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Cse In News

India’s toxic love affair with plastic: on the 2022 ban against single-use products

Come July 2022 and the Indian government’s ban on single-use plastics (SUPs) will come into force. At least that’s what a recent announcement by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) states. The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, announced in August, state that 20 identified SUPs will be phased out by next year. Although an ambitious and what some might even consider a welcome change to India’s snowballing plastic crisis, the announcement has brought with it several questions. The ‘Report on Single Use Plastics’, worked on by an expert committee constituted by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC), has categorised plastic products based on their environmental impact and utility — those found to have the lowest utility and highest environmental impact are recommended for a phase-out. These include thin carry bags (less than 50 micron); non-woven carry bags and covers (less than 80 gsm and 320 microns); small wrapping/ packing films; straws/ stirrers; cutlery such as foam cups, bowls; earbuds with plastic sticks; cigarette filters; small plastic bottles; plastic banners; among other products. Interestingly, the report also mentions that on examining bans and other restrictions on plastic products issued by various State governments and Union Territories, the expert committee ‘noted that the guidelines lack uniformity and vary widely in different parts of the country’. Key loopholes Where are the corporations? A cursory glance at the list highlighting the environmental adverse impact score of SUPs makes it evident that these are products being churned out by small and medium manufacturers. Larger corporations that mass-produced everything from furniture and bags to multi-layered packaging and bottles are missing. Minderoo Foundation’s ‘Plastic Waste-Makers Index’, released earlier this year, reveals the companies that produce 90% of all SPU waste generated globally. The list includes Reliance Industries, GAIL India, Indian Oil Corporation, and Haldia Petrochemicals from India. Packaging and EPR woes: Plastic packaging (flexible and rigid) contributes almost 60% of the total plastic waste generated, as a report from the Centre for Science and Environment finds. These include everyday products such as food wrappers, wrapping films, etc., but packaging waste hasn’t been listed for a phase-out. The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 had proposed for these to be collected and managed in an environmentally sustainable way through extended producer responsibility (EPR) of the producer, importer and brand owner (PIBO). ‘Five years later, the EPR for plastic waste management remains only on paper, due to non-compliance by PIBOs and weak enforcement by authorities,’ states Down to Earth. ‘The Ministry’s assumption that the PIBOs will start complying now is puzzling.’ The expert committee’s report backs this, and states that the EPR concept in India is largely connected with litter and other environmental issues but has not even begun to be implemented. This is yet another missing link in India’s plastic ban policy. Busting the bio-plastic bubble: Next come the infamous ‘bio-plastics’ and other compostable, oxo-degradable and oxo-biodegradable plastics — primarily used for grocery bags or carry bags. While you may feel a tad better opting for these bags rather than polythene ones, how ‘sustainable’ or ‘plastic-free’ they really are is an altogether different story. Remember, not all bio and plant-based plastics are biodegradable, and not all ‘green’ or biodegradable plastics are bio-based. In addition, they require separate composting facilities created with specific environmental conditions. The Report mentions that the conditions required for the decomposition of compostable bags do not exist in India’s municipal landfills. Most importantly, compostable plastic packaging is not a blanket solution, but rather one for specific, targeted applications as a majority of compostable plastics are more expensive than conventional plastics, and not available in sufficient quantities in India. The recycling process gets impacted when conventional and compostable plastics are mixed. The informal workforce: According to the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the plastics recycling industry in India employs over 1.6 million people and has more than 7,500 recycling units. It is a known fact that recycling has been managed by extremely small players, who employ elementary waste segregation processes and lack scientific know-how on waste collection, segregation, and disposal. The plastic industry not only needs an upgradation of technology for mechanical recycling, as the Report mentions, but requires investing in educating these players, and providing them incentives to manage waste wisely. Key in this list of players are the waste pickers — estimated to be between 1.5 million and 4 million. We need measures to improve the way they function. They need to be given ID cards, authorisations, incentives for their health, welfare, education, etc. If rules for source segregation and preventing the mix of plastics are enforced, it will go a long way in easing the lives of rag-pickers and making their job safer. Worse, the pandemic has made the battle against plastic tougher — given the rise in PPE kits and disposable masks — but the war against SUPs has been going on for decades. Like every other segment of Indian society, we have the rules, but there is no implementation. The polluters continue to pollute, and the dump yards grow higher by the minute. Unless there is strong data to support which product needs to be banned and how to go about it, besides putting existing rules into effect, India’s plastic crisis will be far from over.

Union minister Bhupender Yadav to attend closed-door meeting on climate targets on UNGA sidelines

The Informal Climate Leaders Roundtable on Climate Action follows the recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and comes less than six weeks before the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav will likely participate in an informal meeting called by UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, and UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson ahead of the UN climate change negotiations (COP 26) in Glasgow, to discuss how nationally determined contributions (NDCs) of major emitters can be enhanced to meet the 1.5 degree warming goal. The meeting will be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, on Monday September 20. The Informal Climate Leaders Roundtable on Climate Action follows the recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and comes less than six weeks before the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. According to senior officials in the UN, the agenda of the meeting will be a roadmap to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels and climate mitigation and adaptation finance, particularly the commitment to mobilise 100 billion dollars per year by 2020 by developed countries. IPCC’s report last month flagged that the world may have lost the opportunity to keep global warming under 1.5 degree C over pre-industrial levels. The 1.5 degree C global warming threshold is likely to be breached in the next 10 to 20 years by 2040 even if carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions decline rapidly to net zero around 2050, it said. “Environment minister Bhupender Yadav has been nominated to represent India. It is a closed-door meeting on climate change with UN secretary general,” said a senior environment ministry official who asked not to be named. Yadav recently said that the goal of net zero emissions by 2050 is not enough to deal with the climate crisis. The need of the hour is “deeds: and not “plain words” to deal with climate change and reaching “net zero” alone is not enough, a statement from the environment ministry said on Tuesday. It stressed that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report published recently is a clarion call for developed countries to undertake immediate deep emission cuts and decarbonize their economies, Guterres said on Thursday that he expects COP 26 to be a turning point and all countries to commit to a target of net zero emissions by 2050. “COP26 this November must mark that turning point. By then we need all countries to commit to achieve net zero emissions by the middle of this century and to present clear, credible long-term strategies to get there. We need all countries to present more ambitious and achievable Nationally Determined Contributions that will together cut global greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030, compared to 2010 levels. Nothing less will do.” Achieving a net zero emission target implies that all remaining human-caused greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are balanced out by removing GHGs from the atmosphere in a process known as carbon removal. For this human-caused emissions from industries, vehicles etc should be reduced to near zero. Guterres released a new report by multiple international scientific agencies titled “United in Science” on Thursday which flagged that fossil fuel emissions from coal, gas, cement etc are back at 2019 levels or even higher in 2021. Fossil CO2 emissions from coal, oil, gas and cement peaked at 36.64 GtCO2 in 2019, followed by a significant drop of 1.98 GtCO2 (5.6%) in 2020 due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Based on preliminary estimates, global emissions in the power and industry sectors were already at the same level or higher in January-July 2021 than in the same period in 2019, before the pandemic, the United in Science report said. It cited data from the Global Carbon Project which indicates that between January and May 2021 the reduction in CO2 emissions was around 1% vis a vis 2019 compared to a 9% reduction in 2020. China has recorded a substantial increase in CO2 emissions in 2021 compared to 2019. India’s CO2 emissions have increased compared to peak of the pandemic period in 2020 but are still about 4% lower compared to 2019 in the January- May 2021 period. United in Science is coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), with inputs from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the Global Carbon Project (GCP). Concentrations of all major greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (NO) continued to increase in 2020 and the first half of 2021, the report said adding that overall emissions reductions in 2020 likely reduced the annual increase of the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases “but this effect was too small to be distinguished from natural variability.” The report has also flagged that there still remains a large gap between NDCs and the emission reduction needed to meet the Paris Agreement goals of keeping global warming under 2 degrees, and preferably under 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. NDCs in mid-November 2020 remained largely inadequate to achieve the climate goals of the Paris Agreement and would lead to a temperature increase of at least 3 degree C by the end of the century, it added. Countries must collectively increase their NDC ambitions threefold to get on track to a 2 degree C goal and more than fivefold to get on track to the 1.5 degree C goal, it said. Preliminary estimates of the impact of NDC target updates in 2021 by the US, the EU and the United Kingdom, and announcements of Canada, China and Japan, indicate that emissions projections could be reduced by 12%–15% compared with the projection in 2020. “This is still far from sufficient to bridge the emissions gap in 2030,” the report said. “We need an NDC+ strategy now because we need climate action as a co-benefit agenda. We need to articulate what we will do to mitigate local and global emissions. The driver will be reducing local emissions but will also help reduce global emissions. We need a plan now because it’s important for the people of India,” said Sunita Narain, director general of Centre for Science and Environment.

Expert suggests opening all gates of metro stations, DDMA yet to take a call

At present, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is facilitating the entry of passengers at all stations through 276 gates. A DMRC official told PTI on Thursday that the opening of more gates would lead to more passengers entering the metro stations. During a recent meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), the director of the National Centre for Disease Control, Dr Sujit Kumar Singh suggested that all gates of Delhi Metro stations should be opened in order to reduce congestion for passengers, PTI reported. The DDMA is yet to decide on this matter as Delhi Metro continues operating at its full seating capacity with no standing travel to avoid overcrowding. The meeting was chaired by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. Dr Singh pointed out that only some gates of metro stations were opened and advised opening of all gates at the earliest as this would lead to lesser congestion. At present, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is facilitating the entry of passengers at all stations through 276 gates. A DMRC official told PTI on Thursday that the opening of more gates would lead to more passengers entering the metro stations. “We are following the guidelines of the DDMA and some gates are closed at metro stations. The opening of more gates would lead to more people inside the station. We will follow the guidelines of the DDMA,” the official said. In 2021, Delhi Metro services were suspended when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government imposed a complete lockdown in the national Capital on April 19 due to a massive increase in coronavirus disease cases during the more infectious second wave of the pandemic. As the situation started improving in June, the DMRC started metro services with 50% seating capacity and no standing travel. Since July 26, trains have been running at full capacity with no standing passenger allowed. Hindustan Times reported last week that despite the DMRC allowing full seating capacity in trains, Delhi Metro is running at just 20% of its capacity. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy, CSE, told HT that there are apprehensions among people that travelling in close proximity with others will increase the chances of getting infected with Covid-19. Delhi has so far recorded 1,438,373 cases, 25,084 deaths, 1412880 discharges and 409 active cases due to the viral disease. On Thursday, 28 people were detected as Covid-19 positive while 22 patients recovered. After seeing zero deaths for more than one week, one Covid-19 patient died on Thursday, the second fatality reported in September -- the earlier was on September 7.

Experts hail easy to understand FoPL warnings on packaged food products towards addressing NCDs

FoPL would efficiently guide consumers in making healthier choices and help them reduce their intake of fat, sugar or salt. Experts hail simple and easy to understand Front-of-package label (FOPL) warnings on front of the pack in packaged food products towards addressing India’s burgeoning non-communicable diseases (NCDs) crisis. This, according to experts, would be most suitable for the Indian population, regardless of their age, literacy proficiency or socio-economic strata. FOPL warnings are a proven strategy for informing consumers of the hidden dangers in foods and beverages and every year an increasing number of countries are willingly implementing it. India too for the past couple of years has been seriously considering implementing mandatory FoPL and is conducting stakeholder consultations in this regard. More importantly, it would efficiently guide consumers in making healthier choices and help them reduce their intake of fat, sugar or salt. With poor diets being increasingly associated as a major risk factor for India’s burgeoning NCD crisis, a decision on the right type of FoPL should not be delayed further, emphasised food policy experts and doctors at a virtual discussion organised by CUTS International recently. Any such regulation will form a major stepping stone for the country to target packaged foods that are high in salt, sugar, fat (HFSS), which is the main cause for the increasing number of NCDs in the country. However, from various news reports it has come to light that FSSAI is showing a preference to opt for Health Star Rating (HSR) Label, which is a matter of concern given that the country has a huge number of poor, illiterate and vulnerable populations. To help consumers make healthier choices, Australia and New Zealand had introduced the voluntary HSR system in 2014 that is quite similar to the energy rating label used on our electrical appliances. But recent studies shows that their system is highly flawed as unhealthy food products are still able to get a high score as the rating is based on the overall nutritional value, and any inclusion of healthy ingredients like fibre and protein to an otherwise unhealthy product could easily cancel out its unhealthy ingredients (i.e. sugar, saturated fats and salt). According to Dr. Alexandra Jones, Research Fellow, Food Policy and Law, The George Institute for Global Health, Australia, “HSR allows industry to use it selectively. Hence it is used on products that are already healthier than others. Food products that have a high content of negative nutrients often do not display HSR which is a voluntary system in our country.” Dr Jones also talked about consumer mistrust and instances of industry asserting influence by being present as stakeholders of the regulatory process. More importantly, the system does not effectively assist the vulnerable consumers who need it the most. While HSR, including our own energy star label that was introduced in 2009, does help some middle- to high-income consumers, it does a poor job with respect to consumers of low socio-economic status. Only a fourth of Indian households are currently aware of BEE’s star labels, said George Cheriyan, Director, CUTS International in his opening address as the moderator. “Quoting Grant Schofield, Chief Health and Nutrition Advisor to the Ministry of Education, New Zealand, ‘the Health Star rating is already dead in the water. The algorithm is flawed in the combination of fat, salt and sugar. The food industry brought this to us, we were suckered in. Perversely, very high sugar foods can get 4+ health stars,” he added further saying we should learn from the experiences of Australia and New Zealand and be cautious against adoption of HSR. It is important that Indian regulators choose a simple and interpretive label that aids consumers to choose between healthy and less healthy products.” Amit Khurana, Director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi expressed that it was disheartening to see that even after eight years the country is still discussing FOPL. “A complicated FOPL will not work in India which is so linguistically diverse that every 100 kms the local language changes. Need of the hour is an easy-to-understand warning label.” Dr. Pankaj Bhardwaj, Vice Dean, Research, AIIMS Jodhpur while highlighting the need for effective warning labels from a health perspective cautioned that people with comorbidity and pre-existing NCDs are more vulnerable and at higher risk of getting infected by the Covid 19 virus. Saroja Sundaram, Executive Director, Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG), Chennai spoke about FOPL from a consumer perspective and reminded regulators how the existing detailed nutritional summary provided in the back of the product never served the purpose due to language barrier and consumer ignorance about its purpose. So she strongly advocated for a FOPL that is always simple and easily interpretable by a consumer thereby helping him to identify unhealthy products. The virtual webinar was attended by around 60 delegates from across the country and abroad, including health experts, representatives from national and international organisations, industry representatives, various state Food Safety Commissionerate, AIIMS, Indian Medical Association, academic and research Institutions from more than 14 states.

Smog Towers a Ruse to Shift Accountability and Politicise Pollution, Say Experts

'We have not seen any data or evidence from any air quality authority to prove that smog towers can improve ambient air quality in the dynamic outdoor conditions of a city. Small applications in other parts of the world are recreational in nature and not part of any regulatory mandate for air pollution mitigation.' As the stubble-burning season approaches the National Capital region again, air pollution is assuming importance on the government's agenda. After the first was inaugurated last month by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, yet another smog tower dots the capital’s skyline. The BJP has set up another tower in Delhi's Anand Vihar area with the previous one being inaugurated in central Delhi’s Connaught Place. India is home to 14 out of the 15 most polluted cities in the world. The 25-metre (82-foot) tower will supposedly dish out 1,000 cubic metres of air per second through filters that are said to halve the number of harmful particulates in a one sq-km radius (0.4 square miles). However, the towers, which have cost the taxpayer over 40 crore rupees have no scientifc evidence of efficiency. More importantly, no impact assessment study was done before setting up the towers. Reports also mention that no reputable scientists have come out in support of smog towers as an efficient way to curb pollution and that no other country in the world has managed to clean outdoor air with the help of giant purifiers. In fact, environmentalists, scientists and clean air advocates have publicly and consistently opposed such measures. As a result, the move to install these towers is being flagged as wasteful and detached, one which will shift focus away from practices that would actually lead to pollution control. Speaking to Newsclick, Sunil Dahiya an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), refuted claims of the machine's efficiency. “Installing smog towers in open air spaces is pure wastage of public money, as it is highly energy and capital intensive to install and operate these smog towers to be able to provide some relief at a city-level, because as soon as they clean the air in the vicinity, new polluted air-particles from the upwind will come in and the air quality will again be poor. The real solution for pollution lies in reducing and removing pollution at source, either by shifting away from polluting practices and fuels or capturing pollution at the point of release," he said. India has more than 480 million people – about 40% of its population – living in areas where pollution levels regularly exceed those found anywhere else in the world. Residents of northern India are on track to lose more than nine years of life expectancy, the University of Chicago's Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report stated. It also added that in 2019, India's average particulate matter concentration was 70.3 microgram per cubic meter (µg/m3), the highest in the world. The number is seven times what the World Health Organisation's has set in its guidelines, the report said. The smog-tower experiment has not yielded any gains internationally either. In 2018, China built a much-larger 60-metre smog tower in the polluted city of Xian, but the experiment is yet to catch on. Speaking to Newsclick, Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director of Research and Advocacy at Centre for Science and Environment, said: “We have not seen any data or evidence from any air quality authority to prove that smog towers can improve ambient air quality in dynamic outdoor conditions of a city. Small applications in other parts of the world are recreational in nature and not part of any regulatory mandate for air pollution mitigation." "It is not clear why we are adopting such expensive and energy intensive gizmos and diverting attention and resources from, real hard action to control direct emissions from pollution sources. The reported cost of smog towers in Delhi is more than the funds allocated for air pollution control individually to most cities under the national clean air programme. If this is not evaluated and addressed right away more cities will rush towards this cosmetic gesture at a huge cost with no real dent on the pollution curve," she added. The Parliament also passed the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill last month amid protests. The Act dissolves the NCR's Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA), which was established in 1998. An ordinance establishing a similar Commission was promulgated in October 2020. In the event of a conflict, the commission's orders or instructions will take precedence over the orders of the individual state governments, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), state PCBs, and state-level statutory bodies. The law is also facing flak with experts criticising its centralised control and arbitrary powers. Speaking to Newsclick, Bhavreen Kandhari, an activist from 'Warrior Moms', a group of mothers from all over India fighting for clean air, said: “Even if vacuuming the air was an option, Delhi would need over 2.5 million smog towers for any effective change in AQI levels. Obviously this is not the solution. The solution is reducing emissions at source, penalising polluters, protecting ‘natural smog towers’ like trees or strict laws to implement thermal power plants (TPP) norms or implement the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. Maybe the elected representatives need to wake up to all of the above instead of wasting our public money on such a farce.”

Delhi govt agencies told to make pollution combat plans

The exercise is part of the government’s plan to formulate a 10-point winter action plan to combat pollution from internal as well as external factors, and set up specific strategies to prevent the air quality from going into the dangerous zone, like every year. The Delhi government on Tuesday asked several agencies to submit by September 21 a detailed plan on managing various factors responsible for the spike in air pollution during winters in the city. The exercise is part of the government’s plan to formulate a 10-point winter action plan to combat pollution from internal as well as external factors, and set up specific strategies to prevent the air quality from going into the dangerous zone, like every year. Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday organised a meeting of various agencies in the Capital, to set targets for winter. The recommendations by each agency will form a part of the final plan which is expected to be released by September 30. Rai said the effort is aimed at checking pollution sources within Delhi, as well as those in the neighbouring states. Addressing a press conference, Rai said in the Tuesday’s stakeholders’ meeting, agencies were tasked with controlling and managing various aspects of pollution control. The environment minister and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal have also sought a meeting with the Union environment minister to discuss the contribution of pollution from the neighbouring states, and talk about ways in which this can be tackled. Representatives from the three municipal corporations (north, south and east), Delhi Pollution Control Committee, environment department, transport department, Delhi traffic police, Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Cantonment Board attended the meeting. “Each agency has been tasked to formulate a detailed plan, which needs to be submitted by September 21. Based on these individual plans, a holistic winter action plan will be released by September 30,” Rai said. Senior environment department officials said they have identified some of the major factors that contribute to the poor air quality in the city such as stubble burning, vehicular emissions, road and construction dust, waste burning and poor management of pollution hot spots. Despite several action plans, including the Supreme Court directed Graded Response Action Plan (Grap), being in place, every year during winters, Delhi’s air slip into emergency zone, turning the Capital’s air hazy and a public health hazard. Meteorological factors such as low temperatures, low wind speed and unfavourable wind directions, along with unchecked local pollution sources such as road dust, garbage burning, and vehicular emissions contribute to turn the national capital into a gas chamber. An analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) showed that in 2020, there were 23 days when Delhi’s particulate matter 2.5 concentration (PM 2.5) was in the ‘severe’ or worse categories. On Tuesday, the environment minister said to monitor the effective implementation of the winter action plan, the environment department has been assigned the task of coordinating with all other agencies. Explaining what tasks each agency will have to undertake, Rai said, “The work of controlling garbage burning has been assigned to the municipalities. They will have to come up with a plan to ensure that this garbage reaches the proper disposal sites.” Similarly, he said, the Delhi Traffic Police have also been asked to come up with steps for smooth traffic at congestion hot spots, and also repair traffic signals. “When vehicles are stuck at a spot for several minutes, it leads to an increase in pollution levels in the area. We have asked the traffic police to make a list of the congestion hot spots and try to come up with solutions to fix them,” Rai said. Environment experts, however, said the true test of this winter action plan will be in its implementation. “While the direction that they have taken with identifying the sources contributing to Delhi’s air is right, but the true test of this action plan will be how well this is implemented,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment.

Delhi Must Cut PM2.5 By 58% To Meet Annual Standards

New Delhi: With the rainy season nearing its end, Delhi is readying for winter, a time when air pollution hits a peak. A change in wind direction as the monsoon begins to withdraw from the region leads to a drop in wind speed and temperature, both of which trap local and wind-borne pollutants from neighbouring states. The winter action plan to combat pollution is expected to be released by the end of September. While data since 2015 does show the annual average PM2.5 level reducing each year, anti-pollution plans have to take into consideration that Delhi still needs to reduce its annual PM2.5 load by another 58% to meet national air quality standards. In 2020, when the city went into a lockdown due to Covid-19 and determined the ‘base’ pollution levels that could be achieved if key sectors are regulated, the capital still could not meet the national safe standard of 40 micrograms per cubic metre for PM2.5, logging a reading of 96 micrograms per cubic metre. An analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment on behalf of Central Pollution Control Board’s data from Delhi’s five oldest air quality monitoring stations — ITO, IHBAS, Mandir Marg, RK Puram and Punjabi Bagh — shows the annual average PM2.5 at 152 micrograms per cubic metre in 2015, but dropping to 127 in 2016, 120 in 2017, 118 in 2018 and 109 micrograms per cubic metre in 2019. By 2018, Delhi had 36 air monitoring stations and the average PM2.5 concentration that year based on all the 36 stations was 112 micrograms per cubic metre, still three times the acceptable limit. “The most recent data relates to 2019 because in 2020, the lockdown affected collection of data,” said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE. “It is still clear that Delhi requires considerable improvement across sectors to reach anywhere close to the national standard for PM2.5.” Based on a three-year, rolling average method, however, when the annual average readings from 2018- 2020 are taken, Delhi’s annual average PM2.5 is 105 micrograms per cubic metre, which Chowdhury explains is a more accurate determination of the average pollution level. Delhi Must Cut PM2.5 By 58% To Meet Annual Standards Sep 15, 2021, 04.48 AM IST New Delhi: With the rainy season nearing its end, Delhi is readying for winter, a time when air pollution hits a peak. A change in wind direction as the monsoon begins to withdraw from the region leads to a drop in wind speed and temperature, both of which trap local and wind-borne pollutants from neighbouring states. The winter action plan to combat pollution is expected to be released by the end of September. While data since 2015 does show the annual average PM2.5 level reducing each year, anti-pollution plans have to take into consideration that Delhi still needs to reduce its annual PM2.5 load by another 58% to meet national air quality standards. In 2020, when the city went into a lockdown due to Covid-19 and determined the ‘base’ pollution levels that could be achieved if key sectors are regulated, the capital still could not meet the national safe standard of 40 micrograms per cubic metre for PM2.5, logging a reading of 96 micrograms per cubic metre. An analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment on behalf of Central Pollution Control Board’s data from Delhi’s five oldest air quality monitoring stations — ITO, IHBAS, Mandir Marg, RK Puram and Punjabi Bagh — shows the annual average PM2.5 at 152 micrograms per cubic metre in 2015, but dropping to 127 in 2016, 120 in 2017, 118 in 2018 and 109 micrograms per cubic metre in 2019. By 2018, Delhi had 36 air monitoring stations and the average PM2.5 concentration that year based on all the 36 stations was 112 micrograms per cubic metre, still three times the acceptable limit. Congratulations! You have successfully cast your vote “The most recent data relates to 2019 because in 2020, the lockdown affected collection of data,” said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE. “It is still clear that Delhi requires considerable improvement across sectors to reach anywhere close to the national standard for PM2.5.” Based on a three-year, rolling average method, however, when the annual average readings from 2018- 2020 are taken, Delhi’s annual average PM2.5 is 105 micrograms per cubic metre, which Chowdhury explains is a more accurate determination of the average pollution level. “Particulate pollution has begun to stabilise and decline, but the capital still needs to reduce the annual average PM2.5 by around 60%. There are big gaps in action at present. There is a need to scale up public transport, add walking and cycling infrastructure and implement parking restraints to reduce traffic volume. Delhi also needs to achieve 25% electrification of its vehicles, control pollution in small and medium scale industries and look at waste management infrastructure,” said Chowdhury. Dipankar Saha, former head of CPCB’s air laboratory, said alongside local action, there has to be coordination with other states to ensure that stubble burning and dust, two external factors, do not add to the local load. “Until the Aravalis are made green again, dust will be significant with winds blowing from Rajasthan towards Delhi. Stubble burning, meanwhile, constitutes 30-40% of Delhi’s PM2.5 load in the peak farm fire period,” said Saha.

Markfed products to be available now on 5000 PDS depots of neighbouring Himachal Pradesh

SHIMLA: The persistent efforts of the Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa to strengthen and expand the base of the Cooperative sector institutions of Punjab today bore fruit when the Markfed and the Himachal Pradesh Government inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The move would pave the way for the sale of varied products of Markfed at 5000 Public Distribution System (PDS) depots of the neighbouring Himachal. The decision was today arrived at in a meeting held at Shimla regarding making available different products of Markfed and Sugarfed to Himachal Pradesh for PDS. The meeting saw Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies Department, Himachal Pradesh Paul Rasu, Director Lalit Jain, Registrar Cooperative Societies Punjab Vikas Garg, MD Markfed Varun Roojam and General Manager, Oil Mill, Khanna Ravinder Sharma. It is noteworthy that earlier Randhawa had personally met the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and offered to supply products of Punjab's cooperative sector institutions to Himachal Pradesh which led to the signing of the MoU. On the occasion, Vikas Garg said that the MoU would ensure the availability of high quality Markfed products to the people of Himachal Pradesh at their doorsteps. The occasion also saw discussions on exploring the possibility of supplying sugar to Himachal Pradesh. The Food and Civil Supplies Department of the hill state would continue the deliberations regarding the issue in future. Speaking on the occasion, Varun Roojam said that today is a red letter day when the efforts of Markfed to increase its base have received a further boost. He said that the Markfed products such as SOHNA brand Honey have been validated internationally when it passed the Stringent NMR purity tests conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last year.

Why Is The Government Adamant About An Impractical Waste Energy Plant?

The government’s plan to set up a waste-to-energy (WTE) incinerator plant at the city’s Bandhwari landfill has brought into debate the effectiveness of such plants in managing solid waste. Setting up an incinerator plant is ‘illogical’ in the Indian scenario, according to several experts. Residents from various sectors of Gurugram and from surrounding villages expressed disapproval of the ‘waste to energy plant’ and its expansion from 15mw to 25mw. Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) along with various RWAs, NGOs, social and environmental groups, Citizens for Clean Air, NCR waste matters, Warrior Moms, members of Aravali Bachao Citizens group etc. were present and marked their protest for the plant in the public hearing. A public hearing was called by the civic bodies on the subject of waste to energy plant expansion on 31st August, 2021. Despite heavy rain, more than 200 people from Gurugram, Faridabad and nearby villages around the landfill came to attend the public hearing. What Is A Waste-To-Energy Plant? A waste-to-energy plant (WTE) is a waste management facility that combusts waste to produce electricity. This type of power plant is sometimes called a trash-to-energy, municipal waste incineration, energy recovery or resource recovery plant. What is not accounted for is the large amount of noxious gases, the products of low temperature combustion of unsegregated waste, being spewed out by the plants into the city’s already polluted air. An expert compared this process with creating landfills in the sky. WTE by incineration is a non-viable, non-feasible technology. It will force the operators and governments to slowly divert more and more waste towards the incinerators because it is a very expensive technology and can be economically feasible only if 50-60% of waste goes into it. Solid Municipal Waste, if not handled scientifically, has the potential to damage the health of the environment and become a public health hazard. The emphasis of waste management policies should transition from disposal to source separation to recycling and finally to waste prevention. Nearly half of India’s WTE plants, meant to convert non-biodegradable waste, are defunct. Further, the country’s inability to segregate waste has resulted in even the existing plants working below capacity- an analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment. The authorities are viewing waste only from a ‘trading’ point of view and not its management. Instead of monetizing aspect alone, there should have been mention of due processes for handling of recyclables and a list given of empaneled recyclable agencies to meet with the objectives of SWM rules of resource management. The dry waste should be going to designated dry waste collection centers for optimum resource recovery for recycling purposes with authorized agencies. The ‘Vendor Agreement’ is a serious reflection of the civic mess and failed SWM practices in the city of Gurugram. The Agreement also resonates with the unaccountable and insensitive nature of waste handling activity being carried out in the city by the sole waste concessionaire of MCG. Suggestions Ignored Ruchika Sethi from Citizens for Clean Air mentioned about the worsening air quality of Gurugram. “In 2017, in order to address the prolonged exposure of Gurgaon citizens to poor air quality (5-9 times the safe level of PM 2.5), we submitted a petition signed by 25,000 concerned citizens. We also gave a road map to address the local sources of year-round pollution such as the rampant practice of waste dumping, levelling in open grounds and burning of waste (including plastic, municipal, e waste) in open areas. But the suggestions were ignored.” She said that once this incineration begins, we won’t be able to undo the damage done to the air quality. Shashi Bhushan (DASAM) spoke about Integrating waste pickers, scrap dealers, aggregators, recyclers at ward level and augment their work and provide infrastructure support either by way of some basic machines which will help stack and aggregate the dry waste as well as allocate land to work as secondary sorting sheds or dry waste collection centers. He raised questions about the implementation of SWM Rules which are not being implemented by the municipal corporations. He demanded that Material Recovery Facility centers (MRF) to be set up at ward levels thereby following the SWM Rules. He alleged that this plant will destroy the only source of livelihood for thousands of waste pickers. Environmentalist Saurabh mentioned about the RDF plant which was built in collaboration with Angel biotech a few years back but later burned. The plant was set up using the taxpayers money and later burned using the same. He questioned the panel and asked them about the things found in household waste which will be burned to produce energy. He added that he has been working since the last 13 years to develop greens and clean our environment but we’ve received no support from the government. Environmentalist Vaishali Rana asked the authorities that if the waste is from different parts of Gurugram and Haryana, then why is the waste not sorted at their originating point only? Why do the people of Bandhwari village have to face the huge landfill and now it’s burning? She alleged that the environmental clearance which was taken by the company is based on false information. The report submitted by the company for clearance of 2019 doesn’t mention that the area which is sought for the plant comes under Aravali which falls under “gair mumkin pahar” (uncultivable hill) and is notified under Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA). For the same, they need to seek permission from the Central Government and not the Haryana Forest Department. Knowledge support was provided by Shibu K. Nair (GAIA), Dr. Shyamala Mani and many environmentalists who backed the opposition to the plant.

How One Man Provided 14,000 Farmers With Clean Water & Doubled Their Income

Nitesh Mukane established Aroehan NGO and has helped tribal villagers in Maharashtra by solving their water crisis, improving health among women and children and increasing farm income In 1995, Akkalkua and Taloda of Nandurbar district in Maharashtra reported over 12,000 infant deaths (https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/largescale-child-deaths-in-tribal-maharashtra-13613) due to malnutrition. The worrying situation prompted the then-chief secretary of state, TK Shankaran, to intervene and resolve the crisis. He approached the College of Social work Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai, asking it to undertake a field action project to understand the gravity of the issue, note the pain points and find solutions for the same. Nitesh Mukane, then a student at the college, became a part of the project under his mentor Anjali Kanetkar. “We conducted the study in 2000 to learn that poor water quality, its accessibility, health, education and livelihood were the concerns among the villagers,” he tells The Better India. The project ended in the next couple of years. But the situation of the villagers pained Nitesh, and he shifted to Mokhada in 2006. Since then, he has helped thousands of tribal villagers from Mokhada, Jowhar, Palghar, and Dahanu in Palghar district working in water conservation, health and nutrition and solar-based irrigation, which has benefited thousands over the years.

जीवन प्रत्याशा पर वायु प्रदूषण की काली छाया

वायु गुणवत्ता जीवन सूचकांक’ (एक्यूएलआई) की पिछले दिनों जारी रिपोर्ट में दावा करते हुए कहा गया है कि वायु प्रदूषण तरह-तरह की बीमारियां पैदा करने के अलावा लोगों की आयु भी घटा रहा है अर्थात् इसका सीधा प्रभाव जीवन प्रत्याशा पर पड़ रहा है। भारत के संदर्भ में इस रिपोर्ट में कई सनसनीखेज तथ्य उजागर किए गए हैं। एक्यूएलआई एक ऐसा सूचकांक है, जो जीवन प्रत्याशा पर वायु प्रदूषण के प्रभाव की गणना करता है। रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि वायु प्रदूषण के अनुमानित प्रभावों की तीव्रता सम्पूर्ण उत्तर भारत में बहुत ज्यादा है, जहां वायु प्रदूषण का स्तर दुनियाभर में सबसे ज्यादा खतरनाक है। एक्यूएलआई रिपोर्ट के अनुसार यदि वर्ष 2019 जैसा वायु प्रदूषण संघनन जारी रहा तो दिल्ली, मुम्बई और कोलकाता जैसे सर्वाधिक प्रदूषित महानगरों में रहने वाले लोग अपनी जिंदगी के नौ से ज्यादा वर्ष खो देंगे। रिपोर्ट में बताया गया है कि भारत में करीब 48 करोड़ लोग गंगा के मैदानी क्षेत्र में रहते हैं, जहां प्रदूषण का स्तर बहुत ज्यादा है और यह प्रदूषण अब गंगा के मैदानों से आगे मध्य प्रदेश तथा महाराष्ट्र जैसे राज्यों तक फैल गया है, जहां खराब वायु गुणवत्ता के कारण लोग 2.5 से 2.9 वर्ष की जीवन प्रत्याशा खो सकते हैं। <p>हाल ही में बेल्जियम में हुए एक अध्ययन में शोधकर्ता इस निष्कर्ष पर भी पहुंचे हैं कि सामान्य वायु प्रदूषकों से भी हृदय रोगों का खतरा बढ़ जाता है। प्रमुख शोधकर्ता सैन मैटेओ फाउंडेशन के डा. फ्रांसेस्का आर जेंटाइल के अनुसार सात सामान्य प्रदूषकों का अध्ययन करने पर पाया गया कि इनके कारण हृदय गति रुकने का खतरा बढ़ा। इस अध्ययन में रोजमर्रा के प्रदूषकों की सांद्रता तथा अस्पताल के बाहर देखे गए कार्डियाक अरेस्ट के मामलों के बीच संबंधों की पहचान की गई। दरअसल वायु प्रदूषण का प्रभाव मानव शरीर पर निरन्तर घातक होता जा रहा है। वर्ष 1990 तक जहां 60 फीसदी बीमारियों की हिस्सेदारी संक्रामक रोग, मातृ तथा नवजात रोग या पोषण की कमी से होने वाले रोगों की होती थी, वहीं अब हृदय तथा सांस की गंभीर बीमारियों के अलावा भी बहुत सी बीमारियां वायु प्रदूषण के कारण ही पनपती हैं। सिर के बालों से लेकर पैरों के नाखून तक अब वायु प्रदूषण की जद में होते हैं। भारत में वायु प्रदूषण की स्थिति लगातार भयावह हो रही है। अमेरिका की शिकागो यूनिवर्सिटी के ‘द एनर्जी पॉलिसी इंस्टीट्यूट’ के शोधकर्ता भी एक अध्ययन के बाद खुलासा कर चुके हैं कि वायु प्रदूषण के ही कारण भारत में लोगों की औसत आयु कम हो रही है।</p> <p>विभिन्न अध्ययनों के अनुसार भारत की कुल 1.4 अरब आबादी का बड़ा हिस्सा ऐसी जगहों पर रहता है, जहां पार्टिकुलेट प्रदूषण का औसत स्तर डब्ल्यूएचओ के मानकों से ज्यादा है। 84 फीसदी व्यक्ति ऐसी जगहों पर रहते हैं, जहां प्रदूषण का स्तर भारत द्वारा तय मानकों से अधिक है। भारत की एक चौथाई आबादी बेहद प्रदूषित वायु में जीने को मजबूर है और यदि प्रदूषण का स्तर बरकरार रहता है तो उत्तर भारत में करीब 25 करोड़ लोगों की आयु में आठ साल से ज्यादा की कमी आ सकती है। उत्तर भारत दक्षिण एशिया में सर्वाधिक प्रदूषित हिस्से के रूप में उभर रहा है, जहां पार्टिकुलेट प्रदूषण पिछले 20 वर्षों में 42 फीसदी बढ़ा है और जीवन प्रत्याशा घटकर 8 वर्ष हो गई है। हालांकि भारत ‘नेशनल क्लीन एयर’ कार्यक्रम के तहत वर्ष 2024 तक पार्टिकुलेट प्रदूषण को 20-30 फीसदी तक घटाने के लिए प्रयासरत है लेकिन शोधकर्ताओं का कहना है कि यदि भारत अपने उद्देश्य में सफल नहीं हुआ तो इसके गंभीर दुष्परिणाम देखने को मिल सकते हैं। यदि भारत अगले कुछ वर्षों में प्रदूषण का स्तर 25 फीसदी भी घटा लेता है तो राष्ट्रीय जीवन प्रत्याशा 1.6 वर्ष और दिल्लीवालों की 3.1 वर्ष बढ़ जाएगी। <p>पर्यावरण के क्षेत्र में कार्यरत संस्था ‘सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट’ द्वारा गत वर्ष कहा गया था कि वायु प्रदूषण से होने वाली घातक बीमारियों के कारण देश में जीवन प्रत्याशा औसतन 2.6 वर्ष घट गई है। सीएसई की उस रिपोर्ट के अनुसार बाहरी पीएम 2.5, ओजोन तथा घर के अंदर का वायु प्रदूषण इस स्थिति के लिए सामूहिक रूप से जिम्मेदार साबित हो रहे हैं। रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक दुनियाभर में आज जन्म लेने वाला कोई भी बच्चा वायु प्रदूषण नहीं होने की तुलना में औसतन 20 माह पहले ही जबकि भारत में जन्मा बच्चा अपेक्षा से 2.6 साल पहले ही दुनिया से चला जाएगा। सीएसई का कहना है कि घर से बाहर का और घर के भीतर दोनों ही जगहों पर वायु प्रदूषण जानलेवा बीमारियों को न्यौता दे रहा है, जो भारत में स्वास्थ्य संबंधी सभी खतरों में मौत का अब तीसरा सबसे बड़ा कारण हो गया है। <p>आईसीएमआर की एक रिपोर्ट में भी कहा जा चुका है कि वायु प्रदूषण के कारण भारत में औसत आयु घट रही है। कुछ समय पूर्व बोस्टन के ‘हैल्थ इफैक्ट इंस्टीच्यूट’ तथा ‘हैल्थ मैट्रिक्स एंड एवल्यूशन’ की प्रदूषण के मनुष्यों की आयु पर पड़ने वाले अच्छे-बुरे प्रभावों को लेकर किए गए अध्ययन की रिपोर्ट भी सामने आई थी, जिसमें कहा गया था कि भारत सहित सभी एशियाई देशों में वायु में घुलनशील प्रदूषणकारी तत्वों पीएम 2.5 की मात्रा निरन्तर बढ़ रही है। अध्ययनकर्ताओं का कहना था कि पीएम 2.5 का स्तर भारत, पाकिस्तान, बांग्लादेश तथा अफ्रीकी देशों में डब्ल्यूएचओ के मानकों से बहुत ज्यादा है, जिस कारण दुनियाभर के प्रत्येक क्षेत्र में जीवन प्रत्याशा में कमी आ रही है।</p> <p>‘प्रदूषण मुक्त सांसें’ पुस्तक के अनुसार निर्माण कार्यों और ध्वस्तीकरण से निकलने वाले रेत-धूल, सीमेंट के कण तथा सड़कों पर उड़ने वाली धूल वायु प्रदूषण का बड़ा कारण हैं, जिसमें वाहनों से निकलने वाला उत्सर्जन दिल्ली में तो करीब 40 फीसदी प्रदूषण के लिए जिम्मेदार होता है। ऑटोमोबाइल उत्सर्जन, खाना पकाने का धुआं, जंगल की आग, लकड़ी के जलने वाले स्टोव, उद्योगों का धुआं इत्यादि भी वायु प्रदूषण के स्रोत हैं।</p> <p>नेशनल हैल्थ प्रोफाइल 2018 की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार देश में होने वाली संक्रामक बीमारियों में सांस संबंधी बीमारियों का प्रतिशत करीब 69 फीसदी है और देशभर में 23 फीसदी से भी ज्यादा मौतें अब वायु प्रदूषण के कारण ही होती हैं। पिछले दो दशकों में देशभर में वायु में प्रदूषक कणों की मात्रा में करीब 69 फीसदी तक की वृद्धि हुई है और जीवन प्रत्याशा सूचकांक, जो 1998 में 2.2 वर्ष कम था, उसके मुकाबले अब एक्यूएलआई की ताजा रिपोर्ट के अनुसार 5.6 वर्ष तक कमी आई है। शोधकर्ताओं का कहना है कि वायु की गुणवत्ता में सुधार करके इस स्थिति को और बिगड़ने से बचाया जा सकता है।</p> <p>शिकागो विश्वविद्यालय के एनर्जी पॉलिसी इंस्टीट्यूट के निदेशक और अर्थशास्त्र के प्रोफेसर माइकल ग्रीनस्टोन का कहना है कि वायु प्रदूषण पर अब गंभीरता से ध्यान देने की जरूरत है ताकि करोड़ों-अरबों लोगों को अधिक समय तक स्वस्थ जीवन जीने का हक मिल सके। एक्यूएलआई के निदेशक केन ली कहते हैं कि जीवाश्म ईंधन संचालित वायु प्रदूषण आज एक वैश्विक समस्या है और वायु प्रदूषण से मुक्ति पूरी दुनिया को औसत आयु में दो वर्ष जबकि सर्वाधिक प्रदूषित देशों को पांच साल बढ़त दिला सकती है। ली के मुताबिक अगर भारत, पाकिस्तान, बांग्लादेश और नेपाल वायु गुणवत्ता को विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन के मानकों के अनुरूप बनाने में सफल हो जाएं तो यहां के लोगों की औसत आयु 5.6 वर्ष बढ़ जाएगी अन्यथा उम्र इतनी ही घट जाएगी।

Delhi-Mumbai Expressway: 4 Dedicated Lanes For EVs; Travel Time To Reduce To 13 Hours

The government’s plan to construct a separate 'e-highway' on the 1,300-kilometre-long Delhi-Mumbai Expressway where trucks and buses can run at a speed of 120 kmph is seen as an effort to address pollution concerns. New Delhi: The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, which is slated to be completed by 2023, will have four lanes for electric vehicles. With the rapid urbanisation, vehicular pollution in India has grown at an alarming rate. According to a report by environment think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the number of registered vehicles in the country has grown up 700 times from 0.3 million in 1951 to 210 million in 2015. The government’s plan to construct a separate ‘e-highway’ on the 1,300-kilometre-long Delhi-Mumbai Expressway where trucks and buses can run at a speed of 120 kmph is seen as an effort to address pollution concerns. The planned e highway on the Delhi Mumbai Expressway is expected to bring down logistics costs across the country by 70 per cent. The 1,350 km long Greenfield Expressway will cost around Rs 1 lakh crore. The new expressway will reduce the distance between Delhi-Mumbai by 150 km. Commercial vehicles such as trucks and buses will be able to use this e highway and ply at a speed of 120 km per hour. According to the reports, the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will reduce almost 850 million kg of carbon dioxide emissions. Apart from this, 32 crore liters of fuel will be saved every year. For security, a 1.5 meter high wall will be built on both sides of the road. Toll plazas will be built in slip lanes instead of highways. Over passes will be made for animals after every 2.5 kms. Apart from this, many under passes will also be made for the convenience of the people. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has urged private players to invest alongside the government in developing the proposed electric lane on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Serious players willing to invest in the Rs 1.03 lakh crore Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will get support from the government in terms of policies. The express way will have restaurants, food courts, convenience stores, fuel stations, EV charging points and toilets. The lights on the Greenfield Expressway will run on solar power. The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will cut down the travel time between the two cities to just 12-13 hours.

India’s policies and programmes on electric vehicles are “a case of missed opportunities”, says CSE

India’s progress in electrification of its vehicular fleet remains extremely tardy and slow, despite a policy intent which asks for 30 per cent of all new vehicles to be electric ones by the year 2030 – says Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) based on the findings in its two new, recently released reports that have investigated the strategies for zero-emissions transition in the country. Electric vehicles in India constitute less than 1 per cent of the country’s vehicle stock. Says Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE’s executive director for research and advocacy: “At a time when the energy demand from road transport is set to double over the next two decades and climate mitigation efforts have to be scaled up, India cannot afford to go slow on electrification of its vehicle fleet.” This is the key message CSE released on “World Electric Vehicle Day.” The two publications CSE has brought out identify the current challenges, barriers and gaps, and recommend the pathways for a rapid transformation. These reports from CSE point out that the Indian automotive market cannot remain insular when about 126 countries – accounting for half of the global GDP — have pledged to achieve net zero and carbon neutrality by 2050; 20 countries have already announced plans for 100 per cent zero-emission vehicles and a phase-out of internal combustion engines by 2040-50. Says Roychowdhury: “It is disturbing that while several ministerial announcements have been made on the minimal target of 30@30 (EVs to be 30 per cent of new vehicle sales by 2030) as well as a higher target of 70@30 by Niti Ayog, there is as yet no regulatory mandate in the country to back up these targets. Even the voluntary target of 40@30 announced by the Society for Indian Automotive Manufacturers (SIAM) remains a non-starter.” Adds Moushumi Mohanty, senior programme manager, Clean Air and Sustainable Mobility programme at CSE: “It has, therefore, become necessary to identify the roadmap to build scale and speed of fleet electrification. The Indian EV market will have to maintain at least 46 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the next nine years to achieve the minimal target of 30 per cent.” CSE’s special review of the electric bus programme which is a unique approach of Indian strategy to link electrification with mass mobility, shows that in contrast to the original target of 7,000 e-buses under the FAME II programme, only 2,450 buses could be tendered so far. “While one of the reasons for the slowdown is the pandemic, India needs longer term policy approach to link the e-bus strategy with the overall improvement in public transport. In fact, FAME II support for 7,000 e-buses translates into a mere 3 per cent of overall annual demand for buses in India,” says Sayan Roy, deputy programme manager, Clean Air and Sustainable Mobility programme, CSE. Bus fleet expansion can be an important opportunity — the Department of Heavy Industries estimates that India could become the second-largest e-bus market by 2030 if four out of 10 buses sold are electric. CSE’s new assessments have reviewed the key policy levers and accelerators that can help build scale and speed of the EV market. These include FAME II incentives, policies related to charging and battery ecosystems, fuel efficiency regulations, production-linked incentives, financing strategies and state-level EV policies. “Our policy review shows that while several polices and schemes are taking shape, progress is slow. Under the flagship FAME II incentive programme, only 6 per cent of planned fleet could be registered as of July 2021 – a significant portion of the fund remains underutilised. Even though production-linked incentives for EV battery manufacturing have been announced, there is no policy roadmap beyond 2024 to encourage growth in demand. Even the budgetary allocation for 20,000 buses has not been linked with electrification. At the same time, fuel efficiency regulations are too weak to require rapid electrification of the fleet,” says Roychowdhury. “This is a case of missed opportunities,” she adds. How should India move ahead? It is clear that India needs longer term policies and regulatory mandates and targets to build confidence and push the industry to prepare for a transformation. It may be noted that with tighter CO2/fuel efficiency targets and post-BSVI emissions standards, EV technologies will become more cost-effective vis a vis internal combustion engines. CSE recommends the following: · Adopt a longer term policy roadmap and set regulatory targets for time-bound electrification of new fleet of vehicles and to bring more certainty in investments. Set targets for each vehicle segment and for scaling up of charging facilities. Raise the bar for higher levels of ambition. · Adopt zero emissions vehicles mandate and regulations to upscale — consider production-based ZEV credit regulations. This can offer flexibility to the industry to develop plans to achieve targets, ensure robust supply and larger model availability, and address skewed costs, among other things. · Define milestones at the central and state level for each strategy for time-bound, measurable and verifiable implementation. · Design each strategy – incentive programme, production linked incentive for localisation, fuel economy regulations, and financing strategy — for effectiveness. (Report sent by Pratyusha Mukherjee, a BBC Journalist based in Kolkata)

सब ठाठ पड़ा रह जाएगा जब लाद चलेगा बंजारा...

दुनियाभर में हो रहा जलवायु परिवर्तन लोगों की ज़िंदगी पर असर डालने लगा है। तूफान, सूखा, जंगलों की आग, मिट्टी का रेगिस्तान बनना, समुद्र के पानी का स्तर बढ़ना और पहाड़ों पर लैंड स्लाइड होना। ये कुछ वजहें हैं जिनकी वजह से लोग अपने पुराने ठिकाने छोड़ने को मजबूर हो रहे हैं। वर्ल्ड इकनॉमिक फोरम ने पाया कि साल 2008 से 2016 तक मौसम की वजह से 20 लाख लोगों को कहीं दूसरी जगह शहर लेनी पड़ी। वर्ल्ड बैंक का अंदाजा है कि साल 2050 तक 1.2 अरब लोग पर्यावरण से जुड़ी गड़बड़ियों की वजह से शरणार्थी बन सकते हैं। कई देशों में बड़ी तादाद में अंदर ही अंदर भी पलायन हो रहा है। क्या इसका कोई हल है कि लोगों को अपने सपनों का घर और सम्मान को छोड़कर न भटकना पड़े? अफ्रीका के 54 देश जलवायु संकट और पलायन से परेशान' एल्साडिग एल्शेख बर्कले यूनिवर्सिटी में ग्लोबल जस्टिस प्रोग्राम के डायरेक्टर हैं। यहां वह बता रहे हैं कि बिलकुल विपरीत जलवायु वाले देशों में से एक अफ्रीका का अनुभव कैसा रहा: साल 2015 में जब हमने रिसर्च शुरू की तो यूरोप में लोगों के माइग्रेशन को लेकर चर्चा हो रही थी। हमने भूमध्य सागर से प्रभावित इलाकों की ओर जाकर यह समझने की कोशिश की कि ऐसा क्यों हो रहा है। हमने पाया कि राजनीतिक और आर्थिक मामलों के अलावा जलवायु का सवाल उभर कर आ रहा है। हमें बहुत सारे लोगों ने यह बताया कि वे कैसा जीवन जीने को मजबूर थे। उन्होंने बताया कि उनको घर छोड़ने के लिए मजबूर किया गया। जलवायु की दिक्कतों के सामने वे टिक नहीं पाए। हम दो साल बाद जलवायु संकट और विस्थापितों के बारे में रिसर्च के लिए वापस वहां गए। हमने पाया कि अब लोगों की तादाद बढ़ चुकी है। लेकिन उन जलवायु प्रवासियों को कोई पहचान नहीं मिली थी। जलवायु संकट से वे अपने घर छोड़कर दुनिया में यहां-वहां भटकने के लिए मजबूर थे। भारत भी कुदरती आपदा की वजह से पलायन झेलने वाले देशों में से है। इसके अलावा फिलीपींस, बांग्लादेश, चीन और अमेरिका भी ऐसे देशों में शामिल हैं। लेकिन अफ्रीका में रेगिस्तानी इलाका बढ़ रहा है, इससे साफ दिखाई देता है कि जलवायु का क्या असर होता है। इकॉलजी खत्म हो रही है। खेती के लिए जमीन को लेकर लड़ाईयां होती हैं। सामाजिक तानाबाना टूट रहा है। इससे लोगों की साथ रहने की क्षमता घट रही है। ये सभी कारण हैं जो लोगों को अपनी जगह छोड़ने के लिए मजबूर करते हैं। अफ्रीका के 54 में से लगभग हर एक देश इससे प्रभावित है। Times-Evoke-2 इसके अलावा मोजांबिक, अंगोला, चाड़, तंजानिया, केन्या और इथियोपिया भी इन्हीं परिस्थितियों का शिकार हैं। लेक चाड़ पांच देशों के लिए पानी का मुख्य स्रोत है। लेकिन यह सिकुड़ रही है। इन देशों में पीने और खेती के लिए पानी कम हो रहा है। जाहिर है जलवायु संकट के लिए किसी देश की कोई सरहद मायने नहीं रखती है। यह इकलॉजिकल सिस्टम को पहचानता है जो कई देशों तक फैला हो सकता है। लेकिन इसका असर उन्हीं लोगों पर दिखता है जो गरीब हैं, सामाजिक और आर्थिक स्तर पर निचले पायदान पर हैं। इनके काम खेती करना, जानवरों को पालना आदि हैं। महिलाओं पर भी बुरा असर पड़ा है। उनके लिए सीमित साधनों में गुजारा करना बेहद मुश्किल होता है। इसके लिए विकासशील देशों को पेट्रोल, डीजल की अर्थव्यवस्था से आगे निकलकर सोचना होगा। हमें साफ ईंधन पर विचार करना होगा। इससे टिकाऊ विकास पाया जा सकता है। ग्लोबल समुदाय को जलवायु संकट की जिम्मेदारी भी समझनी चाहिए। फिलहाल ग्लोबल वॉर्मिंग के नजरिये से पर्यावरण, आर्थिक, प्रवास पर प्रभावों को सबसे ज्यादा महसूस किया जा रहा है। लेकिन इसका असर उन लोगों पर ज्यादा है जिन्होंने इसमें कम योगदान दिया। विकसित अर्थव्यवस्थाओं से फंड लेकर जमा करना चाहिए जिनकी वजह से ग्लोबल वॉर्मिंग को बढ़ावा मिला है। इनकी वजह से कुछ देशों में जलवायु संकट बर्बादी मचा रहा है। 'इन शरणार्थियों को भी कानूनी सुरक्षा की जरूरत है' माइकल डॉयल कोलंबिया यूनिवर्सिटी में पढ़ाते हैं। यहां वह बता रहे हैं कि जलवायु संकट से प्रभावित लोगों के आसपास के कानून में क्या खामिया हैं और इस अंतर को कैसे दूर कर सकते हैं: दुनिया में क्लाइमेट चेंज को एक संकट की तरह देखा जाता है लेकिन कुछ देशों में यह खतरनाक हालत स्थिति पैदा कर चुका है। हमने इतनी तरक्की नहीं की है कि ग्लोबल वॉर्मिंग से निपट लें। इसलिए आशंका है कि सूखा, बाढ़ और जलवायु संकट से प्रभावित लोगों की तादाद भी बेतहाशा बढ़ेगी। हमें एक कानूनी परिभाषा की जरूरत है जो इन लोगों को बचा सके। फिलहाल शरणार्थी 1951 के समझौते के मुताबिक शरण पाते हैं। लेकिन वह शीत युद्ध के दिनों में लिखा गया था। उस वक्त यूरोप में लोकतंत्र और तानाशाही में टकराव जारी था। उस वक्त एक पहचान मिली तो शरणार्थियों को परेशान किया जाना बंद हो गया। जाति, धर्म, राष्ट्रीयता, सामाजिक समूह या राजनीतिक राय नहीं देखी जाती थी। यह खास तौर पर हंगरी के विद्रोह (1956) में कम्युनिजम से भाग रहे शरणार्थियों के काम आया। Times-Evoke-3 अब इसका दायरा व्यापक हो गया है लेकिन उन लोगों को इसमें नहीं जोड़ा गया जो अपने द्वीप पर जलवायु परिवर्तन की वजह से समुद्र के पानी का बढ़ता स्तर देख रहे हैं या फिर सूखा। साल 2015 में यह मामला मानवाधिकार आयोग की कमिटी के सामने आया। इसे टिटियोटा केस कहते हैं। प्रशांत महासागर के स्वतंत्र द्वीप किरिबाती का एक परिवार न्यूजीलैंड में रिफ्यूजी स्टेटस चाहता था क्योंकि उनका द्वीप धीरे-धीरे डूब रहा था। न्यूजीलैंड कोर्ट ने उनकी अर्जी ठुकरा दी थी, तब मानवाधिकार आयोग के पास पहुंचे। आखिरकार अर्जी नहीं मानी गई क्योंकि ऐसा दिखाया गया कि वहां सुरक्षा के काफी इंतजाम हैं। लेकिन यह अहम मामला है जिसने यह बताने की कोशिश की कि एक आदमी को जलवायु परिवर्तन की वजह से किन परिस्थितियों का सामना करना पड़ रहा है। वह इतना डर सकता है कि जान बचाने के लिए दूसरे देश में शरण मांग सकता है। लेकिन यह सिर्फ शुरुआत थी। जलवायु शरणार्थी का मुद्दा संकट बना हुआ था। हमें एक कानून की जरूरत है जो सबका ध्यान रखता हो। आनेवाले वक्त में हम बदलाव महसूस कर सकते हैं। अपनी मूल जगह छोड़कर जाने के लिए तैयार लोगों की तादाद बढ़ सकती है। लाखों लोग हो सकते हैं। फिलहाल अमेरिका जैसे देश मानवीय आधार पर इमरजेंसी वीजा दे देते हैं। लेकिन यह समस्या का इलाज नहीं है। कुदरती आपदा को रोकना होगा। हमें विकास चाहिए लेकिन कानून को भी ज्यादा मानवीय प्रणाली लागू करनी होगी। 'प्रवासियों को अपने घर लौटते देखकर पता चला मुद्दा कितना बड़ा है' सुनीता नारायण सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) की डायरेक्टर हैं। सृजना मित्रा दास से हुई इस बातचीत में उन्होंने बताया कि जलवायु परिवर्तन की वजह से देश में ही बहुत-से लोग अपने रहने की मूल जगह बदल रहे हैं । साथ ही उन उपायों के बारे में भी बात की, जिनसे तस्वीर बदल सकती है: देश में हो रहे जलवायु परिवर्तन के बारे में आप क्या कहेंगी? जलवायु परिवर्तन के बारे में फिलहाल हमारे पास बहुत आंकड़े नहीं हैं लेकिन इतना जरूर कह सकते हैं कि देश में बड़ी तादाद में लोग अपनी मूल जगह बदल रहे हैं। शहरों में इन लोगों की बस्तियां बढ़ती देख सकते हैं। कोरोना महामारी के शुरुआती दौर में हमने प्रवासी मजदूरों को जगह बदलते हुए देखा है। ये लोग अदृश्य मजदूरों की तरह शहरों में काम कर रहे थे और अपने मूल घरों की ओर लौटने लगे। इस घटना से यह पता चला कि कितने बड़े पैमाने पर अंदर ही अंदर लोगों की आवाजाही जारी है। यह कई वजहों से हुआ लेकिन मेरा तर्क यह है कि देश में जलवायु परिवर्तन ही लोगों को अपना घर छोड़ने के लिए उकसा रहा है। बेशक लोग अच्छे मौके की तलाश में अपना मूल स्थान छोड़ देते हैं क्योंकि यह इंसानी स्वभाव है। पलायन इसके लिए सबसे अच्छा रास्ता दिखता है। लेकिन बहुत बड़ा वर्ग ऐसा भी है जो अब भी कहीं नहीं जाना चाहता। लोग मजबूरी में अपना घर छोड़ रहे हैं। उनकी आर्थिक तरक्की नहीं हो रही। उनके सामने मौसम की अनेक दिक्कतें हैं। कभी बाढ़, सूखा या फसलों का बर्बाद होना। अब तक हम कुदरती आपदाओं के बारे में सुनते आए हैं। हम इसे ऐसी आपदा की तरह देखते हैं जो किसी जगह पर होती है और फिर खत्म हो जाती है। हालांकि अपना काम-धंधा तलाश करते रहना भी इन लोगों के लिए किसी आपदा से कम नहीं। इससे जूझते हुए लोग हार जाते हैं। इतने मुश्किल हालात में ज़िंदा रहने की उनकी क्षमता और शर्तें खत्म हो जाती हैं। जलवायु परिवर्तन अब लोगों की क्षमता को खत्म कर रहा है। कई प्रवासी सिर्फ इसकी वजह से आगे नहीं बढ़ पा रहे। वैज्ञानिकों ने पाया है कि यह माइग्रेशन सबसे अलग है। पहले लोग जंग की वजह से जगह बदलते थे, अब आर्थिक शरणार्थी बहुत हैं जिनकी मुश्किल जलवायु परिवर्तन ने बढ़ा दी है। हाल में ही हमने उत्तराखंड के रैनी गांव के बारे में सुना। वह चिपको आंदोलन का घर रहा है। वहां से लोगों का जाना क्या जलवायु परिवर्तन की वजह से है? यह बहुत बड़ा सच है। हमने हिमालय के आर्थिक भविष्य की योजनाएं नहीं बनाईं। जब मैंने 30 साल पहले वहां का दौरा करना शुरू किया तो वहां के लोग काम की तलाश करते हुए मैदानों की ओर या आर्मी में जा रहे थे। लेकिन तब से लेकर अब तक कोई विजन तैयार नहीं हुआ। हिमालय की इकॉलजी का फायदा हमारे ही लोगों को होता। उन पहाड़ों में जैव विविधता भरी पड़ी है। वहां शहर, बड़े जंगल, पानी के खूब सारे स्रोत हैं इसलिए खूब पोषण देने वाली फसलें भी उगतीं पर हमने इनसे स्थानीय लोगों का आर्थिक जीवन बेहतर नहीं बनाया। हाइड्रोइलेक्ट्रिक पावर के बारे में सोचा। वहां के लोगों को स्थाई रोजगार देने की जगह हमें हिमालय ऐसी जगह नजर आया जहां कई हाइड्रोइलेक्ट्रिक प्लांट लगाए जा सकते हैं। मानो शहरों में मॉल बना रहे हैं। हमें इस बारे में सोचना चाहिए कि कैसे इन प्लांट्स की फिर इंजीनियरिंग की जाए जिससे नदियों के पानी का कम से कम इस्तेमाल हो और वहां के लोगों का आर्थिक भविष्य सुधर सके। लेकिन हमने यह इंजीनियरिंग सुधारी कि कैसे नदियों पर धड़ाधड़ प्लांट लगा लें। इससे हिमालय का इकोसिस्टम नाजुक हालात में पहुंच गया है। इसके अलावा अब जलवायु परिवर्तन बादल फटने, ग्लेशियर की झील बनने और लैंड स्लाइड्स के तौर पर दिख रहा है। हाल में ही चमोली में आई बाढ़ का असर रैनी गांव पर भी पड़ा है। उस पहाड़ी से लगातार माइग्रेशन हो रहा है। पूरा गांव भूतिया हो गया है। घर खाली पड़े हैं। अब रैनी गांव को भी कहीं ओर बसाने की बात हो रही है। सोचकर देखें कि चिपको आंदोलन की भूमि का यह हाल है। मजबूती से टिके रहने के लिए मशहूर वहां के लोग कहते हैं कि अब हम यहां नहीं रह सकते। ये लोग गंभीर पर्यावरण संकट का सामना कर रहे हैं। आप सबसे अहम सुझाव क्या देंगी? यह जरूरी है कि स्थानीय जलवायु को पलटने और सामुदायिक अर्थव्यवस्था पर निवेश हो। मनरेगा कार्यक्रम ऐसा करने का ताकतवर हथियार है। इसमें इकॉलजिकल इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर पर निवेश का लक्ष्य होता है। सीएससी और डाउन टु अर्थ संस्था की 15 राज्यों में हुई स्टडी ने पाया कि जहां कहीं भी ऐसा निवेश किया गया वहां से लोगों का जाना रुक गया। यहां तक कि गांवों में जहां पानी था, वहां वॉटर हार्वेस्टिंग शुरू हो गई और पेड़ों से तालाबों तक इकलॉजिकल रिसोर्स लोगों की भलाई के लिए इस्तेमाल होने लगे। वहां रिवर्स माइग्रेशन शुरू हो गया। इससे पता चलता है कि हम भविष्य में बदलाव कर सकते हैं। जरूरी नहीं कि यह एक कहानी हो। लेकिन हमें इकॉलजी इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर में निवेश करना होगा। हमने मनरेगा का ऐसा इस्तेमाल कुछ गांवों में ही देखा। ज्यादातर जगहों पर इसे मजदूरी का जरिया समझा जाता है। लेकिन मनरेगा का काम ऐसी योजनाओं और इकलॉजिकल इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर में निवेश करना है जो वहां रहनेवाले लोगों की आर्थिक स्थिति को मजबूत करे और जलवायु परिवर्तन के नए युग में पहुंचा दे।

What I felt When I entered Delhi’s Brand New Red Mohalla Clinic

I stepped into the containers, which combined, were the size of half of that of a world-class badminton court. It contains within it - an examination room, a reception and a waiting area and a pharmacy accessible from outside. There’s also a washroom. The insides were air-conditioned and I could feel a happy chill on the medical-grade stainless steel countertops I grew up in a fairly middle class family. So, when someone in the family fell ill, a quick consultation at a private hospital of minimum repute was sought. AIIMS and Safdarjung referrals were available to us because we happen to know people. Those who couldn’t afford to alight at the driveways of one of the swanky super-specialties, state governments remained a depressing last and perhaps only choice. The sight of patients lying strewn about in passages, the sight of open wounds, the feeling of your loved one lying on a rickety old stretcher, and standing in long queues with sick people in poorly-ventilated spaces made one feel helpless even in the pursuit of revival. So, when I was driving past Rani Bagh some days ago, I came across a bright red metal container with ‘Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic’ stamped on it. At first glance, it appears like an ode to the International Red Cross movement, which opened the world’s eyes towards the right to health. What drew my attention more than the colours red and white was the use of a shipping container. Having been a student of peace and conflict studies, it was common to come across reference papers on refugees from Iraq and Syria being housed in shipping containers in German towns. An ISO shipping container, by definition, is a standardised steel box that can be repurposed for universal cargo transportation. It is often touted by architects as the potential answer to the global housing problem. Delhi has a migration rate of 43%, of whom 88% are from other states and 63% are from rural areas. This data point was brought to light by Prof. Chinmay Tumbe of IIM Ahmedabad, urban economics expert, as he deconstructed the impact of the migration crisis of 2020 unleashed by the lockdown to contain the Covid-19 crisis in India. But, in Delhi, the problem of housing doesn’t limit itself to well-constructed homes. It is about drainage, sewage, quarrelling road owning agencies and the grey areas of land use rules. However, a neatly cut out container looks like a better deal than slum squalor. I stepped into the containers, which combined, were the size of half of that of a world-class badminton court. It contains within it – an examination room, a reception and a waiting area and a pharmacy accessible from outside. There’s also a washroom. The insides were air-conditioned and I could feel a happy chill on the medical-grade stainless steel countertops. In a heat-burnt city, an air-conditioned oasis like this one will remain an inviting idea for a long time. The flooring is fashioned out of microbial vinyl, it looks elegant and feels durable, the makers of the clinic have perhaps kept in mind that the floors will face heavy footfall. The firm that has built this is Architecture Discipline, and the deep red shell of the Clinic adorns its logo. One simple Google Search will tell you that the same firm also made the India Pavilion at the Hannover Messe in 2015. Central and state governments are now engaging experts to envision and execute public welfare projects and it seems the Government of NCT of Delhi has taken such an engagement to a whole new level. On the question of sustainability, the metal container Mohalla Clinic scores 10/10 because it is made from discarded containers from container yards in Delhi and Haryana. Merely 30 minutes away from Rani Bagh is a place called Mayapuri where a huge scrap industry operates and one visit to this place will leave you blue and black, aside from showing you that repurposing metal is in fact the need of the hour. In July 2018, a New Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had released a report titled ‘Clunkered: Combating Dumping of Used Vehicles — A roadmap for Africa and South Asia’, which stressed the need to reinvent the concept of extended producer responsibility making it incumbent upon the manufacturer to take back, recycle and ensure environment friendly disposal of vehicles. It is not merely plastic that is piling up on our land and in our seas but also metal that is dying for a desperate rebirth. When I stepped out of new red mohalla clinic, and spoke to someone from the Delhi Government right outside, I was told that these clinics are pre-fabricated and the lights, electric and furnishing fixtures are pre-installed, which means the on-site construction is minimal. That is when I realised the true potential of this technique in taking healthcare to every single mohalla in India. Imagine little towns in Uttar Pradesh and tapering roads that lead to them, imagine dense slum pockets in Mumbai, imagine hilly areas in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh where construction is both a boon and a curse, these easy-to-transport hospitals can spring up easily. This new Mohalla Clinic has made driving around West Delhi in pandemic times a little less monotonous. Public Healthcare infrastructure can serve a purpose greater than curing patients, it can restore a nation’s pride.