• Down To Earth

Coal ban: Delhi pays for neighbours’ laxity

New Delhi: Delhi may have cleaned up its act by banning coal, but it is allowed in the rest of National Capital Region (NCR). Coal-based industries are still considered a major source of pollution in the region, highlights State of India’s Environment 2021, a report released by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Thursday. The report states the share of industries using coal especially in Ghaziabad and Panipat, was found to be 86% and 56.2%, respectively, which could be a lead factor behind the high PM2.5 and PM10 levels in the region. The assessment, carried out in the seven major industrial centres in NCR —Ghaziabad, Panipat, Sonipat, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Alwar and Bhiwadi — was carried out in 2020 to identify industrial pollution hotspots and the major air polluting industrial sectors. The study found that coal was the most consumed fuel in all seven districts, with around 1.4 million tonnes of coal being used annually in the industries. The second most consumed fuel was agro-waste. “We are still way behind in bringing in fuel switch in the whole of Delhi-NCR and coal is still the king of fuels for industries,” the report states. It also calculated the chimney-based industrial pollution load of different districts to find the industrial hotspots and their share in industrial air pollution in a district. “The findings clearly highlight the industrial areas and sectors that the authorities need to focus on to bring down pollution levels in these major industrial districts,” it says. A 2018 source apportionment study conducted by Automotive Research Association of India, a research and development organisation set up by the automotive industry with the central government and TERI, a Delhi-based non-profit organisation, had shown that the share of industrial pollution in NCR was much higher compared to Delhi. The share of industrial sector in terms of PM10 was 2% in Delhi, while it was 28% in the rest of the NCR. The PM2.5 count for the same category was 3% and 24%, respectively. Citing CPCB data, the current report states that out of 88 major industrial clusters in the country, 35 showed an overall “environmental degradation”, 33 worsening air quality, 45 an increase in water pollution, and at 17, land pollution has become worse. “Better usage of Continuous Emission Monitoring System, data for deterrence, engagement of concessionaires for the management of industrial waste, identification of illegal industries, introducing concept of common boilers (wherever possible) and developing strategy to curb fugitive emissions from industries are some of the steps that the government can take,” it points out. “But the game-changing move would be bringing in fuel change in all air polluting industries in Delhi-NCR.”

• Down To Earth

'375 mn Indian children may suffer due to Covid-19 pandemic': CSE report

CSE’s director general Sunita Narian said Covid-19 had made the world’s poor poorer. Around 375 million children (aged between 0-14 years) in India may suffer from the long-lasting impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, including malnutrition to loss of education and work productivity, said the Centre for Science and Environment in its annual State of Environment report released on Thursday. The report has derived this number based on different studies done on the impact of children due to Covid-19 across the world and India by organisations such as the World Bank, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Global Health Science. The UNICEF said that most of the children missed the subsidised food offered in government schools during the lockdown. The CSE estimated that about 90.4 million children missed the meals. The report said that half of 500 million children that were forced out of schools across the world were in India. “The target to reduce the stunting target to 2.5 per cent of the children in the age group of 0-5 by 2030 from 34.7 per cent in 2018 could be impacted because of Covid-19,” the report said.

• Down To Earth

Kerala among states working best to achieve sustainable development goals; UP among worst

This was revealed in the latest report on the State of India’s Environment The pandemic will leave behind a generation scarred by ill health, malnourishment, acute poverty, and facing setbacks in education as per the latest report on the State of India’s Environment. The generation, which will bear the biggest burden of the pandemic, labelled ‘the lost generation’ by the report, has 375 million children (newborn to 14 year olds). They will be underweight, stunted in experience, exhibit increased mortality and face losses in education and work productivity. The hidden victims of the pandemic will be the over 500 million children who will be forced out of school. Half of these children will be in India. Almost 115 million people, mostly in South Asia, will be pushed into poverty. Releasing the report authored by the Centre for Science and Environment, its director general Sunita Narain said, “The pandemic is a shock response to our dystopian relationship with nature. It has amplified the inequity and deep divisions in our world. The places where the disease is most likely to breed is where there are no urban services, where settlements are overcrowded, where water supply and sanitation is inadequate, and where people have no way to stay safe.” India’s air, water and land have become more polluted between 2009 and 2018. Of 88 major industrial clusters in the country, Central Pollution Control Board' (CPCB) own evaluation indicates that 35 have overall environmental degradation, 33 have worsening air quality, 45 clusters have water that is more polluted, and 17 have more polluted land. Tarapur in Maharashtra has emerged as the most polluted cluster. In terms of Sustainable Development, India ranks 117 among 192 nations. It is now behind all South Asian nations, except Pakistan. The five best performing states in working towards meeting the goals are Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. The worst are Bihar, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Uttar Pradesh. Air pollution has killed 1.67 million Indians. The economic cost of this is over $36,000 million, equivalent to 1.36 per cent of India’s GDP. This makes a vehicle scrappage policy even more urgent as the 20 million vehicles nearing the end of their lives add to pollution and environmental damage. On making available drinking water to all households of rural India , 11 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. The good news on the waterfront is that since 2014-15, an average 34 per cent of MGNREGA funds have been spent on water-related works, leading to creation of almost 11 million assets in half a million villages. Even during the lockdown, India’s rivers did not see any significant improvement. Of India’s 19 major rivers, five – including Ganga – ran dirtier in the COVID-19 period. India’s flora and fauna is under threat. As many as 438 plant species (of which 95 per cent are flowering plants, including food crops) and 889 vertebrates and invertebrates are threatened. Environmental crime cases are piling up, and disposal is slow. As many as 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. On India’s forest cover, the report questions whether it has grown by 5,188sqkm since 2017. The report notes that the Forest Survey of India mistakes “trees for forests”—it counts orchards, plantations and even trees along highways as parts of forest and tree cover. There remains data confusion on tigers as well. India has added 714 more tigers, but the area occupied by tigers has shrunk by over 17,000 sqkm (in the last four years). Forestland diversion continues unabated. Over 11,000 hectares were diverted in 22 states in 2019. Eight coal projects granted clearance in ‘No-Go’ areas will divert 19,614 ha of forestland, fell over 1 million trees, and evict over 10,000 families.

• Solid Waste Management and Circular Economy

Plastic Credit Certificates Enabling Transformation of Urban Landscape

The Central Pollution Control Board states that India generates around 26,000 tonnes of plastics every day from urban areas. It also reports that plastic waste on average accounts for 6.92% of municipal solid waste. About 40% of this plastic waste remains uncollected. The problem that we have at hand Today, plastic waste is standing as one of the most formidable challenges for India and the world. According to a recent background paper on plastic waste and its management by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), 79% of the plastic made in the world enters India’s land, water, and the environment as waste. This dumping is creating a massive issue for the urban centers in the country. The Central Pollution Control Board states that India generates around 26,000 tonnes of plastics every day from urban areas. It also reports that plastic waste on average accounts for 6.92% of municipal solid waste. About 40% of this plastic waste remains uncollected. The report states that nearly one-sixth of the total plastic waste is generated by 60 major cities. Cities including Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru together generate more than 50% of the total plastic waste. The average plastic waste generation is around 6.92% of the total municipal solid waste in the country. It varies from 3.1% in Chandigarh to 12.4% in Surat. Plastic waste is over 10% of total municipal solid waste in Delhi, over 9% in Chennai and over 6% in Mumbai. In India, the informal sector plays an important role in the management of plastic waste. Most of the plastic recycling takes place in this informal sector, providing livelihood to many. The informal sector is often seen to have little regard for worker safety and environmental protection. This happens with very minimal regulation and monitoring practices. According to the World Economic Forum, it is estimated that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. In India, unmanaged plastic waste is causing detrimental impacts on the Indian metropolis. The majority of plastic waste, about 6,100 tonnes in India[1], is dumped into landfills. Plastic toxins from the litter waste seep into the groundwater and the chemical released affects soil fertility and water bodies. The toxic emissions and foul gases from landfills pollute the environment and lead to adverse effects on human health. In addition to this, the open burning of plastic seeps into the toxic chemicals, which get deposited on soil, surface water and plants. With plastics being concentrated in the marine ecosystem, the toxins in microplastics affect health and also cause problems like asthma, cancer, congenital disabilities, genetic changes, chronic bronchitis, ulcers, skin diseases and liver dysfunction. The menace of this uncollected 40% plastic waste is attributed to the gaps in plastic waste management infrastructure. This is despite the fact that around 94% of total plastic waste is thermoplastic which is recyclable like Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Policy Intervention At the UN World Environment Day 2018, Honorable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi spoke on the theme of ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ and said that the choices that we make today will define our collective future. Being the host nation at the event and by announcing plans to eradicate single-use plastics from the country by 2022, India is already in its way contributing to the global movement against plastic use. The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, mandated the generators of waste to take steps to minimize generation of plastic waste, not litter it, ensure segregated storage of waste at source and handover segregated waste to local bodies or agencies authorized by the local bodies. It also made it the primary responsibility of producers, importers and brand owners (PIBOs) to collect used a multi-layered plastic sheet, pouches, and packaging material introduced by them into the market under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). The concept of EPR is based on the premise of making the PIBOs accountable albeit voluntarily. The rules define not just the responsibility but the EPR of the producer, as the environmentally sound management of the product until the end of its life. However, by March 14, 2019, only 49 brand owners and two producers of plastic had registered under EPR and submitted an EPR plan with CPCB and only 14 of 35 regional pollution boards (SPCBs) had filed information on plastic waste management for 2017-18. Following this, a new mechanism to meet EPR compliance was issued in June 2020 allowing PIBOs to buy credits from a system that would be established to offset the plastic waste they generate. The plastic credit model A plastic recycling model that ensures effective compliance with the EPR mandate is the plastic credit model. This model is envisaged where a producer is not required to recycle their own packaging, but to ensure that an equivalent amount of packaging waste has been recovered and recycled to meet their obligation. However, producers are mandated to acquire evidence of recycling or recovery from properly accredited processors like recyclers, W2E plant operators, cement co-processors, users utilizing plastic in the road, or exporters. The producers can exchange credits from processors that have been specifically accredited for this purpose and through registration at the EPR portal. The credits are offered in the form of a plastic credit certificate based on the amount of plastic waste recycled, to acknowledge their contribution to waste management. An obligated producer, importer or brand owner, can acquire a plastic credit certificate for the desired quantity of recycled plastic waste directly from a network of verified sellers to offset their EPR obligations set under the PWMR. This certificate ensures that the plastic waste is ethically collected, transported and put to end of life while also ensuring that the monetary benefit is realized by the unprivileged recycling sector. The model also aims to formalize the recycling sector by offering higher monetary benefits to waste management agencies and recyclers that have adapted the plastic credit model. This model carries the potential to transform urban landscapes in India by providing stability and scalability to waste management agencies, which will accelerate recycling activities. Moreover, the PWMR mandated plastic producers to offset their obligation by getting a recycler within the geography where their product is sold within the same month. This will benefit the local biodiversity as well as the people involved in the recycling chain. We have an opportunity to make a difference It is an opportunity for both PIBOs and recyclers to optimize the credit system in which producers are not required to manage their plastic waste but get the equivalent amount of plastic recovered and recycled through an accredited waste management agency. With an increased awareness level at both the consumer and manufacturer front, the model can surely be a successful approach. As per a Statista report, plastic waste generation is expected to increase to 31.4 million tonnes by 2031 and further to 55 million tonnes by 2041, thus pressing on the urgent need to address the concerns from the growing plastic waste in India. The plastic credit has the potential to solve the larger systemic issue at play, a linear economy that has created an unchecked system of production and consumption. It will not only support cities to manage waste efficiently but will also uplift their social and economic fabric. This in turn will formalize, refine and strengthen the plastic recycling infrastructure in India.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Eight non-attainment cities submit action plans to control air pollution

APPCB willing to extend them all support and guidance: official Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) member-secretary and Secretary to Government (Environment, Forest, Science & Technology) G. Srkr Vijay Kumar has said that the board and its partners will extend support and guidance to the non-attainment cities in implementing the action plans aimed at controlling air pollution. Mr. Vijay Kumar, along with APPCB Chairman A.K. Parida and Centre for Science and Environment Executive Director (Research and Advocacy) Anumita Roychowdhury, took part in the 5th Air Quality Monitoring Committee (AQMC) meeting here on Thursday. Representatives of the eight non-attainment cities, which were identified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), submitted their action plans at the meeting, and all of them were approved and recommended to the CPCB for its approval. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Vijay Kumar said that earlier there were only five non-attainment cities in the state – Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur, Nellore and Kurnool. Now, their number increased by eight with the inclusion of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Rajamahendravaram, Eluru, Chittoor, Ongole, Kadapa and Anantapur. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was keen on working towards achieving the sustainable goals, he said. Mr. Parida said that the non-attainment cities should seriously think about how to reduce air pollution level by 20-25% in the next two to three years. He highlighted the data gap among various departments, and suggested that Municipal Commissioners and PCB Regional Officers should work in tandem. Ms. Anumitha gave a presentation of the draft revised action plans of the eight non-attainment cities before the AQMC. Later, representatives from the local bodies of the eight cites submitted their revised action plans. E-Mobility New & Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) Vice-Chairman and Managing Director S. Ramana Reddy said that to decrease air pollution they were concentrating on E-Mobility. “Soon, we will provide e-vehicles to one-lakh government officials. If charging points are increased, people will automatically buy e-vehicles,” he said.

• Down To Earth

State Of India Environment 2021: उद्योगों के रास्ते शहरों में तेजी से फैल रहा प्रदूषण

संजीव गुप्ता, नई दिल्ली। State Of India Environment 2021 उद्योगों के रास्ते भी शहरों में तेजी से प्रदूषण फैल रहा है। न केवल हवा और पानी दूषित हो रहे है, बल्कि भूमि की उर्वरता भी प्रभावित हो रही है। आलम यह है कि देश की राजधानी ही इस दृष्टि से सर्वाधिक प्रदूषित है। मथुरा, कानपुर, बुलंदशहर और तारापुर में भी तेजी से प्रदूषण बढ़ रहा है। 2009 से 2018 के मध्य तो यह स्थिति बहुत तेजी से बिगड़ी है। ये तथ्य सामने आए हैं सेंटर फार साइंस एंड एन्वायरमेंट (सीएसई) की ‘स्टेट आफ इंडियाज एन्वायरमेंट- 2021’ रिपोर्ट से। औपचारिक रूप से यह रिपोर्ट गुरुवार शाम देश के 65 स्थानों पर एक साथ जारी की जाएगी। 88 औद्योगिक कलस्टर की स्थिति खराब यह रिपोर्ट बताती है कि देश भर में 88 औद्योगिक कलस्टर हैं। प्रदूषण के लिहाज से इनकी स्थिति साल दर साल बिगड़ती जा रही है। खासकर 2009 से 2018 तक एक दशक में इन सभी कलस्टरों में वायु, जल एवं भूमि तीनों ही तरह के प्रदूषण में बड़े पैमाने पर इजाफा हुआ है। 88 में से 35 कलस्टर तो ऐसे हैं, जहां ओवरआल गिरावट आई है। दिल्ली का नजफगढ़ ड्रेन बेसिन हर दृष्टि से प्रदूषित हो रहा है। इन सभी के सीईपीआइ (काम्प्रीहेंसिव एन्वायरमेंट पल्यूशन इंडेक्स) स्कोर में बड़ी वृद्धि देखी गई है। एक लाख के इनामी पंजाबी गैंगस्टर लक्खा सिंह सिधाना की फाइल फोटो। एक लाख के इनामी लक्खा सिंह का दिल्ली पुलिस को खुला चैलेंज 'आ रहा हूं दिल्ली' यह भी पढ़ें 33 में वायु प्रदूषण और 45 में जल प्रदूषण बढ़ा इन औद्योगिक कलस्टरों का ब्रेकअप निकालें तो 33 कलस्टरों में वायु प्रदूषण बढ़ा है, जबकि 45 में जल प्रदूषण में इजाफा देखा गया। 17 कलस्टर वे हैं, जहां की भूमि उर्वरता में खासी कमी आई है। आबोहवा में यह गिरावट पंजाब, हरियाणा, उप, राजस्थान, झारखंड, उत्तराखंड, गुजरात, महाराष्ट्र, इत्यादि ज्यादातर राज्यों में देखने को मिली है। सीएसई की रिपोर्ट बताती है कि प्रदूषण में वृद्धि की एक प्रमुख वजह प्रशासनिक लापरवाही है।

• Down To Earth

Study: Tarapur India’s most polluted industrial cluster

: An evaluation of 88 clusters, identified by central and state pollution control boards as polluted industrial areas, has thrown up a “bleak picture of air, water and land contamination”in India, the Centre for Science and Environment’s State of India’s Environment report 2021 shows, reports Vishwa Mohan Referring to the CPCB’s evaluation of the clusters on various green parameters, the report says Tarapur, 120km northwest of Mumbai, had emerged as the most polluted industrial cluster between 2009 and 2018. It is followed by Mathura, Bulandshahr-Khurja, Moradabad (all in UP), Vadodara (Gujarat), Najafgarh drain basin (Delhi), Kanpur and Varanasi-Mirzapur (both UP) . ‘India lags all S Asian countries except Pak in sustainable devpt’ Referring to the CPCB’s Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI) that factored in air, water and soil contamination to arrive at an index on a scale of 100, the report, which is published annually by the CSE’s Down to Earth, noted that 35 of 88 industrial clusters showed overall environmental degradation, 33 pointedtoworsening air quality, 45 had water that was polluted ,while17 had land pollution that had become worse in 2018 compared to 2009. “The overall assessment is thatourairandwaterquality is under stress. All trends show that pollution is increasing. Even during the lockdown, river pollution did not reduce. Clearly,we needtodo much more to improve the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink,” said Sunita Narain, director general of the CSE. On air quality parameters, the report found that the CEPI air quality score went up from 52 in 2009 to over 85 out of 100 in 2018 in Delhi’s Najafgarh drain basin whereas it went up from 48 in 2009 to 86 in 2018 in Mathura (UP). Similarly, Bulandshahr-Khurja area in UP nearly doubled its score and figured above 70 along with other clusters such as Gajraula (UP) and Siltara (Chhattisgarh). On the water quality front, Sanganer in Rajasthan and Gurugram in Haryanahadtheworstscorein 2018, whereas Manali turned out to be the worst on land contamination parameters. “The CEPI data clearly indicates that there has been no action over the years to control and reduce pollution even in areas which were already identified as ‘critically’ or ‘severely’ polluted,”saidNivitKumarYadav, programme director of the CSE’s industrial pollution unit.The reportalsoflaggedIndia’s dismal performance in sustainable development, noting how the country currently figures at117th position among 192 nations in terms of sustainable development where it is now behind all south Asian nations except Pakistan.

• Down To Earth

T among top in meeting SDGs in pandemic year: Report

Visakhapatnam: The Covid-19 pandemic has not only created a global health crisis, but has exposed the vulnerability to the vagaries of the disease – be it malnourishment, underemployment, school dropouts, exodus of migrants. The State of India’s Environment (2021) report by the Centre for Science and Environment, released on Thursday, has substantiated the fallout of the pandemic. Amid the pandemic, India ranked a poor 117th among 192 nations in terms of sustainable development, but the saving grace is that the two Telugu states – Andhra Pradesh and Telangana – have found a place among the top five performing states in India in meeting the sustainable development goals. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana could successfully contain the disease by the third quarter of 2020 by sticking to the scientific evidence in pandemic preparedness, response and management. From the initial days of panic with no definitive treatment, inadequate health infra and no testing facilities in February-March, the two Telugu states have tweaked their strategies for the changing transmission dynamics. The states witnessed a drastic decline in cases in fourth quarter of 2020. Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said Covid-19 has made world’s poor poorer. “About 115 million additional people might get pushed into extreme poverty by pandemic and most of them live in South Asia. The defining event of the year that has gone by has been Covid-19 pandemic, something which the world is struggling to come to terms with. The time has now come to investigate what the pandemic is going to leave behind for us in the long term – a lost generation, scarred by ill-health, malnourishment, acute poverty and a debilitating break in educational accomplishments,” said Narain.

• Down To Earth

India’s 88 industrial clusters present a bleak picture of air, water and land contamination, says CSE report

NEW DELHI: An evaluation of 88 clusters, identified by central and state pollution control boards (CPCB and SPCBs) as polluted industrial areas, has thrown up a "bleak picture of air, water and land contamination" in the country, said the Centre for Science and Environment’s (CSE) State of India’s Environment report 2021, released on Thursday. Referring to the CPCB’s evaluation of these clusters on different green parameters, the report said Tarapur in Maharashtra had emerged as the most polluted industrial cluster in the country followed by Mathura (UP), Bulandshahr-Khurja (UP), Moradabad (UP), Vadodara (Gujarat), Najafgarh drain basin (Delhi), Kanpur (UP) and Varanasi-Mirzapur (UP) between 2009 and 2018. Referring to the CPCB’s Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI) that factored in air, water and soil contamination to arrive at an index at scale of 100, the report – annual publication of the CSE’s Down to Earth – noted that 35 of 88 industrial clusters showed overall environmental degradation, 33 pointed to worsening air quality, 45 had water that was more polluted while 17 had land pollution that has become worse in 2018 compared to 2009. image0. “The overall assessment is that our air and water quality is under stress. All trends show that pollution is increasing and this has massive impacts on our health. Even during the lockdown, data shows that river pollution did not reduce. Clearly, we need to do much more to improve the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink,” said Sunita Narain, director general of the CSE. On air quality parameters, the report found that the CEPI air quality score went up from 52 in 2009 to over 85 out of 100 in 2018 in Delhi’s Najafgarh drain basin whereas it went up from 48 in 2009 to 86 in 2018 in Mathura (UP). Similarly, Bulandshahr-Khurja area in UP nearly doubled its score and figured above 70 along with other clusters such as Gajraula (UP) and Siltara (Chhattisgarh). On the water quality front, Sanganer in Rajasthan and Gurugram in Haryana had the worst score in 2018 whereas Manali turned out to be the worst on land contamination parameters. “It is a telling verdict. The CEPI data clearly indicates that there has been no action over the years to control and reduce pollution even in areas which were already identified as ‘critically’ or ‘severely’ polluted,” said Nivit Kumar Yadav, programme director of the CSE’s industrial pollution unit. The report, which used publicly available data, also flagged India’s dismal performance in terms of sustainable development, noting how the country is currently figured at 117th position among 192 nations in terms of sustainable development where it is now behind all South Asian nations except Pakistan. “With respect to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 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,” it said. Underlining impact of Covid-19, the report said the country was all set to usher in a ‘pandemic generation’ where 375 million children (from new-born 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. It noted that the pandemic also has its hidden victims -- over 500 million children forced out of school globally where India accounts for more than 50% of them. Looking at lessons which India has learnt over the years and more specifically during the pandemic, Narain said, “The good news is that we are learning to do things differently. We are adopting technologies that will be affordable to large numbers and so sustainable. This is where the answer will be – in differently done sewage treatment, to mobility systems that will move people and not cars."

• Down To Earth

Nine African nations on track to join solar ‘gigawatt club

Of the 37 countries that are part of the #solar ‘gigawatt club’, only two — South Africa and Egypt — are from Africa. But this might change soon with nine more African countries ramping up solar capacity, said the first annual African Solar Energy Outlook 2021 report released by the Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) on February 16, 2021. Nations with installed capacity to produce 1 GW of solar power form the ‘gigawatt club’, an unofficial tag. The nine countries that are developing their solar infrastructure are Algeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Namibia, Ethiopia, Morocco and Botswana, the report said. Nearly half the world’s population without access to electricity (591 million) is in sub-SaharanAfrica, according to the International Energy Association. This new report provides policy directions for ensuring development of affordable energy through solar. It provides a country-by-country snapshot solar generation status and key drivers of successful solar development across 54 nations in the African continent. https://lnkd.in/eJ6U5Vn

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Smaller cities including Visakhapatnam, Agra and Lucknow saw more pollution this winter: Analysis

The analysis has considered 99 cities where data availability for two consecutive winters meets the minimum criteria of requirement for 75 per cent of data completeness. NEW DELHI: As the winter nears end, an analysis of winter pollution levels shows that smaller cities fared poorer compared to mega cities. The analysis of real time data by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) shows north India is most polluted while cities of the northeast show lower averages but higher toxicity as the share of PM2.5 in PM10 is considerably high in those cities. The analysis has considered 99 cities where data availability for two consecutive winters meets the minimum criteria of requirement for 75 per cent of data completeness. Overall, winter PM2.5 levels have worsened significantly in 43 cities out of 99 cities that have valid daily PM2.5 concentration data for over 75 per cent of days for this and previous winters. This pool of cities mostly consist of Tier-1 or even smaller cities. Most prominent among them are Gurugram, Lucknow, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam, Agra, Navi Mumbai and Jodhpur. Kolkata is the only mega city in this group. Out of the 99 cities considered, 19 have experienced substantial improvement in their winter air quality compared to the previous winter. Chennai is the only mega city included in this pool. There is also wide variation in peak pollution level experienced during winter. In about 37 cities that are otherwise showing stable or declining seasonal average their peak levels have risen significantly during winter. Toxic Air 8 of the top 10 most polluted cities in UP 1st rank went to Ghaziabad in UP 5th spot went to national capital Delhi 10th slot was occupied by Bhiwadi in Rajasthan 26 cities in North India showed increasing trend 5 cities in South India showed increasing trend

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Eight of 10 most polluted cities this winter were in NCR, UP: CSE study

While Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and Greater Noida topped the list of most polluted cities in this region, Noida and Delhi were not far behind. Kanpur and Lucknow occupied sixth and ninth positions on the chart Eight of 10 most polluted cities in the country this winter were located in the Delhi-NCR and Uttar Pradesh region, an analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) shows. The CSE’s study, the results of which were released after an extensive analysis of realtime data from cities in different regions to throw light on the difference between 2020-21 winter and the previous winter, has identified the Delhi-NCR as the most polluted cluster. While Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and Greater Noida topped the list of most polluted cities in this region, Noida and Delhi were not far behind. Kanpur and Lucknow occupied sixth and ninth positions on the chart, according to the CSE analysis. “Winter is a special challenge when inversion, and the cool and calm weather trap and spike daily pollution. While the northern Indo-Gangetic Plains is the most affected, other regions also experience a rise, but with lesser intensity. But this year, even though the average level of PM2.5 (particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 micrometres) during summer and monsoon months was considerably lower than the previous year, due to the summer lockdown, the winter PM2.5 concentration rose in many cities across regions as compared to 2019,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE’s executive director and the in-charge of research and advocacy. New Delhi, India - February 22, 2021: Demonstrators unloading consturction material for tents at the Ghazipur border protest site as the agitation against new farm laws continues, in New Delhi, India on Monday, February 22, 2021. (Photo by Sakib Ali /Hindustan Times) She further said, “This bouncing back of pollution, post-lockdown, unmasks the high impact of local and regional pollution. This demands quicker regional reforms to curb pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants and waste burning to curb the winter pollution.” This analysis by CSE took into account data from 99 cities across the country, where data availability for two consecutive winters meets the minimum criteria for 75% of days between October 1 and January 31. The analysis also showed that in Delhi, the levels of PM 2.5 showed a “stable trend”. Delhi, along with 14 other cities, showed a less than 8% change in pollution levels this winter season as compared to the previous winter. “This analysis has helped to understand the regional differences in winter pollution. Even though there is considerable regional variation, peak pollution episodes increased and synchronized within the regions during winter. At the same time, uneven rise across monitoring locations and contiguous cities pointed to the impact of local pollution,” says Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager at CSE’s urban lab team, sustainable cities programme.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Air pollution level worst in Delhi-NCR

8 of top 10 most polluted cities of India in UP; Gzb, Bulandshahr at top: CSE report The most air polluted cities in India during this winter were located in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-NCR, according to a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report. As per the report, the most polluted cluster was the Delhi-NCR with Ghaziabad Bulandshahr, Greater Noida, Noida, and Delhi leading the pack. Eight of the top 10 most polluted cities were in UP with Ghaziabad and Bulandshahr taking the top spots; while Delhi was at number five and Bhiwadi in Rajasthan at number 10. Chandigarh is the only major city to be put among the five least polluted ones. Kanpur was at sixth and Lucknow at ninth spot, while Bhiwani and Palwal in Haryana and Alwar in Rajasthan were the least polluted cities. The CSE carried out an analysis of real time data on the difference between 2020-21 winter and the previous winters. CSE’s executive director in charge of research and advocacy Anumita Roychowdhury said, “Winter is a special challenge when inversion, and cool and calm weather traps and spikes daily pollution. While the northern Indo Gangetic Plain is most affected, other regions also experience a rise, but with lesser intensity. “But this year even though the average level of PM2.5 during summer and monsoon months was considerably lower than the previous year due to the summer lockdown. PM2.5 concentration in winter has risen compared to 2019 winter in many cities across regions. This bouncing back of pollution post-lockdown unmasks the high impacts of local and regional pollution. This demands quicker regional reforms to curb pollution from vehicles, industry, power plants and waste burning to curb the winter pollution and also sustain annual improvement at a regional scale with speed.” “This analysis has considered 99 cities where data availability for two consecutive winters meets the minimum criteria of 75 per cent of data completeness requirement. This analysis has helped to understand the regional differences in regional profile of winter pollution. Even though there is considerable regional variation, peak pollution episodes increased and synchronised within the regions during winter. At the same time, uneven rise across monitoring locations and contiguous cities bring out the impact of local pollution,” says Avikal Somvanshi, programme manager in CSE’s Urban Lab team of the Sustainable Cities programme. The analysis is part of the air pollution tracker initiative of CSE. It is based on publicly available granular real time data (15-minute averages) from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) official online portal Central Control Room for Air Quality Management. The data is captured from 248 official stations under the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) spread across 115 cities in 22 states and union territories. CAAQMS has many more cities in its

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

इस सर्दी देश के 10 सबसे प्रदूषित शहरों में एनसीआर और यूपी के आठ शहर रहे

इस साल पड़ी ठंड में सबसे ज्यादा प्रदूषित शहरों की लिस्ट में एनसीआर और उत्तर प्रदेश के शहरों का दबदबा रहा। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) के अध्ययन के अनुसार 2020-21 की सर्दियों में देश के 10 सबसे प्रदूषित शहरों की लिस्ट में एनसीआर और उत्तर प्रदेश के आठ शहर रहे। सीएसई के अध्ययन ने दिल्ली-एनसीआर की सबसे प्रदूषित क्लस्टर के रूप में पहचान हुई। गाजियाबाद, बुलंदशहर और ग्रेटर नोएडा इस क्षेत्र के सबसे प्रदूषित शहरों की सूची में सबसे ऊपर हैं। नोएडा और दिल्ली भी ज्यादा नीचे नहीं हैं। सीएसई विश्लेषण के अनुसार, कानपुर और लखनऊ लिस्ट में क्रमाश: छठे और नौवें स्थान पर हैं। सीएसई के कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी ने बताया कि जब ठंडा और शांत मौसम होता है तो सर्दी में प्रदूषण पर नियंत्रण रखना काफी चुनौतीपूर्ण हो जाता है। उत्तरी भारत-गंगा के मैदान के मैदान सबसे अधिक प्रभावित होते हैं, अन्य क्षेत्रों में भी वृद्धि का अनुभव होता है, लेकिन कम तीव्रता के साथ। उन्होंने बताया कि 2019 की तुलना में इस बार क्षेत्रों के कई शहरों में सर्दियों में पीएम 2.5 की सांद्रता बढ़ गई।

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

प्रदूषण के मामले में उत्तर भारत के इन राज्यों की हालत बदत्तर-CSE की रिपोर्ट में बड़ा खुलासा

जालंधर: पिछले कई साल से दिल्ली-एनसीआर को वायु प्रदूषण से निजात ही नहीं मिल पा रही है। यहां तक सुप्रीम कोर्ट के दखल के बाद भी केंद्र सरकार इस मामले में गंभीर नहीं दिख रही है। हाल ही में सीएसई द्वारा जारी रिपोर्ट में एक बार फिर से दिल्ली एन.सी.आर. की हवा को शहरवासियों के लिए घातक बताया गया है। रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक पॉल्यूशन के मामले में दोनों ही शहर इस बार भी टॉप पर है। इस मामले में सुप्रीम कोर्ट लगातार 2 साल से दखलअंदाजी करता आ रहा है। कई बार केंद्र सरकार को दिल्ली में प्रदूषण कम करने के लिए निर्देश भी जारी कर चुका है। बीते साल सुप्रीम कोर्ट में केंद्र सरकार ने जवाब दायर करते कहा था कि उसने प्रदूषण से निपटने के लिए एक आयोग का गठन किया है लेकिन अभी तक यह आयोग किन गाइडलाइंस पर काम कर रहा है। इसका कोई ठोस खाका तैयार नहीं हुआ है। सी.एस.ई. की रिसर्च एवं एडवोकेसी इंचार्ज व कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी ने कहा कि सर्दियों में ठंड और गर्मियों के मौसम में प्रदूषण बढ़ना एक खास चुनौती होता है। 2020 में कोरोना काल में जहां पूरा देश घरों में बंद था तो गर्मी और मानसून सीजन में प्रदूषण कम रहा, इसके बावजूद सर्दी के वर्तमान सीजन में 2019 के सीजन के मुकाबले पीएम2.5 का स्तर अधिक है, जोकि चिंता का विषय है। ऐसे में वाहन, उद्योग, बिजली घर और कूड़ा जलाने आदि से बढ़ने वाले प्रदूषण पर लगाम लगानी होगी। सी.एम.ई. रिपोर्ट के अनुसार दक्षिण भारत के शहरों के मुकाबले उत्तर भारत के शहरों में 3 गुणा अधिक प्रदूषण पाया गया। पिछली सर्दियों (अक्टूबर से जनवरी) के मुकाबले इन सर्दियों में जिन 99 शहरों का एनालिसिस किया गया, इनमें गुरुग्राम, लखनऊ, जयपुर, विशाखापट्टनम, आगरा, नवी मुंबई और जोधपुर व कोलकाता शामिल है। इन शहरों में पीएम 2.5 का स्तर खराब रहा। वहीं सिर्फ 19 शहर ऐसे पाए गए जहां हवां की गुणवत्ता में पिछली सर्दियों के मुकाबले इन सर्दियों में सुधार हुआ है। इन शहरों की सूची में चैन्नई का नाम भी शामिल हैं जबकि 37 शहरों में हवा की गुणवत्ता में कोई खास बदलाव नहीं देखा गया। इन शहरों का मौसम रहा स्थाई रिपोर्ट के अनुसार उत्तर भारत के 15 ऐसे शहर जहां पिछली सर्दी 8 प्रतिशत से कम बदलाव आए है जिनमें मुख्यता फरीदाबाद, वाराणसी, जालंधर, खन्ना, नोएडा, अंबाला, पटियाला, अमृतसर, रूपनगर, गाजियाबाद, नारनौल, दिल्ली, मुरादाबाद, ग्रेटर नोएडा और कानपुर शामिल है। इन शहरों के प्रदूषण में आई बढ़ौतरी वहीं 26 शहर ऐसे है जहां पिछली सर्दियों के मुकाबले इन सर्दियों में प्रदूषण के स्तर में 8 प्रतिशत बढौ़तरी हुई है। जिनमें बागपत, लुधियाना, गुरुग्राम, कुरुक्षेत्र, हिसार, मेरठ, भटिंडा, यमुना नगर, जींद, मानेसर, लखनऊ, रोहतक, अलवर, भिवाड़ी, बुलंदशहर, पंचकुला, कैथल, धारूहेड़ा, बहादुरगढ़, और सोनीपत थे। वहीं हरियाणा के फतेहवाद में मौसमी औसत में 228 प्रतिशत, आगरा में 87 प्रतिशत वृद्धि देखने को मिली है। इन शहरों में दिखा प्रदूषण का कम स्तर पानीपत, हापुड़, मंडीखेड़ा, करनाल, बल्लभगढ़, सिरसा, चंडीगढ़ और मंडी गोबिंदगढ़ जैसे 12 ऐसे शहर है जिन में गिरावट देखने को मिली यानी पिछली सर्दियों से 8 प्रतिशत से अधिक की कमी। वहीं हरियाणा में भिवानी और पलवल के मौसम में 60 प्रतिशत से अधिक गिरावट देखने को मिली। सबसे प्रदूषित क्लस्टर सबसे प्रदूषित क्लस्टर दिल्ली-एनसीआर क्षेत्र है जिसमें गाजियाबाद बुलंदशहर, ग्रेटर नोएडा, नोएडा और दिल्ली पैक प्रमुख हैं। कानपुर और लखनऊ ने चार्ट में छठे और नौवें स्थान पर है। वहीं हरियाणा में भिवानी और पलवल और राजस्थान के अलवर में 2020-21 के दौरान सबसे कम मौसमी औसत दर्ज किया गया। दिलचस्प बात यह है कि पांच सबसे कम प्रदूषित लोगों में चंडीगढ़ एकमात्र प्रमुख शहर है। किसी भी शहर में 40 μg / m3 के वार्षिक मानक से नीचे मौसमी औसत नहीं था।

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

सीएसई का कहना है कि अधिकांश भारतीय शहरों में शीतकालीन प्रदूषण बढ़ता है

रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि प्रदूषण के केंद्र के रूप में उभरते छोटे और आने वाले शहर। पीएम 2.5 का स्तर, पार्टिकुलेट मैटर का सबसे अधिक खतरा, 99 में से 43 शहरों में बिगड़ गया, जिनकी दो साल, 2020 और 2019 में सर्दियों की हवा की तुलना विज्ञान और पर्यावरण केंद्र (सीएसई) द्वारा की गई थी। केवल 19 पंजीकृत “पर्याप्त सुधार” – और इनमें से एक चेन्नई था। बाकी शहरों में महत्वपूर्ण बदलाव का अनुभव नहीं हुआ। लॉकडाउन के बाद में, कई शहरों ने प्रदूषण के स्तर में सुधार की सूचना दी, लेकिन सर्दियों में, जब लॉकडाउन में काफी ढील दी गई थी, तो प्रदूषण के स्तर ने पूर्व-सीओवीआईडी -19 के स्तर, सीएसई नोटों को वापस लौटा दिया था, जिसमें स्थानीय और क्षेत्रीय कारकों के महत्वपूर्ण योगदान को रेखांकित किया गया था। शहर का प्रदूषण स्तर 2019 में 2020 में सबसे खराब प्रदूषण फैलाने वाले शहरों में गुरुग्राम, लखनऊ, जयपुर, विशाखापत्तनम, आगरा, नवी मुंबई और जोधपुर शामिल हैं। कोलकाता इस समूह का एकमात्र मेगा शहर है। 37 शहरों में जो अन्यथा स्थिर या गिरते मौसमी औसत दिखा रहे हैं, सर्दियों के दौरान उनके प्रदूषण के स्तर में काफी वृद्धि हुई है। इनमें औरंगाबाद, इंदौर, नासिक, जबलपुर, रूपनगर, भोपाल, देवास, कोच्चि, और कोझीकोड शामिल हैं। दूसरी ओर, उत्तर भारत में, दिल्ली सहित अन्य शहरों ने रिवर्स का अनुभव किया है, अर्थात मौसमी औसत में वृद्धि लेकिन मौसमी शिखर में गिरावट। सर्दियों के दौरान, शांत और शांत मौसम के जाल और दैनिक प्रदूषण को फैलाते हैं, विशेष रूप से उत्तर भारतीय शहरों में जो भारत के गंगा के मैदान में स्थित हैं। इस साल गर्मियों और मानसून के महीनों के दौरान पीएम 2.5 का औसत स्तर पिछले साल की तुलना में गर्मियों के लॉकडाउन के कारण काफी कम था। हालांकि, क्षेत्रों में कई शहरों में 2019 की सर्दियों की तुलना में शीतकालीन PM2.5 एकाग्रता बढ़ी है। उन्होंने कहा, ‘प्रदूषण के बाद लॉकडाउन का उछलना स्थानीय और क्षेत्रीय प्रदूषण के उच्च प्रभावों को उजागर करता है। यह वाहनों, उद्योग, बिजली संयंत्रों से प्रदूषण पर अंकुश लगाने के लिए त्वरित क्षेत्रीय सुधारों की मांग करता है और सर्दियों के प्रदूषण को रोकने के लिए अपशिष्ट जलाने और गति के साथ एक क्षेत्रीय पैमाने पर वार्षिक सुधार को बनाए रखने के लिए कहता है, “अनुमा रॉयचौधरी, सीएसई के कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुसंधान और वकालत के प्रभारी, एक बयान में कहा। विश्लेषण सीएसई के वायु प्रदूषण ट्रैकर पहल का हिस्सा है। यह केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड (CPCB) से सार्वजनिक रूप से उपलब्ध दानेदार रीयल टाइम डेटा (15-मिनट के औसत) पर आधारित है। डेटा 22 राज्यों और केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों में 115 शहरों में फैले कॉन्टिनेंट एंबिएंट एयर क्वालिटी मॉनिटरिंग सिस्टम (CAAQMS) के तहत 248 आधिकारिक स्टेशनों से कैप्चर किया गया है। सीएसई विश्लेषकों ने केवल उन शहरों पर विचार किया था, जो सर्दियों के दिनों में कम से कम 75% (1 अक्टूबर से 31 जनवरी तक) दोनों वर्षों तक पढ़ते थे। जब सबसे कम प्रदूषित शहरों में स्थान दिया गया, तो सबसे प्रदूषित शहरों में से 23 उत्तर भारत के हैं। मैसूरु सबसे कम प्रदूषित है, इसके बाद मध्य प्रदेश में सतना और केरल में कोच्चि, उत्तरी बेल्ट में गाजियाबाद सबसे प्रदूषित शहर है। केवल चार शहर (सतना, मैसूरु, विजयपुरा और चिक्कमगलुरु) हैं जो सर्दियों के मौसम के दौरान राष्ट्रीय 24-घंटे के मानक (60 μg / m3) से मिले हैं। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, मध्य प्रदेश में सतना और मैहर, और कर्नाटक में मैसूरु, देश के सबसे साफ शहर हैं। अध्ययन के लेखकों ने यह भी जोर दिया कि मेगा शहरों के बजाय, यह छोटे और आगामी शहर थे जो प्रदूषण के आकर्षण के केंद्र के रूप में उभर रहे थे। “यह रिपोर्ट यह स्पष्ट करती है कि यह शीतकालीन प्रदूषण चुनौती मेगा शहरों या एक विशिष्ट क्षेत्र तक सीमित नहीं है; यह एक सर्वव्यापी समस्या है और हर जगह तत्काल और जानबूझकर कार्रवाई की आवश्यकता है। इसके लिए प्रदूषण के प्रमुख क्षेत्रों – वाहनों, उद्योग, बिजली संयंत्रों और अपशिष्ट प्रबंधन में त्वरित सुधार और कार्रवाई की आवश्यकता है ताकि सर्दियों के प्रदूषण को नियंत्रित किया जा सके और वार्षिक वायु प्रदूषण वक्र को कम किया जा सके। “