Centre for Science and Environment masthead Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Donate

Cse In News

Cse In News

Air Pollution: पर्यावरणविद सुनीता नारायण ने बताया प्रदूषण से जंग में क्या है सबसे बड़ी बाधा, गिनाई खामियां

नई दिल्ली। सालों की मेहनत के बाद भी दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वायु प्रदूषण का अपेक्षित स्तर पर कम नहीं होना चिंताजनक है। अभी भी दिल्ली में कमोबेश हर नागरिक प्रदूषित हवा में ही सांस लेने को मजबूर है। हालांकि इससे निपटने के लिए योजनाएं बहुत बनाई गई हैं, लेकिन गंभीरता से उन पर अमल बहुत कम हो पाता है। यह अलग बात है कि बीते कुछ सालों में विभिन्न वजहों से दिल्ली के आवरआल प्रदूषण में कुछ कमी अवश्य आई है। दरअसल, प्रदूषण से जंग में ईमानदारी और गंभीरता दोनों अनिवार्य हैं। सरकारी सक्रियता भी बहुत मायने रखती है। केद्र सरकार कार्ययोजनाएं तैयार करती है जबकि उन पर अमल करने की जिम्मेदारी राज्य सरकारों की होती है। प्रदूषण पर राजनीति ही नहीं, अमीर और गरीब का भेद खत्म करना भी जरूरी है। दीर्घकालिक उपायों को गति देनी होगी। निगरानी बढ़ानी होगी। जन जागरूकता के साथ-साथ सख्त रवैया भी अपनाना होगा। ऐसा नहीं होने के कारण ही पहले केवल सर्दियों के मौसम में समस्या का सबब बनने वाला वायु प्रदूषण अब नासूर बनकर दिल्ली एनसीआर में वर्ष भर दर्द देता है। ग्रेडेड रिस्पांस एक्शन प्लान (ग्रेप) अधिसूचित होने के बावजूद दिल्ली-एनसीआर में प्रदूषण बढ़ने की वजह इसके पालन में हीलाहवाली भी है। नियम-कायदे तो बन गए, लेकिन उन पर क्रियान्वयन करने वाली एजेंसियां अभी भी बहुत सक्रिय नहीं हैं। मसलन, डीजल जेनरेटर पर प्रतिबंध सुनिश्चित करने के लिए हरियाणा, उत्तर प्रदेश और राजस्थान हर साल हाथ खड़े कर देते हैं। ग्रेप के प्रावधान लागू करने के लिए राज्य सरकार से लेकर स्थानीय निकाय तक सभी जिम्मेदार हैं। लेकिन हकीकत में इनमें आपस में ही कोई तालमेल नहीं है। ग्रेप के प्रावधानों का पालन न होने की स्थिति में कार्रवाई आवश्यक है। लेकिन वह किसी भी स्तर पर ठीक से नहीं हो रही है। सीपीसीबी और दिल्ली प्रदूषण नियंत्रण समिति (डीपीसीसी) के अलावा किसी राज्य प्रदूषण बोर्ड ने ठीक से पेट्रोलिंग टीमों का गठन तक नहीं किया है। विडंबना यह कि सीपीसीबी की टीमें भी विभिन्न इलाकों का दौरा कर जो रिपोर्ट तैयार करती हैं, सीपीसीबी की ओर से कार्रवाई के लिए प्रदूषण बोर्डो को भेज दी जाती है। उदाहरण के लिए दिल्ली प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड इस रिपोर्ट को नगर निगमों के पास अग्रसारित कर देता है जबकि नगर निगम की ओर से न उस पर कार्रवाई होती है, न ही वापस जवाब भेजा जाता है। ग्रेप के पालन में राज्य सरकारें जहां राजनीतिक राग द्वेष भी साथ लेकर चल रही हैं वहीं प्रदूषण बोर्ड स्वयं को अधिकार विहीन बताते हुए लाचार महसूस कर रहे हैं। यही वजह है कि किसी को कोई भय नहीं है। पंजाब और हरियाणा में पराली जलाने की घटनाएं अभी भी सामने आ रही हैं। यहां भी राज्य सरकारों की भूमिका काफी मासने रखती है। सरकारों को चाहिए कि वोट बैंक की ही नहीं बल्कि अपने मतदाताओं के स्वास्थ्य की भी फिक्र करें। जन सहयोग भी बहुत महत्वपूर्ण है। जनजागरूकता अभियान चलाया जाना चाहिए। जितनी जन जागरूकता बढ़ेगी, उतना ही सभी का सहयोग मिलेगा। अगर दिल्ली एनसीआर के प्रदूषण को और कम करना है तो इसके लिए केवल प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड ही नहीं, दिल्ली विकास प्राधिकरण (डीडीए), केंद्रीय लोक निर्माण विभाग (सीपीडब्ल्यूडी), लोक निर्माण विभाग (पीडब्ल्यूडी), नगर निगम (एमसीडी) और नई दिल्ली नगर पालिका परिषद (एनडीएमसी), दिल्ली कैंट सभी को मिलकर काम करना होगा। राज्य और केंद्र सरकार को भी निगरानी व जवाबदेही दोनों तय करनी होगी। सार्वजनिक परिवहन व्यवस्था को मजबूत करना होगा। इलेक्टि्रक वाहनों और साइकिल को भी बढ़ावा देना चाहिए।हालांकि अब इस समस्या से निपटने के लिए 18 सदस्यीय एक आयोग बना दिया गया है तो उम्मीद है कि उक्त समस्याओं का समाधान भी निकल आएगा। ग्रेप का दायरा भी बढ़ जाएगा, क्योंकि आयोग का अधिकार क्षेत्र सिर्फ राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र ही नहीं बल्कि समीवर्ती वे सभी इलाके हैं जो दिल्ली की हवा को प्रभावित करते हैं। आयोग को शक्तियां भी काफी दी गई हैं। ग्रेप के प्रावधानों का पालन नहीं होने की स्थिति में सख्त कार्रवाई करना भी अत्यंत आवश्यक है। (सेंटर फार साइंस एंड एन्वायरमेंट (सीएसई) की महानिदेशक सुनीता नारायण की संवाददाता संजीव गुप्ता से बातचीत पर आधारित)

कैसे हो प्रदूषण कंट्रोल, राज्य प्रदूषण बोर्ड ठीक से पेट्रोलिंग टीमों का गठन तक नहीं करते, पढ़िए अन्य खामियां

नई दिल्ली [संजीव गुप्ता]। सालों की मेहनत के बाद भी दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वायु प्रदूषण का अपेक्षित स्तर पर कम नहीं होना चिंताजनक है। दिल्ली में अभी भी हर नागरिक प्रदूषित हवा में ही सांस लेने को मजबूर है। हालांकि, इससे निपटने के लिए योजनाएं तो बहुत बनाई गई हैं, लेकिन उन पर गंभीरता से अमल बहुत कम हो पाता है। यह अलग बात है कि बीते कुछ सालों में विभिन्न वजहों से समग्रता में दिल्ली के प्रदूषण में कुछ कमी अवश्य आई है। दरअसल, प्रदूषण से जंग में ईमानदारी व गंभीरता दोनों अनिवार्य हैं। सरकारी सक्रियता भी बहुत मायने रखती है। केंद्र सरकार कार्ययोजनाएं तैयार करती है, जबकि उन पर अमल करने की जिम्मेदारी राज्य सरकारों की होती है। प्रदूषण पर राजनीति ही नहीं, अमीर और गरीब का भेद खत्म करना भी जरूरी है। दीर्घकालिक उपायों को गति देनी होगी। निगरानी बढ़ानी होगी। जन जागरूकता के साथ-साथ सख्त रवैया भी अपनाना होगा। ऐसा नहीं होने के कारण ही पहले केवल सर्दियों के मौसम में समस्या का सबब बनने वाला वायु प्रदूषण अब नासूर बनकर दिल्ली एनसीआर में वर्ष भर दर्द देता है। विभागों में तालमेल ही नहीं ग्रेडेड रिस्पांस एक्शन प्लान (ग्रेप) अधिसूचित होने के बावजूद दिल्ली-एनसीआर में प्रदूषण बढ़ने की वजह इसके पालन में हीलाहवाली है। नियम-कायदे तो बन गए, लेकिन उन पर क्रियान्वयन करने वाली एजेंसियां अभी भी बहुत सक्रिय नहीं हैं। डीजल जेनरेटर पर प्रतिबंध सुनिश्चित करने के लिए राज्य सरकारें हर साल हाथ खड़े कर देती है। ग्रेप के प्रविधान लागू करने के लिए राज्य सरकार से लेकर स्थानीय निकाय तक सभी जिम्मेदार हैं। लेकिन हकीकत में इनमें आपस में ही कोई तालमेल नहीं है। कार्रवाई का अभाव ग्रेप के प्रविधानों का पालन न होने की स्थिति में कार्रवाई आवश्यक है। लेकिन वह किसी भी स्तर पर ठीक से नहीं हो रही है। सीपीसीबी और दिल्ली प्रदूषण नियंत्रण समिति (डीपीसीसी) के अलावा किसी राज्य प्रदूषण बोर्ड ने ठीक से पेट्रोलिंग टीमों का गठन तक नहीं किया है। विडंबना यह है कि सीपीसीबी की टीमें जो रिपोर्ट तैयार करती हैं, सीपीसीबी की ओर से कार्रवाई के लिए प्रदूषण बोर्ड को भेज दी जाती है। उदाहरण के लिए दिल्ली प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड इस रिपोर्ट को नगर निगमों के पास अग्रसारित कर देता है जबकि नगर निगम की ओर से न उस पर कार्रवाई होती है, न ही वापस ज-वाब भेजा जाता है। (सुनीता नारायण, महानिदेशक, सेंटर फार साइंस एंड एन्वायरमेंट (सीएसई) समन्वय जरूरी अगर दिल्ली-एनसीआर के प्रदूषण को और कम करना है तो केवल प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड ही नहीं, दिल्ली विकास प्राधिकरण (डीडीए), केंद्रीय लोक निर्माण विभाग (सीपीडब्ल्यूडी), लोक निर्माण विभाग (पीडब्ल्यूडी), नगर निगम (एमसीडी) और नई दिल्ली नगर पालिका परिषद (एनडीएमसी), दिल्ली कैंट सभी को मिलकर काम करना होगा। राज्य और केंद्र सरकार को भी निगरानी व जवाबदेही दोनों तय करनी होगी। सार्वजनिक परिवहन व्यवस्था को मजबूत करना होगा। इलेक्टिक वाहनों और साइकिल को भी बढ़ावा देना चाहिए।

Know About Human Made Garbage Mountains Causing Havoc To Environment https://thelogicalindian.com/trending/garbage-dumps-31347

Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised that garbage mountains would soon be replaced with waste treatment plants. It remains to be seen how skyscraping garbage mountains of India's two most important cities fare in the times to come. Delhi and Mumbai are some of the busiest cities in India. Both these cities housed a population of 1.9 crores and 1.25 crores according to the last census, and the rise in the number of people residing in the two cities is inevitable. The increasing urbanization takes a toll on the available built-up area. It poses a severe challenge to the Municipal Corporations to manage the amount of waste produced every day. The decomposing waste in the massive garbage dumps releases toxic gases like methane, hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide. PM Pledged $13 Billion Towards National Cleanliness A study published by a Delhi-based think tank, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), found that more than 3000 garbage mountains in the country contained 800 million tonnes of rubbish. A case has been going on for 26 years in the Bombay High Court demanding the closedown of Deonar grounds, but the constant dumping of waste continues. The unabashed garbage dumping has long bothered Indian politicians. On October 1, 2021, PM Modi pledged $13 billion towards national cleanliness and promised to install sewage treatment plants in the dumping grounds. However, the BBC reported that experts are sceptical that the move is feasible on such a large scale. The International Media organization quoted Siddharth Ghanshyam Singh, deputy program manager at CSE, "While it has been done in smaller cities, it is hard to provide a remedy for waste mountains at this scale". In 2000, India passed laws to municipalities to process the waste; however, only partial compliance is reported. Waste pickers burn the trash in some garbage dumps because the fire burns the lighter trash, and the metal waste comes up. The metal waste can fetch more money for them. After the garbage fires of Deonar in 2016, the municipality has increased the security of the dumping sites. If the waste pickers manage to sneak into the dumps, and if they are caught, they are often beaten, detained and sent back. The condition is not exclusive to Mumbai only. The Ghazipur Garbage dump has also found mentioned in headlines several times. Unfortunately, the dump is so massive that it has earned the distinction of being as tall as the Qutub Minar. The 'mountain of garbage' receives tonnes of waste every single day. The residents of the national capital have found their way of letting their frustration out. The residents have rated the landfill site with five stars on Google Maps to garner more attention. The Ghazipur landfill site is one of the three oldest garbage dumping sites of Delhi and came up in 1984. A Waste Mountain Taller Than Taj Mahal The matter has long been a bone of contention amongst politicians. BJP MLA and former cricketer Gautam Gambhir said that action needs to be taken to reduce the height of Ghazipur's waste mountain, to which AAP, the ruling party in Delhi, replied that he was 'lying' as there was a significant increase in the width of the heap. Experts had predicted that the dump in East Delhi would become taller than the Taj Mahal in 2020, substantiating the United Nation's claim that New Delhi is the most polluted of all capitals in the country. It remains to be seen how the government tackles the issue of reducing the sky-high reach of the mountains of waste and installing better waste treatment systems across the country. Since metropolitan cities have better employment opportunities, the population influx is likely to continue in the years to come. As more people come into the city borders, the waste generation is bound to increase. Getting rid of the enormous mountains of waste might be the first step that municipalities should look into while simultaneously developing waste processing units. The onus also lies on us citizens to segregate waste since we are the ultimate bearers of the menace of uncontrolled waste dumping.

Two-wheeler week kicks off on October 25

India is one of the world’s largest two-wheeler markets but this landscape is dynamic and changing at a fast and furious pace. On the one hand, the conventional ICE vehicles are jostling in a tight race to revival in terms of sales, on the other hand, electric two-wheelers are gradually carving out a place of their own. Autocar Professional strives to address the various facets, challenges and opportunities across the two-wheeler ecosystem to bring you a comprehensive understanding of the future trends in its mega Two-wheeler Week between October 25-29, 2021, starting 10 am every day. Given the new normal of social distancing in a Covid-scarred world, this edition of the Two-wheeler week will be ‘digital only’ as well. The discussions every day will span across various issues of the two-wheeler eco-system and we will address it in the form of a one-on-one conversation with the Captains of Auto Inc followed by a panel of speakers representing every sub-segment of the two-wheeler industry from manufacturers to component makers and government representatives too. Register now to ensure your participation everyday of this power-packed last week of October. Participants can hear and share their views and also pose questions. At Autocar Professional we try to take up all our viewer questions and maximise the value of every minute that all of you share with us. Remember to join us at 10 am every morning between October 25-29, 2021. Here is a day-wise split of the topics that the Two-wheeler week strives to tackle in this virtual edition of the digital conclave. October 25 – Industry regains momentum 10-10:30 am- Rakesh Sharma, Executive Director, Bajaj Auto 10:35-11:35 am -YS Guleria, Director - Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India -Vinkesh Gulati, President, Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) October 26- The race to go electric 10-10:30 am- Sudarshan Venu, Joint MD, TVS Motor Company 10:35- 11:35 am -Ravneet Phokela, Chief Business Officer, Ather Energy -Srinivas Kantheti, Co-founder & MD, Wheels EMI -Wicher Kist, CEO, Saietta Group -Shivalik Prasad, VP (Sales & Alliances), Sibros -Arjun Jain, Business Head - Electrical/Electronics at Varroc Group October 27- Road to greener mobility 10- 10:30 am - Diego Graffi, CEO & MD, Piaggio Vehicles 10:35- 11:35 am -Mahua Acharya, MD & CEO, Convergence Energy Services (CESL) -Anumita Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director, Research & Advocacy Centre for Science and Enviornment (CSE) -Pankaj Dubey, Co-founder & CEO, Power Global India October 28- Emerging safety trends and challenges 10- 10:30 am -Krishan Kohli, Head India Market — BU HBS & VED and MD, Continental Automotive Brake Systems India 10:35- 11:35 am Piyush Tewari, Founder & CEO, SaveLife Foundation Uri Lavi, CEO & Co-founder, Ride Vision Renuka Srinivasan, Sales Director, Dassault Systemes October 29- Premium biking and the way forward 10- 10:30 am - Exclusive conversation with top premium biking manufacturers across India 10:35- 11:35 am Bipul Chandra, MD, Ducati India Ravi Avalur, Head - New Business Unit, Harley-Davidson India

Delhi breathes year’s cleanest air, first ever ‘good air’ day recorded in October

NEW DELHI: Monday’s heavy overnight rain achieved what this year’s monsoon couldn’t — produce a “good air” day for Delhiites, the first in 2021, and the first in October since the air quality index began in 2015. The city’s average AQI on Monday was 46, entering the “good” zone (below 50) for the first time in 14 months. The improvement in air quality in a span of 24 hours couldn’t have been more dramatic. On Sunday, Delhi’s AQI had hovered close to the “very poor” category (above 300) at 298, with a toxic haze enveloping the city the day before. As air quality usually starts falling from mid-October, experts said a clean air day during this time was highly “unusual”. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board, which started measuring AQI from 2015, shows good air days are rare in Delhi. Not a single such day was reported in 2015, 2016 and 2018. Rarer still are good air days outside the monsoon season, with just one recorded since 2015, prior to Monday. In 2017, there were two “good air” days, on July 30 and 31. Two days were reported in 2019 as well — August 18 and 19. Last year, Delhi saw five good air quality days — one in March following the total Covid lockdown and four in August. V K Soni, head, environment and research centre, India Meteorological Department (IMD), said, “Good rainfall recorded in Delhi and neighbouring states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Uttarakhand, helped wash out pollutants, pushing the city’s AQI in the ‘good’ category.” Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said, “A good air day in October is unusual due to the onset of winter conditions that trap pollution. A good air day (based on AQI) is elusive in the capital and a few that occur happen largely during monsoon period.” She added, “This October, however, delayed and intense rains in the region have washed out pollutants. But pollution will bounce back soon. We need to be prepared.” System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the forecasting body under the Union ministry of earth sciences, said, “Delhi’s AQI is in the good category with PM2.5 as the main pollutant. Local land surfaces are wet and so dust re-suspension is minimum which led to low PM10. Presence of western disturbance has led to scattered rainfall over north India, leading to low biomass burning. This condition improved AQI with low PM2.5. Fire counts have reduced to 170 and its share is only 1% to PM2.5.” Experts warned that the air quality is likely to deteriorate in the next two days. SAFAR said, “Moist surfaces inhibit re-suspension of dust which will keep AQI in ‘good’ category for the next 24 hours. After that, AQI will degrade to ‘satisfactory’ for Delhi.” L S Kurinji, programme associate, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) said, “In the coming weeks, with changes in meteorological conditions, emissions from local and regional sources would only cause deterioration in air quality. The Delhi government should roll out pre-emptive measures in advance to keep the capital's air quality levels under check.”

Target of Net zero emission against climate justice: LMDC

The Like-Minded Developing Countries — a group of developing countries which have a similar stand in the United Nations climate negotiations — have said that a net zero goal for all countries by mid-century is “anti-equity” and against “climate justice” The Like-Minded Developing Countries — a group of developing countries which have a similar stand in the United Nations climate negotiations — have said that a net zero goal for all countries by mid-century is “anti-equity” and against “climate justice”. In a strongly worded statement, the countries said, “Despite their lack of ambition shown in the pre-2020 period, as well as in their Paris Agreement NDCs (nationally determined contributions) major developed countries are now pushing to shift the goal posts of the Paris Agreement from what have already been agreed by calling for all countries to adopt net zero emissions targets by 2050.” Net zero emissions for all countries by 2050 will exacerbate existing inequities between developed and developing countries, the statement added. The Paris Agreement refers to achieving a balance between emissions and removal by sinks in the second half of this century as a global aspiration rather than as national targets for all countries. “Achieving this global aspiration is on the basis of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities, in the context of ensuring sustainable development and poverty eradication in developing countries and taking into consideration equity,” the statement endorsed by all LMDC ministers said. During their own industrialisation phase, the developed countries have overused their domestic carbon space and used those of developing countries as well, the countries said. “Developed countries should, in acknowledgement of such historical cumulative and per capita cumulative carbon emissions, leave the remaining atmospheric space for the developmental rights of the developing world and aim for their full decarbonisation within this decade. If they continue to emit and occupy more atmospheric space for the next 30 years, the Paris Agreement’s global goals and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s objective will not be met,” the statement concluded. In 2012 in Doha, developed countries agreed to revisit their emission reduction targets by the end of 2014 and to raise their ambition level. Developed countries have, in fact, increased their emissions between 1990 and 2020, the statement highlighted. On the issue of delivery of climate finance, developed countries agreed in 2010 to mobilise $100 billion per year by 2020. “Regrettably, here too they have fallen short of their agreement. In Paris, the 2020 timeline to deliver on the USD100 billion was shifted to 2025, with no assurance that it would be reached or with higher ambition, while at the same time developing countries are requested to raise their ambition on climate actions. These failures to deliver on the commitments agreed to by developed countries undermines trust and confidence in the multilateral system,” the statement said. Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav, who represented India at the LMDC ministerial meeting chaired by Bolivia on Monday, said the world needs rapid and transformative actions. “I stated that delayed climate action and lack of leadership from developed countries has increased the cost of mitigation and adaptation in developing countries… LMDC countries should closely work together to protect their interests and ensure that global efforts for net-zero should be guided by the principles of the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement, and also by national circumstances and priorities,” Yadav tweeted after his address. LMDC countries include Algeria, Bangladesh, Bolivia, China, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mali, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Sri Lanka, among others. “2050 as a global goal for net zero is too little, too late. It buys wealthy countries time to continue to emit more, while resource-poor countries face the consequences in the short and medium term. Delayed mitigation also presents the risk of uncontrollable warming later this century. So, from both a scientific view, as well as the perspective of historical cumulative emissions, developed nations must bring emissions to zero or as close as possible, within this decade,” said Avantika Goswami of the climate change programme at the Centre for Science and Environment.

Prémio Gulbenkian. Depois de Greta, volta a aposta a favor do clima Sustentabilidade Segunda edição do Prémio Gulbenkian para a Humanidade de um milhão de euros é entregue na terça-feira

Na primeira edição foi distinguida a ativista sueca Greta Thunberg, que em julho de 2020 foi escolhida pelo júri do prémio como a personalidade que mais se destacou na defesa do ambiente e de forma inovadora combateu as alterações climáticas. A jovem ativista reagiu rapidamente ao confirmar que ia doar metade do valor do prémio, 500 mil euros a dez organizações ambientais em vários continentes. A Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, que apoia vítimas de catástrofes em África e a Oil Change International, que apoia projetos de energias renováveis a Solar Sister, que dá formação empresarial a mulheres empreendedoras da Tanzânia e Nigéria, foram algumas das organizações apoiadas com a verba da primeira edição do Prémio Gulbenkian para a Humanidade, que anuncia esta terça-feira o vencedor da edição de 2021. O júri deste ano é composto por Miguel Bastos Araújo, Hans-Joachim Schellnhuber, Johan Rockström, Mariana Mazzucato, Miguel Aries Cañete, o príncipe Constantijn van Oranje, Runa Khan, Sandra Díaz, Sunita Narain e Rik Leemans, o líder do grupo de Análise de Sistemas Ambientais da Universidade de Wageningen, Países Baixos. Rik Leemans diz ao DInheiro Vivo que este "é um prémio dedicado a personalidades académicas e da sociedade que criaram substanciais acções no âmbito das alterações climáticas e apesar de só ter sido atribuído uma vez já tem uma visibilidade internacional muito alargada. Temos nomeações muito diversas, na área de engenharia, finanças ou ciências, mas também de organizações com soluções locais, regionais ou globais ou que estimularam pessoas e governos a fazer transições sustentáveis e a envolverem-se nas questões ambientais". Rik Leemans sublinha que "a prosperidade não é incompatível com a sustentabilidade. Prosperidade é uma combinação de pessoas lucros, planeta e prazer, todos são importantes e não são independentes. Os lucros não são possíveis sem pessoas que têm prazer e sem o planeta, a humanidade depende muito do ambiente, dos seus recursos e do seu ecossistema para sobreviver" e são esses os princípios que este prémio procura incentivar. Subscrever newsletter Subscreva a nossa newsletter e tenha as notícias no seu e-mail todos os dias O jurado dos Países Baixos refere ainda que "têm de ser todos os atores da nossa sociedade a contribuir, mas há alguns setores ainda muito dependentes dos combustíveis fósseis: a metalomecânica, os cimentos e os fertilizantes emitem muito CO2. As alternativas a estes produtos têm que ser desenvolvidas em breve e o hidrogénio pode ser uma solução". Quanto às novas tecnologias, Rik Leemans admite que a nova fase de digitalização "pode ajudar a acelerar alguns processos e a reduzir o trânsito, mas esta é uma indústria que depende muito de eletricidade para os seus servidores e para os arrefecer. A digitalização consome muita energia e muita dela verde, terá que ser uma indústria mais eficiente também", porque "os impactos sociais e ambientais continuam a ser muitas vezes ignorados, se forem incluídos nos preços finais, certamente que os produtos amigos do ambiente acabarão por ser mais baratos". "Uma sociedade sustentável é provavelmente como um Jardim do Eden biodiverso, com pessoas felizes, empreendedores responsáveis e com todas as necessidades satisfeitas em equidade. Talvez com uma macieira e uma cobra com compaixão", acrescenta.

The nightmare of India's tallest rubbish mountain

The "mountains of garbage" dotting India's cities will soon be replaced with waste treatment plants, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised earlier this month. Author Saumya Roy reports from the country's oldest and tallest mountain of rubbish - some 18 storeys high - in the western coastal city of Mumbai. Every morning, Farha Shaikh stands on top of a more-than-a-century-old rubbish mountain in Mumbai, waiting for garbage trucks to make their way up. The 19-year-old waste picker has been scavenging through these heaps in the Deonar suburb for as long as she can remember. From the gloopy trash, she usually picks up plastic bottles, glass and wire to sell in the city's thriving waste markets. But most of all she looks out for broken mobile phones. Every few weeks, Farha finds a "dead" mobile phone in the trash. She digs into her meagre savings and gets it repaired. Once it flickers to life, she spends her evenings watching films, playing video games, texting and calling friends. When the phone stops working again days or weeks later, Farha's connection with the world outside snaps again. She is back to working long days, collecting the remains of the city to resell - and looking for another phone to restore. More than 16 million tonnes of trash make up Deonar's rubbish mountains - eight of them spread over a 300-acre sprawl - that are said to be India's largest and oldest. Waste is piled as high as 120ft (36.5m). The sea forms the outer edge of the mountains and slums have been built into the sturdy heaps of rubbish. The decomposing waste releases noxious gases such as methane, hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide. In 2016, it erupted in fires that burned for months and caused smoke in much of Mumbai. Rubbish fires at landfills contributed 11% of particulate matter, a major cause of air pollution in the city, according to a 2011 study by India's pollution regulator. The men who make money selling your trash The activist tackling Mumbai's rubbish mountain A 2020 study by a Delhi-based think tank, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), found 3,159 such mountains containing 800 million tonnes of rubbish across India. In Mumbai, a court case has been going on for 26 years to close down the Deonar grounds but the dumping of waste continues. India's waste mountains have long vexed officials and politicians. On 1 October, Mr Modi announced nearly $13bn (£9.54bn) for a national cleanliness programme that would include setting up a number of sewage treatment plants to gradually replace open air rubbish dumps such as the one in Deonar. But experts are sceptical. "While it has been done in smaller cities, it is hard to provide a remedy for waste mountains at this scale," says Siddharth Ghanshyam Singh, deputy program manager at CSE. "There is an acknowledgement that this is a problem but we have accepted that if we are to live in big cities like Mumbai or Delhi, these garbage mountains come with it," says Dharmesh Shah, country co-ordinator for the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, a coalition of groups that advocate for reduced waste. Since 2000, India has passed rules asking municipalities to process waste. But most states report only partial compliance, and there are not enough waste treatment plants. Mumbai, India's commercial and entertainment capital and home to some 20 million people, has just one such plant. There are now plans for a waste-to-energy plant at Deonar. Mr Modi said he expects the plan to create new, green jobs. But that worries waste pickers like Farha who have been doing this job all their lives. It has become much harder for them to access the waste mountains after the fires in 2016. The municipality has increased security to prevent waste pickers from going in and lighting fires - the flames melt the lighter trash, bringing up metal that fetches high prices. The waste pickers who manage to sneak in are often beaten, detained and sent back. But some bribe the guards or enter before the security patrols begin at daylight. So, little segregation happens at the grounds in Denoar now - instead, a lot of the waste is segregated in the city itself, and what arrives at Deonar has reduced over time. Farha hasn't had a phone for months. She has to bribe guards at least 50 rupees ($0.67; £0.49) every day to get in and work at the Deonar grounds. To recover this, she even thought of picking through the rubbish that began arriving from the city's Covid hospital wards last year. But her family asked her not to pick up the "harmful" Covid waste. So, she hangs close, watching pickers wear protective gear in the rain to keep collecting plastic to resell. The city was sending new trash, and as they had for years, the mountains had to accommodate it and pickers had to collect and resell it. "Hunger will kill us if not illness," Farha says.

Delhi Pollution: रावण जलने के बाद धुआं-धुआं हुई दिल्ली, दशहरे पर बढ़ा इतना प्रदूषण तो दिवाली पर क्या होगा?

नई दिल्ली बैन के बावजूद इस बार दशहरे पर इतनी आतिशबाजी हुई कि प्रदूषण स्तर जो अब तक सामान्य चल रहा था खराब स्तर पर पहुंच गया। सवाल यह है कि आखिर दशहरे पर ही यह हाल है, तो दिवाली पर क्या होगा? साथ ही यह भी कि बैन के बावजूद इतने सारे पटाखे लोगों तक कैसे पहुंच रहे हैं और इसके लिए प्रशासनिक तौर पर क्या कार्रवाई हो रही हैं? आसान नहीं पटाखों पर बैन जानकारों के अनुसार पटाखों पर बैन के बेअसर होने की बात कुछ हद तक सही है। लेकिन इसकी कई वजहें है। दरअसल, हमेशा से दिवाली और आतिशबाजी को एक दूसरे से जोड़कर देखा गया है। ऐसे में, इस बदलाव को अपनाने में लोगों को समय लगेगा। दूसरा अभी जो कोशिशें हो रही हैं, वे बहुत ही कम है। दिवाली पर पटाखों पर बैन एक से दो महीने पहले लगाया जाता है, लेकिन फैक्ट्रियों में पटाखे बनने का काम करीब सात-आठ महीने पहले शुरू हो जाता है और पांच-छह महीने पहले तो थोक पटाखा विक्रेता आर्डर दे देते हैं। फिर एक बार पटाखे दुकानों तक पहुंच गए, तो उन्हें बिकने और जलाने से रोकना मुश्किल हो जाता है। दिल्ली में रविवार को बारिश के आसार, आसमान में छाए रहेंगे बादल 'लोगों को भी शामिल करें' इस बारे में बात करने पर ग्रीन पीस के वरिष्ठ कैंपेनर अविनाश चंचल कहते हैं, 'दशहरा दिवाली पर पटाखे जलाना लोगों की मानसिकता में है। इसे बदलने में समय लगेगा। लेकिन इसके लिए सरकारों व डिपार्टमेंट को लोगों के साथ मिलकर काम करना होगा। बैन लगाते समय वे जब एजेंडा सेट करें, तो आरडब्ल्यूए के प्रतिनिधियों के साथ भी मीटिंग लें। बड़े स्तर पर लोगों को बताया जाना चाहिए कि आखिर पटाखों पर बैन क्यों लग रहा है? कई लोग इसकी वजह धर्म से जोड़ लेते हैं। दूसरा पटाखों पर बैन लगाने के लिए उन पर सख्त कार्रवाई की जरूरत है, जो नहीं दिख रही है। हालत यह है कि आपको अपने पड़ोस की दुकानों पर बेहद आसानी से पटाखे मिल जाते हैं। अगर दशहरे पर यह हाल है, तो दिवाली पर क्या होगा।' Delhi Pollution News: डस्ट पल्यूशन के लिए 72 लोगों पर लगाया गया जुर्माना 'कड़ी कार्रवाई की जरूरत' आईपीयू की यूनिवर्सिटी स्कूल ऑफ एनवायरमेंट मैनेजमेंट के असिस्टेंट प्रोफेसर डॉ. सुमित डूकिया मानते हैं कि पटाखों पर बैन लगाने के लिए काफी सख्ती करने की जरूरत है। बकौल डूकिया, 'बैन लगाने के तुरंत बाद कड़ी कार्रवाई होनी चाहिए। बैन लगाने के बाद स्ट्रेटेजी बनाने का मतलब नहीं है। अब एक हफ्ते तक कोई एक्शन नहीं हुआ और विक्रेताओं व खरीददारों को काफी समय मिल गया कि वे अपने स्टॉक अपने पास रख लें। जिन्हें बेचने थे उन्होंने बेच दिए जिन्हें खरीदने थे उन्होंने खरीद लिए। वहीं लोगों का सहयोग इसके लिए जरूरी है। इसलिए जब तक लोगों से बात नहीं की जाएगी, अपने फैसलों में उन्हें शामिल नहीं किया जाएगा, तब तक परिणाम उतने नहीं मिलेंगे जितने मिलने चाहिए।' Delhi Pollution Report: अक्टूबर के शुरुआती 12 दिनों में प्रदूषण से मिली दिल्ली को राहत, 6 साल में पहली बार अक्टूबर में प्रदूषण सबसे कम 'पहले से लगना चाहिए बैन' वहीं सीएसई की अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी के अनुसार पटाखों पर बैन सरकार और आम लोगों दोनों के सहयोग से ही कारगर हो सकता है। बकौल चौधरी, 'अभी बैन लगाने से पहले ही उसकी बातें शुरू हो जाती हैं। इस दौरान विक्रेता अधिक मुनाफे पर अपना स्टॉक निकाल देते हैं और खरीददार खरीद लेते हैं। लेकिन लोगों को यह बताने की जरूरत है कि आतिशबाजी उनके साथ उनके बच्चों की आने वाली पीढ़ी की सेहत पर असर डाल रही है। यह बात लोगों को धीरे धीरे समझ आएगी। फिर पटाखों के लाइसेंस सख्त किए जाने चाहिए। अवैध पटाखा फैक्ट्रियों के खिलाफ सख्ती होनी चाहिए। यह काम पूरे साल किया जाना चाहिए। लेकिन अभी हम दिवाली से कुछ हफ्ते या महीने पहले ही जागते हैं।' दशहरे पर प्रदूषण में हुआ कितना इजाफा साल दशहरे पर दशहरे के अगले दिन 2021 198 253 2020 349 353 2019 112 173 2018 276 326 2017 198 196

Extreme weather events in India made women, children more vulnerable to modern slavery, flags report

Climate change-induced extreme weather events put women, children and minorities at risk of modern slavery and human trafficking. The phenomenon is on the rise in India, among other countries, warned the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and Anti-Slavery International in a recent report. Modern slavery — including debt bondage, bonded labour, early / forced marriage and human trafficking — converge with climate change, particularly climate shocks and climate-related forced displacement and migration, the report said. The report observed what happened in Sundarbans, for instance. The delta region is characterised by intense, recurrent and sudden onset disasters, as well as slow onset ecological degradation making large areas uninhabitable. Rising sea levels, erratic rainfall, increased frequency of cyclones, tidal surges and floods, mean that millions of people across the Sundarbans are unable to work for most of the year. In 2009, Cyclone Aila caused widespread damage to lives and livelihoods. In 2020, during Cyclone Amphan, 400 kilometres of embankment was breached and seawater entered the flood plains resulting in widespread displacement from homes and loss of livelihoods for more than two million people. Such events made locals vulnerable to traffickers and drove them into forced labour, it said. Human trafficking had increased following the tsunami in Indonesia in 2004 as well. Severe cyclone and flooding in Sundarbans delta had also reduced the land for agriculture, which is the major source of livelihood. While restrictions were imposed by bordering countries, smugglers and traffickers operating in the affected region targeted widows and men desperate to cross the border to India to find employment. Women were trafficked and often forced into hard labour and prostitution, with some working in sweatshops along the border. People displaced and migrating from rural to urban areas with no resources, skills or social networks at their destination, are targeted by agents and / or traffickers in Dhaka or Kolkata. A case study from Accra in Ghana showed that after drought, the young men and women in northern Ghana were forced to migrate to major cities. The women worked as porters and are at risk of trafficking, sexual exploitation and debt bondage. At the same time, climate change has made children more vulnerable, flagged the IIED report. The report established the close relationship between lack of resources, alternative livelihoods, safety nets and the protection against loss and damage as well as debt and exploitation. Scale of displacement The report has been released a month ahead of the Conference of Parties (CoP26) United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, the United Kingdom. Over 216 million people could be internally displaced by 2050 across six regions due to climate change, according to World Bank estimates. Of these, over 81 per cent will be in Sub-Saharan Africa (86 million), East Asia and the Pacific (49 million) and the South Asian region (40 million). As many as 55 million people were internally displaced within their countries due to extreme weather events in 2020. This is the highest in the last one decade. This would be in addition to the existing 40.3 million people living under slavery in the world. NICEF has repeatedly warned that climate change increases the risk of girls being pushed into unsafe migration / displacement, which can expose them to the risk of modern slavery. Global climate frameworks including the Paris Agreement in 2015 and Cancún Adaptation Framework (CAF) in 2010 have acknowledged climate-induced migration and displacement. “This research too identifies climate change as a risk multiplier that makes people who are already vulnerable due to conflict or inequality more likely to become victims of modern slavery,” said Adéla Mackie, fellow, Anti-Slavery International. Way ahead Climate and development policy-makers urgently need to recognise that millions of people displaced by climate change are being, and will be, exposed to slavery in the coming decades, the IIED report flagged. Policymakers should therefore develop targeted actions, at national and international levels, to address the issue. The global and regional discourse on development and climate policy must consider trafficking and slavery risks due to climate shocks. Several ongoing initiatives — including the Warsaw International Mechanism Task Force on Displacement (WIM TFD), the Sendai Framework, etc — should be coordinated to increase understanding of, and response to, growing risks of climate-induced migration / displacement and exposure to modern slavery.

Delhi's Grap curbs may kick in even if air not poor

The weather will see some improvement in the air quality this week, officials said Curbs like bans on diesel generators and the use of coal-fired ovens, and activities such as routine mechanised sweeping should begin in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on October 15 irrespective of the air quality at the time, suggested the members of an air quality commission in a meeting on Tuesday, recommending that all ‘poor’ and some ‘very poor’ protocols of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) be activated. The recommendations were by a subcommittee of the Commission for Air Quality Management in Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas (CAQM), according to documents seen by HT. The panel will take a final call on what restrictions and activities to finally activate in a meeting on Thursday. “The subcommittee was of the view that in addition to actions under ‘poor’ to the ‘moderate’ category, some of the actions under the ‘very poor’ category should also commence from October 15, though the air quality index (AQI) is expected to remain in the ‘satisfactory’ to the ‘moderate’ category range in the national capital,” said the CAQM recommendations. Grap is a set of emergency measures approved by the Supreme Court in 2016 that come into effect when the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi and the NCR breach certain thresholds. The first of these is the ‘moderate to poor’ range, when the use of coal and firewood in restaurants and open kitchens is banned, strict checks are carried out to control garbage fires and regular mechanised sweeping is done. These restrictions and pollution-control measures become stricter and more intense as the different thresholds are crossed. The Capital and its adjoining areas are plunged into a health crisis in the days leading to winter as winds bring in toxic smoke from farm fires in neighbouring Haryana and Punjab. Local pollution, such as dust and transport emissions, as well as a dip in the temperature, make the problem worse, often pushing pollution levels to alarming levels. On Tuesday, the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was at 171, a marginal improvement from 177 a day ago. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’. Weather officials have predicted some improvement in the air quality this week due to strong winds and rains expected later. The CAQM now monitors air pollution in the national capital and, in the meeting on Tuesday, suggested Grap measures come into force pre-emptively to avert a health hazard. A senior Union environment ministry official said the CAQM subcommittee will take a decision on which measures will finally be enforced. The CAQM’s recommendations to be implemented from October 15 also include the augmentation of bus and Metro services, strict action against open garbage burning and dumping around landfills, ensuring that brick kilns in Delhi and NCR are shut, enforcing regulations in industries and power plants, regular mechanised sweeping, action against visible pollution and drives to check pollution under control (PUC) certificates. Also, the panel suggested that constructions sites must be under scrutiny for dust suppression measures and congestion-prone stretches are manned by traffic police personnel to ensure there are no jams. “Some measures from the ‘very poor’ category have been recommended to come into force from October 15. In the meeting it was decided that considering that the air quality is still in the ‘satisfactory’ to ‘moderate’ zone, there will be a review meeting on the diesel generator set ban and there will also be a meeting with the municipalities. It will be seen how prepared they are to impose the hiked parking fees,” said a senior official, who was part of the meeting. Experts said pre-emptive action was imperative to ensure pollution sources are kept under control throughout the winter season. “We need to do everything necessary to control the local pollution sources. Now the air quality is under control because of favourable conditions, but things will get bad and we need to be prepared,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

Why are some Indian states facing power shortages?

Acute shortages of coal at power plants have triggered a severe energy crisis — which threatens to hit the nation's economic recovery. India has been facing an acute shortage of coal supplies over the past few weeks, with many warning that this could lead to a severe energy crunch and power blackouts across the country. Coal-fired power stations in the South Asian nation had an average of four days' stock at the end of September, the lowest in years. Coal accounts for nearly 70% of India's electricity generation and around three-quarters of the fossil fuel is mined domestically. The next few weeks, or even months, could see severe disruptions of power supply all over the country. Given the grim situation, several state leaders have expressed worries about imminent power outages. The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh state, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to complain about the rising prices on power exchanges, which he said had trebled, to 15 rupees (€0.17, $0.20) per unit of power from mid-September to October 8. The chief minister of the capital, New Delhi, warned on Saturday of a power crisis because of the coal shortage. Some northern Indian states, including Bihar, Rajasthan and Jharkhand, have already been forced to undertake power cuts for up to 14 hours a day. Soaring electricity demand India's federal government, however, has downplayed concerns, insisting that sufficient quantities of coal are available to meet the needs of power plants. "There is no shortage in the daily supply of coal to states and power companies, and it is maintaining its stock of five days. In a month's time, the situation will be back to normal," a senior government official who asked not to be named told DW. Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said recently that state-run Coal India, which supplies 80% of the nation's coal needs, has 22 days' worth of coal and stressed that the government was increasing supplies. Despite the reassurances, the situation remains serious, observers say. They argue that a combination of factors has resulted in this sharp demand-supply disparity in Asia's third-largest economy. India is the world's second-largest coal producer, with the fourth-largest reserves. But, as the nation's economy rebounds following a devastating coronavirus wave, power demand has surged rapidly. The country is largely dependent on its 135 major coal-fired power plants for electricity generation. But the soaring electricity demand has meant that Coal India's supplies are no longer sufficient. Coal prices soared to record peak Monsoon rains have flooded coal mines and disrupted transport networks, aggravating the supply problems. "With the monsoon season stretching out this year, there has been a considerable delay in coal supplies returning to normal levels. Economic activity was impacted during the second wave of the pandemic earlier this year — hence, coal stocks were not accumulated to the level required," Samrat Sengupta, of the Centre for Science and Environment, a New Delhi-based think tank, told DW. The shortages have led to a sharp rise in prices for coal buyers, including power stations, with prices in India jumping by as much as 300% since January. "What's more, there has also been a sharp increase in the price of imported coal, owing to a rise in global demand. China is also grappling with an energy crunch," Sengupta said. At the same time, international coal prices have soared to a record peak because of the supply-demand mismatchcaused by soaring demand from not just India, but also China and other countries. In a move that could push up the already high global prices, India's government has asked power producers to import up to 10% of their coal needs and has warned states that their power supplies would be curbed if they were found selling electricity on power exchanges to cash in on surging prices. Underinvestment in coal production Anne Josey of the Pune-based Prayas (Energy Group), a research organization working on energy policy, blames poor planning on the part of the government for the problem. "The working-capital crunch faced by power-generating companies, especially state-owned firms, which are seldom paid on time by cash-strapped distribution companies, has also contributed to this crisis," Josey told DW. M K Venu, a prominent economic analyst, has a similar view of government responsibility. "Instead of investing money to boost coal production, much of Coal India's surplus cash reserves went to the government to meet the growing fiscal deficit," Venu told DW. "The Modi government needs to explain how this underinvestment happened, contrary to policy objectives," Venu said. "Even the private sector delayed coal production as the government also took its eye off the ball and did not give follow-up clearances for exploiting new coal blocks," Venu added. "Thus, the Modi government has created a new mess in the coal sector, and by extension, in the supply of thermal power." The rising energy prices now pose a major risk to economic recovery in India, where consumers will soon likely have to pay a higher price for expensive electricity. Nevertheless, the crisis also offers an opportunity, Sengupta said, noting that it has highlighted the country's need to develop more renewable energy sources, given that power demand is likely to continue increasing. "This well could be a turning point and a time to renew efforts for clean energy and not give in to the fossil fuel lobby further," Sengupta said.

Tripura Best In Northeast On Disclosure Of Information On Pollution

The Tripura State Pollution Control Board has the best performance ranking among State Pollution Control Boards in the northeastern region of India, according to a report published by the Centre for Science & Environment, New Delhi. The performances of all the State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees in the country were rated based on public disclosure of information of various regulatory activities under the Water Act 1974, and Air Act 1981 in the report. Thirty-one boards/committees were evaluated based on essential information disclosed on their websites. Speaking with Northeast Today, Prof. B.K. Agarwala, Chairman, Tripura State Pollution Control Board said that the Tripura State Pollution Control Board ranked 17th position and this was higher than all other boards in North East India. Meghalaya, Assam, Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur State Pollution Control Boards ranked 18, 19, 20, 21, 26, 28, and 29 positions, respectively (www. cseindia.org).

Delhi leads NCR in clean-fuel switch

All identified industries in the capital have switched to cleaner fuels or PNG, but the neighbouring states are yet to shift to cleaner fuels completely. Experts said the use of non-cleaner fuels in the authorised or illegal industries in the region can affect Delhi’s air quality. New Delhi: All identified industries in the capital have switched to cleaner fuels or PNG, but the neighbouring states are yet to shift to cleaner fuels completely. Experts said the use of non-cleaner fuels in the authorised or illegal industries in the region can affect Delhi’s air quality. According to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), Delhi has now completely switched over to PNG or cleaner fuels for all of its 1,635 identified industries. However, NCR is lagging behind as Haryana has shifted 408 industrial units to cleaner fuels from 1,469 identified units. In Uttar Pradesh, of 2,273 identified ones, 1,167 have switched to cleaner fuels. In Rajasthan, 124 industrial units out of 436 identified industries have shifted to PNG. According to a source apportionment carried out by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) in 2018, industries' contribution to PM2.5 in Delhi was 3% and in NCR was 24%. Similarly, the share of industries to PM10 was 2% in Delhi but 28% in NCR. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said the agencies should ensure that the banned fuels are not used in authorised or illegal industrial units. “As the use of non-cleaner fuels in the industries can cause air pollution, the agencies should enforce the ban and focus on surveillance of industrial units. A transparent inventory should be prepared on the usage of fuels in industries, including small-scale industries.” To mitigate industrial pollution and minimise the use of coal in the industries, CAQM has advised the government of Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan to prepare an action plan for shifting of industries to cleaner fuels in the NCR districts, where gas infrastructure is already available. The action plan is also being pursued to bring in PNG infrastructure to industrial areas where gas is not available. Strict vigil on the use of unapproved fuels by enforcement agencies are some of the important measures. Delhi government has also asked the neighbouring states to use cleaner fuels in the industries. Environment minister Gopal Rai said, “All industrial units in Delhi are operated on PNG. We appealed that industrial units operating in NCR be operated on PNG so that increasing pollution can be reduced. This target has been given to other states, but due to loose monitoring and inefficient transferring of work between units, we have requested them to hurriedly work on this to curb industrial pollution.”

Delhi leads NCR cities in clean-fuel switch

EW DELHI: All identified industries in the capital have switched to cleaner fuels or PNG, but the neighbouring states are yet to shift to cleaner fuels completely. Experts said the use of non-cleaner fuels in the authorised or illegal industries in the region can affect Delhi’s air quality.Track the pollution level in your city According to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), Delhi has now completely switched over to PNG or cleaner fuels for all of its 1,635 identified industries. However, NCR is lagging behind as Haryana has shifted 408 industrial units to cleaner fuels from 1,469 identified units. In Uttar Pradesh, of 2,273 identified ones, 1,167 have switched to cleaner fuels. In Rajasthan, 124 industrial units out of 436 identified industries have shifted to PNG. According to a source apportionment carried out by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) in 2018, industries' contribution to PM2.5 in Delhi was 3% and in NCR was 24%. Similarly, the share of industries to PM10 was 2% in Delhi but 28% in NCR. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said the agencies should ensure that the banned fuels are not used in authorised or illegal industrial units. “As the use of non-cleaner fuels in the industries can cause air pollution, the agencies should enforce the ban and focus on surveillance of industrial units. A transparent inventory should be prepared on the usage of fuels in industries, including small-scale industries.” To mitigate industrial pollution and minimise the use of coal in the industries, CAQM has advised the government of Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan to prepare an action plan for shifting of industries to cleaner fuels in the NCR districts, where gas infrastructure is already available. The action plan is also being pursued to bring in PNG infrastructure to industrial areas where gas is not available. Strict vigil on the use of unapproved fuels by enforcement agencies are some of the important measures. Delhi government has also asked the neighbouring states to use cleaner fuels in the industries. Environment minister Gopal Rai said, “All industrial units in Delhi are operated on PNG. We appealed that industrial units operating in NCR be operated on PNG so that increasing pollution can be reduced. This target has been given to other states, but due to loose monitoring and inefficient transferring of work between units, we have requested them to hurriedly work on this to curb industrial pollution.” An official of Delhi Pollution Control Committee said, “We have started a drive to ensure that no industry uses non-cleaner fuels and pollutes the air through emissions from industries. We recently served notice to two units, and our drive against non-cleaner fuel in the industries will continue till February.”