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Cse In News

Futuro de la movilidad: compartida, inteligente, segura y sostenible

Cada día hoy en día es un recordatorio para adoptar estilos de vida sostenibles y más ecológicos. Según los estudios, India es el tercer país más contaminante del mundo, y veintidós de las 30 ciudades más contaminadas del mundo según el Índice de Calidad del Aire (AQI) son indias. Los vehículos diésel son responsables del 66% (1) de las muertes relacionadas con la contaminación del aire en la India. Otro informe dijo que el 40% (2) de la contaminación del aire en la India se atribuye a las emisiones vehiculares. La multiplicación del número de automóviles que funcionan con gasolina y diesel es un arma de doble filo que explota nuestros recursos naturales por un lado y contribuye enormemente al calentamiento global por el otro. India, como país de ejemplo, debe ‘crecer de manera responsable’. Nos enfrentamos a la dicotomía de ser etiquetados como la economía de más rápido crecimiento y ser miembro del acuerdo de París con un compromiso con la conservación del medio ambiente. ¿Cómo podemos hacer esto? Para empezar, todos podríamos cambiar nuestra opción de movilidad por una ambientalmente segura, ya que la contaminación del aire es posiblemente la más crónica con un efecto genético inmediato en la salud humana y la biodiversidad en su conjunto. EV es la clave Los automóviles son una parte integral de nuestro estilo de vida, pero tradicionalmente hemos fomentado los vehículos que explotan los combustibles fósiles. Por lo tanto, tienen una alta huella de carbono. Pero hoy y el futuro demandan medios de transporte más sostenibles. El futuro de la movilidad es Compartido, Inteligente, Sostenible, Pequeño y Seguro. 1. Compartido: Se necesitan menos vehículos per cápita como un modo de movilidad más económico. 2. Inteligente: disponibilidad conveniente en tiempo real con planificación y ejecución instantáneas. 3. Sostenible- Soluciones verdes con impacto positivo real en el medio ambiente y económicamente justificable. 4. Pequeñas: soluciones prácticas para reducir la congestión del tráfico en pueblos pequeños y grandes ciudades. 5. Seguro: número de pasajeros en solitario con distanciamiento social natural especialmente necesario durante la pandemia. Los vehículos eléctricos vienen aquí como una bendición, ya que son un modo de movilidad ecológico con menos huella de carbono que reduce la dependencia de los combustibles fósiles. En el pasado reciente, los vehículos eléctricos han ganado popularidad en India. Esto es impulsado principalmente por asociaciones público-privadas que están haciendo que los vehículos eléctricos sean accesibles para los clientes. También hay un cambio en las preferencias de los clientes debido al aumento de los precios del combustible, lo que lo hace relativamente más asequible para la economía india a largo plazo. Tradicionalmente, la India ha sido un país de dos ruedas. Incluso entre los propietarios de automóviles, los vehículos de dos ruedas son populares en la congestión del tráfico. Por lo tanto, necesitamos impulsar la trayectoria hacia las alternativas de movilidad eléctrica en India. En comparación con los automóviles, los scooters son livianos y, por lo tanto, los scooters EV funcionan de manera eficiente con baterías rentables. Una solución fácil de usar, los vehículos eléctricos de dos ruedas se pueden cargar utilizando los puntos de enchufe existentes en las casas indias y tienen menos ruido de motor debido al pequeño motor electrificado. El gobierno de la India ha estado promoviendo los vehículos eléctricos y ha reducido el GST del 12% al 5% en los vehículos eléctricos, y el futuro es brillante, especialmente con la planificación de ciudades inteligentes y su objetivo de transformación. Uno de los mayores desafíos para la adopción de vehículos eléctricos en India sería su asequibilidad para la base de clientes más grande. Una forma estratégica de hacer que los vehículos eléctricos sean más asequibles sería promover “alternativas de movilidad de vehículos eléctricos compartidos”. Esto no solo ayudaría a India a cumplir sus objetivos ambientales, sino que también haría que los vehículos eléctricos fueran asequibles para las masas. Para prepararse para ese futuro, India debe comenzar hoy invirtiendo en una infraestructura sólida de muelles de carga y promoviendo alianzas entre organismos cívicos y empresas privadas para llegar a las masas. Las empresas necesitan crear una red única de intercambio de baterías que sea de bajo costo y altamente escalable. Este marco debe ser accesible para sus usuarios y operar con un equipo capacitado para mantener el proceso en ejecución en las áreas viables. Las ciudades indias aún están desarrollando la infraestructura para estacionar vehículos compartidos. Los proveedores de servicios deben trabajar con las ciudades de una manera colaborativa que pueda dar acceso a bienes raíces de primera para crear modelos sostenibles para vehículos eléctricos. Tu por la naturaleza Hoy, la movilidad está transformando la forma en que nos preparamos para un futuro convaleciente. El cambio hacia EV no será instantáneo, sino metamórfico. La historia es un ejemplo vivo de que solo las personas socialmente conscientes y perspicaces pueden provocar un cambio radical en la sociedad. Incluso se rieron de los hermanos Wright por su idea de un automóvil volador. (Fuentes) 1 – Estudio realizado por el Consejo Internacional de Transporte Limpio (ICCT), la Escuela de Salud Pública del Instituto Milken de la Universidad George Washington y la Universidad de Colorado Boulder 2 – Entrevista Mint con Anumita Roy Chowdhury, Directora Ejecutiva (Investigación y Defensa), Centro de Ciencia y Medio Ambiente (CSE) Autor: Amit Gupta, fundador y director ejecutivo de Yulu Bikes Descargo de responsabilidad: Los puntos de vista y opiniones expresados ​​en este artículo son únicamente los del autor original. Estos puntos de vista y opiniones no representan los de The Indian Express Group o sus empleados. Obtenga precios de acciones en vivo de BSE, NSE, mercado de EE. UU. Y el último NAV, cartera de fondos mutuos, consulte las últimas noticias de OPI, las OPI de mejor rendimiento, calcule sus impuestos con la calculadora de impuestos sobre la renta, conozca los principales ganadores del mercado, los principales perdedores y los mejores fondos de capital. 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L’avenir de la mobilité : partagée, intelligente, sûre et durable

Chaque jour de nos jours est un rappel pour adopter des modes de vie durables et plus verts. Selon des études, l’Inde est le troisième pays le plus polluant au monde et 22 des 30 villes les plus polluées au monde selon l’indice de qualité de l’air (IQA) sont indiennes. Les véhicules diesel sont responsables de 66% (1) des décès liés à la pollution de l’air en Inde. Un autre rapport indique que 40% (2) de la pollution de l’air en Inde est attribuée aux émissions des véhicules. Le nombre croissant d’automobiles à essence et diesel est une arme à double tranchant qui exploite nos ressources naturelles d’un côté et contribue terriblement au réchauffement climatique de l’autre. L’Inde, en tant que pays d’exemples, doit « croître de manière responsable ». Nous sommes confrontés à la dichotomie d’être étiqueté comme l’économie à la croissance la plus rapide et d’être membre de l’accord de Paris avec un engagement envers la conservation de l’environnement. Comment peut-on le faire? Pour commencer, nous pourrions tous changer notre choix de mobilité pour un choix respectueux de l’environnement, car la pollution de l’air est sans doute la plus chronique avec un effet génétique immédiat sur la santé humaine et la biodiversité dans son ensemble. EV est la clé Les automobiles font partie intégrante de notre mode de vie, mais nous avons traditionnellement encouragé les véhicules qui exploitent les combustibles fossiles. Par conséquent, ils ont une empreinte carbone élevée. Mais aujourd’hui et demain exigent des moyens de transport plus durables. L’avenir de la mobilité est partagé, intelligent, durable, petit et sûr. 1. Partagé – Moins de véhicules nécessaires par habitant comme mode de mobilité moins cher. 2. Intelligent – Disponibilité en temps réel pratique avec planification et exécution instantanées. 3. Solutions durables- vertes avec un impact positif réel sur l’environnement qui est économiquement justifiable. 4. Petites – Solutions pratiques pour réduire les embouteillages des petites villes vers les grandes villes. 5. Sûr – Achalandage en solo avec une distance sociale naturelle particulièrement nécessaire pendant la pandémie. Les véhicules électriques sont une bénédiction car ils constituent un mode de mobilité respectueux de l’environnement avec une empreinte carbone réduite qui réduit la dépendance aux combustibles fossiles. Dans un passé récent, les véhicules électriques ont gagné en popularité en Inde. Ceci est principalement alimenté par des partenariats public-privé qui rendent les véhicules électriques accessibles aux clients. Il y a également un changement dans les préférences des clients en raison de la hausse des prix du carburant, ce qui le rend relativement plus abordable pour l’économie indienne à long terme. Traditionnellement, l’Inde est un pays à deux roues. Même parmi les propriétaires de voitures, les deux-roues sont populaires dans les embouteillages. Ainsi, nous devons scooteriser la trajectoire vers les alternatives de mobilité électrique en Inde. Par rapport aux voitures, les scooters sont légers et, par conséquent, les scooters électriques fonctionnent efficacement avec des batteries économiques. Une solution facile à utiliser, les véhicules électriques à deux roues peuvent être rechargés à l’aide de prises de courant existantes dans les maisons indiennes et ont moins de bruit de moteur en raison du petit moteur électrifié. Le gouvernement indien a fait la promotion des véhicules électriques et a réduit la TPS de 12 % à 5 % sur les véhicules électriques, et l’avenir est prometteur, en particulier avec la planification de la ville intelligente et son objectif de transformation. L’un des plus grands défis pour l’adoption des véhicules électriques en Inde serait son abordabilité pour une clientèle plus large. Un moyen stratégique de rendre les véhicules électriques plus abordables serait de promouvoir des « alternatives de mobilité partagée pour les véhicules électriques ». Cela aiderait non seulement l’Inde à atteindre ses objectifs environnementaux, mais rendrait également les véhicules électriques abordables pour le plus grand nombre. Pour se préparer à cet avenir, l’Inde doit commencer dès aujourd’hui en investissant dans une infrastructure robuste de quais de recharge et en promouvant des alliances entre les organismes civiques et les entreprises privées pour atteindre les masses. Les entreprises doivent créer un réseau d’échange de batteries unique à faible coût et hautement évolutif. Ce cadre doit être accessible à ses utilisateurs et fonctionner avec une équipe compétente pour maintenir le processus en place dans les zones viables. Les villes indiennes développent encore les infrastructures de stationnement des véhicules partagés. Les fournisseurs de services doivent travailler avec les villes d’une manière collaborative qui peut donner accès à des biens immobiliers de premier ordre pour créer des modèles durables pour les véhicules électriques. Vous pour la Nature Aujourd’hui, la mobilité transforme la façon dont nous nous préparons à un avenir en convalescence. Le passage à l’EV ne sera pas instantané, mais métamorphique. L’histoire est un exemple vivant que seules des personnes socialement conscientes et perspicaces peuvent apporter un changement radical dans la société. Même les frères Wright ont été moqués pour leur idée d’une automobile volante. (Sources) 1 – Étude réalisée par International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), Milken Institute School of Public Health de l’Université George Washington et l’Université du Colorado Boulder 2 – Entretien de Mint avec Anumita Roy Chowdhury, directrice exécutive (Recherche et plaidoyer), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Auteur: Amit Gupta, fondateur et PDG, Yulu Bikes Clause de non-responsabilité: Les points de vue et opinions exprimés dans cet article sont uniquement ceux de l’auteur original. Ces points de vue et opinions ne représentent pas ceux de The Indian Express Group ou de ses employés. 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Neu Delhi kämpft mit einem Turm gegen den Smog

Neu Delhi hat eine der schlimmsten Luftverschmutzungen weltweit. Ein Turm soll künftig 1000 Kubikmeter Luft pro Sekunde in Indiens Hauptstadt reinigen. Experten kritisieren das Projekt. Indien will mit einem 24 Meter hohen Turm die starke Luftverschmutzung in der Hauptstadt Neu Delhi bekämpfen. Der umgerechnet rund 2,3 Millionen Euro (200 Mio Rupien) teure Turm habe 40 große Lüfterräder sowie 5000 Filter und könne 1000 Kubikmeter Luft pro Sekunde reinigen, sagte Neu Delhis Regierungschef Arvind Kejriwal bei der Einweihung. Der Turm sei ein Experiment und falls es gute Resultate gebe, würden mehr davon eingesetzt. Etliche Expertinnen und Experten kritisieren das Projekt jedoch als große Geldverschwendung ohne wissenschaftliche Grundlage. Stattdessen müsse bei den Gründen der Luftverschmutzung angesetzt werden, sagte Wissenschaftlerin Anumita Roychowdhury vom Centre for Science and Environment. Die Regierung sollte gegen das viele Verbrennen von Müll vorgehen und Elektrofahrzeuge sowie den Einsatz sauberer Brennstoffe fördern. Die indische Hauptstadt hat eine der schlimmsten Luftverschmutzungen der Welt - besonders giftig ist der Smog im Herbst, wenn er immer wieder stark stinkt und Grenzwerte der Weltgesundheitsorganisation um ein 20-faches übersteigt. Zu den Abgasen der vielen Autos, der Industrie, dem Staub von Baustellen, Müllverbrennung und Feuerwerk bei Festen kommt hinzu, dass im Herbst viele Bauern aus der Umgebung ihre Ernte-Reste auf den Feldern verbrennen.

क्या है दिल्लीवासियों को जहरीली हवा से निजात दिलाने के लिए लगाया गया स्मॉग टावर?

देश की राजधानी दिल्ली के लोगों को जहरीली हवा से बचाने के लिए दिल्ली सरकार ने तकनीकी समाधान का सहारा लिया है। सरकार ने इसके लिए शिवाजी स्टेडियम मेट्रो स्टेशन के पीछे एक स्मॉग टावर स्थापित किया है। मुख्यमंत्री अरविंद केजरीवाल ने सोमवार को इसका उद्घाटन भी कर दिया। कहा जा रहा है कि टावर दूषित हवा को साफ करने में मदद करेगा। ऐसे में यहां जानते हैं कि आखिर स्मॉग टावर क्या है और यह कैसे काम करता है। भारत में हवा को साफ करने के दिशा में यह पहला प्रयोग है। नीदरलैंड और दक्षिण कोरिया में छोटे और चीन में बड़े स्मॉग टावर काम कर रहे हैं। विशेषज्ञों का कहना है इस बात के पर्याप्त सबूत नहीं हैं कि स्मॉग टावर काम करते हैं। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट में रिसर्च एंड एडवोकेसी की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी ने कहा कि इस संबंध में स्पष्ट डाटा नहीं है कि स्मॉग टावर वायु की गुणवत्ता में सुधार करते हैं।

Modi govt must implement parliamentary panel’s recommendations on education

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports has categorically said that learning loss is acquiring a critical dimension The world has been talking about a ‘lost generation’ for quite some time. International institutions like OECD and UNICEF have categorically asked governments across the globe not to delay opening of educational institutions and provided a roadmap how to bring students safely back to their classes. In India’s context, a parliamentary panel had given its reports and recommendation a fortnight ago on August 6, 2021 in this regard, which seems to have failed to stir the Modi government. Decisions are being taken to open educational institutions, but the majority of the recommendations are ignored, while there is no initiative of proper planning. The Union government is talking big, but is clearly sluggish in action. School education was deteriorating when COVID-19 struck the country. Dropouts had increased at secondary level which was 17 per cent for boys and 15.1 per cent for girls. It was the result of deteriorating economic conditions of the households in country. Additionally, universal and quality education was not available for the majority of students. We needed this trend to be reversed at the end of 2019-20, when the country was put under lockdown on March 24, 2020. All educational institutions were shut down. Some 24 crore children missed their schools and the mid-day meals, resulting in further loss of learning and loss of health. The Centre for Science and Environment has estimated that 37.5 crore children might suffer weight and growth loss. Education of 32 crore students was disrupted during the pandemic. Online classes were started across the country. The government claimed it to be a big step, and the creamy layer of the country supported it to such an extent that the people who are not connected with the ground reality fell into an illusion in believing government’s claim that 85 per cent of the students had access to online classes. However, the reality was otherwise. The Modi government’s claim was a lie which has been exposed by the parliamentary panel report. There was a great digital divide between the haves and have nots. About 70 per cent children had no access to online education, the parliamentary panel revealed. Only 30 per cent had access, but then, the quality of education was so poor that it had to opine that online education is not ‘real education’. 62 per cent children in the country’s government schools suffered the most. 38 per cent of children in private schools were comparatively better off because of their better family backgrounds both in terms of education and wealth. However, only a fraction of them are in elite private schools who could take the benefit of online educations. The majority of students even in private schools could not access online classes. A government sample survey in respect of Kendriya Vidyalayas show that only 5 and 0.5 per cent students used television and radio for online education. Only 11.58 per cent schools had internet facilities; only 33.8 per cent students, 29.6 per cent teachers, and 27.2 per cent parents found online education joyful. The panel revealed that only 23 per cent students had access to devices to connect to online classes. One and a half year of closure of schools has prevented entry of 2.4 crore children in our education system in class one. The impact of this in our society can’t be imagined in all its dimensions including their future and the future of this country, in the backdrop in which, according to an estimate, about 8-10 crore children in primary schools of the country could not even read or count. COVID-19 has changed the world of work. The emphasis is on digitalization and automation, and the future is only for higher skilled or educated workforce. What would the country do when these people with such a low level of education will be searching for jobs? They will be almost 10 per cent of the total workforce of the country. The dropouts from secondary would add to it, apart from a large number of dropout college students of lower mental capability. Most of them would come from the deprived classes. Students were simply promoted to higher classes, many of them without exams, and many had passed exams on much reduced size of the syllabi, and even on the basis of leniency adopted in their evaluation. Though education is a state subject, it does not justify the action of the Modi government to slash Union Budget for school education by Rs 5,000 crore, and for Anganwadis and related programmes by Rs 4,500 crore from the original allocations for the year 2020-21. Budget reduction last year failed both educations and nutritional needs of the children. There is no valid logic to reduce the budget for midday meals which is even 13 per cent below the level of 2013-14, just before Modi government came to power. In the last seven years, the population has grown, and poverty has increased three times now, and the Modi government is claiming that it was providing foodgrains to 80 crore people. In this scenario, the budget cut is inexplicable. Nevertheless, it continues to talk big. The Union government talks about ‘Nipun Bharat’ to address the learning deficit in primary schools. But it has effectively no value because schools were shut down. Education has become children’s fundamental right, but then what can Modi government achieve with 38 per cent budget cut in Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan meant for ‘education for all’? Moreover, the Modi government recently celebrated the first anniversary of the new National Education Policy, during which schools were not open for a single day. Despite this, our Prime Minister has launched ten new schemes on the first anniversary, two relating to school education. As per the new policy, Anganwadis were to be merged with primary schools for integrated childhood centres, but the government is yet to prepare a roadmap to implement it. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports has categorically said that learning loss is acquiring a critical dimension. It recommended plans to bridge the learning gap and plans for safe re-opening of schools which included vaccine programmes for all students, teacher, and allied staff, physical classes on alternate days and developing a blended mode of education. Remedial steps are urgently required, the panel has said. Schools closures have substantially weakened the foundational knowledge of students, especially in mathematics, sciences and languages at school level. The learning loss is likely to impair the cognitive capabilities of students, and has a debilitating effect on vulnerable sections of the society like poor and rural students, marginalized sections of society and young women. Their recommendation include getting out of school children back with incentives like study material, digital services, nutritional food, learning loss assessment of every student, intensive bridge courses, recorded online courses and opening online courses in all regional languages for each class, making available high-speed internet connectivity and at least one TV set, one desktop computer, large screens with projectors in all schools by government, leveraging private sector to provide digital devices to students belonging to economically weaker and marginalized sections, and a credible fair and transparent system for continuous assessment. Modi government must heed to the recommendations and implement them fast. A simple decision to reopen school is not sufficient without remedial measures.

Shining a spotlight on Africa in the climate change debate

When Vanessa Nakate, a Ugandan activist, was cropped out of a photo of young climate leaders that included the likes of Greta Thunberg, it sparked a debate about the discrimination experienced by many minority activists. Vanessa later said “a photo crop-out is an easy way to describe it but it’s really a metaphorical crop out from the narrative of climate science in general” Africa is routinely excluded from global conversations about climate change and climate science. However, if you’re sitting on a board in Africa, expanding a business into the continent or part of your supply chain is in an African country, it’s important to understand the impact of, and risks associated with, climate change in what is for many businesses, a region of growing strategic importance. How will climate change impact Africa? Despite over 17% of the global population being on the African continent in 2020, its 54 countries were responsible for only 2.73% of global carbon emissions. There is, therefore, little urgency to cut the emissions of African countries, but there is a desperate need to improve resilience to the fallout of climate change. African countries are among the most vulnerable to weather changes caused by climate change according to a recent FT article. The latest IPCC report shows that Africa will warm faster than the rest of the world. When the earth warms by 2°C, northern and southern parts of Africa will warm by around 3.6°C. An increasing number of natural disasters is likely to have devastating impacts on the population across the continent. Issues will include but are not limited to: Extreme heat and cold waves Frequent extreme rainfall leading to flooding and the destruction of agriculture Changing monsoon seasons in the Sahel Rapid sea-level rise causing coastal flooding and erosion Cyclones and droughts Source: DownToEarth

‘Intense spells of rain harming Delhi's ecology’

An analysis carried out by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last year showed that this trend of short, but intense rain spells is making usable water scarce in Delhi. Up until the evening of August 20, Delhi stood at a 60% monthly rainfall deficit. On August 22, the city’s rainfall recordings showed a surplus of 11%, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data. This leap was a result of intense rainfall the national capital received largely within a span of six hours on Saturday. Scientists and weather experts said that such short, intense spells may appear to be a positive indication, but they are not doing any good to the city’s ecology. IMD recordings showed that as on Sunday afternoon, the Safdarjung weather station, which provides representative data for the city, recorded a monthly rainfall surplus of 11% and Lodi Road station recorded a surplus of 5%. The Palam observatory still stands at a deficit of 19%. On Sunday, only the weather station at Ridge received “trace rainfall” – light rain that is not enough to be recorded. While the rain recorded till Friday was 63.7mm, it rose to 211.2mm by August 22, as against the normal 190.2mm by this time of the month. With no rain on Sunday, the jump of 138.8mm was the highest single-day rainfall to be recorded in August over the last 14 years and the ninth highest since 1961, IMD records showed. IMD records show that previously, Delhi received such a heavy 24-hour spell in this month on August 2, 2007, when the city got 166.6mm rainfall. The highest-ever single-day rainfall recorded during this month is on August 2, 1961 (184mm). IMD’s forecast says that light rain is likely to continue in the city for the next few days, but from August 25, Delhi could see another dry spell. Met officials also said that Delhi this year is likely to see a “near normal to surplus” monsoon season. Met officials said that the majority of Saturday’s rain (138.8mm) was concentrated between a six-hour window of 2.30am and 8.30am. “If you look at the actual number of rainy days in August this time, there have only been four. From August 9, north-west India entered into a break monsoon phase and even before that, the month had a slow start to rain. The interesting bit is that from Tuesday, there is another dry spell in the forecast. So, essentially, the surplus that Delhi has recorded this month is a result of a single day’s rainfall,” a senior IMD official said. Experts said that such short, intense spells, which Delhi has been observing over the last decade, are not conducive for the city’s ecology. An analysis carried out by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last year showed that this trend of short, but intense rain spells is making usable water scarce in Delhi. The analysis showed that between August 13 and August 19, 2020, the city’s rainfall produced enough wastewater to meet nearly 13% of the daily water demand. In this period, Delhi received nearly 118.4mm of rainfall —143% more than the average. Such a heavy spell can produce around 87,000 million litres of water, the analysis showed. Apart from usable water going to waste, episodes of urban flooding and flash floods are also increasing because of this trend. Mahesh Palawat, vice-president (meteorology and climate change) at the Skymet Weather Services, said: “We can explain the scenario with a small example; if we are thirsty we will benefit from drinking water at regular intervals. What happens if someone forcefully pours it down your throat? Your body’s natural reaction will be to spit out the excess. That is what is happening with nature too. Because these rains are excess, in short durations, they are not helping the ground water recharge. Water is just flooding into the city and going down the drain.”

How cheap sugar is taking its toll on India

The affinity for sugar runs deep—all the way from farm to fork. The consequences are starting to show Fruit juices, yoghurts and breakfast cereals that are promoted as healthy choices are often laden with added sugar but the problem could be partly fixed with stringent labelling rules NEW DELHI : To watch a paediatric dentist at work can be quite amusing: a six-year-old sitting quietly, engrossed with an animated video that is playing on a screen attached to the dentist’s chair. Her gums have been numbed by an anaesthetic. Meanwhile, the doctor goes about fixing a rotten tooth with a root canal. The procedure is often followed by a reward—a scoop of ice cream to assuage the swelling gums and whatever little pain that the child may have had to bear. The whole process is smooth and unfolds like clockwork. If the procedure had an element of discomfort, that might have forced the child to think about what got her on to the dentist’s chair in the first place—which, in most cases, is drinks and chocolates laced with excess sugar. Such moments of forced contemplation, however, are rare. Over the past decade, multiple surveys have begun to sound the alarm on the changing dietary pattern of India’s children. Refined white sugar is now an integral part of the Indian diet, driven by a swift increase in the consumption of packaged and processed food. The fallout: the paradox of childhood obesity in a country that is still battling malnutrition. Young children, particularly in urban areas, are already battling a host of so-called lifestyle illnesses including dental caries, fatty liver and obesity-induced diabetes, say doctors and nutritionists. Interestingly, India’s affinity for sugar runs deep—all the way from farm to fork. Farmers tend to grow more sugarcane due to its potential for generating higher returns over costs—about 60-70% more compared to most other crops. Refined white sugar is also cheap for consumers. In fact, over the past decade, retail sugar prices have barely risen when compared to more nutritious food items such as milk and pulses. The question that arises is: Why does India—the largest consumer of sugar and the second-largest producer—continue to encourage the production of cheap sugar despite its enormous health cost? There are also costs associated with the growing of sugarcane in water-starved geographies. The policy disconnect is palpable. The relative price security encourages farmers to plant more cane. Sugar mills mandated to procure cane at the government-determined fair and remunerative price (FRP) are often unable to make payments on time following surplus production. To clear the unpaid dues, the government then grants soft loans and export subsidies to the industry. In the process, refined sugar turns out to be the cheapest among food commodities, which fuels a steady rise in consumption. In the absence of any effective regulation on the labelling of packaged food items, households often end up consuming large quantities of sugar unknowingly. Photo: HT View Full Image Photo: HT A task force set up under the federal think-tank Niti Aayog, which submitted its report in March last year, recognized the need to encourage farmers to move away from cane and suggested promoting jaggery production, which is considered to be a healthier alternative to refined white sugar. However, given the political weight that a crop like sugarcane carries—be it in Uttar Pradesh, which goes to polls next year, or Maharashtra, where cooperative sugar mills are controlled by politicians—it is unlikely that the Niti Aayog’s suggestions will be implemented in the near future. MINT PREMIUM See All Indian share markets have opened on a positive note. Premium Sensex jumps 400 points, Nifty above 16,550; HCL Tech & Tata Steel top gainers Mint Premium Research well before going for the customized homes developers sell The best way to make money in your business is to invest money in your business. Money is like fertilizer, says Sabyasachi Mukherjee Premium Want to build a strong luxury brand out of India: Sabyasachi The steep increase in metal prices has meant robust price realizations for the sector, particularly steel firms. Premium Markets at a peak, but weak earnings outlook a hurdle Lax regulation At least eight in ten children in India suffer from oral health problems and 44% were in need of treatments such as root canal or extraction, found a 2019 survey by the market research firm Kantar IMRB. India does not conduct periodic dental health surveys like the United Kingdom (UK), where the National Health Service does one every decade. The 2015 round of the UK survey, for instance, recorded that poor oral health was impacting children’s quality of life “not just functionally, but also psychologically and socially". About half of the 12 and 15-year-olds surveyed were embarrassed to smile, laugh or show their teeth, apart from exhibiting difficulty with eating and brushing. Frequent consumption of sugary drinks and foods resulted in dental cavities as well as obesity, the study said. In India, the situation is far more severe than just a hidden smile or a painful toothache. The share of deaths due to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart ailments rose sharply from 38% in 1990 to 62% in 2016. About 17% of India’s adult males and 14% of adult females were found to be diabetic in 2019-20. About 17% of India’s adult males and 14% of adult females were found to be diabetic in 2019-20 View Full Image About 17% of India’s adult males and 14% of adult females were found to be diabetic in 2019-20 India is not addicted to sugar but it is afflicted by poor regulation on junk food, most of which is loaded with sugar, said Rujuta Diwekar, nutritionist and author of the book Eating in the age of dieting. According to Diwekar, who has never endorsed a packaged food brand, “direct kitchen consumption of sugar in India is moderate. A teaspoon with a cup of tea or a weekly mithai is nothing to worry about. The problem arises when people stop their own consumption of sugar but consume unknown quantities of it from packaged food—like having tea without sugar, but with biscuits that may have more sugar than a teaspoon." Diwekar added that the lack of regulations on marketing, pricing and positioning of junk food makes children easy victims. The only way out is to make processed food inaccessible and pricier. “India is seeing the twin burden of obesity and malnourishment among children with both categories picking up junk food…I am treating cases of fatty liver and greying hair in children who are as young as 7 or 8 years old." Fruits juices, yoghurts and breakfast cereals that are promoted as healthy choices are often laden with added sugar, invisible to their consumers, said Mahesh Balasekar, a paediatrician and senior consultant at SRCC Children’s Hospital, Mumbai. “The bogey of fats causing health problems was largely funded by the (global) sugar lobby…and in India, sugar-rich products are labelled in a surreptitious manner. Almost 40% of children in the 10-18 age group from urban elite schools are either overweight or obese." At the obesity clinic at SRCC, Balasekar is seeing a flurry of cases ranging from fatty liver and obstructive sleep apnea to obesity-induced diabetes and hip dislocations among adolescent children. There are also several cases of polycystic ovaries among young girls at the clinic. The problem could be partly fixed with stringent labelling rules. In 2018, an expert committee set up by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) proposed simple and effective front-of-the-pack (FoP) labelling for packaged food that could warn consumers as to how much sugar, salt and fat they are consuming and by how much these exceed the daily recommended thresholds. The rules were diluted in 2019 following strong opposition from the food industry as more than 80% of the packaged food currently available in the market would have exceeded the recommended thresholds. What’s worse, FoP labelling was altogether set aside when FSSAI notified new labelling and display regulations a year later. “We need to follow a gradual and balanced approach…if due to high thresholds the taste (in packaged food) gets compromised, it won’t serve anybody’s purpose," said Pawan Agarwal, chief executive officer of FSSAI between 2016 and 2020. However, evidence suggests that FoPs work. In Chile, for instance, the adoption of effective FoP labelling such as a warning label of ‘excess sugar’ covering 10% of the front surface of a packet was followed by a 24% drop in consumption of highly sweetened beverages. After the introduction of a sugar tax on soft drinks in the UK in April 2018, a study published in the British medical Journal found that sugar content in the drinks fell by almost 10%. The study was based on 30 million household purchases. In comparison, Indian consumption of sugary beverages more than doubled between 2010 and 2019 from 8 millilitre (ml) to 18 ml per person per day, shows data from Euromonitor International. “The world is moving towards FoP and we are ten years behind. Existing back-of-the-pack labelling is not consumer-friendly…it is meant to confuse and the only purpose it serves is scientific compliance," said Amit Khurana, who heads the food and toxins unit at the Centre for Science and Environment, a think tank. A bitter history Till about 1600, when it underwent a remarkable transformation, sugar was the preserve of the rich and the powerful, wrote historian James Walvin in his book Sugar: The world corrupted from slavery to obesity. “Once the monopoly of kings, by (the) mid-seventeenth century, sugar could be bought from a humble ironmonger in the north of England. It had begun to change from an expensive luxury to the everyday necessity of ordinary people." Walvin notes that King Louis XIV of France had lost all his teeth by the age of 40, for no one paid any attention to his consumption of sugar. Naturally, most French portraits of the rich and famous from that time rarely showed the sitter’s teeth—eerily similar to the phenomenon of British children, who, three centuries later, are embarrassed to smile. According to Walvin, the global consumption of sugar was revolutionized by the emergence of the soft drink industry after the second world war. A key reason behind the success of Coca-Cola was cheap sugar from tropical producers and the US government’s policy of subsidies and tariffs. In pre-independent India, the sugar industry was nurtured by the colonial state by inducing farmers to supply cane to the mills, instead of diverting it to traditional village-based industries that made jaggery. At the time of independence, about two-thirds of the sugar consumption in India was in the form of jaggery, but some provincial governments banned jaggery production to promote sugar mills. Moreover, early research into sugarcane was geared towards creating thick-rind varieties suitable for mills but harder to crush using traditional methods. “This was vigorously opposed by Gandhians like J.C. Kumarappa who advocated (for) increasing (the) production of palm jaggery, which is more environment- friendly and does not require arable land," said Venu Madhav Govindu, Kumarappa’s biographer and a researcher at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. The January 1946 issue of Gram Udyog Patrika, the monthly publication of All-India Village Industries Association set up by Gandhi and edited by Kumarappa, pointed out the fallacy of growing more sugarcane at a time when food crops were in short supply and millions suffered due to starvation. Seventy-five years later, the federal think tank Niti Aayog is making a similar suggestion. “With increased incidences of diabetes and a reduced preference in people for white sugar, there is a case for greater encouragement to the gur industry," the Niti Aayog’s task force report on sugar suggested. The mismatch in sugar supply and demand—with supplies (at over 30 million tonnes a year) consistently outstripping demand (estimated at around 26 million tonnes)—has led to a buildup of excess stocks, leading to lower prices and higher subsidy outgo for the government. According to Ramesh Chand, member of Niti Aayog who chaired the sugar task force, about 30% of cane area could be diverted to other crops by providing incentives to farmers at a cost about ₹9,200 crore. But in the process, India would benefit by a reduction in subsidies as well as water outgo, especially in drought-prone areas including parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra’s Marathwada and Vidharba regions. The travails of sugar are not merely limited to its lopsided economics or the toll that it takes on public health and the environment. In its early years, the growth and popularity of sugar was built on the miseries of slave labour, but even today, migrant cane cutters in states such as Maharashtra continue to suffer unimaginable hardships. Low wages, inhospitable and unsanitary living conditions, and more than 12-hour long working days that begin as early as 3am local time create a “convergence of oppressions" that lead to an epidemic of unnecessary hysterectomy operations among women cane cutters in Maharashtra, wrote activists Abhay Shukla and Seema Kulkarni in a 2019 paper titled Harvest of uteruses in the journal Economic and Political Weekly. At a workshop in Maharashtra’s Beed district in June 2019, women sugarcane workers who underwent hysterectomies spoke about the intense pressure to not skip work even during menstruation. In the words of author James Walvin, “the claims that sugar is corrupting are of a recent vintage; if it is bad today, when was it good?... (and) if it is true that sugar is bad for us, how did the world become so corrupted by this single, simple commodity?

Improve faecal sludge management: Experts at CSE global conclave

Countries in the Global South must move the issue of sanitation beyond the idea of toilets to that of effective management of faecal sludge, experts at CSE's online global conclave said. The Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission) launched in 2014 claims to have built over 100 million toilets in 0.6 million villages across the country. This had resulted in the Government of India announcing in 2019 that every rural household in the country had access to a toilet. "The next, and decisive, phase in this battle for safe sanitation is now upon us -- that of moving the debate and the issue beyond the idea of toilets, to that of safely managing the enormous amounts of faecal sludge that rural India will produce from these millions of toilets," said director general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Sunita Narain on Saturday. Else, "We would be looking at a public health crisis of unmanageable proportions. Besides the obvious connection to health and environment, sanitation is also critical for that sense of dignity for every human," she said. Apart from India, experts from Tanzania, Uganda, Malaysia and Bangladesh also spoke at the 'Africa-South Asia online conclave on faecal sludge management in rural areas'. Africa and South Asia together is called the Global South. Other experts who spoke at the webinar included senior environmental health officer, Water and Sanitation Section, Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Tanzania, Amour Seleman; assistant commissioner, Planning and Development, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda engineer Olwemy Lamu; water sanitation and hygiene specialist, UNICEF-India, Sujoy Majumdar; international FSM consultant, Malaysia, Dorai Narayana; chief operating officer, CWIS-FSM Support Cell, Department of Public Health Engineering, Bangladesh Abdullah Al-Muyeed and programme manager, rural water and sanitation programme, CSE, Sushmita Sengupta, a release from the CSE said. Sengupta said: "The existing practices of managing faecal sludge in many areas of these regions -- dumping in open fields or water bodies or burying in pits -- are extremely unsanitary and can trigger a public health disaster." "Effective faecal sludge management -- treating excreta completely before any disposal or reuse -- is the real need of the hour," she added. Bangladesh, according to Abdullah Al-Muyeed, has crossed a big milestone in 2021 with the launch of its National Strategy for Water Supply and Sanitation. Al-Muyeed did not think open defecation was that big a problem in his country. Recounting the Ugandan experience, Lamu said his country loses US $177 million every year due to poor and inadequate sanitation. The pan-Africa statistics that Lamu presented were equally telling: 19 per cent of Africa practices open defecation, and there are 115 deaths every hour due to excreta --related diseases -- a direct result of poor sanitation. Seleman, from Tanzania, agreed that an - institutional framework for managing faecal sludge was what his country needed as well. With 75 per cent of Malaysia's people living in cities, and the country making big strides in sanitation management, Dorai Narayana offered a different perspective: "Good governance, involvement of the private sector, and selection of appropriate technologies have helped." CSE recommendations in view of the huge scope for reuse of treated faecal sludge and wastewater in the agriculture and aquaculture sectors, as well as for non-potable uses such as flushing, included strengthening of legal and institutional structures for the implementation of faecal sludge management, the release added.

Missing school, missing meals: Without remedial action, the pandemic will cause a terrible learning deficit in tomorrow’s workforce

The parliamentary committee on education must be congratulated. It has prepared a candid report on the impact of Covid-19 on a fragile and iniquitous education system. It admits some home truths: Some 24 crore children have missed school for over a year. 77% of children have no access to online instruction. In any case, ‘Online education is not real education.’ Dropouts have increased at secondary level. In fact, the dropout figures relate to the pre-pandemic year 2019-20. As with the economy, our education system was already in decline before Covid-19. The two sectors are linked: Reversing all precedent, there are more dropouts among boys than girls. Boys are abandoning school to earn a living – sometimes, after Covid, as their family’s chief breadwinner. The report admits the yawning digital divide that has deprived most children of instruction during lockdown, negating the government’s claim of 85% online access. India’s school system has subdivisions beyond the public-private divide. 62% children attend government or government-aided schools. The other 38% are divided between well-endowed elite private institutions and a motley range of modest or questionable ones. Illustration: Uday Deb The benefits of online instruction accrue chiefly to an undefined section of the former ‘creamy layer’, largely through the massive spread of online coaching during the pandemic. The corporate lobby providing this service has acquired such visibility as to seriously skew our educational outlook. Their gung-ho rhetoric is echoed by the government’s absorption with its own online portals, regardless of how many students they reach or what teaching functions they can cover. This comfort zone has as much relevance for the reality of post-pandemic Indian education as the upbeat Sensex for the 97% of Indians hit by a loss of income. Each year, some 2.4 crore Indian children enrol in Class 1. Barring a small fraction of the privileged, the batches of 2020 and 2021 have effectively not taken the first step towards literacy and numeracy. A large proportion of those enrolled earlier will not have acquired the skills, or forgotten what they acquired. By a ballpark estimate, 8 to 10 crore children in primary school currently cannot read or count. Unless extraordinary measures are taken, they will remain in that state. In the coming decades, they will constitute 9-10% of India’s workforce. Imagine an educationless demographic bubble of this size coming to lodge in our economy – a process analogous to physical embolism, whose consequences any doctor knows. Add two more factors. This totally ‘unliterate’ core will blend into a wide penumbra of the drastically ill-educated. The Annual Status of Education Reports (ASER) consistently record a severe learning shortfall among primary-school children. The pandemic will increase this incalculably. Higher up the age ladder, curricula are being curtailed and evaluation diluted. All in all, we are fostering a horrendous learning deficit in tomorrow’s workforce. The other factor, inseparable from education in the general Indian context, is health and nutrition. To the nation’s shame, physical growth and nourishment have been declining among India’s children for several years. The post-pandemic plight of the poor will multiply the damage. The Centre for Science and Environment estimates that 37.5 crore children might suffer weight and growth loss. Even 25% of that figure seems disturbing enough – and tallies with my estimate of core educational loss. A human and economic disaster can only be averted by major nationwide action, of which there is no sign. At most there is talk, still largely unfocussed, of preventing dropouts. But that can only be the beginning of a long-term intensive programme of restoring the learning and nutritional deficit. In a major Bengali article, Abhijit Binayak Banerjee recommends the output-oriented methodology employed by Pratham in its ASER. That might indeed provide a model, adapted and extended to an action-oriented remedial agenda. Such hopes seem misplaced when the Union Budget for school education has been slashed by Rs 5,000 crore, and for anganwadi and related programmes by Rs 4,500 crore, from the original allocations for 2020-21. These were revised downward when schools shut down, so that this year’s budget shows a spurious increase. But though schools were shut, the children were there: Last year’s budget reduction failed both their nutritional and their educational needs. The midday meals budget this year is 13% below that of 2013-14. The education ministry had devised a scheme called Nipun Bharat to address the learning deficit in primary schools. Paradoxically, the prolonged closure of schools has been cited to extend, hence effectively suspend, the scheme. The Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan that would fund it faces a 38% budget cut. And what of the National Education Policy? The prime minister launched ten new schemes on its first anniversary. Only two concern school education. Neither remotely suggests the radical plans for early childhood care and education whereby anganwadis would merge with primary schools to form integrated childhood centres. Such a scheme, imaginatively adapted to the post-Covid situation, might address the magnitude of the problem; nothing less will serve. We missed the chance for detailed planning and infrastructure creation during the pandemic, before schools reopened. It is almost too late but not quite. Failure on this front will deplete our economy for at least a generation of its already stretched human resources. My arguments should be unnecessary. Crores of underfed and under-schooled children should be argument enough. But the Indian psyche is unresponsive to mere human deprivation. The prospect of an economic disaster might possibly set our thinking classes thinking.

Improve faecal sludge management: Experts at CSE global conclave

Countries in the Global South must move the issue of sanitation beyond the idea of toilets to that of effective management of faecal sludge, experts at CSE's online The Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission) launched in 2014 claims to have built over 100 million toilets in 0.6 million villages across the country. This had resulted in the Government of India announcing in 2019 that every rural household in the country had access to a toilet.->-> View it--> https://www.newkerala.com/news/2021/120201.htm

Without Stricter Checks, Latest Directive To 'Utilise' Fly Ash May Prove Futile

The latest notification does not address chronic problems of badly managed and risky disposal of fly ash by polluting units, say environmentalists The latest government attempt to ensure the safe and sustainable disposal of fly ash--a toxic residue left over from burning coal--could end up damaging India's farmlands, water bodies and fragile habitats, say researchers and activists. Fly ash is known to cause air and water pollution. Coal and lignite-based thermal power plants should "ensure 100% utilisation of ash generated by it in an eco-friendly manner", said an April 22, 2021 notification of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). Over the last two decades, the Indian government has been issuing similar notifications on the disposal and utilisation of fly ash. Its recommendations have varied: use it to manufacture building material and in construction work; apply it as soil conditioner in farms and use it to reclaim low-lying areas and empty mines. However, over 50% of industries remain non-compliant, mostly dumping the ash in the open, in water bodies and in unlined and uncovered pits. There have been eight major incidents involving coal ash in India between August 2019 and May 2021, as per a status report by Fly Ash Watch Group, a collective of activist individuals and organisations across India. The Singrauli region spread across Singrauli district in Madhya Pradesh and Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh accounted for half of these. In 2019-20, 197 thermal plants in India generated 226 million tonnes of fly ash. And nearly 1.6 billion tonnes of it are scattered over 65,000 acres of land, as of 2019. Accidents happen mostly when fly ash overflows or breaks through the embankment of ash ponds where it has been dumped. An ash pond is designed with an embankment all around and an internal and external drainage system. It needs to be constantly monitored for safety and spillage. Environmentalists have been urging the government to delete "filling of low lying area" as an accepted use of fly ash. "There are no clear guidelines on what constitutes a 'low-lying area'," said Rahul Choudhary, Supreme Court advocate and founding member of the Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE). Even riverine stretches and wetlands can be considered low-lying, he pointed out. Little action has been taken against erring units, as we detail later. We reached out to the MoEFCC for comments on fly ash mismanagement. This article will be updated as and when we receive a response. Coal-based power plants are among the most polluting industries in India, significantly responsible for its dire air pollution levels, studies have shown. Coal-based thermal power plants are water intensive, using more water than permitted, IndiaSpend has reported in September 2019. Rules diluted over the years Over 76 fly ash accidents have been reported in mainstream English media in the last decade, killing people and extensively damaging water sources, air and soil, said a joint 2020 study by the Healthy Energy Initiative and Community Environmental Monitoring, a clean energy advocacy. Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have the highest number of coal-based thermal power plants and report the most fly ash accidents, according to the study. Fly ash spillage is hard to fix and polluters and authorities have shown no interest in cleaning up, observed experts. "Once water is contaminated there is no undoing [the contamination], but even for the visible spots of ash spillage there is no clean-up undertaken by plant authorities," said Shripad Dharmadhikary, analyst at the research organisation Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, who also co-authored the Fly Ash Watch report. "The eight major incidents [August 2019 - May 2021] don't take into account the ash spill that happens routinely." The government has been attempting to tackle the problem since 1999. The first official notification on the subject came in 1999 and it outlined some methods for the constructive use of fly ash--to manufacture cement, concrete blocks and bricks and in the construction of roads and embankments within a 100-km radius of thermal power plants. However, subsequent notifications--in 2003, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020 and the latest, in 2021--diluted the definition of and deadline for ash utilisation by polluters. They allowed the reclamation of low-lying areas and abandoned mines using ash, extended deadlines for polluters, raised the distance over which fly ash can be transported and did away with the ash content cap in coal. In 2019-20, the power sector consumed 678 million tons of coal and generated 226 million tonnes of ash. Of this, only 187 million tonnes (82%) was put to use in various ways. The remaining waste piled up, damaging the environment. The Centre for Science and Environment analysed state wise-data on ash generation and utilisation between 2010 and 2019 and found Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh had accumulated the most ash during this period. And Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha have huge ash backlogs. In order to minimise this pollution, urgent measures are needed, said experts. On the draft notification, the Manthan Adhyayan Kendra commented that it "appears to prioritise full disposal of fly ash without adequate considerations of the safety of health and environment". The think-tank Centre for Policy Research also noted the need to take into account "non-compliance induced breaches of ash dykes and ponds and present preventive and restitutive measures for the same". Apart from legal issues, it pointed to "serious impacts such as contamination of farmlands, common use areas, water bodies and air, for years". Periodic disasters, no action "In the last two decades since the notification was first introduced, the problem of fly ash has escalated. The subsequent notifications have allowed violations which have led to fly ash breach accidents and the regulatory authorities are clueless on how to handle it," said Shweta Narayan, an environmental justice activist and campaigner for climate and health with Health Care Without Harm in India. In June 2021, a fly ash breach accident was reported in Chattisgarh's Korba thermal power plant, said Savita Rath, a local activist and lawyer. "Only three plants--Jindal's Raigarh power plant, Korba West plant and DB power plant--have ponds to dispose of ash. So many other plants in Chhattisgarh don't have any mechanism in place. And, even in these ponds, ash is piled up like small hills. Is there no limit to how much one can accumulate in the ponds?" Earlier, in April 2020, the wall of the Reliance Thermal Plant's ash pond in Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh collapsed claiming at least two lives, destroying agricultural land and contaminating groundwater. The Singrauli region houses 10 thermal power plants. It is a preferred industrial location because it offers easy access to coal and water from the nearby Rihand reservoir. In the last two years alone, four of the eight major ash pond breach incidents took place in the region. Note: *This is different from one-time breaches at other power plants; a continuous overflow of ash slurry from the plant's ash pond directly into Rihand reservoir has been reported over many years. "Around six months before the collapse of the [ash pond] wall, local villagers and gram panchayat members had protested and warned that the wall of the pond could collapse anytime," said Sandeep Sahu, a local activist, on the Reliance Plant accident. "This was [the result of] long-term negligence." The district collector's office had also warned plant officials about the precariousness of the ash dyke but no action was taken, said a Newsclick report. Truant units undeterred by strictures Since 2013, Supreme Court advocate and environmentalist Ashwani Kumar Dubey has filed several petitions in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on fly ash disposal in the Rihand reservoir. All the thermal plants in the region are located on the banks of the reservoir, he told IndiaSpend. "The reservoir is the only source of drinking water for the people of Singrauli and Sonbhadra districts and the entire water body has been contaminated, making it unfit for consumption," Dubey said. In several cases, the NGT has reprimanded plant authorities but that does not appear to work as a deterrent. The North Chennai Thermal Power Plant is a case in point. The litigation on ash slurry leaks has been going on for years. In 2017, the NGT had warned the plant of total closure if it failed to contain the discharge. In January 2020, the tribunal even imposed a penalty of Rs 8.34 crore. Despite this, the pollution continues. Fly ash transportation is also hazardous. India exports large quantities of fly ash to Bangladesh, where it is used to make cement and it is transported through the Sundarbans by barges. Five incidents of capsizing of such barges occurred in 2020, according to the reply to a Right-to-Information request filed by the Manthan Adhyayan Kendra. "Containing the spread of pollutants is more difficult in the water and when combined with heavy rains or cyclones, it is dispersed to a longer and wider stretch of the water bodies," Avli Verma, an analyst at the Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, told IndiaSpend. There are no studies in the public domain to assess the damage caused by fly ash to water bodies in various accidents. We reached out to the Inland Waterways Authority of India on whether any damage assessment is undertaken when fly ash barrages capsize. We will update when we receive a response. Deemed non-hazardous waste In 2000, the ministry reclassified fly ash as solid waste from "hazardous industrial waste", and put it in the same category as household waste. As solid waste, fly ash is subject to different and far less stringent regulations on how it should be handled unlike hazardous waste, said Narayan of Health Care Without Harm. Since 2009, the Expert Appraisal Committee--which assesses the environmental impact of a project for the MoEFCC--has been directing plant authorities to not dispose of ash in low-lying areas in their environment clearance conditions (see here, here and here). However, the 2019 office memorandum by the ministry deleted this condition with retrospective effect. In the case of Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Ltd Plant in Ghatampur, Kanpur Nagar, the environment clearance directed the plant authorities to put in place mechanisms for the continuous monitoring of radioactivity and heavy metals in fly ash. "None of the orders have been complied [with]. The state agencies are also in denial mode," said SC advocate Dubey. He approached the Supreme Court on non-compliance in the Rihand reservoir case, but the matter is pending because of the ongoing pandemic. The NGT has been imposing penalties on erring plants in several cases but it does not factor in the ongoing contamination and the damage this causes to the lives and livelihoods of those living in the vicinity and to its long-term ecological impact, Choudhary said. Fears over increased coal production Over the years, with an increase in power generation, India has been seeing an increase in coal ash generation. As the amount of fly ash increased, the environment ministry brought in, as we said, several notifications and amendments to the notifications aiming to achieve 100% utilisation of fly ash within a specified deadline. "Utilisation targets are difficult to achieve," said Dharmadhikary of the Manthan Adhyayan Kendra. Legacy ash--unused over years--and the freshly generated ash piles up in ash ponds or open fields. Without adequate legal action against violators and weak compliance, breaches will continue undeterred, said activists. With the opening up of the coal sector for commercial mining by private players in 2018, and with reduced oversight, there will be further increase in ash generation, it is feared.

హోం ఎడిటోరియల్ వ్యాసాలు జాగు తీస్తే ప్రళయం!

వాతావరణంలో మార్పులు గరుడవేగంతో సంభవిస్తున్నాయి. ధరిత్రిని దహించివేసి, మానవ మనుగడను అసాధ్యం చేసే వైపరీత్య ప్రభావాలు ఇప్పుడే కానవస్తున్నాయి. అవును, వాతావరణ మార్పు ఒక తిరుగులేని వాస్తవం. స్వయంకృతంతో మనం ఒక మహాముప్పునకు సమీపంలో ఉన్నాం. ఐక్యరాజ్యసమితి ఆధ్వర్యంలోని ‘ఇంటర్ గవర్నమెంటల్ ప్యానెల్ ఆన్ క్లైమేట్ చేంజ్’ (ఐపీసీసీ) తాజా నివేదిక ఈ కఠోరసత్యాన్ని మరింత స్పష్టంగా చెప్పింది. దావానలాలు, వరదలు, తుఫానులు ఇత్యాది ప్రాకృతిక విపత్తులన్నీ వాతావరణ మార్పులను ధ్రువీకరిస్తున్నాయని ఐపీసీసీ ఘంటాపథంగా చెప్పింది. ఆ భయానక భవిష్యత్తు రేపో, మాపో కాదు ఇప్పుడే, ఇక్కడే ఉంది. లేదని పొరపడవద్దు. ‘బహుశా’లకు ఇంకెంతమాత్రం ఆస్కారం లేదు. స్థిమితంగా ఉండడానికి వీలు లేదు. నిమ్మళంగా వ్యవహరించడం వినాశనాన్ని కొని తెచ్చుకోవడమే అవుతుంది. నిజమైన, అర్థవంతమైన కార్యాచరణకు మనం తక్షణమే, భావవేగంతో పూనుకోవాలి. ఐపీసీసీ నివేదిక ఇదే కర్తవ్యాన్ని చెప్పకనే నిర్దేశించింది. కాలుష్యకారక వాయువుల ఉద్గారాలను నియంత్రించకపోతే 2040 సంవత్సరం నాటికే ప్రపంచవ్యాప్తంగా ఉష్ణోగ్రతలు 1850–1900 సంవ త్సరాల మధ్య ఉన్న స్థాయిలను మించి 1.5డిగ్రీల సెల్సియస్‌కు పెరిగిపోతాయని ఐపీసీసీ నివేదిక పేర్కొన్న మొదటి ముఖ్యాంశం. ప్రస్తుత ఉష్ణోగ్రతల పెరుగుదల పారిశ్రామిక విప్లవకాలం స్థాయికి 1.09డిగ్రీల సెల్సియస్ మాత్రమే అధికం. అయినప్పటికీ ఈ అధిక ఉష్ణోగత్రలు ఎంత వినాశనం సృష్టిస్తున్నాయో మనకు తెలుసు. కనుక ఇప్పుడు ముంచుకొస్తున్న ప్రమాదం ఎంత తీవ్రమైనదో మనం తక్షణమే అర్థం చేసుకోవాలి. మానవచర్యల మూలంగానే వాతావరణ మార్పులు సంభవిస్తున్నాయని చెప్పేందుకు ఐపీసీసీ శాస్త్రవేత్తలు ఏమాత్రం వెనుకాడడం లేదు. ఇది వారి నివేదికలోని రెండో ముఖ్యాంశం. ఇంతవరకు మనం ప్రపంచవ్యాప్తంగా తరచు వాటిల్లుతున్న ప్రాకృతిక వైపరీత్యాలపరంగా వాతావరణ మార్పులను అవగతం చేసుకునేవాళ్ళం. అయితే ఇప్పుడు కెనడాలో వడగాడ్పులు, గ్రీస్‌లో దావానలాలు, జర్మనీలో వరదలు సంభవించడంలో వాతావరణ మార్పులు నిర్వహిస్తున్న పాత్ర సమగ్రంగా అర్థమవుతోంది. కనుక ఈ మార్పులు ఒక తిరుగులేని వాస్తవమనే సత్యాన్ని ఇప్పుడిక కొట్టివేయలేం. ధరిత్రిని విషవాయువుల ఉద్గారాల నుంచి కాపాడుకోవడంలో మనం ఇంకెంత మాత్రం సముద్రాలు, అడవులు, నేలల మొదలైన ప్రాకృతిక వ్యవస్థలపై ఆధారపడలేం. ఈ దృష్ట్యా ప్రపంచ దేశాలు తమ ‘నెట్ జీరో’ ప్రణాళికలపై పునరాలోచన చేయవలసి ఉంది (మానవచర్యల మూలంగా ఉత్పన్నమవుతున్న హరిత గృహవాయువుల పరిమాణం, వాతావరణం నుంచి మనం తొలగిస్తున్న ఆ వాయువుల పరిమాణం మధ్య సమతుల్యతను నెట్ జీరో సూచిస్తుంది). కాలుష్యకారక వాయువుల ఉద్గారాలను, వాటిని శోషించుకోవడంలో అడవుల, సముద్రాల, నేలల; నిరోధించడంలో అధునాతన సాంకేతికతల శక్తి సామర్థ్యాల కంటే తక్కువస్థాయిలో ఉంచుతామనే లక్ష్యాన్ని వివిధదేశాలు నిర్దేశించుకున్నాయి. ఈ లక్ష్యాన్ని 2050నాటికి సాధిస్తామని అమెరికా, 2060నాటికి సాధిస్తామని చైనా హామీ ఇచ్చాయి. అయితే ఆలోగానే అంటే 2040లోగానే ఉష్ణోగ్రతల పెరుగుదల ప్రమాదకర పరిమితులను అధిగమించనున్నదని ఐపీసీసీ నివేదిక హెచ్చరించింది. కొవిడ్ మహమ్మారితో అతలాకుతలమైన ప్రపంచ ఆర్థికవ్యవస్థలు కోలుకోవడానికి చేస్తున్న ప్రయత్నాలతో హరిత గృహవాయువుల (జీహెచ్‌జీ) ఉద్గారాలు మరింతగా పెరిగిపోయే ప్రమాదముందనేది ఎవరూ విస్మరించలేని వాస్తవం. 2010 నాటి ఆ ఉద్గారాల స్థాయిలో, 45 నుంచి 50శాతం మేరకు తగ్గుదలను 2030 సంవత్సరం నాటికి సాధించి తీరాలి. ఇది జరిగినప్పుడు మాత్రమే 2050 సంవత్సరం నాటికి నెట్ జీరో లక్ష్యాల సాధన సాధ్యమవుతుంది. అంటే మానవాళి ముందున్నది ఒక బృహత్తర కర్తవ్యం. వాతావరణ మార్పులకు అత్యధికంగా కారణమవుతున్న దేశాలలో అమెరికా, చైనా అగ్రస్థానంలో ఉన్నాయి. ప్రపంచ వార్షిక జీహెచ్‌జీ ఉద్గారాలలో సగభాగానికి ఈ రెండు దేశాలే కారణమని శాస్త్రవేత్తలు నిర్ధారించారు. 1870 నుంచి 2019 వరకు వాతావరణంలోకి విడుదలయిన మొత్తం హరిత గృహవాయువుల ఉద్గారాలలో 60శాతానికి అమెరికా, 27 దేశాల యూరోపియన్ యూనియన్, రష్యా, బ్రిటన్, జపాన్, చైనా పుణ్యమే. మరి భారత్ విషయమేమిటి? ప్రపంచ అగ్రగామి ఆర్థికవ్యవస్థగా ఆవిర్భవించాలని ఆరాటపడుతున్న మనదేశం వార్షిక కర్బన ఉద్గారాలలో ప్రపంచంలో మూడో స్థానంలో ఉంది. అయితే ఆ ఉద్గారాల పరిమాణం చాలా స్వల్పమైనది. 1870 నుంచి 2019 దాకా ప్రపంచ కర్బన ఉద్గారాలలో మన దేశం వాటా కేవలం 3శాతం మాత్రమే. ఆ కారణంగా వాతావరణ మార్పులను నిరోధించడంలో మనదేశం పాల్గొనవలసిన పని లేదని ఎవరైనా భావిస్తే అది పెద్ద పొరపాటు అవుతుంది. మన ప్రయోజనాల పరిరక్షణ కోసం ఆ మార్పులను అరికట్టడానికి శీఘ్రగతిన, పెద్దఎత్తున పటిష్ఠచర్యలు చేపట్టాలి. ఇప్పటికే అతివృష్టి, వరదలు, ఉష్ణోగ్రతల పెరుగుదల, మేఘాల విస్ఫోటం మొదలైన వాటి రూపేణా మన ప్రజలను వాతావరణ మార్పులు నానా వెతలపాలు చేస్తున్నాయి. కార్బన్ డై ఆక్సైడ్ ఉద్గారాలను తగ్గించే విషయంలో మనకు ఉన్న బాధ్యత స్వల్పమైనదే. అయితే ఆ స్వల్ప బాధ్యతను నిర్వర్తించేందుకు మనం చెప్పుకోదగిన స్థాయిలో చర్యలు తీసుకోవడం లేదన్నది ఒక నిష్ఠురసత్యం. ఇది మన శ్రేయస్సుకు తోడ్పడదు. వాతావరణ మార్పుల్ని అరికట్టేందుకు సమర్థమైన ప్రభావశీలమైన ప్రపంచ నాయకత్వం అవసరం. ఈ నాయకత్వం ఎంత దుర్బలంగా ఉందో కొవిడ్ వాక్సిన్ల విషయంలోనే తేలి పోయింది. ప్రపంచంలో ప్రతి ఒక్కరికీ కొవిడ్ వాక్సిన్లను అందుబాటులో ఉంచే విషయంలో ఈ నాయకత్వం ఘోర వైఫల్యం చెందింది. కరోనా విలయం వలే వాతావరణ మార్పు కూడా ఒక విశ్వవిపత్తు. మానవాళి ఈ ఆపదను సమష్టిగా ఎదుర్కోవాలి. సమస్త దేశాల కోసం ఒక్కదేశం నిలవకపోయినా, ఒక్కదేశం కోసం సమస్త దేశాలు నిలవకపోయినా ఎవరికీ మేలు జరగదు. కరోనా వైరస్ వలే వాతావరణ మార్పు కూడా ఒక గొప్ప సమానీకరణ శక్తి. ఈ ప్రచండ ప్రాకృతిక మార్పులు ధనిక–-పేద అంతరాలకు అతీతమైనవి. ఈ వాస్తవం దృష్ట్యా వాతావరణ మార్పులపై సమస్త మానవాళి సమష్టిగా పోరాడాలి. శాస్త్రవేత్తలు సత్యాన్ని ఆవిష్కరించారు. ఇప్పుడు ఆ హానికర మార్పులకు వ్యతిరేకంగా సమరస్థాయిలో కార్యాచరణకు మనం తక్షణమే పూనుకోవాలి.

8 trees felled daily on avg in last 5 years: RTI reply

New Delhi: Eight trees were on average cut every day in Delhi for the past five years—from August 2016 to August 2021—an RTI reply has revealed. The reply states a total of 15,090 trees were cut in the city over the past five years for various projects, which included permission given to individuals and state and central agencies for their projects. Environmental activist Vikrant Tongad, who filed the RTI, says each tree can fulfill the oxygen needs of around four people. Saplings planted for compensatory afforestation take several years before they grow into adult trees again. “The data fetched has a list of trees for which permission was given. However, a large number of trees are cut illegally for which there is no data available and hence, the actual impact on Delhi’s greenery would be much more,” said Tongad, stating the survival rate of saplings planted as part of compensatory plantation also needed to be monitored. While Tongad had filed his RTI application in 2018, he said he was able to receive the reply only on Wednesday. “This is the latest data provided by the Delhi government’s forest and wildlife department and pertains to the last five years,” said the activist. A senior forest and wildlife official said the figure of 15,000 trees was a conservative one for a city having a green cover of nearly 25 per cent. “Over five years, this figure is fairly low and largely includes permissions for projects wherein tree felling was inevitable. These are largely public projects for the larger benefit of the citizens of Delhi,” said the official, stating permission was given to several projects, including NHAI projects, NBCC projects and DMRC work. A five-member Supreme Court-appointed committee had earlier this year stated the value of a tree to be Rs 74,500 that increases with its age. This included the costs of generating oxygen and other benefits to the overall ecosystem. Trees over 100 years old were said to have an economical value of more than Rs 1 crore. The committee consisted of expert members Soham Pandya, B K Maji, Niranjita Mitra, N K Mukarji and Sunita Narain. 8 trees felled daily on avg in last 5 years: RTI reply Aug 19, 2021, 04.46 AM IST New Delhi: Eight trees were on average cut every day in Delhi for the past five years—from August 2016 to August 2021—an RTI reply has revealed. The reply states a total of 15,090 trees were cut in the city over the past five years for various projects, which included permission given to individuals and state and central agencies for their projects. Environmental activist Vikrant Tongad, who filed the RTI, says each tree can fulfill the oxygen needs of around four people. Saplings planted for compensatory afforestation take several years before they grow into adult trees again. “The data fetched has a list of trees for which permission was given. However, a large number of trees are cut illegally for which there is no data available and hence, the actual impact on Delhi’s greenery would be much more,” said Tongad, stating the survival rate of saplings planted as part of compensatory plantation also needed to be monitored. While Tongad had filed his RTI application in 2018, he said he was able to receive the reply only on Wednesday. “This is the latest data provided by the Delhi government’s forest and wildlife department and pertains to the last five years,” said the activist. Congratulations! You have successfully cast your vote A senior forest and wildlife official said the figure of 15,000 trees was a conservative one for a city having a green cover of nearly 25 per cent. “Over five years, this figure is fairly low and largely includes permissions for projects wherein tree felling was inevitable. These are largely public projects for the larger benefit of the citizens of Delhi,” said the official, stating permission was given to several projects, including NHAI projects, NBCC projects and DMRC work. A five-member Supreme Court-appointed committee had earlier this year stated the value of a tree to be Rs 74,500 that increases with its age. This included the costs of generating oxygen and other benefits to the overall ecosystem. Trees over 100 years old were said to have an economical value of more than Rs 1 crore. The committee consisted of expert members Soham Pandya, B K Maji, Niranjita Mitra, N K Mukarji and Sunita Narain. According to the latest India State of Forest Report released in 2019, Delhi’s green cover stood at 21.9% (324 sqkm in area). In 2017, it stood at 20.6%, or 305.4 sqkm of the total area of Delhi.

जांच के बिना सरकार की पाम तेल योजना आपदा का कारण बन सकती है

मलेशिया और इंडोनेशिया जैसे उत्पादकों पर विनाशकारी प्रभावों का हवाला देते हुए विशेषज्ञों ने कहा है कि पारिस्थितिक रूप से संवेदनशील क्षेत्रों में घरेलू पाम तेल उत्पादन का विस्तार करने के लिए केंद्रीय मंत्रिमंडल द्वारा मंजूरी दी गई योजना पर्यावरण के लिए खतरनाक हो सकती है। ताड़ का तेल सबसे सस्ता खाद्य तेल है, जिसका इस्तेमाल ब्रेड से लेकर पिज्जा तक ज्यादातर खाद्य पदार्थों में किया जाता है। हाल के महीनों में, वैश्विक कीमतें बहु-वर्षीय शिखर पर पहुंच गई हैं, जिससे सरकार को वसा को सस्ती बनाने के लिए आयात शुल्क में कटौती करने के लिए मजबूर होना पड़ा है। खाद्य तेलों के आयात पर भारत की बढ़ती निर्भरता को कम करने के लिए, सरकार ने बुधवार को “नेशनल मिशन ऑन एडिबल ऑयल्स – ऑयल पाम (NMEO-OP)” आवंटित करने को मंजूरी दे दी। ₹इसके लिए 11,040 करोड़ रुपये। कार्यक्रम अंडमान और निकोबार द्वीप समूह के अलावा पूर्वोत्तर क्षेत्रों में वृक्षारोपण को बढ़ावा देना चाहता है। प्रधान मंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने ट्विटर पर कार्यक्रम को “गेम-चेंजर” कहा। तिलहन फसलों के विपरीत खाद्य तेल बागान, प्राकृतिक उष्णकटिबंधीय वनों की जगह लेते हैं, जिससे जैव विविधता घटती है। सुमात्रा, बोर्नियो और मलय प्रायद्वीप के वन क्षेत्रों में पर्यावरणीय मामले के अध्ययन – जो वैश्विक ताड़ के तेल का 90% उत्पादन करते हैं – ने पाया है कि व्यावसायिक खेती ने प्राचीन जंगलों के स्वाथों को नष्ट कर दिया था, वन्यजीवों को वनमानुष से लेकर पक्षियों तक का सफाया कर दिया था। अधिकारियों ने कहा कि वे स्थिरता के मुद्दों के बारे में “जागरूक” थे। मामले की जानकारी रखने वाले एक अधिकारी ने कहा, “योजना के गैर-वित्तीय पहलू उन्हें संबोधित करेंगे।” लेकिन विवरण नहीं दिया क्योंकि इन्हें ठीक किया जा रहा था। टिकाऊ कृषि पर एक शीर्ष विशेषज्ञ ने कहा कि स्थायी ताड़ के तेल को उगाना संभव है, लेकिन कुछ सख्त मानदंडों का पालन करने की आवश्यकता होगी, जिसे उन्होंने कहा कि उन्हें सरकार की योजना में देखने की उम्मीद है। भारत वनस्पति तेलों का दुनिया का सबसे बड़ा आयातक बन गया है, जो सबसे आम व्यंजन पकाने के लिए एक आधार सामग्री है। देश अपनी घरेलू मांग का दो-तिहाई हिस्सा आयात के जरिए पूरा करता है। 2020-21 में, भारत ने 5.8 बिलियन डॉलर के कच्चे और रिफाइंड पाम तेल दोनों का आयात किया। कच्चे तेल और सोने के बाद खाद्य तेल देश का तीसरा सबसे अधिक मूल्य वाला आयात है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी ने कहा, “पर्यावरणीय प्रभाव, विशेष रूप से पारिस्थितिक रूप से संवेदनशील क्षेत्रों में, एक बड़ी चिंता है।” “हम अभी तक नहीं जानते हैं कि योजना को कैसे लागू किया जाएगा। इसे उन्हीं मजबूत सुरक्षा उपायों की आवश्यकता होगी जो आवश्यक और अच्छी तरह से पहचाने जाते हैं। ” सेंटर फॉर सस्टेनेबल एग्रीकल्चर के जीवी रामंजनेयुलु ने कहा कि भारत की उष्णकटिबंधीय जलवायु ताड़ के तेल के बागानों के लिए अच्छी तरह से अनुकूल है, जो पीट मिट्टी पर पनपते हैं। तेल में स्वस्थ असंतृप्त वसा और विटामिन होते हैं, हालांकि इसमें अस्वास्थ्यकर संतृप्त वसा का अपना हिस्सा होता है। संतुलित आहार के हिस्से के रूप में इसका सेवन हृदय के लिए अस्वस्थ नहीं होना चाहिए। ताड़ के तेल, एक बारहमासी फसल, नारियल की तुलना में प्रति एकड़ अधिक तेल पैदा करती है, लेकिन इसके लिए तीन गुना पानी की आवश्यकता होती है। इसलिए, भूजल निकासी से बचने के लिए इसे बरसात के क्षेत्रों में उगाया जाना चाहिए। “तीन या चार जमीनी नियम हैं। वर्षावन बिल्कुल नो-गो जोन होने चाहिए। खेत की खेती और मिट्टी प्रबंधन करें। खरपतवारनाशी से बचें और मोनोक्रॉपिंग की अनुमति न दें। वृक्षारोपण के भीतर अन्य फसलें उगाएं,” रामंजनेयुलु ने कहा। “यह वैश्विक लाभ प्रदान कर सकता है यदि इसे स्थायी रूप से उगाया जाए, अन्यथा देश को आपदा का सामना करना पड़ सकता है।” नई योजना में 2025-26 तक ताड़ के तेल के तहत अतिरिक्त 0.65 मिलियन हेक्टेयर लाने का लक्ष्य रखा गया है, जो वर्तमान में 0.3 मिलियन हेक्टेयर से बढ़कर एक मिलियन हेक्टेयर तक पहुंच जाएगा। इसके परिणामस्वरूप कच्चे पाम तेल का उत्पादन 2025-26 तक 11 लाख टन और 2029-30 तक 28 लाख टन तक बढ़ जाएगा, जैसा कि ऊपर उद्धृत अधिकारी ने कहा। यह योजना प्रत्यक्ष लाभ हस्तांतरण के रूप में सीधे किसानों के खातों में भुगतान करके उत्पादकों को अंतरराष्ट्रीय मूल्य अस्थिरता से बचाने के लिए व्यवहार्यता अंतर निधि प्रदान करती है। रॉय चौधरी जैसे पर्यावरण विशेषज्ञों ने अंडमान के भारतीय द्वीपसमूह में ताड़ के तेल के लापरवाह विस्तार के बारे में आगाह किया। रामंजनेयुलु ने कहा कि आर्द्र और बरसाती अंडमान पाम तेल उगाने के लिए एक अच्छी जगह है बशर्ते वर्षावनों को छुआ न जाए।