Despite a series of steps to control farm fire, most small farmers TOI spoke to are determined to burn their crop this year too. Officials are trying hard to prevent it and hope that a fall in area under paddy cultivation may help control this source of winter pollution
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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>
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.
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.
West African countries commit to cooperate on Senegalo-Mauritanian Aquifer Basin
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.”