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Rural Access Coalition on a mission to raise $8 million to support 1 million rural families in India

Rural tech startups Frontier Markets, HESA and 1Bridge have announced the formation of a coalition to address the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic in the rural sector. The Rural Access coalition aims to raise $8 million to ensure employment, awareness and accessibility to 1 million rural households in 6,000 villages across 4 states in India. The mission of the coalition is to support rural families to become Covid resilient while contributing to job creation and economic resilience in rural India. The Rural Access Coalition for COVID-19 Resilience is composed of rural supply chain companies, grassroots organizations and ecosystem enablers in a joint coalition effort to uplift the depreciating lifestyle and infrastructure in rural India, which is a result of the global pandemic. Opening its platform to donors, ecosystem enablers, experts and practitioners to help deliver to the rural population at scale, the coalition has partnered with Armman and Noora Health for Covid-19 & maternal-related information, training and services, which will be accompanied with Raksha Kits (PPE kits and supplies) by 1MG to provide access to equipment to every rural household. The participation also includes ecosystem enablers Sattva Consulting and United Way Delhi alongside Head Held High Foundation and BASIX-BABLE for capacity building. A recent report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed over 52% deaths in the total mortality rate account for covid whereas nearly 3 million salaried employees lost their jobs. The coalition will help in Covid resilience and create employment opportunities in the rural sector. Together, Frontier Markets, Hesa and 1Bridge have an army of 30,000 microlevel entrepreneurs who will execute this mission on ground to ensure access to everyday essentials without disruption to daily lives. The coalition will maximise a deep-rooted impact with a holistic approach by amplifying the sustainable development goals of gender equality, employment, improved infrastructure and better livelihood in rural India. The primary focus of Covid-19 resilience will be achieved through a strategic approach: – Providing credible knowledge to rural communities through an on-ground network of entrepreneurs using various mediums will build COVID-19 awareness and relief measures. – Adequate access to essential deliveries including consumer goods, PPE kits, masks and more. – Training and camps with healthcare organisations will ensure critical health care services including relief guidelines and measures. – Leveraging their convening power, the network of entrepreneurs have already been helping people with vaccine and covid measures. Ajaita Shah Founder and CEO Frontier Markets said, “The Rural Access Coalition will help overcome the grassroots level challenges in rural India directly, and quickly. Rural customers/families suffer the most as they are deprived of resources despite big companies coming forward. Our contribution will be a massive needed gender lens – as Frontier Markets’ entire 10,000 Saheli network will connect deeply to amplify the gender-based health needs of the community alongside accessibility, economic development and opportunities.” 1Bridge - Rural Access Coalition Launching this coalition, Madan Padaki, Founder & CEO, 1Bridge said, “Access, Choice and Convenience has always been a challenge for rural consumers across products & services and 1Bridge has been systematically addressing these challenges through its village commerce network of entrepreneurs. With the onslaught of the pandemic, it is now critical to solve for these from a healthcare perspective, where we can deliver care & supplies right at the doorsteps of rural consumers while generating new models of economic opportunities for entrepreneurs. We look forward to being a part of this Rural Access Coalition and working together to mitigate the COVID-19 crisis in rural India.” “We strive to largely empower rural India by enabling accessibility, availability, connectivity and providing business and earning opportunities, all rolled under one platform. Amidst the pandemic, we have been addressing various challenges across the rural sector through our initiatives with the aim of providing better livelihoods. With our strong network of over 7000 Hesaathis across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, we have been able to provide physical, digital and social connectivity to rural communities and bridge the urban-rural gap in India. We look forward to making rural communities become Covid resilient with this coalition,” added Vamsi Udayagiri, Co-Founder and CEO Hesa. Frontier Markets, which is a women-led social enterprise, has been working with rural communities for 10 years adapting its products and services to respond to evolving consumer needs and disruptive challenges on the ground with a strong network of 10,000 Sahelis (Saral Jeevan Sahelis) in North India. Similarly, 1Bridge has been operating across 6000+ villages predominantly within Southern India, empowering 7000 rural entrepreneurs or 1Bridge Advisors (1BAs) not just by providing additional employment opportunities, but also strengthening their social capital as trusted advisors to community folks in their villages.

Biodiversity hotspots in India and neighbouring nations lost 90% of their original natural vegetation, shows report

The CSE research noted that the four biodiversity hotspots have been reduced to less than 10% of their original extent.\ Together, India and its neighbouring countries have lost 90 per cent of their original natural vegetation under their four common ‘biodiversity hotspots,’ with the largest one – the Indo-Burma hotspot – being the worst hit, reporting a loss of nearly 95 per cent of natural vegetation from an originally estimated area of 2.3 million square kilometres. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) highlighted the biodiversity loss data in its latest annual statistical compendium on the state of India’s environment, which was released on World Environment Day. The CSE research noted that the four biodiversity hotspots have been reduced to less than 10% of their original extent and that 25 plant species have become extinct in these hotspots, which include India and its neighbours in South Asia and South-East Asia. Also Read: Secured Environment Governance for Clean & Green Techno Economic Growth of India – A Global Perspective Apart from the Indo-Burma hotspot, which includes entire north-eastern India (except Assam), the Andaman group of islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and southern China, the other three hotspots in the country are Himalaya (Indian Himalayan region and areas falling in neighbouring countries such as Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and Myanmar), Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, and Sundaland (Nicobar group of Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Philippines). The original natural vegetation remains only in 118,653 square kilometres of the total 2,373,057 square kilometres of the Indo-Burma hotspot; 100,571 square kilometres of the total 1,501,063 square kilometres of the Sundaland hotspot; 185,427 square kilometres of the total 741,706 square kilometres of the Himalayas hotspot; and 43,611 square kilometres of the total 189,611 square kilometres of the Western Ghats. The term “biodiversity hotspot” refers to a location that is distinguished by both high levels of plant endemism and significant habitat loss. There are 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Their combined areas cover 2.3 per cent of the Earth’s land surface. In 1999, a quantitative criterion for identifying biodiversity hotspots and determining their extent/areas was introduced. According to the Botanical Survey of India, “each hotspot confronts serious challenges and has already lost at least 70% of its original natural vegetation.” It was highlighted that the 35 biodiversity hotspots are home to more than half of the world’s plant species and 42 per cent of all terrestrial vertebrate species. The CSE report used and collated publicly available data from India’s “ecosystem accounting” and the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) report on endangered species. It stated that 12 per cent of the 1,212 animal species monitored by the IUCN under its Red List monitors in India are endangered. The research notes that the number of forest fire alarms has increased significantly in 16 states, including Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Uttarakhand. It stated, “India has seen a dramatic increase in forest fires since the beginning of 2021.” As of May 1, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) had recorded 433,581 fire alarms. This is a significant increase, despite the fact that the country’s official forest fire season runs from February to June.”

लॉकडाउन के दौरान सावधानियों से अस्थमा के मरीजों में आई कमी

नई दिल्‍ली. लॉकडाउन के दौरान लोगों द्वारा बरती गई सावधानियों से अस्‍थमा मरीजों को लाभ हुआ है. ऐसे मरीजों की संख्‍या में कमी आई है. सोशल मीडिया में इससे संबंधित स्‍टडी को लेकर मैसेज चलाए जा रहे हैं. लेकिन एक्सपर्ट इस तरह की स्‍टडी से इंकार करते हैं. हालांकि वे यह भी मानते हैं कि इस दौरान अस्‍थमा रोगियों को राहत मिलने की संभावना है. अप्रैल और मई में लॉकडाउन के दौरान लोग सिर्फ जरूरी काम से ही घरों से बाहर निकले. घर से बाहर निकलने वाले ज्‍यादातर लोग मास्‍क लगा रहे थे. इस दौरान वाहनों की संख्‍या भी सड़कों पर कम हो गई थी. इसका फायदा अस्‍थमा के मरीजों को हुआ है. गाजियाबाद जिला अस्‍पताल के वरिष्‍ठ जनरल फिजीशियन और एचओडी डा. आरपी सिंह बताते हैं कि इस समय ओपीडी में पोस्‍ट कोविड मरीज, जिन्‍हें अस्‍थमा की परेशानी हो रही है, वे आ रहे हैं, लेकिन अस्‍थमा के सामान्‍य मरीजों में करीब 20 फीसद कमी आई है. गाजियाबाद के स्‍वास्तिक मेडिकल सेंटर के वरिष्‍ठ फिजीशियन डॉ. राहुल गुप्‍ता भी बताते हैं कि लॉकडाउन से अस्‍थमा रोगियों को राहत मिली है, उनके यहां अस्‍थमा मरीजों में कमी आई है. Youtube Video आईसीएमआर के एक्सपर्ट डॉ. एनके अरोड़ा के अनुसार इस संबंध में कोई स्‍टडी तो अभी नहीं कराई गई है लेकिन कोरोना प्रोटोकॉल का पालन करने से अस्‍थमा के रोगियों में कमी आना संभव है. इसका प्रमुख कारण लगातार मास्‍क लगाना है, जिससे अस्‍थमा रोगियों को राहत मिली है. इसके अलावा लॉकडाउन की वजह से लोग घरों से बाहर नहीं निकले हैं. साथ ही, सड़कों पर वाहनों की संख्‍या कम होने से भी पर्यावरण में भी सुधार हुआ है, यह भी अस्‍थमा रोगियों के लिए फायदेमंद साबित हुआ है. इसकी पुष्टि सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) ने की है. सीएसई के अनुसार इस साल दिल्ली में छह अप्रैल से रात का कर्फ्यू और वीकेंड में लॉकडाउन लगाया गया था. 19 अप्रैल को पूर्ण लॉकडाउन लगा था. आंशिक-लॉकडाउन से पीएम 2.5 प्रदूषण स्तर 20 फीसद कम हो गया. पूर्ण लॉकडाउन ने औसत को 12 फीसद और नीचे ला दिया था. इस तरह 32 फीसदी की कमी आई है. इसके अलावा अगर अस्‍थमा और टीबी के मरीज लगातार मास्‍‍क लगाकर रखें तो उससे दूसरों में बीमारी फैलने की आशंका कम रहती है.

First ‘green & safe highway’ partly funded by World Bank to be built in Rajasthan by year end

The highway will be the first stretch to be built under a a $500 million green highways corridor agreement signed by the Indian government with the World Bank in December last year. New Delhi: The first stretch of green highway being built under the Green National Highways Corridor Project (GNHCP) is expected to be completed by December 2021 in Rajasthan, an official in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways told ThePrint. In December last year, the Government of India had signed an agreement for a $500 million project with the World Bank, to develop the GNHCP across 781 km in four states – Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. The plan is to construct five-six ‘green and safe national highways’ – which have been divided into 23 stretches – as part of the corridor. The entire project is expected to be completed by the end of the 2023-2024 financial year. The total cost of the project was estimated to be around Rs 7,662 crores, of which the World Bank is contributing Rs 3,500 crore. The USP of a green highway is in its construction. Compared to a normal highway, a ‘green highway’ uses greener construction technologies, officials explained. For the GNHCP, a World Bank spokesperson told ThePrint, “The green techniques to be adopted include the maximum use of local materials, stabilisation of soils to reduce the need for crushed stone, use of waste products such as fly ash, recycling asphalt and granular pavements, bio-engineering solutions, water conservation and harvesting techniques, designing for resilience to climate change impacts, and solar lighting.” The official in the road transport and highways ministry told ThePrint, however, that even the construction of normal national highways have been adopting greener technologies in the past five-10 years. The GNHCP is being overseen directly by the ministry and the World Bank. “Neither the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) nor any state PWD is involved in the execution of this project”, explained the above-mentioned official. Usually, the NHAI or the state PWDs are the executing agencies for the construction of highways, he said. Pros and Cons While Uttar Pradesh has the highest allocation of 240 km stretch of highway under the project, Rajasthan has the lowest allocation of 116.76 km of the corridor. Officials from the highways ministry explained that each stretch will be handed over to a different contractor. As yet 10 stretches of land have been awarded to contractors for the project, while tenders have been invited for four more. “The project will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent during the construction process, as compared to normal roads, and further reduce emissions in the operation and maintenance of highways (as green highways will use less cement, bitumen and asphalt which are more polluting)”, explained the World Bank spokesperson.\ Ministry officials added that “the objective of the project is to demonstrate safe and green national highway corridors in selected states.” In terms of the long-term impact of the GNHCP, the World Bank spokesperson explained that the hope was to enhance the institutional capacity to build (green) corridors and also to build safe and less environmentally impactful road transport systems. Vivek Chattopadhyay, a senior program manager at the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, however, explained that the project has certain limitations. According to him, road travel, especially the transportation of goods via roadways, was not efficient “Transporting goods via roads is neither environmentally friendly nor efficient,” he said, adding that “Thus, just saying green is not enough and this project should not be looked at in isolation”. Rather, said Chattopadhyay, rail networks needed to be strengthened, so that transportation, especially of goods, could be by trains which are more energy efficient.

India faces numerous challenges in its bid to ban single-use plastics

The Indian government is planning to phase out single-use plastics leading to complete elimination. But concerns revolve around the availability of alternatives and plastic waste management systems. A government committee has identified the single use plastic (SUP) items to be banned based on an index of their utility and environmental impact. In the three-stage ban, the first category of SUP items proposed to be phased out are plastic sticks used in balloons, flags, candy, ice-cream and ear buds, and thermocol that is used in decorations. The second category, proposed to be banned from July 1, 2022, includes items such as plates, cups, glasses and cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straws, trays; wrapping and packing films used in sweet boxes; invitation cards; cigarette packets; stirrers and plastic banners that are less than 100 microns in thickness. A third category of prohibition is for non-woven bags below 240 microns in thickness. This is proposed to start from September next year. Stamping out SUPs, realistic? The government has made it clear that it would be actively working towards to a crackdown on plastic in its second term in power, akin to what Swachh Bharat or Clean India campaign was to it in its first term in 2014. The latter’s aim then was to launch a cleanliness drive across the India, bridge gaps between sewerage and solid waste management and construct several million toilets in both villages and urban centres. But many within his government and stakeholders realize that it is not going to be an easy task given that close to 26,000 tons of plastic waste is generated across India every day, of which more than 10,000 tons stays uncollected. Yet, India’s per capita consumption of plastic at 11 kilograms (kg) per year is still among the lowest in the world (global average is 28 kg per year), according to studies. Twenty companies responsible for more than half of the world's plastic waste Tsunami of plastic threatens post-Covid-19 world “The government has to do a thorough economic and environmental cost-benefit analysis. What’s more any plan has to take into account social and economic impacts for the ban to be successful,” says Dinesh Raj Bandela, a waste management expert with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). It is still not clear how much plastic is recycled but a significant amount ends up in rivers, oceans and landfills. It is well known that non-bio degradable plastic bags are a huge a hazard to the environment and uncollected plastic eventually ends up in our natural environment, choking animals and marine life. It is believed that people will be given a six-month timeline to first sensitize them to SUPs and then adopt viable alternatives before a national policy is drawn up. The Central Pollution Control Board has already identified 12 single-use plastic items to be banned in a phased manner. These items include thin carry bags, non-woven carry bags, small wrapping, straws, plastic cups, bowls and plates, plastic sticks for ear buds. Still a long way to go Consultations are underway with plastic industry, while technical input has been sought from environmental experts and economists. “It is feasible but first and foremost it requires alternatives in place. There is a huge amount of SUPs in circulation. What are we going to do with that?” queries Ravi Agarwal, director of Toxics Link, an organization working for environmental justice and freedom from toxic materials. “We need better recycling policies because resources are poor and there needs to be a much broader strategy,” Agarwal told RFI. Recycling, bioplastics also harm planet, campaigners warn Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group and the CSE are among organizations the government has consulted on how SUPs can be phased out. “I think it is fabulous idea and firstly pernicious plastics need to be banished and that includes thermocol, straws, plastic bags and cups. Even if we grab at the low hanging fruits for now, that will be good,” Bharati Chaturvedi, founder and director of Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group told RFI. “At times all-pervasive as plastics, backed by the might of the plastics industry, really needs a tsunami to shake it up. At a later point we can talk of a viable R& D policy,” says Chaturvedi. Lack of recycling systems Many industry and businesses, however, feel it was important to understand the definition of SUPs itself. “What is it meant to mean? Is it to mean all packaging products, carry bags, bottled drinks, straws, containers, decoration plastics, cutlery — anything that you would ordinarily throw away after one use?” says Deepak Ballani, director-general of the All India Plastic Manufacturers Association (AIPMA). The AIPMA, one of the largest trade bodies representing the plastics industry, has requested the government to push the deadline for phasing out SUP products by a period of one year to 2023 owing to economic distress faced by manufacturing units due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, all agree that India does not have systems in place for effective segregation, collection and recycling. If these measures are in place, a majority of the problem could be taken care of. A lot of it will hinge on working on sustainable technological interventions and building effective campaigns.

राजस्थान में वर्ल्ड बैंक की मदद से बन रहे पहले ‘ग्रीन एंड सेफ हाईवे’ के इस साल के अंत तक पूरा होने की उम्मीद

हाईवे पिछले साल दिसंबर में भारत सरकार की तरफ से विश्व बैंक के साथ किए गए 500 मिलियन डॉलर के एक ग्रीन हाईवे कॉरिडोर करार के तहत निर्मित होने वाला पहला हिस्सा होगा. सड़क परिवहन एवं राजमार्ग मंत्रालय के एक अधिकारी ने दिप्रिंट को बताया कि ग्रीन नेशनल हाईवे कॉरिडोर प्रोजेक्ट (जीएनएचसीपी) के तहत राजस्थान में बनने वाला ग्रीन हाईवे का पहला खंड दिसंबर 2021 तक पूरा होने की उम्मीद है. पिछले साल दिसंबर में भारत सरकार ने विश्व बैंक के साथ 500 मिलियन डॉलर की परियोजना के लिए एक करार पर हस्ताक्षर किए थे जिसके तहत चार राज्यों— राजस्थान, हिमाचल प्रदेश, उत्तर प्रदेश और आंध्र प्रदेश में 781 किलोमीटर लंबा ग्रीन नेशनल हाईवे कॉरिडोर विकसित किया जाना है. इस कॉरिडोर के तहत पांच-छह ‘ग्रीन एंड सेफ हाईवे’ विकसित करने की योजना है जिन्हें 23 हिस्सों में बांटा गया है. इस परियोजना के वित्त वर्ष 2023-2024 के अंत तक पूरे होने की उम्मीद है. प्रोजेक्ट की कुल लागत लगभग 7,662 करोड़ रुपये आंकी गई थी, जिसमें से 3,500 करोड़ रुपये का योगदान विश्व बैंक दे रहा है. ग्रीन हाईवे की यूएसपी इसके निर्माण में निहित है. अधिकारियों ने स्पष्ट किया कि सामान्य राजमार्ग की तुलना में ‘हरित राजमार्ग’ में हरित निर्माण तकनीक का इस्तेमाल किया जाएगा. विश्व बैंक के एक प्रवक्ता ने दिप्रिंट को बताया कि जीएनएचसीपी के लिए ‘ग्रीन टेक्नोलॉजी अपनाने में स्थानीय सामग्रियों का ज्यादा से ज्यादा इस्तेमाल, रोड़े-पत्थरों की जरूरत घटाने के लिए मिट्टी का स्थिरीकरण, फ्लाई ऐश जैसे अपशिष्ट पदार्थों के अलावा रिसाइकिल्ड डामर आदि का उपयोग और जैव-इंजीनियरिंग समाधान, जल संरक्षण और कटाई तकनीक आदि के साथ-साथ जलवायु परिवर्तन के प्रभावों को घटाने और सौर ऊर्जा की व्यवस्था करने वाली डिजाइनिंग पर जोर देना शामिल है. हालांकि, सड़क परिवहन और राजमार्ग मंत्रालय के अधिकारी ने दिप्रिंट को बताया कि सामान्य राष्ट्रीय राजमार्गों के निर्माण में भी पिछले पांच-दस सालों में ग्रीन टेक्नोलॉजी को ही अपनाया जाने लगा है. जीएनएचसीपी पर सीधे मंत्रालय और विश्व बैंक की तरफ से नज़र रखी जा रही है. ऊपर उद्धृत अधिकारी ने कहा, ‘इस प्रोजेक्ट संबंधी निर्माण कार्यों में न तो भारतीय राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग प्राधिकरण (एनएचएआई) की कोई भागीदारी है और न ही किसी राज्य के लोक निर्माण विभाग की. उन्होंने कहा कि आमतौर पर हाईवे का निर्माण कराना एनएचएआई या राज्य के पीडब्ल्यूडी के ही जिम्मे होता है.’ फायदा और नुकसान परियोजना के तहत जहां उत्तर प्रदेश में हाईवे का हिस्सा सबसे ज्यादा 240 किलोमीटर रहेगा, वहीं राजस्थान में मात्र 116.76 किलोमीटर के साथ कॉरिडोर का सबसे छोटा हिस्सा होगा. राजमार्ग मंत्रालय के अधिकारियों ने बताया कि हर एक खंड एक अलग ठेकेदार को सौंपा जाएगा. अभी तक परियोजना के 10 खंडों के लिए जमीन ठेकेदारों को आवंटित की जा चुकी है, जबकि चार और के लिए निविदाएं मांगी गई हैं. विश्व बैंक के प्रवक्ता ने समझाया, ‘यह प्रोजेक्ट सामान्य सड़कों की तुलना में निर्माण प्रक्रिया के दौरान ग्रीनहाउस गैसों का उत्सर्जन 25 प्रतिशत तक घटाने में मदद करेगा, और राजमार्गों के संचालन और रखरखाव के दौरान भी उत्सर्जन कम ही होगा (क्योंकि ग्रीन हाईवे में प्रदूषण के प्रमुख कारक तत्वों सीमेंट, बिटुमेन और डामर का उपयोग कम से कम होगा).’ मंत्रालय के अधिकारियों ने कहा कि ‘परियोजना का उद्देश्य चुने गए राज्यों में सुरक्षित और हरित राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग गलियारों का निर्माण करना है.’ जीएनएचसीपी के दीर्घकालिक प्रभावों के संदर्भ में विश्व बैंक प्रवक्ता ने बताया कि उम्मीद है कि (ग्रीन) कॉरिडोर बनाने की संस्थागत क्षमता बढ़ेगी और सुरक्षित और पर्यावरण पर कम प्रतिकूल असर डालने वाली सड़क परिवहन प्रणाली तैयार की जा सकेगी. हालांकि, दिल्ली स्थित सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट के एक सीनियर प्रोग्राम मैनेजर विवेक चट्टोपाध्याय ने बताया कि इस प्रोजेक्ट की कुछ सीमाएं हैं. उनके अनुसार सड़क यात्रा, खासकर हाईवे से माल ढुलाई किया जाना बहुत ज्यादा उत्सर्जन बचाने वाला नहीं होता. उन्होंने कहा, ‘सड़कों के माध्यम से माल ढुलाई न तो पर्यावरण के अनुकूल है और न ही उत्सर्जन घटाने वाला.’ साथ ही कहा, ‘इसलिए केवल ग्रीन कह देना भर ही काफी नहीं है और इस परियोजना को कुछ बहुत अलग तौर पर नहीं देखा जाना चाहिए.’ चट्टोपाध्याय ने कहा कि इसके बजाय रेल नेटवर्क को मजबूत करने की जरूरत है ताकि परिवहन, खासकर माल ढुलाई, ट्रेनों से हो सके जिसमें उत्सर्जन कम होता है.

Dabur, Patanjali, Hamdard others come together to form India Honey Alliance

The alliance comprises honey companies, exporters, bee-keepers, farmers, processors, and science experts from across the country New Delhi: Large packaged consumer goods companies including Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Hamdard Laboratories, Brij Honey, Kashmir Honey, Hitkary Honey on Friday announced the formation of India Honey Alliance (IHA) to create consumer awareness and engage industry stakeholders after reports of adulterated honey struck some of the biggest players in the industry last year. The alliance comprises honey companies, exporters, bee-keepers, farmers, processors, and science experts from across the country. “IHA has already initiated dialogue with the Central Government and is working closely with the consumers as well as scientific bodies to take modern, easy-to-use, affordable, and scalable technology to farmers and apiarists. IHA has been promoting science-based quality standards for Indian honey to improve the current practices of sourcing, testing, packaging, etc," it said in a statement. The move comes after honey sold by 10 major brands, including Dabur, Patanjali, Zandu and Apis Himalaya, were found adulterated with sugar syrup in tests carried out by non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) late last year. Only three brands Saffola, Markfed Sohna and Societe Naturelle cleared all the tests, including the internationally accepted Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy or NMR test for sugar syrup. The report dealt a body blow to the packaged honey industry that went on a significant damage control mode after the report surfaced. The alliance will dispel myths and consumer concerns, said Shahrukh Khan, Chairperson, IHA. IHA has formed a panel to create consumer awareness and clear myths surrounding honey by bringing renowned doctors (Ayurveda and Unani), nutritionists to discuss the palliative, preventive and curative properties of honey. “There are many myths and misconceptions about honey and its purity. Also, there were many concerns expressed about the increasing instances of honey adulteration. So, we felt the need to create a neutral and objective platform for people from the sector to come together to clear all the ambiguity and to give honey the place of pride in our homes that it deserves," said Khan.

These 10 State Capitals Are Ranked As The Top Liveable Cities In India in 2021

If you thought that the National Capital and other metropolitan state capitals are the most habitable cities in India, the latest report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) will make you think otherwise. According to the Ease of Living Index, a part of their State of India’s Environment 2021 report, Delhi doesn’t even feature in the top five liveable cities in the country. It ranked 6th in the index followed by Bhopal, Raipur, Gandhinagar and Jaipur. Where You Should Live Now Assessed on the basis of quality of life, economic opportunity, sustainability and feedback from residents, Bengaluru has ranked as the top liveable city in India followed by Chennai, Shimla, Bhubaneswar and Mumbai, in that order. The CSE reports states, “Only one state capital (Bengaluru) demonstrates a decent economic ability, scoring 78.8 out of 100, four other state capitals (Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad) provide middling economic opportunities. The rest have all scored less than 30 out of 100.” What Makes A City The Best? According to a Times Of India report, Delhi ranked high on finance, governance and services, but ranked low in urban planning and technology categories. Talking about the trend in numbers and whether things are getting better or worse, Sunita Narain, director-general, CSE, said, “It is even more powerful when you can use the trend to understand the crisis, the challenge and the opportunity. The numbers in the case of Indian cities clearly suggest that the direction of development there is unsustainable.” How Does India Rank In The Global Liveability List? According to previous reports and surveys, India had ranked poorly in the list of the world’s most liveable cities. The national and financial capitals, Delhi and Mumbai, made it to 112th and 117th positions respectively. Richard Mahapatra, managing editor of environment magazine Down To Earth said, “The Ease of Living Index 2020 included citizen’s feedback for the first time. It is interesting that despite faring poorly on almost all development parameters, the capitals obtained high scores in the citizens’ feedback section. We need to understand why urban citizens think so highly of their clearly poorly performing cities.”

Environmental degradation contributed to COVID-19 origins, UNEP India says

The COVID-19 pandemic’s origins can be traced to degradation of environmental space, species’ loss and exploitation, according to a leading United Nations Environment Programme official for India. As investigations into the origins of COVID-19 continue, United Nations Environment Programme India Country Office Head, Atul Bagai, highlighted the interconnected balance between environmental degradation and public health, noting the role climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity have on India, and on a global scale. This comes following the United Nations declaration that the 2021-30 decade should be known as the decade of ecosystem restoration, one where India’s post-pandemic recovery should be underpinned by efforts to prevent and reverse environmental degradation. “The COVID-19 pandemic is a result of the degradation of natural areas, species’ loss and exploitation. This needs to change. India is already making a concerted effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and be part of the global effort to reach net-zero emissions by 2050,” Bagai said. “India must intensify these efforts to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems.” Environmental degradation rates in India This problem has been clear for the previous decade and is now arguably more apparent than ever. For example, an examination of 88 industrial clusters in India found that air pollution had worsened in 33 of the clusters between 2009 and 2018; water quality deteriorated in 45 clusters; and 35 of the clusters indicated a rise in environmental degradation. Speaking to Down to Earth, Nivit Kumar Yadav, programme director of the Centre for Science and Environment’s (CSE’s) industrial pollution unit, said, “it is a telling verdict. The CEPI [Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations] data clearly indicates that there has been no action over the years to control and reduce pollution even in areas which were already identified as ‘critically’ or ‘severely’ polluted.” Improving awareness of environmental degradation For India to intensify efforts to prevent and reverse environmental degradation, the country must overcome challenges in improving awareness of the interconnected role and importance environmental spaces play. “My best advice to young people who are concerned about environmental issues is two-fold — get informed and get involved,” Bagai said. Limited awareness of society’s fractured relationship with nature is underlined by the fact that it has been identified by the UN Decade as one of six primary barriers to scaling restoration. This is alongside the lack of financing for restoration, shortage of legislation and policies that incentivise environmental restoration, limited technical knowledge and capacity for environmental restoration, and limited investment into long-term research. Environmental restoration and the post-COVID recovery Even if reduction of further public health challenges were not a large enough incentive, environmental restoration is thought to offer a way of scaling the post-pandemic recovery. The UN notes that for every dollar that is invested into restoration, at least US$9 of economic benefits can be expected in return, and with the number of individuals with an income of US$2 per day or less in India doubled to 134 million over the last year due to COVID-19. As Health Issues India reported previously, this kind of economic stimuli could prove vital. Mongaby comment that “while conventional strategies in crisis-recovery often deprioritise nature conservation, generally looked upon as a complementary goal, nature conservation and restoration are not opposing goals but rather serve as a long-term vision for society and for economies.” So, now more than ever, the link between environmental degradation and the effects of public health challenges feels closely linked. Action on this over the coming years will shape whether this understanding will have a telling impact on change.

Delhi yet to meet its 2022 solar power target, 7 per cent achieved so far

Saying that Delhi has fared well in comparison with other cities, the expert added, “Delhi’s regulations and policies are pro-solar energy NEW DELHI: Delhi is well behind its 2022 solar power target of 2,762MW of installed solar panels, having met an abysmal 7 per cent of the target so far. The analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment as part of its State of India’s Environment 2021 report says this is also significantly behind the national average of 39 per cent. While a number of societies in Dwarka in south Delhi have seen large-scale installation of solar rooftops panels, other parties of the city are yet to accept the trend despite the incentives offered under the capital’s solar policy. Experts attribute the low expansion to limitations in actual rooftop space and add that lack of awareness is not a major problem in Delhi. As one of them said, “The Delhi power distribution companies have several programmes and channels where consumers can connect with them and learn more about the benefits of generating solar power. The only drawback is that the geographical area is limited and so is the space for putting up solar panels on roofs.” Delhi yet to meet its 2022 solar power target, 7 per cent achieved so far Saying that Delhi has fared well in comparison with other cities, the expert added, “Delhi’s regulations and policies are pro-solar energy. In fact, Delhi’s rate for adjustment of surplus solar output at the end of the financial year was around Rs 5 per unit when in most other states, it around Rs 2 per unit.” The discoms pointed out that solar rooftops have been successfully installed in many places, including Saket, Vasant Kunj, Dwarka, Chhatarpur, Sainik Farms, Karkardooma, Mayur Vihar, Patparganj and Rohini. A BSES official said both BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) have been aggressively promoting roof-top solar generation in south, west, east and central Delhi. “We have energised a record 3,200-plus roof-top solar installations with a connected solar load of over 110MW. In the current financial year, we aim to energise over 1,000 roof-top solar connections,” said the BSES official, adding that the response to rooftop solar net metering had been encouraging. Data shared by the discom showed over 1,800 connections had been installed in residential areas, over 600 in educational institutions, 578 were commercial connections and 35 industrial connections. The official added, “Consumers across categories, including residential, educational (and schools) and commercial establishments have warmed up to the roof-top solar net metering in a big way.” According to the Union ministry of new and renewable energy, Delhi had installed solar roof-top capacity of a mere184.1MW until February 28. This deficit in meeting the planned solar generation target, however, is even more significant because Delhi has no wind power projects, hydro projects or biomass projects to generate power from other renewable energy sources.

46 % increase in COVID-19 biomedical waste generation in India in April – May 2021, says CSE’s new statistical analysis

In 2017, 7.2 per cent of the country’s biomedical waste remained untreated. In 2019, the figure rose to 12 per cent — “Unacceptably high numbers”, says the report. Bihar and Karnataka the “worst offenders” Even as biomedical waste (BMW) generation in India grew from 559 tonnes per day to 619 tonnes per day between 2017 and 2019, the percentage of BMW treated dropped from 92.8 per cent to 88 per cent. Bihar (where 69 per cent BMW remained untreated) and Karnataka (where 47 per cent BMW was not treated) have been the worst offenders. During the same period, the number of authorised healthcare facilities in the country almost doubled to 153,885, from 84,805. But the number of unauthorised healthcare facilities also rose from 57,010 to 66,713. On the other hand, while the number of hazardous waste generating units in the country increased by 3.5 per cent, hazardous waste generation has gone down by almost 7 per cent. These statistics, brought to light in an e-publication released here on World Environment Day by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), highlight the challenges posed by improper disposal of dangerous wastes—in particular biomedical waste—in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. State of India’s Environment in Figures 2021, as the e-publication is titled, is an annual compendium of data and statistics on key issues of environment and development. The report also shows a significant increase in COVID-19-related biomedical waste generation during the second wave. It says: “India produced 139 tonnes per day of Covid-19-related biomedical waste in April 2021, as the country braced against the second wave. In May 2021, the figure escalated to 203 tonnes per day, an increase of 46 per cent.” Releasing the e-book, CSE director general Sunita Narain said: “There is drama in numbers, especially when these numbers give you a trend—are things getting better or worse. It is even more powerful when you can use the trend to understand the crisis, the challenge and the opportunity.” She added: “In an age when the quality of data available to us is usually poor—it is either missing, unavailable publicly or of questionable quality—a collection like this can be immensely helpful, especially for journalists. Improving the quality of data can only happen when we use it for policy. Take the case of the ongoing pandemic. Just consider how we have suffered in this past year because we do not have sufficient or accurate data on tests, or the number of deaths, or serological surveys, or genomic sequencing of the variants. In each case, data would have been (and is) critical for policy

Honey makers collaborate to form 'honey alliance'

The development comes six months after the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said samples of 10 leading Indian honey products were found to be adulterated with sugar syrup, which the manufacturers denied. Indian honey makers including Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Hamdard Laboratories and Hitkary, in addition to advisory firm Consocia, have collaborated to form an India Honey Alliance (IHA), which they said was aimed at dealing with adulteration and to provide direction to implement best industry practices. The development comes six months after the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said samples of 10 leading Indian honey products were found to be adulterated with sugar syrup, which the manufacturers denied. The report led to food regulator FSSAI stating that it will consider revising standards and regulations for packaged honey sold in the country. The IHA comprises of honey companies, exporters, bee-keepers, farmers, processors, and science experts from across the country, a statement issued by IHA said. “IHA has initiated dialogue with the Centre and is working closely with consumers and scientific bodies to take scalable technology to farmers and apiarists,” the statement said. IHA chairperson Shahrukh Khan said the alliance would address myths and misconceptions about honey and its purity, and concerns about adulteration. Category sales of honey have been growing in double digits, since it is known for its immunity boosting properties. At the time of releasing the report on honey adulteration, CSE director general Sunita Narain had said 10 of 13 honey brands failed an NMR test, which is the only one that detects ‘Chinese sugar’ used to adulterate honey. NMR tests were made mandatory in August to screen honey meant for exports but is not part of FSSAI’s standards, the CSE report had stated.

Delhi Yet To Warm Up To Solar Energy

New Delhi: Delhi is well behind its 2022 solar power target of 2,762MW of installed solar panels, having met an abysmal 7% of the target so far. The analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment as part of its State of India’s Environment 2021 report says this is also significantly behind the national average of 39%. While a number of societies in Dwarka in south Delhi have seen large-scale installation of solar rooftops panels, other parties of the city are yet to accept the trend despite the incentives offered under the capital’s solar policy. Experts attribute the low expansion to limitations in actual rooftop space and add that lack of awareness is not a major problem in Delhi. As one of them said, “The Delhi power distribution companies have several programmes and channels where consumers can connect with them and learn more about the benefits of generating solar power. The only drawback is that the geographical area is limited and so is the space for putting up solar panels on roofs.” Saying that Delhi has fared well in comparison with other cities, the expert added, “Delhi’s regulations and policies are pro-solar energy. In fact, Delhi’s rate for adjustment of surplus solar output at the end of the financial year was around Rs 5 per unit when in most other states, it around Rs 2 per unit.” The discoms pointed out that solar rooftops have been successfully installed in many places, including Saket, Vasant Kunj, Dwarka, Chhatarpur, Sainik Farms, Karkardooma, Mayur Vihar, Patparganj and Rohini. A BSES official said both BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) have been aggressively promoting roof-top solar generation in south, west, east and central Delhi. “We have energised a record 3,200-plus roof-top solar installations with a connected solar load of over 110MW. In the current financial year, we aim to energise over 1,000 roof-top solar connections,” said the BSES official, adding that the response to rooftop solar net metering had been encouraging. Data shared by the discom showed over 1,800 connections had been installed in residential areas, over 600 in educational institutions, 578 were commercial connections and 35 industrial connections. The official added, “Consumers across categories, including residential, educational (and schools) and commercial establishments have warmed up to the roof-top solar net metering in a big way.” According to the Union ministry of new and renewable energy, Delhi had installed solar roof-top capacity of a mere184.1MW until February 28. This deficit in meeting the planned solar generation target, however, is even more significant because Delhi has no wind power projects, hydro projects or biomass projects to generate power from other renewable energy sources.