Centre for Science and Environment masthead Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Donate

Cse In News

Cse In News

Parking Rate: क्या आप दिल्ली में पब्लिक ट्रांसपोर्ट की बजाए अपनी निजी गाड़ी का इस्तेमाल करते हैं? बढ़ सकते हैं पार्किंग रेट

Delhi Air Pollution Action Plan : दिल्ली में हवा की गुणवत्ता बिगड़ने के कारण और ग्रेडेड रिस्पांस एक्शन प्लान में पार्किंग दरों को बढ़ाने का सुझाव दिया गया है. एमसीडी को फैसला करना है. Delhi Pollution and Parking Rate: दिल्ली में बढ़े हुए प्रदूषण के कारण ग्रेडेड रिस्पांस एक्शन प्लान में पार्किंग दरों को बढ़ाने का सुझाव दिया गया है. फिलहाल एमसीडी अधिकारियों का कहना है कि मामला विचाराधीन है. वहीं सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट के एक विश्लेषण के अनुसार, प्रदूषण के स्थानीय स्रोतों के मामले में दिल्ली के पीएम 2.5 के स्तर में वाहनों के उत्सर्जन का योगदान सबसे अधिक है. ऐसे में अगर पार्किंग के रेट्स बढ़ाए जाते हैं तो लोग महंगे पार्किंग रेट की वजह से गाड़ियां कम निकालेंगे और प्रदूषण को नियंत्रित करने में मदद मिलेगी. पार्किंग दरों में बढ़ोतरी पर, दक्षिण एमसीडी के एक अधिकारी ने इंडियन एक्सप्रेस अखबार से कहा कि, "इसे अभी तक लागू नहीं किया गया है और इस पर विचार किया जा रहा है. इसे 2017 में लागू किया गया था लेकिन इसका रिस्पांस अच्छा नहीं रहा था. हमने तत्कालीन पर्यावरण प्रदूषण (रोकथाम और नियंत्रण) प्राधिकरण को भी सूचित किया था, तब परिणाम संतोषजनक नहीं थे." 2017 में प्रदूषण बढ़ने के दौरान, साउथ सिविक बॉडी ने पार्किंग की संशोधित दरें 80 रुपये प्रति घंटे कर दी थीं. अधिकारी ने कहा कि ग्रेटर कैलाश 1 और 2 जैसे बाजार क्षेत्रों में, लोगों ने बढ़ी हुई दरों से बचने के लिए अपने वाहन मुख्य सड़कों और गलियों में पार्क करना शुरू कर दिया था. साथ ही जिन्हें अपनी कारों को बाहर निकालना पड़ता है, वे इसकी बिना परवाह किए निकालते हैं और पैसे बचाने के लिए वे सड़कों पर पार्किंग जैसे अन्य विकल्पों की तलाश करते थे. यह प्रणाली तभी काम करेगी जब सड़कों पर खड़े वाहनों को हटाने की उपाय बेहतर हों. फिलहाल अधिकारी ने कहा कि वे इस मामले पर आगे चर्चा करेंगे. फिलहाल दिल्ली में प्रदूषण का स्तर बेहद खराब स्थिति में है और सुप्रीम कोर्ट इस मसले पर केंद्र और दिल्ली, दोनों सरकारों को फटकार लगा चुकी है.

प्रदूषण की रोकथाम पर राजनीति की छाया

दिल्ली में हर साल सर्दियों में वायु प्रदूषण का स्तर बढ़ जाता है लेकिन इसकी रोकथाम के लिए स्थायी कदम नदारद हैं. प्रदूषण जैसे विषय पर भी राजनीति हावी है और सरकारें अपनी अपनी राजनीतिक रोटियां सेकने में व्यस्त हैं. 13 नवंबर को जब सुप्रीम कोर्ट के मुख्य न्यायाधीश एन वी रमना ने कहा कि वो अपने घर के अंदर भी सांस नहीं ले पा रहे हैं तब दिल्ली में प्रदूषण का स्तर पहली बार खतरनाक रूप से नीचे नहीं गिरा था. अक्टूबर-नवंबर में ऐसा हर साल होता है. लेकिन इसके बावजूद न दिल्ली सरकार हर साल इस स्थिति को दोहराने से रोक पा रही है और न केंद्र सरकार. यहां तक कि प्रदूषण के कारणों को लेकर भी दोनों सरकारों का नजरिया अलग है. प्रदूषण का असली कारण क्या यह बात एक बार फिर खुल कर सुप्रीम कोर्ट में 15 नवंबर को सामने आई जब केंद्र सरकार ने अदालत को बताया कि दिल्ली के प्रदूषण के लिए शहर के अंदर के कारण ज्यादा जिम्मेदार हैं और पड़ोसी राज्यों में जलाई जाने वाली फसल की पराली के धुएं के असर का सिर्फ 10 प्रतिशत योगदान है. दिल्ली सरकार इस बात से सहमत नहीं है और वो लगातार प्रदूषण में पराली के धुएं के योगदान को 30-40 प्रतिशत तक बताती है. बल्कि अदालत के दरवाजे खटखटाने वाले याचिकाकर्ताओं में से एक के वकील विकास सिंह ने भी कहा कि केंद्र ने इससे पहले अपनी ही एक बैठक में कहा था कि पराली के धुएं का 35 प्रतिशत योगदान है. केंद्र सरकार इससे पहले भी पराली जलाने के योगदान को 10 प्रतिशत से भी कम बता चुकी है, लेकिन दिल्ली सरकार का कहना है कि एक ही एफिडेविट में केंद्र सरकार ने चार प्रतिशत और 35-40 प्रतिशत दोनों आंकड़े दिए हैं. इसका मतलब आज तक यह भी स्पष्ट नहीं हो पाया है कि दिल्ली में प्रदूषण के मुख्य कारण क्या हैं. ऐसे में प्रदूषण के रोकथाम की एक कारगर नीति कैसे बन पाएगी? साल भर प्रदूषण पर नहीं जाता ध्यान अलग अलग संस्थानों के अध्ययनों में भी यह विरोधाभास नजर आता है. दिल्ली स्थित थिंक टैंक सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) का कहना है कि इस साल पराली के धुएं का दिल्ली के प्रदूषण में 12 प्रतिशत योगदान रहा है. हां, दिवाली की तीन दिनों बाद यानी सात नवंबर को यह बढ़ कर 48 प्रतिशत हो गया था. सीएसई के मुताबिक 2020 में इसका पूरे साल का औसत था 17 प्रतिशत, 2019 में 14 प्रतिशत और 2018 में 16 प्रतिशत. एक और संस्था द एनर्जी एंड रिसोर्सेज इंस्टिट्यूट (टेरी) के मुताबिक पराली का योगदान सिर्फ छह प्रतिशत है. इसका मतलब आज तक स्पष्ट रूप से यह भी साबित नहीं हो पाया है कि दिल्ली के प्रदूषण के लिए कौन कौन से कारण कितने जिम्मेदार हैं. यह पता लगाना समाधान ढूंढने की पहली सीढ़ी है और अगर सरकार अभी पहली सीढ़ी ही नहीं चढ़ पाई है तो समझ लेना चाहिए कि मंजिल अभी दूर है.

Lack of understanding of climate justice was the problem at Glasgow, says Sunita Narain

The 26th Conference of Parties (CoP26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow ended on a disappointing note with the developed world refusing to cut down their own emissions while putting pressure on India to stop using coal, restricting India’s developmental goals. The bitter negotiations created a fissure between the developed and developing blocks, making things complicated for future negotiations. Sunita Narain, the director of Centre for Science and Environment, assesses the CoP26 in an interview with DH's Kalyan Ray. Excerpts: What’s your assessment of CoP26? Has the Glasgow Climate Pact succeeded in going far enough to keep the world below a 1.5C temperature rise necessary to ensure that our world can avoid the worst and catastrophic impacts of a changing climate? The answer is a resounding ‘no’. The Pact’s fundamental and fatal flaw is in the very first page — where it says, rather dismissively, that “it notes the importance for some of the concepts of climate justice”. We cannot erase the fact that certain countries — the US, EU-27, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan and Russia and now joined by China — have consumed roughly 70 per cent of the carbon budget, the space in the atmosphere that is available to keep the world below the 1.5C temperature rise. The challenge is that the world has run out of carbon budget, but some 70 per cent of the world’s people still need the right to develop. As these countries grow, they will add emissions and take the world to catastrophic levels of temperature rise. It is for this reason, climate justice is not an add-on concept for some, but the prerequisite for an effective and ambitious agreement. This lack of understanding is at the core of the problem. Do you think Glasgow has made some progress to whatever was promised in Paris? I find that the CoP discussions have become so ossified that they just seem to talk to each other without a sense of the crisis and reality around them. The developed world’s promise of climate funding didn’t materialise so far — what do you have to say? The Paris Agreement says rich nations must transfer US $100 billion annually through 2025 to developing and poor countries. But the flow of real money is still illusionary; only Germany, Norway and Sweden are paying their share. The final text acknowledges the needs of developing countries for climate finance, and sets out a process to deliver on those needs. The agreed text commits developed countries to double the collective share of adaptation finance within the $100 billion annual target for 2021-2025, and to reach the $100 billion goal as soon as possible. But developed countries resisted defining climate finance, and adding specific language that would communicate an increased contribution over and above the US $100 billion. What’s your assessment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement at Glasgow? It's a very bold and ambitious announcement. India didn’t have to take on a commitment on emission reduction — the one billion tonne reduction between now and 2030. Also we have put out a road map for renewable energy and non-fossil fuel energy. It's a clear indication that we want to transform our energy system, limit coal and expand cleaner sources. The net-zero target is 50 years away, but the PM announced four short term targets to be reached by 2030. Are these achievable realistically? The intent is there, but to achieve, we have to be serious about limiting our coal. The energy required for our growth will have to come from cleaner sources. There is no doubt renewable energy is still much more expensive. Currently 80 per cent of India’s electricity is coal based, but we are projecting that with the growth of the energy options, we will limit coal use to 50-60 per cent. Which means that the doubling of energy that is going to happen between now and 2030, will have to happen on alternate sources. The strategy has to be such that we get clean and affordable energy. We have to be serious and determined in managing the Discoms and production of cleaner electricity. We will have to get rid of our old plants and modernise the current fleet. We will have to move the vehicles to electric and public transport. It requires a kind of obsession and game plan. We can think out of the box today as we haven’t built all our energy sources. This is not an option to the rest of the world. Out of the four targets that the PM had set, which one is the most challenging: The most challenging would be energy transformation. That’s the key to everything. All over the world, it's the energy that is the cause of global warming. If you transform your energy system, your manufacturing becomes cleaner. What are the other industrial sectors that need to change? Bulk of India’s emission comes from the power sector along with steel, cement, aluminium and fertiliser. The number of industries in each of these sectors is limited. Aluminum has four players, cement has ten players, but they all require a system. That’s where the government will have to say, here is the plan going forward, there are the things that you will do at your cost, these are the things that we will do and these are things we will raise a bill abroad. But we need a clear plan to go ahead. Do we have adequate resources to transform these sectors? The first thing is to make a plan on how we get there, what kind of resources are needed, what’s the pathway to get to cleaner energy and industrial sectors and what would it cost. We need to demand from the western countries not only the low hanging fruits, but also the more cost for transformation in more expensive projects, which we can’t afford. The bottom line, however, is that we need to come up with a plan.

Delhi: Farm fire share in PM2.5 close to 50 per cent in peak season

NEW DELHI: The daily percentage of emissions from harvest-stubble burning in the PM2.5 pollutants in Delhi varied from 25 per cent to 48 per cent between November 4 and November 13, the highest on a single day being 48 per cent on November 7, according to SAFAR data. Though the central government informed the Supreme Court that farm fire pollutants comprised 10 per cent of the city’s bad air, experts said the magnitude of stubble burning in the pollution crisis should not be diminished because farm fires were not a year-round phenomenon and registered high impact figures only in October-November. Data from different studies over the years brings out the varying nature of farm fires' share in the pollutants in Delhi’s air. A study by IIT-Kanpur in 2016 stated the contribution of biomass burning to the city’s PM2.5 was 26 per cent in winter and 12 per cent in summer. Another by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) titled ‘Bending Delhi’s Air Pollution Curve’ said the relative contribution from farm fires was the highest (31.4 per cent) between October 15 and November 15, 2020, reducing then to 8.6 per cent between November 15 and December 15, 2020 and 4.1 per cent between December 15, 2020 and January 15, 2021. TImesView Delhi is choking again and it is undeniable that stubble burning has played a role. Exactly how large that role is might differ from one study or report to another, depending on the month and other factors, but there is little doubt that only a sustained and concerted effort can stamp out the menace. According to data shared with TOI by the Union earth ministry body, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), in the past, the average share of stubble fire emissions between October 1 and November 30 was 16 per cent in 2020, 13.5 per cent in 2019 and 12 per cent in 2018. Chandra Bhushan, CEO, International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iForest), said, “The contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s pollution might be 4-10 per cent annually, but it goes up to 40 per cent on some weeks. The right way to present facts is to highlight that harvest stubble is not burnt for 365 days, only for a few weeks in a year. During the stubble burning season, it causes high levels of pollution.” # Advocate Ritwick Dutta, founder and managing trustee, Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment, similarly noted, “The important point here is that the monthly contribution of stubble burning may be around 10 per cent, but we have to look at the 15-20 days when the share is highest. Average monthly or seasonal contributions do not signify the daily impact.” Explaining this, he said, “If there were five heavy rainfall days in a month, the mean rainfall of the year would still be low if we were to include data of other months.” Dutta added, “Meteorology ensures that stubble burning adds a dangerous dimension to Delhi’s pollution in the winter months. If the base load of pollution (other components like emissions from vehicles, industries and dust) is high, even a 10 per cent addition from the farm fires can be significant.” A Delhi government official also asserted, “If we include only the stubble burning period, the percentage of the farm fires’ share in pollution will be quite high. But if we include September, December and January in the calculations, when the farm fires are negligible, the average contribution is shown as low.” Pointing out how the measured taken by the central and state governments in the past few years, such as in-situ and ex-situ methods to discourage farmers from burning stubble and an attempt at banning stubble burning, hadn’t yielded the desired results, L S Kurinji, programme associate, CEEW, said, “While these existing measures need to be scaled up and improved, the governments should also come up with farmer-friendly plans to manage the harvest stubble in the upcoming season. The focus should be on promoting short-duration crop varieties and diversifying from paddy.” Some experts said efforts should be intensified to curb other sources of pollution too. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment, said, “SAFAR data shows that the average contribution to Delhi’s PM2.5 levels varies widely and is not consistently high as it depends on wind direction, wind speed and intensity of stubble burning.” Given this, she said, “So, while stubble burning requires urgent attention, Delhi and NCR’s multi-sector action has to be more stringent in addressing local pollution.” #

A traffic lockdown may be what Delhi requires

Now that the Supreme Court has asked for action against toxic NCR air, let’s try keeping streets free of vehicular exhaust for a bit. Data on the effects could sharpen India’s response On Monday, India’s Supreme Court described air pollution in and around Delhi city as a “crisis" and asked the Centre and Delhi administration to take action. With air quality index (AQI) readings in a toxic zone for over a week, this is imperative. Suffocation anxiety being expressed and hands being wrung over smog at this time of the year had attained such ritual regularity that a push for solutions was at risk of getting smothered by resignation to this fate. By making suggestions, our apex court has placed the issue upfront again. On Saturday, it had asked our authorities to consider a “lockdown", among other measures. In response, Delhi has for a few days closed schools, banned construction, let state employees work from home and advised private employers to follow. It was ready for a “complete lockdown", the Delhi government told the court, but added this would not be effective unless adjoining states did likewise in the rest of the urban sprawl that makes up the national capital region (NCR). The top court advised the Centre to call an emergency meeting and work out specific ways to tackle the identified “culprits": construction activity, industry, transport, power and vehicular traffic, apart from stubble burning. Various attempts have been made in the past. Building projects, for example, are frequently brought to a halt in this season with little noticeable impact on the NCR’s air quality. Curbs on firecrackers, diesel gen-sets and so on have also been tried. Momentary restrictions on industrial exhaust and sweet deals for farmers to stop setting their post-harvest waste on fire have not had much to show either. As for local-area initiatives, smog towers and water spraying have revealed themselves to be too little up against too much. The most controversial of ideas so far has been the road-rationing that Delhi tested five years ago, when only vehicles with odd number-plates were allowed on streets one day and even numbers the next. The results of that experiment ran into a data fog with conflicting interpretations, but the fact that an odd-even road policy was not deployed again sums up its problem: It did not prove helpful enough to justify the disruption caused. Yet, hardened by stiff lockdowns to contain covid last summer, we might find that a worthy purpose is served by a full traffic lockdown of the NCR as we confront our pollution season. Street emissions have always been held up as Delhi’s chief suffocator. By the analysis of the Centre for Science and Environment, vehicular exhaust accounts for about half the seasonal rise in the capital’s levels of pollutant particles no larger than 2.5 microns across, the worst kind. If so, then a traffic freeze for about a week or so, depending on the smoke dispersal of winds, should effect a notable reduction. If industrial sources of fumes are gagged too (with stop-gap supplies in place), and we still have worse air than expected, then we would at least have data from a real-life test to sharpen our search for solutions. The extent to which farm fires are to blame remains contested. In court, solicitor general Tushar Mehta cited a 10% estimate for stubble burning’s share of bad emissions as an average over the year, a figure that should evoke consternation because almost all of it occurs within the span of just a few weeks. Whatever the reality, a smokescreen thrown over the issue by divergent political interests must not keep us from acting both broadly and accurately against the menace of toxic air.

Stubble burning contributes just 10% to Delhi's pollution: Centre tells SC

Toxic air shrouded Delhi Monday morning, making it the fourth most polluted city on the planet. Delhi's air pollution was a "crisis situation", the Supreme Court said on Monday as it pulled up the city government for "lame excuses" and "passing the buck", and insisted on immediate steps. Delhi’s government told the court it is ready to lock down the city to control air pollution, but the step will have a limited impact without similar measures in places nearby. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the central government, told the court that farm waste burning was found to be accounting just 10 per cent of the emissions on average through the year. A lockdown is needed in neighbouring areas comprising the National Capital Region (NCR), the Arvind Kejriwal government said in its affidavit, according to NDTV.com. "The Delhi government is ready to take steps like complete lock down to control local emissions. However, such a step would be meaningful if it is implemented across the NCR areas in neighbouring states. Given Delhi's compact size, a lock down would have limited impact on the air quality regime," said the affidavit. Toxic air shrouded Delhi Monday morning, making it the fourth most polluted city on the planet. Kejriwal on Saturday closed schools for a week and construction sites for four days, as the city tries to protect people in a worsening air pollution crisis. Earlier that day, the chief justice of India asked the central and Delhi governments to come up with an emergency plan to tackle the dangerous smog, calling the situation "very serious". IQAir, a website which monitors air pollution around the world, had Delhi ranked fourth in its list of 10 most-polluted cities a little before 11 am. Residents of Delhi endured this year's worst air on November 5, a day after revellers burnt firecrackers during Diwali, as Air Quality Index levels surged to 463 on a scale of 500. Vehicular emissions contributed more than half of Delhi's particulate pollution between October 24-November 8, the Centre for Science and Environment think tank said in its report published on Thursday.

Delhi Air Quality Will Continue To Remain Bad In Coming Winters: 5 Key Reasons

Centre For Science and Environment (CSE) tells Outlook, unless the government builds infrastructure, winter Delhi Air Quality Will Continue To Remain Bad In Coming Winters: 5 Key Reasons pollution issue in Delhi will remain a constant, annual problem. Even as the Delhi government has pushed emergency notifications to tackle its current ‘Hazardous’ AQI which has breached 900, Delhi’s winter air pollution may continue to remain an annual event. Despite all efforts to introduce clean fuel and smog towers, the Arvind Kejriwal government may still have a lot to clean up and enforce. The state governments of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan too may have to pitch in. Anumita Roy Chowdhury. Executive Director Research and Advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment elaborated on areas where work is still left when it comes to dealing with Delhi’s AQI pollution problem and why emergency action may be far from enough; and in fact may back-fire. Five key reasons: 1. Weather: Delhi, its neighbouring cities and entire northern India experiences a phenomenon called winter inversion. A typical weather phenomenon which results in low wind speed combined with a dip in temperature which leads to a ‘low mixing height’ and brings down the pollutants closer to ground. The pollutants become ‘trapped’ and as regular, day-to-day pollutants continue to pile, the pollution levels spike. “There’s nothing new about the winter pollution situation of Delhi, NCR and the entire northern India at this time because North India is land-locked and every year this mix of weather condition and pollution results in smog. Emergency action may not work as well and may backfire in other ways. If vehicles are stopped, people will be stranded and the situation could actually work against normal functioning of the city. The issue requires long-term infrastructure development,” said Roy Chowdhury. 2. Garbage: Waste management in Delhi and its neighbouring cities is not carried out in adequate measure. Roy Chowdhury says that industrial pockets of Delhi still have a considerable about of garbage burning in progress, even as the pollution levels are high. “Delhi and its surrounding cities still are grappling with the issue of waste management. Unless industrial waste and horticulture waste is processed properly, garbage burning will continue to remain a major contributor to the pollution markers of the region,” she said. 3. Cars: Delhi still does not have a mass transport system to support the requirements of its population. Besides, it has a high concentration of private vehicles. Unless the private vehicle users shift to mass transport, a long-term solution to the city’s vehicular pollution is not going to take place anytime soon. “Delhi and its surrounding cities need a heavy network of public transport. Delhi has 1.3 crore cars. The contributors to Delhi’s pollution are industry, vehicles and construction, but cars continue to be a big factor” said Roy Chowdhury. 4. Industry: While Delhi has shut down its coal-based power plants, neighbouring cities still continue to operate coal-based power plants. Additionally, industrial areas like Sonepat and Ghaziabad continue to remain problem areas. “Delhi’s pollution can’t be seen as an isolation, as long as its neighbouring industrial regions don’t clean up – long term solution of Delhi’s pollution problem is a pipe-dream,” said Roy Chowdhury. 5. Crop burning: Construction activity is at peak in the NCR with development and housing projects concentrated in its fringe cites which contributes to the PM10 component of the Air Quality through the year. But seasonal crop burning in Haryana and Punjab contributes to PM 2.5 levels and is a hazard every winter for the city. “This year, there was not much problem from crop burning initially because in October it rained. But the crop burning issue peaked in early November. On November 6, crop-burning contributed to 48% of the pollutant mix of Delhi air. The 20 days of annual crop burning continue to add to the local pollution problems at this time and unless long term solutions are found, emergency measures may not led to solutions. The measures taken by the government in terms of clean fuel and more has helped reduce the annual air pollution average of Delhi, but the winter problem needs more focused action,” said Roy Chowdhury.

Delhi's neighbours must impose curbs too: Air panel

NEW DELHI: The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and adjoining areas (CAQM), which conducted a meeting on Sunday on the deteriorating air quality, has advised Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to consider similar restrictions as implemented by Delhi government, including closure of schools till November 20 and a ban on construction activities till November 17.The "emergency" measures under Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) are enforced when PM10 and PM2.5 levels remain above 500 and 300 micrograms per cubic metre, respectively, for 48 hours or more. The other two measures include implementation of the odd-even scheme and stopping entry of trucks into Delhi, except essential commodities. As Delhi's air did not remain in the "emergency" category for 48 hours, experts said taking such stringent actions were not solutions to the problem as they would not help in improving the air quality. The restrictions would impact the vulnerable group badly hit due to the pandemic. They added that efforts should be taken round the year to curb the major sources of pollution. Congratulations! You have successfully cast your vote Chandra Bhushan, CEO, International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology, said, "Schools should be closed when the air quality is in the emergency category of GRAP as toxic air can be harmful for children. The decision should be taken considering the predictive model on air quality. However, Delhi government ordering closure of schools for a week when the air quality is not in the emergency category is undermining the entire process and other institutions." "Banning construction activities, installing smog towers and sprinkling water on roads are knee-jerk reactions as they play a minor role in reduction of air pollution. The main sources of pollution are stubble burning, solid fuel burning and emissions from vehicles and industries. The blame-game is an annual ritual that begins now and continues till March. However, Delhi is unable to meet the national ambient air quality standards throughout the year. Air pollution needs year-round work," added Bhushan. Karthik Ganesan, fellow, Council on Energy, Environment and Water, said, "When we implement emergency measures of GRAP, it may not improve air quality significantly, but prevents its further deterioration. Such measures reduce emissions, but the concentration of particulate matter remains high due to unfavourable meteorological factors. If we limit some outdoor activities, a safety net should be provided to vulnerable groups, like ensuring warm meals to daily-wage labourers or minimum income support." Aarti Khosla, director, Climate Trends, said, "The annual recurrence of this air pollution emergency clearly shows that policy efforts like smog towers, water sprinklers, etc have been totally ineffective. There was renewed hope this year that IARI's biodecomposer would reduce stubble burning, but fire counts show that the solution hasn't reached the farmers. The lockdown is our living lesson that pollution clears up within a short period if emitting sources are controlled. Unless the solutions are employed through the year, the efforts are nothing but tokenism and pollution levels will peak again next winter." Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said stringent action was needed last week when Delhi was in the grip of a severe smog episode. "Delhi should take more preemptive and preventive action. But it is also necessary to have a safety net for the vulnerable groups whose livelihoods are affected by the emergency restrictions on economic activities," she added. Anju Goel, fellow, earth science and climate change, The Energy and Resources Institute, said online classes should be conducted as children should not be exposed to such high levels of pollution.

Smog chokes Indian capital as air pollution levels soar

NEW DELHI: Sky obscured by thick, gray smog. Monuments and high-rise buildings swallowed by a blanket of haze. People struggling to breathe. In the Indian capital, it is that time of the year again. The city’s air quality index fell into the very poor category on Sunday, according to SAFAR, India’s main environmental monitoring agency, and in many areas levels of the deadly particulate matter reached around six times the global safety threshold. Nasa satellite imagery also showed most of India’s northern plains covered by thick haze. Among the many Indian cities gasping for breath, New Delhi tops the list every year. The crisis deepens particularly in the winter when the burning of crop residues in neighbouring states coincides with cooler temperatures that trap deadly smoke. That smoke travels to New Delhi, leading to a surge in pollution in the city of more than 20 million people and exacerbating what is already a public health crisis. The New Delhi government on Saturday ordered the closing of schools for a week and construction sites for four days beginning on Monday. Government offices were also told to shift to work from home for a week to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. The capital’s top elected leader, Arvind Kejriwal, said a complete lockdown of the city was likely but the decision would be taken after consultation with the federal government. India’s pollution problems are not limited to the capital. Emissions from industries with no pollution control technology and coal, which helps produce most of the country’s electricity, have been linked to the bad air quality in other urban areas. India’s energy needs are expected to grow faster in the coming decades than in any other country. A part of that demand is expected to be met by dirty coal power, a key source of carbon emissions that pollute the air. That’s why on Saturday, India asked for a last-minute change to the final agreement at crucial climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, calling for the phase down not the phase out of coal power. Indian Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav argued against a provision on phasing out coal, saying that developing countries were entitled to the responsible use of fossil fuels. Many experts criticised this move. They worry it has weakened the final agreement and could also hamper India’s fight against climate change and worsening air quality. It is not at all desirable, said Samrat Sengupta, the programme director for climate change and energy at the Centre for Science and Environment think tank. But he also said India needed enough carbon space in the atmosphere for its developmental needs to coexist with the global ambition of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times. Phasing out coal is technically impossible at the moment. None of the scenarios can project India will be having zero dependencies on coal by 2050, Sengupta said. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the country would aim to stop adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere by 2070 two decades after the US, and at least 10 years later than China.

Delhi’s pollution action plan stuck in fine print and protocol, needs relook

Experts said these protocols need a relook to make pollution control measures pre-emptive and not reactive as they are now. Delhi’s ordeal in the grip of severe-plus air pollution extended over 30 consecutive hours Saturday morning, when the Supreme Court stepped in, suggesting a two-day lockdown for the choking city. While a call on lockdown is yet to be taken, curbs such as physically shutting schools (however, online classes will continue) and stopping construction activities that were announced by the Delhi government later on Saturday are already mandated in the Supreme Court-approved Graded Response Action Plan (Grap). But the administrative intervention remained stuck in protocols and the fine print. Delhi has been experiencing another seasonal chokehold since Diwali, and under the Grap protocol, authorities can declare an air emergency and impose these curbs mandated under the severe-plus band of air quality only when PM2.5 levels cross 300 µg/m3 or PM10 levels cross 500 µg/m3 (which is fivefold above the standard) and stay there for at least 48 hours. Experts said these protocols need a relook to make pollution control measures pre-emptive and not reactive as they are now. The mechanism for implementation as well as enforcement needs rapid capacity-building, not just in Delhi but also across the National Capital Region, backed equally by strong administrative and political will. RELATED STORIES Delhi air pollution: SC slams Delhi, Centre; orders emergent measures Delhi air pollution: SC slams Delhi, Centre; orders emergent measures Air pollution: Schools in Haryana’s four NCR districts shut till Nov 17 Air pollution: Schools in Haryana’s four NCR districts shut till Nov 17 Pollution: Delhi-NCR wakes up to another smoggy day, air quality remains poor Pollution: Delhi-NCR wakes up to another smoggy day, air quality remains poor Delhi govt to submit proposal on lockdown to SC today to tackle air pollution Delhi govt to submit proposal on lockdown to SC today to tackle air pollution Late intervention Officials involved in the enforcement of pollution-control measures said they have been on track with the implementation of Grap. However, they agreed that the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which is tasked with implementing Grap, and other agencies calling the shots could be more sensitive to the gravity of the pollution crisis in the national capital, rather than being stuck in the technicalities of the plan. “On November 6, the PM 2.5 levels and PM 10 levels slipped into the severe-plus levels. However, the very next day, it briefly came below that threshold. So, technically, the CAQM and CPCB were not liable to introduce the severe-plus measures, even though the pollution continued to be at hazardous levels and was forecast to get worse. How is PM 2.5 exposure of 299ug/m3 any better than 300ug/m3? But we are stuck in technicalities,” said an official who asked not to be named. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said Grap is only a guiding document and the agencies responsible to implement it are allowed to take additional measures to control the rising pollution. “Since after Diwali, apart from two days, Delhi has been recording severe days. What are the authorities waiting for? Grap is a guiding document and it also explicitly mentions under the severe-plus measures that the administration can call in any steps other than that mentioned in the action plan to control the dangerous pollution levels. The administration needs to use its discretion and not use Grap as an excuse to not do anything. Grap measures should be automatically enforced,” Roychowdhury said.

What COP26 achieved and what it didn’t

The United Nations climate conference in Glasgow started on October 31 with the heads of over 140 countries scaling up expectations with impressive announcements The United Nations climate conference in Glasgow started on October 31 with the heads of over 140 countries scaling up expectations with impressive announcements. But, a fortnight later, 197 countries agreed to a political outcome dubbed the “Glasgow Climate Pact” which would, according to experts, continue to take the world down the over 2 degrees Celsius trajectory and clearly highlights the faultlines in the combative political will to tackle climate change.

Climate Change Is Showing Up In Our Lives Now. It’s An Existential Threat: Environmentalist Sunita Narain

The answer to climate change really is to get rid of our addiction to fossil fuel, believes environmentalist Sunita Narain New Delhi: For nearly three decades (since 1995) the United Nations has been bringing together almost every country on earth for global climate summits – called COPs – which stands for ‘Conference of the Parties’. Over the years, climate change has gone from being a fringe issue to a global priority. The 26th edition of the COP in Glasgow culminated on November 12 where world leaders alongside tens of thousands of negotiators, government representatives, businesses and citizens came together to reach an agreement on how to tackle climate change. Climate change is showing up in our lives now. It’s an existential threat. From wildfires to droughts to the intensification of cyclones to high cold, high hot season, to dust storms, it is the revenge of mother nature already, said Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment. November 12 was the last day of the twelve days talk as part of COP26. To mark the same, the NDTV-Dettol Banega Swasth India team spoke to Ms Narain where we discussed the major takeaways of COP26 and India’s plan to tackle the climate crisis. Here are some excerpts from the interaction.  Understanding Climate Change: 1.5 Degree VS 2 Degree Rise Explaining the term climate change, Ms Narain said, There are emissions that come out of the use of fossil fuel which is oil, gas, coal and that these emissions are about carbon dioxide (CO2). Once emitted, CO2 lives in the atmosphere for about 200 years. As per scientists, these gases accumulate in the atmosphere and have created a blanket around the planet. What heat comes in needs to be radiated back and this blanket is actually stopping the heat from going back. Now, scientists had said that this will lead to changes in our weather pattern and this is why the crisis is so big. Ms Narain said that ‘climate crisis’ is not something scientists have been saying or believing. It is happening for real and the latest evidence is the current floods in Chennai. The Chennai city used to face severe floods once in 10 years but over the years, it has become a once in 5 year episode and slowly turning into 3 and 2 year episode. We are beginning to see that every monsoon is about extreme rain events. Extreme rain means you get more floods and then you get prolonged periods of drought. Today, the people of Chennai are in a state where they cry for water for 12 months and then when it rains, they cry. Why can’t we get this water to flow into the sea?, says Ms Narain. To limit global warming to a safe level which is 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level, the world has to reduce global net carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 compared to 2010 levels of emissions. It is also recommended to turn net zero by 2050. Net zero CO2 emissions will be achieved when CO2 emissions generated by human beings are balanced globally by CO2 removals over a specified period. On average, from 1870 to 2020, the global temperature has increased by 1.1°C. We are already seeing such dramatic events in the world. 1.5°C is what scientists say is a guard rail. At 1.5°C the impact will be something we can handle; at 2°C it will be catastrophic. You don’t want to live in a 2°C temperature rise world, said Ms Narain. The Impact Of Climate Change On Nutrition And Health Ms Narain highlighted the impact of climate change on the poorest people in the world, who live on the frontlines. They are exposed to all kinds of weather events – rain, hailstorm, cyclone and others. As a result of which they migrate. As they migrate, you have a larger number of people coming into your cities and a larger number of unemployed on your hands. You are basically making the world both poorer and insecure. This is something that should worry us because it’s not just about India, it’s about the world. Look at immigration and with climate change, it is going to get worse, said Ms Narain. When asked about the link between climate change and nutrition and the health of the people, Ms Narain informed that agriculture contributes anywhere between 10 to 15 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions because globally, agriculture has become chemcialised and intensive. As a result of which huge amount of emissions are released from cattle as well as field. Increasing weather temperature will change crop patterns which will lead to some crops more, some crops less so it is very difficult right now. Due to extreme weather events, we are seeing farmers lose their crops. As far as health is concerned, there is a clear link with dengue; it is going up right now. Dengue and vector borne diseases will definitely increase with climate change, said Ms Narain. India’s Commitment At COP26 To Tackle Climate Change At COP26, PM Modi announced India’s plan and said that by 2070, the country will achieve the target of ‘net zero’. PM Modi further added that more passengers than the entire population of the world travel by Indian Railways every year. This huge railway system has set itself a target of making itself ‘Net Zero’ by 2030. India will bring its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030 and fulfill 50 per cent of its energy requirement through renewable energy. Ms Narain lauded India for putting a robust plan despite the fact that the country has not contributed to the problem. Calling India’s plan ambitious and robust, Ms Narain said, Currently, 10 per cent of our electricity comes from renewable sources. So, we are upping the game from 10 to 50. But, remember, it is not just upping the game from 10 to 50, it is also the time when electricity consumption in India is going to double between now and 2030. So, you are actually talking about doubling electricity and within, a four times increase in renewables. Obviously, it will be very difficult and costly to implement. We also have the challenge of providing affordable energy to a very large number of people. No question it’s going to be tough but that’s why it is important for us to layout that it’s going to be tough in the world. There is no easy answer. Everyone is going to COP thinking some miracle-easy answer will come out. It’s not going to be easy. You are dealing with an existential threat. Though India has set an ambitious target of switching to renewables, the question is, how much renewable energy do we actually need to save the environment? Explaining the same, Ms Narain said, In the case of renewable energy, unlike coal based power, you only get 20 per cent plant load factor which means you may install 100 gigawatts (GW) but you get from it only 20 GW of power. Coal gives you about 60 per cent of power. India has 100 GW of renewable right now and we meet 10 per cent of our demand. Our calculation shows that if you want to meet 50 per cent of the enhanced demand in 2030, you will need to increase 100 GW to 700 GW. Now, that means instead of building new coal, you are investing only in new renewable. That’s the big transformation of the energy system that is needed right now. India needs to implement the plan with the same boldness that it has put out the plan. Key Ways To Control Climate Change And Its Fallouts Ms Narain believes that the world was made aware of the possible climate crisis 40 years ago but we didn’t act on it at the scale and pace that is needed. The reason being, fossil fuels, which are required for the growth are the ones that are responsible for the emissions. The answer to climate change really is to get rid of our addiction to fossil fuel. It is coal which may not be used today in the rich parts of the world but they have moved to gas and natural gas is also a fossil fuel. Coal gives you the power, energy that you use in your homes. Then there is oil which is in used transport sector. Everything that we know today is because of the use of power, electricity which is from the use of fossil fuels, said Ms Narain. To get out of this addiction, Ms Narain suggests two key ways – move the energy system out of fossil fuels. Options are renewable energy, hydroelectricity, biomass, and even to some extent nuclear, if it can become safer. Secondly, to become much more efficient so we don’t use that much energy. But we are still doing too little, too late. For me, the whole challenge of climate change is not about the global problem but it’s also about how it relates to local pollution and how we can build a co-benefit approach. For example, the big problem with pollution in Delhi is also the use of coal. The pollutants are different; the pollution which you and I are seeing in Delhi is particulate matter/nitrogen dioxide/Sulphur dioxide whereas the pollution which is creating climate change is carbon dioxide. But the source is the same – the use of coal. If we can find a way in which we can reduce the use of coal, it can address both the issues, said Ms Narain. Elaborating more on the issue of air pollution in Delhi, Ms Narain said, the use of coal has been banned in Delhi and it has resulted in the downfall of pollution levels. Now, the same measures need to be implemented in areas like Sahibabad, Faridabad, Ghaziabad because the airshed is common. The more we can find such co-benefits; we can move out of driving individual cars to metro to bus to carpooling. You are reducing the kilometers travelled per car which reduces carbon dioxide emissions, you also improve local air. I think that’s the agenda going forward. An agenda which is good for us, good for India, improves our environment and is good for the world as well, said Ms Narain.

Why We Need To Cut Down On Use Of Single Use Plastics

Action stems from empathy towards nature. For me balancing science and action has always been a priority. The initial stages of Plastic Tide Turners campaign was identifying issues and perceptions with waste segregation and reducing single use plastics from our everyday life. However the visuals of a stream being suffocated with so much solid waste and untreated sewage was heartbreaking, and to add to this we caught the glimpse of a crocodile in the stream. The project was then curated to be more inclusive of water quality, stream flooding and biodiversity for which scientific analysis and hands-on public engagement was taken up. The essays and proposals won me the Champion title in 2019 but my team and I decided to continue working on water-waste issues. Water conservation needs immediate attention and response in the lieu of climate change. My team monitored the quality, organised clean-ups and conducted health surveys along the stream for residential societies and in informal settlements, as they are the ones to first hand experience flooding due to clogged up conditions of the streams. The information regarding importance of Bhukhi Stream and other such channels was broadcast through social media platforms and newspapers in different languages to engage more people and help them interact better with researchers and not feel left out of decisions for restoration proposals. I was amazed to find local women who wanted to learn about the water bodies near their homes, how they cause flooding, pollution and its impact on their health. They wanted to understand how they can solve the issue. Environmental policies rarely address female perspectives and impact of climate change on women’s health. The representation of women in government councils and policy forums is gradually increasing however not at a rate that can be called an achievement, this stems from the disadvantage of women not provided resources, education and an equal rights; Jacinda Arden, Vandana Shiva, Sunita Narain and so many women of whom I am in awe of and inspired by, are known for breaking the barriers and proving their capabilities in environmental decision making, creating magnificent change and building the foundation for the next generation. Women in conservation are filled with hope and passion and need to be given the right platforms to voice their opinions.

Cop26, Usa moderatamente soddisfatti: "Tutti scontenti, ma è una dichiarazione potente"

Delle 30 città più inquinate al mondo, 22 sono in India, dove il 18% delle morti sono riconducibili all’inquinamento, con circa 1,7 milioni di vittime nel 2019 (dati della rivista medica Lancet), cioè prima che i lockdown pandemici regalassero un po’ di respiro, di nuovo tolto appena le città si sono risvegliate, le industrie si sono rianimate e il traffico ha ripreso a scorrere. A Delhi e negli Stati limitrofi si vive dieci anni di meno a causa dell’inquinamento. «I dati indicano che i nostri figli stanno crescendo con polmoni più piccoli del normale. Un bimbo indiano su tre ha i polmoni danneggiati e un numero molto alto di ragazzi ha emorragie polmonari da smog», dice Anumita Roy Chowdhury, direttrice del Centro per le scienze ambientali. Perché si avvelenano milioni di vite con tali livelli di polveri sottili? Perché l’economia indiana deve generare mezzo milione di posti di lavoro per una popolazione di 1,4 miliardi di persone, di cui la metà ha meno di 25 anni. E ci vuole tanto carbone per generare elettricità e tanti motori a scoppio che bruciano benzina: i morti da inquinamento sono morti di sviluppo. La scelta, si dice in India, è tra morire asfissiati o morire perché non c’è lavoro. L’India è quindi l’avvelenatore del mondo per la crescita a tutti i costi? «Andiamoci piano», dice a Repubblica lo scrittore Amitav Ghosh, «è deplorabile che l’India a Glasgow abbia annacquato gli accordi sull’ambiente, ma non bisogna farne un capro espiatorio. Anche il presidente americano Biden ha appena rilasciato nuovi permessi per centrali di carburante fossile, come molti altri leader. È vero, rilasciare 55 nuovi permessi per centrali a carbone, come ha fatto il governo di Modi, è una decisione terribile, anche perché sfratterà dalle loro terre centinaia di migliaia di popolazioni Adivasi. Ma l’India non è sola in questo. C’è troppo greenwashing, troppo ambientalismo di facciata in tutto il mondo».