• Down To Earth

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.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Every 10-unit rise in PM levels leads to 7 hospital admissions in Delhi

The study that was commissioned by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) was carried out over a span of 15 months, starting April 2019. According to the study, increase in cases of bronchitis, bronchial asthma is directly proportional to the increase in the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi.(HT Photo) delhi news Every 10-unit rise in PM levels leads to 7 hospital admissions in Delhi The study that was commissioned by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) was carried out over a span of 15 months, starting April 2019. By HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, New Delhi UPDATED ON JUN 24, 2021 04:03 AM IST New Delhi: Every 10-unit increase in ultra-fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) leads to at least seven respiratory distress-related hospital admissions in Delhi every week, a study conducted by Maulana Azad Medical College shows. The study that was commissioned by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) was carried out over a span of 15 months, starting April 2019. The researchers studied admission records of six big government hospitals—Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Lok Nayak Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital, according to a press note released on Wednesday. The DPCC did not share the detailed report. According to the study, increase in cases of bronchitis, bronchial asthma is directly proportional to the increase in the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi. The study , led by Dr Nandini Sharma, former dean and the head of the department of community medicine (MAMC), also collected community-based data on activity levels of people (if people are more exposed to outdoor activity), perceived stress, awareness about the causes of pollution, and perceived interventions required for improving air quality from 1,879 people across 11 districts in the national capital. It was found that 96.5% of respondents of the survey believed that vehicular emissions was a major contributor to air pollution in Delhi, while 77% said it was industrial pollution. Around 65% of respondents attributed poor air quality to waste burning, 46% said it was due to construction activities, and 28% of Delhiites blamed stubble burning and firecrackers for air pollution. Another air quality analysis conducted by climate communications initiative, Climate Trends, showed that pollution levels in Delhi dropped significantly during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown (March, April and May), but the 2021 lockdown was not as effective in improving air quality. The analysis showed that Delhi’s average PM 2.5 concentration in the months March, April and May dipped from 95.6 ug/m3 in 2019 to 69 ug/m3 in 2020. However, in 2021 in the same period, the levels bounced back to 95ug/m3. The safe limits for PM 2.5 levels in India according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) was 40ug/m3. Along with Delhi, the analysis also showed the fluctuation in pollution levels in Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai during the same period. Mumbai’s average concentration of PM 2.5 between March and May in 2019 was 21.6 ug/m3, which increased to 31.3 ug/m3 in 2020, and then to 40.3 ug/m3. The analysis showed that in Kolkata’s PM 2.5 concentration swayed from 41.8ug/m3 in 2019 to 27.9 ug/m3 in 2020 and 37.3 ug/m3 in 2021. In Lucknow, PM 2.5 concentration in the three months decrease consistently from 2019, but it still remained above permissible limits. Its average PM 2.5 concentration in 2019 for the months of March, April and May was 103 ug/m3 which dipped to 92 ug/m3 in 2020 during lockdown and further to 79.6 ug/m3 in 2021. Lockdown has provided an opportunity to examine the background pollution in the atmosphere when everything was shut down in 2020; atmosphere was fairly clean. However, we did not meet the condition of 40ug/m3 prescribed by the CPCB. We need to redefine the natural conditions in India, for which particulate matter concentrations are more than 50-60ug/m3 even in the clean atmosphere in north India,” said professor SK Dhaka, from Rajdhani College, Delhi University. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment said, “Air pollution is known to cause irreparable damage to residents’ health, and it is seen through several analysis that long term exposure leads to some serious repercussions. The government and the public will have to come together to implement long term, holistic measures to ensure that our future generations can lead healthy lives.”

• Director General Office

Distrito participó en el 'Global Progressive Forum 2021' sobre sostenibilidad

Con la participación de la secretaria de Ambiente, Carolina Urrutia, se llevó a cabo el seminario web “Comunidades locales por un mundo sostenible”, en el marco del “Global Progressive Forum 2021”, un espacio en el que se habló sobre la importancia y los beneficios de la implementación de la economía circular en las ciudades para el bienestar de las personas, el planeta y la economía misma. El foro inició con un dato relevante: el 92 % de los recursos del mundo, como metales, plásticos, madera, productos químicos, entre otros, se utilizan una vez, en un solo producto, antes de ser desechados. “La alcaldesa Claudia López ha insistido en la necesidad de cambiar hábitos en todos los aspectos, como personas, organizaciones y, por supuesto, entidades mediante políticas públicas”, resaltó la secretaria de Ambiente. Así mismo, durante la transmisión, se destacaron algunos retos que tiene Bogotá de frente al cambio climático y la pandemia como la gestión de residuos sólidos, que es el tercer contribuidor de las emisiones de gases efecto invernadero de la ciudad; transporte limpio como primera opción para movilizarse; uso eficiente de los recursos como la tierra, la energía y el agua; y, por último, la creación de trabajos verdes. “En Bogotá estamos trabajando en la construcción de una estrategia más amplia de economía circular y crecimiento verde, que le dé a la ciudad más oportunidades para reactivarse económicamente, sin impactar al medioambiente”, afirmó la secretaria Urrutia. La secretaria Urrutia explicó además que en el caso particular de Bogotá, la autoridad ambiental viene trabajando con el sector privado y poniendo en marcha diferentes iniciativas que promueven un nuevo modelo de economía como el Programa de Gestión Empresarial, las estrategias de separación en la fuente y consumo sostenible, y la promoción de proyectos constructivos responsables con el ambiente. Estas estrategias tienen como fin avanzar en la gran meta de la Administración de la alcaldesa Claudia López de hacer una adecuada disposición adecuada de más de 43 millones de toneladas (t) de residuos peligrosos e incorporar 11 millones de t de desechos en las cadenas productivas. Por último, los panelistas concluyeron que la economía circular no solo reduciría los impactos negativos de la economía lineal, sino que también traería oportunidades comerciales y económicas con beneficios ambientales y sociales a las ciudades. Este evento contó con la participación de Gunter Pauli, economista y autor del libro “La economía azul”; Sunita Narain, directora general de la sede en India del Instituto de Investigación "Centro para la ciencia y el medioambiente" y directora de la Sociedad de Comunicaciones Ambientales; Paul Magnette, alcalde de Charleroi, Bélgica; y la secretaria de Ambiente de Bogotá, Carolina Urrutia.

• DTE - Web

River water quality in India did not improve during the COVID lockdowns, says CSE’s new statistical analysis

Indian has 39 glaciers and water bodies that are melting fast and have recorded more than 40 per cent increase in water levels since 2009. The states at high risk are Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir. In October 2020, 136 glaciers had indicated an increase in area by 20 per cent over the 2009-levels, putting other states like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Sikkim and West Bengal at risk. These statistics—brought to light in an e-publication released here on World Environment Day by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)—underline the ever-present and growing danger melting glaciers pose as climate change alters the natural balance violently and drastically. 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 busts the popular belief that the pandemic has been universally good for rivers. It says, “The water quality of India’s 19 major rivers did not improve significantly during the COVID-19 lockdown. While Ganga and four other rivers became dirtier, the water quality in another seven rivers remained unchanged. Only four of the rivers showed a 100 per cent compliance with the primary water quality criteria for outdoor bathing during pre-lockdown and lockdown period.” 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.” Says Richard Mahapatra, managing editor of Down To Earth, “Forewarned is forearmed. We must pay heed to these statistics and monitor at-risk glaciers closely to avoid a repeat of disasters like the ones in Kedarnath in 2013 and Chamoli in 2021.” Says Narain about the publication: “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 making.” She adds: “Data collection is important—it is part of the art of governance—but it is equally important that entire data sets are shared and worked upon so that they can be critiqued and through this process used and improved upon.”

• Down To Earth

Heavy rain triggers urban deluge in Bhubaneswar, exposes city's shoddy monsoon preparedness

Residents were left to fend for themselves as drain-water gushed in through their houses in Nayapalli, Behera Sahi and other residential areas. BHUBANESWAR: Heavy rain since Tuesday night caused water-logging in several parts of Bhubaneswar and affected normal life across the city on Wednesday morning. The brief spell of rain at regular intervals also exposed shoddy monsoon preparedness in the Smart City that had been adjudged fourth-best State Capital in the Ease of Living Index released by the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last week. Residents were left to fend for themselves as drain-water gushed in through their houses in Nayapalli, Behera Sahi and other residential areas. A flood-like situation occurred at Chintamaniswar area of the city where water started overflowing drains in the morning. With the drainage system of the city proving ineffective, most of the low-lying areas in the city remained inundated in the stormwater for hours. The perennial problem of waterlogging also gripped Acharya Vihar, Bomikhal, Rasulgarh, Old Town, Bhimatangi and many other parts. People who stepped out of home for marketing during the relaxation period of the lockdown were seen wading through knee-deep water on the approach roads to reach markets in many parts of the city. The usual sight of urban flooding on NH 16 and its service road in front of Iskcon temple at Nayapalli during monsoon also resurfaced after the early morning showers. Vehicles were seen negotiating with waist-deep water on the service road of the NH as the stretch remained water-logged for more than an hour. Apart from Iskcon road, most parts of Gajapati Nagar in Ward no -12 also remained water-logged till 8.30 am. "The residential area remained flooded as internal drains in the locality continue to remain chocked. Besides, there is unauthorised construction over drains everywhere. We have flagged the issue several times. However, the civic body is yet to act," said BK Dash, a resident from the locality. At least eight complaints related to water-logging were received by the multi-agency control room of the civic body. BMC drainage division engineer Goutam Chandra Das said that pump sets were used in at least 14 low-lying areas of the city to clear water logging. "We have already deployed pump sets in 27 vulnerable points of the city that are prone to water-logging," Das said. BMC officials claimed that the water-logging problem was addressed immediately as they had carried desiltation of the 10 major strom water drainage channels on a priority by mid-June. The Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre officials said around 78 mm precipitation was recorded at in the state Capital till 7 am. They said thundershower and rainfall activities are likely to continue in the city this week. Locals said as more rain is expected in the coming days, things may turn worse if the encroachments are not cleared.

• Down To Earth

Three parks coming up in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to give a boost to the recreational facilities in the Capital city, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has decided to construct three new parks with an expenditure of Rs 87 lakh. As per sources, the BDA has invited tenders from bidders to set up the parks at three locations – Kalinga Nagar, Dumduma Housing Board Colony and Laxmisagar. While construction at Kalinga Nagar is estimated to be Rs 15.42 lakh, the Dumduma and Laxmisagar projects are set to cost the development authority Rs 29.27 lakh and Rs 42.71 lakh respectively. “Tenders have been invited from interested parties for construction of these three parks. The deadline for completion of the projects is 60 days from the date of commencement of the construction works. The parks will have state-of-art facilities such as open gymnasium, jogging tracks and rainwater harvesting facilities. The entire process including the

• Down To Earth

Bengaluru Ranks On Top As Most Livable City in India

The report determined the ease of living index score on a scale of 100 through four parameters– citizen's perceptions, economic ability, quality of life, and sustainability. Bengaluru scored 66.7, followed by Chennai at 62.61. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has named Bengaluru the most livable city in India. The result was published in their 'State of India's Environment in Figures 2021' report on June 16. The cities to occupy the next five positions were Chennai, Shimla, Bhubaneshwar, Mumbai, and Delhi. Only three state capitals were ranked among the top ten livable cities. The report determined the ease of living index score on a scale of 100 through four parameters — citizen's perceptions, economic ability, quality of life, and sustainability — reported The News Minute. Bengaluru obtained a hefty score of 66.7, followed by Chennai at 62.61. Best and Worst Performers: By Each Parameter However, each of these parameters, too, had individual best and worst performers. For example, in the quality-of-life parameter, Chennai scored the highest (60.84), but in the parameter of economic ability, the highest was scored by Bengaluru (78.82). Similarly, in the parameter of citizen's perception, the highest scorer was Bhubaneshwar (94.8), but Bengaluru's score (78) was not impressive in this parameter. The worst capital city in this category was Delhi, merely scoring 69.4. Highlighted Issues The report also addressed the lack of economic opportunities in these capitals as a matter of immediate concern. Bengaluru is the only state capital that showed a favourable economic ability, scoring 78.82 in the parameter. The other state capitals that demonstrated moderate economic ability were Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. All the other cities scored less than 30 in this parameter. Advertisement Another issue that the report highlighted was the deplorable percentage of sewage treatment in these cities. Only 28% of the generated sewage is treated. The report said, "The states and Union territories (UTs) of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland do not treat sewage in their cities at all." Citizen's Perception The first edition of this index was published in 2018, followed by the second edition this year. However, this is the first time that it has included the citizen's perception parameter. Interestingly, despite scoring poorly in all the other parameters, the state capitals obtained high scores in the citizen's feedback parameter.

• Down To Earth

Bhopal on the second position in quality of life index

BHOPAL: In terms of state capital-wise quality of life index Bhopal has attained the second position according to a survey of CSE (Centre for Science and Environment) India. In terms of ease of living index Bhopal has obtained seventh position among all other state capitals in the country. It has got the seventh position in that too though. Shimla got the third position in ease of living index. Urban Administration Minister Bhupendra Singh expressed happiness over Bhopalís getting seventh position in quality of life index and in ease of living index.

• Down To Earth

गुड गवर्नेंस में भोपाल को मिला पहला स्थान

भोपाल (Bhopal) . मध्य प्रदेश की राजधानी भोपाल (Bhopal) के नाम एक और उपलब्धि जुड़ गई है. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट (सीएसई) की ओर से जारी सुशासन के मानकों की सूची में भोपाल (Bhopal) पहले नंबर आ गया है. सभी राज्यों की राजधानियों में भोपाल (Bhopal) को पहला स्थान मिला है, जबकि छत्तीसगढ़ (Chhattisgarh) की राजधानी रायपुर (Raipur) (Raipur) को दूसरा स्थान मिला है. वहीं देश में रहने लायक शहरों की सूची में भोपाल (Bhopal) 7वें नंबर पर भोपाल (Bhopal) है. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट ने सुशासन की सूची में भोपाल (Bhopal) को पहले स्थान पर रखा है. भोपाल (Bhopal) को 56.26 नंबर मिले. जबकि क्वालिटी आफ लाइफ के मामले में भोपाल (Bhopal) को सबसे अधिक नंबर (57.92) मिले हैं. यह सभी राज्यों की राजधानियो में नंबर-वन पर है. जबकि सिटीजन परसेप्शन सर्वे में भोपाल (Bhopal) को 78.5 नंबर मिले हैं. देश में रहने लायक (ईज ऑफ लिविंग इंडेक्स 2020) शहरों में 7वें नंबर पर भी भोपाल (Bhopal) है. कर्नाटक (Karnataka) की राजधानी बेंगलुरू (Bengaluru) देश के रहने लायक शहरों में नंबर वन पर है. जबकि उसके बाद चेन्नई (Chennai), शिमला, भुवनेश्वर (Bhubaneswar) , मुंबई (Mumbai) , दिल्ली का नंबर आता है. ईज ऑफ लिविंग इंडेक्स पर किसी भी राज्?य की राजधानी को नंबर देने के लिए चार मापदंडों का उपयोग किया गया था. जिनमें क्वालिटी ऑफ लाइफ, इकोनॉमिक एबिलिटी, सस्टेनेबिलिटी और सिटिजंस परसेप्शन शामिल है. गुणवत्ता के आधार पर होता है सर्वे सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट ने सुशासन की सूची में पहले स्थान पर मध्य प्रदेश की राजधानी भोपाल (Bhopal) को रखा गया है. शहरों की शासन रैंकिंग की गुणवत्ता के लिए, 5 मापदंडों का उपयोग किया गया, जिनमें सेवाएं, वित्त, प्रौद्योगिकी, शहरी नियोजन और समग्र शासन शामिल थे.

• Down To Earth

रायपुर: सुशासन में छत्तीसगढ़ की राजधानी रायपुर को दूसरा स्थान

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट द्वारा ईज ऑफ लिविंग इंडेक्स 2020 जारी किया गया है। इस रिपोर्ट में बताया गया है कि, राज्य की राजधानी भारत के सबसे अधिक रहने योग्य शहरों में

• Down To Earth

Smart City Bhubaneswar Tops In Citizen Perception Survey On Ease Of Living

Bhubaneswar: Smart City Bhubaneswar has done it again! It has come as the fourth-ranked city among the top 10 Livable Capital Cities in the entire nation. Interestingly, Temple City has topped in the Citizen Perception Survey with the highest score of 94.8 out of 100, said an official press release. As per the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE’s) Ease of Living Index Report, 2020, Bengaluru is the Top-1 Livable Capital City in India followed by Chennai, Shimla and Bhubaneswar. Four parameters were used to determine the score on the Ease of Living Index: quality of life, economic ability, sustainability and citizens’ perceptions. The cities were given scores on all four parameters out of 100. However, the index did not rank four capital cities: Dispur, Daman, Amaravati and Kolkata in the survey. Among the top-scoring capital cities under Citizen Perception Survey, while the State Capital has scored the highest rank with 94.8 percentage, under Ease of Living Index, it has put cities like Mumbai and Delhi behind. While Bhubaneswar has scored 59.85 in the Ease of Living Index, Mumbai and Delhi have scored 58.23 and 57.56 respectively. However, Bengaluru, Chennai and Shimla were above Bhubaneswar with a score of 66.7, 62.61 and 60.90 respectively. The Ease of Living Index Report 2020 of CSE presents itself as an evaluation tool that reflects the ease of living in Indian cities. It seeks to examine the impact of urban development programs and the quality of life and economic and social opportunities available to the citizens. It measures the ease of living across three pillars: Quality of Life, Economic Ability, and Sustainability. The index is further strengthened by a fourth pillar, the Citizen Perception Survey, which aims to obtain and incorporate views of the citizens regarding the services provided by their city administration. The pillar-wise scores help cities assess their level of development and identify existing gaps that obstruct their growth. The Ease of Living Index promotes healthy competition through rankings and incentivizes them to improve further and even emulate the best practices from their peer cities. “We will be doing much more with the participation of the citizens to provide better living standards for all our citizens and also to project city’s performances at all the fronts to make its stand more national and global in future days,” said BMC Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Singh. MASSIVE CAMPAIGN It can be noted here that the Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited in collaboration with BMC and BDA during February 2020 has carried out a massive drive by organizing campaigns through educational institutions, kiosks at the ongoing Park Utsav venues, talk shows organized at city-based FM radio stations, Social Media campaigns, SMS campaigns, volunteers carrying placards in order to motivate public in public places, slum dwellers’ involvement through Peer Leaders (Pragati Sathis) and hoardings at strategic locations to boost the Ease of Living Citizens Perception Survey across the city. The citizens also participated in great numbers. It can be mentioned here that through a similar multi-prong strategy thousands took part in various Citizen-centric responses during the Smart City Challenge during 2015-’16 and the Smart City Proposal of Bhubaneswar became the Number One in the nation with its child-friendly outlook. It has been noted that citizens of the Temple City are always participating in the national surveys with renewed enthusiasm and it has also resulted in the proactive participation of the officials and administrators in the city development work with an inclusive approach to benefit all groups, economic sections, socio-social strata in disseminating the benefits of urban governance.

• Down To Earth

Bengaluru tops the list of most livable cities; Chennai second, Delhi at sixth place

In the latest study by the Centre For Science and Environment titled 'State of India’s Environment in Figures 2021' India's IT Capital Bengaluru tops the list as most livable city. In four different parameters set by the CSE to determine ease of living index, Bengaluru received a 66.7% and gained the top slot. The city is followed by its neighbour Chennai, and Shimla. From quality of life to economic ability, sustainability and citizens’ perceptions, Bengaluru has a fair share in all these parameters and hence has been placed on top by the Centre For Science and Environment as a number one city in its ease of index for living study, 'State of India’s Environment in Figures 2021'. The study was taken up in ten cities in India Neighboring Chennai also has a decent share and hence is placed second while Shimla occupies 3rd spot and Bhubaneswar comes behind the hill station region. In the first parameter of decent economic ability, Bengaluru scored 78.82% out of 100. Whereas Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad were only able to provide middle income opportunities. This score is what catapulted IT capital on top of the chart despite scoring little less on other parameters. In terms of quality of life parameters, Chennai tops as it scored most with 68.84% while Bengaluru received 55.67% and Shimla scored 53.04% and Bhubaneswar scored 51.79%. Bhubaneshwar city however edged past Bengaluru, Chennai and Shimla when it came to citizen's perception criteria as it scored 94.8%. While Bengaluru received 78%, Chennai got 82.5% and Shimla scored 83.39%. National capital Delhi pushed to sixth spot The national capital sprung a surprise as Delhi ranked sixth on the list with an overall rating of 57.56%. It ranked as the worst capital in the perception of 'citizens surveyed' as it scored only 69.4%. In terms of decent economic ability and providing middle-income opportunity Delhi scored 50.73%; 51.22% in the quality of life category and 56.02% in sustainability. In terms of sustainability in which elements like environment, green spaces and buildings, energy consumption and city resilience are taken into consideration for scoring, Bengaluru scored 59.97%, Chennai 57.07%, Shimla 69.16%, and Bhubaneswar scored 57.77%. Mumbai fares better than Delhi Mumbai City takes the fifth spot below Bhubaneshwar. The city in parameters like quality of life scored 51.12%, scored 32.12% in economic ability, 60.74% in sustainability and reported 77.9% in citizen's perception survey. How the below-mentioned cities are placed in overall ranking list: Bengaluru-66.7% Chennai-62.61% Shimla-60.09% Bhubaneshwar-59.85% Mumbai-58.23% Delhi-57.56% The criteria for weightage in the study is each category is distributed as 35% for quality of life, 15% for economic ability, 20% for sustainability and 30% for citizen's perception which is a new addition in 2021. The report also states the pathetic condition of sewage treatment in Indian cities and pointed out that only 28% of sewage is being treated overall and in some Union Territories and States, sewage is not treated at all. As per reports, CSE director Sunita Narain, was quoted as saying after releasing the e-book “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. The numbers in the case of Indian cities clearly suggest that the direction of development in them is unsustainable.” She also stressed on effective data management for better planning of projects and policymaking. “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-making,” a reported Narin as saying.

• Down To Earth

Liveability Index: रहने के लिहाज से सबसे बेहतर शहर है बंगलुरु, शीर्ष पांच में नहीं मिली दिल्ली को जगह

देश में रहने के लिहाज से सबसे बेहतर शहरों की सूची में बंगलुरु शीर्ष पर है। बंगलुरु के बाद सूची में चेन्नई, शिमला, भुवनेश्वर और मुंबई का नाम है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) की ओर से जारी की गई इस नई रिपोर्ट में देश की राष्ट्रीय राजधानी दिल्ली शीर्ष पांच शहरों में भी जगह नहीं बना पाई। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की ओर से जारी की गई स्टेट ऑफ इंडियाज एनवायरनमेंट इन फिगर्स-2021 की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, किसी भी राज्य की राजधानी को नंबर देने के लिए चार मापदंडों का उपयोग किया गया था। इसमें जिंदगी जीने के तरीका, कमाने की क्षमता, स्थिरता और नागरिकों की धारणा को मापदंड बनाया गया। इस रिपोर्ट में में शहरों को 100 में से सभी चार मापदंडों पर स्कोर दिया गया था। चारों मापदंडों की स्कोरिंग के बाद आईटी हब यानी बंगलुरु शीर्ष पर रहा। पहले मापदंड कमाने की क्षमता वाले शहरों की सूची में बंगलुरु को 100 में से 78.82 फीसदी स्कोर किया, जबकि दिल्ली, मुंबई, चेन्नई और हैदराबाद केवल मध्यम आय के अवसर प्रदान करने में सक्षम नजर आए। वहीं अगर गुणवत्तापूर्ण जीवन जीने के तरीके की बात की जाए, तो चेन्नई ने 68.84 फीसदी के साथ सबसे ऊपर, जबकि बंगलुरु 55.67 फीसदी, शिमला ने 53.04 फीसदी और भुवनेश्वर ने 51.79 फीसदी अंक प्राप्त किए।

• Down To Earth

Bangalore Best City To Live In India With Highest Economic Ability, Delhi In 6th Place

Are you thinking about moving to a new city? A lot of people face confusion while thinking of moving. There are many factors that have to be kept in mind – the cost of living, job opportunities, safety, public transport availability and expenses, etc. However, a recent report released by the Centre of Science and Environment might put your confusion at ease. However, Delhi occupies 6th place on the list. 4 important areas were used as parameters for the study to conclude the liveability of the cities. These were quality of live, economic ability, sustainability and citizens’ perception. They were scored out of 100. Overall, Bengaluru had the highest score. But in terms of quality of life and sustainability, it was behind Chennai and Shimla, respectively. Even though for Chennai, the scores for quality of life and citizens’ perception were higher, it had a significantly low score of economic ability.

• Down To Earth

India ranks 117th on 17 SDGs of UN’s 2030 Agenda: Report

The State of India’s Environment Report 2021 on June 6, 2021, released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed that India’s rank slipped two places from last year to rank 117th on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted as a part of the 2030 agenda by 193 United Nations Member States in 2015. Last year, India ranked 115th and slipped by two places this year owing to major SDGs that remain unfulfilled in the country such as SDG 2: Ending hunger and achieving food security, SDG 5: Achieving gender equality, and SDG 9: Building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation. The report further stated that India’s overall SDG score is 61.9 out of 100, and it ranks below four South Asian countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The report also mentioned that Bihar and Jharkhand are the least prepared states in the country to be able to meet the SDGs by 2030, the target year. Bihar lags in seven of the SDGs while Jharkhand lags in five. Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, and Kerala are the states/UTs with the best overall score which are on track to achieving the SDGs. Environmental Performance Index (EPI): India As per the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2020 report by Yale University, India ranked 168 out of 180 countries. The EPI is calculated on indicators such as biodiversity, sanitation and drinking water, air pollution, climate, environmental health, ecosystem services, etc. India ranked 172 in the environmental health category of the EPI, which indicates how well the country is guarding its population against environmental health risks. India’s rank was 148 while Pakistan’s rank was 127 in the biodiversity and habitat category, the indicator to assess actions taken by countries towards protecting biodiversity and retaining natural ecosystems. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development The United Nations Member States in 2015 adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that provides a blueprint for prosperity and peace for plants and people, in the present and the future. The 2030 Agenda comprises 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets. The 17 SDGs are: SDG 1: No Poverty SDG 2: Zero Hunger SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being SDG 4: Quality Education SDG 5: Gender Equality SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production SDG 13: Climate Action SDG 14: Life Below Water SDG 15: Life on Land SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Down To Earth

बेंगलूरु टॉप पर, गांधीनगर और जयपुर से बेहतर है रायपुर

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट ने जारी की रिपोर्ट सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट ने शनिवार को ईज ऑफ लिविंग इंडेक्स 2020 जारी किया है। इसमें छत्तीसगढ़ की राजधानी रायपुर देश के टॉप 10 रहने योग्य राजधानियों में आठवें स्थान पर है। इस रिपोर्ट बताया गया है कि किन राज्यों की राजधानी देश के सबसे अधिक रहने योग्य शहरों में से हैं। ईज ऑफ लिविंग इंडेक्स पर स्कोर निर्धारित करने के लिए चार मापदंडों का उपयोग किया गया था। इसमें जीवन की गुणवत्ता, आर्थिक क्षमता, स्थिरता और नागरिकों की धारणा शामिल थे। रिपोर्ट में भारत के राज्यों की राजधानियां उस राज्य के विकास का एक अच्छा संकेत दे रही हैं। टॉप 10 राजधानी इस प्रकार हैं- 1. बेंगलूरु 2. चेन्नई 3. शिमला <strong>4. भुवनेश्वर< 5. मुंबई 6.नई दिल्ली 7. भोपाल 8. रायपुर 9. गांधीनगर 10. जयपुर