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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.

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

A report 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, achieving gender equality and building resilient infrastructure among others, remain New Delhi: 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.

India Now Ranks 117 On 17 Sustainable Development Goals Adopted As 2030 Agenda: Report

The report said India ranks below four South Asian nations - Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal – and added the country’s overall SDG score is 61.9 out of 100. New Delhi: India’s position 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, revealed the State of India’s Environment Report 2021. The report said India ranks below four South Asian nations - Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal – and added the country’s overall SDG score is 61.9 out of 100. Highlighting the reasons for the same, the report revealed that it took place courtesy 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) in the country. The report while explaining the state-wise preparedness said Bihar and Jharkhand are the least prepared to meet the SDGs by the target year 2030. The report pointed out that Bihar lags in seven of the SDGs while Jharkhand lags in five. READ: Madhya Pradesh Govt Sends Hostel Eviction Notice To Junior Doctors After 3,000 Medics Resigned To Support Stir The State of India’s Environment Report 2021 further said Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh with the best overall score are the states and Union Territories on the path to achieving the SDGs. Adopted by all the United Nations Member States in 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 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 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 SDG 17 - strengthening global partnerships for the goals, PTI reported. Stating that India ranked 168 out of 180 countries in terms of Environmental Performance Index (EPI), the report further said this is calculated on various indicators, which include environmental health, climate, air pollution, sanitation and drinking water, ecosystem services and biodiversity.

भारत 17 सतत विकास लक्ष्यों पर दो पायदान फिसलकर 117 वें रैंक पर पहुंचा : रिपोर्ट

नयी दिल्ली, छह जून (भाषा) संयुक्त राष्ट्र के 193 सदस्य देशों की ओर से 2015 में 2030 एजेंडा के रूप में अपनाए गए 17 सतत विकास लक्ष्यों (एसडीजी) पर पिछले साल की तुलना में दो पायदान फिसलकर भारत 117 वे स्थान पर आ गया है। एक नयी रिपोर्ट में यह जानकारी सामने आई है। ‘भारत में पर्यावरण की स्थिति रिपोर्ट 2021’ में सामने आया कि पिछले साल भारत का स्थान 115 था और अब वह दो स्थान और नीचे चला गया है। ऐसा मुख्यत: इसलिए हुआ है कि भुखमरी समाप्त करने और खाद्य सुरक्षा हासिल करने (एसडीजी2), लैंगिक समानता हासिल करने नयी दिल्ली, छह जून (भाषा) संयुक्त राष्ट्र के 193 सदस्य देशों की ओर से 2015 में 2030 एजेंडा के रूप में अपनाए गए 17 सतत विकास लक्ष्यों (एसडीजी) पर पिछले साल की तुलना में दो पायदान फिसलकर भारत 117 वे स्थान पर आ गया है। एक नयी रिपोर्ट में यह जानकारी सामने आई है। ‘भारत में पर्यावरण की स्थिति रिपोर्ट 2021’ में सामने आया कि पिछले साल भारत का स्थान 115 था और अब वह दो स्थान और नीचे चला गया है। ऐसा मुख्यत: इसलिए हुआ है कि भुखमरी समाप्त करने और खाद्य सुरक्षा हासिल करने (एसडीजी2), लैंगिक समानता हासिल करने (एसडीजी पांच) और लचीली अवसंरचना का निर्माण, समावेशी एवं सतत औद्योगिकीकरण तथा नवोन्मेष को बढ़ावा देना (एसडीजी नौ) जैसी बड़ी चुनौतियां अब भी देश के सामने हैं। इसमें बताया गया कि भारत का स्थान चार दक्षिण एशियाई देशों - भूटान, नेपाल, श्रीलंका और बांग्लादेश से नीचे है। भारत का कुल एसडीजी स्कोर 100 में से 61.9 है। राज्यवार तैयारियों के बारे में विस्तार से बताते हुए समाचार रिपोर्ट में कहा गया कि झारखंड और बिहार 2030 तक सतत विकास लक्ष्यों को पूरा करने के लिए सबसे कम तैयार हैं। झारखंड पांच लक्ष्यों में पीछे है जबकि बिहार सात में। इसमें कहा गया कि जो राज्य एवं केंद्रशासित प्रदेश अच्छे स्कोर के साथ इन लक्ष्यों को पाने की दिशा में आगे बढ़ रहे हैं वे हैं- केरल, हिमाचल प्रदेश और चंडीगढ़। सतत विकास के लिए 2030 के एजेंडा को संयुक्त राष्ट्र के सभी सदस्य देशों ने 2015 में स्वीकार किया था, जो लोगों और धरती के लिए अभी और भविष्य के लिये शांति एवं समृद्धि की रूप-रेखा उपलब्ध कराता है। सभी देशों- विकसित एवं विकासशील- को जिन दिशाओं में वैश्विक साझेदारी के साथ तत्काल काम करने की जरूरत है, ऐसे 17 लक्ष्य हैं। इनमें गरीबी और भुखमरी खत्म करना, अच्छी सेहत एवं आरोग्य, अच्छी शिक्षा, लैंगिक समानता, साफ पानी एवं स्वच्छता, किफायती एवं स्वच्छ ऊर्जा, अच्छा कार्य एवं आर्थिक विकास, उद्योग, नवोन्मेष एवं अवसंरचना शामिल है। इसके अलावा असमानता घटाना, स्थायी शहर एवं समुदाय, जिम्मेदार उपभोग एवं उत्पादन, जलवायु कार्रवाई, जल के नीचे जीवन, भूमि पर जीवन, शांति, न्याय एवं मजबूत संस्थान और अंतिम में लक्ष्यों के लिए वैश्विक साझेदारी को ठोस करना भी है। रिपोर्ट में यह भी कहा गया कि भारत पर्यावरणीय प्रदर्शन सूचकांक के लिहाज से 180 देशों में से 168वें स्थान पर है। यह पर्यावरणीय सेहत, जलवायु, वायु प्रदूषण, स्वच्छता एवं पेयजल, पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र सेवाएं, जैव विविधता आदि जैसे विभिन्न कारकों के आधार पर तय किया जाता है।

India slips to 117th rank on 17 Sustainable Development Goals as part of UN’s 2030 agenda

India ranks below four South Asian countries (Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh) and its overall Sustainable Development Goals score is 61.9 out of 100, a new report has said. New Delhi: 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. VDO.AI 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 17 Sustainable Development Goals

BS | Delhi| June 6, 2021 India's rank has slipped by two places from last year to 117 on the 17 SDGs adopted as a part of the 2030 agenda by 193 United Nations member states in 2015, a new report has said. The ways in which Covid-19 has restructured the geopolitical landscape are therefore relevant to the future of energy 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.

On World Environment Day, India’s top ten concerns

On World Environment Day, India’s top ten concerns Even as India battles these twin crises, the key to the future lies in ecosystem restoration — the theme for this year’s World Environment Day The 2021 World Environment Day is being observed at the most difficult of times with India battling on two fronts — the second wave of Covid-19 has caused devastation, and evidence shows that the country has not augured well on environmental norms. Water and air continues to be as polluted, and forest degradation continues, as India tries to revive its economy. India has contributed 30% of the global Covid-19 deaths in May and unlike the first wave, the second wave has spread more to rural areas than cities. In May 2021, 52 % of new cases and 53% of the deaths were from rural areas and health ministry data showed that spread of Covid in villages started from April and it got steam in May. Data from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)‘s annual state of environment report shows that bad environment with the Covid-19 pandemic can have a devastating impact on rural India, where health infrastructure is very poor. There is a 78% shortage of medical human resource and 32% of health infrastructure in villages as compared to urban areas, the report said. Even as India battles these twin crises, the key to the future lies in ecosystem restoration — the theme for this year’s World Environment Day. Ecosytem restoration basically means reviving old water bodies, building natural forests, providing space to wildlife and reducing water pollution to restore aquatic life. Healthier ecosystems, with richer biodiversity, yield greater benefits such as more fertile soil, bigger yields of timber and fish, and larger stores of greenhouse gases. The UN has dedicated this decade for ecosystem restoration. India needs to work on ecosystem restoration as its water and air quality is deteriorating and the impact of the climate crisis on people and agriculture is clearly visible. Here are the 10 major environmental concerns for India. Climate crisis The year 2020 was the eighth warmest year on record, and 2016 was the warmest ever, followed by 2009. 12 of the 15 warmest years were recorded during the past 15 years (2006-2020), and 2011-20 was the warmest decade on record. This is a warning for India, with the average yearly temperature in 2020 being 25.78 degree Celsius. India Meteorological Department (IMD) data shows that warming is happening in all seasons, with average difference in summer and winter temperature being five degree Celsius as compared to four degree Celsius in 1901. CSE report also highlighted that the poorest and populated states of India such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Odisha and Chhattisgarh were most vulnerable to the climate crisis. The vulnerability index is based on 14 indicators which include social-economic condition of people and ability of states to adapt to climate change. The biggest human consequence of the climate crisis is large scale displacement. India is the fourth-worst climate induced disaster hit country in the world, according to Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), and has suffered several disasters such as floods, storms and cyclones in 2020 and 2021 till May. India is also prone to other sudden and slow-onset hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, storm surges and droughts. The 2011-2020 decade saw 33 cyclones, the highest since 1971. An average of around 3.73 million people a year got displaced between 2008 and 2020 in India, the majority by flooding during the monsoon, the CSE said in its report. Agriculture Environmental degradation is a major cause of concern for Indian agriculture, with rising use of insecticides and pesticides, which is contaminating soil and ground water. According to Jal Shakti ministry, around half of ground water in agriculture rich districts of Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan is contaminated. Ground water is also depleting in these states because of excess use. A study done by University of Michigan published in March 2021 said that depleting ground water will cause a fall in agriculture produce, especially in wheat growing states such as Haryana and Punjab by 20% by 2025. The impact of the climate crisis is clearly visible on agriculture, with IMD reporting increase in extreme weather events such as hailstorms, excess rain and storms. These factors, various studies have found, have contributed to high farmer suicides in India. According to National Crime Records Bureau, 5957 farmers died by suicide in 2019 as compared to 5763 in 2018. Even though the government of India has launched a mission for organic farming, only two percent of India’s 140 million hectares of farm land is used for organic farming. Organic farming is the highest in Sikkim (100%) followed by Andaman and Nicobar Islands (60%) but is very low in agriculture rich states of Punjab (0.4%) and Haryana (0.7%), said CSE’s state of environment report. Water About 80% of surface water in India is polluted due to dump sewage and garbage, and an alarming percentage of ground water is contaminated by various organic and inorganic sources, said a study Water Sources and Challenges in India published in March 2020. Water bodies in most places are shrinking and according to minor irrigation (MI) census, water bodies declined by about 8% between 2001 and 2006 and another 10% were not in use because of poor quality of water. Less than half of country’s 1.3 billion people receives safe drinking water, though, to be sure, the Jal Shakti ministry has ambitiously and actively been working on its mission of connecting every home with a tap drinking water by 2024. Contrary to general belief, the water quality of India’s 19 major rivers did not improve significantly during the Covid-19-induced lockdown. While Ganga and four other rivers became dirtier, the water quality in another seven rivers remained unchanged, showed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report. Discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage and no freshwater discharges from the upstream are main reasons for pollution levels in rivers. According to CPCB report, India’s major rivers such as Ganga, Yamuna and Godavari have not seen any significant improvement in water quality despite the government spending a huge amount of money for setting up affluent treatment plants to prevent sewage from flowing directly into rivers. Air pollution Of the 6.67 million deaths due to air pollution in 2019, 1.67 million were in India, the second highest after China, according to a Lancet report. According to a CSE report, deaths because of particulate matter 2.5 pollution have increased by 2.5 times in the past decade, with air pollution rising in most places in India, especially the Indo-Gangetic plains. Just five states — Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal and Rajasthan — account for half of the deaths due to air pollution in 2019. The economic cost was equivalent to 1.36% of India’s GDP. The only positive news is that in the past two decades, household air pollution has reduced by about 40% due to use of cooking gas instead of fire-wood. Brown industries There is an eight percentage point increase in polluting industries between 2019 and 2021, with 35% increase of such industries in Uttar Pradesh and 12% in West Bengal. Any industry which discharges waste water more than 100 kilolitres a day and/or 429 hazardous chemicals used by the industry as specified under the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules of 1989 under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 are considered polluting industries. According to Jal Shakti Ministry, industries in Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Delhi, Bihar and Arunachal have poor compliance with environmental norms. With the rise in hazardous industries between 2017-18 and 2019-20, total waste generation has gone up by almost 7 %. Almost 50% of the hazardous units are in five states and generate 65% of the total waste, says the CSE report. Unsustainable cities Many Indian cities are environmentally unsustainable. Only 28% of sewage generated in India is treated to remove environmentally hazardously effluents before being released to water bodies. In the last 15 years, India’s sewage treating capacity has increased by only 15%. 10 states in India, including Bihar and Assam, have almost negligible facility for treating sewage. The water bodies have shrunk by about 20% in the last 20 years. This is just one facet of a larger decline in environmental standards across various parameters in Indian cities. Biodiversity India is one of the world’s most bio-diverse countries, with 7% of the world’s animal and plant species and 21% of its geographic area under forest cover. To pursue higher economic growth and meet aspirations of people, India is sacrificing a part of its biodiversity. And measuring the health of forest is the best way to understand country’s biodiversity status. According to CSE, timber and non-timber forest produce services in India are on decline, suggesting overexploitation of the forest resources. Another indicator of poor forest health is that 14 states have seen a fall in carbon retention services with diversion of forest for projects. The highest fall was reported in Jharkhand, followed by Karnataka and Telangana. Forest fires The warming of temperature and reduction in rainfall has also led to increase in forest fires in India. As of May 1, the number of fire alerts recorded by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) was 433,581. This is quite a jump, even though the official forest fire season of the country is from February to June. The year 2016, the hottest on record when India’s annual temperature rose 0.71°C over the annual average of 25°C, saw 541,135 forest fires—the most in a decade, CSE report said. The Global Forest Watch report clearly shows that higher the variation in temperature from normal, more forest fires take place. 16 states have seen a significant rise in forest fires, including Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. However, the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala saw fewer fires than usual. Wild species India has over 45,000 species of plants and 91,000 species of animals. The IUCN Red List monitors 1,212 animal species in India, and over 12% of them are endangered. Of the 148 endangered species in India, 48 are mammals, 56 reptiles and 23 amphibians. Of the world’s top 35 biodiversity hot spots, four are in India — Western Ghats, Himalayas, Sunderbans and Indo-Burma region. Less than 10% of these hot spots are protected and the vegetation in these hot spots has fallen by up to 50% in the last four decades or so. Despite the increase in climate-induced weather events, spending on disaster resilience measures was either reduced or not increased significantly by most states in 2019-20. Energy To save the environment, India has tried to move from fossil fuels to renewable energy and has met almost 55% of its ambitious target of installing 175 GW of renewable capacity by 2022. With one year remaining, the country is unlikely to meet the target, primarily because of small hydro and biomass projects. The country is, however, lagging in meeting it’s solar (35% met) and wind energy (69% met) targets. India has decided to develop 39 solar parks but is yet to operationalise even one of them. Of 40,000 MW target for rooftop solar by 2020, India has only 4,324 MW, according to ministry of new and renewable energy. India’s target of providing around the clock electricity is still elusive, even though agreements about this signed with all states in 2019. Despite stiff resistance from across the world, India’s dependence on thermal continues with 60% of electricity generated from coal based power plants. India will continue to depend on high carbon emitting coal for its electricity for at least another 30 years. India has also refused to agree to net zero emissions aim being propagated by the developed world before Glasgow climate change conference to operationalise the Paris climate agreement. Net zero would mean India will have to set target to phase out usage of coal. Navigating the diplomatic challenge where India resists the target for its economic goals, but continues to shift to renewables, will be a challenge.

COVID spawns mountains of bio waste; over 2 lakh kg per day in May

Over two lakh kilograms of biomedical waste was generated each day last month by hospitals in India dealing with COVID-19 patients, a new report revealed on Friday. The report titled 'State of India's Environment 2021,' released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said 2,03,000 kg of COVID-19 biomedical waste was produced daily in May this year and it was roughly 33 percent of India's non-COVID biomedical waste. It said the COVID-19 biomedical waste generated per day in May was 46 percent more than in April, when 1.39 lakh kg of such waste was produced daily. In March, the daily figure was 75,000 kg, according to the report. April and May witnessed a deadly second wave of coronavirus cases that swept through the country, stretching the healthcare infrastructure to its limits. The report by CSE found that Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi and Karnataka contributed 50 percent of COVID-19 biomedical waste generated in May. All these states were hit particularly hard by the second wave of the COVID-19 contagion. The report also said the biomedical waste generated in 2017 was 5.59 lakh kg and the quantity of waste treated daily was 519 kg. In 2019, 6.19 lakh kg biomedical waste was generated and 545 kg was treated daily. India still disposes of 12 percent of its hospital waste without any treatment, with Bihar and Karnataka faring the worst, it said. "In 2019, India treated 88 percent of its biomedical waste, down from 92.8 per cent in 2017, the report authored by Kiran Pandey and Rajit Sengupta, said. Biomedical waste includes cultures, stocks of infectious agents, associated biologicals, human blood and blood products, contaminated sharps, amputated body parts and isolation waste. Although it is a small proportion of the total waste generated (around one percent), it needs special handling due to its highly toxic contents that can pose a severe threat to human health, the report said.

All IMD air quality monitoring stations in Delhi offline: CSE

An IMD official said the Central Pollution Control Board has been informed about the issue, and it is likely to be resolved next week. None of the eight air quality monitoring stations (AQMs) of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Delhi has relayed data to the central server in the last two months, the Centre for Science and Environment said on Friday. The IMD said the AQMs are functional but data is not being relayed to the central server due to a technical issue. "Even though Delhi's monitoring network grew to 40 stations by the end of 2020, the number of active stations has reduced to 32 as all the IMD stations have gone offline," the CSE said. The IMD's station at Burari crossing has been offline since December last year, while the Ayanagar, CRRI Mathura Road, IGI Airport, Lodhi Road, North Campus DU, and the PUSA stations went offline on March 10, it said. In fact, the IMD's two other stations -- Gwal Pahari, Gurgaon, and Noida Sector 62 -- have also gone offline, the CSE said. An IMD official said the Central Pollution Control Board has been informed about the issue, and it is likely to be resolved next week. The problem could not be fixed earlier due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Of the 40 AQMs in Delhi, 24 belong to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, six are of the CPCB and two of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune.

39 lakh people displaced in India in 2020 due to climate disasters, conflicts: Report

NEW DELHI: As many as 39 lakh people in India were displaced in 2020 due to climate disasters and conflicts, making it the fourth worst-hit country in the world to have such a high number of internal displacements, a new report said on Friday. The top three countries with high internal displacements last year were China, Philippines and Bangladesh, where over four million people were displaced, according to the State of India's Environment Report 2021 released by the Centre for Science and Environment. The report stated that 76 per cent of the internal displacements globally in 2020 were triggered by climate disasters. Congratulations! You have successfully cast your vote It said 4.05 crore people were displaced in the world that year, out of which, 3.07 crore people were displaced due to climate disasters and 98 lakh due to conflicts and violence. In India, 39 lakh people were displaced in 2020 due to climate disasters, conflicts and violence, the report stated. However, most of the displacements occurred due to major climate disasters like avalanches and landslides in Jammu and Kashmir, flood in Tamil Nadu, glacial lake outburst in Uttarakhand, Cyclone Nivar in Puducherry and Cyclone Burevi in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, it said. It also said that an average of around 3.73 million people a year were displaced between 2008 and 2020, the majority by flooding during the monsoon. “India is also prone to other sudden and slow-onset hazards, including earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, storm surges and droughts,” it said. The report projected that India could see 2.3 million internal displacements every year due to earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, cyclonic winds and storms. According to the report, the last decade saw the highest number of cyclonic storms over the north Indian Ocean since the 1970s. Between 1971 and 2020, 127 cyclonic storms hit India, out of which, the maximum cyclones (33) were recorded between 2011 and 2020. Five cyclonic storms occurred in 2020 alone. While Cyclone Amphan crossed the West Bengal coast over Sundarbans on May 20 this year and claimed 90 lives and about 4,000 livestock, Cyclone Nisarga crossed Maharashtra coast on June 3. It claimed four lives and 2,000 livestock. Cyclone Nivar crossed Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts close to north of Puducherry and claimed 12 lives and 10,836 livestock over Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Lastly, Cyclone Burevi claimed nine lives and 200 livestock. Cyclone Gati made landfall over Somalia coast. The report stated that 21 major weather events claimed over 1,374 lives in 2020. Heavy rains, floods and thunderstorms were responsible for over 51 per cent of the deaths. Lightning was responsible for 33 per cent of the deaths. The data shared in the report revealed that out of the 1,374 deaths in the country, 300 people died in Bihar alone. In Uttar Pradesh, 189 people lost their lives, while 144 people died in Jharkhand due to extreme weather events. In Assam, heavy rain and flood took 129 lives in 2020, while 73 people died in Maharashtra and 72 each in Madhya Pradesh and Kerala, it said. Other states where people died due to extreme weather events are Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan, the report added.