Even six years after the water consumption norms came into force, the water-guzzling coal power industry is ignoring water regulations and there is a high degree of non-compliance observed in the sector, a new report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) says. Counted among the most water-intensive industries in India, the coal power sector is responsible for nearly 70 per cent of the total freshwater withdrawal by all industries in the country. Indian power plants with cooling towers consume twice as much water as their global counterparts, said the report titled 'Water Inefficient Power'. According to the 2015 norms (revised again in 2018), plants installed before January 1, 2017, were required to meet a specific water consumption limit of 3.5 cubic metre of water per MWh; plants installed after January 1, 2017 had to meet the norm of three cubic metre of water per MWh, apart from adopting zero liquid discharge. Additionally, all freshwater-based plants were required to install cooling towers and subsequently achieve the norm of 3.5 cubic metre of water per MWh. All sea water-based plants were exempted from meeting the norms. The deadline to meet the water norms was December 2017 which has already passed. The water norms for coal power plants were introduced in 2015 along with the emission norms. Though emission norms timelines for the sector were revised twice by the Ministry of Coal once in 2017 and recently in 2021, the issue of compliance and implementation of water norms has been completely overlooked, the CSE said in a release. CSE's programme Director for Industrial Pollution Unit, Nivit Kumar Yadav, said, "This is when many power producing regions of the country are facing acute water shortage. Also there is huge water pollution due to the effluent discharge by the power plants." The CSE surveyed more than 154 GW of total coal power capacity and found nearly 50 per cent of the freshwater-based plants to be non-complying. Most of these plants belong to state-owned companies. The largest number of non-complying plants were from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Belonging to MahaGENCO (Maharashtra's power generation company) and UPRVUNL (Uttar Pradesh's power generation company), a majority of these plants are old with inefficient practices which lead to water wastage. The CSE survey has found that old and inefficient once-through cooling water-based plants in India continue to operate without installing cooling towers. These plants are not just flouting water norms but also emission norms, the survey added. Built before 1999, all once-through-based power plants in India are old and polluting. Many of these plants were identified for retirement but have not yet been retired. They continue to operate with no plans to upgrade or install either emission control equipment or cooling towers. "Allowing these older plants to continue to pollute cannot be an option. Plants identified for retirement must be closed down immediately if they have no plans to retrofit or to install emission control technologies and/or cooling towers," said Deputy Programme Manager, Industrial Pollution unit of CSE, Sugandha Arora. As per the CSE's recent estimates, nearly 48 per cent of India's existing coal power fleet is located in water-scarce districts like Nagpur and Chandrapur in Maharashtra; Raichur in Karnataka; Korba in Chhattisgarh; Barmer and Baran in Rajasthan; Khammam and Kothagudem in Telangana; and Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu. There have been reports of conflicts over water use between industries and local people. "This sector has a massive water footprint and therefore, all efforts must be made to mitigate this impact. There is huge scope of reducing the sector's water demand by ensuring implementation of the 2015 standards and addressing the challenges related to accurate reporting of data, old inefficient once-through cooling plants and
with the worst dust storms in the world At the national level, Pune was ranked 79th in air pollution in 2020-21 according to the Centre for Science and Environment Details at https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/karachi-lahore-delhi-and-more-these-are-the-cities-with-the-worst-dust-storms-in-the-world/slidelist/85676741.cms
Malnutrition in India: कोविड महामारी ने देश में कुपोषण की स्थिति को और चिंताजनक बना दिया है. ग्लोबल हंगर इंडेक्स 2020 की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार भारत 107 देशों की लिस्ट में 94वें नंबर पर है. Malnutrition in India: भारत में कुपोषण अब भी एक गंभीर समस्या बनी हुई है. कोविड महामारी ने भी देश में कुपोषण की स्थिति को और चिंताजनक बना दिया है. ग्लोबल हंगर इंडेक्स 2020 की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार भारत 27.2 के स्कोर के साथ 107 देशों की लिस्ट में 94वें नंबर पर है, जिसे बेहद गंभीर माना जाता है. विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन और प्रसिद्ध स्वास्थ्य मैगजीन लांसेट के मुताबिक देश में हर दूसरी महिला खून की कमी की शिकार है. वहीं देश का हर तीसरा बच्चा अविकसित या छोटे कद का है. इसके अलावा भारत का हर चौथा बच्चा कुपोषण का शिकार है. महिला एवं बाल विकास मंत्रालय के अनुसार देश में 9.3 लाख से अधिक 'गंभीर कुपोषित' बच्चों की पहचान की गई है. प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने इस साल स्वतंत्रता दिवस के अवसर पर लाल किले से कुपोषण के इस गंभीर मुद्दे पर बड़ा ऐलान किया था. उन्होंने कहा कि, गरीब परिवारों को सरकारी योजनाओं के जरिए साल 2024 तक विटामिन, आयरन और अन्य पोषक तत्वों से मिश्रित चावल दिया जाने लगेगा. इसका लक्ष्य देश की एक बड़ी आबादी से पोषण की कमी को दूर करना है. देश में 9.3 लाख से अधिक बच्चें गंभीर कुपोषित' मॉनसून सत्र के दौरान देश में कुपोषित बच्चों को लेकर राज्यसभा में महिला एवं बाल विकास मंत्रालय की ओर से अहम जानकारी दी गई. केंद्रीय मंत्री स्मृति ईरानी ने बताया कि ICSD-RRS पोर्टल (30 नवंबर, 2020 तक) के अनुसार, देश में 6 महीने से 6 साल उम्र के बीच के 9.3 लाख से अधिक 'गंभीर कुपोषित' बच्चों की पहचान की गई है. इनमें सबसे खराब स्थिति उत्तर प्रदेश की है जहां 3, 98,359 गंभीर रूप से कुपोषित हैं. इसके बाद बिहार का स्थान है जहां, 2,79,427 बच्चें गंभीर कुपोषण का शिकार हैं. बता दें कि, बिहार और उत्तर प्रदेश में बच्चों की जनसंख्या भी देश में सबसे अधिक है. 2011 के जनगणना के आंकड़ों के अनुसार उत्तर प्रदेश में 0-6 साल के 2.97 करोड़ बच्चे हैं जबकि बिहार में ऐसे बच्चों की संख्या 1.85 करोड़ है. गंभीर कुपोषित बच्चों के लिए जारी किए गए 5,312.7 करोड़ रुपये साथ ही स्मृति ईरानी ने राज्यसभा में जानकारी दी थी, सरकारी योजनाओं के तहत, इन 'गंभीर कुपोषित' बच्चों को पोषक आहार उपलब्ध कराया जाता है. मंत्रालय ने इसके लिए 2017-18 से 2020-21 तक देश के सभी राज्यों और केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों को 5,312.7 करोड़ रुपये की आर्थिक सहायता प्रदान की है. इनमें से 31 मार्च तक 2,985.5 करोड़ रुपये का इस्तेमाल किया गया है. एक अनुमान के अनुसार देश में 5 वर्ष से कम आयु के बच्चों की मृत्यु के मामले में सबसे ज्यादा 68 फीसदी कुपोषण का शिकार होते हैं. कुपोषण के चलते होने वाली बीमारी, मृत्यु और उत्पादकता में कमी से देश को हर साल 7400 करोड़ रुपये का नुकसान होता है. कोविड महामारी ने बनाया कुपोषण की स्थिति को और गंभीर एक्स्पर्ट्स का भी मानना है कि, महामारी के इस दौर में देश में मिड-डे मील में रुकावट और आर्थिक तंगी के चलते कुपोषण की स्थिति और गंभीर बन गई है. Centre for Science and Environment की स्टेट ऑफ इंडियाज एनवायरनमेंट 2021 सालाना रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, कोविड-19 महामारी के कारण 0 से 14 साल के 37.5 करोड़ भारतीय बच्चों पर लंबे समय तक बुरे असर का साया रहेगा. इन बच्चे को कुपोषण, अशिक्षा और अन्य कई परेशानियों का सामना करना पड़ सकता है. गंभीर कुपोषित बच्चों का राज्यवार आंकड़ा गंभीर कुपोषित बच्चों के मामले में महाराष्ट्र तीसरे नंबर पर है जहां 70,665 बच्चें इस का शिकार हैं. इसके बाद गुजरात (45,749) और छत्तीसगढ़ (37,249) का स्थान आता है. इस लिस्ट में ओडिशा (15,595) छठें, तमिलनाडु (12,489) सातवें, झारखंड (12,059) आठवें, आंध्र प्रदेश (11,201) नवें और तेलंगाना (9045) दसवें स्थान पर मौजूद है. इसके अलावा असम में 7218, कर्नाटक में 6899, केरल में 6188 और राजस्थान में 5732 बच्चें गंभीर कुपोषण का शिकार हैं.
India’s stand on emissions has been that the country is on a path to development and is taking millions out of poverty. The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on global warming has sounded a final wake up call to countries. Coming ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this year in Glasgow where India is facing heat to take the “net zero” pledge. The report stated that the increase in earth’s temperature by 1.5 degrees is certain and inevitable. India continues to be the third largest emitter of carbon in the world and has been holding out on making any commitment stating that the country is on a path to development and is taking millions out of poverty. However, as pressure mounts, where does India stand on the debate and for how long it can hold on to this argument while it makes a faster, bigger push towards fossil fuels and continues to maintain lack of clarity on its goals? About 110 countries have updated their NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions), but not China, India, or South Africa. Net zero emissions refer to carbon neutrality, which means that a region’s aggregate emissions should reach zero in a specific time. If a country emits a certain amount of carbon every year it will have to offset it through carbon capturing, afforestation or buying carbon credits. At our current rate of global emissions – 40 gigatonnes of CO2 is generated annually – countries are projected to generate 500 gigatonnes in 10 more years, which will lead to a catastrophic 1.5 degree increase in global temperatures. The fallout from this is severe weather events that are being witnessed across the globe – flash floods, forest fires and melting glaciers. To ensure this carbon budget doesn’t spill over, ‘net zero’ requires the world to urgently reduce emissions by afforestation and capturing this carbon. Net zero, therefore, does not mean “zero” emissions, but how a country can compensate for the generation of emissions and how much can it cut down its emissions. India has consistently held that its position is unique, owing to it entering industrialisation at a later stage. However, “Over the next two to three decades, India’s emissions are likely to grow at the fastest pace in the world, as it presses for higher growth to pull hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. No amount of afforestation or reforestation would be able to compensate for the increased emissions. Most of the carbon removal technologies right now are either unreliable or very expensive,” an Indian Express report pointed out earlier this year. However, the key question is how long the country can use this argument to bail itself out of emissions in the face of a looming climate emergency. NewsClick spoke to some activists and experts to get an insight into the challenges ahead for India. Vinuta Gopal, CEO of Asar Social Impact Advisors, a climate consultancy firm, told NewsClick: "It is absolutely clear from the latest IPCC report that science is unequivocal in issuing a 'code red' and setting alarm bells ringing. The impact of a two degree world are going to be brutal, especially in countries like India. This is an emergency of immense proportions; it is in this context that we need to discuss climate action and emission reductions. So, it is essential for India to start planning its pathway to 'net zero'. The question is not if, but when. India needs to think of how its going to plan this transition in a way that is just and ambitious at the same time." India has stated that the latest report on climate change vindicated the stand that India has taken since 2015 – that the developed world should pay for the damage caused by its industrialisation and not commit poorer countries to similar targets on reducing carbon emissions. Moreover, the Environment Ministry has said that reaching the goal of net zero carbon emissions is not enough since “it is the cumulative emissions up to net zero that determine the temperature that is reached”. Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav also said the report was “a clarion call for the developed countries to undertake immediate, deep emission cuts and decarbonisation of their economies”. Avantika Goswami, Deputy Programme Manager, Climate Change and Renewable Energy, Centre for Science and Environment, (CSE) disgarees with this stance. She told Newsclick: “We cannot shield ourselves from domestic action by continuously pushing the argument of our minimal historical contribution to carbon emissions. India's climate goals need to be built in addressing energy poverty and malnourishment, the development of green livelihoods that are not dependent on coal, and the preservation of land rights of forest and tribal communities. We need to rapidly reduce our dependence on coal and other fossil fuels, and divert new investments towards decentralised renewable energy. Our cities need to urgently incorporate climate-resilient design, cheap and frequent public transit options, and walkable, green public spaces for all.” If India were to accept the net zero targets, it would mean that India’s coal push is likely to take a hit. As much as 25% of India’s revenue comes from fossil fuels while coal-fired power output is set to double by 2040. Concessional tax benefits continue to be the largest subsidy to the coal sector, newer acts and amendments continue to make a big push towards coal, making it the centerpiece of India’s energy system, despite the higher financial and social costs in play. A major issue is also the financing of cleaner technology and renewables. “Government subsidies to the renewable sector have fallen by nearly 45 percent since their peak in (financial year) 2017, says a study, which states that support for the sector needs a revival,” Mongabay reported. Also, a study titled 'Mapping India’s Energy Subsidies 2021: Time for renewed support to clean energy', by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water found that subsidies to renewable energy fell from Rs 15,470 crore in FY 2017 to Rs 8,577 crore in FY 2020. “The earlier targets that India set have still not been achieved – our INDC’s are not targeted and are very vague. On one hand, India states that it is already doing enough, on the other we see a major push for both coal and thermal plants. We are approving not just standalone thermal power plants but also increasing our dependence on it. The roadmap is vague, the climate policy misses out on key calculations on the greenhouse gas emissions in relation with the industry," said environment lawyer Rahul Choudhary. India’s plans of generation of carbon sink and compensatory reforestation also remain in a limbo. Six years ago, the country had pledged to generate an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030 ,as part of the NDC target under the 2015 Paris Agreement. Initial trends suggest that the targets may be met only halfway. India carries out compensatory afforestation under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), an institutional mechanism to receive and manage funds for compensatory afforestation. Experts have questioned CAMPA’s ability to compensate for the lost, old-growth carbon-rich forests. They say that the complex biodiversity of a forest can never be compensated for by a monoculture plantation.
National Mission for Clean Ganga hosted second Meet & Mingle session on ‘Developing River Sensitive Cities’ on the Third Day of Stockholm World Water Week 2021. Prof. Mona Aiyer from CEPT University moderated the session. She started the session by welcoming all speakers and participants and explained that the session is planned for practitioners and other stakeholders with the aim to mainstream river in city planning. The Director General, NMCG, Mr. Rajiv Ranjan Mishra shared his thoughts on developing river sensitive cities in India and the importance of water sources and its linkage with human habitation. He informed that GRBMP which is developed by IIT consortium has also highlighted the need to focus on city or urban planning with integration of rivers and complete water cycle. He mentioned that river rejuvenation is directly related to urban development and rivers can be kept clean if our cities are kept clean and to achieve that we need river sensitive cities. The DG, NMCG stated that we need to focus on developing sustainable ways and methods while planning a city and to develop management plans integrating rivers and cities. He emphasized on assessment and understanding of different water bodies in a city and to integrate water cycle of a city in its built environment. Mr. Mishra went on to say that NMCG is working with NIUA and other line departments to develop Urban River Management Framework and River Sensitive Master plan. According to him the key points that need to be inculcated is zone level planning and knowledge of what are the challenges experienced at the banks of the river. He talked about climate change leading to increased heat sensitive problems in urban areas and by river sensitive planning along with basin management, the problem can be resolved. Mr. Mishra concluded by informing that the NMCG has conceptualized the “River City Alliance” with the aim to provide a unique platform to collaborate for achieving river rejuvenation through sustainable development and capacity building. He also informed about the NMCG’s initiative to support river sensitive cities planning by sponsoring 3 best research thesis by planning and architecture college students through national level competition and creating awareness among youth in this direction. Prof. Mona Aiyer then invited Mr. Victor Shinde from NIUA to elaborate on the Urban River Management Plan (URMP) Framework. He informed that the framework is designed to support cities for river management and to operationalize the concept of IRBM at city level. The major challenge faced till now is with implementation of the concept and translating the philosophy into practice. He said that to overcome these challenges there is need to integrate IRBM in urban development and planning. The URMP framework is drafted keeping sustainability on priority which has comprised both environment, economic and social benefits. He also said that for each city there is choice of selecting 10 objectives given in the URMP framework. He concluded by informing that the URMP framework is city wise management plan which brings interconnectivity and can benefit at larger scale. With this background, Prof. Mona Aiyer invited Mr. R. Srinivas from Town and Country Planning Organisation, MoHUA to talk about River Centric Urban Guidelines. He mentioned that we have 53 million plus cities and around 42 cities are located on the banks of rivers. The location of cities along the river signifies the provision of water, natural resources and biodiversity which are vital for cities. He mentioned that the guidelines are prepared to be circulated in states and UTs and it is important have delineated river zones. He informed about the components of guidelines such as it defines no development zone, restricted zones and so on. The guidelines are drafted to support river zones in cities and develop strong city images along with development of water resources. Lastly, he said we need to integrate blue and green infrastructure and need to recharge groundwater resources as well. Continuing the discussion on guidelines, Prof. Mona Aiyer invited Dr. S. Rohilla from Centre for Science and Environment to talk on how to operationalize the guidelines. He said that the Ganga Basin is a complex issue and there are around 2000 urban centres with 600 big centres along the stretches of river Ganga. Talking about the small and medium towns he said that they are swiftly increasing in size and we will lose opportunity if we will not be able to develop and implement the river centric urban planning. He said that it can be converged with other on-going schemes and missions such as Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban), Smart Cities Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) and so on to bring the decentralization of planning by focusing on individual building and neighbourhood levels. He closed his remarks by reiterating the fact that water sensitive designs need to be integrated with urban development designs. Prof. Mona Aiyer invited various professionals from among the participants to share their views on the topic of discussion. Prof. Vinod Tare from IIT Kanpur talked about developing the additional wetlands, decentralized water management designs and optimal utilization of man-made and natural ways to bring rivers sensitivity in city planning. He primarily focused on utilising nature-based solutions and understanding the concept of one water system comprising all forms of water bodies in planning. Following him, Dr. Anitha Kumari Sharma from Royal Dutch Embassy talked about the need of long-term planning and involving all the stakeholders in planning the cities with focus on conserving river’s overall health. Prof. S. Chary gave two important points to focus on which involve development of urban centric governance framework at chief secretary level as several departments beyond city level also do have jurisdiction and creating a platform for innovation and startups to support in making cities river sensitive. Ms. Panchali from SIWI mentioned case studies of Cape Town, Miami and other international regions which can be referred for developing river sensitive cities in India. She talked about cooperation and integration at regulatory levels. Lastly, Mr. Suresh Babu said that to bring citizen engagement we need to mainstream urban governance at different levels and create a forum to often engage in discussions to find relevant solutions with the focus on making cities river sensitive. Concluding the session, Prof. Mona Aiyer summarized the discussions and deliberations and DG, NMCG, Mr. Rajiv Ranjan Mishra thanked everyone for their contribution and suggestions.
Il Centro Agroalimentare di Bologna (CAAB) e Fondazione FICO annunciano l’avvio del bando per i progetti di sostenibilità agroalimentare attivi in Italia e nel mondo. C’è tempo fino al 15 settembre 2021 per inviare la propria candidatura. Promuovere i progetti, le ricerche e le iniziative in ambito agricolo e agro-alimentare realizzate da persone, istituzioni e imprese nel segno dello sviluppo sostenibile e durevole: questo l’obiettivo di Bologna Award, il Premio Internazionale per la sostenibilità agroalimentare che riparte con il bando della sua 6^ edizione, in programma a Bologna in occasione della Giornata mondiale dell’alimentazione, il 15 e 16 ottobre 2021. Ideato e promosso da CAAB Centro Agroalimentare di Bologna e dalla Fondazione FICO per l’Educazione alimentare e alla Sostenibilità, Bologna Award concorre da cinque anni al raggiungimento degli obiettivi dell’Agenda 2030 delle Nazioni Unite attraverso l’individuazione di idee e buone pratiche efficaci in direzione della sostenibilità agroalimentare dalla produzione al consumo, dai campi agli allevamenti, alle tavole di tutto il pianeta. “Con un’attenzione particolare – spiega il presidente CAAB Andrea Segrè, presidente di Giuria – ai progetti impegnati per fronteggiare le crescenti povertà, la malnutrizione e le diseguaglianze aggravate dalla crisi pandemica: al momento circa 2.37 miliardi di persone non hanno un accesso adeguato al cibo, e le stime attuali prevedono che nel 2030 ben 660 milioni di persone soffriranno ancora la fame, anche in ragione degli effetti a lungo termine della pandemia covid-19 sulla sicurezza alimentare“. Sarà infatti “Sharing. Condivisione è sostenibilità” il filo rosso dell’edizione 2021: con la consapevolezza che per raggiungere gli Obiettivi dell’Agenda 2030 delle Nazioni Unite sarà necessario un impegno collettivo insieme alla condivisione delle conoscenze, delle competenze, delle esperienze legate ai progetti, alle buone pratiche, agli strumenti utili allo sviluppo sostenibile. Una considerazione tanto più valida per l’agricoltura di ultima generazione, la smart farming alla quale è richiesta alta precisione tecnologica per ottimizzare la produzione di cibo aumentandone l’efficienza, riducendo al minimo gli sprechi e l’impatto ambientale. La 6^ edizione di Bologna Award è promossa con il patrocinio del Comune di Bologna, della Camera di Commercio di Bologna, della Regione Emilia-Romagna e della FAO (Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l’alimentazione e l’agricoltura). Le candidature e segnalazioni per l’edizione 2021 di Bologna Award potranno essere inoltrate alla email info@bolognaaward.it entro il 15 settembre, subito dopo la Giuria si riunirà per selezionare una short list con la cinquina finalista, che sarà annunciata entro la prima settimana del mese di ottobre. Seguirà la proclamazione dei vincitori, la cerimonia di Premiazione come sempre a Bologna, in occasione del World Food Day 2021, 16 ottobre. Info, bando e aggiornamenti sui siti bolognaaward.com e caab.it. Aspetto peculiare del Bologna Award – International Sustainability and Food Award è che i vincitori, sin dal momento dell’accettazione, si impegnano a donare il valore del premio in favore di progetti e iniziative di settore sostenibili, durevoli e/o solidali, affinché la ricerca possa ulteriormente progredire e moltiplicare circoli virtuosi nell’ambito agro-alimentare e agro-ambientale sul pianeta. Vincitori delle prime cinque edizioni di Bologna Award sono stati: nel 2015 lo scienziato genetista italiano Salvatore Ceccarelli, che ha prestato la sua opera e il suo ingegno in Paesi e aree arretrate e in guerra, come il Centro ICARDA di Aleppo – Siria oggi distrutto dall’ISIS, ex aequo con l’organizzazione statunitense no profit NAMA – Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance, fondata da pescatori della costa Nord Est degli Stati Uniti per promuovere il patrimonio marino come bene comune del pianeta; nel 2017 il ricercatore e genetista italiano Matteo Dell’Acqua, che ha lavorato assieme agli agricoltori etiopi delle comunità di Melfa e Workaye, con uno straordinario progetto che ha incrociato la più avanzata ricerca genomica agli antichi saperi rurali. Nel 2018 l’attivista indiana Sunita Narain, che dirige il CSE – Centro Scienza e Ambiente di New Delhi, riconosciuto a livello mondiale come riferimento guida per i Paesi in via di Sviluppo. Nel 2019 l’economista Raj Patel, scrittore accademico e attivista, in prima linea sui temi dell’accesso al cibo e dello sviluppo sostenibile e del ‘Green New Deal’. Nel 2020 il ricercatore italiano Giacomo Grassi, operativo presso il Joint Research Centre della Commissione Europea a Ispra: per aver condotto le sue ricerche in un ruolo chiave di interfaccia fra monitoraggio scientifico e attuazione normativa e politica degli obiettivi di sostenibilità. Per aver testimoniato che le foreste svolgono un ruolo chiave nella mitigazione del cambiamento climatico attraverso l’assorbimento di CO2 e per il supporto nella progettazione delle strategie utili al raggiungimento degli obiettivi climatici dell’accordo di Parigi. Una menzione speciale è andata all’attivista statunitense Leah Penniman, leader del movimento per la giustizia alimentare.
Plans by India to curb pollution from plastic waste have come under fire by environmentalists for not going far enough in cracking down on single-use items. A ban on single-use plastic, or SUP, proposed from July 2022 is also raising the hackles of smaller producers of common items. They say the rules will leave the bigger manufacturers largely unscathed. The ban takes aim at the manufacturing, importation, distribution, sale and use of certain single-use plastic items with "low utility and high littering potential", as set out by India's environment ministry. A government committee has identified single-use items based on an index of their utility and environmental impact. The first category of items proposed to be phased out are plastic sticks used in balloons, flags, candy, ice cream and earbuds, and a substance known as thermocol that is used in decorations, according to rules released on Aug 13. Plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives and straws, among other items, of less than 100 microns thick will be removed in the second phase of the ban. The third category is for nonwoven bags of less than 240 microns thick that are widely used as shopping bags. Junior Environment Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey told Parliament recently that "a national-level task force has been constituted by the ministry for taking coordinated efforts to eliminate identified SUP by 2022". With the announcement, India has joined a growing number of countries cracking down on single-use plastic. But environmental activists complain that many items low on the utility index and high on environmental impact have been left out from the ban. As for the opposition from industry, smaller enterprises that manufacture plastic items ranging from plastic cutlery to straws and earbuds claim that the rules are biased in favor of big manufacturers. Some of these businesses will go under, the ban's opponents say. Questions have been raised as to why items such as milk packets, shampoo sachets and small PET(polyethylene terephthalate) bottles have been excluded from the ban. Rajesh Mittal, of the plastic manufacturers and traders association in New Delhi, said the rules will benefit the big producers and that all types of single-use plastic should be targeted. Incentives recommended The government should help the industry switch to alternative products by offering incentives, the smaller manufacturers say. The rules will only push the smaller firms further into debt and result in job losses. The list of plastic items banned from July 1, 2022, is dominated by articles that are manufactured and sold by small and medium-sized manufacturers and traders, said Atin Biswas, program director of municipal solid waste, at the Centre for Science and Environment, a think tank in New Delhi. Biswas said large companies are responsible for nearly 45 to 50 percent of the single-use items that end up as waste. The UN Environment Programme defines grocery bags, food packaging, bottles, straws and containers as single-use plastic. But those items have been left out of the Indian ban. Avinash Tiwari, a shopkeeper who sells single-use plastic bags in New Delhi, said the ban on these items constitutes an attack on the middle class. "Any alternative to plastic bags costs twice as much to customers," Tiwari said. India generates 26,000 metric tons of plastic waste every day and 9.46 million tons a year, according to a government agency.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday launched its new Inspection and Audit Manual that will aid its mandate of ensuring compliance to the protection of the environment. The Manual discusses how inspections and audits are planned, implemented, reported on and followed up by the EPA. Mr Ebenezer Appah-Sampong, Executive Director, Technical Services EPA, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the manual would help ensure that inspections and audits were done most systematically while ensuring transparency and standardisation of operations among officials of the Agency across the country. He said the manual contained both the general guidance and sector-specific rules that would guide EPA officers and clientele on what to look out for during environmental inspections and auditing sessions. “Industries can take the manual and do their self-assessment and inspections even before EPA officials go to their facilities to inspect and audit,” Mr Appah-Sampong said. He explained that the manual was developed with inputs from the EPA, the Centre for Science and Environment in India and the Norwegian Environment Agency in Norway. Mr Kojo Agbenor Eunam, Acting Director in charge of Petroleum, EPA, on his part, said facilities that operate with environmental permits, including oil and gas operations, steel works, and other business operators would be given copies of the manuals, to study and to guide their operations with regards to the environment. He mentioned that facilities could also access the manual on EPA’s website www.epa.gov.gh or www.epaoilandgas.org and at the regional offices and the Agency’s library.
In spite of assurances from the Prime Minister, India’s issue with land degradation seems to only continue to worsen. According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), land degradation affects approximately 29.7 percent of the country’s total geographical area. During the 2018-19 period, an estimated 97.85 million hectares of India’s land underwent degradation per the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India, published by the Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre which falls under the ambit of ISRO. The 29.7 percent figure is versus 29.32 percent in the 2011-13 period and 28.76 percent in the 2005-06 percent. This is despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating in June that the country is on course to meet its targets of land degradation neutrality. The data indicates that the states and union territories of Gujarat, Jharkhand, Ladakh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Telangana account for 23.79 percent of the total land degradation of India’s total geographical area. India has long weathered issues linked to land degradation, such as desertification and deforestation. In 2019, the Atlas estimated that desertification – “a change in soil properties, vegetation or climate, which results in a persistent loss of ecosystem services that are fundamental to sustaining life” as a ScienceDirect article from 2013 explains – approximately thirty percent of the country’s area is undergoing degradation equating to some 96.40 million hectares. In the case of deforestation, India is behind on its targets. As previously reported by Health Issues India, “India has pledged to maintain forest cover of 33 percent but…the figure continues to hover in the 22 percent range as of the 2017 State of Forest report. As to the causes of deforestation, economic development looms large.” Industry-led projects appear to lead the drive. Per a report published by The Logical Indian, “the central government is working on a plan to rejuvenate 26 million acres of barren land by 2030, which will help prevent about three billion tones [sic] of carbon emissions in the environment.” Yet it is clear that the problem of land degradation is not dissipating any time soon. Preserving biodiversity carries with it a raft of public health benefits, such as preventing the emergence of new zoonotic diseases. Even the COVID-19 pandemic’s origins and the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus can be linked back to land degradation and the loss of wildlife, an area where the world is backsliding.