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प्रदूषण की मार से एनसीआर में हम लाचार, विकास के बजाए मिले विकार

अलवर जिला एनसीआर में शामिल है। लेकिन यहां विकास के बजाए विकार ही मिले हैं। प्रदूषण की समस्या के कारण उद्योगों को आर्थिक नुकसान भी उठाना पड़ता है। <p>अलवर ‌‌‌‌‌. एनसीआर में शामिल अलवर जिले को विकास से ज्यादा विकार मिल रहे हैं। अलवर जिला और खासकर उद्योग नगरी भिवाड़ी शहर प्रतिवर्ष सर्दियों ने वायु प्रदूषण की गंभीर समस्या का सामना करता है। वायु गुणवत्ता ख़राब स्तर पर पहुंचने के कारण यहां के लोगों के स्वास्थ्य के साथ उद्योग नगरी की आर्थिक सेहत भी ख़राब हो रही है। नवंबर-दिसंबर के माह में भिवाड़ी का एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स 500 तक पहुंच जाता है। एनसीआर में होने के कारण ग्रेडेड एक्शन रिस्पॉन्स प्लान (ग्रेप) के प्रतिबन्ध लगाए जाते हैं, जिससे उद्योगों में हर साल उत्पादन बंद करना पड़ता है।</p> <p>भिवाड़ी पिछले कुछ सालों में अत्यधिक वायु प्रदूषण के कारण विश्व भर में नकारात्मक सुर्ख़ियों में है। आईक्यूएर की ओर से जारी वर्ल्ड एयर क्वालिटी रिपोर्ट में वर्ष 2020 में भिवाड़ी विश्व का पांचवा सबसे प्रदूषित शहर था। वर्ष 2020 में भिवाड़ी में पीएम 2.5 का औसत स्तर 95.5 रहा। भिवाड़ी की वायु गुणवत्ता कई बार राजधानी दिल्ली, गुड़गांव और नोएडा से भी ज्यादा खराब स्तर पर पहुंच जाती है। पिछले साल अक्टूबर में भिवाड़ी की एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स 300 के पार पहुंच गया था जिसमें पीएम 10 का स्तर 533 था। इसी दौरान दिल्ली में एक्यूआई 250 दर्ज किया गया था। आइआइटी कानपूर के सर्वे में भिवाड़ी के प्रदूषण का मूल कारण सड़कों पर उड़ने वाली धूल-मिट्टी को माना है। वहीं भिवाड़ी में बड़े स्तर पर कचरा भी जलाया जा रहा है। इस साल 15 अक्टूबर से ग्रेप लागू करने की तैयारी है। अगर सर्दियों से पहले नगर परिषद, बीड़ा और रीको सड़कों की स्थिति में सुधार करते हैं और नियमित साफ़-सफाई पर ध्यान दिया जाता है तो प्रतिबंधों से बचा जा सकता है।</p> <p>एनसीआर में होने के फायदे नहीं, आर्थिक नुकसान झेल रहे</p> <p>उद्योगनगरी भिवाड़ी को एनसीआर में शामिल होने के फायदे के बजाए नुकसान उठाने पड़ रहे हैं। जानकारी के अनुसार भिवाड़ी प्रदेश का कुल 25 प्रतिशत राजस्व देता है। इस वित्तीय वर्ष के शुरूआती चार माह में ही 1373 करोड़ रूपए का जीएसटी सरकार के खजाने में डाला है। जब्कि उद्योग नगरी में प्रदूषण के कारण सर्दियों में वायु गुणवत्ता के बेहद खराब स्तर पर पहुंच जाने से यहां ग्रेप लग जाता है, जिससे इकाइयों में उत्पादन को बंद करना पड़ता है। भिवाड़ी में बॉयलर्स से चलने वाली 384 बड़ी इकाइयां हैं। जिनमें से 171 सीएनजी व अन्य गैस पर चलने लगी हैं। यह इकाइयां भिवाड़ी के कुल रेवेन्यू का 5 प्रतिशत हिस्सा देती हैं। वहीं इनमें काम करने वाले 5 हजार से ज्यादा श्रमिक भी बेरोजगार हो जाते हैं। कोरोना काल में बाद अब उद्योग पटरी पर लौटे हैं। अगर अब फिर से प्रतिबन्ध लगते हैं तो स्थिति खराब हो जाएगी।</p> <p>आंकड़ों से समझिए प्रदूषण का स्तर</p> <p>उद्योगनरी भिवाड़ी में बुधवार को वायु प्रदूषण का स्तर 102 था जो कि सामान्य श्रेणी में आता है। लेकिन पिछले कुछ सालों में अक्टूबर से जनवरी के दौरान यहां स्थिति खराब हो जाती है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की ओर से इस वर्ष देशभर के प्रमुख शहरों के वायु प्रदूषण को लेकर एक रिपोर्ट जारी की गई। रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक वर्ष 2019 के मुकाबले वर्ष 2020 की सर्द ऋतु में भिवाड़ी में पीएम 2.5 में स्तर में 31 और अलवर में 29 फीसदी की बढ़ोतरी हुई है। वर्ष 2020-21 ( अक्टूबर से जनवरी ) के दौरान भिवाड़ी में पीएम 2.5 का औसत स्तर 167 माइक्रोग्राम घन मीटर था जो कि उत्तर भारत में दसवें स्थान पर है। इस अवधि में भिवाड़ी में पीएम 2.5 का सर्वोच्च स्तर 480 जो कि पिछले साल से 77 फीसदी अधिक है।</p> <p>सामूहिक प्रयास करें</p> <p>सेंटर फॉर साइंसएंड एनवायरनमेंट से जुड़ी रिसर्च एंड एडवोकेसी की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी का कहना है कि अबोहवा का प्रदूषण कम करने के लिए अधिक से अधिक पेड़ लगाए जाएं, रास्ते को साफ़ रखें। भिवाड़ी में धूल उड़ने के कारणों पर नियंत्रण रखा जाए। हवा साफ़ रखने के लिए सभी को सामूहिक प्रयास करने होंगे।</p> <p>उद्योगपति बोले- एनसीआर के प्रतिबन्ध ना लगें</p> <p>भिवाड़ी के उद्योगपतियों ने प्रदूषण नियंत्रण मंडल और सरकार से भिवाड़ी को एनसीआ में ग्रेप के प्रतिबंधों से बाहर रखने के लिए कहा है। लघु उद्योग भारती के अध्यक्ष प्रवीण लांबा का कहना है कि धूल-मिट्टी के कारण होने वाले प्रदूषण का ठीकरा उद्योगों पर नहीं फोड़ा जाए। ग्रेप से भिवाड़ी को दिक्क्तें हो रही हैं। भिवाड़ी चैम्बर्स ऑफ़ कॉमर्स एंड इंडस्ट्रीज के चेयरमैन रामनारायण चौधरी का कहना है कि यहां सड़कों को ठीक कराया जाना चाहिए। विभागों को स्वच्छता पर ध्यान देना चाहिए, जिससे प्रदूषण का स्तर में वृद्धि ना हो।<br>विश्व के प्रदूषित शहरों में भिवाड़ी की रैंकिंग</p> <p>वर्ष रैंकिंग स्तर</p> <p>2020 5 95.5<br>2019 20 83.4<br>2018 5 125.4</p> <p><br>गत वर्ष अक्टूबर में प्रदूषण का स्तर</p> <p>दिनांक एक्यूआइ पीएम 2.5 पीएम 10</p> <p>31 अक्टूबर 324 226 420<br>30 अक्टूबर 299 218 429<br>29 अक्टूबर 450 302 533<br>28 अक्टूबर 243 188 375<br>27 अक्टूबर 285 104 391</p>

UNECE Water Convention and Senegalo-Mauritanian Aquifer Basin: GS Paper 3

Topics Covered: Conservation and Pollution related issues. The four West African countries- Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal- have signed a joint declaration to advance transboundary cooperation in the Senegal-Mauritanian Aquifer Basin (SMAB). They have agreed to establish a legal and institutional framework for cooperation on SMAB. This would be the first such mechanism in West Africa and pave the way for strengthened collaboration on shared groundwater resources worldwide. About SMAB: The Senegalo-Mauritanian aquifer basin is the largest basin in the Atlantic margin of north-west Africa, having an area of 350,000 square kilometres. More than 24 million inhabitants of the region are dependent on it for drinking water and other needs. Need for: Senegal, upon accession to the UNECE Water Convention in 2018, had requested for such a declaration. The Water Convention Secretariat, together with the Geneva Water Hub and the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre, subsequently facilitated the declaration. About the Water Convention: The Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) was adopted in Helsinki in 1992 and entered into force in 1996. The Convention is a unique legally binding instrument promoting the sustainable management of shared water resources, the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, the prevention of conflicts, and the promotion of peace and regional integration. Implementation: The Water Convention requires Parties to prevent, control and reduce transboundary impact, use transboundary waters in a reasonable and equitable way and ensure their sustainable management. Parties bordering the same transboundary waters have to cooperate by entering into specific agreements and establishing joint bodies. As a framework agreement, the Convention does not replace bilateral and multilateral agreements for specific basins or aquifers; instead, it fosters their establishment and implementation, as well as further development. Members: As of September 2018, it has been ratified by 43 parties, which includes 42 states and the European Union. It has been signed but not ratified by the United Kingdom.

In a primary, 4 West African nations decide to cooperate on Senegalo-Mauritanian

The Senegalo-Mauritanian Aquifer Basin is the most important in West Africa; 4 nations have now agreed to cooperate on sharing it peaceably, setting a template for the world A map of West Africa displaying Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia and Guinea Bissau. Ministers of the Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal signed a joint declaration September 29, 2021, to advance transboundary cooperation within the Senegal-Mauritanian Aquifer Basin (SMAB). The 4 West African nations have, by way of the declaration, agreed to ascertain a authorized and institutional framework for cooperation on SMAB, in line with the United Nations Financial Fee for Europe (UNECE) Water Conference. This is able to be the primary such mechanism in West Africa and pave the way in which for strengthened collaboration on shared groundwater sources worldwide, an announcement by the UNECE stated. The Senegalo-Mauritanian aquifer basin is the most important basin within the Atlantic margin of north-west Africa, having an space of 350,000 sq. kilometres. Greater than 24 million inhabitants of the area are depending on it for consuming water and different wants. This contains the capitals of Guinea Bissau and Senegal, specifically Bissau and Dakar. Some 80 per cent of the populations of the 4 nations which have signed the declaration, depend upon the SMAB. Simply 24 of the 153 nations that share 286 transboundary rivers, lakes and 592 transboundary aquifers, have operational preparations in place for all their transboundary waters. That is in line with the Progress on Transboundary Water Cooperation: international standing of SDG indicator 6.5.2 and acceleration wants, 2021 by UNECE and UNESCO, launched August 2021. That is in distinction with the UN-mandated Sustainable Growth Objectives’ imaginative and prescient to make sure that all these waters are coated by operational preparations by 2030. The speed of progress subsequently must quadruple, Olga Algayerova, UNECE government secretary, stated. She was quoted whereas talking on Day 1 of the ninth session of the Assembly of Events (MOP9) to the UNECE Water Conference, the place the declaration was signed. Senegal, upon accession to the UNECE Water Conference in 2018, had requested for such a declaration, the Earth Negotiations Bulletin of the Worldwide Institute for Sustainable Growth (IISD), stated. The Water Conference Secretariat, along with the Geneva Water Hub and the Worldwide Groundwater Assets Evaluation Centre, subsequently facilitated the declaration. The declaration was facilitated by the, and adopted the request from Senegal made upon accession to the Water Conference in 2018, Sep 29 2021 We’re a voice to you; you may have been a assist to us. Collectively we construct journalism that’s unbiased, credible and fearless. You’ll be able to additional assist us by making a donation. This can imply quite a bit for our potential to deliver you information, views and evaluation from the bottom in order that we will make change collectively.

Coal pollution could kill 5,280 in Delhi over 10 yrs’: Report

The report released on Wednesday said nearly 12% of India’s coal-generated electricity is generated within 500km of the national capital. Among the megacities in the country, residents of Delhi are the worst affected by coal pollution which could result in nearly 5,280 premature deaths in the national capital over the next decade, a new research report by the C40 Cities, a network of the megacities across the globe committed to addressing the climate crisis, has found. The report released on Wednesday said nearly 12% of India’s coal-generated electricity is generated within 500km of the national capital. The report said that pollution from coal-fired power plants travels long distances and the concentration levels is a major health risk, especially to vulnerable categories like children, senior citizens and pregnant women. “PM2.5 (particulate matter of diameter less than 2.5 micrometres) annual concentration in Delhi is more than nine times the World Health Organization guidelines, and more than twice the national guideline. Current national plans will expand the coal fleet by 28% between 2020 and 2030, not reduce it by 20%, threatening the health and well-being of the urban residents in Delhi while undermining India’s climate and air quality targets,” said Dr Rachel Huxley, head of knowledge and research, C40. The report claimed that the current plan to expand India’s coal-based power by 64 GW will nearly double the number of annual premature deaths -- 5,280 premature deaths over the next decade -- from air pollution in Delhi. Meanwhile, Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai Wednesday addressed the ‘Strategic State Environment Ministerial Dialogue of C40 Cities’ and shared the measures being taken by the city government for sustainable development without compromising on environmental goals, PTI reported. PTI quoted officials and said Rai shared the steps taken by the city government to “ensure sustainable development without compromising on environmental goals.” Rai will on Thursday hold a meeting with resident welfare associations, NGOs and eco-clubs in the city on the government’s pollution control measures. The C40 research suggests exposure from coal power plants will result in 5.5 million sick days and the proposed coal capacity expansion and subsequent pollution will entail health costs of around US$ 8.4 billion in the next decade. The report also suggested that the government can create 226,000 energy jobs by 2030 by retiring the oldest and least competitive coal plants and investing in solar and wind energy to supply Delhi with renewable electricity. “A transition to clean energy is not only critical for Indian cities to reduce air pollution, improve residents’ health and deliver on climate targets aligned to Paris Agreement, but also to create jobs,” Shruti Narayan, regional director C40, south and west Asia. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment, said, “Studies in the past too have highlighted how long range pollution sources hit Delhi’s air and that is why we need a larger air shed management plan for the entire region. But apart from this, we also need to recognise the damage that coal-fired plants have on human health. Existing rules need to be made more stringent.”

Billions in welfare kitty, yet India's mining villages stay buried in poverty

In India's mineral-rich regions, special funds have been set up to improve the lives of poor communities affected by mining — but villagers and politicians say the money is going elsewhere. When N H Malliswamy first heard about a fund to improve the lives of people affected by mining, he wondered why his village in an iron-ore extraction hub in Karnataka had never benefited. For the past year, the ex-employee of a mining firm, which was shut down for illegal operations, has tried to trace the millions of rupees paid by companies annually into this kitty, known as a district mineral fund. “The soles of my slippers have frayed trying to get details on the spending of these funds,” Malliswamy, 45, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, sitting outside the primary school near his home in Deogiri village in Sandur. “Slowly I have begun to understand the reason why these funds were created and how they are either being misused or not used at all. All this money can turn our lives around.” In 2015, the Indian government made it mandatory for mining lease holders to contribute 10-30 per cent of their royalties to funds set up in areas affected by mining-related operations — from iron ore to coal, quartz, mica and granite. India has the world’s fourth largest coal reserves and is its fourth-biggest producer of iron ore, the key material in steel-making. Growth in infrastructure development and rising demand for electric power is expected to boost mining in India after the Covid-19 pandemic, with more mines likely to be licensed. The District Mineral Foundations (DMFs), which have been set up in 600 districts across 21 Indian states, contained more than 500 billion Indian rupees ($6.8 billion) as of July, according to mining ministry data. The law requires the money to be spent on “high priority” social goals like healthcare, education, child development and improving sustainable livelihoods in places impacted by mining. But data shows that only half the funds have been spent and about half the planned projects completed so far. Human rights campaigners said the 2015 law recognised the right of local people to benefit from natural resources for the first time in a country where many mineral-rich regions are also among the poorest and most under-developed. “(The) DMF (model) is India’s tool for just transition,” said Bhanumati Kalluri of the Dhaatri Resource Centre, which works with women in mining areas and advocates more spending on their health and nutrition. “However, there is a huge discrepancy in the aim of setting up these funds and how they are spent. The spending is ad hoc and often not in core mining areas. The beneficiaries are not always those who are affected and need change the most.” ‘Healthcare not hockey’ There have been frequent protests in mining districts over the past year, with rights campaigners and elected representatives calling out what they say is rampant misuse of the funds. Laxman Munda, a lawmaker in the eastern mining state of Odisha, has raised in the state assembly “diversion of funds” for building a sports stadium two hours from an iron-ore hub. The lawmaker from Bonai said “so much money” is being made from mining in his state but that has not translated into progress for residents. “There is no proper road connectivity and a good hospital is 80 km (50 miles) away. People just die on the way. It is obvious we need healthcare and not hockey fields,” he said in a phone interview. Kalluri said a large share of the funds had been spent in parts of mining districts unaffected by the industry, including on air-strips, supplying electricity to an airport, constructing colleges and upgrading urban infrastructure. During the Covid-19 pandemic, there were also protests in western Goa state as DMF money was spent on coronavirus relief, with most of the equipment purchased and infrastructure built going to benefit hospitals in cities. Government data, however, shows that the DMFs have allocated about 40 per cent of their spending to a “priority category” of improving drinking water facilities. That includes setting up water purifying plants and providing water tankers to villages where water is often polluted due to mining activities. But in Sandur, part of mineral-rich Ballari district, locals said most water purification plants, which can be accessed after paying a user fee of 2 rupees, were not functioning. Pavan Kumar Malapati, Ballari’s administrative head, pointed to a shortage of technical expertise and manpower to ensure maintenance of the water purifiers. But efforts are being made to resolve the issue, he said, with a three-year action plan in place and consultants hired. Lack of transparency In July, the federal government warned states not to divert the funds out of mineral districts or into other programmes. Vivek Kumar Sharma, director in the union ministry of mines, which oversees the funds, said review meetings were held regularly. “The objectives are very clear and the focus is on the people,” he said, noting that at least 60 per cent of the funds must be spent on improving local lives. A 2018 status report on the DMFs by the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment suggested the reality on the ground was different. It highlighted how the DMFs had not identified their beneficiaries clearly, often limiting themselves to those living in the immediate vicinity of mines. They often left out people displaced by mining and others who have lost their livelihoods because of it, including in forests, the report said. Neither had there been any investment in improving child nutrition and under-five mortality rates, a big problem in most mining districts especially with large tribal populations, it noted. Report co-author Srestha Banerjee said little had changed since 2018. “Mining has been increasing — the money coming in is huge but there are no plans for how to spend it… Nobody really knows what is happening,” she said. Instructions are not standardised and state websites on spending are not updated, she added. Low awareness College student N Parshuram, 22, belongs to a youth club that travels around Sandur’s “mining colonies” educating people about the DMF and their rights. “All our families are linked to the mines. Some club members also work as drivers for mining companies,” he said. “We live in shanties where water, power and health are real challenges. If this money is meant for us, we want to make sure we get it.” In Deogiri, Malliswamy was elected in December to the village council, which plays a key role in steering the DMF. Pointing to the lack of transport, polluted open wells and the slushy road leading up the hill, he said few people here know about the funds and participation in spending decisions is low. Government officials assume that mining companies will tackle local problems as part of their corporate social responsibility work in affected communities, he said. “And companies do the bare minimum. I think we will have to get more involved and demand our rights,” he added.

As rain takes a break, Delhi’s air quality nosedives in just 4 days

NEW DELHI: With Delhi witnessing a rain break, its air quality has deteriorated in the past 48 hours, touching the “moderate” category with an air quality index (AQI) of 120, stated Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Only four days ago, AQI was 64, in the “satisfactory” zone. AQI may spike further in the next few days, with no rain expected until October 1, forecasts show. India Meteorological Department (IMD) said local dust upliftment and pollution from localised sources might be becoming more prominent once again in the absence of rain. The CPCB data showed while most stations across Delhi had touched the “moderate” category, Ashok Vihar was the most polluted with an AQI of 247 — “poor” — in the morning. Prior to September 26, AQI was below 100, even hovering in the lower “satisfactory” range. 2021-9-29 5-41-59 Congratulations! You have successfully cast your vote According to IMD’s early warning system, wind speeds were ranging between 10-12km/hour with easterly winds blowing towards Delhi. It said wind speeds would remain similar on Wednesday, with the direction changing to southeast by Thursday. “The predominant surface wind is likely to be coming from the east of Delhi with 12-14kmph speed and generally cloudy skies on Wednesday. It is likely to be coming from the southeast with the wind speed up to 12kmph on Thursday,” stated the IMD forecast. According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), another forecasting body, AQI could deteriorate further in the next few days owing to similar meteorological conditions. “Delhi’s AQI is in the ‘moderate’ category as predicted by SAFAR. This is due to dry conditions with moderate wind that allows local road dust upliftment and resuspension. Similar meteorological situation will keep AQI in the moderate category,” it said. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at Centre for Science and Environment, said gases such as CO, NO and ozone became more prominent during rain, as particulate matter settled down. “During waterlogging, vehicles release more emissions, especially during traffic snarls,” she added.

Billions in welfare kitty, yet India’s mining villages stay buried in poverty

When N H Malliswamy first heard about a fund to improve the lives of people affected by mining, he wondered why his village in an iron-ore extraction hub in Karnataka had never benefited. For the past year, the ex-employee of a mining firm, which was shut down for illegal operations, has tried to trace the millions of rupees paid by companies annually into this kitty, known as a district mineral fund. “The soles of my slippers have frayed trying to get details on the spending of these funds,” Malliswamy, 45, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, sitting outside the primary school near his home in Deogiri village in Sandur. “Slowly I have begun to understand the reason why these funds were created and how they are either being misused or not used at all. All this money can turn our lives around.” In 2015, the Indian government made it mandatory for mining lease holders to contribute 10-30% of their royalties to funds set up in areas affected by mining-related operations – from iron ore to coal, quartz, mica and granite. India has the world’s fourth largest coal reserves and is its fourth-biggest producer of iron ore, the key material in steel-making. Growth in infrastructure development and rising demand for electric power is expected to boost mining in India after the COVID-19 pandemic, with more mines likely to be licensed. The District Mineral Foundations (DMFs), which have been set up in 600 districts across 21 Indian states, contained more than 500 billion Indian rupees ($6.8 billion) as of July, according to mining ministry data. The law requires the money to be spent on “high priority” social goals like healthcare, education, child development and improving sustainable livelihoods in places impacted by mining. But data shows that only half the funds have been spent and about half the planned projects completed so far. Human rights campaigners said the 2015 law recognised the right of local people to benefit from natural resources for the first time in a country where many mineral-rich regions are also among the poorest and most under-developed. “(The) DMF (model) is India’s tool for just transition,” said Bhanumati Kalluri of the Dhaatri Resource Centre, which works with women in mining areas and advocates more spending on their health and nutrition. “However, there is a huge discrepancy in the aim of setting up these funds and how they are spent. The spending is ad hoc and often not in core mining areas. The beneficiaries are not always those who are affected and need change the most.” ‘HEALTHCARE NOT HOCKEY’ There have been frequent protests in mining districts over the past year, with rights campaigners and elected representatives calling out what they say is rampant misuse of the funds. Laxman Munda, a lawmaker in the eastern mining state of Odisha, has raised in the state assembly “diversion of funds” for building a sports stadium two hours from an iron-ore hub. The lawmaker from Bonai said “so much money” is being made from mining in his state but that has not translated into progress for residents. “There is no proper road connectivity and a good hospital is 80 km (50 miles) away. People just die on the way. It is obvious we need healthcare and not hockey fields,” he said in a phone interview. Kalluri said a large share of the funds had been spent in parts of mining districts unaffected by the industry, including on air-strips, supplying electricity to an airport, constructing colleges and upgrading urban infrastructure. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were also protests in western Goa state as DMF money was spent on coronavirus relief, with most of the equipment purchased and infrastructure built going to benefit hospitals in cities. Government data, however, shows that the DMFs have allocated about 40% of their spending to a “priority category” of improving drinking water facilities. That includes setting up water purifying plants and providing water tankers to villages where water is often polluted due to mining activities. But in Sandur, part of mineral-rich Ballari district, locals said most water purification plants, which can be accessed after paying a user fee of 2 rupees, were not functioning. Pavan Kumar Malapati, Ballari’s administrative head, pointed to a shortage of technical expertise and manpower to ensure maintenance of the water purifiers. But efforts are being made to resolve the issue, he said, with a three-year action plan in place and consultants hired. LACK OF TRANSPARENCY In July, the federal government warned states not to divert the funds out of mineral districts or into other programmes. Vivek Kumar Sharma, director in the union ministry of mines, which oversees the funds, said review meetings were held regularly. “The objectives are very clear and the focus is on the people,” he said, noting that at least 60% of the funds must be spent on improving local lives. A 2018 status report on the DMFs by the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment suggested the reality on the ground was different. It highlighted how the DMFs had not identified their beneficiaries clearly, often limiting themselves to those living in the immediate vicinity of mines. They often left out people displaced by mining and others who have lost their livelihoods because of it, including in forests, the report said. Neither had there been any investment in improving child nutrition and under-five mortality rates, a big problem in most mining districts especially with large tribal populations, it noted. Report co-author Srestha Banerjee said little had changed since 2018. “Mining has been increasing – the money coming in is huge but there are no plans for how to spend it… Nobody really knows what is happening,” she said. Instructions are not standardised and state websites on spending are not updated, she added.

Bhopal’s ‘pond of poison’ reaps new worry

The 5.82-acre waterbody in the Chhola Road area of Bhopal, right next to the Blue Moon Colony, right next to the Union Carbide plant At first glance, it is just another pond, as big as four football fields taken together, but, like all city ponds, muddy, with garbage and sewage collected on the borders. But this is no ordinary pond: it is a toxic reminder of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy that killed at least 2,200 people (the death toll is still disputed). And after 37 years, it is once again making news for the wrong reason. Water chestnuts are being grown in the pond, and there are fears that the produce could be toxic. The 5.82-acre waterbody in the Chhola Road area of Bhopal, right next to the Blue Moon Colony, right next to the Union Carbide plant where the accident happened, was actually used as a “solar evaporation pond” by the company that is believed to have dumped several tonnes of the methyl isocyanate — the chemical that leaked from the plant in gas form — into it from the 1970s until the intervening night of December 2 and 3, 1984. That night, the gas leaked, killing at least 2,259 people and affecting at least 500,000 more. Since then, local people have referred to the pond as “zehreela talaab (toxic pond)”. RELATED STORIES Mumbai Police shares what makes ‘immunity unbreakable’ in mask-related advisory Bihar to begin mass drug administration drive against filariasis on Sept 20 5 ‘mystery deaths’ in Bihar trigger panic, docs rushed Won’t surrender to misuse of central agencies, says Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut Until the early 1990s, the pond was fenced off with six to eight guards keeping people away. It stands on land owned by Atul Sharma, a cousin of the BJP MP from Jhansi, Anurag Sharma. Sharma, who gave the land on lease to Union Carbide (a joint stock company owned by the multinational of the same name and the state government, which had a minority stake) fought a legal battle in court for 19 years until 2003 when the ownership was returned to him by a Bhopal court. By then, the ownership of Union Carbide had moved to Dow Chemical, which acquired the company in 2000. A decade later, in 2013, Sharma tried to fill up the pond and construct a housing colony on it. But the survivors of the gas tragedy moved the Supreme Court, claiming the pond had been deemed poisonous and posed a permanent health hazard to anyone living there. In an affidavit to the Supreme Court in 2013, the state government said that a subdivisional magistrate had prohibited Sharma from carrying out any commercial activities on the land under Section 133 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The matter is still pending before the court. Yet, earlier this year, locals spotted two farmers visiting the pond regularly, sowing and tending to water chestnuts. They were identified as Satish Ricchariya and Deepak Raikwar. This month, 3,000kg of the produce was ready for sale across Bhopal, prompting local activists to approach the authorities who stopped the farming and the harvest of the crop. Mohammad Shafique, a resident of the Blue Moon Colony, said the pond was “used as a chemical disposal tank by Union Carbide from 1977 to 1984 through pipes, with the factory only a kilometre and a half away”. “For the past four decades, we have always known that even drinking this water could be fatal, something repeated to us over and over by the authorities. There was once a boundary here, and guards. How can it suddenly be okay for farming?” Shafique asked Other local people said that the authorities told them that groundwater in a 3-km radius had turned poisonous due to the dumping of methyl isocyanate. “After the accident, the toxic waste wasn’t disposed from the pond, and multiple tests have shown that hazardous effluents have entered groundwater in a 3-km radius,” said another resident, Shahbaz Khan. “As people who live here, we only depend on tap water. But we have seen precautions becoming lax over the years. First, a few locals started fishing and water chestnut farming, but in a tiny area of the pond. This year, they are doing it over the entire pond. This is just dangerous.” Ricchariya and Raikwar, involved in the buying and selling of land and contract farming in villages in and around Bhopal, said there is “nothing wrong with the water”, and they had taken the pond on rent from Sharma for ₹25,000 for a year. “Locals were doing fish farming in the pond after the monsoon and they are fine. What is the problem if we have started doing it in an organised manner? So much hard work has gone into this. The locals didn’t say anything when we started the farming, but now that the chestnut is ready for sale in the market, they are raising issues,” said Ricchariya. But concerns about health are very real. Activists said that this very pond has been the subject of as many as 17 toxicity studies conducted by, among others, the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Centre for Science and Environment, Greenpeace, Central Pollution Control board, and the State Pollution Control Board, and that each revealed the presence of toxic chemicals in groundwater because of the dumped waste in the pond. “The most recent study conducted in 2017 by Indian Institute of Toxicology Research revealed that chemical oxygen demand (COD) was far beyond the permissible limit. COD test is done to measure the amount of organic pollutants in water. The other studies revealed the presence of six persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals and toxic chemicals in the soil and groundwater. How then are these people being allowed to do farming at the main spot of toxic waste? They are putting the lives of people in Bhopal at risk if the chestnut enters the market,” said Rachna Dhingra, convener, Bhopal Group for Information & Action, an NGO. Raikwar said that when they were taking the pond on rent, they were assured that they could do “anything on the pond.” “Atul bhaiya assured us that we won’t face any difficulty,” Raikwar said. Despite repeated attempts, Atul Sharma, who lives in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, refused to comment on the issue over phone. But Jhansi MP Anurag Sharma said, “My cousin has a pond in Bhopal and there is a dispute there but I am not aware of it.” The district administration intervened on Saturday. “We have stopped them (the farmer) from farming and collecting nuts from the pond. We will clear all the fish and water chestnuts from the pond and will also set up fencing around the pond with a warning board to prevent any such activities in the future,” said Bhopal district collector Avinash Lavaniya. But Ricchariya and Raikwar have said that they are now in debt as Sharma has not entertained any request for a refund of the money paid as rent and the district administration has refused to provide them any compensation. “We took a loan of ₹2 lakh from money-lenders as investment. What happens to us now? We took the pond on rent in the hope of earning some money at a time Covid-19 limited earning opportunities. We are BPL (below poverty line) card holders, and if they destroy the yield, how will we pay the debt?” Raikwar said. The Bhopal Municipal Corporation has no answer except that the liability rests with the owner of the land, who is soon to be served a notice. Municipal commissioner KVS Chaudhary said, “The person who has given the pond on rent should pay their debt because knowingly or not, they were putting the lives of common people at risk. We will also serve a notice to the owner as all the commercial activities are strictly prohibited on this land.”

Build more stormwater drains, say experts

Gurgaon: Authorities in Delhi-NCR need to build more stormwater drains to tackle urban flooding, professors attached to some of the premier institutes in the region have told TOI.The experts pointed out that in most cities, the drainage system was neither designed nor augmented to handle short spurts of heavy rain or unpredictable monsoons, both of which have become quite frequent over the past couple of years. Therefore, they suggested, the authorities should resize stormwater drains on priority. “Yes, the number of rainy days has reduced because of climate change. Most of our cities do not have a proper drainage pattern. Surprisingly, traffic flow is taken into consideration while planning roads, but drainage patterns are not. The sewer network now is not designed to accommodate high-intensity rain that the region has been witnessing over the past couple of years. As a result, urban flooding is more frequent,” said CR Babu, professor emeritus and head of the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE) at Delhi University. The drains we have were designed for drizzle, not heavy rain. Also, most of the roads do not have tree cover. Trees help rainwater to percolate into the ground,” he added. The experts suggested that stormwater drains should be separate from those carrying sewage. “The capacity of storm water drains has been reduced considerably by linking them with sewage drains. Natural drain lines were never considered while planning the cities. Also, the stormwater drains are filled with solid waste and plastic, which also leads to urban flooding. We have also lost a number of water bodies,” said Manoj Misra, convenor of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan, an NGO. Two scientists from Bengaluru who were in the panel that prepared the IPCC report on climate change this year had told TOI earlier that Delhi-NCR needs to build more water bodies to allay the rising temperatures. The scientists — Govindasamy Bala and NH Ravindranath — had also said that extreme weather conditions in the form of heat waves and high-intensity rainfall would become more frequent in NCR. But it’s not just the lack of stormwater drains that has sparked a concern, Rapid urbanisation, loss of wetlands, large-scale carbon dioxide emissions and change in the urban landscape are some of the reasons that are contributing to the rise in temperatures, according to the experts. “There are several factors contributing to the rising temperatures, such as reduction of green cover, intensive concretisation, waste heat from air conditioners and carbon dioxide emission that traps the heat. We need to reduce our carbon emissions,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, head of the air pollution and clean transportation programme at the Centre for Science and Environment. Amita Singh, a former professor at JNU, said, “Climate change is the reality. We need more water reservoirs and the administration should carry out regular maintenance of stormwater drains.”

Stay close to Delhi Metro station, bus stop? Your parking slot will be crunched

NEW DELHI: With the policy for dynamic parking norms in Delhi notified by the central government last week, the municipal corporations, which are the implementing agencies, will have to ensure that a parking space permitted in floor plans is reduced by 30% for a property located 500 metres from a Delhi Metro station and by 15% if sited 800 metres from a metro station. A South Delhi Municipal Corporation official added that if the property was located a kilometre from a multi-level car parking space, then the parking allowance in the floor area ratio would be reduced by 10%. The policy will be applicable for group housing societies, guesthouses, schools, community halls, studio apartments, properties on Asaf Ali Road and state bhawans. “Earlier, the estimated car space (ECS) was calculated on the basis of built-up area. The new modifications mean ECS will be a factor of the floor area ratio of a residential unit,” said Prem Shankar Jha, deputy commissioner, remunerative and project cell, SDMC. “The policy was implemented after Delhi Development Authority and the civic bodies insisted on allowing only 40% as total parking demand in an area, especially commercial ones, located close to metro stations and other public transport systems.” TOI contacted DDA for details and comments, but received no reply. Till now, space to park two vehicles was allowed in residential units in group housing with a 100 sq metre built-up area. In case of service personnel housing or economically weaker sections flats, the allowance was 0.5 ECS per 100 sqm of built-up area. The modified allowance for dwelling units of less than 40 sqm in EWS or service personnel housing plots is now 0.5 ECS. For dwelling units measuring between 40 sqm and 100 sqm, 1 ECS will be permitted, 2 for those measuring between 100 sqm and 200 sqm. For properties sized over 200 sqm, 2 ECS + 1 per every additional 100 sqm will be allowed. For hostels, guesthouses, lodged, etc, which currently have parking space of 2 ECS per 100 sqm of built-up area, the new spaces allowed will be 0.5 ECS per 100 sqm of FAR and deduction as per distance from metro station. These revised parking norms will become applicable for all properties whose construction hasn’t begun, even if the plans have been approved by the local body. The Centre’s notification says, “In all such cases where the plans have already been approved, the properties may be developed with these revised norms and the local body concerned may be informed of the same in writing. No separate permission for the same is needed to be taken.” Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said that the policy balances the concept of demand management for vehicles. “So far, we were working on the tradition of increasing parking capacity to meet rising demand, an infinite process and impossible to fully meet,” she said. “Already, 33% of Delhi’s geographical area is used for roads and parking. A survey a few years ago said that going by the rate of registration of new vehicles, the city would require 430 football grounds for parking every year.”

Billions in welfare kitty, yet India's mining villages stay buried in poverty

India has the world's fourth largest coal reserves and is its fourth-biggest producer of iron ore, the key material in steel-making "The objectives are very clear and the focus is on the people," he said, noting that at least 60 per cent of the funds must be spent on improving local lives. A 2018 status report on the DMFs by the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environme... Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/national/billions-in-welfare-kitty-yet-indias-mining-villages-stay-buried-in-poverty-1035008.html

Delhi Master Plan 2041: Are we missing the bus on transport systems?

Integrated public transport is the weakest link of this development plan. The Delhi Development Authority has published draft development plan 2041 for suggestions and objections. By 2030, the Delhi urban region is expected to become the largest metropolitan region in the world with a projected population of 39 million residents. The National Capital Territory of Delhi is infamous for many aspects, and unfortunately not for the right reasons: air pollution with vehicular emissions contributing 39% (PM2.5) of the total pollution in the city, the highest number of road crash deaths in the country, unsafe public spaces and transport for women and girls. Delhi’s development plan, which will shape the city’s growth for the next two decades, bears the responsibility of not only catching up, but also setting the tone for the rest of the country and other megapoli globally. While there are no precedents to follow, Delhi will either become an example to follow or avoid. Streets and public transport systems are not only a city’s backbone but its most visible form of urban governance and can demonstrate commitment to equitable low-carbon pathways. There are some progressive attempts at improving non-motorised transport in the city. However, the disconnect between the baseline studies on transport and proposals, lack of analysis of public transport ridership and patterns, specific outcome and output targets, implementation timelines and responsible agencies endangers its vision and threatens to make the plan a paper-based exercise. We will dive a little deeper into different modes of transport (see graphic below) and governance. Non-motorised transport As per the baseline studies, 42% of all trips in Delhi are by walking (35%) and cycling (7%). Average walking trips are 1.6 km, while cycling trips are 3.6 km. The plan recommends that “concerned agencies” shall create active travel plans to promote walking and cycling. The proposed street design guidelines also incorporate road safety for pedestrians. Given the fragmented institutional structure of Delhi, with more than a dozen road-owning agencies, it is unclear who would take the responsibility of preparing these active travel plans. The Delhi Development Authority should take the responsibility for delineating and publishing city-level network plans, which individual road-owning agencies can detail out subsequently. It is important that these are published as part of the development plan so that they have statutory backing and civil society can hold individual agencies accountable. The Delhi Development Authority should publish a city-level cycling network plan, a pedestrian infrastructure priority plan that includes metro-rail, frequent bus-transport corridors and their influence zones. Additionally, it should publish a plan that identifies traffic-calmed zones to create safer streets for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. These could be areas within a five-minute walking distance of city and regional nodes such as railway and metro-rail stations, bus terminals, inter-state bus terminals, university campuses, district and community centres, and primary, secondary schools, hospitals which attract children, care givers and youth who are some of the most vulnerable road users. Finally, the street design guidelines of the Delhi Development Authority’s Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure Centre should be updated to specifically include women’s safety and diversity in public spaces. Integrated public transport is the weakest link of this development plan. The baseline studies argue that the fares of airconditioned buses and metro-rail systems are comparable and that we may expect a modal shift to metro-rail in the future. Simultaneously, it states that first- and last-mile connectivity trips to bus stops are by e-rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, two-wheelers and cycle rickshaws. Individuals calculate the cost and ease of a door-to-door journey that would necessitate planning for an integrated public transport journey. Further, research has indicated that walking constitutes 87% of all first- and last-mile trips to bus stops in Delhi, and 93% for informal women workers. Transportation affordability usually refers to the ability of households to purchase mobility for their basic needs like education, work, shopping, healthcare. A report by the Centre for Science and Environment presents different measures of transport affordability: there is an affordability problem with public transport when more than 10% if households spend more than 15% of their income on work-related trips. The South African government established less than 10% of income as a policy benchmark in its 1996 White Paper on Transport Policy. The baseline studies report that the per capita income in Delhi is Rs 25,260 per month. Our research among informal women workers revealed that 37% of their households earned less than Rs 10,000 per month with an average monthly household income of Rs 12,135. We calculated the cost of using different modes of public transport (non-AC buses, AC buses, Phase-I and Phase-II metro-rail stations), with the following assumptions: 52 (work) trips per month per household (assuming two trips per day for 26 days), no transfers, average travel distance of 10.90 km as per the baseline studies, 3.60 km as the average distance for e-rickshaws and 5 km as the average distance for autorickshaws is 5 km. Our analysis shows that only non-AC buses, AC buses and Phase-I metro-rail stations with walking as the first and last mile are affordable for households with a monthly household income of Rs 12,135. Further, the use of any mode of public transport with first- and last-mile connectivity by paratransit such as autorickshaws and shared e-rickshaws is unaffordable to households earning Rs 25,260 per month. The cost of travelling by a two-wheeler is cheaper than traveling by the Phase I and Phase II metro-rail stations with paratransit. There are around 3,200 bus stops in Delhi, as compared to 500 existing and proposed metro-rail stations, providing connectivity and access to different parts of Delhi. Therefore, it is imperative that the development plan aim to augment the bus fleet in Delhi to achieve 60-70 buses per million residents, amounting to 18,000-21,000 buses in Delhi by 2041. This will also need to consider augmenting and replenishing the fleet every seven-10 years. Further, bold action will be required to reorganise paratransit to enable fare integration, consider a hybrid of distance-based and flat-fare systems to ensure affordability of public transport services, and increase parking fees along public transport corridors and their influence zones to disincentivise the use of personal motor vehicles. Spatial planning While the plan provides norms and allocation of different amenities, there are no guidelines on their spatial location. Land-use and transport integration should not remain restricted to mass rapid transit. The plan must include guidelines to ensure that amenities accessed on a daily basis (such as markets, primary schools) are within walking distance whereas city and regional amenities (such as hospitals, city-level public open spaces) are within walking distance of frequent public transport Lastly, the development plan of Delhi needs to adopt bold targets to ensure connectivity, access and equity, identify responsible agencies and set implementation target years. The targets should ensure that at least 90% of the residents, all new affordable and economically weaker section housing have access to frequent bus-based public transport within five minutes walking distance. The plan should also create a sustainable urban mobility plan linking future scenarios to greenhouse gas emissions with the goal of achieving net zero targets by 2050. The National Capital Region is at a historical juncture, where it can become a model for other urban regions to follow or continue to attract attention for all the wrong reasons.

Freeing up: 9 sites picked in south Delhi to park heavy vehicles at night

NEW DELHI: South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has identified nine sites for parking of commercial vehicles at night. The move is aimed at avoiding congestion on main roads in south Delhi areas due to haphazard parking of heavy vehicles. These on-street parking sites are located at prominent stretches near commercial or residential areas. To get the traffic police’s permission, SDMC officials held a meeting with the joint CP, traffic police on Friday, said officials. Since the new parking policy notified by Delhi government stresses on renewal of commercial vehicles’ registration every year only when there is proof of parking, this facility will be required for such vehicles. The civic body can issue parking certificates/NoC that can be utilised by the owner for the registration renewal in future,” said Prem Shankar Jha, deputy commissioner, remunerative and project cell, SDMC. “The traffic police have told us that the matter will be looked into and a reply will be given soon,” said a south corporation official. The civic body aims to charge a minimum of Rs 9,900 per month as parking fee from commercial vehicles and the rate will increase depending upon the size of commercial vehicles. “So far, we have identified space for parking of 134 buses and trucks. More such parking sites will be identified in future,” said the official. Residents of different areas, including Alaknanda and Nivedita Kunj (RK Puram), have been frequently complaining about inconveniences caused to them due to parking of commercial vehicles, such as buses, tempos, trolleys and trucks, on the main roads during night hours. “The project sites after getting finalised will be given to parking contractors. They will install CCTV cameras and make other arrangements for safety purposes,” said the official. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, however, said that the term, “commercial vehicles”, was wide and covered many kinds of vehicles, including e-vehicles. It is important to earmark sites for all of these after understanding their requirements and doing proper demarcation. “There are taxi aggregators who need space to park their cars at night. Then we have tempos also, which will need space for loading and unloading. Since all these vehicles will be covered under the Delhi Parking Policy as well as electrical vehicle policy, keeping all factors in mind before finalising sites is very important. Provision for charging stations also needs to be looked into,” she said. The south corporation presently has 140 surface parking lots for non-commercial vehicles and of them, 113 are fully operational. Besides, there are six operational underground multi-level and two stack parking lots.

Do floating solar panels work better?

Experts point out that there are several advantages of floating solar power plants. The most important is that there is no requirement of land. But these are costlier than traditionalsolar panels, writes Deepanwita Gita Niyogi Floating solar plants, also called floatovoltaics, are the newest craze in India. The Jharkhand government has approved a 100 MW floating solar plant in Getalsud dam near Ranchi. Another plant having a similar capacity is expected to become operational in the reservoir of Ramagundam thermal power plant in Telangana’s Peddapalli district. It is being developed by the NTPC. The company has also commissioned a 10 MW floating solar plant at Simhadri, Andhra Pradesh, and additional 250 MW floating solar projects, including the one at Ramagundam. Experts point out there are several advantages of floating solar power plants, one being that there is no requirement of land. But these are costlier than traditional solar panels and are large-scale in scope and maintenance. For, the Ramagundam project, the capital expenditure is 450 crore. According to the NTPC, the cost is almost at par with a ground mounted solar project. Why go for floating panels? Samrat Sengupta, director, climate change and renewable energy, at the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, said floating solar panels are costly as the racking system needs to have a high corrosion resistance, good load capacity and a long life span for holding the panels in water for more than 25 years. Manu Maudgal, power lead at the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, a non-profit based in New Delhi, explained that the challenge lies in engineering such modules which are able to handle water and wind corrosion as well as operational maintenance like anchoring and mooring. But there are benefits too. The most obvious advantage is no loss of land space. “The return on investment of floating solar installations is also higher than ground mounted ones. They yield five to seven percent better output than ground ones due to the natural cooling of the panels, resulting in decreased temperatures and higher efficiency,” Sengupta added. Explaining the land issue further, Maudgal said that in a country like India, grid-scale photovoltaic solar farms are located in areas where land is either cheaper or available on a contiguous basis. The more we come closer to human habitations, cheap and large parcels of land are, however, difficult to get. Many of India’s reservoirs, lakes and irrigation canals are suitable for floating solar panels. “To make it attractive, the floating photovoltaic potential in India has been assessed to be close to 300 GW. This potential is estimated assuming only 25-30 percent coverage of the water surface and not 100 percent,” Maudgal pointed out. Talking of canals, Chhattisgarh is trying to work something out in this direction. Sanjeev Jain, chief engineer at the Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency under the state government’s department of energy informed that there has been a revision in the state’s solar policy. A proposal has been passed for expansion from the current 700 MW to 2000 MW by 2022. “We are targeting solar as for wind power development, there is not much exploitable potential in Chhattisgarh,” Jain said. He added that the state is exploring the possibility of setting up floating solar plants on canals banks and canal tops. In this regard, the Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy will analyse the potential for which a proposal has been submitted. In Chhattisgarh, canals come under the water resources department of the state government. Centralised Vs decentralised The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy wants to promote decentralised solar plants to make affordable power available in rural areas. In an office memorandum dated December 13, 2019, it enumerated guidelines for the development of decentralised solar power plants in India. Jain added that floating panels work best for discoms or utility grids whereas mini and micro grids serve rural communities better. Decentralised off grid is always a better option for energy storage and security. He said a lot of renewable energy work is going on in the rural sector in Chhattisgarh. Solar mini and micro grids are being maintained for rural electrification for the past 15 years. But Maudgal said utility-scale floating photovoltaics or FPVs, which generate solar power and feed into grids, would gain more traction as compared to distributed ones due to the initial engineering and operational maintenance issues. FPVs are relatively new in India and also globally. Potential new applications for FPVs closer to communities are being considered such as tanks and ponds. However, such applications face challenges like ownership, obtaining clearances and reliable data availability. That is the reason usually man-made reservoirs and water bodies are the first choice, Maudgal informed. Since not more than 30 percent of the water surface is covered by FPVs, their environmental impacts are also being speculated. More study is required, Maudgal said. “One thing is clear. As water evaporation from water bodies is to the tune of 30 percent, FPVs can reduce that to an extent, thus making water available for other uses.” But apprehensions exist that FPVs can trigger a chain of reaction in water bodies, harm aquatic life and lead to a shift in the ecology like the food chain. Other negative socio-economic impacts could be effects on tourism, fishing and navigation, Maudgal added. Meanwhile, the NTPC is studying the feasibility of installing floating solar panels in the water bodies of its other thermal power stations. It has also signed an MOU with the Damodar Valley Corporation to set up floating solar projects in its reservoirs and pursuing states to allocate water bodies for more such projects.

9 sites picked in south Delhi to park heavy vehicles at night

These on-street parking sites are located at prominent stretches near commercial or residential areas. To get the traffic police’s permission, SDMC officials held a meeting with the joint CP, traffic police on Friday, said officials. South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has identified nine sites for parking of commercial vehicles at night. The move is aimed at avoiding congestion on main roads in south Delhi areas due to haphazard parking of heavy vehicles. These on-street parking sites are located at prominent stretches near commercial or residential areas. To get the traffic police’s permission, SDMC officials held a meeting with the joint CP, traffic police on Friday, said officials. “Since the new parking policy notified by Delhi government stresses on renewal of commercial vehicles’ registration every year only when there is proof of parking, this facility will be required for such vehicles. The civic body can issue parking certificates/NoC that can be utilised by the owner for the registration renewal in future,” said Prem Shankar Jha, deputy commissioner, remunerative and project cell, SDMC. “The traffic police have told us that the matter will be looked into and a reply will be given soon,” said a south corporation official. The civic body aims to charge a minimum of Rs 9,900 per month as parking fee from commercial vehicles and the rate will increase depending upon the size of commercial vehicles. “So far, we have identified space for parking of 134 buses and trucks. More such parking sites will be identified in future,” said the official. Residents of different areas, including Alaknanda and Nivedita Kunj (RK Puram), have been frequently complaining about inconveniences caused to them due to parking of commercial vehicles, such as buses, tempos, trolleys and trucks, on the main roads during night hours. “The project sites after getting finalised will be given to parking contractors. They will install CCTV cameras and make other arrangements for safety purposes,” said the official. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, however, said that the term, “commercial vehicles”, was wide and covered many kinds of vehicles, including e-vehicles. It is important to earmark sites for all of these after understanding their requirements and doing proper demarcation. “There are taxi aggregators who need space to park their cars at night. Then we have tempos also, which will need space for loading and unloading. Since all these vehicles will be covered under the Delhi Parking Policy as well as electrical vehicle policy, keeping all factors in mind before finalising sites is very important. Provision for charging stations also needs to be looked into,” she said. The south corporation presently has 140 surface parking lots for non-commercial vehicles and of them, 113 are fully operational. Besides, there are six operational underground multi-level and two stack parking lots.