from November 17 to December 6, a total of 4,245 sites using diesel generator sets were inspected, of which 48 were found using the sets, 18 were shut down, and a fine of 5.4 lakh was imposed on them for not adhering to the anti-dust pollution guidelines. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), in October, banned the use of diesel generator sets and ordered enhancing parking fees by up to four times in Delhi-NCR. This measure was listed under the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) when the air quality settled in the "very poor" category.

ग्लोबल से लोकल तक पहुंचा जलवायु परिवर्तन का असर : पर्यावरण विशेषज्ञ

राजस्थान (नीमली)/ नई दिल्ली [संजीव गुप्ता]। जलवायु परिवर्तन सिर्फ वैश्विक अवधारणा भर नहीं रहा बल्कि इसका दुष्प्रभाव अब स्थानीय स्तर पर भी दिखने लगा है। अगर भारत की ही बात करें तो पिछले कुछ वर्षों के दौरान चरम मौसमी घटनाएं जलवायु परिवर्तन की वजह से ही सामने आई हैं। चीन की बाढ़ हो या दिल्ली में विस्तारित मानसून के दौरान अनियमित रिकॉर्ड तोड़ वर्षा, दोनों ही मुसीबतों का कारण जलवायु परिवर्तन ही रहा है। विशेषज्ञों की मानें तो जलवायु परिवर्तन की प्रमुख वजह मानवीय गतिविधियों के द्वारा जीवाश्म ईंधन का जलाया जाना और वनों की कटाई है। इन दोनों वजहों की निरंतरता के कारण ही धरती 1850 (पूर्व औद्योगिक काल) से 1.09 डिग्री सेल्सियस अधिक गर्म हो चुकी है। वहीं, विशेषज्ञों के मुताबिक बीता दशक (2011-2020) 1.25 लाख वर्षों में सबसे गर्म दशक के तौर पर दर्ज किया गया है। यह सभी तथ्य बृहस्पतिवार को राजस्थान में नीमली स्थित अनिल अग्रवाल एनवायरमेंट ट्रेनिंग इंस्टीट्यूट (एएईटीआइ) में सेंटर फार साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट (सीएसई) की ओर से आयोजित दो दिवसीय सम्मेलन मंथन-5 के पहले दिन जलवायु विशेषज्ञों ने सामने रखे। ग्लासगो में आयोजित कान्फ्रेंस आफ पार्टीज (कोप-26) से शिरकत करके लौटीं सीएसई की जलवायु विशेषज्ञ अवंतिका गोस्वामी ने बताया कि हर 0.5 डिग्री तापमान की अतिरिक्त वृद्धि धरती को और गर्म बनाएगी, जिसके कारण सूखा और अतिवृष्टि की समस्या प्रबल रूप धारण कर सकती है। उन्होंने कहा कि ग्रीन हाउस गैसों (कार्बन डाई आक्साइड और मीथेन ) के उत्सर्जन में कमी लाने के ठोस प्रयास नहीं किए जाते हैं तो आने वाले वर्षों में न सिर्फ तापमान बढ़ेगा बल्कि गरीबी की मार झेलने वाली आबादी इसका सबसे बड़ा शिकार बनेगी। उन्होंने बताया कि कोप-26 के दौरान भारत ने अपना और विकासशील देशों का पक्ष मजबूती के साथ रखा लेकिन अंतरराष्ट्रीय फलक पर मांगों को लेकर अनदेखी की गई है जो बेहद चिंताजनक है। ज्यादातर विकसित देश कोयले के इस्तेमाल को चरणबद्ध तरीके से खत्म करने की नसीहत भारत को ही दे रहे हैं जबकि 15 गुना अधिक तक उत्सर्जन करने वाले विकसित देश अपने उत्सर्जन में कटौती को लेकर चुप्पी साधे हुए हैं। अवंतिका गोस्वामी ने सम्मेलन के दौरान बताया कि सर्वाधिक चिंता का विषय यह है कि वातावरण में मौजूदा कार्बन डाई ऑक्साइड की सांद्रता 414 पार्ट्स प्रति मिलियन तक पहुंच गई है जबकि इसका सामान्य सुरक्षित स्तर 350 पार्ट्स प्रति मिलियन तक रखा गया था। डाउन टू अर्थ के प्रबंध निदेशक रिचर्ड महापात्रा ने बताया कि ग्लोबल वार्मिंग के कारण हवाओं का तापमान बढ़ जाता है और उसके बहाव की दिशा बदल जाती है और उसका असर मौसम की चरम घटनाओं के रूप में सामने आता है। उत्तरी ध्रुव क्षेत्र जो कि बेहद ठंडे होते हैं वहा भी बढते तापमान का असर दिखाई दे रहा है। वह भी क्षेत्र भी गर्म हो रहे हैं जिसकी वजह से तूफान और बेमौसमी घटनाओं में इजाफा हो रहा है। मिसाल के तौर पर उत्तर प्रदेश में जीका और डेंगू बढ़ने की वजह भी तापमान में 1.2 डिग्री की बढोत्तरी है, जो कि मच्छरों के प्रसार के लिए अनुकूल वातावरण तैयार करती है। इनमें टिड्डी दल का हमला भी शामिल है जो कि किसानों के 10 से 15 फीसदी फसलों को नुकसान पहुंचा रही है। उन्होंने राज्य और जिला व गांव स्तर के जलवायु परिवर्तन से निपटने वाली योजनाओं को लागू करने की अनिवार्यता पर भी बल दिया। इसके अलावा विशेषज्ञों ने आइपीसीसी रिपोर्ट के आधार पर कहा कि यदि तापमान में बढोत्तरी जारी रही तो दिल्ली-एनसीआर का इलाका भी आने वाले वर्षों में न सिर्फ मानसून की लंबी अवधि बल्कि भारी और अनियमित वर्षा से त्रस्त रह सकता है।