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City schools mark World Environment Day online

Noida: Schools in Noida on Wednesday came together online to celebrate World Environment Day. Principals, students and teachers from various schools participated in exchanges on the need to conserve nature and build sustainable schools to help improve the ecosystem of the academic buildings. “Schools should be the first place where children learn to conserve the elements and on this day we want to encourage all students to actively take charge of conservation of land, water and air,” said Preeti Sanghwan, principal of Cambridge School. “This is the first such city-wide event after months of lockdown and online classes, meeting of minds and exchange of ideas is important,” she said. The event was also attended by members of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

India's rural districts accounted for every second Covid death, 53% new cases in May: Report

A report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has revealed that rural districts accounted for 52 per cent of all Covid-19 deaths and 53 per cent of all new cases recorded in the country in May of this year. Community health centres in rural India need 76 per cent more doctors: CSE report Efforts on to revamp mechanism to report Covid cases, deaths in rural India, said sources Won't know real number of Covid deaths until civil registration system is adopted: Dr Chandrakant Lahariya The pandemic has exposed the healthcare system in rural India, where the crisis of Covid-19 is largely a silent one. In May, six districts in rural India accounted for over 52 per cent of deaths due to Covid-19 and 53 per cent of all new cases of infection. "While the abysmal state of preparedness in urban India has been in the limelight, a more distressing scenario is emerging from the rural hinterland," says a new statistical report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). New Delhi-based CSE is a not-for-profit public interest research and advocacy organisation. Dismal condition of primary healthcare The report -- State of India's Environment in Figures 2021 -- says community health centres in rural India need 76 per cent more doctors, 56 per cent more radiographers and 35 per cent more lab technicians, underscoring the serious shortage of healthcare professionals in primary healthcare setups. "One of the key pieces of information that is emerging is that, in the second wave, India has been the worst hit globally and rural India has been hit more badly than our urban areas," said Richard Mahapatra. Mahapatra, in addition to being the author of the report, is also the managing editor of the fortnightly magazine Down To Earth. "In May this year, India alone accounted for more than half of the daily global cases on six days. The peak was due to a surge in cases in rural districts," Richard Mahapatra said. Government sources have told India Today that an attempt is underway to revamp the mechanism to report Covid-19 cases and mortality, specifically in rural India. Testing and mortality data, which is being shared with the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), will be further bifurcated into 'rural and urban areas', indicate sources. The data was earlier being shared in a state-district format. The havoc wreaked in rural India by the second wave of Covid-19 infections prompted authorities to take this decision in order to better understand the spread of the virus. Economic impact and recovery The economic impacts of the pandemic have been and will continue to be very severe, says Rajit Sengupta, one of the key authors of the report. "The pandemic's spread to fragile rural districts means that the country will take longer to recover. This is likely to slow down the GDP growth next year," writes Sengupta. advertisement Urban unemployment rate climbed to nearly 15 per cent in May 2021. On the other hand, several states and UTs were found lagging in payment of dues under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh accounted for most delays in payment. Migrant crisis escalates Underscoring the migrant crisis, Sunita Narain said, "Data on migrants is sparse -- and so every time there is a lockdown, governments are caught unprepared by the exodus from cities." Narain, who is Director of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), adds, "This is compounded by the fact that there is out-migration - people are leaving their homes because of many reasons of economic and ecological distress, including extreme weather and natural disasters." 'Covid has caused excess mortality in rural India' Mortality rate in rural India is 7 per 1,000 population per year, says public policy expert Dr Chandrakant Lahariya. This means that in a village of a thousand people, there would be one death every two months, he adds. "We know that in the month of April-May, if there was more than one death [in such villages], it was a case of excess mortality. There have been many villages which we know where there have been three or four deaths. That is an indicator of excess mortality that Covid has caused more deaths than officially reported," says Dr Lahariya.

Celebs who are doing their bit for the environment

Nandita Das has actively participated in spreading awareness about water conservation. She’s used her platform to spread information and talk of ways one can contribute in their daily lives. She also collaborated with the Centre for Science and Environment to spread awareness about the conservation of water and spoke of how reckless usage today can cause a crisis tomorrow. reckless usage today can cause a crisis tomorrow.

ভারতের গ্রামীণ অঞ্চলে প্রতি সেকেন্ড ৫৩% Corona আক্রান্ত : রিপোর্ট

নিজস্ব প্রতিবেদন: করোনার দ্বিতীয় ঢেউয়ে কী অবস্থা দেশের গ্রামীণ অঞ্চলের? সেই প্রশ্নের উত্তর খুঁজতে গিয়ে মে মাসের শেষে যে রিপোর্ট হাতে এসেছে, তা আঁতকে ওঠার মতো! মে মাসে ভারতের প্রত্যন্ত গ্রামীণ অঞ্চলে প্রতি সেকেন্ডে আক্রান্ত হয়েছে ৫৩ শতাংশ। মৃত্যু হয়েছে ৫২ শতাংশের। Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) একটি পরিসংখ্যান প্রকাশ করেছে, যেখানে বলা হয়েছে, "যদিও শহুরে অস্বাভাবিক বেসামাল পরিস্থিতি চর্চার মধ্যে রয়েছে, কিন্তু গ্রামীণ উপকূলীয় অঞ্চলের কী অবস্থা সে সম্পর্কে খুব বেশি তথ্য প্রকাশ্যে আসে না। সম্প্রতি এই রিপোর্ট জানা গিয়েছে, একাধিক গ্রামে-গঞ্জে আরও এক ধাপ বেশি খারাপ পরিস্থিতি তৈরি হয়েছিল মে মাসে।" রিপোর্ট জানাচ্ছে, করোনা মোকাবিলায় গ্রামীণ অঞ্চলে প্রয়োজন আরও ৭৬ শতাংশ ডাক্তার সঙ্গে ৫৬ শতাংশ radiographers এবং ৩৫ শতাংশ ল্যাব টেকনিশিয়ান। ঘাটতি রয়েছে প্রাথমিক স্বাস্থ্য ক্ষেত্রে। বলা হচ্ছে, করোনার দ্বিতীয় ঢেউয়ে গোটা বিশ্ব জেরবার। তার পাশাপাশি করোনা আগ্রাসন বেশি গ্রামীণ অঞ্চলে। মে মাসে অবস্থা আরও শোচনীয় হয়ে ওঠে। দেখা গিয়েছে, বিশ্বে দৈনিক সংক্রমণ সংখ্যা যত, ৬ দিনে তার অর্ধেক ভারতের গ্রামীণ অঞ্চলের মানুষ আক্রান্ত হয়েছেন । রিপোর্টে বলা হয়েছে, করোনার কারণে মে মাসে শহরে ১৫ শতাংশ মানুষ রোজগার হারিয়েছেন। পাশাপাশি, জম্মু ও কাশ্মীর, বিহার, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ এবং উত্তরপ্রদেশে একাধিক মানুষের বেতন বন্ধ হয়ে গিয়েছে।

2021 లాక్‌డౌన్‌తో కొంత‌మేర‌కే కాలుష్య‌స్థాయిలో త‌గ్గుద‌ల‌: సీఎస్ఈ

న్యూఢిల్లీ: 2019 డిసెంబ‌ర్‌లో చైనాలోని వూహాన్‌లో క‌రోనా మ‌హ‌మ్మారి వెలుగుచూసింది. అది కొద్దినెల‌ల్లోనే ప్ర‌పంచాన్ని చుట్టేసింది. దీనికి అడ్డుక‌ట్ట వేసేందుకు లాక్‌డౌన్ త‌ప్ప‌నిస‌రైంది. లాక్‌డౌన్‌వ‌ల్ల సామాన్య జ‌నం, వ‌ల‌స‌కూలీలు అవ‌స్థ‌లుప‌డ్డా క‌రోనా క‌ట్ట‌డి సాధ్య‌మైంది. అలాగే, ప‌ర్యావ‌ర‌ణానికి మేలు జ‌రిగింది. వాతావ‌ర‌ణంలో కాలుష్య‌స్థాయిలు గ‌ణ‌నీయంగా త‌గ్గాయి. కాగా, గ‌తేడాది లాక్‌డౌన్‌తో పోల్చితే ఈ ఏడాది లాక్‌డౌన్ వ‌ల్ల కొంత‌మేర‌కే కాలుష్య‌స్థాయిలో త‌గ్గుద‌ల క‌నిపించింది. ఈ విష‌యాన్నిసెంటర్ ఫర్ సైన్స్ అండ్ ఎన్విరాన్‌మెంట్ (సీఎస్ఈ) విడుదల చేసిన ఒక నివేదికలో వెల్లడించింది. ఢిల్లీకి చెందిన సీఎస్ఈ సంస్థ రెండేళ్ల‌లో విధించిన లాక్‌డౌన్ల స‌మ‌యంలో గాలి నాణ్య‌త‌ను విశ్లేషించింది. అనంత‌రం కాలుష్య‌స్థాయిల‌ను పోల్చి, నివేదిక రూపొందించింది. 2021లో విధించిన లాక్‌డౌన్ 2.5 పీఎం (పార్టిక్యులేట్ మ్యాట‌ర్‌) కాలుష్య‌స్థాయి 20శాతం త‌గ్గించ‌గ‌లిగింద‌ని వెల్ల‌డించింది. అయితే, 2020 ఏప్రిల్-మేతో పోల్చితే ఈ ఏడాది ఏప్రిల్-మే నెలల్లో 2.5 పీఎం కాలుష్య కారకాల సగటు స్థాయి ఎక్కువగా ఉంద‌ని తేల్చింది. సాధార‌ణ సంవ‌త్స‌రాల‌తో పోలిస్తే ఈ లాక్‌డౌన్ విధించిన సంవ‌త్స‌రాల్లో ప‌ర్యావ‌ర‌ణానికి మేలు జ‌రిగింద‌ని సీఎస్ఈ వెల్ల‌డించింది.

India slips two spots to rank 117 on 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted as 2030 agenda: Report

India's rank has slipped by two places from last year to 117 on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted as a part of the 2030 agenda by 193 United Nations member states in 2015. India's rank has slipped by two places from last year to 117 on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted as a part of the 2030 agenda by 193 United Nations member states in 2015, a new report has said. The State of India's Environment Report 2021 revealed that India's rank was 115 last year and dropped by two places primarily because major challenges like ending hunger and achieving food security (SDG 2), achieving gender equality (SDG 5) and building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation (SDG 9) remain in the country. India ranks below four South Asian countries India ranks below four South Asian countries -- Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, it said. The overall SDG score of India is 61.9 out of 100. Elaborating state-wise preparedness, the report said Jharkhand and Bihar are the least prepared to meet the SDGs by 2030, which is the target year. While Jharkhand lags in five of the SDGs, Bihar lags in seven. It said the states/UTs with the best overall score which are on the path to achieving the SDGs are Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, was adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, which provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. advertisement There are 17 SDGs which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. The 17 SDGs adopted by UN member states are SDG1- no poverty, SDG 2-zero hunger, SDG3-good health and well-being, SDG4- 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 and lastly SDG 17- strengthening global partnerships for the goals. India ranked 168 out of 180 countries in terms of EPI The report also said that India ranked 168 out of 180 countries in terms of Environmental Performance Index (EPI) which is calculated on various indicators, including environmental health, climate, air pollution, sanitation and drinking water, ecosystem services, biodiversity, etc. India's rank was 172 in the environmental health category, which is an indicator of how well countries are protecting their populations from environmental health risks. According to the EPI 2020 report by Yale University, India ranked 148, 21 positions behind Pakistan which was at 127th position in the category of biodiversity and habitat which assesses countries' actions toward retaining natural ecosystems and protecting the full range of biodiversity within their borders.

DATA STORY: बीते 15 में से 12 साल रहे सबसे गर्म, सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट की रिपोर्ट

नई दिल्ली, अनुराग मिश्र। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट की रिपोर्ट में सामने आया है कि भारत में 2006 और 2020 के समय में 15 में से 12 सबसे गर्म साल दर्ज किए है। यह रिकॉर्ड अपने आप में सबसे गर्म दशक का था। दुनिया में 76 फीसदी आंतरिक विस्थापन जलवायु परिवर्तन की वजह से पैदा हुए थे। साल 2007 और 2020 के बीच बाढ़, भूकंप, चक्रवात और सूखे की वजह से लगभग 3.73 मिलियन लोग विस्थापित हुए थे। ग्रामीण भारत अधिक आया कोरोना की चपेट में सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट की रिपोर्ट में सामने आया है कि ग्रामीण भारत शहरी क्षेत्रों की तुलना में ज्यादा बहुत बुरी तरह कोरोना की चपेट में आया। कोरोना की दूसरी लहर में शहरी क्षेत्र की तुलना में ग्रामीण क्षेत्र कोरोना की जद में अधिक आया। रिपोर्ट में सलाह दी गई है कि ग्रामीण भारत में कम्युनिटी हेल्थ सेंटर को मजबूत करने की आवश्यकता है। यहां पर 76 फीसदी अधिक डॉक्टर, 56 प्रतिशत अधिक रेडियोग्राफर और 35 प्रतिशत अधिक लैब टेक्नीशियन की जरूरत है। तापमान बढ़ने से क्या हो रहे नुकसान पृथ्वी का तापमान लगातार बढ़ते रहने के कारण वर्षा, अतिविषमताओं, ग्लेशियर पिघलने एवं समुद्र स्तर वृद्धि की दर एवं पैटर्न में लगातार परिवर्तन होते रहे हैं। वर्ष 1993-2017 के दौरान उत्तरी हिन्द महासागर के समुद्र स्तर में प्रति वर्ष 3.3 मिमी की दर से बढ़ोतरी हुई है, जो वैश्विक माध्य के सदृश है। वैसे तो उत्तरी हिन्द महासागर में वृद्धि में उष्मीय विस्तार ने प्रमुख भूमिका निभाई है, वहीं समुद्री स्तर में वृद्धि का प्रमुख कारण ग्लेशियर का पिघलना रहा है। तापमान में कथित वृद्धि के कारण प्राकृतिक आपदाओं का जोखिम काफी बढ़ गया है। वैसे तो जलवायु परिवर्तन वैश्विक है, लेकिन जलवायु में होने वाले परिवर्तन पूरी पृथ्वी पर एक समान नहीं होते हैं, इसलिए प्राकृतिक आपदाओं का जोखिम भी पूरी दुनिया में अलग-अलग होता है। उदाहरण के लिए, वैश्विक औसत की तुलना में आर्कटिक तापमान में काफी तेजी से वृद्धि हो रही है। पूरी दुनिया में समुद्री स्तर की दर में बहुत महत्वपूर्ण वृद्धि हुई है। वैश्विक महासागर के गर्म होने तथा हिम एवं ग्लेशियर पिघलने का एक परिणाम यह हुआ है कि समुद्र स्तर के औसत में बढ़ोतरी हो रही है। समुद्र स्तर में वृद्धि के कारण अधिक जनसंख्या वाली तटीय आबादियों तथा विश्व की निचली सतह वाले द्वीपसमूहों पर स्थित देशों पर काफी अधिक दबाव पड़ सकता है। हिन्द महासागर वाले क्षेत्र में काफी अधिक जनसंख्या है, इसमें बहुत से निचली सतह वाले द्वीपसमूह तथा तटीय क्षेत्र है तथा भरपूर मात्रा में समुद्री पारितंत्र है। हिन्द महासागर के आसपास के क्षेत्रों में लगभग 2.6 अरब लोग रहते हैं, जो विश्व की 40 प्रतिशत जनसंख्या के बराबर है। एक तिहाई भारतीय जनसंख्या तथा अधिकांश एशियाई जनसंख्या तटीय क्षेत्रों में स्थित है। इसलिए समुद्री स्तर में वृद्धि के कारण जनसंख्या, अर्थव्यवस्था, तटीय इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर एवं समुद्री पारितंत्र के लिए लगातार चुनौतियां बढ़ सकती है। तापमान बढ़ने पर हुए हैं ये शोध अमेरिका स्थित यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ कैलिफोर्निया के वैज्ञानिकों के एक अध्ययन में सामने आया कि वर्षा पट्टी में यह बड़ा बदलाव जलवायु परिवर्तन के वैश्विक असर संबंधी पहले के अध्ययनों में सामने नहीं आया था। वैज्ञानिकों का कहना है कि जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण एशिया और उत्तरी अटलांटिक महासागर में तापमान बढ़ा है। इस ताजा अध्ययन के तहत पूर्वी और पश्चिमी गोलार्ध क्षेत्र में प्रतिक्रिया को अलग-अलग करके भारत में आगामी दशकों में आने वाले बड़े बदलावों को रेखांकित किया गया है। अध्ययन के सह लेखक एवं यूसी इरविन के वैज्ञानिक जेम्स रैंडरसन ने कहा कि एरोसोल उत्सर्जन में अनुमानित कमी, हिमालयी क्षेत्र में हिमनदी के पिघलने और जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण उत्तरी क्षेत्रों में बर्फ का आवरण हटने से एशिया में अन्य क्षेत्रों के मुकाबले अधिक तेजी से तापमान बढ़ेगा। उन्होंने कहा कि हम जानते हैं कि इस गर्मी के कारण वर्षा पट्टी का स्थानांतरण और पूर्वी गोलार्ध में उत्तर की ओर इसकी गतिविधि जलवायु परिवर्तन के संभावित प्रभावों के अनुरूप है। चीन, यूरोप और अमेरिका के वैज्ञानिकों के अध्ययन में सामने आया है कि आने वाले 50 सालों में भारत में मौसम का मिजाज और गड़बड़ाएगा। स्टडी रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि अगर ग्रीन हाउस गैसों के उत्सर्जन की यही स्थिति जारी रही या वायुमंडल में मौजूद गैसों का तापमान ऐसे ही बढ़ता रहा तो भारत का तापमान सहारा रेगिस्तान जितना गर्म हो जाएगा। नेशनल एकेडमी ऑफ साइंस में छपे अध्ययन में कहा गया है कि आने वाले सालों में भारत में 1.2 बिलियन लोग गर्मी के इस ताप का सामना करेंगे। जबकि पाकिस्तान में 100 मिलियन, नाइजीरिया में 485 मिलियन गर्मी के इस प्रकोप का सामना करेंगे। रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक मौजूदा समय में दुनिया भर में मानव आबादी औसत सालाना तापमान छह डिग्री सेंटीग्रेड से लेकर 28 डिग्री सेंटीग्रेड के तापमान में रहती है जो कि लोगों की सेहत और खाद्य उत्पादन के लिहाज से बेहतर है। पर यदि यह तापमान बढ़ता रहा तो इसका आर्थिक, राजनीतिक, सामाजिक और मनोवैज्ञानिक असर होगा। इसकी वजह से मानव आबादी के लिए आजीविका, रहन-सहने से लेकर खाद्यान्न संकट की समस्या उत्पन्न होगी।

भारत के ग्रामीण जिले मई में कोविड से हुई हर दूसरी मौत के लिए जिम्मेदार, रिपोर्ट में किया गया दावा

डॉ चंद्रकांत लहरिया का कहना है कि ग्रामीण भारत में मृत्यु दर प्रति 1,000 जनसंख्या पर हर साल 7 है. यानी कि एक हजार की आबादी वाले गांव में हर दो महीने में एक मौत हो रही है. ग्रामीण भारत (Rural India) के छह जिले कुल मौतों के लिए 52 प्रतिशत और कुल संक्रमण के नए मामलों के लिए 53 प्रतिशत जिम्मेदार हैं. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) द्वारा जारी एक नई सांख्यिकीय रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि शहरी भारत में कोविड तैयारियों की खराब स्थिति सुर्खियों में रही है, मगर ग्रामीण इलाकों में शहरों की तुलना में और अधिक चिंताजनक परिदृश्य उभरकर सामने आ रहा है. स्टेट ऑफ इंडियाज एनवायरनमेंट इन फिगर्स 2021 की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, ग्रामीण भारत में सामुदायिक स्वास्थ्य केंद्रों को 76 प्रतिशत अधिक डॉक्टर्स, 56 प्रतिशत अधिक रेडियोग्राफर्स और 35 प्रतिशत अधिक लैब टेकनीशियन्स की जरूरत है. प्राथमिक स्वास्थ्य सेवा सेटअप में स्वास्थ्य पेशेवरों की बहुत ज्यादा कमी है. दूसरी लहर से सबसे ज्यादा प्रभावित हुए ग्रामीण इलाके रिचर्ड महापात्रा ने कहा कि एक महत्वपूर्ण जानकारी जो सामने आ रही है वो यह है कि दूसरी लहर के दौरान भारत विश्व स्तर पर सबसे बुरी तरह प्रभावित हुआ. ग्रामीण भारत, शहरी क्षेत्रों की तुलना में ज्यादा बुरी तरह से प्रभावित हुआ. रिचर्ड महापात्रा रिपोर्ट के लेखक होने के साथ-साथ पाक्षिक पत्रिका ‘डाउन टू अर्थ’ के मैनेजिंग एडिटर भी हैं. सरकारी सूत्रों ने बताया है कि विशेष रूप से ग्रामीण भारत में कोविड-19 मामलों और मृत्यु दर की रिपोर्ट करने के लिए मैकेनिज्म को सुधारने की कोशिश चल रही है. राष्ट्रीय सहकारी विकास निगम (NCDC) और भारतीय चिकित्सा अनुसंधान परिषद (ICMR) के साथ परीक्षण और मृत्यु दर का डेटा शेयर किया जा रहा है. इस डेटा को आगे ‘ग्रामीण और शहरी क्षेत्रों’ में विभाजित किया जाएगा. ये डेटा पहले एक राज्य-जिला प्रारूप में विभाजित किया जा रहा था. रिपोर्ट के प्रमुख लेखकों में से एक रजित सेनगुप्ता कहते हैं कि कोरोना महामारी के आर्थिक प्रभाव बहुत गंभीर रहे हैं और आगे भी ये प्रभाव जारी रहेंगे. सेनगुप्ता ने रिपोर्ट में कहा कि महामारी के सेंसेटिव ग्रामीण जिलों में फैलने का मतलब है कि देश को ठीक होने में काफी समय लगेगा. इससे अगले साल जीडीपी वृद्धि भी धीमी होने की संभावना है. मालूम हो कि मई 2021 में शहरी बेरोजगारी दर बढ़कर लगभग 15 प्रतिशत हो गई. एक हजार की आबादी वाले गांव में हर दो महीने में एक मौत दूसरी ओर, कई राज्यों और केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों को महात्मा गांधी राष्ट्रीय ग्रामीण रोजगार गारंटी अधिनियम (MGNREGA) के तहत बकाया भुगतान में पिछड़ा हुआ पाया गया. भुगतान में सबसे अधिक देरी जम्मू-कश्मीर, बिहार, पश्चिम बंगाल और उत्तर प्रदेश में हुई. सार्वजनिक नीति विशेषज्ञ डॉ चंद्रकांत लहरिया का कहना है कि ग्रामीण भारत में मृत्यु दर प्रति 1,000 जनसंख्या पर हर साल 7 है. यानी कि एक हजार की आबादी वाले गांव में हर दो महीने में एक मौत हो रही है. डॉ लहरिया कहते हैं, अप्रैल-मई के महीने में ऐसे गांवों में अगर एक से अधिक मौतें हुईं हैं, तो यह अधिक मृत्यु दर का मामला है. ऐसे कई गांव रहे हैं जहां तीन या चार मौतें हुई हैं. ऐसे गांव अधिक मृत्यु दर के लिए जिम्मेदार हैं. लहरिया ने कहा कि कोरोना संक्रमण से आधिकारिक रिपोर्ट में बताई गई संख्या से ज्यादा मौतें हुई हैं.

कोरोना: मई में ग्रामीण जिलों में दर्ज हुआ संक्रमण का हर दूसरा मामला- रिपोर्ट

कोरोना वायरस महामारी की दूसरी लहर ने ग्रामीण भारत में जमकर कहर बरपाया है। अब आई एक रिपोर्ट में बताया गया है कि दूसरी लहर के दौरान ग्रामीण इलाकों में शहरों से ज्यादा हालात खराब थे। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एन्वायरमेंट (CSE) की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, मई में दूसरी लहर के दौरान देश में हुई कुल मौतों में से 52 प्रतिशत मौतें और कुल मामलों में से 53 प्रतिशत मामले ग्रामीण जिलों में दर्ज हुए।

Pandemic Detritus: PPE, Masks and Shields Add To Biomedical Waste Crisis

New Delhi: The crisis of plastic and biomedical waste is deepening with each COVID-19 case as millions of people use and throw face shields, surgical masks, gloves and PPE suits, once used primarily in hospitals and now an indispensable part of everyday life. The movement against plastic has taken a battering in the pandemic with dependency on single-use plastic surging and households contributing to the tonnes of biomedical waste being generated, experts worried. The detritus of the pandemic can be seen everywhere PPE suits lying discarded behind hospitals and crematoriums, surgical masks and shields being thrown as part of household waste and, of course, sanitiser bottles, gloves and the like found in street corner garbage dumps. With waste disposal mechanisms less than perfect in India and the plastic footprint becoming larger by the day, concerns on plastic waste choking the planet and worries about safety are mounting. There has been a general increase and since it is a crisis situation, we are not thinking of plastic but general prevention. The focus is no longer plastic, so that is a problem, Ravi Agarwal, founder director of the environmental NGO Toxics Link, told PTI. A lot of biomedical waste like masks and PPE kits are also being generated in general homes now. So that is becoming a big problem. These things are finding their way across ecosystems. A lot of these things like masks can be seen on beaches, in coral reefs etc, he added. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India produced 45,308 tonnes of COVID-19 biomedical waste between June 2020 and May 10, 2021, an average daily generation of 132 tonnes of COVID-19 related waste. This is in addition to the 615 tonnes of biomedical waste a day being produced before COVID-19, amounting to a 17 per cent increase in biomedical waste generation solely because of the pandemic. Besides COVID-related waste from hospitals and homes with positive patients, there is pandemic promoted’ waste from non-COVID homes, including not just protective gear but also plastic packaging with more and more people using home deliveries for essential and non-essential shopping. Under the existing waste disposal rules, biomedical waste is segregated into four categories: yellow (highly infectious waste such as human, animal, anatomical, soiled), red (contaminated recyclable waste generated from disposable items like tubing, bottles tubes, syringes), white (waste sharps, including needles, syringes with fixed needles), and blue (broken or discarded and contaminated glassware, including medicine vials). Considered potentially infectious, all COVID-19 waste, irrespective of content, is tagged yellow and incinerated. On the face of it, India seems well equipped to handle this extra load of biomedical waste with a national incineration capacity of 800 tonnes a day. But experts said there are other factors that needed to be taken into account. Like the fact that due to the health crisis, non-COVID-19 biomedical waste generation has also gone up. Secondly, these incinerators are meant for waste that has been segregated. But since COVID-19 waste is not being segregated, the process compromises the efficiency of the incinerators, said Siddharth Singh, deputy programme manager at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Whether emissions from these plants are causing further pollution remains unclear with flawed and non-functional monitoring systems at most plants. We never know the extent of pollution we are doing… we are converting our land based pollution to water or air pollution. That’s what we end up doing, Singh told PTI. Moreover, while national incineration capacity seems sufficient, the waste generation to incineration capacity ratio might not be met for individual states, he said. For instance, Maharashtra reported a 45% increase in the volume of its biomedical waste in May last year, with daily generation going from 62,000 kg per day before COVID-19 to 90,000 kg per day, according to a report by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. To address this problem, the CPCB in July last year in its revised guidelines for COVID-19 waste management said states could approach the Environment Ministry’s Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities’ to deal with their COVID-19 biomedical waste if it could not manage the load. Atin Biswas, programme director of municipal solid waste, CSE, pointed out that while there were mechanisms in place, there was very little data on how many states had actually availed, or even knew of the facility. Notwithstanding the unprecedented health and environment crisis, the experts said there are ways to minimise the damage. To begin with, Singh said individuals needed to consciously reduce their plastic footprint. We have always looked at the plastic problem in terms of recycling, but the focus should be on how to minimise it. Waste management is to reduce and manage, he said. For Agarwal, proper disposal is key to coming one step closer towards solving the problem. At an individual level we have a big responsibility in how we dispose of things. It has to start at the individual level and the government also has to meet the requirement. It’s cooperation between the two. It cannot be done by one or the other. The role of municipalities becomes very critical here because waste collection from COVID-19 homes is supposed to be done separately from general homes, but in many parts of the city (Delhi) that is not happening, he said. CSE’s Biswas agreed. He said waste management is indeed a shared responsibility , and a comprehensive communication strategy is important to achieve the goal of reducing plastic pollution. Waste management is a behavioural challenge. Government has always perceived this to be an engineering problem and has been very poor at communication. Had the government invested in better communication, we would have less waste to deal with in the first place, he said. We do need a very comprehensive strategy and a comprehensive roadmap if we have to achieve certain milestones, Biswas added.

Pandemic Winter 4: Decoding winter air pollution in Jaipur region and other cities of Rajasthan

New analysis of winter pollution until 20 December of this year, done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), shows how clean air gains of the lockdown and monsoon period were lost with the reopening of the economy and hostile winter weather. While this was expected, the analysis of the real-time data from monitoring stations across Jaipur division as well as other major cities in Rajasthan show the changing pattern in winter pollution this year. Even though trapping of winter pollution in Rajasthan is not as high as that of the Indo Gangetic Plain but it seems to be catching up, the levels increase this year in identical fashion despite the geographical and meteorological advantage.

दिल्ली में मंगलवार तक वायु की गुणवत्ता 'खराब' होगी

भारत मौसम विभाग (आईएमडी) ने रविवार को कहा कि तेज हवाओं के कारण बाहर से आने वाली और स्थानीय स्तर पर उड़ने वाली धूल के कारण दिल्ली की वायु गुणवत्ता मंगलवार तक 'मॉडरेट' से खराब स्तर तक पहुंच जाएगी. भारत मौसम विभाग (आईएमडी) ने रविवार को कहा कि तेज हवाओं के कारण बाहर से आने वाली और स्थानीय स्तर पर उड़ने वाली धूल के कारण दिल्ली की वायु गुणवत्ता मंगलवार तक 'मॉडरेट' से खराब स्तर तक पहुंच जाएगी. आईएमडी के नेशनल वेदर फोरकास्टिंग सेंटर ने कहा है कि सबसे अधिक प्रदूषण पीएम10 के कारण बढ़ेगा क्योंकि स्थानीय स्तर पर तेज हवा के कारण काफी धूल उड़ेगी और बाहर के इलाकों से भी धूल शहर में प्रवेश करेगी. चेतावनी में यह भी कहा गया है कि धूल उड़ने की स्थिति पांच दिनों तक बनी रहेगी और इससे हवा की गुणवत्ता पर विपरीत असर पड़ेगा. इस बीच, यह कहा गया है कि रविवार और सोमवार को शहर में वायु की गुणवत्ता मॉडरेट बनी रहेगी. आईएमडी ने रविवार को हल्की बारिश का अनुमान जताया है. लॉकडाउन के बावजूद दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वायु प्रदूषण बढ़ा हुआ पाया गया लॉकडाउन के बावजूद दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वायु प्रदूषण बढ़ा हुआ पाया गया, वहीं निगरानी तंत्र में भी कमी पाई गई. विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस पर विज्ञान और पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) ने वायु गुणवत्ता विश्लेषण के ताजा आंकड़े जारी किए हैं जो दर्शाता है कि दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र (एनसीआर) में महामारी के दौरान हवा कैसी थी. यह आकलन अवधि सितंबर 2018 से मई 2021 तक है जिसमें दिल्ली और राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र में लगातार तीन सर्दियों के मौसम, पूर्व और महामारी युग और लॉकडाउन के विभिन्न चरणों को शामिल किया गया है. रिपोर्ट बताती है कि 2020 में मार्च से मई और अप्रैल-जून, 2021 में लॉकडाउन के दोनों चरणों के दौरान महीन धूल कणों (पीएम 2.5) के स्तर में काफी गिरावट आई है, जबकि शुरुआती महीनों में आंशिक प्रतिबंधों के बावजूद प्रदूषण स्तर में वृद्धि हुई है.

India slips two spots to rank 117 on 17 SDGs adopted as 2030 agenda: Report

India ranks below four South Asian countries -- Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, it said. The overall SDG score of India is 61.9 out of 100. India slips two spots to rank 117 on 17 SDGs adopted as 2030 agenda: Report India ranks below four South Asian countries -- Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, it said. The overall SDG score of India is 61.9 out of 100. India's rank has slipped by two places from last year to 117 on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted as a part of the 2030 agenda by 193 United Nations member states in 2015, a new report has said. The State of India's Environment Report 2021 revealed that India's rank was 115 last year and dropped by two places primarily because major challenges like ending hunger and achieving food security (SDG 2), achieving gender equality (SDG 5) and building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation (SDG 9) remain in the country. India ranks below four South Asian countries -- Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, it said. The overall SDG score of India is 61.9 out of 100. Elaborating state-wise preparedness, the report said Jharkhand and Bihar are the least prepared to meet the SDGs by 2030, which is the target year. While Jharkhand lags in five of the SDGs, Bihar lags in seven. It said the states/UTs with the best overall score which are on the path to achieving the SDGs are Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, was adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, which provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. There are 17 SDGs which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. The 17 SDGs adopted by UN member states are SDG1- no poverty, SDG 2-zero hunger, SDG3-good health and well-being, SDG4- 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 and lastly SDG 17- strengthening global partnerships for the goals. The report also said that India ranked 168 out of 180 countries in terms of Environmental Performance Index (EPI) which is calculated on various indicators, including environmental health, climate, air pollution, sanitation and drinking water, ecosystem services, biodiversity, etc. India's rank was 172 in the environmental health category, which is an indicator of how well countries are protecting their populations from environmental health risks. According to the EPI 2020 report by Yale University, India ranked 148, 21 positions behind Pakistan which was at 127th position in the category of biodiversity and habitat which assesses countries' actions toward retaining natural ecosystems and protecting the full range of biodiversity within their borders.

India slips two spots to rank 117 on achieving Sustainable Development Goals: report

India’s rank has slipped by two places from last year to 117 on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted as a part of the 2030 agenda by 193 United Nations member states in 2015, a new report has said. The State of India’s Environment Report 2021 revealed that India’s rank was 115 last year and dropped by two places primarily because major challenges like ending hunger and achieving food security (SDG 2), achieving gender equality (SDG 5) and building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation (SDG 9) remain in the country. India ranks below four South Asian countries — Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, it said. The overall SDG score of India is 61.9 out of 100. Elaborating State-wise preparedness, the report said Jharkhand and Bihar are the least prepared to meet the SDGs by 2030, which is the target year. While Jharkhand lags in five of the SDGs, Bihar lags in seven. It said the States/UTs with the best overall score which are on the path to achieving the SDGs are Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, was adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, which provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. There are 17 SDGs which are an urgent call for action by all countries — developed and developing — in a global partnership. The 17 SDGs adopted by U.N. member states are: SDG1 — no poverty, SDG 2 — zero hunger, SDG3 — good health and well-being, SDG4 — 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 and lastly SDG 17 — strengthening global partnerships for the goals. The report also said that India ranked 168 out of 180 countries in terms of Environmental Performance Index (EPI) which is calculated on various indicators, including environmental health, climate, air pollution, sanitation and drinking water, ecosystem services, biodiversity, etc. India’s rank was 172 in the environmental health category, which is an indicator of how well countries are protecting their populations from environmental health risks. According to the EPI 2020 report by Yale University, India ranked 148, 21 positions behind Pakistan which was at 127th position in the category of biodiversity and habitat which assesses countries’ actions toward retaining natural ecosystems and protecting the full range of biodiversity within their borders.

India’s rank has slipped by two places from last year to 117 on the 17 Sustainable Development

Daily Excelsior | June 6, 2021 Goals (SDGs) adopted as a part of the 2030 agenda by 193 United Nations member states in 2015, a new report has said. The State of India’s Environment Report 2021 revealed that India’s rank was 115 last year and dropped by two places primarily because major challenges like ending hunger and achieving food security (SDG 2), achieving gender equality (SDG 5) and building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation (SDG 9) remain in the country. India ranks below four South Asian countries — Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, it said. The overall SDG score of India is 61.9 out of 100. Elaborating state-wise preparedness, the report said Jharkhand and Bihar are the least prepared to meet the SDGs by 2030, which is the target year. While Jharkhand lags in five of the SDGs, Bihar lags in seven. It said the states/UTs with the best overall score which are on the path to achieving the SDGs are Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, was adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, which provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. There are 17 SDGs which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. The 17 SDGs adopted by UN member states are SDG1- no poverty, SDG 2-zero hunger, SDG3-good health and well-being, SDG4- 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 and lastly SDG 17- strengthening global partnerships for the goals. The report also said that India ranked 168 out of 180 countries in terms of Environmental Performance Index (EPI) which is calculated on various indicators, including environmental health, climate, air pollution, sanitation and drinking water, ecosystem services, biodiversity, etc. India’s rank was 172 in the environmental health category, which is an indicator of how well countries are protecting their populations from environmental health risks. According to the EPI 2020 report by Yale University, India ranked 148, 21 positions behind Pakistan which was at 127th position in the category of biodiversity and habitat which assesses countries’ actions toward retaining natural ecosystems and protecting the full range of biodiversity within their borders. (PTI)

India slips two spots to rank 117 on 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted as 2030 agenda: Report

India's Environment Report 2021 revealed that India's rank was 115 last year and dropped by two places primarily because major challenges like ending hunger and achieving food security (SDG 2), achieving gender equality (SDG 5) and building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation (SDG 9) remain in the country. India ranks below four South Asian countries -- Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, it said. The overall SDG score of India is 61.9 out of 100. Elaborating state-wise preparedness, the report said Jharkhand and Bihar are the least prepared to meet the SDGs by 2030, which is the target year. While Jharkhand lags in five of the SDGs, Bihar lags in seven. It said the states/UTs with the best overall score which are on the path to achieving the SDGs are Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, was adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, which provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. There are 17 SDGs which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. The 17 SDGs adopted by UN member states are SDG1- no poverty, SDG 2-zero hunger, SDG3-good health and well-being, SDG4- 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 and lastly SDG 17- strengthening global partnerships for the goals. The report also said that India ranked 168 out of 180 countries in terms of Environmental Performance Index (EPI) which is calculated on various indicators, including environmental health, climate, air pollution, sanitation and drinking water, ecosystem services, biodiversity, etc. India's rank was 172 in the environmental health category, which is an indicator of how well countries are protecting their populations from environmental health risks. According to the EPI 2020 report by Yale University, India ranked 148, 21 positions behind Pakistan which was at 127th position in the category of biodiversity and habitat which assesses countries' actions toward retaining natural ecosystems and protecting the full range of biodiversity within their borders.