Centre for Science and Environment masthead Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Donate

Cse In News

Cse In News

Seasonal average of winter pollution in Delhi NCR higher this winter smog episodes shorter CSE

New Delhi: Seasonal average of winter pollution in Delhi-NCR in 2020-2021 was higher than in the previous year but the severity and duration of smog episodes was lower, a new analysis by environment think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Wednesday. "The trapped winter air traps local and regional pollution in turn, and gives rise to the deadly winter smog that we, the residents of Delhi-NCR, are so familiar with," said Roychowdhury, who also heads CSE's sustainable urbanisation, air pollution and mobility programmes. Winter season is always a special challenge when inversion, and cool and calm weather traps and spikes daily pollution. the winter PM2.5 concentration has bounced back, unmasking the impacts of local and regional pollution. This demands quicker and more ambitious regional reforms to curb pollution from all sources with scale with speed," she said.

Winter was more polluted this year, but saw fewer smog days: CSE analysis

The analysis also shows that north Delhi recorded the worst pollution levels in the city this winter, with Jahagirpuri emerging as the hot spot with the worst air. The seasonal average pollution levels in Delhi this winter was higher than previous years, but the severity and smog episodes this year was lower, an analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has shown. The analysis also shows that north Delhi recorded the worst pollution levels in the city this winter, with Jahagirpuri emerging as the hot spot with the worst air. There were two continuous smog episodes during this year’s winter. The first episode was of longer duration as it started on November 3 and lasted seven days. The second started on December 22 and lasted three days. Thus, the continuous smog episodes were fewer and shorter compared to previous winters. The 2019-20 winter had three smog episodes of eight, six and five-days durations respectively; the 2018-19 winter had four smog episodes of 10 days, two episodes of six days, and one of three-days duration. Among the four neighbouring satellite towns of Delhi, Ghaziabad was the most polluted, the CSE’s winter air quality analysis — which was made based on the air quality recordings of the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) official online portal Central Control Room for Air Quality Management (CAQM) between October 15 and February 1— further read. “There is always a special interest in understanding winter pollution trends, given the extraordinary situation we faced due to the pandemic this year, as well as the fact that winter remains the most difficult season in this region due to atmospheric conditions of inversion, calm wind, and cold weather,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), CSE. She added, “The winter air traps local and regional pollutants and gives rise to the deadly winter smog that we, the residents of Delhi-NCR, are so familiar with.” The trends show that the number of days with ”severe” and “very poor” levels of PM 2.5 (particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 micrometres) concentration was comparatively lower this winter. According to the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap), which is a set of emergency measures that kick in as the PM levels reach a certain mark, air quality is considered to be in the ‘severe’ zone when the PM 2.5 levels are above 250ug/m3 or the PM 10 levels (particulate matter with diameter less than 10 micrometres) are above 430ug/m3. It is categorised as ‘poor’ when the PM 2.5 levels are between 91ug/m3 and 120ug/m3 or the PM 10 levels are between 251ug/m3 and 350ug/m3. However, the number of days in the “poor” pollution category has increased. At the same time, the overall city-wide average for the season was comparatively higher this year, the analysis found. For Delhi, this average stood at 186μg/m3, which is 7% higher than the seasonal average of 2019-20 winters. Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE’s urban lab team of the sustainable cities programme, said, “On a year-on-year basis, the annual average PM2.5 levels are declining in Delhi. Is this also moderating the impact on the pollution build-up and severe peaks during winter? This analysis of winter pollution trends since 2018 helps understand the patterns of change.” He said,“Overall, higher seasonal average but lower peak can be attributed to meteorology and changes in farm stubble burning patterns. But considerable variation has been noted among individual stations in the city. This also indicates the dominance of local pollution sources.” At a more hyper-local level, except at Wazirpur and Sahibabad, all the locations in the Delhi-NCR pollution hot spots list saw a spike in the seasonal PM2.5 levels, compared to last winter. Jahangirpuri, with a seasonal average of 256μg/m3, was the dirtiest among the hot spots. Bahadurgarh — that recorded an almost 50% spike in its PM2.5 level — was the cleanest.

Seasonal average of winter pollution in Delhi-NCR higher this winter; smog episodes shorter: CSE

NEW DELHI: Seasonal average of winter pollution in Delhi-NCR in 2020-2021 was higher than in the previous year but the severity and duration of smog episodes was lower, a new analysis by environment think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Wednesday. For the purposes of implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), winter in the region is officially demarcated as the period from October 15 to February 1, the CSE said. This winter, there were 23 days when the city-wide average of PM2.5 concentration was in the 'severe' or 'worse' AQI category -- down from 25 such days in the winter of 2019-2020 and 33 in 2018-19, the analysis said. "Technically, a smog episode is defined for the purpose of implementing emergency action under GRAP, when levels of PM2.5 remain in the 'severe' category for three consecutive days," it said. It also said that Ghaziabad was the most polluted among the four neighbouring towns of Delhi and in the national capital city, north Delhi was the most polluted with Jahangirpuri as the dirtiest hotspot. "There is always a special interest in understanding winter pollution trends -- given the extraordinary situation due to the pandemic this year, as well as the fact that winter remains the most difficult season in this region due to atmospheric conditions of inversion, calm wind, and cold weather," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, CSE. The trapped winter air traps local and regional pollution in turn, and gives rise to the deadly winter smog that we, the residents of Delhi-NCR, are so familiar with," said Roychowdhury, who also heads CSE's sustainable urbanisation, air pollution and mobility programmes. The CSE said that while Delhi has been battling a serious challenge of prolonged smoggy days every winter, in the time horizon of 2015-2020, several multi-sector actions have been initiated and these have been a part of the Comprehensive Clean Air Action Plan (CCAAP) as well as GRAP. It said that 12 stations witnessed an improvement in their seasonal averages over last year. Most improvement was noted at NSIT Dwarka, Wazirpur and Shadipur, the CSE said, adding that the maximum increase was noted at Patparganj, Vivek Vihar and R K Puram (all residential areas). Stations in north and east Delhi continued to exhibit highest PM2.5 levels, while west Delhi was relatively cleaner, it said. “Winter season is always a special challenge when inversion, and cool and calm weather traps and spikes daily pollution. But this is also the bar to understand the effectiveness of round-the-year action in reducing long-term pollution in the region," Roychowdhury said. "Despite the declining trend (year-on-year basis) due to action taken over the last few years on clean fuels for industry and transport, power plants, trucks, old vehicles etc. the winter PM2.5 concentration has bounced back, unmasking the impacts of local and regional pollution. This demands quicker and more ambitious regional reforms to curb pollution from all sources with scale with speed," she said. According to Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE's urban lab team of the sustainable cities programme, on an year-on-year basis, annual average PM2.5 levels are declining in Delhi. "Is this also moderating the impact on the pollution build-up and severe peaks during winter? This analysis of winter pollution trends since 2018 helps understand the patterns of change," Somvanshi said. The think tank said that the analysis is based on publicly available data from various government agencies. "Most granular data (15-minute averages) has been sourced from the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) official online portal Central Control Room for Air Quality Management. This has analysed the data recorded by 81 air quality monitoring stations (or 100 per cent of the current NCR network) under the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) of the CPCB," it said.

No of ‘severe’ pollution days in Delhi-NCR lower this winter

The number of days with severe and very poor levels of PM 2.5 concentration have been comparatively lower this winter but the number of days with concentration level in the poor category have registered an increase. According to the latest Center for Science and Environment (CSE) report on Delhi- NCR winter pollution, the overall city-wide average for the season has been comparatively higher this year. However, citywide average pollution for the winters was seven percent higher than the seasonal average of 2019-20 winters. Except Wazirpur and Sahibabad, all the locations on Delhi-NCR pollution hotspots list saw a spike in the seasonal PM2.5 level compared to last winter. Jahangirpuri with a seasonal average of 256 µg/m3 was the dirtiest among the recognized hotspots. Bahadurgarh that recorded almost 50 per cent jump in PM2.5 level was cleaner than other hotspots. As per the report, except Wazirpur and Sahibabad, all the locations on Delhi-NCR pollution hotspot list saw spike in the seasonal PM2.5 level compared to last winter. Jahangirpuri with a seasonal average of 256 µg/m3 was the dirtiest among the recognized hotspots. Bahadurgarh that recorded almost 50 per cent jump in PM2.5 level was cleaner than other hotspots. “There is always a special interest in understanding winter pollution trends -- given the extraordinary situation due to the pandemic this year, as well as the fact that winter remains the most difficult season in this region due to atmospheric conditions of inversion, calm wind, and cold weather,” says Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, CSE, and the head of its sustainable urbanisation, air pollution and mobility programmes. “The trapped winter air traps local and regional pollution in turn, and gives rise to the deadly winter smog that we, the residents of Delhi-NCR, are so familiar with,” she added. CSE in its report, further said number of days with severe concentration of PM2.5 declined and smog episodes were of shorter duration. “This winter 23 days had citywide average of PM2.5 concentration in “severe’ or worse AQI category, this is down from 25 such days in pervious winter and 33 days in 2018-19 winters,” the report said. Illustrating the pollution patterns, the CSE report highlighted that there was a decline in number of severe and worse air days. “Technically, a smog episode is defined for the purpose of implementing emergency action under the Graded Response Action Plan when the levels of PM2.5 remain in “severe” category for three consecutive days. From this perspective, this winter there were two continuous smog episodes. The first episode was of longer duration as it started on 3rd Nov and lasted 7 days. The second started on 22nd December and lasted for 3 days Thus the continuous smog episodes are fewer and shorter compared to previous winters. 2019-20 winter had three smog episodes of 8 days, 6 days and 5 days durations. 2018-19 winter had four smog episodes of 10 days, couple of 6 days and a 3 days durations.” However, during the winter months, at least 14 more locations registered higher seasonal average than the mean of recognized hotspots, i.e. 197 µg/m3 These were Alipur, DTU, ITO, Nehru Nagar, Patparganj, Sonia Vihar and Vivek Vihar in Delhi, Sector 1 and 116 inNoida, Loni, Sanjay Vihar and Indirapuram in Ghaziabad, Knowledge Park V in Greater Noida and Bulandshahr. This again points towards impact of local pollution. Eight towns show improvement in seasonal average from last year with Bhiwani and Palwal in Haryana showing the most improvement (exceeding 60 per cent). But Sonipat (69 per cent) and Bahadurgarh (49 per cent) lead the pack of towns with maximum detoriation in seasonal average. It is noteworthy that Hapur and Bulandshahr are neighbours but Hapur saw 24 per cent improvement while Bulandshahr deteriorated by 32 per cent. In fact, the seasonal average of Bulandshahr is three times that of Hapur.

दिल्ली-एनसीआरः इस बार सर्दियों में रहा गंभीर प्रदूषण, गाजियाबाद के हालात रहे सबसे खराब

पिछले साल की तुलना में दिल्ली-एनसीआर में इस बार सर्दियों के मौसम में प्रदूषण गंभीर स्तर पर रहा। अनलॉक की शुरुआत होने पर मिली रियायतों से प्रदूषण में बढ़ोतरी हुई। इस दौरान दिल्ली-एनसीआर में गाजियाबाद में प्रदूषण का स्तर सर्वाधिक दर्ज किया गया। राजधानी में उत्तरी दिल्ली सर्वाधिक प्रदूषित रही, हालांकि हॉटस्पॉट (जहांगरपुरी) में पीएम-2.5 का स्तर पर पिछले वर्ष की तुलना में कम रिकॉर्ड किया गया। धुंध भी इस सर्दी में पिछले वर्ष के लिहाज से कम दिनों के लिए रही। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवॉयरमेंट(सीएसई)के अध्ययन में किए गए विश्लेषण पर कहा गया है कि 15 अक्तूबर से एक फरवरी के दौरान ग्रेडेड एक्शन प्लान (ग्रेप) लागू होने के बाद पर्यावरण और प्रदूषण स्तर में बदलाव देखने में आया। सीएसई की कार्यकारी निदेशक(शोध एवं परामर्श)अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी के मुताबिक सर्दियों में अनलॉक की शुरुआत होने पर परिवहन सेवाओं की शुरुआत, लोगों के आवागमन बढ़ने का भी असर रहा। शांत हवा और ठंड जैसे मौसमी कारणों की वजह से प्रदूषण स्तर पर गंभीर हालत रही। उन्होंने कहा कि लगातार हो रहे शहरीकरण, वायु प्रदूषण और मोबिलिटी प्रोग्राम के कारण प्रदूषण स्तर को नियंत्रित नहीं किया जा सका। इस दौरान स्थानीय और क्षेत्रीय कारणों की वजह से सर्दियों के दौरान दिल्लीवासियों को कुछ दिनों के लिए धुंध का सामना करना पड़ा। 2015-20 के दौरान लंबे समय के लिए धुंध और प्रदूषण को कम करने के लिए स्वच्छ हवा के लिए एक्शन प्लान के तहत कई क्षेत्रों में इस दिशा में कदम भी बढ़ाए गए। सीएसई के विशेषज्ञ अविकल सोमवंशी का कहना है कि पीएम-2.5 का स्तर धीरे धीरे कम हो रहा है। उन्होंने कहा कि सर्दियों के दौरान मौसम में होने वाले परिवर्तन की बदौलत प्रदूषण नियंत्रण एक समस्या बनी हुई है। लेकिन लंबे समय पर प्रदूषण पर शिकंजा कसने के लिए उठाए जा रहे कदमों के दीर्घकालीक परिणाम भी धीरे धीरे सामने आने लगे हैं। सोमवंशी के मुताबिक इस दौरान स्थानीय कारणों में बदलाव का असर प्रदूषण स्तर पर पड़ने लगा है। केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड(सीबीसीबी), सफर और मौसम विभाग के आंकड़ों के आधार पर मौसम में बदलाव को अध्ययन में शामिल किया गया है। 81 एयर क्वालिटी मॉनिटरिंग स्टेशन के आंकड़ों से यह बात सामने आई कि सर्दियों में धुंध की अवधि कम रही, लेकिन सर्दियों के दौरान होने वाले प्रदूषण में पिछले साल की अपेक्षा बढ़ोतरी दर्ज की गई है। पारे के तेवर कड़े दिल्ली में दो दिन से सुबह शाम चल रही ठंडी हवाओं केकारण तापमान में हुई गिरावट केबाद एक बार फिर से तापमान ने अपने तेवर कड़े कर लिए हैं। बीते सप्ताह 30 केपार चल रहा तापमान एक बार फिर से बुधवार को तीस के पार चला गया। अधिकतम तापमान 30.8 डिग्री और न्यूनतम तापमान 13.2 डिग्री सेल्सियस दर्ज किया गया। सबसे अधिक अधिकतम तापमान स्पोट्र्स कॉम्पलेक्स में 33 डिग्री सेल्सियस दर्ज किया गया, जबकि न्यूनतम तापमान भी 18.3 दर्ज हुआ। वहीं नजफगढ़ में तापमान 32 डिग्री और न्यूनतम तापमान 13.4 डिग्री सेल्सियस दर्ज हुआ। लोदी रोड, आया नगर, रिज में तापमान 31 के पार दर्ज हुआ। पश्चिमी विक्षोभ के कारण पहाड़ी इलाकों में हुई बर्फबार का असर मैदानी इलाकों में देखने को मिला है। इसी कारण से हवाएं चल रही थी। इसे विदाई लेती हुई सर्दी का आखिरी पड़ाव माना जा रहा है। बीते 24 घंटों में राजधानी की हवा में नमी का स्तर अधिकतम 80 प्रतिशत और न्यूनतम 39 फीसदी रहा।

CSE Director Bid Coal Plant Apply Pollution Standards By 2022 – CSE की डायरेक्टर बोलीं

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट (सीएसई) की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी ने कहा कि सरकार 2022 तक कोयला संयंत्रों पर प्रदूषण मानकों का क्रियान्वयन सुनिश्चित करे। क्योंकि कोयला संयंत्र प्रदूषण के प्रमुख स्रोत हैं और यदि प्रदूषण में कमी लानी है तो हर संयंत्र में प्रदूषण मानकों का सख्ती से पालन होना जरूरी है। उन्होंने वर्चुअल तरीके से आयोजित टाउनहाल कार्यक्रम को संबोधित करते हुए यह बात कही। उन्होंने कहा कि बिजली संयंत्रों के अलावा परिवहन के क्षेत्र में इलेक्ट्रिक व बैटरी चालित वाहनों को प्रोत्साहित करना होगा। साथ ही प्रदूषण के स्रोतों को चिह्नित कर योजनाएं बनानी होंगी। कार्यक्रम क्लाइमेट वॉयसेस ने आयोजित किया है जो परपज, असर और क्लाइमेट ट्रेंड्स का संयुक्त उपक्रम है। इसमें महाराष्ट्र के पर्यावरण एवं जलवायु परिवर्तन विभाग द्वारा शुरू की गई पहल माझी वसुंधरा का भी योगदान है। वातावरण फाउंडेशन और सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट ने इसकी मेजबानी की। कार्यक्रम में पर्यावरण पर सबसे ज्यादा प्रभाव डालने वाले पहलुओं पर समावेशी और सार्थक विचार-विमर्श किया गया। इसका उद्देश्य केंद्रित सिफारिशों के जरिए एक सतत कार्य योजना तैयार कर जलवायु के प्रति विमर्श को और मजबूत करना भी है। क्लाईमेट ट्रेंड की निदेशक आरती खोसला ने कहा कि वायु प्रदूषण को कम करने के दिल्ली, मुंबई समेत बड़े शहरों के लिए प्रदूषण नियंत्रण की अलग योजनाएं बननी चाहिए। जिन क्षेत्रों में प्रदूषण की मार ज्यादा है, उनकी भी पहचान होनी चाहिए तथा उन पर केंद्रीत योजनाएं बनाए जाने की जरूरत है। उन्होंने कहा कि कृषि, पर्यटन एवं आतिथ्य क्षेत्रों में भी इसके लिए संवाद कायम किया जान चाहिए। कूड़ा प्रबंधन के लिए आधुनिक तकनीकों का सहारा लिया जाना चाहिए। प्रदूषण की समस्या से निपटने के लिए बहुस्तरीय रणनीति अपनानी होगी। पलमोकेयर रिसर्च एंड एजुकेशन फाउंडेशन के निदेशक डॉ. संदीप साल्वी ने महाराष्ट्र की जनता की सेहत पर वायु प्रदूषण के प्रभाव का जिक्र करते हुए कहा कि वायु प्रदूषण पर पिछले कुछ वर्षों के दौरान ध्यान दिया जाना शुरू किया गया है। द ग्लोबल बर्डन ऑफ़ डिजीज स्टडी 2017 में इस बात को बहुत शिद्दत से महसूस किया गया कि वायु प्रदूषण के कारण हमारी सेहत पर क्या असर पड़ता है। कुछ बीमारियां वायु प्रदूषण के साथ बहुत गहरे से जुड़ी हैं। फेफड़ों में संक्रमण और क्रॉनिक ऑब्स्ट्रक्टिव पलमोनरी डिजीज (सीओपीडी) वायु प्रदूषण का नतीजा है। डॉ. साल्वी ने कहा कि ग्लोबल बर्डन ऑफ़ डिजीज स्टडी 2019 के मुताबिक वायु प्रदूषण से संबंधित असामयिक मौतों के कारण होने वाला आर्थिक नुकसान प्रतिवर्ष 280000 करोड रुपए है, जबकि महाराष्ट्र में यह 33000 करोड़ है।

Rajasthan Govt Data Reveals 639 Mining Cases Last Year, Over 3,000 FIRs Since 2018-19

ACCORDING to data from the state’s mining department, 639 cases of illegal mining of various minerals have been registered in various districts of Rajasthan last year. According to data given by the mining department in response to a query in the Assembly, the highest number of cases— 86— is registered from Bhilwara district, followed by Jodhpur and Nagaur with 58 and 49 cases, respectively. According to a report by The Indian Express, Rajasthan’s M-sand policy, which controls the manufacture of sand from mining waste, was implemented in January this year. The programme, to increase the availability of legal sand was dubbed a “game-changer” by the government. However, illegal sand mining has recently emerged as one of the most pressing issues facing the Rajasthan administration, with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot himself admitting the issue on many occasions. According to data, the mines department reported 38,335 cases and collected Rs 252.85 crore as fines in the last three financial years(2018-19,2019-20, and up to January 31, this year). The police have filed FIRs in 3,375 of these incidents, according to the report. On November 16, 2017, the Supreme Court barred all 82 sand mining leases in Rajasthan from working due to a lack of environmental clearance and scientific replenishment studies. Illegal sand mining has resulted in fatalities, law and order incidents, and growing allegations of complicity between government authorities and illegal miners since that ban. A central empowered committee of the Supreme Court recently had said in its report that the state tacitly participated in ‘the free-for-all loot of this valuable natural resource’. According to a Centre for Science and Environment report, Rajasthan has the highest number of mine leases in the country – 1,324 leases for major minerals, 10,851 for minor minerals and 19,251 quarry licenses for mining stones. The state earned about Rs 590 crore in royalty from major minerals like lead, zinc and limestone in 2004-2005. But the sector contributes only three percent of the state’s revenue. Rajasthan holds reserves for 44 major and 22 minor minerals and is the only producer of garnet, jasper, selenite, wollastonite and zinc concentrates. It is also the leading producer of calcite, lead concentrate, ball clay, fireclay, ochre, phosphorite, silver and steatite. But it is best known for its production of marble, sandstone, marble and other stones. It produces 10 percent of the world’s and 70 percent of India’s output of sandstone. Ajmer, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Dungarpur, Jaipur, Pali, Rajsamand, and Udaipur are its main mining districts. The report also states that the state government has failed to regulate illegal mining in forest areas. Udaipur, the most forested district of Rajasthan is the most mined. The government has issued leases for hundreds of mines in Sariska National Park. Despite repeated Supreme Court orders to close them down, mining continues unabated in Sariska and Jamwa Ramgarh sanctuary. This has had a devastating impact on the forest cover of the state. In the Bijola area, there were 23,800 hectares of dense forests in 1971; by 1991, only 12,800 hectares remained, and only 2,700 hectares were dense. The National Centre for Advocacy Studies reports that about 4,996 hectares of this forest land have been converted for mining since 1980. Further, Rajasthan continues to dabble with asbestos despite a worldwide ban on the mineral. Rajasthan, which has 54 percent of India’s asbestos resources, still has five to six operational mines. According to the World Health Organisation, all forms of asbestos causes cancer, with chrysotile asbestos increasing the risk of cancer. This is a major health risk for workers, especially since these illegal mines do not provide safety equipment or compensation in case of accidents or deaths.

India faces an environmental crisis, but this season’s election coverage is set to ignore it

Until the impending Assembly elections are over, we can expect little else in news coverage apart from the political circus. Once again, election season is upon us. In fact, in India, it never seems to end. And for some political parties, it's perennial. From now until the results are declared for the Assembly elections in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, and Puducherry on May 2, we can expect little else in media coverage apart from the political circus. For the news media, the electoral battlefield provides endless possibilities and a chance to increase readership and viewership. Elections are guaranteed to be entertaining with every politician extracting the maximum advantage from media attention. Yet, increasingly, elections have been reduced to a few personalities; the issues that matter to the majority of voters slip into the background. No doubt, despite the election frenzy, the coronavirus pandemic and the effort to vaccinate a large section of India's population will continue to be a part of the news cycle for some time to come as this crisis shows few signs of abating at present. Yet, the political tamasha unleashed with the announcement of elections should not let us forget the perennials, the stories that are either told in passing, or only when there is a tragedy of such overwhelming proportions that they cannot be ignored. Issues like hunger, poverty, unemployment, caste discrimination, inequality, atrocities against women, human rights, and persecution of minorities – the list is long. We remember, and the media addresses these, when there are atrocities, like the disturbing number of incidents involving Dalit girls being killed in Uttar Pradesh, or reports that remind us that almost a third of Indian children continue to be stunted and malnourished. When a natural disaster occurs, such as in Uttarakhand on February 7, we are reminded that global warming and climate change are not academic issues but a living reality for people in fragile ecological zones as this interview with Ravi Chopra of the People's Science Institute in Dehradun spells out. We remember then that these very areas have suffered in the past, that we in the media investigated and reported about those disasters and that the government appointed committees to investigate and recommend policies that kept in mind ecological factors. And that after all that, the developmental plans put in place, such as building hydroelectric projects in this fragile ecosystem, continued as if nothing had happened. Until it did again. Even if governments have short memories and choose to forget lessons from previous disasters, the job of the media to continue to focus on some of these issues cannot be overemphasised. These issues slip from popular consciousness if our focus shifts, or disappears altogether, making it virtually impossible for the people living in such perennial disaster zones to be heard by those who make policy. The same argument can be applied to industrial pollution and neglect of safety measures by industries using hazardous materials. On May 7, 2020, poisonous styrene gas leaked out of the LG Polymer chemical plant at R R Venkatapuram in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Eleven people died and hundreds were affected by the gas in the villages around the plant. The reason was malfunction in the cooling system in two chemical tanks that had been left unattended. In the wake of the accident, the media woke up. Stories were written. We were also reminded that this accident was smaller in scale but similar in several ways to what is still called the world's worst industrial disaster: the Bhopal gas tragedy where 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate escaped from a Union Carbide plant in December 1984. Thousands of people were killed that night and many more in subsequent months and years. The health of those who survived was permanently impaired. And till today these victims of the Bhopal tragedy feel they never got justice. But the point about remembering Bhopal was that it brought up the issue of location of industries using hazardous chemicals. The people most affected that night in Bhopal were those living in a dense settlement literally outside the gates of Union Carbide. Thirty six years later, those who suffered in Visakhapatnam were those living in close proximity to the LG Polymers plant. What has changed? This unchanging scenario of industrial location is replicated in the way industries continue to pollute air, water and land despite environmental laws, and the existence of institutions that are tasked to ensure their implementation. This is one of the more distressing facts to emerge from the latest State of India's Environment 2021 report released by the Centre for Science and Environment, or CSE. The Central Pollution Control Board set up a Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index, or CEPI, in 2009 with a view to monitor industrial clusters and the pollution levels around them. Between 2009 and 2018, reports the CSE, rather than an improvement in these levels, there has been a sharp deterioration. Of the 88 industrial clusters that were monitored in this period, air quality had deteriorated in 33, water quality in 45, and land pollution had increased in 17. In other words, despite a system that kept track of whether the industries located in these places were following pollution control norms, the environmental parameters had become worse. Surely, this is a statement not just about the inefficiency of pollution control boards, or rather their inability to enforce environmental regulation, but also the attitude of those owning industries that continue to pollute and stop only if caught and/or penalised. We also need to investigate how badly the health of people living near these polluted industrial clusters has been affected. Going back to Uttarakhand, in 2010 the National Green Tribunal Act was passed. This was done expressly so that people affected by developmental projects, such as thermal power plants, or mining, could have a say before these projects were cleared under provisions of the Environment Protection Act 1986. However, often poor communities do not hear about a project, or that it has been cleared, until the process is almost complete. By the time they can get organised and summon up the resources to file an appeal against such a project before the National Green Tribunal, it is often too late because a time limit has been set. This story by Jay Mazoomdaar in the Indian Express points out how the NGT continues to dismiss appeals on minor technical grounds rather than being sympathetic to the people who turn to it. It had replaced the earlier National Environmental Appellate Authority precisely because an independent and fair system was needed to hear the complaints of project-affected communities that are often also the most marginalised. In this instance too, there is a story still waiting to be told about the groups that turned to the NGT, who they are, and how they see the future. Environmental journalism is at the cross-section of politics, policies and people. It is challenging precisely for that reason as it asks of journalists an understanding of all this as well as technical aspects. Gone are the days when newspapers had environmental correspondents tasked to investigate and write such stories. Now it is left to dedicated organisations like CSE and its journal, Down to Earth, Mongabay India, a portal specialising in environmental and conservation related stories, or the Third Pole. The deterioration in our natural environment, and the continuing and willful pollution of our water, air and land, takes the heaviest toll on the poor, but ultimately affects everyone. Despite this, environmental concerns have hardly ever featured in election talk or on the agenda of political parties. It is highly doubtful that the election season we have entered will see a change in this.

A fresh outlook

When we mark the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Stockholm conference, we need to discuss consumption and production in a globalised world It's been a generation since global leaders met in Stockholm in 1972 to discuss environmental challenges. Then the concerns were for the local environment; there was no talk of climate change or even the depletion of the ozone layer. All that came later. In 1972, the discussion was on the toxification of the environment as water and air were foul. Anil Agarwal, Centre for Science and Environment's founder-director, was in Stockholm for this first-ever UN Conference on the Human Environment and he spoke about how the lakes of this city were so polluted with industrial effluents that you could develop a camera film in the waters. These lakes are now pristine. Also Read - Formalising the informal So you could argue that much has changed in the past 50 years. But it hasn't really. The toxification of the environment is still a pressing concern; countries have indeed cleaned up locally but added to the emissions in the global atmosphere. Now, we are out of time as climate change impacts are spiralling out of control. This is why as we approach 50 plus years of Stockholm conference, we are looking at an increasingly inequitable world; where poverty and marginalisation are growing and where climate change risks are reaching not just the homes of the poor but also of the rich. We need, therefore, to change paths; to re-configure, not just our language but also our approach to, what we can call, our common future. Also Read - Austerity and reforms This is why next year when the world marks the 50th anniversary of the Stockholm Conference, it must stand differently — not to state the problem but to show the way ahead. This is also why we need to discuss consumption and production. We cannot sidestep this anymore. This is the most inconvenient of all discussions. The fact is when we stitched up the global ecological framework in terms of the many agreements — from ozone, climate and biodiversity to desertification and hazardous waste — the world realised that the actions of one country exceeded its boundaries. We have to act globally and cooperatively as we live in an interdependent world. Also Read - Caution or consequences! During this time, we also signed another agreement on free trade — the economic globalisation agreement. But we never really understood how these two frameworks — ecological and economic globalisation — would counteract each other. As a result, we have worked to build an economic model based on discounting the price of labour and of the environment. We have pushed production where these costs are cheaper; we have built for overproduction as goods have become cheaper and more disposable. But we have also made sure that all countries are now vested in this model of growth. All countries want to have global factories that produce goods as cheaply as possible. This comes then at the cost of environmental safeguards and labour conditions. The poor in the world are on the aspirational ladder to get richer with more goods and more consumption and more waste. Also Read - Shining figures Today, COVID-19 has disrupted this out-of-control journey to produce as cheaply as possible and to consume as much as possible. As the world builds back, it has the choice to do things differently. This is also because COVID-19 has taught us lessons that we must not forget. One, we have understood the value of labour — migrant labour — that was invisible and unwanted; today it has become important for the industry. We have seen how labour returned home — not just in India but across the world. And how has this impacted production. We can see already that the industry is working hard to bring back its workers; it is offering them better pay and better working conditions. This will increase the cost of production. Two, we understand today the value of blue skies and clear lungs — we know that the lockdown resulted in lowered pollution and we value this now. This investment in the environment will increase the cost of production as well. Three, we understand the value of investing in land-agriculture-water systems. People who went back to their villages are rebuilding their livelihoods. It is time to secure a resilient future there with food production systems that are sustainable, nature-friendly and good for health. Four, we are now in the era of work-from-home; even when the new normal comes, we will want to have hybrid systems that will allow us to work remotely, reduce travel stress, and also have interactions and collaborations that enrich our world. This will change consumption patterns as well. And five, governments are financially strapped. So they have to spend much more and therefore, cannot waste. This is where they will want to invest in circular economies — find ways of making resources out of waste; do more with less. All this has the potential to change the way we consume and the way we produce. So as the world meets again next year to mark 50 years of when the conversation started on human beings and their impact on the environment, we have an opportunity to do it right by nature this time. This time, we have the existential crisis of climate change staring us in the face. We cannot waste more time talking the talk anymore. It's not an option. Not anymore. The writer is the Director-General of CSE and editor of Down To Earth. Views expressed are personal

दिल्ली में अक्टूबर 2020 से एक फरवरी 2021 के बीच वायु प्रदूषण का स्तर बढ़ा

नई दिल्ली [संजीव गुप्ता]। सेंटर फार साइंस एंड एन्वायरनमेंट (सीएसई) ने राजधानी दिल्ली में सर्दियों के मौसम में प्रदूषण के स्तर का अध्ययन किया है। इसमें निष्कर्ष निकाला है कि अक्टूबर से एक फरवरी तक वायु प्रदूषण का स्तर बढ़ा है, जबकि स्माग के दिन कम हुए हैं। इस बीच सूक्ष्म धूल कण पीएम 2.5 के स्तर में वृद्धि हुई है। सीएसई की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता राय चौधरी का कहना है कि यह चिंताजनक स्थिति है। दिल्ली में धूल व औद्योगिक इकाइयों से होने वाले प्रदूषण को रोकने के लिए बेहतर प्रबंधन करना जरूरी है। इस बार सर्दियों में राजधानी दिल्ली में जहांगीरपुरी को प्रदूषण का हॉट स्पाट पाया गया, जहां वायु प्रदूषण में सबसे ज्यादा वृद्धि दर्ज की गई। इस अध्ययन के मुताबिक दिल्ली में वायु प्रदूषण का स्तर लंबे समय तक खराब श्रेणी में बना रहा। राजधानी मंद प्रदूषण मापने के विभिन्न स्टेशनों में प्रदूषण स्तर में काफी अंतर पाया गया। इस भिन्नता का कारण स्थानीय कारकों को बताया गया है। सीएसई के अनुसार इस बार सर्दी में स्माग दो बार पाया गया, जो पिछले साल की तुलना में कम रहा। पहली बार तीन नवंबर से स्माग शुरू हुआ व लगातार एक सप्ताह तक छाया रहा। दूसरी बार 22 दिसंबर से शुरू हुआ और तीन दिनों तक रहा। इसकी तुलना में वर्ष 2018-19 में स्माग चार बार दस दिनों तक, दो बार छह दिनों तक और एक बार तीन दिनों तक रहा था। वायु प्रदूषण मापने के अलग-अलग स्टेशनों में प्रदूषण में कमी व बढोतरी दर्ज की गई, लेकिन समान पैटर्न नहीं पाया गया। शादीपुर स्टेशन पर प्रदूषण के स्तर में 34 फीसद सुधार दर्ज हुआ लेकिन पास के ही पूसा स्टेशन में 13 फीसद वृद्धि दर्ज की गई। द्वारका, वजीरपुर व शादीपुर में प्रदूषण के स्तर में सुधार पाया गया। पटपड़गंज, विवेक विहार एवं आरके पुरम में प्रदूषण स्तर में बढोतरी दर्ज की गई। सीएसई ने सर्दियों से संबंधित प्रदूषण को लेकर पाया कि स्थानीय कारकों का असर सबसे अधिक है, जिससे राजधानी में वायु प्रदूषण बढ़ रहा है, लेकिन औद्योगिक क्षेत्रों में साफ ईंधन के प्रयोग, कोयला आधारित बिजली प्लांट बंद होने, राजधानी में ट्रकों के प्रवेश बंद होने से व परिवहन में सीएनजी का प्रयोग होने से प्रदूषण कम हुआ है।

Seasonal average of winter pollution in Delhi-NCR higher this winter; smog episodes shorter: CSE

Most improvement was noted at NSIT Dwarka, Wazirpur and Shadipur, the CSE said, adding that the maximum increase was noted at Patparganj, Vivek Vihar and R K Puram (all residential areas). New Delhi: Seasonal average of winter pollution in Delhi-NCR in 2020-2021 was higher than in the previous year but the severity and duration of smog episodes was lower, a new analysis by environment think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Wednesday. For the purposes of implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), winter in the region is officially demarcated as the period from October 15 to February 1, the CSE said. This winter, there were 23 days when the city-wide average of PM2.5 concentration was in the 'severe' or 'worse' AQI category -- down from 25 such days in the winter of 2019-2020 and 33 in 2018-19, the analysis said. "Technically, a smog episode is defined for the purpose of implementing emergency action under GRAP, when levels of PM2.5 remain in the 'severe' category for three consecutive days," it said. It also said that Ghaziabad was the most polluted among the four neighbouring towns of Delhi and in the national capital city, north Delhi was the most polluted with Jahangirpuri as the dirtiest hotspot. "There is always a special interest in understanding winter pollution trends -- given the extraordinary situation due to the pandemic this year, as well as the fact that winter remains the most difficult season in this region due to atmospheric conditions of inversion, calm wind, and cold weather," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, CSE. "The trapped winter air traps local and regional pollution in turn, and gives rise to the deadly winter smog that we, the residents of Delhi-NCR, are so familiar with," said Roychowdhury, who also heads CSE's sustainable urbanisation, air pollution and mobility programmes. The CSE said that while Delhi has been battling a serious challenge of prolonged smoggy days every winter, in the time horizon of 2015-2020, several multi-sector actions have been initiated and these have been a part of the Comprehensive Clean Air Action Plan (CCAAP) as well as GRAP. It said that 12 stations witnessed an improvement in their seasonal averages over last year. Most improvement was noted at NSIT Dwarka, Wazirpur and Shadipur, the CSE said, adding that the maximum increase was noted at Patparganj, Vivek Vihar and R K Puram (all residential areas). Stations in north and east Delhi continued to exhibit highest PM2.5 levels, while west Delhi was relatively cleaner, it said. "Winter season is always a special challenge when inversion, and cool and calm weather traps and spikes daily pollution. But this is also the bar to understand the effectiveness of round-the-year action in reducing long-term pollution in the region," Roychowdhury said. "Despite the declining trend (year-on-year basis) due to action taken over the last few years on clean fuels for industry and transport, power plants, trucks, old vehicles etc. the winter PM2.5 concentration has bounced back, unmasking the impacts of local and regional pollution. This demands quicker and more ambitious regional reforms to curb pollution from all sources with scale with speed," she said. According to Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE's urban lab team of the sustainable cities programme, on an year-on-year basis, annual average PM2.5 levels are declining in Delhi. "Is this also moderating the impact on the pollution build-up and severe peaks during winter? This analysis of winter pollution trends since 2018 helps understand the patterns of change," Somvanshi said. The think tank said that the analysis is based on publicly available data from various government agencies. "Most granular data (15-minute averages) has been sourced from the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) official online portal Central Control Room for Air Quality Management. This has analysed the data recorded by 81 air quality monitoring stations (or 100 per cent of the current NCR network) under the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) of the CPCB," it said.

Hyderabad pollution levels rose 7% after Unlock 6.0

Hyderabad was the second-most polluted city after Visakhapatnam. HYDERABAD: The nationwide Unlock 6.0 in November 2020 that gave respite to various activities and allowed them to resume with certain riders was welcomed by all sections of the society. However, as a safety measure against Covid-19 spread, public transport and several companies were not functioning at their 100 per cent capacity in the city. Even then, the city’s winter pollution levels worsened by 7 per cent, revealed a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The report added that among the Southern states, Hyderabad was the second-most polluted city after Visakhapatnam. The study was based on real-time data available from 115 cities across the country. It noted that in South India, winter air pollution in regional cities of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala has increased from the winter of 2019. Good air means that the Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 levels should be below 30 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3 ). PM 2.5 are tiny particles in the air and are able to travel deeply into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs. The national 24-hour permissible level for PM 2.5 is 60 μg/m3. According to the report, Hyderabad recorded a whopping peak winter PM 2.5 level of 92 μg/m3. This was 48 per cent more than the winter of 2019. “Peak pollution is very harmful especially for the people suffering from respiratory illness,” Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager at CSE’s Urban Lab team of the Sustainable Cities programme, told Express.There were two reasons behind the rise in pollution during the winter in the city, the report revealed. When the unlocking started, the Pollution Control Board (PCB) had shown more leniency towards industries, which are emit a lot of pollutants. The second factor is that since most public transports were shut, more people started using private transport, resulting in more cars and bikes on plying the road than before and adding to the pollution. “We had anticipated less air pollution during this year’s winter, however, the data shows something else. The city recorded a 7 per cent increase in its average PM 2.5 levels,” added Avikal. Air quality remains below satisfactory levels Though winter is over, the air pollution in the city continues to remain below satisfactory levels. On March 3, the air quality index (AQI)recorded at the seven monitoring stations in the city has been in moderate category at 132. The AQI at the Zoo Park was 148.

Humans need to reset their outlook on nature

Over 60 environmental thinkers, campaigners, activists, journalists and academics from across India jointly released the 2021 State of India’s Environment report online. The SOE 2021 is the annual publication of the Down To Earth (DTE) magazine. As DTE points out, since March 2020, the virus has been pervasive, impacting every aspect of our existence. A year has passed by. In reckoning, 2021 is going to be a year of importance. The pandemic is a default template for every assessment; such has been its impact on our lives. This is the context to the SOE report. As Sunita Narain, DTE editor, writes in her opening appraisal of the year just passed by, “The crisis has no precedent. But it is a result of our progressively worsening dystopian relationship with nature.” What the 2021 annual says rings several warning bells! • The world is going to face a pandemic like the current one more frequently. We know just 0.1%of potential zoonoses. In other words, the world remains ignorant of 99.9% of potential zoonotic viruses. • The adult generation of 2040 would be stunted, with a lower human capital. • A crisis’s impacts trickle faster to the poor. It is estimated that 12,000 more people would die every day due to hunger extended by the pandemic. • India is all set to usher in a ‘pandemic generation’: 375 million children (from newborn to 14-year-olds) may suffer long-lasting impacts, ranging from being underweight, stunting and increased child mortality, to losses in education and work productivity. The pandemic also has its hidden victims — over 500 million children forced out of school globally. India accounts for more than 50% of them. • India’s air, water and land have become more polluted between 2009 and 2018. Of 88 major industrial clusters in the country, data clearly indicates a lack of action over the years to control and reduce pollution even in areas which were already identified as ‘critically’ or ‘severely’ polluted. • India ranks 117 among 192 nations in terms of sustainable development – it is now behind all South Asian nations except Pakistan. • With respect to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, the five best performing states in India are Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Going by the same parameter, the five worst performing states have been Bihar, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Uttar Pradesh. • 67 million Indians died due to air pollution in 2019. The economic cost was over $36,000 million, equivalent to 1.36% of India’s GDP. • India desperately needs a vehicle scrappage policy. By 2025, we will have over 20 million vehicles nearing the end of their lives. These will add to the pollution and environmental damage. • Drinking water to all households of rural India –11 past deadlines have been missed. The Jal Jeevan Mission’s target to provide drinking water to all rural households by 2024 will need focus on making the water source sustainable; recharge of groundwater and rainwater harvesting will be critical. In all the gloom, there is one good news: since 2014-15, an average 34% of available funds have been spent on water-related works, leading to creation of almost 11 million assets in half a million villages. • India’s rivers did not see any significant improvement in their water quality during the lockdown. Of India’s 19 major rivers, five – including Ganga – ran dirtier in the COVID-19 period. • 438 plant species (of which 95% are flowering plants, including food crops) and 889 vertebrates and invertebrates are threatened. • Environmental crime cases are piling up, and disposal is slow. 34,671 crimes were registered in 2019, and 49,877 cases are pending trial. To clear the backlog in a year, courts need to dispose of 137 cases a day. • Has India’s forest cover really grown by 5188 square km since 2017, as claimed? • India has added 714 more tigers, but the area occupied by tigers has shrunk by over 17,000 square km (in the last four years). • Forestland diversion continues unabated. Over11,000 hectares were diverted in 22 states in 2019. Taking note of the Sixth Mass Extinction (Holocene extinction), the report says, “Before an extinction phase sets in, there are two signs: Loss in population and shrinking distribution areas. These two signs are evident among all species currently.” The “clean air and blue sky” during the countrywide lockdown showed our abuse of the nature. But as the SOE 2021 says, “this remained just a blip. It was probably the nature’s way of reminding us how it could be without the human-induced pollution”.

Generation doom: children of the pandemic

While global attention has been monopolized by the deaths caused by the coronavirus, the myriad plight of minors and children has been rendered invisible Covid-19 has not only taken a massive toll on people’s health; it has also destroyed the future prospects of children. A study by the Centre for Science and Environment indicated as much with its findings about the ‘pandemic generation’: 375 million children, from newborns up to the age of 14, are likely to suffer the long-term effects of the global contagion, ranging from malnutrition, stunting and increased child mortality to losses in education. While global attention has been monopolized by the deaths caused by the coronavirus — it has claimed more than 2.5 million lives around the world, with the casualties in India going beyond 1.5 lakh — the myriad plight of minors and children has been rendered invisible. The blow to the educational prospects of such ‘hidden victims’ is particularly severe: more than 500 million were forced out of school all over the world, with India accounting for over half the number. These figures bear serious implications for India, which now lags behind all South Asian nations in terms of sustainable development, save for Pakistan. Even at the best of times, the protection of children’s lives, rights and health has to be negotiated around formidable roadblocks, including State apathy. The picture becomes even bleaker for children — especially those on the margins — born or growing up during the pandemic. They are at greater risk of disease, poverty, food shortage and even sexual violence while facing poorer access to basic rights such as education and healthcare. While the global response has not been particularly encouraging — a United Nations survey of high-income economies showed that a third of them did not implement any policies designed to support children during the first wave of the pandemic — certain countries have taken some mitigatory measures. Singapore, for one, asked pre-school programmes and student care centres to cut fees by 50 per cent for a short time. But, India, seemingly, has looked the other way. The National Education Policy and the Union budget both saw the light of day during the pandemic. Yet, governmental expenditure on children came down by almost Rs 16,000 crore, while the NEP made lofty claims about online education and increasing the student enrolment ratio by 50 per cent with little clarity on how the digital divide is to be tackled. These challenges are only aggravated by health concerns — increasing air and water pollution are examples — thereby signalling the urgent need for holistic comprehension of the overlapping nature of the challenges so as to design appropriate interventions. The plight of 42 per cent of India’s population is too complex to be solved by a piecemeal approach.

With just 1 ‘satisfactory’ AQI count in Feb, air quality in city continues to nosedive

Kolkata: The air quality in the city continued to deteriorate across the six automatic air quality monitoring stations last month. There was a sharp rise in the number of ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ days in February compared to the corresponding period last year. There was a significant drop in the number of ‘moderate’ days as well. South Kolkata saw a sharper decline in air quality and Jadavpur, particularly, was the worst-affected. In fact, there was just a single day in February when the air quality was ‘satisfactory’. During the winter months, the air around us gets vicious because pollutants hang lower for longer periods of the day because of thermal inversion. Moreover, automobile emission, emission from thermal power, tanneries, garbage burning and road dusts make it more poisonous. In fact, an analysis of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) showed Kolkata saw the highest increase (13%) among megacities as far as the increase in PM2.5 count in the air is concerned. The study of the AQI calendar shows that the Jadavpur CAAQMS (Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station) had three ‘satisfactory’ (AQI 51-100) days and 19 ‘moderate’ (101-200) days in February, 2020. Last year, Jadavpur showed the best air quality in the city with more than half of the month showing reasonably good readings. However, there was not a single ‘satisfactory’ day this February, with ‘moderate’ days reduced to just 11. There was a four-fold increase in the number of ‘very poor’ days (301-400). The situation at north Kolkata was no better. At Rabindra Bharati University CAAQMS, ‘poor’ days (201-300) dropped from 14 last February to 11 last month. But the number of ‘very poor’ days went up sharply from one to 14. Salt Lake (Bidhannagar) in the east of the city, which is considered to be the cleanest with a lot of greenery, also showed a decline — ‘moderate’ days dropped to 11 from 13 and ‘poor’ days increasing from 9 to 16. Fort William, the headquarters of the Eastern Command at the heart of the city, also saw a sharp decline in the number of ‘moderate’ days from 20 February last year to six last month. The number of ‘poor’ days jumped to 20 from just five. “Kolkata’s pollution, different studies indicate, is not a problem of the city alone. It is a problem of the larger area of the Indo-Gangetic plain, where trans-boundary travel of pollutants plays a huge role. We are trying our best to contain local pollution. But it requires a much bigger zonal containment action plan. Meteorology plays a major role in the betterment or worsening of AQI,” said WBPCB chairman Kalyan Rudra.