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Monsoon withdrawal delayed in most parts of the country: IMD

A delayed monsoon withdrawal may push the crop stubble burning in neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab to the latter half of the month, according to the experts. NEW DELHI: After a long haul, parts of the national capital saw light rain on Tuesday evening, October 5, 2021. This might be one of the last few showers of the season even though monsoon withdrawal is expected to be delayed this year for most parts of the country, said officials in the India Meteorological Department (IMD). A delayed monsoon withdrawal may push the crop stubble burning in neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab to the latter half of the month, according to the experts. As per IMD data, the Safdarjung Observatory received 0.5 mm rainfall between 2.30 pm and 5.30 pm. Lodhi Road station received 0.3 mm rain during the same time. “Usually monsoon would withdraw by September end or first week of October. But this year, with continuous low-pressure areas forming over the Bay of Bengal, it is likely to withdraw by the second week of October. So far because of good winds, air quality and intermittent showers has been fine,” said the IMD official. So far air quality has been in check, but if stubble burning incidents coincide with the onset of winter, it may add to the already high pollution levels during that time. Centre for Science and Environment executive director Anumita Roychowdhury, said: “Unlike last year when September was mostly dry with little rain, stubble fires had intensified from mid-September itself, the number of instances this season may pick up only in the latter half of the month.” “While the impact of stubble burning to Delhi’s pollution will depend on the wind direction at that time, it is likely that coinciding with stubble fires with the festive season and the onset of winter may result in a toxic combination leading to a spike in pollution levels,” she said.

Experts discuss climate policy and economic inequity in the ninth Yale Development Dialogue

Yale Economic Growth Center, Department of History and Jackson Institute of Global Affairs co-host seminar focusing on climate priorities in preparation for upcoming United Nations conference. Yale economics professors and famed environmentalists gathered on Tuesday to discuss the commitments of high and low-income countries to addressing climate change while correcting economic inequity. This event was the ninth in the Yale Development Dialogue series — a set of events intended to bring together economists, historians, policymakers, journalists and other experts to discuss issues that affect countries of varying economic statuses through an interdisciplinary lens. The Yale Economic Growth Center, Department of History and Jackson Institute of Global Affairs co-hosted the webinar. Tuesday’s panelists focused on climate policy in the context of the United Nations’ upcoming Climate Change Conference of the Parties, or COP26, which is scheduled to take place in Glasgow between Oct. 31 and Nov. 12. Specifically, the panelists discussed relationships between global economic injustice and climate activism. “Unless you have a collaborative agreement [between the rich and poor] … you will not have an agreement that is effective,” panelist Sunita Narain, a famed Indian environmentalist, said of the upcoming COP26 proceedings. “If it is not affordable growth, if it is not inclusive growth, it is not sustainable.” In addition to Narain, who is the director general of the India-based research institute Centre for Science and Environment, panelists included John Haldon, professor emeritus of history at Princeton; Nicholas Ryan, assistant professor of economics at Yale; and Rohini Pande, professor of economics and director of Yale’s Economic Growth Center. The session was moderated by Catherine Cheney ’10, a senior reporter who covers for Devex the role of technology, innovation and philanthropy in achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. A central topic of the panel was the effect of COVID-19 on international climate policy and attitudes. Pande, Narain and Ryan all described a sense of pessimism about the likelihood of a global climate response based on individual “nationalistic responses” to the pandemic, as Pande said. “This is the worst time in the world. The leadership in the world literally sucks,” Narain told attendees. “Yet you have vaccine racism happening today. Yet you have a divided world. What does that tell us about the future of climate change?” Ryan, whose research includes the examination of energy policy in India, quantified the discrepancy. He explained that it would have required about $70 billion to vaccinate every person against COVID-19. The scale of investment needed for climate change, however, is about 1,500 times greater. “That is how much larger the problem is, just in money terms, and the reason to be a little bit pessimistic,” Ryan said. “If the U.S. or China are not willing to unilaterally step up … and eliminate COVID from the world … then what does that say about climate change?” Ryan, however, noted some potential room for hope, pointing to progress in renewable energy investment in developing countries. However, not all panelists agreed that renewable energy is the right solution to address climate change, particularly for low-income countries. “In my part of the world, solar is still expensive for the poorest in the country,” Narain said, adding that some Indians cannot afford electricity, even when it comes from “dirt-cheap coal.” While Ryan responded that the most recent prices on solar in India were about 2.5 rupees — roughly 3.4 United States cents — per kilowatt-hour, as compared to 3.5 or 4.0 rupees for coal, Narain pointed out that the upfront cost of renewable energy can be prohibitive to people and to communities in poverty. A January report from Oxfam found that the richest one percent of the global population have used twice as much carbon as the poorest 50 percent over the last 25 years. However, as Cheney pointed out during the panel, the global poor are hit hardest by the effects of the climate crisis, from droughts to housing instability to food shortages. This disparity also affects some of COP26’s goals, which include identifying the necessary 2030 emissions reduction targets for each country to reach net-zero emissions by the middle of the century. Pande raised a question to fellow panelists concerning their thoughts on the efficacy of net-zero strategies and whether they are sufficient. In Narain’s view, they are not. Narain pointed to two flaws with net-zero initiatives: equity concerns and insufficient technology. Per the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world should reach a state of net-zero emissions by 2050. However, “there’s no way the U.S. and India can have the same timeline,” Narain said, speaking to general issues with prescribing the same directive across countries of varied income statuses. “That discussion today is so over that we shouldn’t even waste our time,” she added. Instead, Ryan said global superpowers like the United States and European nations need to step in. As John put it, a fundamental problem in the field now is how to build geopolitical changes, such as China’s growing influence on many African countries, into climate policy framework, especially as these changes affect lower-income communities. The next Yale Development Dialogue is scheduled for Oct. 28 and will focus on global health equity.

The Heroin Stain

The Adani group has come under fire after the special court directed the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence to probe if any benefits were gained by the group because of the huge consignment of contraband landing at its port in Mundra. Is the Adani-owned port responsible for narcotics arriving from other countries? Last fortnight, while extending the custody of a Chennai couple held in connection with the Rs 21,000-crore heroin haul from Mundra port, the Special Court for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) in Bhuj, Kutch (Gujarat), on September 30, sought to know if the Mundra Adani Port had acquired any interest from the import of narcotics. The Special Court of Additional District Judge CM Pawar also wanted to know why the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) did not probe the source of the heroin in Afghanistan. A couple, Machavaram Sudhakar and his wife Govindaraju Durga Purna Vaisali, were arrested on September 17. The Bhuj court granted DRI their custody till September 20. The DRI also arrested Coimbatore resident Rajkumar P and recovered narcotics from other places in raids held after the Mundra seizure. Four Afghan nationals and one Uzbek national have also been arrested. After getting credible information that the consignment contained drugs from Afghanistan, DRI officers seized two containers and sent samples for examination. A forensic analysis of the seized substance confirmed the presence of heroin. The consignment was imported by a trading company registered in Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. It was declared as semi-processed talc stones originating from Afghanistan and shipped from Bandar Abbas Port in Iran to Mundra Port in Gujarat. The importer was identified as Sarvim Exports, which is located at Derawal Nagar in Delhi. The cargo was declared as an Ayurvedic product, mulethi (licorice), and the drugs were hidden in plastic pipes painted to resemble bamboo. On September 26, while hearing the remand application of Rajkumar P, the Court had directed the DRI to probe if any benefit was gained by the Adani Group by virtue of the consignment of banned contraband landing at its port in Mundra. According to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Afghanistan is one of the biggest exporters of narcotic drugs, and as per estimates, it accounts for nearly 85% of global heroin supplies. Following the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul on August 15, there have already been multiple meetings among central agencies to discuss the impact in terms of drugs smuggling, infiltration of foreign terrorists and terror activities in India. Making it a political issue, Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh on October 1 demanded a judicial inquiry into the seizure of heroin at the Mundra Port in Gujarat, saying that he had no faith in the National Investigation Agency. Mundra Port is the largest private port of India located on the north shores of the Gulf of Kutch near Mundra in the Kutch district of Gujarat. It is a private port and also a special economic zone. Incorporated in 1998 as Gujarat Adani Port Limited (GAPL), the company began operating it in 2001. The combined company was renamed Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone Limited. The development of Adani Port & Special Economic Zone Limited was conceptualised by entrepreneur Gautam Adani. The Adani Group has issued a clarification stating that it is only the port operator and does not have the authority to check shipments arriving at the port. The Narcotics Control Bureau has found that while Mumbai is the cocaine capital of India, the country is also used as a route for trafficking cocaine to other parts of the world. India has become a favourite destination of cocaine, the supply of which is controlled by the powerful drug group of South American countries. The major drug laws of India are the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) (1985) and the Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (1988). Under one of the provisions of the Act, the Narcotics Control Bureau was set up with effect from March 1986. The Act is designed to fulfill India’s treaty obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. The Act has been amended three times—in 1988, 2001, and most recently, in 2014. The Act allows the court to grant immunity to an addict if he/she is found involved in a case dealing with tracing the amount of drugs. The immunity, however, is granted only after the accused agrees to undergo medical treatment for de-addiction under Section 64A. Someone who has only consumed banned drugs or narcotics but is not involved in trading, can get bail. Section 31A of the Act states that the maximum punishment in cases under the NDPS Act is death penalty. The death penalty can be given to a person found guilty of being involved with commercial quantities of drugs. Section 8(c) of the NDPS Act prohibits the production, manufacturing, possession, selling, purchase, transport, warehouse, use, consumption, inter-state import and export, import to and from India or tranship of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance, except for medical or scientific purposes, and requires a licence or permit by the concerned authorities. Under Section 27, the consumption of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance is a punishable offence. In Section 35 of the Act, it is presumed that the accused knew what they were doing. Hence, the accused will be guilty unless proven innocent. Consumption of cocaine carries up to one year of imprisonment, whereas consumption of charas or cannabis carries up to 6 months’ imprisonment. Under the Union Finance Ministry, the Department of Revenue had in 2015 passed an order to all state governments stating that seized drugs must be destroyed as earliest as possible in order to avoid its misuse or theft. In 2015, the government added Mephedrone or meth, as a psychotropic substance. The amendment was made after the drug grew popular among the youth. In April this year the apex court, while holding that a private vehicle is not a “public place” under the NDPS Act, acquitted three men accused of possessing poppy, saying they were charged under the wrong section. The judgment came from a bench headed by Justice UU Lalit which said that recovery of a banned substance from a private vehicle parked on a public road wouldn’t be covered under Section 43 of the NDPS Act—the provision used for recovery of the banned substance. The bench, however, said that such cases can be covered under Section 42 of the Act. While Section 43 of NDPS Act deals with the power of seizure and arrest in a public place, Section 42 gives a designated officer powers of “entry, search, seizure or arrest” in a suspected narcotics case. A committee, headed by Sunita Narain of the Centre for Science and Environment, was set up by the Union ministry of Environment and Forests to inspect the ship-breaking facility of M/s Adani Port and SEZ Limited near Mundra West Port in Gujarat’s Kutch district. The committee which submitted its report on April 18, 2013, found incontrovertible evidence of destruction of mangroves, blocking of creeks and non-compliance of other clearance conditions. Subsequently, on July 29, 2013, a public hearing was held where people from four affected villages posed questions about the project and its impact on the environment. The latest seizure from the Mundra port and the quantity involved suggests that it is ideally located for such consignments to make its way to Mumbai. Adani is India’s second richest individual and unlikely to be involved in smuggling contraband but if any of the officials hired to run the port are found to be involved, it could put a dent in his reputation.

North India’s air pollution concerns return as stubble burning resumes in Punjab and Haryana

Satellite images from the US space agency Nasa show that farmers have already begun burning crop stubble in parts of the two northern states that’s blamed for the winter-time phenomenon that holds up flights and trains and reduces road traffic to a crawl. Air pollution concerns have resurfaced in northern India, which typically is smothered by a blanket of smog that throws life out of gear in the winter, as farmers resume burning crop residue after harvesting the crop in Punjab and Haryana. Satellite images from the US space agency Nasa show that farmers have already begun burning crop stubble in parts of the two northern states that’s blamed for the winter-time phenomenon that holds up flights and trains and reduces road traffic to a crawl. Data from the agency's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), a key instrument on board the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite, shows a gradual jump in detection of fires in farmlands in recent weeks. From September 1 to October 3, Punjab recorded about 268 fire events while Haryana reported about 47. (Source: VIIRS SNPP) From September 1 to October 3, Punjab recorded about 268 fire events while Haryana reported about 47. (Source: VIIRS SNPP-NASA) “Most of the fires are in and around Amritsar in Punjab as of now. This year due to consistent cloud/rain the overall fire season is delayed,” Pawan Gupta, senior scientist, Earth Sciences at the USRA Science and Technology Institute (STI) told Moneycontrol by email. STI/USRA works closely with the Nasa Marshall Space Flight Center and the University of Alabama in Huntsville, USA. From September 1 to October 3, Punjab recorded about 268 fire events and Haryana about 47. As many as 65 fires were spotted in Punjab on September 29 while 12 fire incidents were recorded in Haryana on the same day. This is the highest number for a day in September in both states. “The consistent cloud cover also limits satellite capabilities to detect small fires and thus, we may not be detecting all the fires in the region,” Gupta said. The numbers may appear small, but experts said satellite-derived fire event data over the last few years indicates a recurring pattern of early burning of crop residue. In September 2020, for example, Punjab reported 1,370 fires and Haryana 245, according to Nasa. “The fires we spotted in the last few days follow the trend observed in corresponding periods over the last five years,” said LS Kurinji, programme associate at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a New Delhi-based policy research institute. Smothering Delhi-NCR In October-November every year, farmers in Punjab and Haryana, together the breadbasket of India, clear thee stubble from their fields by burning the stubble because it is the cheapest method for them to make the soil fit for replanting. It is a major contributor to air pollution in northern India, many cities in which are ranked among the world’s most polluted. On an average peak day, the number of fires touches 4,000. “We cannot compare this year’s numbers with last year when COVID-19 had led to labour scarcity,” she said. Also, read: Air pollution shortens Indian life expectancy by nearly 6 years: Study In November last year, the share of stubble burning in Delhi’s pollution rose by 42 percent in a day, the maximum so far that season. In 2019, stubble burning accounted for at least 44 percent of air pollution in The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) said fires in Punjab rose to 76,590 in 2020 from 52,991 a year ago. It said that in Haryana fires reduced by 25 percent to 5,000 from 6,652 over the same period. On October 4, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal released a 10-point winter action plan said that he said will help combat air pollution in Delhi. He said Delhi's air quality will start deteriorating in a few days because of stubble burning for which his government has prepared a decomposer with the help of Pusa Institute of Technology which, once sprayed on crop residue, will eliminate the need to burn it. Funds galore, plans afoot The stubble burning in northern India has long been a major cause of air pollution in the region. The Union government has spent over Rs 2,245 crore to address this issue in the last four years. In 2020, stubble burning in Punjab increased by 44.5 percent despite getting 46 percent of the total funds from the central government for checking crop farm fires, the Centre told the Supreme Court in February this year. Union agriculture secretary Sanjay Agarwal said on September 13 that funds to the tune of Rs 491 crore have been released to Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh ahead of harvesting of kharif crops for tackling the stubble burning in the 2021-22 financial year. Of this, Rs 235 crore had been released to Punjab, Rs 141 crore to Haryana and Rs 115 crore to Uttar Pradesh. In the last four years, a total of Rs 1,050.68 crore has been released to Punjab, Rs 640.9 crore to Haryana, Rs 489.08 crore to Uttar Pradesh and Rs 4.52 crore to Delhi as part of a central scheme on promotion of agri-mechanisation for the management of crop residue in these states. Last week, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said that Punjab, Delhi and NCR states have prepared detailed action plans for the prevention and control of stubble burning, according to a report in Indian Express The governments will adopt a management plan for crop residue management under which 1,43,801 machines are already available, and another 56,513 are being procured. Politics and Pollution The solutions have not stuck, so far, and the court orders like bans and heavy fines often remain unenforced. In November 2019, Supreme Court Justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta while calling Delhi “worse than hell” and said toxic fumes over the city from stubble in the two neighbouring states were “reminiscent of an internal war”. Also, read: No respite from toxic air in sight as poll-bound states won’t penalise farm fires What complicates matters is that farmers are a crucial vote bank. The authorities this year are unlikely to punish the farmers who burn the crop residue in the election season. On August 25, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government announced it would drop legal proceedings against farmers accused of burning crop waste. A similar demand of withdrawing cases against farmers involved in stubble burning has emerged in Punjab from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), one of the Opposition parties in Punjab, the state going to polls in a few months. Both states go to polls early next year. Paddy-Wheat Cycle Farmers in Punjab and Haryana burn stubble as there is a short window between harvesting of summer-sown paddy and sowing of wheat. Growers cite the high cost of manual or mechanical management of straw as a reason behind their preference to burn stubble. Experts said more systemic solutions should be implemented at a scale including steps to ensure that all farmers have affordable access to equipment that help to mix the stubble with soil. Also, read: Explained | Hiding behind a smog tower “We have to change the cropping pattern to reduce acreage under paddy besides scaling up options of recycling stubble for producing other products so that farmers can earn from stubble sale,” Anumita Roy Chowdhury, of the Centre of Science and Environment, told MoneyControl. Union environment minister Bhupendra Yadav, however, said winters this year would be better in terms of air quality because steps have been taken in advance. “From July to September, six advisories and 40 directions have been issued on air quality. We are taking active steps to reduce stubble burning through strict monitoring, using alternate methods etc,” Yadav said recently in a report in Business Standard. Many experts link the pollution in Delhi-NCR to the paddy-wheat cropping system which they suggest should change for a long time change. And till that happens, North India is likely to continue the struggle to breathe in winters.

More measures needed to control vehicular pollution, say experts

New Delhi: Experts say the winter action plan announced by the government is not enough to combat air pollution this year and more steps are needed to control vehicular pollution, waste accumulation, landfill fires and strengthening the monitoring network. Priyavrat Bhati, sector head, climate, environment and sustainability at Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy, said while efforts were being taken to reduce air pollution, one of the keys polluting sectors, transportation, was being largely ignored with more focus on monitoring than controlling emissions. “Dust and vehicular pollution are key sectors in terms of their overall contribution to Delhi’s air. However, the action plan has nothing on making the public transportation system more robust, promoting its usage and curtailing the use of vehicles. While many teams are being formed, the focus is more on levying penalties and monitoring each site or hotspot. Instead, the focus should be on controlling emissions at these places in the long term,” added Bhati. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said successful implementation of the winter action plan would depend on the ground-level preparedness and robustness of infrastructure for waste management to prevent garbage accumulation and landfill fires, stopping dirty fuels in all industrial units, stringent surveillance of dust control measures at construction sites, intensification of public transport services with restraint measures on traffic, among others. “However, several measures are not included in the action plan and information on system preparedness for effective intervention is not available. We need that planning right away for effective management of winter pollution,” said Roy Chowdhury. Sachchida N Tripathi from the civil engineering department at IIT-Kanpur and a member of the steering committee for National Clean Air Programme said the plan lacked long-term efforts, especially in terms of capacity building and using technology-based approach to tackle air pollution. “Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has been understaffed for a while now and in an audit done by us a few years ago, it was functioning at one-third of its capacity. If environmental engineers are being added to the green war room, it would be better to add air pollution experts first to tackle the problem. There is also a need to strengthen the overall monitoring network and use the data generated to tackle each source,” said Tripathi, adding that formation of teams in each head appeared a more short-term solution. A few experts welcomed some steps in the plan, but felt that the government should look into more areas. Anju Goel, fellow, earth science and climate change, The Energy and Resources Institute, said the winter action plan had some good steps, like upgrading the Green Delhi app and strengthening the green war room, but more needed to be done. “To control vehicular pollution, the PUC system needs to be revamped and fleet modernisation of heavy-duty vehicles should be done. Besides, there is no scientific evidence on the effectiveness of smog towers. It’s a costly solution instead of focusing on the root cause of the problem,” added Goel. Tanushree Ganguly, programme lead, Council on Energy, Environment and Water, said, “In addition to the sources that the winter action plan tackles, the government should also ensure that Delhi’s urban poor have access to alternatives to using biomass for their heating requirements.” Prof Sagnik Dey, coordinator at Centre of Excellence for Research on Clean Air, IIT-Delhi, said the key was implementation and identifying midway what was working and what was not for course correction. He added that stubble burning without interstate coordination couldn’t be controlled.

Make Your Fruits Chemical Free At Home with These Simple Methods

Have you washed your apple before consuming it? Or, at least, did you rub it off your shirt? But it wouldn't make a difference. Washing/rubbing would not fulfill the aim of cleaning because washing alone would not remove the pesticides and chemicals from your fruits. Wash your fruits and vegetables before eating them: According to the Centre for Science and Environment, washing fruits with 2% saltwater removes the majority of contact pesticide residues that ordinarily develop on the surface of vegetables and fruits. Coldwater washing removes around 75 to 80% of pesticide residue. Wash with saltwater: This is possibly the most basic. All you need is a large mixing basin, salt, and water. Soak the fruits in two tablespoons of salt in four cups of warm water for 30-60 minutes. After that, give it a good rinse with cold water. However, this method is not suitable for berries, which can be harmed by the soak and wind up tasting salty. Use of Baking Soda: According to some studies, soaking fruits in baking soda can lower contamination levels by up to 96%. All you have to do is fill a large bowl halfway with water. Add a teaspoon of baking soda to this. Mix well and add the fruits you want to clean. Allow it to soak for a few moments. Consider giving the fruit a good clean with a brush. If the fruit's outer skin is thin, skip this step. Enjoy the fruit after wiping it with a dry towel. Wash with vinegar: This is an alternative to soaking the fruits in saltwater. In a large mixing basin, combine four parts of water and one part of vinegar. Soak all of your fruits in this mixture for 30-60 minutes. After that, give it a good rinse with cold water. This will help to eliminate contaminants and keep your fruit fresh for a longer period of time without spoiling it. These are some easy methods through which you can enjoy your favorite fruits without any fear of chemicals and other contaminations.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal unveils plan to combat winter pollution

The national capital has drawn up an action plan to tackle the severe air pollution in the winter months, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday, announcing alternatives to stubble burning, measures to control road dust and vehicular emissions, and urging governments of neighbouring National Capital Region (NCR) states to adopt similar steps. As part of its 10-point plan, the Delhi government will help spraying a bio-decomposer -- developed by Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR -- also known as Pusa Institute) -- which converts paddy stubble into manure without burning, in rural areas in the Capital. The burning of farm residue in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh ahead of sowing the winter crop releases large amounts of smoke, leading to an annual air emergency in the NCR. Kejriwal said these states must use the bio-decomposer as well. Except November, December and January, Delhi’s air quality is usually under control, Kejriwal said. “But this will change in a few days because the Centre and the neighbouring state governments have not done anything to prevent stubble burning in the region,” he added. “This will lead to Delhi’s air quality deteriorating in the coming days.” Besides steps to prevent stubble burning, authorities in Delhi will ensure dust from construction sites is kept to a minimum. There will be increased vigilance to keep vehicular emissions in check, the CM said. The action plan details steps such as forming pollution-monitoring teams and increased checks at hot spots. The government has formed 75 teams to ensure dust control at construction sites, 250 teams to prevent open burning of waste and leaves, and nearly 500 teams to ensure all vehicles comply with pollution under control rules. No diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years will be allowed to ply. The action plan has also identified 64 congestion-prone stretches in the Capital, where long traffic snarls resulted in a spike in pollution levels. Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai early last month promised the city will have a detailed winter action plan. To formulate it, multiple agencies such as the municipal corporations, the public works department, and Delhi traffic police, were asked to submit their proposals to manage air pollution. The winter action plan will be implemented in tandem with the Supreme Court-mandated Graded Response Action Plan (Grap). “The Grap measures will be enforced strictly this season across Delhi NCR. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) will be the overarching body that will monitor the situation and will call in the measures listed under the Grap,” Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav said. Delhi is on the right track in its strategy to control air pollution, but it needs concerted efforts to show results, an expert said. “In addition to the sources that the winter action plan tackles, the government should also ensure that Delhi’s urban poor have access to alternatives to using biomass for their space heating requirements,” said Tanushree Ganguly, programme lead at Council on Energy, Environment and Water, a think tank. “One way could be through the creation of clean and warm night shelters.” “Given that Delhi now has a functional decision support system to pinpoint sources of pollution, the government should ensure that insights provided by it are used to plan and roll out actions in advance to prevent severe air quality levels in the city,” Ganguly said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), said that such focus on pollution will help Delhi bring down winter season emissions but there needs to be year-long action for noteworthy results. “The focus areas that the government has laid out are on-point, but we have discussed this before that Delhi needs action. We will have to ensure that not only do agencies in Delhi work but even other states in the region work together to find a lasting solution for the pollution problems,” Roychowdhury said. Air pollution has been a stubborn crisis for the Capital and adjoining areas. Meteorological parameters typical for pre-winter months, when wind speed slows down and colder, heavier air drifts settles closer to ground-level, stops tailpipe emissions, road and construction dust, and industrial gases from dispersing. To add to it, smoke from farm fires in Punjab and Haryana catches the north-westerly winds to reach Delhi and other NCR towns, where they push the air quality index into dangerous levels.

उम्र घटाता वायु प्रदूषण

दुनियाभर में वायु प्रदूषण के खतरे तेजी से बढ़ रहे हैं। वायु प्रदूषण लोगों के स्वास्थ्य को बुरी तरह से प्रभावित कर रहा है, यहां तक कि लोगों की आयु घटने का भी एक बड़ा कारण बनकर उभर रहा है। हाल ही में बेल्जियम में हुए एक अध्ययन में शोधकर्ता इस निष्कर्ष पर पहुंचे हैं कि सामान्य वायु प्रदूषकों से भी हृदय रोगों का खतरा बढ़ जाता है। प्रमुख शोधकर्ता सैन मैटेओ फाउंडेशन के डॉ. फ्रांसेस्का आर जेंटाइल के अनुसार सात सामान्य प्रदूषकों का अध्ययन करने पर पाया गया कि इनके कारण हृदय गति रुकने का खतरा बढ़ा। इस अध्ययन में रोजमर्रा के प्रदूषकों की सांद्रता तथा अस्पताल के बाहर देखे गए कार्डियाक अरेस्ट के मामलों के बीच संबंधों की पहचान की गई।</p> <p>दरअसल वायु प्रदूषण का प्रभाव मानव शरीर पर निरंतर घातक होता जा रहा है। वर्ष 1990 तक जहां 60 फीसदी बीमारियों की हिस्सेदारी संक्रामक रोग, मातृ तथा नवजात रोग या पोषण की कमी से होने वाले रोगों की होती थी, वहीं अब हृदय तथा सांस की गंभीर बीमारियों के अलावा भी बहुत सी बीमारियां वायु प्रदूषण के कारण ही पनपती हैं। सिर के बालों से लेकर पैरों के नाखून तक अब वायु प्रदूषण की जद में होते हैं।</p> <p>भारत में वायु प्रदूषण की स्थिति लगातार भयावह हो रही है। नेशनल हैल्थ प्रोफाइल 2018 की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार देश में होने वाली संक्रामक बीमारियों में सांस संबंधी बीमारियों का प्रतिशत करीब 69 फीसदी है और देशभर में 23 फीसदी से भी ज्यादा मौतें अब वायु प्रदूषण के कारण ही होती हैं। विभिन्न रिपोर्टों में यह तथ्य भी सामने आया है कि भारत में लोगों पर पीएम 2.5 का औसत प्रकोप 90 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति क्यूबिक मीटर है। पिछले दो दशकों में देशभर में वायु में प्रदूषक कणों की मात्रा में करीब 69 फीसदी तक की वृद्धि हुई है और जीवन प्रत्याशा सूचकांक, जो 1998 में 2.2 वर्ष कम था, उसके मुकाबले अब एक्यूएलआई की ताजा रिपोर्ट के अनुसार 5.6 वर्ष तक कमी आई है। अमेरिका की शिकागो यूनिवर्सिटी के ‘द एनर्जी पॉलिसी इंस्टीट्यूट’ के शोधकर्ता एक अध्ययन के बाद खुलासा कर चुके हैं कि वायु प्रदूषण के ही कारण भारत में लोगों की औसत आयु कम हो रही है।</p> <p>कुछ अध्ययनों के अनुसार भारत की कुल 1.4 अरब आबादी का बड़ा हिस्सा ऐसी जगहों पर रहता है, जहां पार्टिकुलेट प्रदूषण का औसत स्तर डब्ल्यूएचओ के मानकों से ज्यादा है। 84 फीसदी व्यक्ति ऐसी जगहों पर रहते हैं, जहां प्रदूषण का स्तर भारत द्वारा तय मानकों से अधिक है। भारत की एक चौथाई आबादी बेहद प्रदूषित वायु में जीने को मजबूर है और यदि प्रदूषण का स्तर बरकरार रहता है तो उत्तर भारत में करीब 25 करोड़ लोगों की आयु में आठ साल से ज्यादा की कमी आ सकती है। उत्तर भारत दक्षिण एशिया में सर्वाधिक प्रदूषित हिस्से के रूप में उभर रहा है, जहां पार्टिकुलेट प्रदूषण पिछले 20 वर्षों में 42 फीसदी बढ़ा है और जीवन प्रत्याशा घटकर 8 वर्ष हो गई है। हालांकि भारत ‘नेशनल क्लीन एयर’ कार्यक्रम के तहत वर्ष 2024 तक पार्टिकुलेट प्रदूषण को 20-30 फीसदी तक घटाने के लिए प्रयासरत है लेकिन शोधकर्ताओं का कहना है कि यदि भारत अपने उद्देश्य में सफल नहीं हुआ तो इसके गंभीर दुष्परिणाम देखने को मिल सकते हैं। यदि भारत अगले कुछ वर्षों में प्रदूषण का स्तर 25 फीसदी भी घटा लेता है तो राष्ट्रीय जीवन प्रत्याशा 1.6 वर्ष और दिल्लीवालों की 3.1 वर्ष बढ़ जाएगी।</p> <p>कुछ ही दिनों पहले ‘वायु गुणवत्ता जीवन सूचकांक’ (एक्यूएलआई) की नवीनतम रिपोर्ट में बताया गया है कि वायु प्रदूषण तरह-तरह की बीमारियां पैदा करने के अलावा लोगों की आयु भी घटा रहा है अर्थात् इसका सीधा प्रभाव जीवन प्रत्याशा पर पड़ रहा है। भारत के संदर्भ में रिपोर्ट में कई सनसनीखेज तथ्य उजागर किए गए हैं। एक्यूएलआई ऐसा सूचकांक है, जो जीवन प्रत्याशा पर वायु प्रदूषण के प्रभाव की गणना करता है। रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि वायु प्रदूषण के अनुमानित प्रभावों की तीव्रता सम्पूर्ण उत्तर भारत में बहुत ज्यादा है, जहां वायु प्रदूषण का स्तर दुनियाभर में सबसे ज्यादा खतरनाक है। एक्यूएलआई रिपोर्ट के अनुसार यदि वर्ष 2019 जैसा वायु प्रदूषण संघनन जारी रहा तो दिल्ली, मुम्बई और कोलकाता जैसे सर्वाधिक प्रदूषित महानगरों में रहने वाले लोग अपनी जिंदगी के नौ से ज्यादा वर्ष खो देंगे। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार भारत में करीब 48 करोड़ लोग गंगा के मैदानी क्षेत्र में रहते हैं, जहां प्रदूषण का स्तर बहुत ज्यादा है और यह प्रदूषण अब गंगा के मैदानों से आगे मध्य प्रदेश तथा महाराष्ट्र जैसे राज्यों तक फैल गया है, जहां खराब वायु गुणवत्ता के कारण लोग 2.5 से 2.9 वर्ष की जीवन प्रत्याशा खो सकते हैं। हालांकि इस रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक केन्द्र द्वारा संचालित राष्ट्रीय स्वच्छ वायु कार्यक्रम के लक्ष्य राष्ट्रीय जीवन प्रत्याशा को 1.7 वर्ष तक बढ़ाने में सहायक हो सकते हैं लेकिन इन लक्ष्यों की प्राप्ति के लिए प्रत्येक मोर्चे पर ठोस नीतियों की आवश्यकता है।</p> <p>कुछ समय पूर्व बोस्टन के ‘हैल्थ इफैक्ट इंस्टीच्यूट’ तथा ‘हैल्थ मैट्रिक्स एंड एवल्यूशन’ की प्रदूषण के मनुष्यों की आयु पर पड़ने वाले अच्छे-बुरे प्रभावों को लेकर किए गए अध्ययन की रिपोर्ट भी सामने आई थी, जिसमें कहा गया था कि भारत सहित सभी एशियाई देशों में वायु में घुलनशील प्रदूषणकारी तत्वों पीएम 2.5 की मात्रा निरन्तर बढ़ रही है। अध्ययनकर्ताओं का कहना था कि पीएम 2.5 का स्तर भारत, पाकिस्तान, बांग्लादेश तथा अफ्रीकी देशों में डब्ल्यूएचओ के मानकों से बहुत ज्यादा है, जिस कारण दुनियाभर के प्रत्येक क्षेत्र में जीवन प्रत्याशा में कमी आ रही है। आईसीएमआर की एक रिपोर्ट में भी कहा जा चुका है कि वायु प्रदूषण के कारण भारत में औसत आयु घट रही है।</p> <p>पिछले साल ‘सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट’ द्वारा भी कहा गया था कि वायु प्रदूषण से होने वाली घातक बीमारियों के कारण देश में जीवन प्रत्याशा औसतन 2.6 वर्ष घट गई है। सीएसई की उस रिपोर्ट के अनुसार बाहरी पीएम 2.5, ओजोन तथा घर के अंदर का वायु प्रदूषण इस स्थिति के लिए सामूहिक रूप से जिम्मेदार साबित हो रहे हैं। रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक दुनियाभर में आज जन्म लेने वाला कोई भी बच्चा वायु प्रदूषण नहीं होने की तुलना में औसतन 20 माह पहले ही जबकि भारत में जन्मा बच्चा अपेक्षा से 2.6 साल पहले ही दुनिया से चला जाएगा। सीएसई का कहना था कि घर से बाहर का और घर के भीतर दोनों ही जगहों पर वायु प्रदूषण जानलेवा बीमारियों को न्यौता दे रहा है, जो भारत में स्वास्थ्य संबंधी सभी खतरों में मौत का तीसरा सबसे बड़ा कारण हो गया है।</p> <p>बहरहाल, शोधकर्ताओं का कहना है कि वायु की गुणवत्ता में सुधार करके इस स्थिति को और बिगड़ने से बचाया जा सकता है। एक्यूएलआई के निदेशक केन ली कहते हैं कि जीवाश्म ईंधन संचालित वायु प्रदूषण आज एक वैश्विक समस्या है और वायु प्रदूषण से मुक्ति पूरी दुनिया को औसत आयु में दो वर्ष जबकि सर्वाधिक प्रदूषित देशों को पांच साल बढ़त दिला सकती है। ली के मुताबिक अगर भारत, पाकिस्तान, बांग्लादेश और नेपाल वायु गुणवत्ता को विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन के मानकों के अनुरूप बनाने में सफल हो जाएं तो यहां के लोगों की औसत आयु 5.6 वर्ष बढ़ जाएगी अन्यथा उम्र इतनी ही घट जाएगी। शिकागो विश्वविद्यालय के एनर्जी पॉलिसी इंस्टीट्यूट के निदेशक और अर्थशास्त्र के प्रोफेसर माइकल ग्रीनस्टोन के मुताबिक वायु प्रदूषण पर अब गंभीरता से ध्यान देने की जरूरत है ताकि करोड़ों-अरबों लोगों को अधिक समय तक स्वस्थ जीवन जीने का हक मिल सके।</p> <p>(लेखक वरिष्ठ पत्रकार तथा पर्यावरण विषयों के जानकार हैं।)

World Insights: India moves to protect biodiversity, needs to do more

Home to nearly 8 percent of the world's recorded plants and animals as well as four of the over 30 globally identified biodiversity hotspots, India is one of the richest countries in terms of biodiversity. With a series of measures in species and environmental protection over the past several decades, the South Asian country still has a long way to go to make the region more bio-diversified and beautiful. According to the Zoological Survey of India, an organization founded by the Indian government, the country has more than 100,000 species. During recent years, the country has been paying close attention to biodiversity conservation, said Sandeep Tripathi, former principal chief conservator of forests in India's eastern state of Odisha. Authorities have taken care to protect and conserve the environment and the overall biodiversity, he said, adding that those efforts "have borne fruits in increasing the headcount of various flagship animals, like tigers, elephants, rhinos etc." Thanks to strict protection and management, the population of lions in India has made a comeback in recent years, from 520 in the year of 2015 to 674 in 2020. Meanwhile, India is now home to about 2,967 wild tigers, which is around two-thirds of the world's population, as well as 3,700 one-horned rhinos, which were on the brink of extinction during the early 20th century. A government official has said that the country intends to grow the wild tiger population by over 30 percent to as many as 4,000 in the next decade, a move to protect forests while also boosting economic gains from conservation. In January, the federal government released the Management Effectiveness Evaluation of its nearly 150 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries to assess the efficacy of its protected wildlife areas. It is considered as an important tool to improve wildlife protection, and is increasingly being used by governments and international bodies to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the protected area management systems. However, with over 17 percent of the world's population crammed into only 2.4 percent of the global landmass, the Indian government has more work to do. For example, the country also has a long list of wildlife species in the critically-endangered, endangered and threatened categories, and the list has been increasing over the years, according to the sixth national report submitted to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. "The increase in the red list species indicates severe stress on biodiversity and wild habitats," the report said. As of March 2020, India had a total of 688 animal species and 428 plants in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable categories, as compared to 646 species in 2014, and 413 in 2009. In addition, the increasing number of forest fires and rising temperatures are also putting pressure on the country's biodiversity protection. The report "State of India's Environment in Figures 2021" released in June has found that the country has lost 90 percent of the area under its four biodiversity hotspots. "India has seen a drastic rise in forest fires since the start of 2021," the report said. "Forest fires are influenced by temperature and rainfall in the preceding monsoon," it added. Enditem

Despite their pivotal role in Delhi, waste workers 'excluded' from waste management

The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has a major objective of achieving 100% Scientific Solid Waste Management (SWM) across all the statutory towns in India. The revised rules (Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016) continue to emphasise upon the need to ensure source segregation as the most important prerequisite for the scientific and environmentally sound disposal of solid waste. We have seen an extensive deployment of collection, transportation and waste disposal technologies across Indian cities in the recent past. In most cases, adoption of the technological choices (Waste-to-Energy – WtE) appears to be reinforcing a centralised system of SWM. Waste management practices such as decentralised composting of wet waste and promotion of recycling through source segregation have become secondary to the deployment of WtE driven waste collection and transportation infrastructure across several Indian cities. It is also observed that compliance to environmental norms has also not been followed by the existing WtE plants. People residing in the vicinity of these plants are constantly complaining of health risks associated with the operation of these plants near residential areas. It is widely reported that existing WtE plants continue to burn mixed waste despite a number of judicial interventions in favour of compliance to the environmental norms. Despite these odds, waste pickers continue to play a key role in the primary collection and segregation of the solid waste informally. In most cases, the formal system of waste management does not recognise the contribution of waste pickers. These informal waste collectors provide their services to the residents and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) without any recognition of their immense contribution in environmentally sound ways of managing the solid waste. Their services are utilised by the resident either at very low cost or in many cases free of cost. Due to constant ignorance of ULBs, informal waste pickers are often subjected to exploitation by the contractors in the waste management system at multiple levels. Their livelihood entirely depends upon the sale of recyclables that they recover from the segregation of the solid waste. The quality of their lives and livelihood opportunities remain unchanged despite recognition of their immense contribution in the policy documents. However, waste pickers continue to get excluded from the waste management system. In several cases, waste pickers are thrown out of the city. A community roundtable on October 2, 2021 at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Baraat Ghar, Nizammuddin Basti, New Delhi from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm was organised by Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM); National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM); Delhi Solidarity Group (DSG); Institute for Democracy and Sustainability (IDS); Ambedkarvadi Lekhak Sangh (ALS); National Domestic Workers Union; Magadh Foundation; Shehri Mahila Kaamgar Union; and All India Kabadi Mazdoor Mahasangh (AIKMM). The roundtable was attended by more than 100 waste pickers which included both men and women. The panelist included Rahul Karnamadakala Sharma of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR); Md Mansoor Raza of Janpahal; Bhawani Shankar of the Citizens for Clean Air, Gurugram; and Baley Bhai, independent activist. Most of the workers migrate from rural to urban India in search of better livelihood but end up picking up waste due to no livelihood sources The roundtable began with Shashi B Pandit from DASAM speaking about how the waste workers have not progressed since decades despite changes in laws or the administration. They were living in misery and continue to do so. He raised a question as to why the waste workers are still kept away from the waste management system. Mansoor Raza spoke about need for recognition for the unorganised sector. An identity card for the unorganised sector was deemed necessary for which a long battle was fought. The Supreme Court passed an order to the Central in government which it has to form an inventory of the unorganised sector. He elaborated about the E-Shram portal and card and anyone from the unorganised sector aged between 16 yrs and59 yrs can register for it. Phone number and aadhaar card need to be linked with the bank to receive its benefits. Bhawani Shankar showed a plastic Bisleri bottle and said that we are from the category of people who produce waste. He shared a personal experience of his interaction with three siblings who were picking up waste. In his interaction, he asked the kids why they don’t go to school. The kids informed that they were beaten by the teachers as they used to pick up waste. He despaired at their condition and said that at the age where the kids should study and play, they were picking up waste for a decent livelihood and were scolded by the teacher. He mentioned the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and minimum employment guarantee in the rural areas which is not applicable throughout the country. Most of the workers migrate from rural to urban India in search of better livelihood and end up picking up waste due to no livelihood sources. He asked workers to shift from unorganised to organised as their quality and quantity of work deserves dignity and respect. Baley Bhai spoke about the exploitations that the waste workers face from the MCD and police officials where the workers have to pay them a small bounty to pick up waste. He said that the waste pickers are the real agents of ‘Swacch Bharat’ yet they are at the receiving end of exploitation and brutality. Rahul Karnamadakala Sharma spoke about technology and Waste to Energy (WtE) plants. He the WtE plants operate in several countries in places where most of the waste is dry. In India, however, most of the waste generated is wet and burning it is not a viable solution. He insisted on waste mining and suggested alternatives through which waste can be managed instead of burning it in incinerators. He laid stress on decentralised waste management and its implication for the waste pickers. Participating in the discussion, Sidharth Singh from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) spoke about the SWM Rules 2016 which speak about bringing the informal sector into the mainstream and involving waste workers in the waste management system. He said, the knowledge about how plastics can be recycled is missing from the masses, though waste workers do know about it. He concluded by saying that the workers when united can bring about changes and make their demands heard, but if they remain unorganised, their work will continue to be looked down upon and deprive of earnings commensurate with the work they do and respect they deserve. Sanjeev Kumar from DASAM spoke about SBM, its second phase and how the workers who keep the city clean, live in hazardous and dirty environment. Despite living in Central Delhi, their neighbourhood is neglected. He concluded the roundtable by thanking the waste workers for their contribution towards the society and environment. The roundtable ended with the waste pickers sharing their grievances and daily day to day struggle.

Clash of economy and ecology in global politics

These 30 years have also taught us that we cannot ensure sustainable growth unless it is affordable and inclusive Sunita Narain Some 30 years ago, when India ushered in economic reforms, it did so knowing fully well that an increased pace of economic growth would have adverse impacts on the environment. Growth would intensify the use of natural resources and add to the pollution of our waterbodies and air. This fact was known because the already rich world, which had initiated the idea of economic growth through liberalisation and free markets, had understood that the only way it could prosper was by exporting the most polluting and labour-intensive industries to the emerging world. The first shock came around the mid-1990s, when Delhi’s air turned foul and black. The motorisation boom had brought us there. In the next two decades, we saw much more toxification of our land, water, air, and food, and realised what it does to our health. It is part of the economic growth story as we know it. It is for this reason there have been repeated conflicts over the need to balance development with the environment. The resolution is often flawed because public institutions that are required to make decisions have been progressively weakened and disabled. These 30 years have also taught us that we cannot ensure sustainable growth unless it is affordable and inclusive. We know that rivers cannot be cleaned without affordable sanitation for all; we cannot have blue skies and clear lungs without the mobility systems that move people and not vehicles. We also know today that investment in natural capital — trees and water — will help build the resilience we need in the climate-risked world. This is how India needs to reinvent its growth story; it has to be based on the needs of all and not just a few; it has to protect the environment because that is the survival base on which life thrives. It cannot be a matter of either-or. It is imperative. This is also a time when the world has come full circle; the proponents of free trade and globalisation are turning towards protectionism. The promise of that unfettered world of global commerce has changed global equations. Since the extraordinary rise of China — which must be credited to the decision to admit this erstwhile iron-curtained country into the World Trade Organization — it has overtaken just about all countries in global trade. Its “trump” card was cheap labour, cheap credit, and no restrictions on account of environmental or social safeguards. All other countries compete in this race to the bottom. This is the nature of world trade that western economies first pushed away and now want to rein in. Let’s be clear about this. This struggle for global domination, which pits China against the US, will have ramifications for environmental security and climate change — in India and the rest of the world. Let’s also not beat around the bush on this. Today, the new world leader is a country that has a different model of economic growth. Its constitution is to do everything that needs to be done, through untrammelled power of its leadership, in furtherance of its national agenda. The objective is to increase its economic standing in the world; through manufacturing, trade, and global commerce. If this means there will be more pollution and more greenhouse gas emissions, then it is part of the long game. This is not to say that China has not learnt to play the western game — it has, to the hilt. It makes the right noises about clean power and renewable energy and has worked to dominate all industries that are needed for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions — from solar to electric vehicles. It has also put out its target for net-zero — by 2060 — while continuing to build and rely on coal power for its economy. Of course, now it is so powerful that it’s even difficult to call its bluff. But this is not about China and its track record on the environment or climate change. It is about the rivalry between the US and China, which will require countries across the world to compete and to take sides. The problem is, all sides know that domination requires economic heft, more manufacturing, more production, more consumption, more trade, and more commerce. This will be a new justification to continue the ways of the old. And in this way, the “brown agenda” will see a comeback — even as the world talks about climate change and the need for ecological security. This will be true for India, as much as for the rest of the world, I fear. With one big difference. In the past 30 years, the world could squander away the time fiddling and fibbing about the need for environment and climate change. But in the coming 30 years, this smart-word strategy will not work. Nature is on a rampage. It is a race against time. And time is not on our side. The writer is at the Centre for Science and Environment sunita@cseindia.org

Indien: Von Schlangenbissen, Luftverpestung und Corona-Toten

Während der Pandemie wurde es für jeden offensichtlich: Zahlenangaben der indischen Regierung sind sehr oft ein trauriger Witz Eine Studie der Oxford Universität, kanadischen und indischen Forschungs-Institutionen, die im letzten Jahr veröffentlicht wurde, kam zum Ergebnis, dass zwischen 2000 und 2019 mehr als eine Million Menschen in Indien an Schlangenbissen gestorben sind; im Schnitt jedes Jahr 58.000 Tote - fast alle im ländlichen Indien. Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Ministerin für Gesundheit und Familienfürsorge, gab dagegen im Jahr 2019 in der ersten Kammer des indischen Parlaments, der Lok Sabha, auf eine Anfrage an, dass im Jahr 2018 "nur" 689 Menschen in Indien an Schlangenbissen gestorben sind. Dabei kam schon die "Million Death Study", die im Jahr 2011 veröffentlicht wurde, zum Ergebnis, dass pro Jahr in Indien 45.900 Menschen an Schlangenbissen sterben. Nun sollen immerhin Untersuchungen des staatlichen Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) "Licht" ins "Dunkel" der Schlangenbisse bringen. Tuberkulose: 5,7-mal mehr Tote als die Regierung angibt Auch bei den Zahlen zur bakteriellen Infektions-Krankheit Tuberkulose hat die indische Regierung ihre eigene Wirklichkeit: So gab sie für das Jahr 2019 an, dass 79.000 Menschen an Tuberkulose gestorben sind. Dagegen kam die Weltgesundheitsorganisation WHO auf 440.000 Tote in Indien. Zudem gingen beim Tuberkulose-Report der indischen Regierung 300.000 an Tuberkulose Erkrankte verloren. Indiens Premierminister Modi, bekannt für seine großen Versprechen - wie im Jahr 2014, den Ganges zu reinigen (auch nach vier Jahren war der Ganges an vielen Stellen verschmutzter als vor seinem Versprechen) -, machte im Jahr 2018 die Ankündigung, Tuberkulose in Indien bis 2025 "zu verbannen". Dass die Zahl der Tuberkulose Erkrankten in Indien im Jahr 2020 laut Regierungszahlen um 25 Prozent sank, hat jedoch nichts mit Modis Ankündigung zu tun, sondern damit, dass sich wegen der Corona-Gesundheits-Katastrophe in Indien, viel weniger Menschen auf Tuberkulose testen ließen. Da Tuberkulose bei Früherkennung leichter zu behandeln ist, erwarten Gesundheitsexperten wegen der unentdeckten Fälle eine weitere "Zeitbombe" für den Subkontinent. "Niemand stirbt an Luftverschmutzung" Als sich Indiens Hauptstadt New Dehli im November 2019 wegen der Luftverschmutzung laut Delhis Chief-Minister in eine Abgas-Hölle verwandelt hatte, gab Indiens damaliger Minister für Wissenschaft- und Technologie, Harsh Vardhan, den Hauptstädtern aus seinem Urlaub in Goa per Twitter einen Rat: Esst Karotten, die enthalten Vitamine. Noch im Januar 2019 sagte Harsh Vardhan im indischen Parlament, dass es keine Daten gebe, die einen direkten Zusammenhang zwischen Luftverschmutzung und Kranken wie Toten erkennen lassen. Sogar das staatliche Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) kam 2017 in einer Studie zu dem Schluss, dass jeder achte Todesfall in Indien auf die Luftverschmutzung zurückzuführen sein könnte. Das britische Medizin-Fachmagazin The Lancet kam in einer Studie zum Ergebnis, dass im Jahr 2019 in Indien 1,67 Millionen Menschen an den Folgen von Luftverschmutzung starben. Eine Studie der Harvard Universität schätzte die Zahl derjenigen, die 2018 in Indien an den Folgen der Luftverschmutzung starben, sogar auf 2,5 Millionen Menschen. Das würde bedeuten, dass fast jeder dritte Todesfall in Indien auf verdreckte Luft zurückzuführen wäre. Dass selbst die mageren Fortschritte in Indien im Kampf gegen Luftverschmutzung kaum auf das Wirken der Zentralregierung zurückzuführen sind, beschrieb im November 2019 die Expertin Anumita Roychowdhury, vom Center for Science and Environment, gegenüber über Telepolis: Interventionen des Obersten Gerichtshofs haben schließlich zur Ausarbeitung eines umfassenderen sektorübergreifenden Plans und auch eines Notfallaktionsplans geführt. Die Umsetzung erfordert jetzt eine umfassende und strenge Durchsetzung, um die Ziele für saubere Luft zu erreichen. Anumita Roychowdhury, Luftverschmutzung in Indien: "Esst Karotten" Nun kletterten selbst im Pandemie-Jahr 2020 die Feinstaubwerte in New Delhi wieder auf 999 Mikrogramm pro Kubikmeter Luft der Partikelgröße PM10 - mehr zeigen viele Messgeräte nicht an. Das ist so, als würden sie am Tag 45 Zigaretten rauchen. Nun kann sich jeder vorstellen, wie die Feinstaubwerte aussehen, wenn Indiens Wirtschaft wieder auf Hochtouren läuft: Im Vor-Corona Jahr 2019 stieg der Anteil von Kohle an der Stromproduktion auf über 70 Prozent (979 Millionen Tonnen). Während des Lockdowns im Jahr 2020 sank er auf 60 Prozent. Doch alleine in den ersten 15 Tagen im September stieg er wieder auf 66 Prozent. Mitte Oktober 2020 auf 72 Prozent. Eine unfreiwillig veröffentliche Studie des regierungsnahen Think-Tank NITI Aayog zeigt auf, dass sich der Kohleverbrauch in Indien bis zum Jahr 2037 verdoppeln wird. Im November 2020 ließ Narendra Modi verlauten, dass Indien anstrebe, seinen CO2-Abdruck um 30 bis 35 Prozent zu verringern… Wachstumszahlen vom "Steuerberater" bestätigt Stellen Sie sich vor, der Einzige, der Ihre Steuererklärung prüfen würde, wäre ihr befreundeter Steuerberater: So ähnlich kommt Indien zu seinen positiven Wachstumszahlen. Schon im Sommer 2019 sagte der ehemalige Chef-Wirtschaftsberater (2014-18) der indischen Regierung, Arvind Subramanian, dass Indiens wirtschaftliche Wachstumszahlen der Wirtschaftsjahre 2011/12 bis 2016/17 um 2,5 Prozentpunkte nach oben verschoben wurden und die aktuellen Zahlen noch wackeliger seien. Im April 2019 zweifelte schon Gita Gopinath vom IWF Indiens Wachstums-Prognosen für 2019/20 und 20/21 an. Im selben Jahr sagte der ehemalige Zentralbankchef Raghuram Rajan gegenüber dem Fernsehsender CNBC TV18: Ich kenne einen Minister in der Modi-Regierung, der sagte: Wie können wir um sieben Prozent wachsen, ohne dass wir Arbeitsplätze schaffen? Nun gut, eine Möglichkeit wäre, wir wachsen gar nicht um sieben Prozent. Raghuram Rajan Der Minister hatte die richtige "Möglichkeit" geahnt - im Wirtschaftsjahr 2019/20 wuchs Indiens Wirtschaft um vier Prozent. 2018/19 waren es 4,2 Prozent. Fairerweise muss erwähnt werden, dass 2020 "The Indian Survey" in einem Arbeitspapier zu dem Schluss kam, das Indiens Wachstumszahlen in der Vergangenheit weder rauf- noch runtergerechnet wurden - "The Indian Survey" wird vom Finanzministerium der indischen Regierung erstellt. So bleiben weiter Zweifel an den Wachstumsangaben der indischen Regierung, Zweifel, die auch Ökonomen und Journalistin in Deutschland spätestens seit 2016 laut aussprechen: "Hat die indische Regierung Nebelkerzen gezündet?", fragte die Faz vor fünf Jahren und die Süddeutsche: Ökonomen zweifeln an Indiens Wirtschaftszahlen. Einen Einblick in das aktuelle Leben auf Indiens Straßen, gibt ein Artikel von The Wire: Straßenhändler in Delhi, die sich trotz Rekordpreisen durch die Inflation auf Palmenöl, Lebensmittel und Gas nicht trauen, die Verkaufs-Preise zu erhöhen, weil ihre Kundschaft zum Teil nur noch die Hälfte verdient, wenn sie überhaupt Arbeit findet. Am Donnerstag kletterte der Benzinpreis in Mumbai auf ein neues Rekordhoch: 107,71 Rupien (1,25 Euro) für einen Liter. Was nützt es der Masse der Menschen, dass ihr Premierminister weiter daran glaubt, sein Versprechen wahrzumachen und Indien bis 2025 zu einem fünf Billionen US-Dollar starkem Wirtschaftsland zu machen (ein Versprechen, an das außerhalb von Indien kaum noch jemand glaubt, nachdem sie Modi sieben Jahre im Amt erlebt haben)? Das alte Verhalten von Großgrundbesitzern wird nicht mehr akzeptiert Am gestrigen Sonntag fuhr im Distrikt Lakhimpur-Kherie im Bundesstaat Uttar Pradesh ein Konvoi von Mitgliedern der Regierungspartei in eine Demonstration von Bauern - drei von ihnen starben an den Folgen, etliche wurde verletzt. Anschließend wurde noch ein Bauer unter ungeklärten Umständen erschossen und ein Journalist tot aufgefunden. Doch die Zeiten in Indien, in denen so etwas klaglos hingenommen wird, sind vorbei: Die protestierenden Bauern griffen den Konvoi an und töteten vier Anhänger der Regierungspartei. Zudem haben sich fast alle wichtigen Oppositionspolitiker des Landes auf den Weg nach Lakhimpur-Kheri gemacht - die meisten von ihnen sind jedoch festgenommen worden oder werden an der Grenze zu Uttar Pradesh festgehalten. Den Aussagen der Mitglieder des Konvois, dass die Schuld alleine bei den protestierenden Bauern liegt, scheint augenblicklich kaum jemand im Land zu glauben.

महंगे डीज़ल के पॉजिटिव साइड इफेक्ट्स? डीज़ल कारों से क्यों भारतीयों ने फेरा मुंह

2012-13 में जब डीज़ल पेट्रोल से 20-25 रुपए प्रति लीटर सस्ता था, तो उसकी गाड़ियों की बाज़ार में हिस्सेदारी 58% थी. अब लोग कम प्रदूषण वाले विकल्प ख़रीद रहे हैं और एक्सपर्ट्स भी इसका स्वागत करते हैं. नई दिल्ली: मुश्किल से एक दशक हुआ है, जब भारत की सड़कों पर डीज़ल गाड़ियों की संख्या पेट्रोल गाड़ियों के बराबर हुआ करती थी. बल्कि, सोसाइटी ऑफ इंडियन ऑटोमोबाइल मैन्युफैक्चरर्स (सियाम) के आंकड़ों के अनुसार, वित्त वर्ष 2012-13 में डीज़ल यात्री वाहनों की बाज़ार हिस्सेदारी 58 प्रतिशत थी, जो अब तक का सबसे बड़ा अनुपात है. पेट्रोल के मुक़ाबले डीज़ल के सस्ते दामों की वजह से, उपभोक्ताओं ने इस बात की अनदेखी कर दी, की डीज़ल गाड़ियां पेट्रोल की अपेक्षा ज़्यादा प्रदूषण फैलाती हैं. उस ज़ामाने में डीज़ल के दाम पेट्रोल के मुक़ाबले औसतन 20-25 रुपए प्रति लीटर कम होते थे. लेकिन अब, सरकारी आंकड़ों के विश्लेषण के हिसाब से, दामों में उस अंतर के गिरकर 7-9 प्रति लीटर पर आ जाने से, सियाम के आंकड़ों से पता चलता है कि डीज़ल यात्री वाहनों की बाज़ार हिस्सेदारी, मार्च 2021 में ख़त्म होने वाले वित्त वर्ष में, घटकर सिर्फ 17 प्रतिशत रह गई है. इसका एक अनपेक्षित लेकिन वांछनीय परिणाम ये हुआ है कि उपभोक्ता अब पेट्रोल, कम्प्रेस्ड नेचुरल गैस (सीएनजी) और इलेक्ट्रिक तथा हाइब्रिड जैसे साफ-सुथरे विकल्प चुन रहे हैं. डीज़ल यात्री वाहनों की बाज़ार हिस्सेदारी में गिरावट तब आई, जब 2014 में सत्ता में आने के कुछ समय बाद ही, नरेंद्र मोदी सरकार ने तेल क़ीमतों को नियंत्रण मुक्त कर दिया और सब्सिडी ख़त्म कर दी. ये क़दम पिछले दो दशकों से चली आ रही नीतियों के विपरीत था क्योंकि सरकार चाहती थी कि उपभोक्ताओं को, साफ-सुथरे विकल्पों की ओर शिफ्ट किया जाए और उसका अपना वित्तीय बोझ भी कम हो जाए. उन नीतिगत क़दमों का असर अब दिखने लगा है. विशेषज्ञों के अनुसार, अगले कुछ वर्षों में चूंकि भारत उत्सर्जन मानकों की बेहतर व्यवस्था की ओर बढ़ने जा रहा है, इसलिए ये रुझान बना रहेगा. डीज़ल के खिलाफ नीतिगत लड़ाई भारत ने डीज़ल वाहनों के खिलाफ एक लंबी लड़ाई लड़ी है, जो क़रीब तीन दशक पहले शुरू हुई थी. 1990 के दशक में, बरसों के औद्योगीकरण के बाद, राष्ट्रीय राजधानी दिल्ली का शुमार दुनिया के सबसे प्रदूषित शहरों में होने लगा था. 1996 में पर्यावरण की वकालत करने वाली पत्रिका डाउन टु अर्थ ने कहा कि स्थिति इतनी गंभीर थी कि डॉक्टर सिर्फ ‘काले फेफड़ों’ को देखकर बता देता था कि ये इंसान दिल्ली का निवासी है. उस दशक के मध्य में पर्यावरण कार्यकर्त्ता एमसी मेहता की जनहित याचिका के बाद, सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने प्रदूषण कम करने के लिए कुछ कठोर क़दम उठाए और सबसे पहले डीज़ल पर चल रहे सार्वजनिक परिवहन पर गाज गिरी. 28 जुलाई 1998 के सुप्रीम कोर्ट के आदेश के बाद, दिल्ली परिवहन निगम (डीटीसी) की सभी बसें, जो डीज़ल पर चल रहीं थीं, सीएनजी पर परिवर्तित कर दी गईं. दिसंबर 2002 तक डीज़ल बसें शहर से ग़ायब हो गईं थीं. ऑटो रिक्शा को भी अपग्रेड करके, सीएनजी पर कर दिया गया था. 2016 में, शीर्ष अदालत ने ऐलान किया कि दिल्ली में केवल सीएनजी टैक्सियां चलेंगी, और सिर्फ उन डीज़ल टैक्सियों को छूट दी गई, जो ऑल इंडिया परमिट पर चल रहीं थीं. नियमों में ढील का असर 2014 तक, डीज़ल पर कई कारणों से सब्सीडी दी जाती थी- किसान इसका इस्तेमाल ट्यूबवेल चलाने में करते थे, उद्योगों में इससे मशीनें चलतीं थीं, माल ढुलाई होती थी और परिवहन के लिए भारी कमर्शियल वाहन इसी पर चलते थे. सब्सिडी का फायदा निजी वाहन मालिक भी उठाते थे जो, पेट्रोलियम व प्राकृतिक गैस मंत्रालय के अनुसार, 2012-13 तक कुल डीज़ल उपभोक्ताओं के क़रीब 13.1 प्रतिशत हो गए थे. लेकिन, सत्ता में आने के बाद मोदी सरकार ने सब्सिडी समाप्त कर दी, और ईंधन की क़ीमतों को बाज़ार के भरोसे छोड़ दिया. डीज़ल क़ीमतों के लिए ये एक बड़ा झटका साबित हुआ, जो तेज़ी से ऊपर उठते हुए, अब पेट्रोल के बहुत क़रीब पहुंच गई हैं. शनिवार को मुम्बई में डीज़ल की क़ीमतें, 100 रुपए के आंकड़े को पार करते हुए, 100.66 रुपए पर पहुंच गईं, जबकि पेट्रोल के दाम 110.12 रुपए थे. 2015 में नेशनल ग्रीन ट्रिब्युनल (एनजीटी) ने, भारत की सड़कों पर डीज़ल गाड़ियों का जीवन भी कम कर दिया, और 10 साल से पुरानी डीज़ल कारों के, राष्ट्रीय राजधानी में चलने पर रोक लगा दी. इसी साल लॉन्च हुई ताज़ा राष्ट्रीय स्क्रैपिंग पॉलिसी का उद्देश्य भी, भारत की सड़कों से पुराने और अनफिट वाहनों को हटाना है. 2020 से सभी नई गाड़ियों को, भारत स्टेज 6 उत्सर्जन मानकों का पालन करना था, जिससे डीज़ल और पेट्रोल गाड़ियों की उत्पादन लागत में अंतर बढ़ गया, और कार निर्माताओं की आर्थिक व्यवस्था गड़बड़ा गई. भारत की सबसे बड़ी कार निर्माता मारुति सुज़ुकी ने, 2020-21 में डीज़ल गाड़ियां बनाना बंद कर दिया. भारत में अधिकतर कंपनियों ने बाज़ार में छोटी डीज़ल गाड़ियां उतारना बंद कर दिया है. बदलता परिदृश्य ऊंची लागत, कम उपलब्धता, और छोटे शेल्फ जीवन की वजह से उपभोक्ता ज़्यादा साफ ईंधन के विकल्पों की ओर जा रहे हैं. बहुत सी बड़ी एसयूवी गाड़ियों में डीज़ल अभी भी एक पसंदीदा विकल्प बना हुआ है, लेकिन छोटी गाड़ियों के मामले में रुझान तेज़ी से बदल रहा है. सियाम के मुताबिक़, पिछले दो वर्षों के ग़ैर-डीज़ल यात्री वाहनों की बिक्री के आंकड़े तोड़ने पर पता चलता है कि ज़्यादातर उपभोक्ता अब पेट्रोल गाड़ियों की ओर जा रहे हैं. पिछले साल के आंकड़ों में इस हिस्से का ब्योरा अलग से नहीं दिया गया है. 2019-20 और 2020-21 के बीच, बाज़ार में डीज़ल गाड़ियों की हिस्सेदारी 29.5 प्रतिशत से घटकर 17 प्रतिशत पर आ गई, जबकि पेट्रोल गाड़ियों की हिस्सेदारी 66 प्रतिशत से बढ़कर 76 प्रतिशत हो गई. सीएनजी कारें, जो मुख्य रूप से बड़े मेट्रो शहरों में चलती हैं, 4 प्रतिशत से उछलकर 6 प्रतिशत पर आ गईं. इलेक्ट्रिक और हाईब्रिड वाहनों की हिस्सेदारी में भी मामूली वृद्धि देखी गई. क्या कहते हैं विशेषज्ञ डाउन टु अर्थ पत्रिका चलाने वाले थिंक टैंक, सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की वायु प्रदूषण नियंत्रण इकाई के सीनियर प्रोग्राम मैनेजर, विवेक चट्टोपाध्याय के अनुसार इस बदलाव का स्वागत है, लेकिन वाहनों के प्रदूषण को कम करने के लिए, और क़दम उठाए जाने की ज़रूरत है. उन्होंने कहा, ‘ज़्यादा बदलाव तब सामने आएगा, जब हम (मध्यम अवधि में) आगे बढ़कर भारत स्टेज 7 नियमों पर जाएंगे, जिसमें फ्यूल निष्पक्षता लाने की कोशिश की जाएगी.’ वो अभी चर्चा में चल रहे भविष्य के नियमों की ओर इशारा कर रहे थे, जिनमें पेट्रोल और डीज़ल दोनों के वाहनों से निकलने वाले उत्सर्जन को समान कर दिया जाएगा. उससे भी डीज़ल यात्री वाहन ख़रीदने की उपभोक्ताओं की इच्छा प्रभावित होगी. लेकिन, उन्होंने कहा कि इन नियमों से केवल निजी वाहनों द्वारा हो रहे उत्सर्जन को कम किया जा सकता है. उन्होंने आगे कहा कि अगर सरकार इस बारे में गंभीर है, तो उसे ग़ैर-मेट्रो शहरों की सार्वजनिक परिवहन व्यवस्था में भारी निवेश करना होगा. सड़क परिवहन और हाईवेज़ मंत्रालय की ओर से साझा किए गए, 2018-19 के वार्षिक सड़क परिवहन आंकड़ों के अनुसार, भारत में हर 1,000 लोगों के लिए केवल एक बस है, जबकि संबंधित आंकड़े इंडोनेशिया के लिए 10 और दक्षिण कोरिया के लिए17 थे. चट्टोपाध्याय ने आगे कहा, ‘वर्तमान में, सार्वजनिक परिवहन प्रणालियों का समर्पित नेटवर्क, ज़्यादातर मेट्रो शहरों तक सीमित है, जो हमारी आबादी के एक बड़े हिस्से की ज़रूरतें पूरी नहीं करता. अगर सरकार प्रदूषण घटाने को लेकर गंभीर है, तो उसे बसों में निवेश करने की ज़रूरत है, जो सड़क से 50-60 कारों को हटा सकती हैं, भले ही वो डीज़ल पर चलती हों.

Air quality improves on Church Street, but combustion gases high

During the webinar, three reports on air quality index, pedestrianisation level of service analysis, and boarding and alighting at public transit stations, were also released. BENGALURU: Although pedestrianisation of Church Street has shown a drop in pollution levels, and improved the air quality index, experts point out that a check be done on sources of combustible pollutants like nitrous oxide. Anumita Roychowdhary, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment on Friday, said particulate matter (PM10) is not excessive, but PM2.5 is showing an increase. While the impact of dust is low, the effect of combustion sources is high. She said there’s a need to study the sources and their impact on pedestrians. “There is also a need for data on gaseous impact,” she added. The experts, who participated in the international webinar on ‘Church Street First -- Impact Assessment of Pedestrianising an Urban Street in terms of Quality of Life’, stated that to ensure better health and improve air quality, pedestrianising of one street and that too on weekends, will not help. During the webinar, three reports on air quality index, pedestrianisation level of service analysis, and boarding and alighting at public transit stations, were also released. Experts also pointed that pollution continues to be high because of traffic on MG Road, Brigade Road, Museum Road and St Marks Road. The participants also highlighted that from November 2020 to February 2021, there was a rise in the number of pedestrians by 1,000 every month.

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Bhubaneswar Smart City holds all-woman cyclathon

Bhubaneswar: On the second day of the celebration of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL)_ on the auspicious birth centenary of two leading luminaries of Indian national leadership_ Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and noted statesman and Father of White Revolution in India, Lal Bahadur Shastri, organized an all-women cyclathon to promote healthy lifestyle and creating awareness on breast cancer, with partnering civil society organization, KRIAA Foundation and Commissionerate of Police. As the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is being celebrated to commemorate the 75th Independence Day of India, the cyclathon started at 7.05 am from Sishu Bhawan Square and culminated there at 7.50 am by passing through Janpath, Exhibition Ground Road, Sachivalaya Marg and Udhayn Marg. The participants are from Rama Devi Women’s University and Kamala Nehru Women’s College, respectively. The event was presided by Director Acharya Harihar Post-Graduate Institute of Cancer, Cuttack Professor Dr LalatenduSadangi. Leading surgeon and Professorand HOD of Surgical Oncology in AIIMS Bhubaneswar Dr Madhabananda Kar joined as the guest of honour. General Manager Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited Kamaljit Das and founder of KRIAA Foundation Lili Jenamani also spoke on the occasion. Adyasha Nayak, a student of Kamala Nehru Women’s College, who participated in the cyclathon today defying the early morning sun today, said “I am very happy to participate in the event in which we all participants used the Mo Cycle and enjoyed the ride. With the city providing a beautiful atmosphere to the cyclists, we all enjoyed the event.’’ MuzdaTaliha of Rama Devi Women’s University said “the event was well-organised to provide a unique platform and the awareness on a prominent health issue of women. We also got an opportunity to check the cycling infrastructure of the city and found that it is very much citizen friendly.’’ It can be mentioned here that as part of the citizen-centric planning of the Smart City Proposal, Bhubaneswar has developed a good city-wide facility for cycles andpedestrian ways so that the emissions are less and citizens enjoying a healthy environment to breath in fresh air with less pollutants and particulate matters in the neighborhood air. The city has relied on its non-motorised transport (NMT) planning to make it more livable. In July this year the Temple City bagged India Cycles4Change Challenge Stage-1 Award as it was adjudged among the top 11 Cycling Pioneers of the nation.All the 11 cities will receive an award of Rs 1 crore each to scaleup their cycling events in their respective cities. Managing Director and CEO of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited Sri Sanjay Kumar Singh said “we are committed to provide better and healthy living conditions and facilities for citizens so that the clean and green tag of Bhubaneswar would be seen translated to reality in every zone and sub zones to make it a wonderful place to live in.’’ This year Smart City Bhubaneswar had come as the fourth ranked city among the top 10 Livable Capital Cities in India. Interestingly, the Temple City had topped in the Citizen Perception Survey with the highest score of 94.8 out of 100 as per the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE’s) Ease of Living Index Report, 2020. A blood donation camp was also organized on the grand occasion by different volunteers at Kamala Nehru Women’s College.Several corporate and business houses were partners in this programme. Tomorrow the Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited will organize a special heritage walk in the Old Town area at 7.05 am starting from Mukteswar Temple, which is known for its unique arch and beautiful carvings on the temple wall projecting the Kalingan temple architecture.