In-depth: What’s Delhi's Air air pollution problem? Sunita Narain and Anumita Roychowdhury clarify The variety of days with good air high quality in Delhi has elevated whereas the variety of days with poor to extraordinarily extreme air high quality has decreased
NEW DELHI: Every year, confronting the pollution means inconvenience of all sorts — closing down school, stopping construction work, regulating industries, arguing about stubble burning and halting diesel generator use, etc. These are temporary measures. What must Delhi and neighbouring cities do year round to render the air breathable at all times? The answer involves all the 29 sources of pollution, but at present, the pollution alleviation narrative is centred on just a few of them. Experts point out the loopholes in this approach, mainly related to inadequate public transport and end-mile connectivity, management of dust, construction and waste, outdated vehicular pollution monitoring system and the absence of a joint action plan. 54 Calling out the ‘very poor monitoring and enforcement mechanism’, Karthik Ganesan of Council on Energy, Environment and Water said, “Had there been a central monitoring and implementation system on pollution, then someone would have looked at IIT data to realise that emissions from Jhajjar in Haryana are abnormally high and sent a ground team to fix it. But there is no central approach.” Congratulations! You have successfully cast your vote Track the pollution level in your city Ganesan added that central agencies like CAQM had to build capacity and do more groundwork. He also argued against construction activity in the winter. “Just as mining work halts in the monsoon, why can’t construction be regulated in the winter months?” Ganesan asked. According to Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment, it was crucial to fix the city’s public transport system. She recommended an integrated transport system where buses and Delhi Metro shared a single payment mechanism. Pointing out that transport contributed at least 30% to the local emissions, she said, “Around 16% of Delhiites travel in personal cars and two-wheelers but occupy a major portion of the roads. The city needs 11,000 buses, but has only 6,000. The end-mile connectivity is also poor and cannot be relied upon.” Chowdhury added, “There is also a need to update the pollution under control certification system because there are vehicles plying under different emission norms. PUC monitoring could be made remote sensed as in Kolkata.” Experts said that a better system than water sprinkling in a water stressed city was needed to manage road dust. They suggested vegetation along the roads and large green covers like Aravalis and Ridge areas to act as natural barriers against dust. They also urged policies to decongest many city areas. “We need policies to manage the pollution load of many areas by giving them time to breathe before they become polluted again,” said Professor Sewa Ram, School of Planning and Architecture. “Banning traffic from some areas on certain days, creating bypasses and imposing congestion cess like in London and New York are some ways to do this. But these presuppose a robust public transport system.” To these, Dr S Velmurgan, chief scientist, CRRI, added, “The city needs better landscaping and dust-control mechanisms, especially use of dust covers at construction sites. There are no rules on how such covers should be installed and at what height.” He also pointed out that Delhi had 33,000km of road, of which only 1500km were dedicated footpaths and asked, “How will last-mile connectivity improve when there is no space to walk?” Meanwhile, burning — be it coal, garbage, biomass or domestic fuels — is a major source of pollutants. Chandra Bhushan, CEO, iForest, described this as the elephant in the room. “The pollution situation is not going to improve until we address coal and biomass burning. Also cooking, heating, conventional fuels, garbage burning by unsensitised sanitation staff,” declared Bhushan. A policy is required to address this burning."
Delhi gets all the attention, but the national ambient air quality report shows that pollution is an all-India issue and not just a rural or urban problem. Every winter, there is a rush to tackle the alarming surge in pollution levels in Delhi-NCR. But pollution is a pan-India problem and not a Delhi-specific issue and calls for a wider, national-level action to get some fresh air across the country, suggest experts and various studies conducted over the years. A random check of the Air Quality Index (AQI) bulletin at 4pm on December 3 showed poor to severe air quality in different cities across the northern plains. Delhi had ‘very poor’ category air that day with the AQI at 346. On the same day, the AQI at Bettiah in Bihar was very poor at 387, Bihar Sharif 407, Buxar 427 and Sasaram 394. Cities in Madhya Pradesh fared no better: Damoh had an AQI of 312, Jabalpur 302 and Singrauli 364. In Uttar Pradesh, Meerut had an AQI of 328, Moradabad 299, Muzaffarnagar 334, Bulandshahr 258 and Hapur 301. Just a week ago, Muzaffarnagar’s AQI stood at 423, making it the most polluted city in UP and the second-most polluted city in the country. Far away, Kolkata recorded poor air quality (202) and Durgapur 219. In Punjab, Ambala recorded an AQI of 258, Jalandhar 213 and Chandigarh 244. In Haryana, Charkhi Dadri recorded very poor air quality with an AQI of 306, Bahadurgarh 324, Ballabgarh 282, Hisar 370 and Siwan 406. Related stories Planted forests can tackle flood and erosion impacts along the Brahmaputra Difficult for India to achieve climate goals without compromising economic targets: Oxford Economics National Pollution Control Day 2021: Here's how you can reduce pollution even if you skip taking a b... An AQI of 51-100 is considered satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor, and anything above 400 severe. These are just a few places on the radar of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which has 804 operating stations covering 344 cities and towns in 28 states and six Union territories. SMALL TOWNS, VILLAGES GO UNDER THE RADAR Despite this wide network, a vast number of small towns and rural areas across India go unmonitored for air pollution. Many polluted places with favourable weather and wind conditions also do not get due attention. The CPCB is executing a nation-wide programme of ambient air quality monitoring known as the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) in coordination with state pollution control boards. “Across the country, barring some coastal or high-altitude Himalayan areas, majority (of the) people live in areas that do not meet air quality standards,” said Chandra Bhushan, an environmental expert and the CEO of the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology. Many rural areas, Bhushan said, do not have air quality monitors but satellite data shows that villages even 100 km or more from Delhi are as polluted. “And it is not a surprise.” Satellite images of aerosol optical thickness (AOD) for the month of November released by NASA show a thick layer of particles across the northern plains and parts of central India. Tiny solid and liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere are called aerosols, which include windblown dust, sea salts, volcanic ash, smoke from fires, and pollution from factories. An air quality report released by Swiss organisation IQAir earlier this year had said 22 of the 30 most polluted cities in the world, including 14 in the top 15, are in India. The causes of pollution range from stubble burning, vehicular pollution, the burning of biomass, waste and solid fuel, industrial emissions and dust from construction sites, roads and degraded land, brick kilns, transport vehicles, and diesel generators. In winter, the problem gets worse as falling temperatures and moisture in the air trap pollutants and slow wind speeds make their dispersal difficult. On Friday, after severe criticism from the Supreme Court, the government went into action mode, forming flying squads to conduct surprise checks at 25 sites in NCR. It said five out of the 11 thermal power plants within 300 km of Delhi will remain operational till at least December 15. Following in Delhi’s footsteps, the Haryana government ordered the closure of schools in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonepat and Jhajjar districts, which share borders with the capital. Construction has been banned in 14 NCR districts. But most of focus is generally limited to air quality in Delhi and nearby NCR areas, leaving other regions unattended and ignored. Delhi, by the virtue of being the capital, gets all the attention, but a look at the national ambient air quality report shows that pollution is an all-India issue and not just a rural or urban problem, or even an Indo-Gangetic plain phenomenon, explains Bhushan. According to Bhushan, the problem with NAMP is that it is mostly urban-centric, with most of the funds going to the municipalities and not district authorities. “One should not forget that many cities are bigger than municipal limits. Thermal plants and other polluting industries located outside municipal boundaries negate all efforts inside cities as bad air knows no boundaries.” Lancet data attributed 89,184 deaths in Karnataka to air pollution in 2019, 84,587 in Tamil Nadu and 62,808 in Andhra Pradesh. Lancet data attributed 89,184 deaths in Karnataka to air pollution in 2019, 84,587 in Tamil Nadu and 62,808 in Andhra Pradesh. CHOKED BEYOND DELHI'S BORDERS So while there is strict action on the ground in Delhi and in the nearby cities of Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Noida; a little further down, every possible rule is flouted. Over the past week, this writer travelled through the highways of western UP, Haryana and parts of Uttarakhand for a first-hand experience. Across the region, black smoke-spewing diesel trucks, old tractors and other vehicles – which are presently not allowed inside Delhi – were a common sight, farm waste was being openly burnt in agricultural fields and black smoke emanated from many brick kilns and other factories. The thick haze that enveloped Delhi continued past Muzaffarnagar, some 160 km from the capital, and even in parts of Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, 200 km away. Diesel tempos, both old and new, were seen plying in Haridwar, Rishikesh and nearby areas. Though e-rickshaws were also present, the polluting diesel tempos visibly outnumbered the e-ricks. A local resident said only cycle rickshaws used to ply in old Haridwar earlier but over the years, diesel tempos took over. “We never used to feel this burning sensation in the eyes,” said the resident, who runs a small shop. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director in charge of research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said the National Clean Air Programme has to urgently move beyond focusing only on a few cities to taking a larger regional approach to air pollution mitigation. “We need to meet the national ambient clean air standards everywhere. Only then it is possible to remove the asymmetry in action and scale up multi-sector strategy across all regions,” she said.
Rai urges Centre for a meeting with neighbouring States to create joint action plan Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday wrote to Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, urging him to call a meeting of Environment Ministers of States in the NCR in view of the “serious situation” caused by pollution. Mr. Rai said the Government is doing everything in its capacity to curb the pollution level, but joint efforts are needed to have a greater impact. The city’s air quality on Friday improved to the “very poor” category from the “severe” level a day earlier. The AQI at 4 p.m., which is an average reading of 37 stations, was 346. The forecast shows that the AQI is likely to remain in the “very poor” category on December 4 and 5, with the winds likely to be relatively stronger thereafter with a possibility of rain on December 6, which is favourable for dispersion/removal of pollutants. Mr. Rai said that Delhi’s internal pollution is largely under control due to several measures but there is an urgent need for the Centre’s and other State Governments’ involvement to control the remaining 69% of pollution, which is external, contributing to Delhi’s poor air quality. “A report released by the Centre for Science and Environment on the basis of data presented by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology says that Delhi’s internal pollution accounts for 31% of the total pollution in the city, while 69% is sourced from outside the city, of the NCR region. Hence, despite all our efforts to check the internal pollution, the overall pollution level is still evident,” Mr. Rai said. The Minister said that in his letter to the Union Minister for Environment, he also requested him to create a joint action plan with the Environment Departments and Ministers of various States so that the level of pollution can be reduced.
The big metros don’t do well in city rankings, in India or internationally. Mumbai and Delhi rarely rank high, and the biggest European, American, and Chinese cities are not the most liveable either. City rankings are a flourishing business. The Economist Intelligence Unit has put out its latest this week, on the most expensive cities and the cheapest ones. Ahmedabad figures in the Top 10 of the latter, in the undistinguished company of places like battered Damascus and Tripoli. Earlier the government put out its update on India’s cleanest cities, with Indore once again claiming top honours. The government also puts out its list of cities ranked on ease of living — Bengaluru tops, followed by Pune, while Srinagar and Dhanbad are the worst. A similar listing by the Centre for Science and Environment also puts Bengaluru at the top, followed by Chennai (which is fourth in the government ranking). A smart city ranking may soon be on its way, if one has not already been done, since a complicated set of criteria has been spelt out. Some trends are easy to spot. The big metros don’t rank well — in India or internationally. Mumbai and Delhi (and Kolkata for that matter) rarely rank high, while internationally the most liveable cities have been mid-range ones like Vienna, Auckland, and Vancouver — though Melbourne did very well for a long stretch. The biggest European, American, and Chinese cities are not the most liveable, partly because they usually have the most expensive real estate. In addition, there are the usual problems of commuting time and pollution. Japan maintains the trend, in that Osaka outscores Tokyo. A second trend is that cities south of the Vindhyas do well (no surprise there!), plus the big three of Gujarat. For cost of living as well as healthcare, two of the seven metrics used for a global ranking on Quality of Life, places like Mangaluru, Coimbatore, Chennai, and Thiruvananthapuram score well. That is within the larger context of Indian cities mostly tending to figure in the third quartile from the top. This unimpressive showing is influenced by poor income levels and the hot weather. Many of India’s best cities are therefore on the Deccan plateau, giving them an elevation that makes for a less forbidding summer. Indore is at the edge of the Malwa plateau (elevation: 1,800 feet) while Coimbatore (1,350 feet) gives easy access to the Nilgiris. If India is to urbanise successfully, it has to focus on these Tier 2 cities with a population of 10-50 lakh. Some of them are getting attention in the government’s Smart Cities programme, which is fine but inadequate without structural changes like directly elected mayors, a sensible property tax system, designs for being made citizen- and bicycle-friendly, and rules for floor-area ratios to enable high-rise office towers, required to create a central business district and avoid urban sprawl.
Made for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the ad features a blind couple who enjoy dessert with a dash of Dabur Honey. Dabur Honey’s new ad says “achaai ki parakh sirf aakhon se nahi hoti”. It’s apt because the brand features a blind couple in its ad where the lady is preparing a delicious dessert and a dazzle of Dabur Honey is the icing on the cake. The brand wanted to stress that you are assured of Dabur Honey’s superior quality without even looking at it. “With this campaign, we want to honour the fact that people with disabilities are no different than people without disabilities, except for their impairment. The video depicts how Dabur Honey brings sweetness into the lives of a couple who, in the face of adversity, make every moment special for each other,” said Kunal Sharma, Category Head, Dabur India. KINTEL is the agency behind this campaign idea and execution and poet, writer and actor Swanand Kirkire lent his voice to it. Ashay Sahasrabuddhe, Founder CEO of KINTEL said, “People with disabilities not only live life like all of us but also use products that we all use. I have seen my friends, who are blind, living lives just like us. They like to party like us, they love to cook like us, they celebrate their anniversaries just like us. How to accept the circumstances and still remain cheerful and joyous towards life is what I have learnt from them. I believe these films gave me the opportunity to thank them for teaching me nuances of happy life. They are the inspiration behind these stereotype-breaking characters.” Around this time last year (2020), major honey brands like Dabur Patanjali, and Emami (Zandu Pure Honey) had failed a purity test conducted by a German laboratory as per the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Delhi-based public interest research and advocacy organisation. “Our research has found that most of the honey sold in the market is adulterated with sugar syrup. Therefore, instead of honey, people are eating more sugar, which will add to the risk of COVID-19,” said Sunita Narain, director general, CSE.
Many times, courts have had to intervene for the authorities to take action Despite the Central Government’s directions nearly five years ago to “learn from experience” and “calibrate” the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to control air pollution, the policy has not been revised to accommodate predictions. Many times, the courts have had to intervene for the authorities to take action, which are already mentioned in GRAP. For instance, on Thursday afternoon, the Delhi Government decided to shut down schools after the Supreme Court earlier in the day questioned why schools were functioning despite high pollution. There are similar examples in the recent past. Closing of schools, odd-even vehicle rationing scheme, and banning construction activities are actions under the “emergency” category of GRAP. “The Graded Response Action Plan should be seen as an evolving plan… As more experience is gained in its implementation, it may be suitably calibrated and the Hon’ble Supreme Court be apprised accordingly,” Arun Kumar Mehta, Joint Secretary, MoEF&CC, had said in a letter dated January 13, 2017, to then chairman of the erstwhile EPCA, which used to implement GRAP. But GRAP did not evolve to take actions in anticipation of deteriorating air quality as per predictions from Government agencies. GRAP is a set of measures to be taken to reduce air pollution depending on the current level of pollution. It was notified by the Union Environment Ministry in 2017 to fight air pollution, based on the SC directions. Problems in the past too On November 13, the Supreme Court pulled up the Centre and the Delhi Government for the air pollution and later in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced closure of schools and a ban on construction activities. Though these two measures are on the list of actions under the “emergency” category of GRAP, the CM’s announcement was separate. The CM doesn’t have the authority to impose GRAP, as per rules. On November 17, The Hindu had reported how despite Delhi’s AQI being “severe” for eight out of 10 days after Deepavali, measures under the “emergency” category of GRAP such as closing of schools and banning construction activities were not implemented by the authorities. On November 24, the Supreme Court asked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and Adjoining Areas to take actions under GRAP based on predictions of air quality rather than waiting for the AQI to get worse. The CAQM is in the process of doing it, as per officials, but an updated GRAP is yet to be notified. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment, said that the Government should consider forecasts of air quality to implement GRAP measures rather than waiting for the air to be “severe” for days at a stretch.
दिल्ली में प्रदूषण का स्तर इतना कम होना चाहिए कि हवा की गति धीमी होने पर ठंडी हवाओं के जमने से जब प्रदूषण का स्तर बढ़ जाता है तो उसे जल्द से जल्द ठीक किया जा सके. दिल्ली में फिर से एक बार दम घोटने वाली सर्दी शुरू हो चुकी है. पिछले कई सालों से हर सर्दी में प्रदूषण के दमघोटूं लहर की लगातार पुनरावृत्ति ने हमें दुखी कर दिया है. लेकिन किसी को इसकी परवाह नहीं है. हर साल इसी तरह प्रदूषण का दौर आता है और चला जाता है. हम भी इस दौर के गुजरने के साथ ही इसकी पीड़ा को भूल जाते हैं. अगर हम अपनी पीड़ा को इसी तरह भूलते रहे तो वह दिन दूर नहीं जब हम स्वच्छ हवा पाने के अपने अधिकार को खो देंगे. जानलेवा प्रदूषण की जिम्मेदारी एक दूसरे पर थोपने की चिल्लपों समाचार पत्रों की सुर्खियां जरूर बन सकती हैं लेकिन इससे आने वाली सर्दियों में प्रदूषण से राहत नहीं मिल सकती है. अतः प्रदूषण से लड़ने के क्रम आगे बढ़ते हुए हमें तीन प्रश्नों को हमेशा ध्यान में रखना होगा. पहला, पिछले कई सालों से नवंबर का महीना दम घोटने वाला क्यों बना हुआ है और इसके लिए कौन जिम्मेदार है? क्या हम इस समस्या के मूल कारणों से अनभिज्ञ हैं? दूसरा, वायु प्रदूषण से निपटने के लिए अब तक क्या प्रयास किए गए हैं और यह सफल क्यों नहीं हो रहे हैं? तीसरा, ऐसा क्या प्रयास किया जाए जिससे हम प्रदूषकों के जहरीले स्तरों वाली हवा में सांस लेने से खुद को बचा सकें?. प्रदूषण के कारणों को समझने के लिए किसी रॉकेट साइंस की जरूरत नहीं है. प्रदूषण स्थानीय रूप से उत्पन्न होता है, पड़ोसी राज्यों से आता है या इसके लिए यह दोनों कारक सम्मिलित रूप से जिम्मेदार हैं इसे आसानी से समझा जा सकता है. उदाहरण के लिए इस सर्दी को ही लें. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) के मेरे सहयोगियों ने दिवाली से एक दिन पहले यह आंकड़ा दिया कि इस बार हवा की गुणवत्ता पहले से बेहतर थी. उन्होंने इसके लिए देर से बारिश और हवा की अच्छी गति को जिम्मेदार ठहराया. इसके बाद धूमधाम से दिवाली मनाई गई और पटाखे फोड़े गए. हालांकि, अगर हवा चलती रहती तो वायु की गुणवत्ता पर इनका प्रभाव बहुत कम पड़ता, लेकिन यही वह समय था जब देश में दो चक्रवातीय व्यवस्था टूट रही थी. इसके कारण दिल्ली सहित पूरे उत्तर भारत में एक प्रति-चक्रवतीय हवा के पैटर्न का निर्माण हुआ. स्थिर हवा के कारण दिवाली के कोहरे बिखर नहीं पाए साथ ही स्थानीय प्रदूषर्को का भी हवा में घुलना जारी रहा. इसके साथ ही पड़ोसी राज्यों से पराली जलाने से निकलने वाला धुआं आना शुरू हो गया. बारिश के कारण धान की कटाई में देरी हुई थी और किसान जल्दी से खेतों को खाली कर गेहूं की बुवाई के लिए तैयार करना चाहते थे इसलिए उन्होंने एक साथ ही खेतों में पड़ी पराली में आग लगा दी. इस प्रकार से प्रदूषकों का एक जहरीला कॉकटेल तैयार हो गया. एक व्यापक और गतिशील एयर एक्शन प्लान भी इसमें शामिल है. इसमें प्रदूषण के एक विशेष स्रोत के खिलाफ कार्रवाई शामिल है क्योंकि इसके बारे में हमें अधिक जानकारी मिलती है. उदाहरण के लिए वाहनों से होने वाले प्रदूषण को रोकने के लिए हाल में की गई कार्रवाई ले सकते हैं. जैसे पहली पीढ़ी के वाहनों को संपीड़ित प्राकृतिक गैस में बदलने के साथ-साथ वाहन प्रौद्योगिकी और इंधन (बीएसVI) में सुधार किया गया. ट्रकों तथा भारी वाहनों जैसे सकल प्रदूषकों को शहर की सीमा में प्रवेश से रोकने के लिए भीड़-भाड़ कर (कंजेशन टैक्स) लगाया गया है. भारी वाहनों के लिए वैकल्पिक बाईपास प्रदान करने के लिए एक्सप्रेस-वे का निर्माण किया गया है. इसके अलावा सार्वजनिक परिवहन में सुधार के लिए भविष्य में मेट्रो के चौथे चरण को आंशिक रूप से मंजूरी दे दी गई है. साथ ही निजी परिवहन की आवश्यकता को कम करने के लिए पड़ोसी शहरों को जोड़ने वाले हाई स्पीड ट्रेन का निर्माण किया जा रहा है. औद्योगिक क्षेत्रों में कोयले के उपयोग को खत्म करने के साथ-साथ कोयले से चलने वाले दिल्ली के आखिरी बिजली संयंत्र को भी बंद कर दिया गया है. हालांकि इसमें संदेह नहीं है कि तथाकथित अनधिकृत क्षेत्रों में तथा शहरी सीमा के आसपास के औद्योगिक क्षेत्रों के हजारों छोटे बॉयलरों में कोयले का उपयोग जारी है. लेकिन इससे पहले कि हम अगले कदमों के लिए जरूरी समस्याओं की सूची में जाएं आइए अब तक किए गए कार्यों के प्रभावों को समझने का प्रयास करते हैं. पिछले कुछ वर्षों में ‘संतोषजनक’ हवा वाले दिनों की संख्या बढ़ गई है (2018 में 121 दिन से 2020 में 174 दिन). इससे भी महत्वपूर्ण बात यह है कि ‘गंभीर हवा’ वाले दिनों की संख्या में कमी आई है (2018 में 28 दिन से घटकर 2020 में 20 दिन). हालांकि यह पर्याप्त नहीं है. लेकिन यह सच है कि हम प्रदूषण के वक्र (कर्व) को झुका रहे हैं. हमारी हवा साफ नहीं है लेकिन साल के कई दिनों में यह साफ रहती है. हालांकि प्रदूषण के स्तर को कम करने के लिए बहुत कुछ करने की आवश्यकता है ताकि- जब हवा की गति धीमी हो और ठंडी हवा जम जाए तब दिवाली से लेकर पराली के जलाने तक चलने वाले भयानक प्रदूषण के दौर में हम सुधार ला सकें और सुरक्षित रूप से सांस ले सकें. वायु की गति तेज रहने पर वायु स्वतः स्वच्छ हो जाती है. लेकिन, तेज गति की अनुकूल परिस्थिति ना होने पर भी वायु में स्वतः स्वच्छ होने की क्षमता की आवश्यकता है. आइए हम वायु की इसी क्षमता पर फिर से चर्चा करें. (साभार- डाउन टू अर्थ) यहां एक बात स्पष्ट है कि खराब हवा के लिए कोई एक कारक जिम्मेदार नहीं है. साथ ही कौन सा कारक कितना जिम्मेदार है और इसके सटीक प्रतिशत आकलन पर विवाद करना भी व्यर्थ है. शहरों में प्रदूषण के स्रोत क्या हैं इस पर उत्सर्जन सूची के नाम से दो मुख्य अध्ययन हमारे पास हैं. हालांकि, प्रतिशत आकलन में भिन्नता हो सकती है लेकिन इन अध्ययनों से कमोबेश इतना निश्चित रूप से कहा जा सकता है कि वाहन, उद्योग, बिजली संयंत्र, धूल और कचरा जलाना ही शहरी प्रदूषण के प्रमुख स्रोत हैं. साथ ही यह भी स्पष्ट है कि क्योंकि दिल्ली तथा उत्तर प्रदेश और हरियाणा के पड़ोसी जिले एक ही वायु-आवरण (एयर शेड) के अंतर्गत आते हैं इसलिए इनके बीच प्रदूषकों का आवागमन होते रहता है. अतः प्रदूषण प्रबंधन को एक सहकारी दृष्टिकोण की जरूरत है. यहां यह समझना सबसे जरूरी है कि प्रदूषण के लिए कोई अकेला कारक नहीं बल्कि सभी जिम्मेदार हैंय हमें कार्रवाई के एजेंडे को विकसित करने के लिए विभिन्न स्रोतों पर जानकारी चाहिए. हमें यह काम मिलजुल कर करना होगा. कार्रवाई की जिम्मेदारी एक दूसरे के ऊपर थोपने से काम नहीं चलेगा बल्कि सबको मिलजुल कर काम करना होगा. साथ ही इस पर भी विचार करना होगा कि क्या किया जा चुका है और किए गए प्रयास काम क्यों नहीं कर रहे? आपको यह याद रखना चाहिए कि दिल्ली में वायु प्रदूषण को कम करने के लिए बहुत सारे कदम उठाए गए हैं.
The recommendations from the Consultation Paper are shared with the concerned Ministries and FSSAI for re-consideration of the Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2021, (Second Amendment) introduced on 17 September 2021. LawWiser, India’s first video-only knowledge-sharing platform for the legal community, today released a Consultation Paper on “The Dilemma of Recycling Plastics in India”. The objective of this Consultation paper is to address and highlight the seriousness of the dual issue of the safe and sustainable disposal methods of waste plastics and the adverse impacts, if any on the health and safety of humans from the use of recycled plastics. The recommendations from the Consultation Paper are shared with the concerned Ministries and FSSAI for re-consideration of the Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2021, (Second Amendment) introduced on 17 September 2021. Experts from various fields participated in the Virtual Open Forum – Atin Biswas, Programme Director, Municipal Solid Waste, Centre for Science and Environment, Siddharth Ghanshyam Singh, Deputy Programme Director, Centre for Science and Environment; Sudipto Sircar, Advocate, Supreme Court, Delhi High Court; Ashish Agarwal, Secretary, Recycle India Foundation; Dr Vijay G. Habbu, Polymer Scientist and Adjunct Professor, Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh imposed the ban on plastic after Maharashtra government softened its stand on the ban. There have been a series of legislations to address waste management in India. The Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011, was introduced to set up a regulatory framework for manufacture, usage, and recycling of plastic bags to ensure efficient management of plastic waste. In March 2016, The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate change (MoEFCC) to tackle the menace of plastics waste further notified, the Plastics Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016. The rules make source segregation of various types of waste mandatory and introduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) as an environment policy instrument, and assign physical, financial, and environmental responsibilities to producers, brand owners, and importers of plastics. The Virtual Open Forum conducted by LawWiser focused on the impact and concerns raised by the introduction of the second amendment to the Plastics Waste Management Rules, 2016 . The PWM (Second Amendment) Rules, 2021 states that carry bags or products made of recycled plastic” can be used for storing, carrying, dispensing or packaging ready to eat or drink food stuff”. This is subject to appropriate standards and regulation under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006), by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The experts in the Open Forum deliberated that there is a need to first address the set of challenges and issues before it is implemented. In this paper, we understand and explore different aspects, of the new notification which includes: Understanding the issue of recycling plastics in IndiaNeed for regulation of informal sector The Second Amendment (2021) is not in harmony with the earlier provisions The critical role of the bodies like FSSAI in the implementation of such amendment. Rukam capital leads fund raise for packaged food brand GO DESi The experts have unanimously voiced the concern that “with lack of proper facilities and standards for recycling there is only growing concern how these rules will be effectively implemented. And, ideally this amendment should have incorporated specific recommendations from FSSAI.” The concern of the experts is that: It is alleged that in India the majority of the recycling industry deploys very inferior quality recycling machines which can potentially make plastic more toxic in nature. Moreover, standards for the recycling of plastic have not been specified in India, making it all the more difficult to understand the chemical conformity of recycled plastic. Such permission for use in food and medicine packaging could pose a serious threat to human life and the environment. It is a huge concern that continuous recycling of plastic not only degrades the quality but also brings in life-threatening toxic impurities in them apart from issues of collection and sorting of such plastic. Elsewhere, in countries like the United States of America, manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that the recycled product is of suitable purity. The Food and Drug Administration in the US is very well aware of the contaminants from post-consumer plastic that may appear in the final product. Therefore, each proposal of using recycled plastic is evaluated before issuing a no-objection letter. Also, The European Commission back in 2018 was preparing to fast-track approval of 140 recycling processes for use in food and drink packaging. The proposal to approve the said recycling processes has also involved the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). However, the final approval of each process rests with the European Commission. About LawWiser: LawWiser is India’s first video-only knowledge-sharing platform for the legal community, connecting practising lawyers, GCs, policy-makers, and CXOs. LawWiser helps to navigate complex legal and regulatory changes and their overall impact on businesses/ industries and communities at large.
The month saw 11 'severe' air quality days, the highest since 2015. The average AQI was 376, beating the record of 374 in 2016 Delhi saw its worst November air this year since the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) started measuring the air quality index (AQI) in 2015. The month saw 11 “severe” air quality days, the highest since 2015. The average AQI was 376, beating the record of 374 in 2016. Experts said the extended monsoon resulted in high stubble burning counts in the first two weeks of November and meteorological parameters, including low wind speed and low mixing layer height, caused pollutants to get trapped in the atmosphere. In contrast to November, 2021 recorded the cleanest October since 2015. Advertisement Dipankar Saha, former head of CPCB’s air laboratory said that “November first half is historically critical in all years, but this year, it continued in the second half too. It may be due to depressions in east and western areas, which did not allow free air flow downwards”. “The emission sources for any defined area more or less remains the same throughout the year. However, the concentration varies with the season. November being the transition phase, the air quality in north India is always problematic because of lowering of atmospheric boundary layer, wind speed, temperature and local action plans implementations,” he added. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director research and advocacy of Centre for Science and Environment, said that a combination of calm winter conditions, entrapment of local pollution in the region and the tipping over due to the spike in stubble burning post-Diwali has led to the prolonged severe smog episode. “This is a grim reminder of the fact that the comprehensive plan for multi-sector action that was notified in 2018 has not been further revised and implemented at scale and speed across all districts of NCR. We cannot fix this problem only with temporary emergency measures,” she said.
CSE outlines agenda to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis As the WHO’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) 2021 kicked off globally with campaigns in many countries, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has offered a blueprint for rethinking the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) agenda for low and middle income countries. CSE is unveiling this blueprint for a series of international webinars that it has planned through the week, beginning with the first of the online discussions today. We are living in unprecedented times. In all this disruption, we must focus on another pandemic – not so obvious today – but one that threatens our health systems in ways that we cannot even imagine. This silent pandemic of AMR is as catastrophic as COVID-19 or climate change,” said Sunita Narain, director general, CSE, here today, while giving the opening remarks in the webinar on ‘AMR – the Development Agenda’. “We know that COVID-19 and AMR are the result of our dystopian relationship with nature; It is about the way we grow our food; manage our environment,” she added. Says Amit Khurana, programme director, food safety and toxins programme, CSE: “Antibiotics (antimicrobials) are increasingly becoming ineffective in treating common ailments and infections. Treatment options are reducing. Those considered as last resort are also failing – all because of antibiotic resistance due to overuse and misuse of these medicines.” CSE presented a disturbing picture of the economic fallouts of drug-resistant infections: by 2050, the world stands to lose almost 4 per cent of its annual GDP to it. Livestock production in low income countries might dip by 11 per cent 2050, and an additional 24 million people might be pushed into extreme poverty by 2030. Warns Khurana: “AMR can derail attainment of several Sustainable Development Goals, especially those linked with food.” The development agenda The series of webinars that CSE is organising to mark the Week began with today’s discussion, which focussed on the ‘development agenda’ — ways to ensure that the world can continue to increase food production without depending on chemicals. Anchored by Sunita Narain, the webinar brought together speakers like T Nand Kumar, former secretary, Union Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India; Meenesh Shah, chairperson, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), India; Stefano Prato, managing director, Society for International Development, Italy; and Amit Khurana of CSE. Setting the tone for the discussions, Khurana said: “AMR is essentially fuelled by the manner in which antibiotics are misused and overused in intensive food animal systems. Such systems negatively impact the health of humans and animals, livelihoods, environment and climate. They are not sustainable. The world will have to find sustainable ways to produce food. We need to produce more food with less chemicals, less resources. The food systems must be transformed.” T Nanda Kumar advocated a transformation in agricultural systems: “At some point in time, Green Revolution was a necessity. Probably we didn’t change our policy when we should have. The solution is rewriting the agriculture system in the country to a sustainable food system based agriculture policy,” he said. “We need to create local loops for procurement and distribution, have a decentralized procurement system, shift financial incentives to those who do the least harm to natural resource systems or renew them. We also need to involve communities at the Panchayat level or FPOs or cooperatives to reduce pesticide use and have a more restricted, controlled, and monitored use of all chemicals in agriculture,” Kumar added. Meenesh Shah focused on ethno-veterinary medicines (EVMs); according to him, “EVMs provide an instant management option to dairy farmers who are out of reach of veterinary systems. It has helped reduce antibiotic use for the treatment of mastitis and also antibiotic residues in milk.” As part of its Mastitis Control Popularization Project, informed Shah, the NDDB has popularized the concept of EVM to various cooperative milk unions and producer companies. It is operating in more than nine states in India today, in over 1,500 villages; more than 1,100 veterinarians and 7,500 local resource persons have been trained on EVM and its applications. In addition, the NDDB has also developed a web portal for rapid and easy reporting and data management. It is also providing financial and technical support to establish EVM production plants. There are focused efforts on an extension to create farmer awareness and extension materials like brochures. Videos are available in different languages Stefano Prato opined that the world was producing enough food already. “We should reject the grand narrative of the need to feed the world and need to scale up production — there is enough food produced. We also need to challenge the notion that pushing productivism to higher levels can only happen through industrial systems. Small and medium practices are actually more productive than large scale. Measures of productivity are biased to capture large scale productivities of industrial farming,” said Prato. In her concluding remarks, Narain said: “The question that we must ask here is how can we grow food without harming people? Low and middle income countries cannot afford antibiotic resistance. We cannot first pollute and then spend huge amounts of money to clean up. We have to do things differently, walk the paths that others have not taken yet – leapfrog and reinvent pathways for growth without pollution.” “It is clear that food systems and development are strongly linked. Food systems have to be sustainable. They should help maintain our health, the livelihood of farmers, and the health of the environment. Chemical-dependent intensive systems jeopardize true development,” she added. On November 24, a third webinar titled ‘AMR – the environmental and prevention agenda’ will concentrate on the management of waste from food systems, pharmaceutical manufacturing and human health systems, as well as prevention of pollution and stopping overuse of chemicals.
<p>नई दिल्ली (New Delhi) . राजधानी दिल्ली के लोगों ने इस बार के नवंबर महीने में सबसे ज्यादा खराब हवा में सांस ली. इस पूरे महीने में 11 दिन हवा दमघोंटू रही. इस दौरान वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक 400 के अंक से ऊपर रहा. जबकि, पूरे महीने का औसत सूचकांक 376 के अंक पर रहा. जो कि सबसे ज्यादा है. दिल्ली में वायु प्रदूषण और वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक की ज्यादा वैज्ञानिक और सुस्पष्ट तरीके से गणना वर्ष 2015 से शुरू की गई है. इस अनुसार देखा जाए तो जब से दिल्ली में वायु प्रदूषण के स्तर की गणना हो रही है, तब से लेकर अब तक यह नवंबर का महीना सबसे ज्यादा प्रदूषित साबित हुआ है. इस बार नवंबर महीने में 11 दिन ऐसे रहे जब वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक 400 के अंक से ऊपर यानी गंभीर श्रेणी में रहा. इसकी तुलना में वर्ष 2020 में नवंबर के महीने में नौ दिन हवा गंभीर श्रेणी में रही थी. जबकि, 2019 में सात, वर्ष 2018 में पांच, वर्ष 2017 में सात, 2016 में दस और 2015 में छह दिन वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक 400 के अंक से पार यानी गंभीर श्रेणी में रहा था. इस बार नवंबर के महीने में एक दिन भी ऐसा नहीं रहा जब वायु गुणवत्ता सूचकांक 200 के नीचे आया हो.</p> <p>महीने भर में 17 दिन बेहद खराब श्रेणी में हवा रही जबकि सिर्फ दो दिन खराब श्रेणी में हवा रही. राजधानी दिल्ली में वर्ष 2016 को सबसे ज्यादा खराब हवा वाले वर्ष के तौर पर जाना जाता है. वर्ष 2016 में नवंबर के महीने का औसत सूचकांक 374 के अंक पर रहा था. इस बार नवंबर के महीने का औसत सूचकांक इससे भी दो अंक ज्यादा यानी 376 के अंक पर पहुंच गया. इस बार सितंबर के महीने में रिकॉर्ड बारिश हुई थी. उत्तर भारत से मानसून की वापसी देर से हुई. इसके चलते पंजाब (Punjab) और हरियाणा (Haryana) के खेतों में पराली जलाने की प्रक्रिया देर से शुरू हुई. जबकि, इसी समय में दीपावली का त्योहार था. इसी बीच हवा की रफ्तार भी धीमी हो गई. विज्ञान एवं पर्यावरण केंद्र की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता राय चौधरी ने बताया कि इन तीनों ही कारकों के मिलने के चलते इस बार नवंबर के महीने में लोगों को भारी प्रदूषण का सामना करना पड़ा है.</p>
The report states that only people from high-income households were 13 times more likely to have access to air purifiers than low-income families. However, an air purifier system had only a 10 percent impact on indoor air pollution. he indoor pollution of the residences in Delhi is 20 times more than the standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO), a study read. The national Union Territory topped the list of the world's most polluted capital for the third time in 2020. A total of 35 Indian cities were among the top 50 in the worst air quality list. Survey The levels PM 2.5 (fine particulate matter) was found to be higher than the levels reported by outdoor government monitors, Hindustan Times reported. Reportedly, exposure to PM2.5 is considered safe by the US Environmental Protection Agency's national ambient air quality standards. The institute surveyed thousands of households from different socioeconomic strata between 2018-2020. The PM2.5 levels primarily saw a rise in the mornings and evenings. Any Noticeable Difference With Air Purifiers? The study was conducted by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC India) and was released on Wednesday, December 8. The report states that only people from high-income households were 13 times more likely to have access to air purifiers than low-income families. However, an air purifier system had only a 10 percent impact on indoor air pollution. These houses had an 8.6 percent decline in PM2.5 levels inside and were able to make 'modest changes in inexpensive defensive practices and ventilation behaviours', HT reported. "The bottom line is, whether someone is rich or poor, no one gets to breathe clean air in Delhi. Offices and schools might also be highly polluted," the study's lead author, Kenneth Lee, told the media. It is not usual for people being aware of the pollution levels inside the homes; hence, they tend to take fewer precautions. With increased awareness, people will be able to take corrective measures, Lee added. Speaking to HT, Executive Director at Centre for Science and Environment, Anumita Roy Chowdhury, said that we needed as many studies and assessments on indoor air pollution and its impact as we have on outdoor pollution. This would help people gear up for the future and take necessary measures.
Gurgaon: The city’s average air quality index (AQI) for November was higher this year compared to the previous two — 357 (upper levels of very poor) this time, up from 303 (very poor threshold level) in November 2020 and 273 (poor) in November 2019. This November, the city saw five ‘severe’ days, 21 ‘very poor’ days and no ‘moderate or ‘good’ days. Last year in November, there were six ‘severe’ days, five ‘very poor’ days, 17 ‘poor’ days and one ‘moderate’ day. In November 2019, the city had six ‘severe’ days, 12 ‘very poor’ days, eight ‘poor’ days, eight ‘moderate’ days and two ‘good’ days. According to experts, farm fires, local pollution sources like garbage burning and road dust, and the weather (lack of ventilation) combined to make pollution levels worse this year than the last two. “This October saw better air quality than the past few years. The long monsoon deferred stubble burning, which started after Diwali and spike thereafter. Also, the wind has been calmer and there has been a drop in temperature, as a result of which pollutants are trapped,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment. Dr Dipankar Saha, former head at Central Pollution Control Board, said while emission sources for a defined area more or less remain the same throughout the year, the concentration varies with the season. “Air quality in north India is usually problematic in November, which is a transition phase, because of lowering of wind speed and temperature. Historically, wind speed of 2m/s or below can lead to a dangerous situation in terms of pollutants,” Dr Saha said, adding that strong prediction systems should be in place for timely implementation of action plans on the ground. Experts also pointed to a high number of firecrackers burnt this Diwali. “CSE and we had reported the impact of firecrackers this season. Stubble burning incidents also increased by late October and early November. Apart from this, meteorological conditions also played a role,” said Shubhansh Tiwari, research associate, Amity Center for Air Pollution Control. ‘Very poor’ AQI for 7th straight day On Tuesday, Gurgaon’s air quality improved to the lower level of ‘very poor’ because of favourable meteorological conditions. Wind speed, which was 8kmph on Monday, rose to 11kmph. While on Monday the AQI had stood at 395, on Tuesday it was recorded at 332. The Teri Gram air monitoring station recorded the highest AQI at 358, Sector 51 recorded 329, Vikas Sadan 313 and Gwalpahari 335. According to SAFAR, for the next two days, winds are likely to be calm, reducing ventilation and leading to worsening of air quality but within the same category. The city’s minimum temperature on Tuesday was 10.2ºC and maximum was 25.5ºC.
New Delhi : LawWiser, India’s first video-only knowledge-sharing platform for the legal community, today released a Consultation Paper on “The Dilemma of Recycling Plastics in India”. The objective of this Consultation paper is to address and highlight the seriousness of the dual issue of the safe and sustainable disposal methods of waste plastics and the adverse impacts, if any on the health and safety of humans from the use of recycled plastics. The recommendations from the Consultation Paper are shared with the concerned Ministries and FSSAI for re-consideration of the Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2021, (Second Amendment) introduced on 17 September 2021. Experts from various fields participated in the Virtual Open Forum – Atin Biswas, Programme Director, Municipal Solid Waste, Centre for Science and Environment, Siddharth Ghanshyam Singh, Deputy Programme Director, Centre for Science and Environment; Sudipto Sircar, Advocate, Supreme Court, Delhi High Court; Ashish Agarwal, Secretary, Recycle India Foundation; Dr Vijay G. Habbu, Polymer Scientist and Adjunct Professor, Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, There have been a series of legislations to address waste management in India. The Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011, was introduced to set up a regulatory framework for manufacture, usage, and recycling of plastic bags to ensure efficient management of plastic waste. In March 2016, The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate change (MoEFCC) to tackle the menace of plastics waste further notified, the Plastics Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016. The rules make source segregation of various types of waste mandatory and introduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) as an environment policy instrument, and assign physical, financial, and environmental responsibilities to producers, brand owners, and importers of plastics. The Virtual Open Forum conducted by LawWiser focused on the impact and concerns raised by the introduction of the second amendment to the Plastics Waste Management Rules, 2016 . The PWM (Second Amendment) Rules, 2021 states that carry bags or products made of recycled plastic” can be used for storing, carrying, dispensing or packaging ready to eat or drink food stuff”. This is subject to appropriate standards and regulation under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006), by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The experts in the Open Forum deliberated that there is a need to first address the set of challenges and issues before it is implemented. In this paper, we understand and explore different aspects, of the new notification which includes Understanding the issue of recycling plastics in India Need for regulation of informal sector The Second Amendment (2021) is not in harmony with the earlier provisions The critical role of the bodies like FSSAI in the implementation of such amendment. The experts have unanimously voiced the concern that “with lack of proper facilities and standards for recycling there is only growing concern how these rules will be effectively implemented. And, ideally this amendment should have incorporated specific recommendations from FSSAI.” The concern of the experts is that: It is alleged that in India the majority of the recycling industry deploys very inferior quality recycling machines which can potentially make plastic more toxic in nature. Moreover, standards for the recycling of plastic have not been specified in India, making it all the more difficult to understand the chemical conformity of recycled plastic. Such permission for use in food and medicine packaging could pose a serious threat to human life and the environment. It is a huge concern that continuous recycling of plastic not only degrades the quality but also brings in life-threatening toxic impurities in them apart from issues of collection and sorting of such plastic. Elsewhere, in countries like the United States of America, manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that the recycled product is of suitable purity. The Food and Drug Administration in the US is very well aware of the contaminants from post-consumer plastic that may appear in the final product. Therefore, each proposal of using recycled plastic is evaluated before issuing a no-objection letter. Also, The European Commission back in 2018 was preparing to fast-track approval of 140 recycling processes for use in food and drink packaging. The proposal to approve the said recycling processes has also involved the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). However, the final approval of each process rests with the European Commission.
The list, which uses pollution level benchmarks similar to the scales of the Supreme Court-mandated Graded Response Action Plan, is an advisory for the public. To encourage public participation in the Capital’s fight against pollution, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has released a list of dos and don’ts that people can follow according to the air quality of the city at any point of time. A senior DPCC official said that the list, which uses pollution level benchmarks similar to the scales of the Supreme Court-mandated Graded Response Action Plan (Grap), is an advisory for the public. Delhi usually sees high pollution levels during the winter season and over the last few days, the air quality in the city has slipped into the ‘severe’ zone on several days. While the government agencies have a set action plan to follow when the air quality crosses a certain stage, if the public also participates in the government’s fight against pollution, we will be able to get better results,” said the official. The list suggests that when the pollution levels in Delhi reaches the ‘moderate to poor’ category, which means the PM 2.5 levels (ultrafine particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 micrometres) are between 6µg/m3 and 120µg/m3, or the PM 10 levels (coarse particulate matter with diameter less than 10 micrometres) are in the range 101-350µg/m3, people should adopt measures such as keeping engines of their vehicles properly tuned, maintain proper air pressure in tyres, keeping the pollution under control certificates of their vehicles updated, turning the ignition of their vehicles off when waiting at red lights and not dump garbage in open spaces. Similarly, when the pollution levels are in the ‘very poor’ category — PM 2.5 levels in the range 121-250µg/m3 or PM 10 levels in the range 351-430µg/m3 — the general public is advised to minimise the use of private vehicles and use public transport, ensure that the air filters of their vehicles are regularly replaced and avoid undertaking local construction activities such as repairs and extensions. The list says that when the pollution level hits ‘severe’ (PM 2.5 levels greater than 250µg/m3 or PM 10 levels greater than 430µg/m3) the general public is advised to carpool, walk, cycle and use public transport; work from home if possible; not use wood or coal for heating; owners of independent houses are advised to provide heaters to security guards to prevent open burning; and combine errands to reduce trips. BS Vohra, president of East Delhi resident welfare association joint front, said that the residents group is also conducting awareness drives to encourage residents to use public transportation and refrain from garbage dumping and burning. “It’s good that the government is creating awareness but they should also promote action. They should conduct meetings with the RWA where they should listen to what we have to say and we will also take note of their side. A document must be prepared based on this discussion and action must be initiated based on this,” Vohra said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment, also said that public participation is essential to ensure that pollution control measures yield maximum benefits.